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Two Pleistocene sections in the middle reaches of the Volga River – Spasskoe and Yagodnoe – have been described in details and analyzed, small mammal remains being recovered and identified. The fauna includes remains of open landscape species: Eolagurus luteus (Eremin and Moloskovsky, 1981), Lagurus lagurus Pallas, 1773, Lasiopodomys (Stenocranius) gregalis (Pallas, 1779) and others. Bone remains of a tundra species – collared lemming Dicrostonyx sp. were found in the Spasskoe section. No forest species are present in the sequence, nor remains of water vole Arvicola. The species richness of the faunas is rather low, which may be related to insufficient amount of material or to a specific climate. Such low species richness is typical of the periglacial faunas of the Pleistocene. The authors of recent article attribute the third Volga terrace to the Late Pleistocene refer usually to the 3rd terrace deposits in the lower reaches of the Volga where the Caspian Upper Khazarian (Hyrcanian) layers are found at the base of the sequence. The rodent molar morphology permits to date fauna to the beginning of the Late Pleistocene (to the early stages of the Valday glaciation) and to reconstruct periglacial steppes widely distributed in the Volga middle reaches at that time.

The Sele Plain was once a marshy area that has recently been reclaimed. The analysis of skull and dental remains of small mammals, collected during the restoration of the Temple of Neptune, testifies the ancient existence of ecosystems that have now been greatly reduced in this area. In particular, the high percentage of remains of Arvicola italicus, a rodent that is now very rare throughout Italy, confirms the presence of aquatic environments.

Among the well-known small mammal assemblages of the Krakow-Czestochowa Upland, the one from Tunel Wielki Cave is one of the most interesting for the Pleistocene biochronology of Poland. As a new trench was opened in 2018, it was possible to reanalyse the entire sequence. Its complex stratigraphy is divided into two phases: the Holocene–Late Pleistocene series and the Middle Pleistocene. In this work, we present the study of a small mammal assemblage coming from this site, with a focus on the Middle Pleistocene material. The total assemblage was composed of 268 individuals divided into 43 taxa. In the Middle Pleistocene series, two oscillations, one mild and one cold, were detected. Among the determined taxa, some are crucial for defining the chronology of the lower part of the sequence. Arvicola mosbachensis was recorded, consisting of the first finding of this species in Poland. The presence of Pliomys coronensis was confirmed, as well as that of Pliomys episcopalis. The occurrence of Microtus cf. arvalis, Microtus cf. agrestis among rodents, Myotis bechsteinii cf. robustus, and Plecotus cf. abeli among bats, as well as the analyses of the morphological characters of the other species confirm that this part of the sequence can be related to the Middle Pleistocene, precisely to a moment between Marine Isotope Stages (MISs) 14 and 11, establishing Tunel Wielki Cave as the first Early Toringian site in Poland.

espanolSe presentan los resultados del primer sondeo de rata de agua en Espana. El sondeo se realizo entre el 19 de marzo de 2011 y el 10 de junio de 2012 y en el mismo participaron 310 voluntarios, de los que practicamente la mitad lo hicieron como acompanantes. Se seleccionaron a priori 1.000 cuadriculas UTM de 10x10 km, con una distribucion uniforme por toda Espana peninsular. En cada cuadricula el observador elegia tres puntos de muestreo, con las siguientes condiciones: presencia de habitat favorable, facil acceso y distancia minima entre puntos de muestreo de 2.500 m. Mas de la mitad de las cuadriculas fueron muestreadas por un solo observador y el 97% de los puntos positivos lo fue antes de los 25 minutos de muestreo. Se obtuvieron datos de 995 cuadriculas de las 1.000 planeadas inicialmente. En 542 (54,5%) de ellas se detecto la presencia de rata de agua: 218 con un punto positivo (40,2 % de las positivas), 174 con dos (32,1%) y 150 con tres (27,7 %). El total de puntos muestreados fue de 2.914, de los que 1.016 (34,9 %) resultaron positivos. EnglishThe results of the first spanish southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus) survey are presented in this paper. The survey was carried out between March 19, 2011 and June 10, 2012 and 310 volunteers participated in it, of which almost half did so as companions. A total of 1,000 UTM grids of 10x10 km were selected a priori, with a uniform distribution throughout peninsular Spain. In each grid the observer chose three sampling points, with the following conditions: presence of favorable habitat, easy access and minimum distance between sampling points of 2,500 m. More than half of the grids were sampled by a single observer and 97% of the positive points were before 25 minutes of sampling. Data was obtained from 995 grids of the 1,000 initially planned. The presence of southern water vole was detected in 542 (54.5%) of grids: 218 with one positive point (40.2% of the positive ones), 174 with two (32.1%) and 150 with three (27.7%). The total number of points sampled was 2,914, of which 1,016 (34.9%) were positive.

The (palaeo)biogeography of water voles is a puzzle that is not solved in detail yet. Extant species of the genus Arvicola cover a vast geographic area of the Palearctic. In this study, we collecte...

International audience; Niche differentiation by spatial segregation facilitates the coexistence of species sharing ecological preferences, which can buffer the impact of biological invasions on native species. The introduction of two semi-aquatic rodents, the coypu Myocastor coypus and the muskrat Ondatra zibethicus, to most freshwater ecosystems across Western Europe, has been pinpointed as a cause for the decline of the southern water vole (SWV) Arvicola sapidus. We investigated the co-occurrence of these three species in a river catchment of northwest France and whether spatial habitat segregation took place at two spatial scales, using hierarchical modelling accounting for imperfect detection. At a large spatial scale (river catchment), the occupancy rate of the SWV was 0.52 +/- 0.06, i.e. noticeably smaller compared to coypu (0.58) and muskrat (0.80). We found no evidence of a negative effect of the presence of the two invasive rodents on SWV occurrence. At a smaller spatial scale (SWV home range), we found weak evidence of spatial segregation in habitat use with a negative, although not significant, effect of muskrat. Overall, our results suggest that riparian habitats in the study area allow the southern water vole to coexist with two larger invasive rodents, provided that hygrophytic vegetation is preserved alongside rivers

The paper analyzes the results of paleontological studies of the Middle Pleistocene, Lower Paleolithic locality of Medzhybizh were identified. Briefly covers the history of the study of the localityю. The description of the geological section, quantitative and qualitative composition of the microtheriofauna. The materials of the newly obtained sample contain remnants of the genus Spermophilus , Spalax , Apodemus , Clethrionomys , dominate the genus Microtus and Arvicola , we have been found remnants of the redeveloped species Allo p h aio m y s d e u c alio n . Were characterized morphological features of the molars of the species A . m o s b a c h e n sis as the most inclined to morphological changes in geological time. The tafocenosis of locality of Medzhybizh 1, based on the evolutionary level of the water vole, was assigned to the Zavadov stage (singular faunal complex). The measurement counts were performed using two methods of BTQ and SDQ. Microtheriofauna from the locality of Medzhybizh 1 is younger than the fauna of Nahirne 1 and Ozerne 2.

The analysis of historical researches about muroid rodents (Muridaе, Arvicolidaе) at the territory of Ternopil region was conducted. The investigation of muroid rodents includes three stages: general faunistic (1740–1940), populational (40–80 XX cent.) and modern researches (from the end of XX cent.) Scientific papers for the last 250 years and data from Chronicles ofnature of NEPA (Natural Enviroment Protected Areas) of Ternopil region were examined. The first stage is distinguished by accumulating of sporadic data about species richest and economic value of muroid rodents. The second period is characterized by more detail studies about systematics of muroid rodents, their distribution and ecology, these aspects were only superficially investigated before. Research papers about the investigation of species dynamic and biotopical distribution of muroid rodents in Ternopil region characterize the third stage of muroid rodent’s investigation. It was shown, that systematic studies of muroid rodents in Ternopil region, wich highly increased in last few decades, were mainly conducted by scientists from objects of Nature Enviroment Protected Areas. As a result of the analysis of many years of research by the scientists of the Ternopil region, a list of 14 species of muroid rodents was compiled: the Muridae family: Micromys minutus Pall., Apodemus agrarius Pall., Rattus norvegicus Berk., Mus musculus L., Sylvaemus tauricus Melchior., S. sylvaticus L., S uralensis Pall.; Family Arvicolidae: Myodes glareolus Schr., Arvicola amphibious L., Terricola subterraneus Selys-Longchamps, Microtus oeconomus Pall., M. agrestis L., M. arvalis Pall.; Sminthidae family: Sicista betulina Pall. It is important to carry out new studies to specify the species composition, populations of populations, changes in the biotic diversity of muroid rodents as a result of anthropogenic transformation of the environment, as well as the application of modern methods of ecological and faunal studies in the Ternopil region.

Water vole (Arvicola amphibius) populations have undergone a serious decline throughout the UK, and yet a stronghold of these small mammals is found in the greater Easterhouse area of Glasgow. The water voles in this location are mostly fossorial, living a largely subterranean existence in grasslands, rather than the more typical semi-aquatic lifestyle in riparian habitats. In this study, we carried out capture-mark-recapture surveys on water voles at two sites: Cranhill Park and Tillycairn Drive. We made a total of 62 captures including retraps, and the resulting population estimates were 78 individuals (95% confidence interval 41-197) for Cranhill Park and 42 individuals (20-141) for Tillycairn Drive. From these figures we estimated a population density of water voles, which appeared to be higher than other reports from the UK. Despite the difficulties of sampling in urban environments that resulted in relatively low capture rates, our data suggest that the greater Easterhouse area of Glasgow holds water voles at relatively high population densities. These results will inform future conservation in the City of Glasgow and surrounding areas, as well as raise awareness of important water vole populations in urban environments.

Cities are not often considered priority areas for threatened mammals; however, recent research suggests that urban areas may be important for water vole (Arvicola amphibius) conservation. To establish the potential importance of cities in supporting water vole populations, we used National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas data to examine the occurrence of water voles within the United Kingdom (UK). Water voles were recorded in 28 out of 64 official UK cities in the last decade (2010–2018), and rivers and streams within parks, sports grounds, and urban reserves were the most important habitat types. In total, we found 497 records of water vole sightings within official cities, representing 5.0% of all records for this species in the NBN Atlas. Our results show that water voles are indeed found within many cities, suggesting that urban populations of water voles are more common in the UK than previously recognised. We therefore recommend that the importance of these urban populations for conservation of this species should be further established.

The Westbury-sub-Mendip cave deposits were first exposed during quarrying in 1969. Detailed study of the faunas was carried out by Bishop, who concluded that the derived Westbury 1 fauna is of early Pleistocene age, while the Westbury 2 and 3 faunas are post-Cromerian sensu stricto but pre-date those of the Hoxnian Stage. An alternative proposal by Stuart was that the main Westbury faunas are Cromerian, representing the end of that interglacial Stage. Systematic excavations at Westbury (1976–1984) led by a team from the Natural History Museum have demonstrated the complexity of the site and faunal sequences. The probable early Pleistocene ‘Siliceous Group’ (Unit 1) and its derived fauna is succeeded by two separate stratigraphic and faunal sequences at the western and eastern ends of the site. Palaeoecological reconstructions, using a Taxonomic Habitat Index derived from the small mammal faunas, indicate that the western sequence contains three temperate phases, separated by more boreal conditions and followed by a tundra phase. This tundra phase also appears to be represented in the upper parts of the eastern sequence. Since all of these faunas, including those indicating optimum interglacial conditions, contain Arvicola cantiana, they must be post-Cromerian sensu stricto and appear to pre-date the Hoxnian Stage.

The barrier effect is a pervasive impact of road networks. For many small mammals individual avoidance responses can be the mechanism behind the barrier effect. However, little attention has been paid to which species and road characteristics modulate road avoidance and mortality risk. We measured the strength of the barrier effect imposed by the road on three rodent species with different body sizes and habitat specializations: Southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus), Mediterranean pine vole (Microtus duodecimcostatus) and Algerian mouse (Mus spretus). We analysed the effect of traffic intensity on use of space and direction of movement and the effect of road type (4-lane highway, 2-lane paved road and 1-lane unpaved road) on crossing rates with simulations of roads bisecting each home range. Finally, we estimated annual mortality risk from collision based on individual speed, crossing rates, body length, traffic volume and road width. Individual mobility and ecological preferences were assumed as two hypotheses to explain species’ responses towards roads. The effects were species-specific, with traffic intensity having a negative influence on the use of space and movement directionality only for water voles and with avoidance of paved roads being evident for the Algerian mouse. Road-kill mortality risk was high in pine voles. Habitat specialization, individual mobility and home-range location were identified as important factors of species’ responses towards roads. This study draws attention to the role of behaviour and ecological requirements as well as road characteristics on the strength of the barrier effect imposed by roads for different species.

The intra-montane Guadix-Baza Basin is one of the few continental basins in Europe that hosts a well-dated set of fossiliferous sites spanning from the latest Miocene to the late Middle Pleistocene. The Cúllar de Baza 1 (CB-1) represents a key site to investigate the effects of the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition, considered a fundamental transformation in the Earth’s climate state. Our review and update of the large mammal assemblage, and particularly equids, is of paramount relevance to understand the systematic affinities and the evolution of the Early and Middle Pleistocene European horses. We confirm the occurrence of two different taxa, the medium sized Equus altidens and the larger E. suessenbornensis. Moreover, we illustrate that CB-1 is essential for the biochronological studies of the latest Early Pleistocene/Middle Pleistocene transition (Epivillafranchian/Galerian ELMA); in particular with regard to the Last Occurrences of the Etruscan rhino Stephanorhinus etruscus and the large deer Megaloceros savini and the First Occurrence of the water-rat Arvicola mosbachensis in the Iberian peninsula. Finally, a development of a mosaic environment characterised the CB-1 site contrasting with the conditions reported for other Iberian late Early and Middle Pleistocene localities., This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project ES-TAF-5621 http://www.synthesys.info/ which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 «Capacities » Programme at Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC) and from Project CGL 2016-79334-P (Dirección General de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain).

