Evidence of a population of leaf-eared micePhyllotis vaccarumabove 6,000 m in the Andes and a survey of high-elevation mammals
Abstract
Biologists have long pondered the extreme limits of life on Earth, including the maximum elevation at which species can live and reproduce. Here we review evidence of a self-sustaining population of mice at an elevation that exceeds that of all previously reported for mammals. Five expeditions over 10 years to Volcán Llullaillaco on the Argentina/Chile border observed and collected mice at elevations ranging from 5,070 m at the mountain’s base to the summit at 6,739 m (22,110 feet). Previously unreported evidence includes observations and photographs of live animals and mummified remains, environmental DNA, and a soil microbial community reflecting animal activity that are evaluated in combination with previously reported video recordings and capture of live mice. All of the evidence identifies the mouse as the leaf-eared mouse Phyllotis vaccarum, and it robustly places the population within a haplotype group containing individuals from the Chilean Atacama Desert and nearby regions of Argentina. A critical review of the literature affirms that this population is not only an elevational record for mammals but for all terrestrial vertebrates to date, and we further find that many extreme elevations previously reported for mammals are based on scant or dubious evidence.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 05, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1093/jmammal/gyac028
Entities
People
- Cristina Dorador Ortiz
- Graham Zimmerman
- Guillermo D’Elía
- Jay F Storz
- Lara Vimercati
- Marcial Quiroga-carmona
- Matthew Farson
- Max R Bangs
- Scott J Steppan
- Steve K Schmidt
- Thomas Bowen
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- American Alpine Club
- California State University
- Florida State University
- National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development
- National Geographic Society
- National Institutes of Health
- National Science Foundation
- University of Antofagasta
- University of Colorado
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln