Dear Colleagues,

The Mediterranean basin, with its diverse landscapes, climate zones, and unique ecological niches, has long captivated biologists and ecologists throughout history. Despite comprising less than 1% of the planet’s surface, the Mediterranean is considered to be one of the world’s hotspots where exceptional concentrations of biodiversity occur. However, the region’s unique wealth is critically endangered as biodiversity rapidly decreases due to human-induced pressures which result in the fragmentation, degradation, and loss of habitat and the extinction of species.

This Mediterranean basin hosts around 7.5% of the world's biodiversity. Its flora diversity is outstanding with 25,000 species, 60% of which are unique to the region. Moreover, about one third of the Mediterranean fauna is endemic, making it an invaluable site for the study of systematics, phylogenetics, and phylogeography. In recent years, researchers have delved into understanding the intricate relationships among Mediterranean animals, shedding light on their evolution, history, genetic diversity, and adaptation strategies. The purpose of this Special Issue of Diversity is to consolidate and showcase the wealth of knowledge and research emerging from these investigations.

Mediterranean ecosystems have been shaped by a complex interplay of geological events, climatic fluctuations, and ecological dynamics, resulting in a unique mosaic of habitats. This has, in turn, driven the diversification of animal species in the region. This Special Issue welcomes a wide range of taxonomic groups, providing comprehensive insights into the evolutionary processes, species relationships, and genetic differentiation of Mediterranean animals. Through state-of-the-art systematics, phylogenetics, and phylogeography, we aim to unravel the mysteries of this biologically rich region and emphasize the importance of its conservation in the face of contemporary challenges, such as habitat degradation and climate change.

We hope that authors and readers will find these upcoming research submissions both informative and inspiring as we venture into the fascinating world of Mediterranean animal diversity.

Prof. Dr. Nikos Poulakakis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• biodiversity
• biogeography
• ecology
• mediterranean
• phylogenetics
• phylogenomics
• phylogeography
• speciation
• systematics