One of the expected effects of global change is increased variability in the abundance and distribution of living organisms, but information at the appropriate temporal and geographical scales is often lacking to observe these patterns. Here we use local knowledge as an alternative information source to study some emerging changes in Mediterranean fish diversity. A pilot study of thirty-two fis...

We examined the phylogenetic history of Linaria with special emphasis on the Mediterranean sect. Supinae (44 species). We revealed extensive highly supported incongruence among two nuclear (ITS, AGT1) and two plastid regions (rpl32-trnL(UAG), trnS-trnG). Coalescent simulations, a hybrid detection test and species tree inference in *BEAST revealed that incomplete lineage sorting and hybridizatio...

We present a revision of Glebionis coronaria in the Mediterranean area based on: a) micro-morphology of the disc floret cypselas observed with a high-resolution confocal microscopy; b) measurements of the disc cypsela with a stereoscopic microscope - duly scaled; c) its distribution in several bioclimatic belts; d) field observations; e) comparisons of herbarium samples. Because of this study, ...

In this paper we have attempted to clarify the taxonomy and nomenclature of thirteen taxa of the genus Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia (sections Hydrocybe, Fraternii) well represented in the southwestern Mediterranean area of Europe (C. atrocoeruleus, C. bombycinus, C casimiri, C. contrarius, C. decipiens, C. fraternus, C. gallurae, C. hoffmannii, C. petroselineus, C. sertipes, C. subturibulosus...

In the Mediterranean Sea hard-bottom macroalgal meadows may switch to alternative and less-productive barrens grounds, as a result of sea urchins overgrazing. Meiofauna (and especially nematodes) represent key components of benthic ecosystems, are highly-diversified, sensitive to environmental change and anthropogenic impacts, but, so-far, have been neglected in studies on regime shifts. We rep...

Dating the Tree of Life has now become central to relating patterns of biodiversity to key processes in Earth history such as plate tectonics and climate change. Regions with a Mediterranean climate have long been noted for their exceptional species richness and high endemism. How and when these biota assembled can only be answered with a good understanding of the sequence of divergence times f...

Humans have a long history of moving wildlife that over time has resulted in unprecedented biotic homogenization. It is, as a result, often unclear whether certain taxa are native to a region or naturalized, and how the history of human involvement in species dispersal has shaped present-day biodiversity. Although currently an eastern Palaearctic galliform, the black francolin (Francolinus fran...

The Mediterranean Sea is home to numerous species of jellyfish, both native and invasive. Some of these jellyfish, which here include pelagic cnidarians, ctenophores and salps, have been monitored for centuries, while others are rarely sampled or studied. In addition, particular species of jellyfish are of high public interest due to impacts on tourism and other human activities, yet others may...

Species identification by means of DNA barcodes depends essentially on the scope and quality a relevant reference library. The first analysis large number (about 600 morphospecies) southern European Lepidoptera (Greece: Peloponnese) shows both advantages disadvantages with regard to reliable Mediterranean species. We determined 946 barcode sequences from 47 families, which 929 46 families were ...