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Jan Robovský
Liberec Zoo, Lidové sady 425/1, 46001 Liberec, Czech Republic

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Review
Published: 14 June 2021 in Conservation
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Ecotourism can fuel an important source of financial income for African countries and can therefore help biodiversity policies in the continent. Translocations can be a powerful tool to spread economic benefits among countries and communities; yet, to be positive for biodiversity conservation, they require a basic knowledge of conservation units through appropriate taxonomic research. This is not always the case, as taxonomy was considered an outdated discipline for almost a century, and some plurality in taxonomic approaches is incorrectly considered as a disadvantage for conservation work. As an example, diversity of the genus Giraffa and its recent taxonomic history illustrate the importance of such knowledge for a sound conservation policy that includes translocations. We argue that a fine-grained conservation perspective that prioritizes all remaining populations along the Nile Basin is needed. Translocations are important tools for giraffe diversity conservation, but more discussion is needed, especially for moving new giraffes to regions where the autochthonous taxa/populations are no longer existent. As the current discussion about the giraffe taxonomy is too focused on the number of giraffe species, we argue that the plurality of taxonomic and conservation approaches might be beneficial, i.e., for defining the number of units requiring separate management using a (majority) consensus across different concepts (e.g., MU—management unit, ESU—evolutionary significant unit, and ECU—elemental conservation unit). The taxonomically sensitive translocation policy/strategy would be important for the preservation of current diversity, while also supporting the ecological restoration of some regions within rewilding. A summary table of the main translocation operations of African mammals that have underlying problems is included. Therefore, we call for increased attention toward the taxonomy of African mammals not only as the basis for sound conservation but also as a further opportunity to enlarge the geographic scope of ecotourism in Africa.

ACS Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský; Francesco Angelici. Taxonomy and Translocations of African Mammals: A Plea for a Cautionary Approach. Conservation 2021, 1, 121 -136.

AMA Style

Spartaco Gippoliti, Jan Robovský, Francesco Angelici. Taxonomy and Translocations of African Mammals: A Plea for a Cautionary Approach. Conservation. 2021; 1 (2):121-136.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský; Francesco Angelici. 2021. "Taxonomy and Translocations of African Mammals: A Plea for a Cautionary Approach." Conservation 1, no. 2: 121-136.

Research
Published: 13 January 2020 in Ecography
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The Late Pleistocene landscape in northern Eurasia and North America was inhabited by a specific megafaunal complex, which largely disappeared during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Vegetation changes are considered as one of the factors responsible for these extinctions, but the structure and composition of the Pleistocene vegetation are still poorly known. Here we complement previous studies by comparing the taxonomic composition of the plant remains found in the gastrointestinal tracts of the frozen carcasses of Pleistocene megaherbivores with the species composition of the current Siberian vegetation. We compiled a dataset of palaeobotanical records from frozen individuals of Pleistocene megaherbivores found in northern Siberia and Beringia and dated to the period from more than 50 kyr BP to 9 kyr BP. We also compiled a dataset of vegetation plots from several regions in Siberia. We analysed the similarity in taxonomic composition of plants between these two datasets using a novel method that accounts for variable taxonomic resolution in palaeobotanical data. For most megaherbivore individuals, plant remains in their gastrointestinal tracts corresponded to tundra, forest and mire vegetation, while they showed low similarity to steppe. This pattern was relatively constant over time, showing no remarkable differences between the Last Glacial Maximum and the periods before and afterwards. This suggests that during the Upper Pleistocene, a mosaic of mesic and wet vegetation types such as tundra with patches of forests and mires was common in northern Siberia and Beringia. In contrast, the steppe was rare to absent in the landscape or underused by the megaherbivores as a pasture since they found enough food in the widespread mesic and wet habitats with more productive vegetation.

ACS Style

Irena Axmanová; Jan Robovský; Lubomír Tichý; Jiří Danihelka; Elena Troeva; Albert Protopopov; Milan Chytrý. Habitats of Pleistocene megaherbivores reconstructed from the frozen fauna remains. Ecography 2020, 43, 703 -713.

