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-Statistical parsimony network of Sorex sp. haplotypes for South Tyrol, Italy, Switzerland and France. Two main haplogroups were found, corresponding to the two species, S. araneus and S. antinorii. Only one of South Tyrolean haplotypes fall within the S. antinorii haplogroup.
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In Italy, after the elevation to species rank of the Valais shrew Sorex antinorii, all collection specimens from the museums previously attributed to the Eurasian shrew Sores araneus were assigned to the former species. But no official verification of this "automatic" species attribution has ever been attempted. In our work we did the revision of 1...
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... on the basis of their phylogenetic relationships ( Fig. 2). Conversely, only one specimen can be assigned to S. antinorii (Fig. 2). The two species show an average uncorrected genetic distance equal to 0.015. According to the SP network the 10 South Tyrolean haplotypes are clustered in the two species that are separated by six mutational steps (Fig. 3). Genetic diversity indexes in Tab. 2 suggest that the observed haplotypic diversity in South Tyrol is comparable to that in other countries within the distribution area of S. araneus. On the other hand, nucleotide diversity is much lower than the one observed in other ...
Citations
... In particular, peninsular areas represented an important hub for the subsequent recolonization of temperate animal species in the after-glacial era (Sommer and Nadachowski 2006;Colangelo et al. 2012). As such, the recolonization process has often led to genetic divergence in expanding population after the glacial period, e.g., due to genetic bottlenecks and genetic drifts (or even speciation) by newly colonizing populations at the range margins (Gaytán et al. 2020;Ladurner et al. 2021). Consequently, our understanding of species environmental niche across Europe, and particularly in the case of taxa with wide ranges, may be hampered by such intraspecific variation and potential ecological specialization at local levels, with obvious consequences for conservation or management of such species (e.g., reintroductions and rewilding). ...
... Nonetheless, valleys and coastal areas may still represent viable corridors for dispersing individuals between the Apennine Peninsula and Central Europe, allowing the potential genetic introgression of different clades (e.g., Alectoris chukar × Alectoris rufa: Barbanera et al. 2009; Canis lupus lupus × Canis lupus italicus: Ražen et al. 2016). Populations of small mammals (Talpa europaea, Sorex araneus, and Arvicola amphibius) from north-eastern Italy (Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia) in fact often show a stronger phylogenetically relationship with conspecifics from Central Europe than to those from peninsular Italy (Ladurner et al. 2021;Colangelo et al. 2022;Solano et al. 2022). ...
... Our work supports the isolation of the Italian clade as suggested by Mori et al. (2022a), confirming the Alps as an important barrier isolating conspecific populations. Particularly, the limited dispersal abilities of small mammals have promoted rapid genetic divergences over time (Amori and Castiglia 2018;Loy et al. 2019;Ladurner et al. 2021). Nonetheless, Alpine populations of the harvest mouse showed a higher genetic similarity with those from Central Europe than to Italian peninsular ones, a pattern consistent with those of other small mammals (cf. ...
Climate and land use changes reshape the distribution of species around the world, so understanding biogeographical patterns is key to protect and manage wildlife, particularly in the case of threatened or declining species. Species with wide ranges are usually considered as common, yet the occurrence of intraspecific variability and adaptation to local conditions may pose serious challenges to their conservation. In this paper, we selected the harvest mouse Micromys minutus as a model species to assess the role of intraspecific genetic variability in shaping the environmental preferences and distribution of a widely distributed mammal across Europe. By applying an integrative approach combining species distribution modelling and phylogenetic reconstruction, we assessed the clade-specific habitat suitability of all mitochondrial clades of the species occurring in Europe, unveiling distinct bioclimatic niches. Most of Central Europe results as suitable to M. minutus, whereas different clades showed distinct distributions of suitable areas across Europe, with limited overlap. We then combined mitochondrial analyses with clade-specific suitability maps to determine the geographic delimitations of Italian and central European clades. We showed that individuals from the northernmost Italian regions actually belong to the central European clade, consistent with the biogeographical patterns of other small mammals, and indicating potential past dispersal between the Italian Peninsula and Central Europe, or human-assisted translocations. Our results highlight the importance of intraspecific variability in shaping biogeographical patterns of widely distributed species, also representing a reproducible exercise to understand their environmental preferences and eventually fostering their conservation.
... Notably, the Alps may not be optimal regarding the climatic requirements of the greater noctule bat. Nevertheless, the only evidence of a nursery of N. lasiopterus in the Alps originates from the Amsteg region (Reuss Valley, Switzerland; Fatio 1869), presumably at an elevation of (Guariento et al. 2021;Ladurner et al. 2021). It is unknown whether N. lasiopterus dispersed only recently to South Tyrol or if its presence was overlooked in the past. ...
The greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus (Schreber, 1780), is one of the rarest bat species in Europe. Data on its distribution in the central and western parts of the continent are largely lacking. For the first time, N. lasiopterus was observed in South Tyrol (Northern Italy) using bat detectors in the summer of 2016 and in the following years until 2021. The five sites where the species was detected are located in a limited area of the Adige Valley, which is characterised by low elevation and a mild climate. Multiple recordings indicated a continuous summer presence of N. lasiopterus on the southern side of the Alps. Additionally, we present insights on echolocation and species identification, including statistically significant differences in the call metrics of N. lasiopterus compared to Tadarida teniotis. These results are important at a European level given that data is lacking on the populations of N. lasiopterus in Europe outside the Mediterranean.
... Loy et al. (2019) have recently reviewed the national mammal check-list, including over 120 species, 16.8% of which being alien. Afterwards, four other species have been confirmed through targeted research and (re)included in this check-list: the African long-eared bat Plecotus gaisleri Benda, 2004 , the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula Hermann, 1780 , the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758 (Pontarini et al. 2019) and the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758 (Ladurner et al. 2021). Distribution of most alien species in Italy is well known and monitored (Di Febbraro et al. 2019;Dori et al. 2019;Mori and Mazza 2019;Mori et al. 2015Mori et al. , 2017Mori et al. , 2018. ...
The common genet Genetta genetta is a small carnivoran mammal with a wide distribution range covering most of Africa. This species has been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula over 1000 years ago, and then it has spread throughout most of France, reaching Switzerland and NorthWestern Italy. In this note, we summarised the distribution of the common genet, in Italy, by reviewing grey/scientific literature and records available on online citizen-science platforms. We collected a total of 39 confirmed records, mainly from latrines and killed individuals, which showed that the species, present almost during all the year, has increased its range since the previous summary of 2008.
