Review
Horticulture
Gizella Jahnke, Jozsef Smidla, Tamas Deak, Robert Olah, Barna Arpad Szoke, Diana Agnes Nyitraine Sardy
Summary: Null alleles are recessive alleles that do not affect the phenotype of codominant markers. In microsatellite studies, null alleles are mainly used for pedigree analysis and population genetics calculations. However, the presence of null alleles can lead to biased results and it is important to consider possible solutions.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Angelika Podbielska, Anna Radko
Summary: An analysis of the genetic structure of racing pigeons kept in Poland was conducted, and it was found that racing pigeons are genetically mixed, regardless of their place of origin. The genetic diversity was estimated at a relatively satisfactory level, and no alarmingly high inbreeding coefficient was observed. It was also found that the panel recommended by ISAG can be successfully used in Poland for individual identification and parentage testing.
Article
Fisheries
Noeliton Teixeira de Araujo Jr, Patricia Ianella, Tulio Teruo Yoshinaga, Arno Juliano Butzge, Alexandre Rodrigues Caetano
Summary: This study analyzed the diversity and genetic structure of commercially farmed rainbow trout in Brazil using SNP markers. The results showed significant genetic differences between imported strains from Canada and the United States and the other studied groups, and highlighted the importance of proper management practices in avoiding unwanted admixture. Advanced analyzes with low-density SNP data can be used to improve farm management practices.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Matthew G. Hamilton, Wagdy Mekkawy, Benoy K. Barman, Md Badrul Alam, Manjurul Karim, John A. H. Benzie
Summary: Silver carp is an important aquaculture species in Bangladesh and globally. The genetic composition of the species in the country is complex and imperfectly understood. Through a genetic improvement program, actual founders were identified and a valid pedigree was established for future breeding and inbreeding management.
Article
Ornithology
Carolyn Gunn, Kim M. Potter, Jennifer Fike, Sara Oyler-Mccance
Summary: Avian mating strategies are important for the demographic and genetic dynamics of a species. However, traditional classifications of avian mating strategies tend to overlook ecological variations. This study analyzed the mating patterns of American Black Swifts and found that they are not sexually monogamous with a single partner for many years as previously believed.
Article
Plant Sciences
K. N. Mallikarjuna, Bhoopal Singh Tomar, Manisha Mangal, Naveen Singh, Deepak Singh, Sachin Kumar, Avinash Tomer, Balraj Singh, Gograj Singh Jat
Summary: This study conducted a diversity analysis of 96 bitter gourd genotypes, revealing a high level of agro-morphological and genetic diversity. Cluster analysis and population structure analysis grouped the genotypes into different clusters and populations. Trait-specific genotypes with early maturity and high-yielding ability were identified based on quantitative trait analysis. These findings contribute to the development of improved cultivars and hybrids of bitter gourd.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Soichiro Nishiyama, Kengo Sato, Ryutaro Tao
Summary: This study presents a novel approach for selecting informative markers based on binary integer programming. By combining with targeted SNP genotyping, this method allows for flexible analysis and has practical applications in large-scale problems in breeding and ecological research.
BMC BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
T. Fichant, A. Ledent, F. Collart, A. Vanderpoorten
Summary: This study compared the genetic structures of bryophytes and spermatophytes in western Europe based on cpDNA and nDNA sequence data. It found that spermatophytes had stronger genetic structures, which may be attributed to their higher long-distance dispersal capacities. The study also revealed that bryophytes had higher migration abilities across geographic barriers, resulting in lower levels of endemism in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot compared to spermatophytes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nomathemba Gloria Majola, Abe Shegro Gerrano, Assefa Amelework, Hussein Shimelis, Dirk Swanevelder
Summary: Bambara groundnut, a highly nutritious legume crop, has low productivity in South Africa due to a lack of locally adapted high-yielding cultivars. This study used SNP markers to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of Bambara groundnut collections in South Africa. The results revealed moderate genetic differences among the assessed genotypes and identified two distinct heterotic groups for hybridization and selection. Several unique genotypes with desirable agronomic traits were selected. This study provides new insights for the conservation and effective breeding of Bambara groundnut in South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Tricia L. Rubi, Alana G. McPherson, Niloufar Mokariasl, Ben F. Koop, Briony Campbell, John S. Taylor
Summary: The study on brood stock selection in Golden Eagle Sablefish hatchery shows potential for enhancing early survival rates. Analysis of a 2019 hatchery cohort revealed significant variations in productivity at both individual and family levels, with few breeding individuals contributing to the majority of offspring.
AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Hohn, Camilla Avanzi, Bruno Fady, Katrin Heer, Lars Opgenoorth, Andrea Piotti, Flaviu Popescu, Dragos Postolache, Giovanni G. Vendramin, Katalin Csillery
Summary: Genetic diversity within silver fir populations was found to be more recent in high elevation habitats across the species range. Paternity analysis revealed a stronger FSGS in seedlings than in adults, suggesting that FSGS may conserve the signature of demographic changes for several generations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xinghu Qin, Oscar E. Gaggiotti
Summary: This study evaluated the power of information-based summary statistics in informing spatial patterns of genetic diversity, comparing it with traditional population genetics approaches. Information-based measures and Jaccard dissimilarity were found to be excellent additions to the population genetics toolkit, showing high discriminatory power in discriminating among spatial scenarios.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Stefanie Reim, Juliane Schiffler, Annette Braun-Luellemann, Mirko Schuster, Henryk Flachowsky, Monika Hoefer
Summary: Genebank collections preserve old cultivars with breeding history, but often with synonymous or incorrect names. Pomological and genetic characterization is essential for confirming trueness-to-type of cultivars in genebank collections.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Karine K. C. Oliveira-Farias, Renata S. Farias, Miguel A. S. Neto, Marilia E. de Souza, Leonardo L. Calado, Martin A. Montes, Ana P. S. Lima, Paulino Martinez, Maria R. M. Coimbra
Summary: Habitat fragmentation caused by hydroelectric dams has led to global fish population decline. Restocking is a common method to restore populations, but it often fails to maintain genetic diversity and balanced contributions among captive breeders. This study on Megaleporinus obtusidens, a freshwater fish in Brazil, revealed three genetic clusters related to different climatic and hydrological conditions. The broodstock showed a significant reduction in genetic diversity compared to wild individuals, particularly in allelic richness. These findings provide insights for genetic resource management and suggest that restocking should only be done when population decline signals are observed, using artificial fertilization instead of mass spawning.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Xinghu Qin, Charleston W. K. Chiang, Oscar E. Gaggiotti
Summary: The study introduces a new method called KLFDAPC, which uses Kernel Local Fisher Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components to infer individual geographic genetic structure. Compared to traditional methods, KLFDAPC has higher discriminatory power and accuracy, making it suitable for geographic ancestry inference and genome research.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dorset W. Trapnell, Patrick A. Smallwood, Kingsley W. Dixon, Ryan D. Phillips
Summary: Orchid populations are small and patchily distributed, yet exhibit high genetic diversity and moderate levels of gene flow. Some populations are founded by few colonists, with growth mainly from in situ recruitment. Pollinators play a greater role than seeds in introducing genetic diversity to populations via gene flow.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Elena Quintero, Jorge Isla, Pedro Jordano
Summary: Recording species interactions, especially frugivory, is a challenge in ecological studies. Various methods have been developed for monitoring these interactions, with data merging approaches being proposed to combine results from different methodologies. Case studies show that data merging can increase the number of interactions recorded and improve the robustness of network topological descriptors.
Article
Ecology
Lisieux Fuzessy, Gisela Sobral, Daiane Carreira, Debora Cristina Rother, Gedimar Barbosa, Mariana Landis, Mauro Galetti, Tad Dallas, Vinicius Cardoso Claudio, Laurence Culot, Pedro Jordano
Summary: In the Brazilian Atlantic forest, the most important frugivorous vertebrates in the continuous forest have disappeared from the small patch, while specific functional traits and levels of frugivory play a significant role in shaping network structure. In the small patch, small generalist birds and the only remaining primate, along with lipid-rich fruits, are central to maintaining community structure.
Article
Ecology
Lisieux Fuzessy, Fernando A. O. Silveira, Laurence Culot, Pedro Jordano, Miguel Verdu
Summary: Seed dispersal benefits plants and frugivores, potentially driving co-evolution; phylogenetic congruences suggest shared evolutionary history between primates and plants; consistent eco-evolutionary dynamics with co-phylogenetic signals emerging independently across different regions.
Article
Ecology
Jose Maria Gomez, Eugene W. Schupp, Pedro Jordano
Summary: Mutualism effectiveness is defined as the contribution of an interacting organism to its partner's fitness, determined by the quantity and quality components of immediate outcomes. The spatial structure of effectiveness values reflects the evolutionary history of mutualistic interactions, with properties such as distribution, relative contribution, and correlation impacting the landscape. Exploring effectiveness landscapes in other mutualisms can provide insights into the evolutionary and ecological consequences of mutualisms.
Article
Ecology
Tad A. Dallas, Pedro Jordano
Summary: In this study, the variability in interactor richness across 299 host-helminth networks was examined using a global database of host-helminth interactions. The results showed that a signal of interactor richness conservation was not detected for more than 95% of host and helminth parasite species. Furthermore, a significant taxonomic signal was detected in the divergence of parasite species richness from a null model for host species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Pamela Friedemann, Marina Correa Cortes, Everaldo Rodrigo de Castro, Mauro Galetti, Pedro Jordano, Paulo R. Guimaraes Jr
Summary: The study found that individual palm characteristics did not influence interaction patterns in the network, but habitat type significantly affected network modularity. This suggests that the organization of individual-based networks is mainly driven by habitat type.
