Influence of Past Climate Changes on the Current Distribution of a Rare and Endemic Species: Anatolian Spiny Mouse

Abstract

This research focuses on species distribution modelling (SDM) to have an idea of distribution of Anatolian spiny mouse, Acomys cilicicus in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the mid-Holocene and present by using coordinates along Silifke which is the only location the species found. Three ensembled species distribution models (generalized additive models, maximum entropy and boosted regression trees) were used to project Anatolian spiny mouse environmental suitability. Results indicate that current distribution of A. cilicicus populations shifted east to west since during the Last Glacial Maximum and apparently eastern part of the Mediterranean region of Turkey is potential refugia for this species.