AMA Style

Irena Axmanová, Jan Robovský, Lubomír Tichý, Jiří Danihelka, Elena Troeva, Albert Protopopov, Milan Chytrý. Habitats of Pleistocene megaherbivores reconstructed from the frozen fauna remains. Ecography. 2020; 43 (5):703-713.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Irena Axmanová; Jan Robovský; Lubomír Tichý; Jiří Danihelka; Elena Troeva; Albert Protopopov; Milan Chytrý. 2020. "Habitats of Pleistocene megaherbivores reconstructed from the frozen fauna remains." Ecography 43, no. 5: 703-713.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2019 in Mammalian Biology
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The silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus) is a solitary, subterranean bathyergid rodent that lives in savannahs in Eastern Africa. Our study focuses on its penial and bacular morphology with respect to its mating strategies, degree of sociality, ovulation type and seasonality of breeding. The penis morphology fits into the trend in bathyergids, where solitary species have a more ornamented penis. Interestingly, the longest penile spines within the bathyergids were detected in this species. Results from the measurements of the penis bone did not match the predictions that the sociality is associated with a smaller baculum size. Moreover, so-called eusocial bathyergids have, relatively, the longest bacula within the family. Our parsimony reconstruction of the ancestral state indicates that the common ancestor of bathyergids probably lived in a group and had an induced ovulation and penis without the ornamentation.

ACS Style

Sylvie Horáková; Radim Šumbera; Jitka Sovová; Jan Robovský. The penial and bacular morphology of the solitary silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus, Bathyergidae) from Malawi and evolutionary patterns across the African mole-rat family. Mammalian Biology 2019, 99, 54 -62.

AMA Style

Sylvie Horáková, Radim Šumbera, Jitka Sovová, Jan Robovský. The penial and bacular morphology of the solitary silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus, Bathyergidae) from Malawi and evolutionary patterns across the African mole-rat family. Mammalian Biology. 2019; 99 ():54-62.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sylvie Horáková; Radim Šumbera; Jitka Sovová; Jan Robovský. 2019. "The penial and bacular morphology of the solitary silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus, Bathyergidae) from Malawi and evolutionary patterns across the African mole-rat family." Mammalian Biology 99, no. : 54-62.

Short communication
Published: 21 May 2019 in Journal of Ethology
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Although infanticide is widespread among mammals, this phenomenon in ungulates, and more specifically in cervids, remains very rare. We report a case of infanticide in a captive group of white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris). The infanticide of a non-filial newborn female calf was carried out by two females. The attack was intentional and the attackers killed the calf by biting it and kicking it with their forelegs. The mother of the calf, which was multiparous, witnessed the scene, but no important intervention of the mother was recorded during the attack. This is the first report of female-perpetrated infanticide among cervids. Resource competition, adoption avoidance, pathological behaviour of the infanticidal individuals, and social hierarchy competition may explain the killing.

ACS Style

Pavel Král; Jiří Bukovský; Jan Pluháček; Marie Voldřichová; Jan Robovský. A case of female-perpetrated infanticide in captive white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris). Journal of Ethology 2019, 37, 377 -382.

AMA Style

Pavel Král, Jiří Bukovský, Jan Pluháček, Marie Voldřichová, Jan Robovský. A case of female-perpetrated infanticide in captive white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris). Journal of Ethology. 2019; 37 (3):377-382.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pavel Král; Jiří Bukovský; Jan Pluháček; Marie Voldřichová; Jan Robovský. 2019. "A case of female-perpetrated infanticide in captive white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris)." Journal of Ethology 37, no. 3: 377-382.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2018 in Lynx new series
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Colin Groves was one of the world’s leading anthropologists, primatologists and mammalian taxonomists. This bibliography with 775 entries contains all his publications, including books, chapters in books, scientific and popular articles, book reviews, obituaries and letters or articles in newspapers. There is a list of 62 taxa described by Colin Groves and six eponyms.

ACS Style

Kees Rookmaaker; Jan Robovský. Bibliography of Colin Peter Groves (1942–2017), an anthropologist and mammalian taxonomist. Lynx new series 2018, 49, 255 -294.

AMA Style

Kees Rookmaaker, Jan Robovský. Bibliography of Colin Peter Groves (1942–2017), an anthropologist and mammalian taxonomist. Lynx new series. 2018; 49 (1):255-294.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kees Rookmaaker; Jan Robovský. 2018. "Bibliography of Colin Peter Groves (1942–2017), an anthropologist and mammalian taxonomist." Lynx new series 49, no. 1: 255-294.

Conference paper
Published: 07 November 2018 in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
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The white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ) has a discontinuous African distribution, which is limited by the extent of sub-Saharan grasslands. The southern population (SWR) declined to its lowest number around the turn of the nineteenth century, but recovered to become the world's most numerous rhinoceros. In contrast, the northern population (NWR) was common during much of the twentieth century, declining rapidly since the 1970s, and now only two post-reproductive individuals remain. Despite this species's conservation status, it lacks a genetic assessment of its demographic history. We therefore sampled 232 individuals from extant and museum sources and analysed ten microsatellite loci and the mtDNA control region. Both marker types reliably partitioned the species into SWR and NWR, with moderate nuclear genetic diversity and only three mtDNA haplotypes for the species, including historical samples. We detected ancient interglacial demographic declines in both populations. Both populations may also have been affected by recent declines associated with the colonial expansion for the SWR, and with the much earlier Bantu migrations for the NWR. Finally, we detected post-divergence secondary contact between NWR and SWR, possibly occurring as recently as the last glacial maximum. These results suggest the species was subjected to regular periods of fragmentation and low genetic diversity, which may have been replenished upon secondary contact during glacial periods. The species's current situation thus reflects prehistoric declines that were exacerbated by anthropogenic pressure associated with the rise of late Holocene technological advancement in Africa. Importantly, secondary contact suggests a potentially positive outcome for a hybrid rescue conservation strategy, although further genome-wide data are desirable to corroborate these results.