The paper presents distribution of the European water vole Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) in Mazowsze and southern Podlasie in areas situated within a 120-kilometer radius from Warsaw. Data published so far and unpublished results from analyses of the diet of three common species of owls were set up. The rodent is rare in the study area, especially when compared with southern, western and far northern Poland. Its largest population lives in Kampinos Forest, from where many localities are known. In other parts of the study area it is present locally. Only 14 localities were known outside Kampinos Forest in the years 2000–2017. It is even absent from large areas rich in various water bodies like e.g. Mazowiecki and Chojnowski Landscape Parks or Bolimowska Forest. Rarity of the European water vole was confirmed by 235 large samples of owls’ food (at least 100 of vertebrate prey in each) equally distributed across Mazowsze and southern Podlasie, in which this species was not found.

Cova Eiros is emerging as a reference site in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula for the study of the development of the last Neanderthal populations and the first populations of Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) in MIS 3. Cova Eiros is an archaeological site (with Middle and Upper Palaeolithic levels) located in Cancelo, Triacastela (Lugo, northwestern Iberian Peninsula), which has been systematically excavated from 2008 onwards. The small-vertebrate assemblage analysed came from the archaeo-palaeontological field seasons that took place from 2009 to 2014. At least 18 small-vertebrate taxa have been identified: 1 frog ( Rana temporaria ), 1 snake ( Vipera sp.), 4 insectivores ( Sorex minutus , Sorex sp., Talpa cf. occidentalis and Erinaceus europaeus ), 4 chiropters ( Myotis myotis/blythii , cf. Miniopterus sp., Myotis sp. and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum ) and 8 rodents ( Apodemus sylvaticus , Arvicola amphibius , Arvicola sapidus , Chionomys nivalis , Microtus (Terricola) lusitanicus , Microtus agrestis , Microtus arvalis and Microtus oeconomus ). Using the Habitat Weighting method to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment, we reconstruct a landscape for MIS 3 characterized by open woodland formations. The Mutual Ecogeographic Range (MER) method and the Bioclimatic Model (BM) used for the palaeoclimatic reconstruction show lower temperatures and higher precipitation than at present in the region. Our results from Cova Eiros are compared with the data obtained from several other sites in the Iberian Peninsula; it can be said that Neanderthals and AMH were well adapted to the territory that they occupied, as well as to the surrounding environment and the climatic conditions prevalent in the unstable context of MIS 3 in the Iberian Peninsula.

The main evolutionary stages of formation of the faunas of small mammals of the Middle Pleistocene in Europe, belonging to the interval ~0.76−0.42 mln years, are described. Based on the analysis of the species composition of the faunas of this interval, six main phases of development of small mammals, corresponding to the main climatic events (interglacials, glaciations) during MIS 18 – MIS 12 are identified. Availability of data for some intervals of the first half of the Middle Pleistocene is not too large. Especially this applies to the cold stages of the first half of the Middle Pleistocene – the Don and Oka (or, that is the same, the Elster and Anglian) glaciations. In several cases the difference in time of the appearance of a number of taxa in Eastern and Western Europe was revealed. So, Arvicola cantianus appeared in Western Europe earlier than in Eastern Europe. This phenomenon can be explained by different rates of evolution in different parts of Europe, and, possibly, insufficient number of related data (geological, geochronological, and paleontological), which subsequently allow to determine the age of a number of localities. The analysis of correlation of the East European and West European faunas of small mammals was carried out. The biostratigraphic scheme and the map of localities of small mammals of the Middle Pleistocene during MIS 18 – MIS 12, i.e. in the first half of the Middle Pleistocene on the international scale (early Neopleistocene according to the scale RISK), were built. The obtained data allows to substantiate more accurately and to clarify the geological age of the deposits, and to reconstruct the palaeogeographical setting of the considered periods. They are also an important component in the establishment of biostratigraphic schemes of the Middle Pleistocene and the Pleistocene in general.

Resumen El conocimiento de las alternancias entre actividad/descanso durante ciclos de 24 h es importante para comprender la forma en que las especies interaccionan con el medio y, a la vez, puede proporcionar herramientas para desarrollar medidas de conservacion adecuadas. El conocimiento sobre esta alternancia de actividad y reposo es escaso en la rata de agua Arvicola sapidus, un roedor endemico de la peninsula Iberica y Francia. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir al conocimiento de los patrones de actividad/reposo hora a hora, mediante la cuantificacion de las distancias recorridas (asociadas a actividad) para diferentes individuos de Arvicola sapidus en un tramo del rio Montsant, utilizando la tecnica del radioseguimiento. Los resultados han mostrado que la rata de agua se comporta como una especie catemeral. La aproximacion al patron de actividad obtenida mediante datos sobre la frecuencia de actividad en intervalos de una hora mostro una menor resolucion que la aproximacion obtenida a partir de las distancias medias recorridas en intervalos de una hora. Los individuos que ocupaban un habitat suboptimo recorrieron una distancia media por hora mayor que la de los individuos que ocupaban un habitat optimo. La actividad se ha relacionado con las condiciones de habitat. Estas consideraciones ayudarian a explicar por que la fragmentacion y destruccion del habitat se configuran como las principales causas de regresion de la rata de agua, asi como la importancia de la conservacion del habitat para favorecer el mantenimiento de la especie. Palabras-clave: actividad, Arvicola sapidus, distancias recorridas, habitat, radioseguimiento. Abstract Knowledge of the alternation between activity and rest during the 24 h daily cycle is important in order to understand how species interact with the environment and can also provide tools for designing appropriate conservation measures. At present, little is known about this alternation in Arvicola sapidus, an endemic rodent restricted to the Iberian Peninsula and France. This study aims to extend our knowledge of this rodent’s hour to hour activity/rest patterns by using radiotelemetry to quantify the distances travelled (associated with activity) by individual southern water voles along a stretch of the Montsant River. The results showed that the southern water vole’s behaviour is cathemeral. The use of data of frequency of activity in one-hour intervals to assess the activity pattern showed a lower resolution than the use of data of the mean distances travelled in one-hour intervals. The individuals occupying a suboptimal habitat travelled a greater mean distance per hour than individuals occupying an optimal habitat, indicating that their activity was related to the habitat conditions. These considerations may help to explain why fragmentation and habitat destruction are emerging as the main cause of the decline of the southern water vole, and underline the importance of habitat conservation to encourage the maintenance of the species. Key words: activity, Arvicola sapidus, distances travelled, habitat, radiotelemetry. DOI: 10.7325/Galemys.2015.A5

