Paleodistribution modeling suggests glacial refugia in Scandinavia and out-of-Tibet range expansion of the Arctic fox

Quaternary glacial cycles have shaped the geographic distributions and evolution of numerous species in the Arctic. Ancient DNA suggests that the Arctic fox went extinct in Europe at the end of the Pleistocene and that Scandinavia was subsequently recolonized from Siberia, indicating inability to track its habitat through space as climate changed. Using ecological niche modeling, we found that climatically suitable conditions for Arctic fox were found in Scandinavia both during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the mid-Holocene. Our results are supported by fossil occurrences from the last glacial. Furthermore, the model projection for the LGM, validated with fossil records, suggested an approximate distance of 2000 km between suitable Arctic conditions and the Tibetan Plateau well within the dispersal distance of the species, supporting the recently proposed hypothesis of range expansion from an origin on the Tibetan Plateau to the rest of Eurasia. The fact that the Arctic fox disappeared from Scandinavia despite suitable conditions suggests that extant populations may be more sensitive to climate change than previously thought.

Priorities for the conservation of the pudu (Pudu puda) in southern South America

The southern pudu (Pudu puda) is a threatened deer that is endemic to the South American temperate forests. Despite its assumed threatened status, there is relatively little understanding on the ecology and conservation of this species. Considering this situation and the fact that there are some research groups currently working on this species, we organised a symposium to discuss research and management priorities – as well as to coordinate efforts – to move forward on the conservation of the pudu. We agreed that main research priorities should be to increase the understanding of the threats that jeopardize the viability of pudu populations, with a strong emphasis on research questions that will provide information for the management of these threats. The main management recommendations were to implement monitoring of pudu populations at least in protected areas, to implement specific actions to remove threats from protected areas and to start following internationally-accepted guidelines for the management of rescued and confiscated animals.