Article
Ecology
Maria Campo-Celada, Pedro Jordano, Ana Benitez-Lopez, Carlos Gutierrez-Exposito, Julio Rabadan-Gonzalez, Irene Mendoza
Summary: This study evaluates the changes in an avian frugivore community in a Mediterranean scrubland site over a long-term and short-term period. The findings show profound transformations in species composition, bird phenology, and body condition. The abundance of wintering and seed-disperser species has decreased over about 40 years. Seasonal abundance peaks have advanced in many frugivorous bird species. Bird body condition during migration has worsened, with fewer individuals showing a high-fat percentage. Fruit production has also decreased, possibly due to habitat encroachment and vegetation changes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jorge Isla, Miguel E. Jacome-Flores, Daniel Pareja, Pedro Jordano
Summary: The strength of antagonistic interactions changes during range expansion in plant populations, and individual plant traits and neighborhood attributes play a significant role in determining the configuration of these interactions. Our study highlights the importance of an individual-based approach in understanding the structure and driving factors of interactions in natural changing landscapes.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dorset W. Trapnell, James L. Hamrick
Summary: Colonization is a crucial ecological process for species persistence, especially when faced with environmental changes. This study investigated colonization and population expansion of Epidendrum radicans orchids in lava flow sites on the slopes of Volcan Arenal in Costa Rica, revealing patterns of genetic diversity and spatial structure.
Article
Ecology
Elena Quintero, Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez, Pedro Jordano
Summary: Mutualistic interactions among free-living species involve low-frequency interactions and asymmetric dependence. Using a fleshy-fruited plant and its frugivore assemblage as a model, researchers found that interaction effectiveness was mainly driven by interaction frequency. Despite asymmetric dependences, reciprocity in rewards between partners was determined by the quantity of fruit consumed. They anticipate that reciprocity will emerge in low-intimacy mutualisms where interaction frequency plays a crucial role.
Article
Ecology
Blanca Arroyo-Correa, Pedro Jordano, Ignasi Bartomeus
Summary: Patterns of resource use at the species level are influenced by individual differences in exploiting available resources, such as pollinator use by plants. Our study used detailed data on plant-pollinator interactions to examine how variation in pollinator use among individual plants impacts community structure and dynamics. We found that all co-occurring plant species consisted of specialists interacting with subsets of pollinators that visited generalists, and the differences in interaction patterns were driven by variation in traits among individuals. Furthermore, communities with higher levels of variation in plant traits and pollinator use showed a nested structure and were more feasible. Our research highlights the importance of preserving intraspecific variation in traits and resource use within populations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lucas P. Martins, Daniel B. Stouffer, Pedro G. Blendinger, Katrin Bohning-Gaese, Galo Buitron-Jurado, Marta Correia, Jose Miguel Costa, D. Matthias Dehling, Camila Donatti, Carine Emer, Mauro Galetti, Ruben Heleno, Pedro Jordano, Icaro Menezes, Jose Carlos Morante-Filho, Marcia C. Munoz, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Marco Aurelio Pizo, Marta Quitian, Roman A. Ruggera, Francisco Saavedra, Vinicio Santillan, Virginia Sanz D'Angelo, Matthias Schleuning, Luis Pascoal da Silva, Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva, Sergio Timoteo, Anna Traveset, Maximilian G. R. Vollstadt, Jason M. Tylianakis
Summary: Species interactions can be influenced by ecological boundaries, and plant-frugivore networks show greater dissimilarity across ecoregion and biome boundaries while maintaining structural consistency.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jorge Isla, Miguel Jacome-Flores, Juan M. Arroyo, Pedro Jordano
Summary: This study investigates the plant-frugivore interactions in the rapid population expansion of a Mediterranean juniper. The researchers found that these interactions are reconfigured to adapt to the expansion landscape template, and this reconfiguration accelerates plant colonization.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leandro G. Cosmo, Ana Paula A. Assis, Marcus A. M. de Aguiar, Mathias M. Pires, Alfredo Valido, Pedro Jordano, John N. Thompson, Jordi Bascompte, Paulo R. Guimaraes Jr
Summary: Ecological interactions are vital for maintaining biodiversity on Earth. This study investigates the impact of direct and indirect effects in mutualistic networks, showing that indirect effects play a major role in determining species fitness. Indirect effects prevent coevolving species from adapting to their mutualistic partners and other environmental pressures, resulting in decreased fitness. The topological effect of peripheral species experiencing more indirect effects and greater reduction in fitness compared to central species is evident. The study also highlights how honeybees as a central species in pollination networks increase indirect effects, thus reducing the fitness of other species.
