Ivan Horacek

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• Professor
• Professor (Full) at Charles University in Prague

Aim Many species experienced population turnover and local extinction during the Late Pleistocene. In the case of megafauna, it remains challenging to disentangle climate change and the activities of Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers as the main cause. In contrast, the impact of humans on rodent populations is likely to be negligible. This study invest...

Many species experienced population turnover and local extinction during the Late Pleistocene. In the case of megafauna, it remains challenging to disentangle climate change and the activities of Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers as the main cause. In contrast, the impact of humans on rodent populations is likely to be negligible. This study investigat...

Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species’ population dynamics. However, analyses ba...

Early Miocene small mammal remains (Metatheria, Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla) from Mokrá-Quarry fissures (South Moravia, Czech Republic)-preliminary results Mokrá-Quarry (South Moravia, Czech Republic) constitutes a unique fossil site with an extraordinary diversity of vertebrate remains. Most of the research on Mokrá-Quarry localities has focused on h...

Landscape and caves in Bohemian karst, Quternary fossil record

Summary of knowledge on Hypsugo savii

Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for assessing local structure of small-mammal community. We evaluated the structure of small-mammal communities in the Mediterranean region by analysing Barn owl diet using own pellets and literature data (85 localities comprising 182,343 prey individuals). C...

In a continuous, perfectly stratified sedimentary sequence which was discovered under a large sandstone overhang in northern Bohemia, Czech Republic, we analysed multiple biological remains, archaeological features and artefacts. This multi-proxy record has allowed us to examine the interactions between woodland and humans in a permanently wooded e...

The sedimentological record in the Račiška pečina cave sediment sequence is one of the best-preserved cave records of palaeoenvironmental changes for the last 3.4 Ma. However, as it is typical for cave terrestrial records, it contains many hiatuses in sedimentation. The section study helped to change the state of knowledge and understanding of the...

Based on 25 records (both published and new) we summarize the recent distribution of Pipistrellus kuhlii in the Czech Republic and discuss possible colonization routes. The species colonized a major part of the Czech Republic during 14 years since its first record in 2007. Based on locations and chronology of the records it seems that the eastern p...

Obituary of Gerhard Storch

An abundant thanatocoenosis of bats is reported from a new ad hoc excavation in the Petrův Chamber of the Koněprusy Cave, Bohemian Karst, central Bohemia. In its composition the assemblage diff ers both from the Late Biharian sites at this site (C718, JK) and from other assemblages including the Early Biharian (Q1 with Allophaiomys pliocaeni-cus) f...

Roosts provide bats with place for daytime sheltering, protection from weather and predators, mating, and social interaction. Movements between multiple roosts are often necessary, either due to limited roost life, changes in roost conditions or demands at different times of the year. Information transfer is an important contributor to day‐roosting...

The harsh climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period have been considered the cause of local extinctions and major faunal reorganizations that took place at the end of the Pleistocene. Recent studies have shown, however, that in addition many of these ecological events were associated with abrupt climate changes during the so-...

Animals are faced with a range of ecological constraints that shape their behavioural decisions. Habitat features that affect resource abundance will also have an impact, especially as regards spatial distribution, which will in turn affect associations between the animals. Here we utilised a network approach, using spatial and genetic data, to des...

Obituary of Gerhard Storch (II) DOI: 10.37520/fi.2020.001

Review of two Middle Pleistocene sites with small-sized industries in Central Bohemia (Czech Republic)

A new species, Myotis gerhardstorchi sp. n., supposedly close to M. sicarius and M. frater group, is described from MN 15 site Beremend 26 (Hungary). M. frater group, now restricted to vicariant ranges in E Asia, Siberia and Central Asia, is further reported from three Pliocene and two Early Pleistocene mass bat assemblages from the Czech Republic,...

During the Late Pleistocene, narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) inhabited Eurasia’s vast territories, frequently becoming the dominant small mammal species among steppe-tundra communities. We investigated the relationship between this species’ European and Asiatic populations by sequencing the mtDNA genomes of two extant specimens from Rus...

