Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal spec... more The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal species across the Eurasian Late Pleistocene steppe-tundra environment. Previous ancient DNA studies of the collared lemming and common vole have revealed dynamic population histories shaped by climatic fluctuations. To investigate the extent to which species with similar adaptations share common evolutionary histories, we generated a dataset comprised the mitochondrial genomes of 139 ancient and 6 modern narrow-headed voles from several sites across Europe and northwestern Asia covering approximately the last 100 thousand years (kyr). We inferred Bayesian time-aware phylogenies using 11 radiocarbon-dated samples to calibrate the molecular clock. Divergence of the main mtDNA lineages across the three species occurred during marine isotope stages (MIS) 7 and MIS 5, suggesting a common response of species adapted to open habitat during interglacials. We identified several time-structured mtDNA...
Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most a... more Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5−19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species' population dynamics. However, analyses based solely on extant genetic diversity may not recover the full complexity of past population history. The main aim of this study was to investigate the evolutionary history and identify the main drivers of the common vole population dynamics during the Late Pleistocene. Location Europe Taxon Common vole (Microtus arvalis) Methods We generated a dataset comprising 4.2 kb-long fragment of mitochondrial DNA from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age o...
<p>a) Triangulated locations of the representative fruit bat, <i>R. aegyptiacus</i... more <p>a) Triangulated locations of the representative fruit bat, <i>R. aegyptiacus</i>, tracked for one night during field tests of the BAARA automated radiotracking system. Black dot—roost, large black triangles—automated stations, small triangles—locations (n = 384), solid line—100% minimum convex polygon, elipses—kernel estimations 50% contour lines. Different colours show the level of triangulation: white—no triangulation; grey—by two; and black—by three stations. There are three feeding sites, isolated locations mark the commuting bat. b) Spatial activity pattern of a fruit bat population in Dakhla oasis, Egypt, in different periods of the year as revealed by instrumental record of automated radiotracking. <i>The feeding time</i> is a period with no changes in successive positioning of an individual in a record of single BAARA station, <i>the search time</i> is a period of changing successive positioning. Each sign expresses the sum of the respective two variables in a whole night record of an individual from a single BAARA station.</p
Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for as... more Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for assessing local structure of small-mammal community. We evaluated the structure of small-mammal communities in the Mediterranean region by analysing Barn owl diet using own pellets and literature data (85 localities comprising 182,343 prey individuals). Contrary to widely accepted macroecological theory, we found a latitudinal increase of small-mammal alpha diversity, a less distinct west–east increase and lower diversity on islands. The mean prey weight decreased with increasing latitude, while on islands it decreased with increasing island area. The mean prey weight on islands was further negatively affected by mean land modification by human and positively affected by its range. The diet diversity on islands was not affected either by island area or its distance from the mainland. Its composition largely conformed to the main pattern pronounced over whole the region: an unexpected homog...
A complete list of bat records available from Northern Cyprus is presented, based on both limited... more A complete list of bat records available from Northern Cyprus is presented, based on both limited literature and new records, resulting from a recent field survey conducted mainly in 2018. This review is complemented by distribution maps and summaries of the distributional status of particular species. From the northern part of the island of Cyprus, at least 451 records of 21 bat species are available; viz. Rousettus aegyptiacus (26 record localities), Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (19), R. hipposideros (21), R. euryale (5), R. mehelyi (1), R. blasii (12), Myotis blythii (4), M. nattereri (10), M. emarginatus (3), M. capaccinii (1), Eptesicus serotinus (5), E. anatolicus (1), Hypsugo savii (6), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (50), P. pygmaeus (9), P. kuhlii (265), Nyctalus leisleri (1), N. lasiopterus (1), Plecotus kolombatovici (3), Miniopterus schreibersii (4), and Tadarida teniotis (5). The number of records increased elevenfold and 1.5 times more bat species were found compared to the la...
