Contribution of small rodent communities (Muridae) to the history of West Central African savannas (case of Gabonese savannas): diversity, biogeographic affinities, phylogeography and paleoenvironmental analyses

A new study reveals that the fragmentation of small rodent populations in Gabonese savannas occurred over 50,000 years ago, supporting the hypothesis that these savannas originated from paleoclimatic fluctuations rather than solely anthropogenic factors. The research compared phylogeographic patterns of strictly savanicolous rodents using mitochondrial DNA and nested clade analysis, aligning with paleobiological data on tropical West African vegetation changes. This findings challenge the classical anthropic hypothesis, suggesting a complex history of savanna expansion and fragmentation in West Central Africa.

Mboumba, J.-F., & Guyot, V. (2023). Contribution of small rodent communities (Muridae) to the history of West Central African savannas (case of Gabonese savannas): diversity, biogeographic affinities, phylogeography and paleoenvironmental analyses. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 17(3), 920–934. https://doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v17i3.13