We synthesize information on results and age of cave sediments from Slovenia. The studied sites were mostly from the Classical Karst which is situated in the NW part of Dinarides and some from the Slovenian Southern Alps. Protected in caves, sediments are generally well preserved and reveal an exceptionally good, multi-proxy record of surface envir...

Aim The impact of Pleistocene climatic oscillations on tropical biomes is associated with changes in the extent of forest cover. Fruit bats have played a role in woodland dynamics via pollination and seed dispersal. We hypothesized that phylogeographic patterns of Rousettus on continental Africa and adjacent islands should show a signature of pluvi...

The Mediterranean is considered one of the richest biodiversity regions in Europe, and bats contribute to this species richness. Within the last two decades, certain bat species traditionally considered as representatives of the Mediterranean have spread northwards and colonized areas outside this region. In our study, we focused on ecological requ...

interdisciplinary review of two Middle Pleistocene sites in Central Bohemia with small-sized lithic industries.

A complete list of bat records available from Northern Cyprus is presented, based on both limited literature and new records, resulting from a recent field survey conducted mainly in 2018. This review is complemented by distribution maps and summaries of the distributional status of particular species. From the northern part of the island of Cyprus...

Background Hibernation allows animals to survive periods of resource scarcity by reducing their energy expenditure through decreased metabolism. However, hibernators become susceptible to psychrophilic pathogens if they cannot mount an efficient immune response to infection. While Nearctic bats infected with white-nose syndrome (WNS) suffer high mo...

Quantitative data on local variation in patterns of occurrence of common carnivore species, such as the red fox, European badger, or martens in central Europe are largely missing. We conducted a study focusing on carnivore ecology and distribution in a cultural landscape with the use of modern technology. We placed 73 automated infra-red camera tra...

THE EARLY HOLOCENE FAUNAL REARRANGEMENTS IN A HIGH-RESOLUTION FOSSIL RECORD I. Horáček, M. Knitlová, T. Putalová, J. Wagner and S. Čermák Department of Zoology, Charles University Prague National museum Prague Geological Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague *horacek@natur.cuni.cz Keywords: Holocene, Preboreal, mammals, Central Europe Regard...

A new fossiliferous Upper Pleistocene section located on slopes of the Berounka River valley was found at the village of Stradonice (Beroun District, Czech Republic). The section (marked as A in the text below) lies approx. 35 m above the present-day level of the river. It consists of prevailing mixed eolian-deluvial and eolian sediments with expos...

Phenotypic variation was characterized in 187 modern and archaeological specimens of the lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura suaveolens), obtained from both insular and continental European locations. Geometric morphometric methods were used to quantify variation in size and shape of the mandible. The phenotypic distance between populations, and...

A brief summary of the multidisciplinary study of the Mediterranean population of Rousettus aegyptiacus.

The monophyodont molar teeth, prismatic enamel and the complexity of enamel microarchitecture are regarded as essential dental apomorphies of mammals. As prominent background factors of feeding efficiency and individual longevity these characters are crucial components of mammalian adaptive dynamics. Little is known, however, to which degree these...

Cieľom práce bolo preskúmať časopriestorovú aktivitu kaloňa egyptského (Rousettus aegyptiacus) v súvislosti s potravným správaním. V študovanom prostredí sa ponuka potravy cyklicky mení, či už kvôli sezónnym klimatickým zmenám a/alebo kvôli poľnohospodárskej činnosti. Predpokladom bolo, že v letnom období, kedy je ponuka potravy väčšia a pestrejšia...

The extant species of the genus Apodemus represent the most common small mammals of Central Europe. Unfortunately, their phylogenetic past is only poorly known. With the aid of detailed biometric analyses we tried to identify the fi rst appearance of the phenotypic patterns characterizing the extant populations. We examined dental material of Apode...

The extant species of the genus Apodemus represent the most common small mammals of Central Europe. Unfortunately, their phylogenetic past is only poorly known. With the aid of detailed biometric analyses we tried to identify the first appearance of the phenotypic patterns characterizing the extant populations. We examined dental material of Apodem...

Understanding the ecological, behavioral and evolutionary response of organisms to changing environments is of primary importance in a human-altered world. It is crucial to elucidate how human activities alter gene flow and what are the consequences for the genetic structure of a species. We studied two lineages of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus...

