Sequence data derived from two mitochondrial markers, 16S rRNA and COI genes, were used to infer the evolutionary history of 47 insular and mainland populations covering most of the distributional range of the northeastern Mediterranean scorpion species Mesobuthus gibbosus. Based on the estimated divergence times of Mesobuthus lineages, the temporal frame of the genus differentiation in the northeastern Mediterranean region is placed in middle Miocene (15 million years ago). The biogeographic affinities of M. gibbosus populations point towards a mainly vicariant pattern of differentiation of the species which is consistent with the geological events that transformed the Aegean region during the period from 12 to 5 million years ago. M. gibbosus is an old northeastern Mediterranean species that has retained valuable bits of genetic information, reflecting some of the oldest vicariant events that have occurred in the area. Most importantly, the history witnessed by M. gibbosus has not been obscured by more recent palaeoevents of the region. Therefore, the case of M. gibbosus is in favour of a taxon-oriented 'perception' of the natural history of a given area.

In order to assess how the last sea level rise affected the Aegean archipelago, we quantified the magnitude and rate of geographic change for the Aegean islands during the last sea-level-rise episode (21 kyr BP-present) with a spatially explicit geophysical model. An island-specific Area-Distance-Change (ADC) typology was constructed, with higher ADC values representing a higher degree of change. The highest fragmentation rates of the Aegean archipelago occurred in tandem with the largest rates of sea-level-rise occurring between 17 kyr and 7 kyr ago. Sea-level rise resulted in an area loss for the Aegean archipelago of approximately 70%. Spatiotemporal differences in sea-level changes across the Aegean Sea and irregular bathymetry produced a variety of island surface-area loss responses, with area losses ranging from 20% to N90% per island. In addition, sea-level rise led to increased island isolation, increasing distances of islands to continents to N200% for some islands. We discuss how rates of area contractions and distance increases may have affected biotas, their evolutionary history and genetics. Five testable hypotheses are proposed to guide future research. We hypothesize that islands with higher ADC-values will exhibit higher degrees of community hyper-saturation, more local extinctions, larger genetic bottlenecks, higher genetic diversity within species pools, more endemics and shared species on continental fragments and higher z-values of the power-law species-area relationship. The developed typology and the quantified geographic response to sea-level rise of continental islands, as in the Aegean Sea, present an ideal research framework to test biogeographic and evolutionary hypotheses assessing the role of rates of area and distance change affecting biota.

Aim The Aegean Archipelago has been the focal research area for identifying and testing several ecological and evolutionary patterns, yet its biogeographical subdivision has been somewhat overlooked, with the processes driving the assembly of the Aegean island plant communities still remaining largely unclear. To bridge this gap, we identify the biogeographical modules (highly linked subgroups of islands and plant taxa) within the Aegean Archipelago.Location The Aegean Archipelago, Greece. MethodsWe used a network approach to detect island biogeographical roles and modules, based on a large and detailed database including 1498 Aegean endemic and subendemic plant taxa distributed on 59 Aegean Islands and five adjacent mainland areas. ResultsThe Aegean was divided into six biogeographical modules; the network was significantly modular. None of the modules displayed all four possible biogeographical roles (connectors, module hubs, network hubs, peripherals). Six new biogeographical regions in the Aegean were identified.Main conclusions The borders of the six biogeographical regions in the Aegean correspond well to the region's palaeogeographical evolution from the middle Miocene to the end of the Pleistocene. The Central Aegean acts as an ecogeographical filter for the distribution of several plant lineages across the Aegean Sea, while there seems to be a N-S-oriented biogeographical barrier in the Aegean corresponding to the palaeogeographical situation during the middle Ionian. These biogeographical barriers have been fundamental for both plants and animals.

Aim Although the factors shaping plant species richness patterns across the islands of the central Aegean are well known, the processes driving the assembly of these island communities remain unclear. To shed light on these processes, we identified biogeographical modules within the phytogeographical area of the Cyclades and tested for nestedness across the islands. Location The Cyclades, Greece. Methods We used a network approach to detect island biogeographical roles and modules, based on a large and detailed database of the Greek endemic plant taxa of the Cyclades, and we tested for nestedness in the island–species matrices. Results The Cyclades were significantly modular and divided into five biogeographical modules. Three of the modules were significantly nested and two displayed all four possible biogeographical roles (connectors, module hubs, network hubs, peripherals). Most of the network's taxa are classified as peripherals and widespread endemics. Main conclusions The borders of the five modules correspond remarkably well to the palaeogeographical and climatic compartmentalization of the Cyclades. The flora of the Cyclades has not yet reached the relaxation phase and the region may act as an ecogeographical filter for the distribution of several plant lineages. Naxos, Milos and Anafi play an important role for the network's connectivity, while at least five adjacent phytogeographical regions affect the distribution patterns of the endemic taxa present in the Cyclades.

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In this study we investigate the evolutionary relationships of Scolopendra cingulata (Latreille, 1829) within insular Greece. Our main goal is to infer the time frame of the differentiation of the species in the study area. In this regard, sequence data originating from three mitochondrial genes are used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of 47 insular populations of S. cingulata from the Aegean archipelago. Within the phylogenetic framework and by implementing a relaxed molecular clock methodology, we infer the time estimates of separations of the S. cingulata lineages. The results of the phylogenetic analysis support the presence of three distinct S. cingulata groups in the region. The first group accommodates populations from the eastern Aegean islands, and is closely related to the second group that hosts mainly populations of northern and central Cyclades. The third group is composed of insular populations originating from southern Cyclades. Different temporal splitting scenarios have been evaluated. Based on the scenario strongly supported by the data, we propose a biogeographical scenario that could account for the contemporary distribution of the species' lineages. The splitting events of S. cingulata are estimated to have occurred within the late Miocene. The historical events of the last 13.77 Myr have shaped, through a series of mostly vicariant and dispersal incidents, the present-day biogeographical pattern of the species.

The species of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 are very widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. Current knowledge is summarized, with references to material derived mainly from the well-explored islands of the Aegean Archipelago, several localities in continental Greece and old bibliographic reports. We suggest that Scolopendra species represent examples of both paradigms of historical biogeography, namely vicariance and dispersal. We propose that the dispersal routes of Scolopendra species in Greece were mainly influenced by late Miocene and upper Pleistocene palaeogeography. The formation of the Mid-Aegean trench (c. 12 -9 Mya) considered as a remarkable geographical barrier between the Anatolian peninsula and mainland Greece, prevented the entry of certain Scolopendra species westwards. In total, five Scolopendra species have been recorded from mainland and insular Greece. A vicariance event that occurred in the area more than 17 Mya, when the Aegean region was part of a united landmass, better explains the biogeographical history of S. canidens. Cyclades harbours remnants of the ancient populations of S. canidens, whereas during the late Pleistocene (c. 400.000 -21.000 ya) S. canidens was isolated in Dodecanese. S. cretica is the only endemic, being distributed in Crete and its adjacent islets. S. clavipes in E-Mediterranean and S. dalmatica in W-Mediterranean evolved from ancient canidens populations. S. cingulata entered central and southern Europe from the east (c. 20 -11 Mya), while the formation of the Mid-Aegean trench (c. 12 -9 Mya) prevented its entry in Crete.

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