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Biogeography of the Balkan Peninsula: geological development and recent state of knowledge
Žďárská, Kateřina ; Šípek, Petr (advisor) ; Král, David (referee)
The aim of this study is to summarize history and development of Mediterranean with a following description and comparison of the biogeographical regions of the Balkan peninsula and surrounding areas. Balkan peninsula is located in eastern-central Mediterranean, which is known for its complex paleogeographic evolution. Current presence and distribution of organisms with high rate of endemism is influenced by several factors. For example orogenesis, the fragmentation of the Tethys ocean in Miocene (16 - 18 Ma), the birth and progression of the Paratethys sea and the Messinian salinity crissis (MSC, 5.97 - 5.33 Ma), followed with enormous ecological changes in whole Mediterranean. In this period, landbridges were formed and they allowed migration of species between African, Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plate. Another important period that formed present Mediterranean is Quarternary period in which this area is influenced by climatic oscillations leading to alternation of glacial and interglacial phases. Simultaneously, the sea level oscilations and migrations of species occured, which resulted into the creation of various refugia.
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