ACS Style

Yoshan Moodley; Isa-Rita M. Russo; Jan Robovský; Desiré L. Dalton; Antoinette Kotzé; Steve Smith; Jan Stejskal; Oliver A. Ryder; Robert Hermes; Chris Walzer; Michael W. Bruford. Contrasting evolutionary history, anthropogenic declines and genetic contact in the northern and southern white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 2018, 285, 20181567 .

AMA Style

Yoshan Moodley, Isa-Rita M. Russo, Jan Robovský, Desiré L. Dalton, Antoinette Kotzé, Steve Smith, Jan Stejskal, Oliver A. Ryder, Robert Hermes, Chris Walzer, Michael W. Bruford. Contrasting evolutionary history, anthropogenic declines and genetic contact in the northern and southern white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 2018; 285 (1890):20181567.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yoshan Moodley; Isa-Rita M. Russo; Jan Robovský; Desiré L. Dalton; Antoinette Kotzé; Steve Smith; Jan Stejskal; Oliver A. Ryder; Robert Hermes; Chris Walzer; Michael W. Bruford. 2018. "Contrasting evolutionary history, anthropogenic declines and genetic contact in the northern and southern white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum )." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 285, no. 1890: 20181567.

Journal article
Published: 23 October 2018 in Journal of Urban Health
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ACS Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský. Ex Situ Sumatran Rhinoceros Conservation and the Agony of Choice. An Integration with the Management Strategy Proposed by Brandt et al. (2018). Journal of Urban Health 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Spartaco Gippoliti, Jan Robovský. Ex Situ Sumatran Rhinoceros Conservation and the Agony of Choice. An Integration with the Management Strategy Proposed by Brandt et al. (2018). Journal of Urban Health. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský. 2018. "Ex Situ Sumatran Rhinoceros Conservation and the Agony of Choice. An Integration with the Management Strategy Proposed by Brandt et al. (2018)." Journal of Urban Health , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 13 August 2018 in ZooKeys
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The Eastern European vole (Microtusmystacinus) is an arvicoline rodent distributed across northern and eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, NW and N Iran, Russia as far east as the Tobol River in W Siberia, and W and N Kazakhstan. We present a novel records from eastern Kazakhstan (the village of Dzhambul – 49°14'21.3"N, 86°18'29.9"E and the village of Sekisovka – 50°21'9.18"N, 82°35'46.5"E) based on mtDNA and we discuss implications of this findings on biogeography of eastern Kazakhstan populations. Marine Isotope Stage 11 is considered an important period for the diversification of the arvalis species group. In the context of our study, it is important to analyse genetically discontinuous Siberian populations, and the current distribution of Microtusmystacinus in new localities in eastern Kazakhstan.

ACS Style

Tereza Holicová; František Sedláček; Anna Mácová; Jakub Vlček; Jan Robovský. New record of Microtusmystacinus in eastern Kazakhstan: phylogeographical considerations. ZooKeys 2018, 781, 67 -80.

AMA Style

Tereza Holicová, František Sedláček, Anna Mácová, Jakub Vlček, Jan Robovský. New record of Microtusmystacinus in eastern Kazakhstan: phylogeographical considerations. ZooKeys. 2018; 781 (781):67-80.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tereza Holicová; František Sedláček; Anna Mácová; Jakub Vlček; Jan Robovský. 2018. "New record of Microtusmystacinus in eastern Kazakhstan: phylogeographical considerations." ZooKeys 781, no. 781: 67-80.

