Ancient DNA forces reconsideration of evolutionary history of Mediterranean pygmy elephantids.

During the Pleistocene pygmy elephantids, some only a quarter of their ancestors' size, were present on Mediterranean islands until about 10,000 years ago (y.a.).

Inference of a radiation in Mastus (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Enidae) on the island of Crete.

The Mediterranean land snail genus Mastus (Beck, 1837) is highly divergent. Thirty-two Mastus species have been recorded throughout the genus range, and 23 of them are endemic to the islands of the Aegean Sea and mainland Greece. Of these, all 16 Mastus species reported from Crete are endemic to this island.