Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily Roycroft, Anna J. MacDonald, Craig Moritz, Adnan Moussalli, Roberto Portela Miguez, Kevin C. Rowe
Summary: Australia has the highest historically recorded rate of mammalian extinction, especially among rodents. Through genomic data and museum specimens, researchers reveal genetic diversity, evolutionary history, and evidence of rapid extinction in extinct species.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiao-Mei Xia, Miao-Qin Yang, Cong-Li Li, Si-Xin Huang, Wei-Tao Jin, Ting-Ting Shen, Fei Wang, Xiao-Hua Li, Watanabe Yoichi, Le-Hua Zhang, Yuan-Run Zheng, Xiao-Quan Wang
Summary: By studying the Rhododendron genus, researchers discovered that most extant species originated from evolutionary radiations as the genus migrated southward from circumboreal areas to tropical/subtropical mountains during the Miocene. This geographical uneven diversification led to a higher species diversity in Asia, driven mainly by environmental variables such as elevation range and annual precipitation. The study showcases how the intensification of the Asian monsoon has facilitated evolutionary radiations in large plant genera of the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Matej Bocek, Renata Bilkova, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: The study utilized integrative phylogenomic and three mtDNA fragment analyses to sequence a beetle fauna, revealing many previously unknown species. Additionally, through constrained mtDNA analysis, a biodiversity hotspot and high species-level endemism were identified in New Guinea. Focused field research and subsequent laboratory work were recommended to accelerate the inventorying of hyperdiverse tropical groups.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiangcheng Mi, Gang Feng, Yibo Hu, Jian Zhang, Lei Chen, Richard T. Corlett, Alice C. Hughes, Stuart Pimm, Bernhard Schmid, Suhua Shi, Jens-Christian Svenning, Keping Ma
Summary: The paper reviews the rapid growth of biodiversity science in China and identifies key research priorities for the future, including ecological and biogeographical studies, biodiversity conservation and management, as well as the translation of advanced biodiversity science into practice. Additionally, the importance of strengthening capacity building, applying advanced technologies, and expanding international collaborations is emphasized for China to become a global leader in biodiversity research.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Bruno F. Melo, Brian L. Sidlauskas, Thomas J. Near, Fabio F. Roxo, Ava Ghezelayagh, Luz E. Ochoa, Melanie L. J. Stiassny, Jairo Arroyave, Jonathan Chang, Brant C. Faircloth, Daniel J. MacGuigan, Richard C. Harrington, Ricardo C. Benine, Michael D. Burns, Kendra Hoekzema, Natalia C. Sanches, Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo, Ricardo M. C. Castro, Fausto Foresti, Michael E. Alfaro, Claudio Oliveira
Summary: The study reveals that the rich diversity of Neotropical freshwater fish species has accumulated over the past 60 million years before undergoing a significant diversification around 30 million years ago. Three lineages of species-rich and ecologically diverse fish families originated during the Paleocene period and experienced notable bursts of diversification during the Oligocene epoch.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei-Tao Jin, David S. Gernandt, Christian Wehenkel, Xiao-Mei Xia, Xiao-Xin Wei, Xiao-Quan Wang
Summary: The study investigated the evolution of coniferous forests in the Northern Hemisphere, revealing that 90% of extant pine species originated in the Miocene and that the midlatitude region has served as an evolutionary museum for global pines. Additionally, it was found that topography and aridity index played crucial roles in pine diversification.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Suelen da Silva Alves Saccol, Joao Luiz Cavalheiro Dias Ucha, Bruno Madalozzo, Sonia Zanini Cechin, Tiago Gomes dos Santos
Summary: The study investigated the impact of large-scale replacement of grasslands with agriculture on anuran diversity patterns in southernmost Brazil. Results showed higher species richness in livestock areas on grasslands; compared to agricultural areas, a significant community simplification process was identified in agricultural areas.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Wenhao Li, Xianglei Hou, Chunxia Xu, Mingshuo Qin, Supen Wang, Li Wei, Yanping Wang, Xuan Liu, Yiming Li
Summary: The study found that eDNA metabarcoding is more accurate in measuring anuran diversity and can reliably estimate the abundance of different species compared to traditional methods. Species-specific characteristics have a significant impact on read count variations, while physiochemical factors have little effect.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shiyin Chen, Qingxu Huang, Raya Muttarak, Jiayi Fang, Tao Liu, Chunyang He, Ziwen Liu, Lei Zhu
Summary: This paper updates the projections of global urbanization using a logistic fitting model and iteratively identifying reference countries. The projections provide urbanization levels and uncertainties for 204 countries and areas every five years, as well as year-by-year projections for 188 countries and areas based on historical data. The updated dataset is relevant for understanding future socioeconomic development and policy planning, as well as its implications for climate change.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guilhem Sommeria-Klein, Romain Watteaux, Federico M. Ibarbalz, Juan Jose Pierella Karlusich, Daniele Iudicone, Chris Bowler, Helene Morlon
Summary: This study utilized Tara Oceans metabarcoding data to compare the biogeography of 70 major groups of eukaryotic plankton, revealing two main axes of biogeographic variation: more diverse groups exhibited clearer biogeographic patterns, with large-bodied consumers structured by oceanic basins and small-bodied phototrophs structured by latitude and local environmental conditions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Mason Heberling, Joseph T. Miller, Daniel Noesgaard, Scott B. Weingart, Dmitry Schigel
Summary: The study found a significant increase in the number of publications using data mediated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) from 2003 to 2019. While data use patterns were diverse, research topics remained stable in some areas, but increased in others, such as species interactions and diseases, showing the vast potential of biodiversity data networks.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Filipe C. Serrano, Juan C. Diaz-Ricaurte, Marcio Martins
Summary: Misdirected amplexus, an unusual reproductive behavior, occurs extensively in amphibians across the globe. This comprehensive data set of 378 misdirected amplexus events for 156 amplectant species provides a baseline for understanding the spatial, temporal, and phylogenetic patterns of this behavior. It also encourages further research on the environmental and ecological drivers behind misdirected amplexus.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Muhammad Rais, Muhammad Ali Nawaz, Russell J. Gray, Waqas Qadir, Syeda Maria Ali, Muhammad Saeed, Ayesha Akram, Waseem Ahmed, Anum Sajjad, Lionel Leston
Summary: The lack of information regarding biodiversity status hampers designing and implementing conservation strategies and achieving future targets. Northern Pakistan consists of a unique ecoregion mosaic which supports a myriad of environmental niches for anuran diversity in comparison to the deserts and xeric shrublands throughout the rest of the country. In order to study the niche suitability, species overlap and distribution patterns in Pakistan, we collected observational data for nine anuran species across several distinct ecoregions by surveying 87 randomly selected locations from 2016 to 2018 in Rawalpindi District and Islamabad Capital Territory.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yi Wang, David E. Berthold, Jing Hu, Forrest W. Lefler, I-Shuo Huang, H. Dail Laughinghouse
Summary: Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are natural phenomena in marine environments, and their occurrences have increased due to nutrient loading and climate change. One specific cyanobacterial genus, Roseofilum, dominates the microbial mats associated with black band disease (BBD) in corals. Through isolation and identification, four novel species of Roseofilum were discovered, with one species potentially producing microcystin.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
R. Iestyn Woolway, Clement Albergel, Thomas L. Froelicher, Marjorie Perroud
Summary: Much attention has been paid to the impact of global warming on lakes, especially changes in average temperature. However, lakes are also affected by thermal extremes, particularly during heatwaves. This study explores the human contribution to lake heatwaves and finds that severe heatwaves are significantly influenced by human activities. The occurrence probabilities of severe heatwaves have increased due to anthropogenic influence, and the likelihood of severe heatwaves triples in a 1.5 degrees C warmer world and increases by 25 times in a 3.5 degrees C warmer world compared to a world without human-induced warming.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Loies Rancilhac, Teddy Bruy, Mark D. Scherz, Elvis Almeida Pereira, Michaela Preick, Nicolas Straube, Mariana L. Lyra, Annemarie Ohler, Jeffrey W. Streicher, Franco Andreone, Angelica Crottini, Carl R. Hutter, J. Christian Randrianantoandro, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Frank Glaw, Michael Hofreiter, Miguel Vences
JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jim Labisko, Nancy Bunbury, Richard A. Griffiths, Jim J. Groombridge, Lindsay Chong-Seng, Kay S. Bradfield, Jeffrey W. Streicher
Summary: This study reveals that some tropical amphibians have survived episodes of historic warming without the aid of dispersal and therefore may have the capacity to adapt to the currently warming climate. However, local extinction is still a likely outcome for tropical frogs experiencing warming climates in the absence of dispersal corridors to thermal refugia.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kate N. Thomas, David J. Gower, Jeffrey W. Streicher, Rayna C. Bell, Matthew K. Fujita, Ryan K. Schott, H. Christoph Liedtke, Celio F. B. Haddad, C. Guilherme Becker, Christian L. Cox, Renato A. Martins, Ron H. Douglas
Summary: The spectral characteristics of vertebrate ocular lenses shape visual capabilities, with both diurnal activity and scansorial habits influencing lens transmission in amphibians. Shortwave light, including UV, plays an important role in amphibian behavior and ecology, even in the absence of UV-sensitive visual pigments.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kate N. Thomas, Caitlyn Rich, Rachel C. Quock, Jeffrey W. Streicher, David J. Gower, Ryan K. Schott, Matthew K. Fujita, Ron H. Douglas, Rayna C. Bell
Summary: This study aims to understand the diversity and evolution of pupil shapes in amphibians and test for correlations with ecology. The results show that pupil shape changes during the life cycle of amphibians and is associated with habitat and eye size.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Carlos E. Guarnizo, Paola Montoya, Ignacio Quintero, Carlos Daniel Cadena
Summary: The role of geography in promoting speciation has been studied extensively, but less attention has been given to the role of isolation by time. This study found that asynchronous precipitation can promote genetic divergence in certain species, but the effects on macroevolutionary patterns are not significant.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lucinda P. Lawson, Simon P. Loader, John V. Lyakurwa, H. Christoph Liedtke
Summary: The spiny-throated reed frog species group is a small radiation of Hyperolius frogs from East Africa. A genetic exploration was conducted to understand the distinctness and relationships of a new lineage found within this group. Through a reduced-representation genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) dataset, the phylogenetic relationships were fully resolved, placing the new lineage as an early diverging lineage within the group.
