Past and modern expansion of vertebrates’ species under climate change in Eastern Europe and Southern Caucasus

The location of refugia, in which the fauna was preserved during the last glaciation, the particularities of the distribution of endemic and widespread species from south to north, the phenotypic and genetic divergence of species in the postglacial period, as well as the modern movement of species ranges under climate change are fundamental and actual issues in biology. In order to study the morphological and genetic variability and phylogeography of widespread species of Armenia and Belarus, we have selected four different species - two species that are native to Armenia and invasive for Belarus: Kuhl's pipistrel bat (Pipistrellus kuhli), golden jackal (Canis aureus) and two species that have penetrated to the territory of Belarus in the past Ural field mouse (Apodemus uralensis), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). Phylogenetic trees will be analyzed together with species distribution models and bioclimatic maps for widespread and endemic species (using the models for rock lizard Derevskia spp as an example) to explain the location of refugia in the past, as well as to analyse current expansion of vertebrates under climate change.