Abstract The sedimentological record in the Raciska pecina cave sediment sequence is one of the b... more Abstract The sedimentological record in the Raciska pecina cave sediment sequence is one of the best-preserved cave records of palaeoenvironmental changes for the last 3.4 Ma. However, as it is typical for cave terrestrial records, it contains many hiatuses in sedimentation. The section study helped to change the state of knowledge and understanding of the long-lasting deposition characteristics in the caves and provided enormous data on environmental changes over time. In the sequence are by magnetostratigraphy well recorded Pliocene/Pleistocene transition at 2.59 Ma, the Matuyama/Brunhes boundary at 0.773 Ma, and the presence of Olduvai subchron between 1.78 and 1.925 Ma. Records of small mammals from the lower part of the section (a molar of Apodemus cf. atavus and dental fragments of Borsodia sp., and Pliomys sp.) suggest MN17 age, Clethrionomys cf. glareolus from the upper part suggests the Late Early or Middle Pleistocene age. Also worth mentioning are records of snail shells Aegopinella sp. and a troglobiont snail Zospeum sp. In the upper part of the section Ursus ex gr. spelaeus was confirmed in the yellow clay layer older than ∼72 ka, and soot material at the top of the section was radiocarbon dated on ∼11 ka, ∼9 ka, and ∼3 ka. A detailed chronology of the Raciska pecina section based on magnetostratigraphy and isotopic oxygen stratigraphy was created and correlated with palaeontological, U-series, and radiocarbon results. The climatic changes during the growth of the section were at about 2.6–2.5 Ma ago mostly controlled by global Atlantic Ocean factors, while about 0.78 Ma ago by regional Mediterranean Sea factors.
Based on 25 records (both published and new) we summarize the recent distribution of Pipistrellus... more Based on 25 records (both published and new) we summarize the recent distribution of Pipistrellus kuhlii in the Czech Republic and discuss possible colonization routes. The species colonized a major part of the Czech Republic during 14 years since its first record in 2007. Based on locations and chronology of the records it seems that the eastern part of the Czech Republic (Moravia) was colonized from the south along the Dyje and Morava rivers, while in Bohemia, two possible routes may have existed: one from the south along the Vltava river from the Danube valley, and another from the east or south-east along the valley of the Svitava and Orlice rivers. Given the fact that already in 2018 the presence of P. kuhlii was confirmed in Saxony, which predated the species confirmation in the north-western and central parts of Bohemia, we do not exclude possible existence of a third colonization route along the Labe river from the north-west (Germany). All the records come from human settle...
Quantitative data on local variation in patterns of occurrence of common carnivore species, such ... more Quantitative data on local variation in patterns of occurrence of common carnivore species, such as the red fox, European badger, or martens in central Europe are largely missing. We conducted a study focusing on carnivore ecology and distribution in a cultural landscape with the use of modern technology. We placed 73 automated infra-red camera traps into four different habitats differing in water availability and canopy cover (mixed forest, wetland, shrubby grassland and floodplain forest) in the Polabí region near Prague, Czech Republic. Each habitat was represented by three or four spatially isolated sites within which the camera traps were distributed. During the year of the study, we recorded nine carnivore species, including the non-native golden jackal. Habitats with the highest numbers of records pooled across all species were wetland (1279) and shrubby grassland (1014); fewer records were made in mixed (876) and floodplain forest (734). Habitat had a significant effect on t...
During the Late Pleistocene, narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) inhabited Eurasia’s vast... more During the Late Pleistocene, narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) inhabited Eurasia’s vast territories, frequently becoming the dominant small mammal species among steppe-tundra communities. We investigated the relationship between this species’ European and Asiatic populations by sequencing the mtDNA genomes of two extant specimens from Russia and 10 individuals from five Central European sites, dated to the post-LGM period. Phylogenetic analyses based on a large portion of mtDNA genomes highly supported the positioning ofL. gregaliswithinArvicolinae. The phylogeny based on mtDNA cytochromebsequences revealed a deep divergence of European narrow-headed voles from Asiatic ones and their sister position against the extantL. gregalisandL. raddei. The divergence of the European lineage was estimated to a minimum 230 thousand years ago. This suggest, contrary to the current biogeographic hypotheses, that during the interglacial periods narrow-headed vole did not retreat from Euro...
The monophyodont molar teeth, prismatic enamel and the complexity of enamel microarchitecture are... more The monophyodont molar teeth, prismatic enamel and the complexity of enamel microarchitecture are regarded as essential dental apomorphies of mammals. As prominent background factors of feeding efficiency and individual longevity these characters are crucial components of mammalian adaptive dynamics. Little is known, however, to which degree these adaptations are influenced by the crystallographic properties of elementary hydroxyapatite crystallites, the only inorganic component of enamel. In a miniature pig where individual molars differ significantly in duration of their development and in enamel resistance to attrition stress, we found highly significant differences between the molars in the size of crystallites, amount of microstrain, crystallinity and in enamel stiffness and elasticity, all clearly scaled with the duration of tooth calcification. The same pattern was found also in red deer bearing different molar type. The results suggest that the prolongation of tooth developm...
