Some decades ago, biogeographers distinguished three major faunal types of high
importance for Europe:(i) Mediterranean elements with exclusive glacial survival in the …

The Carpathians are the largest mountain range in Central Europe. Their geographical
position, extent, isolation, landscape heterogeneity, well-preserved environment, and …

Over the past 20 y, many studies have examined the history of the plant ecological and
molecular model, Arabidopsis thaliana, in Europe and North America. Although these …

Relict species have always beguiled evolutionary biologists and biogeographers, who often
view them as fascinating 'living fossils' or remnants of old times. Consequently, they are …

Climate change has a worldwide impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functions, in
particular by causing shifts in species distributions and changes in species communities …

Background Pleistocene climatic oscillations have played a major role in structuring present-
day biodiversity. The southern Mediterranean peninsulas have long been recognized as …

Climate relicts, marginal populations that have become isolated via climate-driven range
shifts, preserve ecological and evolutionary histories that can span millennia. Studies point …

Abstract Background The Alpine region harbours one of the most diverse subterranean
faunas in the world, with many species showing extreme morphological modifications. The …

The arboreal marsupial monito del monte (genus Dromiciops, with two recognized species)
is a paradigmatic mammal. It is the sole living representative of the order Microbiotheria, the …

Taxonomy—the description, naming, and classification of organisms—and systematics—the
study of the evolutionary relationships of organisms—are both crucial components in …