Original article
Published: 17 June 2018 in Zoologica Scripta
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Phylogenetic relationships among 36 Recent and 42 extinct species of the Caninae (Canidae) were analysed, based on 360 morphological, developmental, ecological, behavioural and cytogenetic characters and 24 mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Primary phylogenetic analyses were accompanied by experimental analyses based on various combinations of data partitions and taxon samples. Leptocyon was recovered as a paraphyletic stem lineage of the Caninae; monophyly/paraphyly of the fox‐like canids (Vulpini) remains uncertain; Urocyon and Metalopex form a clade, possibly sister to all non‐Leptocyon canids; Otocyon, Nyctereutes and Nurocyon form a clade; dog‐like canids (Canini) are monophyletic (with South American Cerdocyonina and Afro‐Holarctic Canina); all South American hypercarnivores (Canis gezi, Protocyon, Speothos, Theriodictis) form a clade, close to Chrysocyon and Dusicyon; Canis arnensis, C. ferox, C. thooides, C. lepophagus and Eucyon spp. are basal to the Canina; Lycaon is an isolated African hypercarnivore; Cuon and its relatives (Xenocyon, possibly also Canis antonii, C. falconeri and Cynotherium) form a clade close to Canis s. str.; C. edwardii–C. etruscus–C. mosbachensis–C. palmidens–C. variabilis and hypercarnivorous Canis armbrusteri–C. dirus clades belong to Canis s. str. As the highly homoplastic morphological characters connected to dietary biology are the prominent characters available for the key fossil species, we conclude that macroevolutionary and palaeoecological analyses of the extinct and extant Caninae were to some extent compromised by the phylogenies used.

ACS Style

Jan Zrzavý; Pavel Duda; Jan Robovský; Isabela Okřinová; Věra Řičánková. Phylogeny of the Caninae (Carnivora): Combining morphology, behaviour, genes and fossils. Zoologica Scripta 2018, 47, 373 -389.

AMA Style

Jan Zrzavý, Pavel Duda, Jan Robovský, Isabela Okřinová, Věra Řičánková. Phylogeny of the Caninae (Carnivora): Combining morphology, behaviour, genes and fossils. Zoologica Scripta. 2018; 47 (4):373-389.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jan Zrzavý; Pavel Duda; Jan Robovský; Isabela Okřinová; Věra Řičánková. 2018. "Phylogeny of the Caninae (Carnivora): Combining morphology, behaviour, genes and fossils." Zoologica Scripta 47, no. 4: 373-389.

Review
Published: 15 March 2018 in Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali
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In this paper, we commemorate the professional activity of Prof. Lorenzo Camerano 100 years after his death on 22 November 1917, with a special emphasis on his mammalogical studies. Our two aims are to widespread some of his little-known results on the systematic and phylogenetics of ungulates (particularly of the genus Capra) and to increase knowledge about that particular period of taxonomic research in Europe before the advent of the New Synthesis. Of particular interest are some of the results concerning the recent evolutionary history of chamois in Western Europe. Camerano, through specimen-based research based on abundant material, was able to design a phylogeographic picture that was confirmed by genetic studies only a few years ago.

ACS Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský. Lorenzo Camerano (1856–1917) and his contribution to large mammal phylogeny and taxonomy, with particular reference to the genera Capra, Rupicapra and Rangifer. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali 2018, 29, 443 -451.

AMA Style

Spartaco Gippoliti, Jan Robovský. Lorenzo Camerano (1856–1917) and his contribution to large mammal phylogeny and taxonomy, with particular reference to the genera Capra, Rupicapra and Rangifer. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali. 2018; 29 (2):443-451.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský. 2018. "Lorenzo Camerano (1856–1917) and his contribution to large mammal phylogeny and taxonomy, with particular reference to the genera Capra, Rupicapra and Rangifer." Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali 29, no. 2: 443-451.

Journal article
Published: 19 February 2018 in Mammalia
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The golden jackal is a mesocarnivore with a rapidly expanding European range, where current resident breeding populations occupy much of the Balkans, Pannonian Basin and the Black and Caspian seas coasts. Despite numerous post-2000 records, breeding of this species in the newly colonized regions of Central and Northwestern Europe remained unconfirmed. Photography- and direct observation-based evidence obtained in 2017 from Central Bohemia, Czech Republic, indicates a north-western shift in the breeding range over 300 km from the closest known breeding jackal population in Pannonian Basin.

ACS Style

Miloslav Jirků; Dalibor Dostál; Jan Robovský; Martin Šálek. Reproduction of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) outside current resident breeding populations in Europe: evidence from the Czech Republic. Mammalia 2018, 82, 592 -595.

AMA Style

Miloslav Jirků, Dalibor Dostál, Jan Robovský, Martin Šálek. Reproduction of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) outside current resident breeding populations in Europe: evidence from the Czech Republic. Mammalia. 2018; 82 (6):592-595.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miloslav Jirků; Dalibor Dostál; Jan Robovský; Martin Šálek. 2018. "Reproduction of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) outside current resident breeding populations in Europe: evidence from the Czech Republic." Mammalia 82, no. 6: 592-595.