Resumen Se han estudiado los cambios en la distribucion y frecuencia de los micromamiferos semiacuaticos, entre los anos 2000 y 2013-2014, de la red fluvial del parque natural Alt Pirineu, en los Pirineos meridionales. La especie prioritaria del estudio ha sido el desman iberico (Galemys pyrenaicus), pero tambien se han evaluado las frecuencias de los musganos (Neomys fodiens y Neomys milleri) y la rata de agua (Arvicola sapidus), para las que los datos del ano 2000 eran parciales. Es la primera vez que se realiza un estudio diacronico sobre la frecuencia relativa del desman a escala regional y aplicando un metodo identico en los dos muestreos. La metodologia utilizada ha sido la deteccion de indicios de presencia de estas especies en 66 tramos fluviales, prospectados en los dos periodos considerados. Actualmente, los micromamiferos mas comunes son los musganos, presentes en casi todos los tramos (94%), seguidos del desman (45%) y de la rata de agua (34%). Se ha constatado que el desman presenta una regresion intensa en una subcuenca fluvial (Noguera de Cardos) y ha desaparecido en su cabecera. Esta regresion parece atribuible a cambios recientes en la gestion hidroelectrica y se ha iniciado un seguimiento para evaluar esta hipotesis. Palabras clave: Arvicola, Galemys, mamiferos semiacuaticos, Neomys, seguimiento. Abstract We have studied the changes in the distribution and frequency of semiaquatic micromammals in the river network of Alt Pirineu Natural Park (southern Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula) between 2000 and 2013-2014. The priority of this work has been the Iberian Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) but we also evaluated the frequency in Water Shrews (Neomys fodiens and Neomys milleri) and Southern Water Vole (Arvicola sapidus), for which 2000 data were incomplete. It is the first time that a diachronic study on the relative frequency of Iberian Desman takes place at regional level and using an identical method in the two surveys. The methodology was the detection of faeces of these species in 66 river sections, prospected in the two periods considered. The most common semiaquatic mammals were Water Shrews, present in almost all river sections (94%), followed by the Desman (45%) and the Water Vole (34%). We found an intense regression of the Desman in a river basin where this species was common in 2000 (Noguera de Cardos) and it is extinct in the upper basin of this river. This local regression is probably attributable to a recent change in the model of hydroelectric management and we started a survey to evaluate this hypotesis. Keywords: Arvicola, Galemys, Neomys, semiaquatic mammals, survey. DOI: 10.7325/Galemys.2015.A4

Cabrera’s vole, Microtus (Iberomys) cabrerae, is a currently endemic species restricted to Spain and Portugal. Its present day distribution is fragmentary, but in the past it was broadly distributed across the Iberian Peninsula, with the exception of the northern part of the Peninsula. Various hypotheses have been expounded to explain the retraction of the species since the beginning of the Holocene: 1) the climate changes produced in the Bronze Age; 2) the human impact on the restricted habitat of the species; and 3) its direct competition with other species with similar environmental requirements, such as the southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus), an Iberian endemism. In this paper, we discuss these hypotheses regarding the distribution of the species fossil record in the Late Pleistocene and beginning of the Holocene, as well as its current distribution. The most plausible hypothesis for its retraction is human impact, which has destroyed the habitat of the species with the development of agriculture and road infrastructures and the increasing human population

The cave of Askondo (Manaria, Bizkaia, Spain) is an archaeological site on the western flank of Asko Mount. Archaeological excavations in 2011 have provided a prehistoric and historic sequence from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. Approximately 3000 microvertebrate elements (including mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) were recovered, of which 387 were identified to the genus and/or species levels. The small mammal assemblage comprises at least 17 taxa: nine species of rodents (Glis glis, Apodemus sylvaticus-flavicollis, Arvicola amphibius, Microtus agrestis, Microtus arvalis, Microtus (Terricola) sp., Microtus oeconomus, Chionomys nivalis, and Clethrionomys glareolus), two insectivores (Sorex araneus-coronatus and Talpa sp.), three amphibians (Bufo calamita, Bufo bufo, and Rana temporaria-iberica), and three reptiles (Lacertidae indet., Anguis fragilis, and Colubridae indet.). This assemblage has enabled us to roughly reconstruct the environmental conditions that prevailed in the cave's surrounding area. It evolved from a landscape with considerable woodlands to an arid one, characteristic of cold conditions, at the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic (ca. 35,300 cal BP). After a short episode of alternating woodland expansion and contraction, the woodlands expanded again at the end of the Solutrean (ca. 21,000 cal BP). Finally, at the top of the sequence, the climate began a warming trend that has led to its current landscape.

Urbanisation is often linked with habitat loss and a reduction in species richness but some species may be able to adapt to urban environments. Water voles Arvicola amphibius, a rapidly declining species in the UK, have recently been recorded in isolated grassland habitats in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city (human population 1.2 million). The aim of this study was to determine the distribution and habitat characteristics of water vole populations occupying these dry grasslands. Field work was undertaken from March to October 2014 in a 34 km2 study area located 3 km east of the city centre. Field sign transects recorded water vole presence in 21/65 (32%) and 19/62 (31%) surveyed sites in spring and autumn, respectively. Vole occupancy increased with distance from water and was greatest in parkland, followed by sites with rank vegetation and roadside habitats. Occupancy was lower where signs of predators were recorded but surprisingly occupancy was found to be greater in the most disturbed sites, perhaps linked to the fact that many of these sites were public parks containing suitable grassland. Sites occupied by water voles were classed as neutral grasslands with species composition dominated by two main species. The number of grassland sites occupied by water voles, especially within public areas suggests that careful management of these urban grassland habitats will benefit the conservation of this highly threatened species in the UK.

Discovered in 2010 with the construction of Landscape Park on the left bank of Wulanmulun River in Kangbashi District of Nei Mongol, Wulanmulun Paleolithic Site yielded large quantities of mammalian specimens during 2010–2012 rescue excavations. Identified fossil materials include Myospalax sp., Cricetulus sp., Microtus sp., Apodemus sp., Arvicola sp.?, Dipodidae gen. et sp. indet., Lepus sp., Mustelidae gen. et sp. indet., Coelodonta antiquitatis , Equus przewalskii , Camelus cf. C. knoblochi Megaloceros ordosianus and Gazella sp. The fauna analyses show that the paleoenvironment in Wulanmulun Site area might have been a mixture or mosaic of grassland and forest with some small streams and swamps. The fluctuation of annual temperature might have been high, with the winter very cold and the summer relatively warm. The Wulanmulun fauna is in the same paleozoogeographic sub-province as Baotou, Shiyu, Salawusu and Loufangzi faunas, different from that of the Xiaogushan and Yanjiagang faunas of Northeast China, and more different from that of the Dantu fauna of East China. The Wulanmulun area was suitable for the habitation of the late Paleolithic humans, and Wulanmulun fauna were their main hunting prey.

A water vole Arvicola amphibius population inhabiting midfield ponds was studied by live-trapping, radio-telemetry and with camera traps. Within the midfield ponds, water voles did not prefer any particular type of littoral vegetation and avoided open water areas within the ponds. The mean distance of daily movements was 118 m for males and 53 m for females. The maximum distance between two locations of a radio-tracked individual within its home range during the whole study period was 450 m. Water vole movements between the studied ponds were very limited. Most of the hiding places were located in the areas around ponds. Water voles were active mostly during the night.

