Search results for "Cricetidae"
showing 5 items of 5 documents
Exploring phylogeography and species limits in the Altai vole (Rodentia: Cricetidae)
2013
Natural hybridization between species is not a rare event. In arvicoline rodents, hybridization is known to occur in the wild and/or in captivity. In the Microtus arvalis group, cytogenetic studies revealed that there were two distinct chromosomal forms (2n = 46 but a different fundamental number of autosomes). These forms have been attributed to two cryptic species: the common (arvalis) and Altai (obscurus) voles. Recently, individuals with intermediate karyotypes (F1 and backcrosses) were discovered in central European Russia, and, for this reason, other studies have regarded obscurus and arvalis as conspecific. In the present study, to address the question of the species limits in the Al…
Mystemys giganteus n. gen. et sp.: an enigmatic and rare cricetid from the Terre Rosse M013 fissure filling (Gargano, Southeastern Italy).
2016
Mystemys giganteus is a new strongly endemic cricetid that occurs only in the recently discovered M013 Terre Rosse fissure filling of the Gargano area. This species was presented alongside the other taxa of the M013 fissure in a previous paper and it is here described in detail. Although the material includes only five molars, Mystemys is exceptional for its very large size (length of M1: 6.23 mm) and peculiar morphology. The molars are heavy built with bulged and robust cusps, tubercular crests, narrow valleys, very thick and crenulated enamel. The morphological features of Mystemys are very carefully described, with special focus on the evolutionary modifications induced by isolation. The…
Gliridae from the late Oligocene of the province of Teruel (Spain)
2020
The Calatayud-Teruel Basin is one of the richest areas of Spain, when fossil mammals are concerned. Around the village of Montalban many lower Oligocene fossil mammal localities are known and several upper Oligocene localities with rich micromammal faunas are present between the villages of Vivel del Rio Martin and Martin del Rio. Previous papers on these upper Oligocene localities were dedicated to the Cricetidae and to the zapodid Plesiosminthus , in this work we describe the fauna of Gliridae, composed of the genera Gliravus , Butseloglis , Peridyromys , Microdyromys and Paraglis . Among these the latter genus is very poorly represented. Microdyromys is of special importance becaus…
Data from: Temporal dynamics of Puumala hantavirus infection in cyclic populations of bank voles
2017
Understanding the dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in their reservoir host populations is a prerequisite for predicting and preventing human disease epidemics. The human infection risk of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is highest in northern Europe, where populations of the rodent host (bank vole, Myodes glareolus) undergo cyclic fluctuations. We conducted a 7-year capture-mark-recapture study to monitor seasonal and multiannual patterns of the PUUV infection rate in bank vole populations exhibiting a 3-year density cycle. Infected bank voles were most abundant in mid-winter months during years of increasing or peak host density. Prevalence of PUUV infection in bank voles exhibited a regular, seas…
Data from: Negative frequency-dependent selection of sexually antagonistic alleles in Myodes glareolus
2011
Sexually antagonistic genetic variation, where optimal values of traits are sex-dependent, is known to slow the loss of genetic variance associated with directional selection on fitness-related traits. However, sexual antagonism alone is not sufficient to maintain variation indefinitely. Selection of rare forms within the sexes can help to conserve genotypic diversity. We combined theoretical models and a field experiment with Myodes glareolus to show that negative frequency-dependent selection on male dominance maintains variation in sexually antagonistic alleles. In our experiment, high-dominance male bank voles were found to have low-fecundity sisters, and vice versa. These results show …