Journal article
Published: 13 February 2018 in Mammalia
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Seventy years after his death, Reginald Innes Pocock’s prominence in mammalogy is demonstrated by the continuing amount of citations in recent works and the final acceptance of some of his systematic proposals at generic and suprageneric levels. Pocock’s ability to synthesize and integrate classical taxonomy with the then dominant polytypic species concept, utilizing both skull and external characters, of zoo and museum animals as unique opportunities for the advancement of mammal comparative biology – including the study of several extinct taxa – are an enduring legacy for mammalogy that deserves to be better appreciated especially among European zoologists.

ACS Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Tommaso De Francesco; Jan Robovský. On the shoulders of giants: Reginald Innes Pocock and integrative mammal research in museums and zoos. Mammalia 2018, 82, 529 -539.

AMA Style

Spartaco Gippoliti, Tommaso De Francesco, Jan Robovský. On the shoulders of giants: Reginald Innes Pocock and integrative mammal research in museums and zoos. Mammalia. 2018; 82 (6):529-539.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Spartaco Gippoliti; Tommaso De Francesco; Jan Robovský. 2018. "On the shoulders of giants: Reginald Innes Pocock and integrative mammal research in museums and zoos." Mammalia 82, no. 6: 529-539.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2017 in Ecography
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Most studies of mammal extinctions during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition explore the relative effects of climate change vs human impacts on these extinctions, but the relative importance of the different environmental factors involved remains poorly understood. Moreover, these studies are strongly biased towards megafauna, which may have been more influenced by human hunting than species of small body size. We examined the potential environmental causes of Pleistocene–Holocene mammal extinctions by linking regional environmental characteristics with the regional extinction rates of large and small mammals in 14 Palaearctic regions. We found that regional extinction rates were larger for megafauna, but extinction patterns across regions were similar for both size groups, emphasizing the importance of environmental change as an extinction factor as opposed to hunting. Still, the bias towards megafauna extinctions was larger in southern Europe and smaller in central Eurasia. The loss of suitable habitats, low macroclimatic heterogeneity within regions and an increase in precipitation were identified as the strongest predictors of regional extinction rates. Suitable habitats for many species of the Last Glacial fauna were grassland and desert, but not tundra or forest. The low-extinction regions identified in central Eurasia are characterized by the continuous presence of grasslands and deserts until the present. In contrast, forest expansion associated with an increase in precipitation and temperature was likely the main factor causing habitat loss in the high-extinction regions. The shift of grassland into tundra also contributed to the loss of suitable habitats in northern Eurasia. Habitat loss was more strongly related to the extinctions of megafauna than of small mammals. Ungulate species with low tolerance to deep snow were more likely to go regionally extinct. Thus, the increase in precipitation at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition may have also directly contributed to the extinctions by creating deep snow cover which decreases forage availability in winter.

ACS Style

Věra Řičánková; Michal Horsák; Martin Hais; Jan Robovský; Milan Chytrý. Environmental correlates of the Late Quaternary regional extinctions of large and small Palaearctic mammals. Ecography 2017, 41, 516 -527.

AMA Style

Věra Řičánková, Michal Horsák, Martin Hais, Jan Robovský, Milan Chytrý. Environmental correlates of the Late Quaternary regional extinctions of large and small Palaearctic mammals. Ecography. 2017; 41 (3):516-527.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Věra Řičánková; Michal Horsák; Martin Hais; Jan Robovský; Milan Chytrý. 2017. "Environmental correlates of the Late Quaternary regional extinctions of large and small Palaearctic mammals." Ecography 41, no. 3: 516-527.

Review
Published: 24 April 2017 in Conservation Genetics
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The nature of species, especially as applied to large mammals, is of major concern in conservation. Here, we briefly comment on recent thinking in alpha taxonomy, and assert that species are in essence evolutionary lineages, and that the most effective way of recognising them is by their diagnosability, i.e. the so-called Phylogenetic Species Concept. We further assert that the amount of genetic distance is not a relevant datum for distinguishing species, and that the ability to interbreed is not relevant. We consider a few case studies, especially that of the Northern White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium cottoni, and also species in Loxodonta, Giraffa and Oreotragus.

ACS Style

Colin P. Groves; F. P. D. Cotterill; Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský; Christian Roos; Peter J. Taylor; Dietmar Zinner. Species definitions and conservation: a review and case studies from African mammals. Conservation Genetics 2017, 18, 1247 -1256.

AMA Style

Colin P. Groves, F. P. D. Cotterill, Spartaco Gippoliti, Jan Robovský, Christian Roos, Peter J. Taylor, Dietmar Zinner. Species definitions and conservation: a review and case studies from African mammals. Conservation Genetics. 2017; 18 (6):1247-1256.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Colin P. Groves; F. P. D. Cotterill; Spartaco Gippoliti; Jan Robovský; Christian Roos; Peter J. Taylor; Dietmar Zinner. 2017. "Species definitions and conservation: a review and case studies from African mammals." Conservation Genetics 18, no. 6: 1247-1256.