Animals can modify their environment by consumptive and physical activities such as herbivory and soil disturbance. Engineering species may create structures that long outlive them and have lasting impacts on local communities of plants and animals. Water voles, Arvicola amphibious, are rodents that visibly impact riparian plant communities by grazing on surface and root vegetation and excavating long-lasting burrow systems. This species has a metapopulation structure and occurs across patches which are subject to frequent extinction and colonization events, causing spatially heterogeneous disturbances across the landscape. Using a chronosequence of water vole occupancy in the Highlands of Scotland, we show that heterogeneity in plant community composition and structure—both within and between colony patches—was related to cumulative measures of past physical impact: burrow density and time since a patch was last occupied by voles, rather than to current indices of vole occupancy. In our sample of 107 patches monitored over 5 years, no fewer than 31 unique patch occupancy histories were found, each with potentially subtle differences in the accumulated influence of water vole herbivory and engineering. As a result, a patchwork of different plant successional stages occurs across the riparian landscape which is both created and maintained by water vole extinction-colonization dynamics. We propose that the water vole-vegetation system can be described as a metacommunity where dispersal by a higher tropic agent at the landscape scale influences the spatial dynamics of plants at the patch level.

Resumen: La asociación de micromamíferos determinada en este trabajo es la siguiente: Lagomorpha: Oryctolagus cuniculus; Eulipotyphla: Crocidura cf. russula, cf. Sorex sp., Neomys sp., Soricidae indet. y Talpa sp.; y Rodentia: Eliomys quercinus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus, Cricetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus, Microtus (Iberomys) brecciensis y Microtus (Terricola) duodecimcostatus. Es una asociación característica del Pleistoceno Medio. El estadio evolutivo de Cricetulus (A.) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus y Microtus (I.) brecciensis le aproximan a las poblaciones de dichas especies de algunos yacimientos de la Península Ibérica del Pleistoceno Medio avanzado, pero no final, lo que es acorde con las dataciones numéricas obtenidas en el yacimiento (243-337 ka) que le sitúan en el MIS 8 o 9. Los micromamíferos indican la predominancia de los espacios abiertos con abundante vegetación herbácea y arbustiva, en los que podría haber también alguna zona arbolada. El clima que indican es de tipo mediterráneo, similar al actual en la zona o quizás algo más benigno y más húmedo., The micromammal association established in this work is the following: Lagomorpha: Oryctolagus cuniculus; Eulipotyphla: Crocidura cf. russula, cf. Sorex sp., Neomys sp., Soricidae indet. and Talpa sp.; and Rodentia: Eliomys quercinus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus, Cricetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus, Microtus (Iberomys) brecciensis and Microtus (Terricola) duodecimcostatus. This association is characteristic of the Middle Pleistocene. The morphological state of Cricetulus (A.) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus and Microtus (I.) brecciensis allows to place it in the advanced, but not final, Middle Pleistocene, which agrees with the numerical data of the site (243–337 ka) that places it in the MIS 8 or 9. The micromammals indicate the predominance of the open spaces with abundant vegetation mainly of herbaceous and bushes but also with some areas with trees. The climate would be of Mediterranean type, similar to the actual or perhaps a little milder and more humid.

A combination of dental and mandibular characters demonstrates that Chaline's vole, known from the Pleistocene of Spain and Italy, originally named as Allophaiomys chalinei and later referred by some authors to Arvicola and Tibericola, is unrelated to either Allophaiomys or Arvicola and probably is not closely related to Tibericola. It is here considered as the only member of a new genus, Victoriamys, named for the cave from which V. chalinei nov. comb. was first described.

The Southern water vole, Arvicola sapidus, is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and France. Despite being catalogued as vulnerable, our current knowledge of this species is not sufficient to establish measures for its conservation and recovery, particularly in riparian zones of Mediterranean mountain areas. The aim of this study was to identify factors related to habitat configuration that determine the presence or absence of the species in the Montsant River. Specifically, we associated the presence/absence of this arvicolid rodent with composition of vegetation, river bank morphology, and watercourse characteristics. The results suggest that, in this area, the most favorable places for the species are those with a high degree of cover of herbaceous plants (mainly helophytes) and moderate to low levels of tree and shrub cover; gently sloping banks and a soft substrate; and the presence of water, with moderate to high stream widths and depths. In addition, we developed a classification method which allowed us to classify and characterize habitat conditions: the optimal scenario (preferential for arvicoline establishment), the suboptimal scenario (whose use is related to opportunities to find best scenarios), and the hostile scenario (not acceptable for use). In such riparian areas, the results revealed that the Southern water vole is a specialist in terms of habitat selection, but behaves as a generalist in terms of occupancy. Its ability to adapt to suboptimal conditions widens the options for managing Southern water vole populations, and indicates that the maintenance and rehabilitation of habitat along continuous stretches of river is the most effective approach to achieving self-sustaining populations.

Gorham’s cave is located in the British territory of Gibraltar in the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula. The cave was discovered in 1907 and first excavated in the 1950s by John Waechter of the Institute of Archaeology in London. New excavations, which started in 1997, have exposed 18 m of human occupation in the cave, spanning the Late Pleistocene, as well as including brief Phoenician, Carthaginian and Neolithic occupations. The Late Pleistocene levels consist of two Upper Palaeolithic occupations, attributed to the Solutrean and Magdalenian technocomplexes (Level III), and which are dated, by AMS radiocarbon, to between 18,000 and 10,000 years ago. The underlying Mousterian layer (Level IV), dated by AMS radiocarbon to between 23,000 and 33,000 years ago, is separated from Level III by an archaeologically sterile layer, which spans some 4000 years. This paper presents previously unpublished palaeoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions of Gorham’s cave, during these Pleistocene occupations, using the small mammal assemblage. The small mammal assemblage at Gorham’s cave comprises of at least 12 species: 4 insectivores ( Crocidura russula , Sorex gr. coronatus-araneus , Sorex minutus and Talpa occidentalis ); 3 chiropters ( Myotis myotis , Myotis nattereri and Miniopterus schreibersii ); and 5 rodents ( Microtus ( Iberomys ) cabrerae , Microtus ( Terricola ) duodecimcostatus , Arvicola sapidus , Apodemus sylvaticus and Eliomys quercinus ). The presence of these small mammal species indicates that the landscape surrounding the Rock of Gibraltar was predominantly an open habitat, with the presence of woodland and water stream meadows, as well as the presence of larger bodies of water. These results are then compared with pollen and charcoal analysis as well as other faunal proxies, such as the herpetofauna, bird and large mammal assemblages, providing an accurate reconstruction of the climatic and environmental conditions that prevailed during the Late Pleistocene in the southernmost of the Iberian Peninsula.

In this paper, the rodents from the composite section of Torrent de Vallparadis (Terrassa, northeastern Spain) are described, with particular emphasis on the arvicolines. Due to their wide geographical distributions and rapid evolutionary rates, arvicolines are especially useful for biostratigraphical purposes. Eight stratigraphic layers have yielded rodent remains, including representatives of the genera Mimomys, Allophaiomys, Stenocranius, Iberomys, Microtus, Arvicola, Apodemus, Eliomys, and Hystrix. The presence of different rodent species, together with the available magnetostratigraphic data, allows a precise determination of the age of each layer and a detailed correlation with other Spanish Pleistocene sites, particularly those of the Sierra de Atapuerca. The complete studied sequence ranges from the pre-Jaramillo Biharian (1.4–1.2 Ma) to the early Toringian (less than 0.6 Ma.), constituting one of the most complete sequences of the Spanish Pleistocene and covering a time span of especial ...