Article
Biology
Amartya T. Mitra, Molly C. Womack, David J. Gower, Jeffrey W. Streicher, Brett Clark, Rayna C. Bell, Ryan K. Schott, Matthew K. Fujita, Kate N. Thomas
Summary: The shape and relative size of an ocular lens are influenced by the ecological environment and life stage of organisms. While aquatic animals typically have spherical lenses, terrestrial species have axially flattened lenses. Tadpoles have more spherical lenses compared to adults. Species with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults usually undergo changes in lens shape during ecological development. The lens shape of adults is influenced by adult habits, with fossorial adults tending to retain spherical lenses. Additionally, lenses of aquatic and semiaquatic species are smaller relative to eye size compared to other adult ecologies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Emily Buckingham, Jeffrey W. W. Streicher, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Tereza Jezkova, John J. J. Wiens
Summary: A study found that formerly sympatric Plethodon cinereus populations on Long Island have separated into different populations, contrary to the conventional speciation scenario.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Elkin A. Tenorio, Paola Montoya, Natalia Norden, Susana Rodriguez-Buritica, Beatriz Salgado-Negret, Mailyn A. Gonzalez
Summary: This study compared the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) between mountain and lowland regions and found that the LDG is stronger in mountains due to higher species packing and turnover. The results have significant implications for re-evaluating the role of regional differences in macroecological and evolutionary processes in driving species diversity gradients.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel M. Portik, Jeffrey W. Streicher, David C. Blackburn, Daniel S. Moen, Carl R. Hutter, John J. Wiens
Summary: The data available for reconstructing molecular phylogenies are highly disparate, with some studies having high genetic marker data for few species, while others have low data availability across many taxa. In this study, the researchers show that it is possible to integrate these two types of data to address relationships among hundreds of species using frog data. By combining phylogenomic and supermatrix datasets, they were able to successfully reconstruct a well-supported tree among families, even with high amounts of missing data.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Karla Alujevic, Jeffrey W. Streicher, Raquel A. Garcia, Ana Riesgo, Sergio Taboada, Michael L. Logan, Susana Clusella-Trullas
Summary: Understanding the relationship between behavioural buffering of temperature change and organismal fitness is crucial in the era of human-driven climate change. This study investigated how thermal landscapes, physiological performance, and behaviour interact and shape fitness in the southern rock agama lizard. The results showed that male lizards in territories with low thermal quality spent more time compensating for sub-optimal temperatures and displayed less. Moreover, the display rate was positively associated with lizard fitness, indicating that engaging in thermoregulatory behaviour may incur opportunity costs as climate change progresses.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lucinda P. Lawson, Simon P. Loader, John V. Lyakurwa, Michele Menegon, H. Christoph Liedtke
Summary: Human impact on ecosystems has significantly altered the environment globally. While deforestation has been extensively studied, the introduction of non-native plantations also has major consequences. This study examines the effects of land use change on amphibian communities in the Udzungwa Plateau in Tanzania by comparing surveys conducted before and after the introduction of non-native plantations. The results indicate that local extinctions may have occurred, with remaining amphibians confined to wetlands. This study highlights the urgent need for further research on the impact of non-native plantations on natural communities.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Osaland Fjelde, Einar Timdal, Reidar Haugan, Mika Bendiksby
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomy of the crustose lichen genus Calvitimela using molecular phylogenetics and morphological observations. The results revealed evolutionarily old and deeply divergent lineages within Calvitimela, with overlapping morphological characters between different subgenera. Chemical characters were informative at the level of subgenera but often homoplastic at the species level. A practical taxonomy of Calvitimela was proposed based on these findings.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bo-Yang Shi, Da Pan, Kang-Qin Zhang, Tian-Yu Gu, Darren C. J. Yeo, Peter K. L. Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Hong-Ying Sun
