Limited influence of landscape on the genetic structure of three small mammals in a heterogeneous arid environment

Aim: The complexity and biologically challenging nature of arid landscapes can generate high inter- and intra-species diversity, although these biomes remain poorly studied. We investigated whether prominent geomorphic features in an Australian arid landscape had similar influences on patterns of intra-specific genetic diversity of three small mammals with different distribution and life history traits. Specifically, we tested (1) whether mountain ranges harbour high diversity and act as refugia, (2) the extent to which ephemeral river systems pose barriers to gene flow, or (3) whether environmental differences explain genetic structure in these species. Location: The topographically complex Pilbara bioregion of the Australian arid zone. Taxa: Two native rodents, the Western pebble-mound mouse, Pseudomys chapmani, and the Sandy inland mouse, Pseudomys hermannsburgensis, and a dasyurid, Ningaui timealeyi. Methods: We used maximum parsimony networks of mitochondrial haplotypes and spatial...