Le genre Arvicola regroupe les plus grands campagnols d’origine européenne à large distribution géographique depuis le Quaternaire. Les récentes études morphométriques décrivant la forme de la dent dans son ensemble montrent qu’il existe un groupe fossile homogène, en France et en Ligurie, que l’on peut attribuer à Arvicola cantiana (Hinton, 1910). La grande tolérance climatique de cette espèce lui permet d’être largement répandue de la fin du Pléistocène moyen au Pléistocène supérieur, pendant les deux périodes glaciaire et interglaciaire. Notre étude met en évidence la large variabilité morphologique de Arvicola cantiana sans pôles morphologiques distincts selon le climat, l’environnement, le temps ou la géographie. Cette grande plasticité phénotypique permet à l’espèce de résister à des changements majeurs de l’environnement. The genus Arvicola groups the largest European voles with a broad geographic distribution during the Quaternary. Recent morphometric studies, which describe tooth shape in its whole, show that one homogeneous fossil group exists in France and Liguria, corresponding to Arvicola cantiana (Hinton, 1910). The wide climatic tolerance of the species allows it to be widespread during the late Middle and Upper Pleistocene, in both glacial and interglacial periods. Our study displays the large morphological variability of Arvicola cantiana without distinct morphological poles according to climate, environment, time or geography. This large phenotypic plasticity allows this species to resist to major environment changes.

Adult males of the water vole have been found experimentally to recognize their neighbors and react to them differently depending on the degree of spatial proximity in nature. Most tensions (estimated by the number of aggressive acts in the encounters) were observed between distant neighbors (from neighboring settlements), which did not belong to the same groups with established hierarchy and a relatively reduced aggression. These are probably perceived as the most likely competitors (because of their spatial proximity). At the same time, male voles kept away from the obviously unfamiliar ones, though they do not express any apparent aggression.

In this study, the habitat use by the threatened Cabrera vole, Microtus cabrerae, was assessed in an agricultural landscape of SW Portugal, in order to evaluate agricultural management practices that might favour its populations. Despite the patchy distribution and the sensitivity in relation to human management, average colony size was 1928 m2, and mean nearest neighbour distance was 363 m. Within the selected habitats, the Cabrera vole's activity was concentrated in sites with dense and tall herbs, though appearing to avoid areas where southern water voles, Arvicola sapidus, were present. Activity of Cabrera voles was higher during the winter, confirming the adverse effect of the dry periods for this species. Conservation of the Cabrera vole in agricultural landscapes would require the maintenance of a network of tall and dense herbaceous patches, which could possibly be established along field margins, road verges, and ditches, and supported by agri-environment subsidy schemes.

The near complete fossil skull which is the holotype specimen of "Lepus praeti- midus "K RETZOI in JANOSSY, 1969 from the Middle Pleistocene of Ordoglyuk Cave in Solymar (Hungary) was revised, redescribed and compared with two extant subspecies of Lepus timidus LINNAEUS, 1758. The subspecies were L. t. varronis MILLER, 1910 from the Alps and L. t. timidus from the European part of Russia, St. Petersburg Oblast. The ac- companying postcranial material was studied and described for the first time. The fossil remains (skull, mandibles, and isolated teeth) express all characteristic features of Lepus timidus. The dimensions of the skull and postcranial material are within the known range of variability of Lepus timidus, being most similar to the population from Russia. Thus, it is proposed to refer the specimen from Solymar to the species Lepus timidus and hence as Lepus t. praetimidus. The associated fauna of Solymar with Lagurus lagurus (PALLAS, 1773) and Arvicola mosbachensis (SCHMIDTGEN, 1911) was recently established as late Middle Pleistocene in age.

Kent's Cavern has long been known as potentially among the oldest Palaeolithic sites in the country, with the basal Breccia deposit containing a sparse Lower Palaeolithic industry. The sediment consists of a chaotic clayey conglomerate emplaced as a series of debris flows, which entered the cave via blocked entrances at its southwest end. The Breccia contains a fauna dominated by the bear Ursus deningeri, with lion Felis leo and the voles Arvicola cantiana and Microtus oeconomus, establishing a late Cromerian age for the deposit. The artefacts comprise an industry of crudely manufactured handaxes and flakes, and show damage suggesting that they were brought into the cave by the debris flows, and may thus predate the sediment and fauna. We demonstrate an age of >340 ka for the Breccia using two independant dating methods, consistent with existing models of the age of the British Middle Pleistocene sequence.

The phylogeographic pattern of mitochondrial DNA variation in water voles ( Arvicola terrestris ) from 57 localities across the United Kingdom and representative samples from Spain, France, Switzerland and Finland was determined from sequence variation in the central portion of the control region. Twenty-seven different haplotypes were resolved which formed two distinct phylogenetic clades. This major division separated haplotypes found in Scotland from those found in England and Wales. Nested clade analysis of haplotypes indicated that such a division was a consequence of allopatric fragmentation. The haplotypes found in Switzerland, France and Spain clustered with Scottish haplotypes, whereas the haplotype from Finland clustered with the English/Welsh haplotypes. These patterns indicate that contemporary Scottish populations are derived from an Iberian glacial refugium, whereas English and Welsh populations are derived from an eastern European refugium. As such, the postglacial recolonization of the United Kingdom must have involved two colonization events, either in different localities with no subsequent contact, or as two waves separated over time, with the second wave of colonizers displacing the first. An analysis of molecular variance ( AMOVA ) identified significant population genetic divergence within both the major clades, indicative of restricted gene flow and regional population isolation. The implications of both phylogeographical and population genetic structure are discussed in context with the conservation of water voles in Britain.

The population of water voles Arvicola amphibius was surveyed on 21 islands in the Solvær archipelago, northern Norway, in August 2012; 11 islands with semi-wild domestic sheep Ovis aries and 10 islands without sheep. Signs from water voles are very easy to detect and were used as a measure of the population (on a scale 0-10), and the numbers of sheep were counted. The ranking of signs on islands with and without sheep was compared, and a significant difference was found. Islands with sheep had, with one exception, only very small and fragmented populations of water voles, the one exception being a fairly large Carex swamp that was not grazed by the sheep and where a moderate-sized population of voles was found. Islands without sheep had much larger populations of water voles, giving a ranking about four times higher. One reason for the devastating effect of sheep on water voles is probably the fact that the sheep are living year-round on these islands with no supplemental food.

New excavations undertaken in 2012 in Oblazowa Cave (south Poland) yielded a Micoquian inventory from previously sterile layer XVIII. This assemblage is chronologically placed between two Middle Palaeolithic horizons from layers XIX and XVII identified previously as Micro-Mousterian and known in Central Europe as Taubachian. Cultural changes are accompanied by environmental and climatic shifts. Layer XIX, rich in traces of the Neanderthal activities (hearths, cut marks on bones), was deposited in open and moist steppe–tundra environment suitable for large mammal fauna (mammoth, wooly rhinoceros, horse, reindeer and elk). The overlying layers XVIII and XVII document gradual increases of forested areas in the vicinity of the site as well as drying of the climate, and in consequence the disappearance in layer XVII of all megafaunal species important for archaic humans' exploitation of environment and behaviour. On the basis of biostratigraphic markers (Arvicola and Microtus oeconomus), it is suggested that this part of the profile was deposited at beginning of MIS 3 (ca. 60–50 ka).