Journal article
Published: 08 February 2017 in Scientific Reports
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The black rhinoceros is again on the verge of extinction due to unsustainable poaching in its native range. Despite a wide historic distribution, the black rhinoceros was traditionally thought of as depauperate in genetic variation, and with very little known about its evolutionary history. This knowledge gap has hampered conservation efforts because hunting has dramatically reduced the species’ once continuous distribution, leaving five surviving gene pools of unknown genetic affinity. Here we examined the range-wide genetic structure of historic and modern populations using the largest and most geographically representative sample of black rhinoceroses ever assembled. Using both mitochondrial and nuclear datasets, we described a staggering loss of 69% of the species’ mitochondrial genetic variation, including the most ancestral lineages that are now absent from modern populations. Genetically unique populations in countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi and Angola no longer exist. We found that the historic range of the West African subspecies (D. b. longipes), declared extinct in 2011, extends into southern Kenya, where a handful of individuals survive in the Masai Mara. We also identify conservation units that will help maintain evolutionary potential. Our results suggest a complete re-evaluation of current conservation management paradigms for the black rhinoceros.

ACS Style

Yoshan Moodley; Isa-Rita M. Russo; Desire Lee Dalton; Antoinette Kotzé; Shadrack Muya; Patricia Haubensak; Boglárka Bálint; Gopi K. Munimanda; Caroline Deimel; Andrea Setzer; Kara Dicks; Barbara Herzig-Straschil; Daniela C. Kalthoff; Hans R. Siegismund; Jan Robovský; Paul O’Donoghue; Michael W. Bruford. Extinctions, genetic erosion and conservation options for the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Scientific Reports 2017, 7, srep41417 .

AMA Style

Yoshan Moodley, Isa-Rita M. Russo, Desire Lee Dalton, Antoinette Kotzé, Shadrack Muya, Patricia Haubensak, Boglárka Bálint, Gopi K. Munimanda, Caroline Deimel, Andrea Setzer, Kara Dicks, Barbara Herzig-Straschil, Daniela C. Kalthoff, Hans R. Siegismund, Jan Robovský, Paul O’Donoghue, Michael W. Bruford. Extinctions, genetic erosion and conservation options for the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Scientific Reports. 2017; 7 (1):srep41417.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yoshan Moodley; Isa-Rita M. Russo; Desire Lee Dalton; Antoinette Kotzé; Shadrack Muya; Patricia Haubensak; Boglárka Bálint; Gopi K. Munimanda; Caroline Deimel; Andrea Setzer; Kara Dicks; Barbara Herzig-Straschil; Daniela C. Kalthoff; Hans R. Siegismund; Jan Robovský; Paul O’Donoghue; Michael W. Bruford. 2017. "Extinctions, genetic erosion and conservation options for the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)." Scientific Reports 7, no. 1: srep41417.

Journal article
Published: 07 October 2015 in Archives Animal Breeding
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Caprines belong to the most endangered group of mammals and artiodactyls suffering from many negative human impacts. Fortunately, many of them are protected and managed by national and international legislation and in situ and ex situ conservation actions. Although many microsatellite markers have been developed for wild and domestic caprines, they remain uninvestigated in respect of their utility for some taxa. We examined the utility of the International Society for Animal Genetics microsatellite set for genetic characterisations of three wild and one domestic Capra species from captive or semi-captive ex situ populations in Europe. Our data suggest the utility of this microsatellite set for detecting shared and species-specific alleles, characterising the genetic variability, and determining phylogenetic relationships and intraspecific structures in investigated taxa. We detected a depleted genetic variability in Capra falconeri and Capra cylindricornis in European ex situ populations; unrelated individuals are therefore needed for improving genetic variability parameters, as they are for the extralimital population of Capra aegagrus in the Vřísek game reserve (Czech Republic), for which we identified no genetic introgression from the domestic goat and great dissimilarity with some analysed individuals from European zoos. Current results here indicate some difficulties with the historical evidence, for example with respect to the origin and purity of particular individuals under breeding programmes.

ACS Style

E. Levý; L. Putnová; Radek Štohl; K. Svobodová; J. Matoušková; Jan Robovský; Jiří Lamka; I. Vrtková; Martin Ernst. Utility of several microsatellite markers for the genetic characterisation of three ex situ populations of threatened caprine taxa (Capra aegagrus, C. cylindricornis and C. falconeri). Archives Animal Breeding 2015, 58, 365 -372.