The Mediterranean is considered one of the richest biodiversity regions in Europe, and bats contr... more The Mediterranean is considered one of the richest biodiversity regions in Europe, and bats contribute to this species richness. Within the last two decades, certain bat species traditionally considered as representatives of the Mediterranean have spread northwards and colonized areas outside this region. In our study, we focused on ecological requirements of one of these bat species, the Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii). We used radio-telemetry and diet analysis to describe habitat use, home-range size and diet composition of reproductive females of Savi's pipistrelle in the traditional core of its distribution range in the Mediterranean region. Our results indicate that Savi's pipistrelle is able to fly long distances and utilize a wide range of habitats within its home-range, with affinities for particular habitats depending on its reproductive status. In particular, pregnant females favoured rocky pastures and forest areas, followed by meadows and riparian habitat, whereas the affinity for riparian habitat increased in lactating females, followed closely by meadows, forest and rocky pastures. The larger affinity for riparian habitats during lactation might indicate its importance for successful rearing of young, which could be influenced in the future by increasing droughts and water shortage in the Mediterranean region. Nevertheless, based on our radio-telemetry and diet analysis the species shows a high degree of flexibility, as an opportunistic forager that flies across large areas on a nightly basis, which may be a good predisposition for colonizing new areas.
Understanding the ecological, behavioural and evolutionary response of organisms to changing envi... more Understanding the ecological, behavioural and evolutionary response of organisms to changing environments is of primary importance in a human‐altered world. It is crucial to elucidate how human activities alter gene flow and what are the consequences for the genetic structure of a species. We studied two lineages of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) throughout the contact zone between mesic and arid Ecozones in the Middle East to evaluate the species' response to the growing proportion of human‐altered habitats in the desert. We integrated population genetics, morphometrics and movement ecology to analyse population structure, morphological variation and habitat use from GPS‐ or radio‐tagged individuals from both desert and Mediterranean areas. We classified the spatial distribution and environmental stratification by describing physical–geographical conditions and land cover. We analysed this information to estimate patch occupancy and used an isolation‐by‐resistan...
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal spec... more The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal species across the Eurasian Late Pleistocene steppe-tundra environment. Previous ancient DNA studies of the collared lemming and common vole have revealed dynamic population histories shaped by climatic fluctuations. To investigate the extent to which species with similar adaptations share common evolutionary histories, we generated a dataset comprised the mitochondrial genomes of 139 ancient and 6 modern narrow-headed voles from several sites across Europe and northwestern Asia covering approximately the last 100 thousand years (kyr). We inferred Bayesian time-aware phylogenies using 11 radiocarbon-dated samples to calibrate the molecular clock. Divergence of the main mtDNA lineages across the three species occurred during marine isotope stages (MIS) 7 and MIS 5, suggesting a common response of species adapted to open habitat during interglacials. We identified several time-structured mtDNA...
Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most a... more Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5−19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species' population dynamics. However, analyses based solely on extant genetic diversity may not recover the full complexity of past population history. The main aim of this study was to investigate the evolutionary history and identify the main drivers of the common vole population dynamics during the Late Pleistocene. Location Europe Taxon Common vole (Microtus arvalis) Methods We generated a dataset comprising 4.2 kb-long fragment of mitochondrial DNA from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age o...
<p>a) Triangulated locations of the representative fruit bat, <i>R. aegyptiacus</i... more <p>a) Triangulated locations of the representative fruit bat, <i>R. aegyptiacus</i>, tracked for one night during field tests of the BAARA automated radiotracking system. Black dot—roost, large black triangles—automated stations, small triangles—locations (n = 384), solid line—100% minimum convex polygon, elipses—kernel estimations 50% contour lines. Different colours show the level of triangulation: white—no triangulation; grey—by two; and black—by three stations. There are three feeding sites, isolated locations mark the commuting bat. b) Spatial activity pattern of a fruit bat population in Dakhla oasis, Egypt, in different periods of the year as revealed by instrumental record of automated radiotracking. <i>The feeding time</i> is a period with no changes in successive positioning of an individual in a record of single BAARA station, <i>the search time</i> is a period of changing successive positioning. Each sign expresses the sum of the respective two variables in a whole night record of an individual from a single BAARA station.</p
Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for as... more Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for assessing local structure of small-mammal community. We evaluated the structure of small-mammal communities in the Mediterranean region by analysing Barn owl diet using own pellets and literature data (85 localities comprising 182,343 prey individuals). Contrary to widely accepted macroecological theory, we found a latitudinal increase of small-mammal alpha diversity, a less distinct west–east increase and lower diversity on islands. The mean prey weight decreased with increasing latitude, while on islands it decreased with increasing island area. The mean prey weight on islands was further negatively affected by mean land modification by human and positively affected by its range. The diet diversity on islands was not affected either by island area or its distance from the mainland. Its composition largely conformed to the main pattern pronounced over whole the region: an unexpected homog...