The Quaternary karstic site of Sierra de Quibas (Abanilla, province of Murcia, Spain) has provided a wide faunal list with more than 60 species. The assemblage of the taxa Arvicola deucalion, Castillomys rivas rivas, Eliomys intermedius, Equus altidens, Capra sp. aff. C. alba and cf. Praeovibos allows the correlation with other Spanish Lower Pleistocene sites in the Betic Cordillera, as Plines 1, Orce 3 and Venta Micena. Therefore Quibas can be located between 1.3 and 1.0 Ma. The palaeoenvironmental features of the area around the karstic cavity and the palaeoclimatic regime are inferred.

The Rodent sequence (Mammalia) of the Lower to Middle Pleistocene sites of Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). The Sierra the Atapuerca has several Early to Middle Pleistocene localities related with a karst system. A railway trench exposes some of the cave deposits that have an excellent record of fossil humans, large and small mammals and other vertebrates, as well as an important Lithic industry of Modes 1 to 3. Some of these caves are: Trinchera Dolina, Trinchera Galeria, Trinchera Elefante and Sima de los Huesos. In this paper we expose our results obtained from the study of the small mammals from the Atapuerca sites. The Gran Dolina or Trinchera Dolina is stratigraphically the longest sequence (18m), and it is divided in 11 stratigraphical levels, from bottom TD1, to top TD11. They belong to different chronological periods of Early and Middle Pleistocene age. The uppermost levels of Gran Dolina (TD11, TD10 and TD8b) contain Middle Pleistocene (post-Cromerian) micromammal assemblages: Arvicola, diverse and modern Microtus Terricola species, and Pliomys lenki. The lowermost levels (TD3 to TD6) contain late Early to early Middle Pleistocene mammals: Allophaiomys, Mimomys savini, primitive Microtus, Stenocranius, Terricola and, Pliomys episcopalis species. TD8a contains a scarce association of wet and open country faunas as Microtus related to the M. cf. oeconomus-ratticepoides. The level TD7 (between TD 6 and TD8a), records the Matuyama/Brunhes paleomagnetic reversal, and it has few fossil remains. Levels TD1, 2 and 9 are sterile in fossil contents. The level TD6 has record one of the earliest Homo species of Europe: Homo antecessor. The Trinchera Galeria complex has been divided into five clastic fill phases (GI to GV) with twelve human living floors (GSU1-12) and it have yielded also human remains. The lower levels represent a more intense occupation of the cave by humans, yielding many stone tools and herbivore bones. Rodents from this site are characteristic of the Middle Pleistocene, (11 species): Arvicola aff. sapidus, Microtus jansoni, Microtus aff. arvalis, Terricola atapuerquensis, Iberomys brecciensis, Pliomys lenki, Allocricetus bursae, Apodemus sp., Eliomys quercinus quercinus, Marmota sp., Hystrix (Acanthion) vinogradovi. The Trinchera Elefante red lower unit has some rodents in common to the lower levels of Trinchera Dolina (TD3–TD6) as Allophaiomys chalinei, Iberomys huescarensis, Pliomys episcopalis and some of them are new to the Atapuerca record of small mammals : Ungaromys nanus, Castillomys rivas, Eliomys sp., Mimomys sp. and Allophaiomys lavocati. Small mammals from the upper units are still under study. The Sima de los Huesos site, well known by the well preserved, anatomically complete association of fossil human remains of Homo heidelbergensis, has very few fossils of small vertebrates: Allocricetus bursae; Apodemus sylvaticus; Pliomys lenki relictus; Microtinae indet.; Eliomys quercinus., the cave bats Rhinolophus mehelyi; Myotis myotis/M. blythi and Miniopterus schreibersi; some insectivores belonging to the genus Crocidura sp., some fish vertebrae and teeth (Salmo sp. and Leuciscus sp.) and undetermined small reptile bones. Fragments of gasteropods, arthropods, charophytes and plant remains are also present.

A study of Arvicola (Rodentia, Mammalia) populations of France (Gaudry, Vaufrey, Suard, l'Eglise, Artenac, Moula-Guercy, Lazaret and Gigny) and Liguria (Arma delle Manie) has allowed to systematic and evolution specifications of this genus at the end of the middle Pleistocene and the start of the upper Pleistocene. The enamel thickness shows temporal and geographic variations wich allow to state precisely the biochronological sequence framework. The migration of Arvicola from Northern Europe, during a cols stage dating back to the end of the middle Pleistocene, in the East and the South-East of France should explain the large variation observed in the relative thickness of the enamel band., L'analyse des populations d'Arvicola (Rodentia, Mammalia) de Gaudry, Vaufrey, Suard, l'Eglise, Artenac, Moula-Guercy, Lazaret et Gigny (France) et d'Arma delle Manie (Ligurie) permet de préciser la systématique et l'évolution de ce genre à la fin du Pléistocène moyen et au Pléistocène supérieur. L'indice d'épaisseur d'émail reflète des variations temporelles et géographiques qui permettent de discuter le cadre biochronologique de ces séquences. Une migration des Arvicola en provenance du Nord de l'Europe et contemporaine d'un épisode froid de la fin du Pléistocène moyen qui affecte l'Est et la majeure partie du Sud-Est de la France expliquerait les importantes variations de l'émail observées d'une séquence à l'autre., Abbassi Mohamed, Desclaux Emmanuel, Marquet Jean Claude, Chaline Jean. Répartition et évolution des Arvicola Lacépède, 1799 (Rodentia, Mammalia) au cours du Pléistocène moyen et supérieur en France et en Ligurie [Distribution and evolution of Arvicola Lacepede, 1799 (Rodentia, Mammalia) from France and Liguria during the middle and the upper Pleistocene]. In: Quaternaire, vol. 9, n°2, 1998. pp. 105-116.

En este artículo describimos los micromamíferos de los lechos del yacimiento paleontológico de Kiputz IX correspondientes a una cronología arqueológica solutrense. La buena preservación de los restos óseos y la aplicación de las actuales técnicas micropaleontológicas nos permiten realizar la reconstrucción paleoambiental para el periodo estudiado. Los pequeños mamíferos están representados en el yacimiento por ocho taxones, cinco pertenecientes al Orden Rodentia y tres al Orden Soricomorpha. Las variaciones de la temperatura determinadas a partir de la asociación de micromamíferos, sugieren que el clima en el momento de la formación del conjunto sería más frío y húmedo que en la actualidad.In this article, the small mammal assemblage contemporary to the Solutrean age from the paleontological site of Kiputz IX cave (Mutriku, Gipuzkoa, Spain) is described. The good preservation of bones and the application of latest micropaleontological techniques allow a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the period analyzed. Small mammals are represented in the site by ten taxa, seven belonging to the Orden Rodentia (Arvicola amphibius, Microtus (Microtus) agrestis, Microtus (Microtus) arvalis, Microtus (Alexandromys) oeconomus, Chionomys nivalis, Microtus (Terricola) sp., Apodemus sylvaticus-flavicollis) and three to the Orden Eulipotyphla (Sorex (Sorex) minutus, Sorex (Sorex) araneus-coronatus, Talpa sp.). The environmental variations estimated on the basis of the micromammal association, suggested that the weather in the moment of the assemblage’s formation would be colder than the one occurring in the area at the present day. The humidity also could be higher than the current one.