AMA Style

E. Levý, L. Putnová, Radek Štohl, K. Svobodová, J. Matoušková, Jan Robovský, Jiří Lamka, I. Vrtková, Martin Ernst. Utility of several microsatellite markers for the genetic characterisation of three ex situ populations of threatened caprine taxa (Capra aegagrus, C. cylindricornis and C. falconeri). Archives Animal Breeding. 2015; 58 (2):365-372.

Chicago/Turabian Style

E. Levý; L. Putnová; Radek Štohl; K. Svobodová; J. Matoušková; Jan Robovský; Jiří Lamka; I. Vrtková; Martin Ernst. 2015. "Utility of several microsatellite markers for the genetic characterisation of three ex situ populations of threatened caprine taxa (Capra aegagrus, C. cylindricornis and C. falconeri)." Archives Animal Breeding 58, no. 2: 365-372.

Journal article
Published: 06 August 2015 in Scientific Reports
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We examined the presence of possible Recent refugia of Pleistocene mammalian faunas in Eurasia by analysing regional differences in the mammalian species composition, occurrence and extinction rates between Recent and Last Glacial faunas. Our analyses revealed that most of the widespread Last Glacial species have survived in the central Palearctic continental regions, most prominently in Altai–Sayan (followed by Kazakhstan and East European Plain). The Recent Altai–Sayan and Kazakhstan regions show species compositions very similar to their Pleistocene counterparts. The Palearctic regions have lost 12% of their mammalian species during the last 109,000 years. The major patterns of the postglacial changes in Palearctic mammalian diversity were not extinctions but rather radical shifts of species distribution ranges. Most of the Pleistocene mammalian fauna retreated eastwards, to the central Eurasian steppes, instead of northwards to the Arctic regions, considered Holocene refugia of Pleistocene megafauna. The central Eurasian Altai and Sayan mountains could thus be considered a present-day refugium of the Last Glacial biota, including mammals.

ACS Style

Věra Pavelková Řičánková; Jan Robovský; Jan Riegert; Jan Zrzavý. Regional patterns of postglacial changes in the Palearctic mammalian diversity indicate retreat to Siberian steppes rather than extinction. Scientific Reports 2015, 5, 12682 .

AMA Style

Věra Pavelková Řičánková, Jan Robovský, Jan Riegert, Jan Zrzavý. Regional patterns of postglacial changes in the Palearctic mammalian diversity indicate retreat to Siberian steppes rather than extinction. Scientific Reports. 2015; 5 (1):12682.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Věra Pavelková Řičánková; Jan Robovský; Jan Riegert; Jan Zrzavý. 2015. "Regional patterns of postglacial changes in the Palearctic mammalian diversity indicate retreat to Siberian steppes rather than extinction." Scientific Reports 5, no. 1: 12682.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2015 in Journal of Animal Science
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Changes in the coat cover are important for mammalian thermoregulation. This is especially true where variable environmental conditions exist throughout the seasons. Coat cover shedding is the replacement of old coat hair with new hair. The process differs in various equids. The aim of the study was to examine the changes in the coat of primitive Polish Konik horses living on a reserve in southeast Poland (50.6319° N). The reserve is located in a temperate climate. The mean temperature is below 0°C in winter (December 8 to March 9) and over 15°C in summer (June 8 to September 8). Five adult mares were included in the study. The study used a specific methodical approach to quantitatively assess coat cover changes. Photos were taken once every 2 wk throughout the whole year to document the state of the mares’ coat. MultiScanBase software was used to analyze 260 photos. The percentage of the skin surface covered with short hair in relation to the surface of the body (without the head, neck, and limbs; short hair body [SHB]) was determined. To assess the topography of coat changes, surface parts covered with short hair within 6 regions of the body (shoulder, back, chest, loins, belly, and hindquarters; short hair part [SHP]) were considered separately. The regression coefficient was calculated for the SHB and the air temperature. Correlations in SHP and SHB between the left and right sides of the body were determined. The correlations within the right side of the body concerned particular SHP. As the results show, the coat changes take place at the same time on both sides of the horse’s body. In spring, the winter hair is shed, and in the fall, the winter hair grows in longer. High regression (0.901; P < 0.0001) proved that air temperature strongly affected the coat changes. The most important increase of SHB occurs in April and the first half of May, whereas the main decrease of SHB takes place in September. Changes between SHP are highly correlated (0.967–0.994; P < 0.05). Spring and fall coat changes demonstrate that the shoulders, back, and loins require the winter cover for a longer time than the chest and belly, whereas the hindquarters are the least demanding in this respect. The phenomenon may be associated with, among others, the stronger effect of rain and snow on the upper parts of the body. Copyright © 2015. American Society of Animal Science.

