Phylogeography of the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus): paleoclimatic reconstructions of Late Pleistocene colonization

Abstract

The phylogeographic structure of Cricetus cricetus is described across the whole range of the species for the first time. The modern phylogenetic structure was formed 70-45 kyr BP. The most favorable conditions for the species are those of interglacial periods rather than of the periods of glaciations. Earlier an opposite hypothesis was suggested. Thus, the present period is generally favorable for the species' existence. The observed decrease in its abundance and fragmentation of its range in natural habitats are clear evidence of the leading role of anthropogenic factors in this process.