Population Genetics of Small Mammals
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Diversity and Ecology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2022) | Viewed by 4374
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Small mammals are key players in terrestrial ecosystems. They provide essential services such as seed dispersal, pollination, and regulation of insect populations. Small mammals are also important prey for raptor birds and terrestrial carnivores, as well as major reservoir hosts for a wide range of pathogens, many of them zoonotic. Some species are also important pests, causing great economic impact; some species thrive in urban areas; and some are highly successful island invaders.
Overall, small mammals display remarkable diversity and adaptations to different modes of life: either human-associated, while exploiting their resources, or highly dependent on intact natural ecosystems for survival.
With a relatively high reproduction rate, small mammals respond quickly to environmental changes such as habitat/land use. With all anthropogenic impacts and climate change scenarios unfolding, long-term consequences on the genetic diversity of species are to be expected. Species’ abundances are being modulated by increasingly fragmented habitats, which can result in populations being more susceptible to genetic drift. On the other hand, some populations/species are expanding their ranges’ margins, being also highly subject to drift. As such, local adaptation plays a key role in shaping the potential of populations to respond to all ongoing environmental changes.
All these subjects can be addressed by assessing genetic variation, selection, drift, mutation, and gene flow within and between populations of small mammals, helping to better understand their evolutionary fate, dynamics and impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.
For this purpose, we look forward to your contributions of original research articles, reviews, and short communications that fit the theme of this Special Issue.
Dr. Sofia I. Gabriel
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Rodentia
- Eulipotyphla
- rodents
- insectivores
- tree shrews
- population genetics
- adaptation