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of montane potamids in the Hengduan Mountains Region. The results suggest that the vicariance events of these crabs are correlated with the emergence of sky islands due to the uplift of the mountains. The mountain ridges provided corridors for their dispersal and past climatic conditions played a crucial role in their evolutionary history. The mechanisms isolating sky islands are reinforced by the climatic features of dry-hot valleys and continue to affect local diversification.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Attila Nemeth, Edvard Mizsei, Levente Laczko, David Czaban, Zsolt Hegyeli, Szabolcs Lengyel, Gabor Csorba, Gabor Sramko
Summary: Species delimitation of European blind mole rats is challenging due to their small morphological differences and complex chromosomal evolution. This study provides a comprehensive framework to improve understanding of their evolutionary history and revise their taxonomy. The results reveal the presence of multiple superspecies and species, with distinct geographic patterns and rapid chromosomal evolution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Qi, Zhaoyan Zhong, Xu Liu, Xing He, Yadong Zhou, Lili Zhang, Chong Chen, Katrin Linse, Jian-Wen Qiu, Jin Sun
Summary: This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships among patellogastropod families using mitochondrial and phylogenomic data. The results show that the mitochondrial phylogeny recovers monophyly of most families, but the relationships among families are still contentious. However, a more robust family-level topology consistent with morphology is achieved by phylogenomics. Additionally, the mainly deep-water families are found to be monophyletic, suggesting a single colonization of the deep water during the Jurassic.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Jie Shi, Jin -Liang Huang, Jia-Xuan Mi, Jing Li, Fan-Yu Meng, Yu Zhong, Fang He, Fei -Fei Tian, Fan Zhang, Liang-Hua Chen, Han-Bo Yang, Hong-Lin Hu, Xue-Qin Wan
Summary: Despite numerous studies on hybrid speciation, our understanding of this process remains limited. In this study, we conducted an 18-year systematic investigation on Populus taxa on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and discovered three new taxa that originated from distant hybridization between two different sections. These hybrid taxa demonstrate greater ecological adaptability than their ancestral species due to heterosis. We propose a hybrid speciation process model that can explain important evolutionary concerns.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Cho, Denis Tikhonenkov, Gordon Lax, Kristina I. Prokina, Patrick J. Keeling
Summary: Unlike conspicuous ochrophytes, many small and overlooked flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles remain poorly characterized at the cellular or genomic level. This study describes four new species, including two new genera, of sediment-dwelling MAST-6 and provides updated phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles. The characterization of these flagellates is important due to their phylogenetic diversity and abundance in various environments.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tian-Tian Xue, Steven B. Janssens, Bin-Bin Liu, Sheng-Xiang Yu
Summary: Phylogenomic conflicts are widespread among genomic data, with most previous studies primarily focusing on nuclear datasets instead of organellar genomes. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic conflicts within and between plastid and mitochondrial genomes using Potentilla as a case study. We found that both plastid and mitochondrial genomes divided Potentilla into eight highly supported clades, with two newly identified clades. Our results demonstrate that mitochondrial genes can fully resolve phylogenetic relationships among major clades of Potentilla and are not always linked with plastomes in evolutionary history.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra A. Grossi, Chunpo Tian, Mengjiao Ren, Fasheng Zou, Daniel R. Gustafsson
Summary: This study suggests that the coevolutionary relationships between chewing lice, endosymbiotic bacteria, and birds are not independent, but the patterns vary depending on the analysis method used. Additionally, louse host-switching does not seem to affect bacterial strains.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ingrid Olivares, Sergio Tusso, Maria Jose Sanin, Marylaure de La Harpe, Oriane Loiseau, Jonathan Rolland, Nicolas Salamin, Michael Kessler, Kentaro K. Shimizu, Margot Paris
Summary: Traditionally, differences between species have been associated with morphological variation. However, the discovery of cryptic diversity suggests that the evolution of distinct lineages can occur without morphological differences. Through genetic analysis, we found that a tropical montane plant lineage is composed of numerous unrecognized genetic groups that are not morphologically distinct. Geographic distance and topography play a crucial role in determining the genetic divergence of these groups.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
