Faunal relationships and zoogeographical affinities of mammals in north‐west Africa

Abstract

The nonmarine mammal fauna of the Maghreb region of north‐west Africa is related to that from three potential source areas: the northern Palaearctic (Europe and south‐west Asia; here referred to as the European fauna), subsaharan Africa (the African fauna) and the arid Palaearctic (Sahara Desert: the desert fauna). On the basis of geographical distribution patterns, this fauna divisible into two groups: the bats, whose affinities are most closely related to southern Europe and south‐west Asia, and nonflying species, most closely related to subsaharan Africa but with an appreciable northern Palaearctic element. These affinities are even more pronounced if desert fauna are removed from the analysis. The nonflying European fauna probably colonized via south‐west Asia and north Africa, rather than direct from western Europe. The results demonstrate that terrestrial habitat barriers are less of an impediment to dispersal, for all mammals except bats, than even narrow stretches of water. The fauna of the Maghreb may be undergoing faunal relaxation, following immigration from tropical Africa and south‐west Asia during mesic phases in the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene.

Mitochondrial DNA signatures at different spatial scales: from the effects of the Straits of Gibraltar to population structure in the meridional serotine bat (Eptesicus isabellinus)

“…Although only a few kilometers wide (14 km), the Straits of Gibraltar seem to have acted as an important barrier preventing faunal contacts ever since their reopening at the start of the Pliocene about 5.3 million years ago (Dobson and Wright, 2000). Nevertheless, a All values are significant (Po0.05) except for the one depicted in bold type.…”

“…The degree of permeability of the Straits of Gibraltar to bats may be the result of a complex equation in which life history traits are also important. A recent comparative approach including all bat species present on both Iberian and African sides of the Mediterranean has shown the absence of a clear pattern regarding the role of the Straits of Gibraltar on bat communities (García-Mudarra et al, 2009), and caution should be taken when drawing general conclusions (Dobson and Wright, 2000).…”

Phylogeography of the weasel (Mustela nivalis) in the western-Palaearctic region: combined effects of glacial events and human movements

“…This result suggests that, like insular individuals, those in Morocco originated from the eastern part of Europe. Different routes have been proposed to explain colonization of North Africa (Dobson and Wright, 2000). The absence of genetic similarity between Iberian and Moroccan samples strongly suggests that North African weasels do not come from western Europe (route 1 in Dobson and Wright, 2000).…”

“…Different routes have been proposed to explain colonization of North Africa (Dobson and Wright, 2000). The absence of genetic similarity between Iberian and Moroccan samples strongly suggests that North African weasels do not come from western Europe (route 1 in Dobson and Wright, 2000). Colonization through this route is, however, advocated for other mammals, including the woodmouse (Apdodemus sylvaticus), which colonized Morocco from the Iberian peninsula (Michaux et al, 2003).…”

Geography and host biogeography matter for understanding the phylogeography of a parasite

“…The consequences of co-differentiation for the host and parasite histories have already been discussed elsewhere (Nieberding et al, 2004), except for North Africa. In North Africa, paleontological data attest the presence of the wood mouse since 10,000 years only (Dobson, 1998;Dobson and Wright, 2000). Libois et al (2001) and Michaux et al (2003) showed that North African A. sylvaticus reached North Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar as a result of anthropogenic introductions during the Holocene.…”