Rodents constitute a significant proportion of mammalian diversity, with their adaptability and wide distribution making them indispensable study organisms across various biological disciplines. While the laboratory mouse remains a predominant model rodent, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) offers a unique perspective as a wild rodent within the large subfamily Arvicolinae. Recognized for its relevance to studynatural ecology, the bank vole provides insights into complex ecological interactions, evolutionary adaptations, and disease dynamics. Despite recent recognition of its importance in specific research areas, there is a lack of a comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of its role as a model organism. This review addresses this gap by offering a holistic examination of the bank vole's applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography, disease dynamics, and host-pathogen interactions. We emphasize novel insights into genetic variation, adaptation to climate change, population dynamics, experimental evolution, host-parasite co-evolution, and disease dynamics studies. By consolidating diverse research findings, this review provides a unique and comprehensive perspective on the bank vole's contributions to understanding ecology and evolution, underscoring its importance as a model organism in shaping future biological research.

• Keywords
• Myodes glareolus, Bank vole, Ecology, Genetics, Model organism, Parasitology, Rodents,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Miniature refers to species with extraordinarily small adult body size when adult and can be found within all major metazoan groups. It is considered that miniature species have experienced severe alteration of numerous morphological traits during evolution. For a variety of reasons, including severe labor concerns during collecting, chromosomal acquisition, and taxonomic issues, miniature fishes are neglected and understudied. Since some available studies indicate possible relationship between diploid chromosome number (2n) and body size in fishes, we aimed to study one of the smallest Neotropical fish Nannostomus anduzei (Teleostei, Characiformes, Lebiasinidae), using both conventional (Giemsa staining, C-banding) and molecular cytogenetic methods (FISH mapping of rDNAs, microsatellites, and telomeric sequences). Our research revealed that N. anduzei possesses one of the lowest diploid chromosome numbers (2n = 22) among teleost fishes, and its karyotype is entirely composed of large metacentric chromosomes. All chromosomes, except for pair number 11, showed an 18S rDNA signal in the pericentromeric region. 5S rDNA signals were detected in the pericentromeric regions of chromosome pair number 1 and 6, displaying synteny to 18S rDNA signals. Interstitial telomeric sites (ITS) were identified in the centromeric region of pairs 6 and 8, indicating that centric fusions played a significant role in karyotype evolution of studied species. Our study provides further evidence supporting the trend of diploid chromosome number reduction along with miniaturization of adult body size in fishes.

• Keywords
• 2n reduction, chromosomal rearrangements, karyotype, neotropical fishes,
• MeSH
• Characiformes * genetics   MeSH
• Karyotype MeSH
• Karyotyping MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal genetics   MeSH
• Telomere genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Ribosomal MeSH