Late Pleistocene-Holocene paleobiogeography of the genus Apodemus in Central Europe.

ABSTRACT: Wood mice of the genus Apodemus are an essential component of small mammal communities throughout Europe. Molecular data suggest the postglacial colonization of current ranges from south European glacial refugia, different in particular species. Yet, details on the course of colonization and Holocene history of particular species are not available, partly because of a lack of reliable criteria for species identification in the fossil record. Using a sample of extant species, we analyzed variation patterns and between-species overlaps for a large set of metric and non-metric dental variables and established the criteria enabling the reliable species identification of fragmentary fossil material. The corresponding biometrical analyses were undertaken with fossil material of the genus (2528 i

SUBMITTER: Knitlova M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5345881 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature