Metapopulation theory is one of the most popular approaches to identify the factors affecting the spatial and temporal dynamics of populations in fragmented habitat networks. Habitat quality, patch area and isolation are mainly focused on when analyzing distribution patterns in fragmented landscapes. The effects of landscape heterogeneity in the non-occupied matrix, however, have been largely n...

The fragmentation of natural habitats is a major threat for biodiversity. However, the impact and spatial scale of natural isolation mechanisms leading to species loss, compared to anthropogenic fragmentation, are not clear, mainly due to differences between fragments and islands, such as matrix permeability. We studied a 500 km2 Mediterranean region in France, including urban habitat fragments...

Most diploid species arise from single-species ancestors. Hybrid origins of new species are uncommon (except among polyploids) and are documented infrequently in animals. Examples of natural hybridization leading to speciation in mammals are exceedingly rare. Here, we show a Caribbean species of bat (Artibeus schwartzi) has a nuclear genome derived from two nonsister but congeneric species (A. ...