ACS Style

A. Stachurska; Jan Robovský; K. Bocian; I. Janczarek. Changes of coat cover in primitive horses living on a reserve. Journal of Animal Science 2015, 93, 1411 -1417.

AMA Style

A. Stachurska, Jan Robovský, K. Bocian, I. Janczarek. Changes of coat cover in primitive horses living on a reserve. Journal of Animal Science. 2015; 93 (3):1411-1417.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Stachurska; Jan Robovský; K. Bocian; I. Janczarek. 2015. "Changes of coat cover in primitive horses living on a reserve." Journal of Animal Science 93, no. 3: 1411-1417.

Journal article
Published: 03 September 2014 in Zoo Biology
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The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a very unique, but relatively widespread African mammal. Although some morphological variation has been observed between forest and savannah populations and among different African regions, they are all considered as a single species. However, no modern taxonomic revision is available. All captive aardvarks in Europe are believed to stem from wild born animals from Namibia, but recently several new wild‐caught aardvarks from Tanzania have been integrated into the captive population. This raises the question, whether these specimens should be interbred with the existing captive population or whether there is a risk of outbreeding depression. We studied the genetic structure of the captive populations by sequencing two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and 16S rRNA) to assess the degree of genetic differentiation between the two source regions. Our data suggest that the aardvarks kept in European zoos belong to the same phylogenetic (mitochondrial) lineage as the differentiation in the two studied mitochondrial markers was extremely low. A more comprehensive analysis of a larger sample with well documented origin (covering the complete geographic range) and with more sensitive genetic markers is needed to infer any final conclusions concerning the aardvark's taxonomy and identification of suitable aardvark management units. Zoo Biol. 33:433–439, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.

ACS Style

Ludmila Pohlová; Pauline Schepsky; Thomas Lehmann; Axel Hochkirch; Renata Masopustová; Jaroslav Šimek; Wineke Schoo; Roman Vodička; Jan Robovský. Defining management units for European captive aardvarks. Zoo Biology 2014, 33, 433 -439.

AMA Style

Ludmila Pohlová, Pauline Schepsky, Thomas Lehmann, Axel Hochkirch, Renata Masopustová, Jaroslav Šimek, Wineke Schoo, Roman Vodička, Jan Robovský. Defining management units for European captive aardvarks. Zoo Biology. 2014; 33 (5):433-439.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ludmila Pohlová; Pauline Schepsky; Thomas Lehmann; Axel Hochkirch; Renata Masopustová; Jaroslav Šimek; Wineke Schoo; Roman Vodička; Jan Robovský. 2014. "Defining management units for European captive aardvarks." Zoo Biology 33, no. 5: 433-439.

Research article
Published: 13 January 2014 in PLoS ONE
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Pleistocene mammalian communities display unique features which differ from present-day faunas. The paleocommunities were characterized by the extraordinarily large body size of herbivores and predators and by their unique structure consisting of species now inhabiting geographically and ecologically distinct natural zones. These features were probably the result of the unique environmental conditions of ice age ecosystems. To analyze the ecological structure of Last Glacial and Recent mammal communities we classified the species into biome and trophic-size categories, using Principal Component analysis. We found a marked similarity in ecological structure between Recent eastern Altai-Sayan mammalian assemblages and comparable Pleistocene faunas. The composition of Last Glacial and Recent eastern Altai-Sayan assemblages were characterized by the occurrence of large herbivore and predator species associated with steppe, desert and alpine biomes. These three modern biomes harbor most of the surviving Pleistocene mammals. None of the analyzed Palearctic Last Glacial faunas showed affinity to the temperate forest, taiga, or tundra biome. The Eastern part of the Altai-Sayan region could be considered a refugium of the Last Glacial-like mammalian assemblages. Glacial fauna seems to persist up to present in those areas where the forest belt does not separate alpine vegetation from the steppes and deserts.

ACS Style

Věra Pavelková Řičánková; Jan Robovský; Jan Riegert. Ecological Structure of Recent and Last Glacial Mammalian Faunas in Northern Eurasia: The Case of Altai-Sayan Refugium. PLoS ONE 2014, 9, e85056 .

AMA Style

Věra Pavelková Řičánková, Jan Robovský, Jan Riegert. Ecological Structure of Recent and Last Glacial Mammalian Faunas in Northern Eurasia: The Case of Altai-Sayan Refugium. PLoS ONE. 2014; 9 (1):e85056.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Věra Pavelková Řičánková; Jan Robovský; Jan Riegert. 2014. "Ecological Structure of Recent and Last Glacial Mammalian Faunas in Northern Eurasia: The Case of Altai-Sayan Refugium." PLoS ONE 9, no. 1: e85056.