The Tien Shan vole (<i>Microtus ilaeus</i>; Rodentia: Cricetidae) as a new species in the Late Pleistocene of Europe
Journal: Ecology and Evolution
Year: 2021

Grey voles (subgenus <i>Microtus</i>) represent a complex of at least seven closely related and partly cryptic species. The range of these species extends from the Atlantic to the Altai Mountains, but most of them occur east of the Black Sea. Using ancient DNA analyses of the Late Pleistocene specimens, we identified a new mtDNA lineage of grey voles in Europe. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome <i>b</i> sequences from 23 voles from three caves, namely, Emine-Bair-Khosar (Crim