A complete list of bat records available from Northern Cyprus is presented, based on both limited... more A complete list of bat records available from Northern Cyprus is presented, based on both limited literature and new records, resulting from a recent field survey conducted mainly in 2018. This review is complemented by distribution maps and summaries of the distributional status of particular species. From the northern part of the island of Cyprus, at least 451 records of 21 bat species are available; viz. Rousettus aegyptiacus (26 record localities), Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (19), R. hipposideros (21), R. euryale (5), R. mehelyi (1), R. blasii (12), Myotis blythii (4), M. nattereri (10), M. emarginatus (3), M. capaccinii (1), Eptesicus serotinus (5), E. anatolicus (1), Hypsugo savii (6), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (50), P. pygmaeus (9), P. kuhlii (265), Nyctalus leisleri (1), N. lasiopterus (1), Plecotus kolombatovici (3), Miniopterus schreibersii (4), and Tadarida teniotis (5). The number of records increased elevenfold and 1.5 times more bat species were found compared to the la...
Abstract The sedimentological record in the Raciska pecina cave sediment sequence is one of the b... more Abstract The sedimentological record in the Raciska pecina cave sediment sequence is one of the best-preserved cave records of palaeoenvironmental changes for the last 3.4 Ma. However, as it is typical for cave terrestrial records, it contains many hiatuses in sedimentation. The section study helped to change the state of knowledge and understanding of the long-lasting deposition characteristics in the caves and provided enormous data on environmental changes over time. In the sequence are by magnetostratigraphy well recorded Pliocene/Pleistocene transition at 2.59 Ma, the Matuyama/Brunhes boundary at 0.773 Ma, and the presence of Olduvai subchron between 1.78 and 1.925 Ma. Records of small mammals from the lower part of the section (a molar of Apodemus cf. atavus and dental fragments of Borsodia sp., and Pliomys sp.) suggest MN17 age, Clethrionomys cf. glareolus from the upper part suggests the Late Early or Middle Pleistocene age. Also worth mentioning are records of snail shells Aegopinella sp. and a troglobiont snail Zospeum sp. In the upper part of the section Ursus ex gr. spelaeus was confirmed in the yellow clay layer older than ∼72 ka, and soot material at the top of the section was radiocarbon dated on ∼11 ka, ∼9 ka, and ∼3 ka. A detailed chronology of the Raciska pecina section based on magnetostratigraphy and isotopic oxygen stratigraphy was created and correlated with palaeontological, U-series, and radiocarbon results. The climatic changes during the growth of the section were at about 2.6–2.5 Ma ago mostly controlled by global Atlantic Ocean factors, while about 0.78 Ma ago by regional Mediterranean Sea factors.
Based on 25 records (both published and new) we summarize the recent distribution of Pipistrellus... more Based on 25 records (both published and new) we summarize the recent distribution of Pipistrellus kuhlii in the Czech Republic and discuss possible colonization routes. The species colonized a major part of the Czech Republic during 14 years since its first record in 2007. Based on locations and chronology of the records it seems that the eastern part of the Czech Republic (Moravia) was colonized from the south along the Dyje and Morava rivers, while in Bohemia, two possible routes may have existed: one from the south along the Vltava river from the Danube valley, and another from the east or south-east along the valley of the Svitava and Orlice rivers. Given the fact that already in 2018 the presence of P. kuhlii was confirmed in Saxony, which predated the species confirmation in the north-western and central parts of Bohemia, we do not exclude possible existence of a third colonization route along the Labe river from the north-west (Germany). All the records come from human settle...
