MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE AS AN AREA OF ENDEMISM FOR SMALL MAMMALS RATHER THAN A SOURCE FOR NORTHWARDS POSTGLACIAL COLONIZATION

There is a general perception that central and northern Europe were co lonized by range expansion from Mediterranean refugia at the end of th e last glaciation. Data from various species support this scenario, bu t we question its universality Our mitochondrial DNA studies on three widespread species of small mammal suggest that colonization may have occurred from glacial refugia in central Europe-western Asia. The hapl otypes on the Mediterranean peninsulae are distinctive from those foun d elsewhere. Rather than contributing to the postglacial colonization of Europe, Mediterranean populations of widespread small mammals may r epresent long-term isolates undergoing allopatric speciation. This cou ld explain the high endemism of small mammals associated with the Medi terranean peninsulae.