Publisher's version, source: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154338. The relationship between home range and reproductive status of water voles (Arvicola amphibius) was studied by radio-tracking on an island off the coast of northern Norway in 2006–2009. The aim was to test assumptions about the species’ social structure relative to other microtines. Juveniles used fairly small ranges (about 400 m²), with no difference between males and females. Subadults, overwintered voles in April, had ranges similar to juveniles. Reproductively active males (mean 2774.0 m²) increased their range seven-fold relative to juvenile males, with ranges on average 3.3 times larger than adult females (mean 848.3 m²), which also expanded their range. Most litters were born in May and June, and as reproduction ceased in July adult males reduced their range whilst females did not. Body mass or year did not influence home range size. Overlap of home ranges varied, but could be extensive in both adult males and females. The water vole had a social structure similar to some Microtus species, but females appeared to be non-territorial and males perhaps conditioned territorial and non-territorial.

The role of Southern European peninsulas as glacial refugia for temperate species has been widely established, but phylogeographic patterns within refugia are being only recently addressed. Here we describe the phylogeographic patterns for Southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus) in its whole distribution across Iberia and France. Control region and cytochrome b sequences were obtained for 228 samples from 130 localities across Iberia and France. Eighty-five haplotypes were found in total yielding a high overall mitochondrial diversity (p = 0.027; H = 0.974). Phylogeographic structure was relatively shallow (3.1% average intraspecific divergence) with few supported clades and 95% and 90% maximum parsimony unconnected networks, but significant, as reflected in increased pairwise nucleotide divergences with distance (r = 0.197, P = 0.03) and significant autocorrelation up to 5500 km. Spatial analysis of molecular variance analysis detected seven geographical groups explaining 43.73% of the total mitochon- drial variation. We detected demographic expansions in three of these groups. A recent colonization of France from Iberia was suggested and estimated around 62 000 years BP by an isolation-with-migration model. Our results suggest the contribution of episodes of isolation in glacial subrefugia in Iberia, but seem to exclude a long-term isolation over successive glacial cycles. Phylogeographic divergence was probably tempered by relatively large population sizes and rapid and extensive mixing among subrefugia during interglacials, that might have eroded the phylogeographic structure accumulated at glacial peaks. Phenotypic differences in A. sapidus do not delineate historically isolated intraspecific divisions and do not warrant subspecific delimitations. Our results do support the existence of subrefugia within Iberia and their role in promoting intraspecific divergences.

13 pages; International audience; The water vole, genus Arvicola, is characterised by a broad geographic distribution throughout Europe and is widespread during the late Middle and Upper Pleistocene. This genus is used as a major biostratigraphic tool within the Quaternary. Specific determinations using the Schmelzband-Differenzierung-Quotient or SDQ have identified many chronospecies within the fossil species Arvicola cantiana (Hinton, 1910). As SDQ calculation remains limited, this study reappraises the Arvicola genus in terms of morphodiversity and morphospace using outline analysis which takes into account the tooth as a whole. Outline analysis suggests that one single species of Arvicola, A. cantiana, was present during the Pleistocene. This species shows great variability with no trends or patterns in morphospace. Thus, these results call into question the reliability of SDQ for specific determinations and throw doubt on the biochronological framework based on Arvicola.

2002, Flechoso & Alarcos 2009), which mainly occurs in females during pregnancy and lactation, in response to a higher protein requirement (Strachan 1997). The females are territorial (Roman 2007), espe-cially in the breeding season, which is a defence me-chanism for spatial and trophic resources (Ostfeld 1990). Females defend offspring against conspecifics and other species through strategies such as moving pups to other nests when threatened. Presumably, given the references to the aggressiveness shown by some individuals of semi-aquatic species of

Estimating the rate and scale of dispersal is essential for predicting the dynamics of fragmented populations, yet empirical estimates are typically imprecise and often negatively biased. We maximized detection of dispersal events between small, subdivided populations of water voles (Arvicola terrestris) using a novel method that combined direct capture–mark–recapture with microsatellite genotyping to identify parents and offspring in different populations and hence infer dispersal. We validated the method using individuals known from trapping data to have dispersed between populations. Local populations were linked by high rates of juvenile dispersal but much lower levels of adult dispersal. In the spring breeding population, 19% of females and 33% of males had left their natal population of the previous year. The average interpopulation dispersal distance was 1.8 km (range 0.3–5.2 km). Overall, patterns of dispersal fitted a negative exponential function. Information from genotyping increased the estimated rate and scale of dispersal by three- and twofold, respectively, and hence represents a powerful tool to provide more realistic estimates of dispersal parameters.

The Quaternary karstic site of Sierra de Quibas (Abanilla, Murcia, Spain) has provided a wide faunistic list with 53 species distributed among gastropods, myriapods, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Especially interesting among the gastropods is Palaeoglandina that became extinct in Europe during the Pliocene. It remains as a relict genus in the Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula. Two of the birds, Gypaetus barbatus and Geronticus eremita, and a snake, Elaphe cf. E. sealaris, are scarcely represented in the fossil record. For several birds, it is the first record in the Lower Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula. Among the mammals, the presence of the Cercopithecine Macaca sylvanus is especially relevant one. The assemblage of the taxa Arvicola deucalion, Castillomys rivas rivas, Eliomys intermedius, Equus altidens and Capra sp. aff. C. alba allows the correlation with Plines 1, Orce 3 and Venta Micena, among other sites. Therefore Quibas can be dated before the end of Lower Pleistocene, between 1.3 and 1 Ma. A dry paleoclimatic regime, very similar to the current climate in the geographical area, though perhaps slightly wetter and warmer, can be inferred from the faunistic assemblage. The environment of the karstic cavity was a rocky place with open brushwood areas, but in the proximities there were wetlands and woodlands, as can be inferred from the presence of birds and micromammals characteristic of these habitats.

Times Cited: 651; International audience; The Quaternary cold periods in Europe are thought to have heavily influenced the amount and distribution of intraspecific genetic variation in both animals and plants. The phylogeographies of 10 taxa, including mammals (Ursus arctos, Sorex spp., Crocidura suaveolens, Arvicola spp.), amphibians (Triturus spp.), arthropods (Chorthippus parallelus), and plants (Abies alba, Picea abies, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp.), were analysed to elucidate general trends across Europe. Only a small degree of congruence was found amongst the phylogeographies of the 10 taxa, but the likely postglacial colonization routes exhibit some similarities. A Brooks parsimony analysis produced an unrooted area phylogram, showing that: (i) the northern regions were colonized generally from the Iberic and Balkanic refugia; and (ii) the Italian lineages were often isolated due to the presence of the Alpine barrier. The comparison of colonization routes highlighted four main suture-zones where lineages from the different refugia meet. Some of the intraspecific genetic distances among lineages indicated a prequaternary divergence that cannot be connected to any particular cold period, but are probably related mainly to the date of arrival of each taxon in the European continent. As a consequence, molecular genetics so far appears to be of limited use in dating Quaternary events.