Despite the wide variety of adaptive modifications in the oral and facial regions of vertebrates, their early oropharyngeal development is considered strictly uniform. It involves sequential formation of the mouth and pharyngeal pouches, with ectoderm outlining the outer surface and endoderm the inner surface, as a rule. At the extreme anterior dom...

This paper combines complex archaeological records from excavations of sandstone rockshelters with paleobotanical investigations in the adjacent wetlands of Northern Bohemia, Czech Republic. Several pollen diagramms from nearby peatbogs are used to document the paleoenvironmental development from the Late Glacial to the Middle Holocene. In addition...

Wood mice of the genus Apodemus are an essential component of small mammal communities throughout Europe. Molecular data suggest the postglacial colonization of current ranges from south European glacial refugia, different in particular species. Yet, details on the course of colonization and Holocene history of particular species are not available,...

Additional information on source deposits of fossil samples. Including 14C data and primary references. (PDF)

List of non-metric variables, span of their variation and scoring categories. (PDF)

List of basic statistics in the Recent samples of Apodemus spp. and extents of between-species overlaps in particular variables. (PDF)

Testing effects of tooth wear and determination strategy upon state of particular metric and non-metric variables (one-way ANOVA). (PDF)

Details of discrimination functions. (PDF)

A detailed list of material and representation of particular parataxa in individual fossil samples. (PDF)

Using the distal molar of a minipig as a model, we studied changes in the microstructural characteristics of apatite crystallites during enamel maturation (16-23 months of postnatal age), and their effects upon the mechanical properties of the enamel coat. The slow rate of tooth development in a pig model enabled us to reveal essential heterochroni...

Spearman correlation coefficients among particular variables. (PDF)

A cross section of post-talonid part of m3 of a16-month-old individual. note the enamel surface with no aprismatic enamel cover. (TIF)

Coeficients of Wilcoxon statistics with age as categorial variable. (PDF)

Selected enamel areas undergoing XRD experiments (i.e.: inner, outer, mesial, distal parts). (TIF)

A corellation trends of selected michromechanical properties. (TIF)

Examined individuals. EdEc—expected duration of enamel calcification. (PDF)

List of variables. (PDF)

Mean values and sigma statistics of particular variables under study. (PDF)

Spearman correlation plot of studied variables. (TIF)

Survey of Holocene vertebrate record from excavation in the North Bohemian sandstone region (123 community samples, 1078 MNI 60 spp.). Comparison of regional specificities to Holocene faunal development in other regions of Central Europe.

A golden jackal (Canis aureus) individual was recorded ~40 km east of Prague in the Czech Republic. It is the first record of a living golden jackal in the country; up to now several individuals have been recorded but all of them were either shot dead or killed by a vehicle. The observed animal was documented by camera traps set up for research of...

Goledn jackal’s howling record

The quarry at Chlum Hill near the Srbsko village, disclosed a series of underground spaces during the first half of the 20th century, including the second largest cave system in the Bohemian Karst of that time. Since the beginning, simultaneously with the speleological exploration, a particular attention was given to the deposits yielding fossil bo...

JESKYNĚ JAKO ARCHIV KLIMATICKÝCH ZMĚN; PŘÍKLADOVÁ STUDIE Z JESKYNĚ POD HRADEM, MORAVSKÝ KRAS Lenka Lisá1, Ladislav Nejman2, Nela Doláková3, Aleš Bajer4, Ivan Horáček5 1Geologický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i., Rozvojová 269, Praha 6, 165 00, e-mail: lisa@gli.cas.cz 2School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia...

We studied ranging and feeding behavior of Cypriot fruit bats during the summer and winter, which are critical periods with limited food supply and adverse conditions. Seasonal changes in ranging behavior were characterized by a steep increase in the size of core feeding areas and home ranges from summer to winter. Males and females did not differ...

Caves are important markers of surface evolution, since they are, as a general rule, linked with ancient valley bottoms by their springs. However, caves can only be dated indirectly by means of the sediments they contain. If the sediment is older than common dating methods, one has to use multiple dating approaches in order to get meaningful result...

