Tracking the ice: Subterranean harvestmen distribution matches ancient glacier margins

Biogeographic studies often underline the role of glacial dynamism during Pleistocene (1.806-0.011 Mya) in shaping the distribution of subterranean species. Accordingly, it is presumed that present-day distribution of most specialized cold-adapted (cryophilic) cave-dwelling species should bear the signatures of past climatic events. To test this idea, we modelled the distribution of specialized cold-adapted subterranean alpine harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones: Ischyropsalididae: Ischyropsalis). We found that the distance from the glacier margins during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; about 22,000 years ago) was the most important predictor of their present-day distribution. In particular, the pe…