Quantitative data on local variation in patterns of occurrence of common carnivore species, such ... more Quantitative data on local variation in patterns of occurrence of common carnivore species, such as the red fox, European badger, or martens in central Europe are largely missing. We conducted a study focusing on carnivore ecology and distribution in a cultural landscape with the use of modern technology. We placed 73 automated infra-red camera traps into four different habitats differing in water availability and canopy cover (mixed forest, wetland, shrubby grassland and floodplain forest) in the Polabí region near Prague, Czech Republic. Each habitat was represented by three or four spatially isolated sites within which the camera traps were distributed. During the year of the study, we recorded nine carnivore species, including the non-native golden jackal. Habitats with the highest numbers of records pooled across all species were wetland (1279) and shrubby grassland (1014); fewer records were made in mixed (876) and floodplain forest (734). Habitat had a significant effect on t...
During the Late Pleistocene, narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) inhabited Eurasia’s vast... more During the Late Pleistocene, narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) inhabited Eurasia’s vast territories, frequently becoming the dominant small mammal species among steppe-tundra communities. We investigated the relationship between this species’ European and Asiatic populations by sequencing the mtDNA genomes of two extant specimens from Russia and 10 individuals from five Central European sites, dated to the post-LGM period. Phylogenetic analyses based on a large portion of mtDNA genomes highly supported the positioning ofL. gregaliswithinArvicolinae. The phylogeny based on mtDNA cytochromebsequences revealed a deep divergence of European narrow-headed voles from Asiatic ones and their sister position against the extantL. gregalisandL. raddei. The divergence of the European lineage was estimated to a minimum 230 thousand years ago. This suggest, contrary to the current biogeographic hypotheses, that during the interglacial periods narrow-headed vole did not retreat from Euro...
The monophyodont molar teeth, prismatic enamel and the complexity of enamel microarchitecture are... more The monophyodont molar teeth, prismatic enamel and the complexity of enamel microarchitecture are regarded as essential dental apomorphies of mammals. As prominent background factors of feeding efficiency and individual longevity these characters are crucial components of mammalian adaptive dynamics. Little is known, however, to which degree these adaptations are influenced by the crystallographic properties of elementary hydroxyapatite crystallites, the only inorganic component of enamel. In a miniature pig where individual molars differ significantly in duration of their development and in enamel resistance to attrition stress, we found highly significant differences between the molars in the size of crystallites, amount of microstrain, crystallinity and in enamel stiffness and elasticity, all clearly scaled with the duration of tooth calcification. The same pattern was found also in red deer bearing different molar type. The results suggest that the prolongation of tooth developm...
The Mediterranean is considered one of the richest biodiversity regions in Europe, and bats contr... more The Mediterranean is considered one of the richest biodiversity regions in Europe, and bats contribute to this species richness. Within the last two decades, certain bat species traditionally considered as representatives of the Mediterranean have spread northwards and colonized areas outside this region. In our study, we focused on ecological requirements of one of these bat species, the Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii). We used radio-telemetry and diet analysis to describe habitat use, home-range size and diet composition of reproductive females of Savi's pipistrelle in the traditional core of its distribution range in the Mediterranean region. Our results indicate that Savi's pipistrelle is able to fly long distances and utilize a wide range of habitats within its home-range, with affinities for particular habitats depending on its reproductive status. In particular, pregnant females favoured rocky pastures and forest areas, followed by meadows and riparian habitat, whereas the affinity for riparian habitat increased in lactating females, followed closely by meadows, forest and rocky pastures. The larger affinity for riparian habitats during lactation might indicate its importance for successful rearing of young, which could be influenced in the future by increasing droughts and water shortage in the Mediterranean region. Nevertheless, based on our radio-telemetry and diet analysis the species shows a high degree of flexibility, as an opportunistic forager that flies across large areas on a nightly basis, which may be a good predisposition for colonizing new areas.
Understanding the ecological, behavioural and evolutionary response of organisms to changing envi... more Understanding the ecological, behavioural and evolutionary response of organisms to changing environments is of primary importance in a human‐altered world. It is crucial to elucidate how human activities alter gene flow and what are the consequences for the genetic structure of a species. We studied two lineages of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) throughout the contact zone between mesic and arid Ecozones in the Middle East to evaluate the species' response to the growing proportion of human‐altered habitats in the desert. We integrated population genetics, morphometrics and movement ecology to analyse population structure, morphological variation and habitat use from GPS‐ or radio‐tagged individuals from both desert and Mediterranean areas. We classified the spatial distribution and environmental stratification by describing physical–geographical conditions and land cover. We analysed this information to estimate patch occupancy and used an isolation‐by‐resistan...
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Papers by Ivan Horacek