X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy are widely used for determination of the basic characteristics of the biological apatite structure. Many different techniques have been adopted for separation of the enamel part of the tooth for use in these analytical methods, but their influence on the sample itself has not yet been st...

A complete review of microbat records available from five Western Oases of the Egyptian part of the Libyan Desert (Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga) is presented, covering both literature data and particularly new records obtained during the field research carried out in 2010–2012. In total, six species of microbats from three families were...

Results of field study of Rousettus aegyptiacus in Cyprus, S-Turkey and Dakhla oasis, Egypt, with aid of automated, triangular and GPS radio-tracking (138,662 fixies of 223 individuals).

Radiotracking is an important and often the only possible method to explore specific habits and the behaviour of animals, but it has proven to be very demanding and time-consuming, especially when frequent positioning of a large group is required. Our aim was to address this issue by making the process partially automated, to mitigate the demands a...

The baculum (os penis) has been extensively studied as a taxon-specific character in bats and other mammals but its mechanical function is still unclear. There is a wide consensus in the literature that the baculum is probably a sexually selected character. Using a novel approach combining postmortem manipulation and three-dimensional (3D) imaging,...

AimWe investigated the effects of disease on the local abundances and distributions of species at continental scales by examining the impacts of white-nose syndrome, an infectious disease of hibernating bats, which has recently emerged in North America.LocationNorth America and Europe.Methods We used four decades of population counts from 1108 popu...

We collected and analyzed data on the annual course of reproduction of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) in 2 climatically distinct areas, the Mediterranean and the Egyptian desert, located at the northern limits of the species' distribution. In both regions, reproductive seasonality was characterized by distinct bimodality in birth ti...

Creating an overall scheme of Gravettian stratigraphy and chronology in the Middle Danube area is a matter of current debate. This paper addresses the formation of microstratigraphies at large open-air sites, evidence of the earliest Gravettian occupation in the Dolní Věstonice-Pavlov area, and occurrence of early ceramics from this context. The ca...

With the recent and continuing discovery of further cryptic bat species, it is essential to find morphological species discriminating characters. Pipistrellus pipistrellus (common pipistrelle) and Pipistrellus pygmaeus (soprano pipistrelle) have been recognized as separate species since 1997, but no reliable morphological species discriminating tra...

Časoprostorové charakteristiky potravního chování a letové aktivity byly studovány ve třech klimaticky i geograficky odlišných oblastech – na Kypru, v oáze Dakhla v Egyptě a v jižním Turecku. Data na každé lokalitě byla sbírána v letním (červenec - srpen) a zimním období (prosinec - březen). Lokace označených kaloňů byly zjišťovány dvěma metodami a...

Infestation of hibernating bats by infectious fungus Geomyces (Pseudogymnoascus) destruc-tans (GD) was monitored in 13 regions of the Czech Republic from 2009 to 2014 using a standardized field protocol. Although fungus mycelia were recorded in 12 bat species, only two of them (Myotis myotis, in a smaller extent also Myotis emarginatus) were infest...

Reproductive cycle of Rousettus aegyptiacus has been intensively studied in the years 2005 –2012. We analyzed the data from two regions corresponding to two types of environment (biomes): the zone of continuous distribution in the Levant (Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Jordan – 1285 individuals, 429 adult females) and an isolated population of R. aegypti...

The isolation of populations in the Iberian, the Italian and the Balkan peninsulas during the ice ages define four main paradigms that explain the distribution of intraspecific genetic diversity in Europe, though not without exceptions. In this study we investigated the phylogeography of a wide-spread bat species, the bent-winged bat,Miniopterus sc...

Molecular phylogeography suggests that Micromys minutus, the sole extant species of the genus, colonized its extensive range quite recently, during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene period. Rich Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil records both from Europe and China suggest rather continuous and gradual in situ phenotype rearrangements from the Pliocene to...

The non-metrical and basic metrical characteristics of studied samples of Micromys in comparison to available literary data. Part 1: M1 and M2, Part 2: m1 and m2. (MicromysS2table.xls file) (XLSX)