Article
Psychology, Biological
Swati Saxena, Geetanjali Mishra, Omkar
Summary: The study found that the mating system of ladybugs affects mate choice and various aspects of mating behavior and reproduction, and confirmed that mate choice is dynamically influenced by relatedness.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Gabriela K. Hajduk, Andrew Cockburn, Helen L. Osmond, Loeske E. B. Kruuk
Summary: In cooperatively breeding species, the presence of unrelated male helpers in a group increases rates of extrapair paternity, while helper-sons do not have this effect. The relatedness of helpers does not impact nest productivity or nestling performance. Therefore, the relatedness of helpers does not directly affect extrapair paternity.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Quantum Science & Technology
Zhi-Xiang Jin, Bing Yu, Xue-Na Zhu, Shao-Ming Fei, Cong-Feng Qiao
Summary: This study provides a generalized definition of polygamy relations for any quantum correlation measures and solves the issue of polygamy inequalities by introducing polygamy weight.
ADVANCED QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Xia Zhang, Naihuan Jing, Ming Liu, Haitao Ma
Summary: In this study, we investigate the monogamy and polygamy relations related to quantum correlations for multipartite quantum systems in a unified approach. We demonstrate that the generalized monogamy and polygamy relations can be extended to other powers of the measure in weighted forms. Our results show that our weighted monogamy and polygamy relations are stronger than recently available relations. Detailed examples are provided to compare and confirm the superiority of our results in both scenarios.
Article
Biology
Robin E. Morrison, Eric Ndayishimiye, Tara S. Stoinski, Winnie Eckardt
Summary: Mating with close kin can have negative consequences, leading to the evolution of inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. This study on mountain gorillas examined multiple mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance, including dispersal, mate choice, kin discrimination, and post-copulatory biases. The findings suggest that partial dispersal reduces kinship in groups, and there is significant kin discrimination in mate choice, particularly towards maternal kin. However, there is limited avoidance of paternal kin, and no evidence for post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance. These results demonstrate that multiple complementary mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance can evolve within a single species, and mate choice may enable more flexible dispersal systems to evolve.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
J. Juan Rendon-Herrera, Juan Carlos Perez-Jimenez, Nancy C. Saavedra-Sotelo
Summary: The study assessed multiple paternity in the brown smooth-hound shark (Mustelus henlei) and found regional variation in this phenomenon in the northeastern Pacific. Larger females had a higher probability of multiple paternity in the Gulf of California.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andreya Goncalves Costa Motta, Vinicius Guerra, Diogo Ferreira do Amaral, Amanda Pereira da Costa Araujo, Lucelia Goncalves Vieira, Daniela de Melo e Silva, Thiago Lopes Rocha
Summary: This study investigated the effects of exposure to ZnO NPs and ZnCl2 at environmentally relevant concentrations on the morphology, chondrocranium, and behavior of tadpoles. The results showed that both forms of zinc altered the development of tadpoles, causing morphological changes and reduced individual fitness.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giambattista Albora, Luciano Pietronero, Andrea Tacchella, Andrea Zaccaria
Summary: In this study, various economic complexity methods were compared using machine learning models, specifically focusing on relatedness measures. The results showed that tree-based algorithms performed better in predicting the activation of new products compared to auto-correlation benchmark and other supervised algorithms. Interestingly, the best results were obtained through cross-validation and excluding the data of the predicted country. This research has direct policy implications by providing a quantitative and scientifically tested measure of introducing new products in a specific country.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Torsten Dahlen, Jingcheng Zhao, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Yudi Pawitan, Jakob Lavrod, Gustaf Edgren
Summary: The study estimated the contemporary frequency of misattributed paternity in Sweden to be 1.7%, with a higher prevalence among parents with low educational levels, and decreasing over time to 1%.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas W. Scott, Alan Grafen, Stuart A. West
Summary: Crozier's paradox suggests that genetic kin recognition is not evolutionarily stable. However, this study shows that allowing for multiple social encounters before each interaction can eliminate this paradox and stabilize genetic kin recognition. Rare tags are better indicators of relatedness and help individuals avoid interactions with non-cooperative cheats.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph T. Feldblum, Christopher Krupenye, Joel Bray, Anne E. Pusey, Ian C. Gilby
Summary: Research on wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, has shown that male social bonds increase reproductive success through various mechanisms, such as forming strong bonds with alpha males and having larger networks of strong bonds. These bonds influence short-term coalition formation and centrality in the coalition network, as well as long-term dominance rank improvement for males who attain alpha status, ultimately leading to reproductive success.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brenna A. Levine, Robert. L. Hill, Joseph R. Mendelson, Warren Booth
Summary: Understanding the genetic mating system is crucial in captive management programs for species of conservation concern as it plays a key role in generating and maintaining genetic diversity and promoting opportunities for sperm competition. This study reveals a highly polygamous genetic mating system in captive Guatemalan beaded lizards, which is novel for the family Helodermatidae and has broader implications for reproductive opportunities management in captive conservation programs.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sally R. Isberg
Summary: A study found potential upward bias in the inference of the number of crocodilian egg sires. By exploring different scenarios using a known saltwater crocodile pair dataset, it was revealed that the total allele number determined the accuracy of sire inference. The study also highlighted the significance of appropriate study design in accurately inferring paternity.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Ilaria Guarniero, Daniele Franchini, Alice Ferrari, Laura Gentile, Antonio Casalini, Pietro Emmanuele, Oliviero Mordenti
Summary: Due to its complex life cycle and multiple stress factors, the European eel has been declared Critically Endangered. Implementing mass production through artificial breeding protocols could be a possible solution to relieve pressure on natural stocks.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Quantum Science & Technology
Bing Xie, Ming-Jing Zhao, Bo Li
Summary: We study general monogamy and polygamy relations based on the alpha th (0 <= alpha <= gamma ) power of entanglement measures and the beta th (beta >= 8) power of assisted entanglement measures, respectively. The results show that these relations are tighter than the inequalities in a previous article by Jin et al. (Quantum Inf Process 19:101, 2020) and can more accurately describe the entanglement distribution for entanglement states that satisfy stronger constraints. By applying these relations, one can derive the corresponding monogamous and polygamous inequalities for specific entanglement measures, including the existing ones in the articles by Zhu and Fei (Quantum Inf Process 18:23, 2019) and Jin et al. (Quantum Inf Process 18:105, 2019).
QUANTUM INFORMATION PROCESSING
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yingnan Wang, Yu Wang, Yahui Zhao, Alexandra Yu Kravchenko, Juha Merila, Baocheng Guo
Summary: Through whole-genome resequencing data, the phylogeography of Northeast Asian Pungitius sticklebacks was investigated, revealing three new Pungitius species in China and clarifying the colonization sequence and timing of different Pungitius species in Northeast Asia. This study expands our understanding of Pungitius sticklebacks' phylogeography by extending sampling to nearly half of their known distribution area in Northeast Asia.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Long Jin, Wen Bo Liao, Juha Merila
Summary: Amphibians require both terrestrial and aquatic environments to complete their life cycles. Genetic differentiation studies along geographical clines in Microhyla fissipes populations in China revealed significant differentiation related to temperature and precipitation variations.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Elisavet A. Toli, Anastasios Bounas, Juha Merila, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos
Summary: Phenotypic changes in response to environmental cues allow organisms to adapt and enhance their fitness in a given habitat. The genetic basis of this phenotypic plasticity is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the genetic and phenotypic divergence among different morphs of a Greek smooth newt population. We found low genetic divergence between morphs and similar levels of gene diversity. Despite high gene flow, we identified candidate genes associated with the different morphs that play functional roles in metabolic processes.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Antoine Fraimout, Elisa Paivio, Juha Merila
Summary: The study found that the relaxation of predation pressure associated with the colonization of freshwater ponds by nine-spined sticklebacks may explain the divergence in complex behaviors between marine and pond populations, and this divergence is parallel. The research also revealed a significant correlation between behavioral differences and responses to reduced predation pressure.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juha Merila
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Wei Chen, Hongzhou Chen, Jiahong Liao, Min Tang, Haifen Qin, Zhenkun Zhao, Xueyan Liu, Yanfang Wu, Lichun Jiang, Lixia Zhang, Bohao Fang, Xueyun Feng, Baowei Zhang, Kerry Reid, Juha Merila
Summary: This study reports the genome assembly of Rana kukunoris, a high-altitude-adapted frog, providing valuable resources for studying life history evolution and adaptation to high-altitude environments.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mikko Kivikoski, Pasi Rastas, Ari Loeytynoja, Juha Merilae
Summary: Map distance, a measure of the expected number of crossovers between two loci in genetics, is estimated using mapping functions based on observed recombination frequencies. Traditional mapping functions developed when the number of markers was low may underpredict recombination frequencies from map distance in high-density marker data. This study demonstrates that a piecewise function can provide more accurate predictions, highlighting the context-dependent association between map distance and recombination frequency.
Article
Ornithology
Chen-Yang Liu, Juha Merilae, Yang Liu, Lei Lv
Summary: Global climate change has had a widespread impact on the reproductive phenology of many wild organisms. In this study, the relationship between breeding timing and spring temperatures was explored using data from hair-crested drongos in the wild. It was found that low night temperatures delay breeding time, likely due to the physiological constraints on egg-laying caused by the need for thermoregulation. However, the timing of breeding showed no trend over the study period.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu Wang, Yingnan Wang, Xiaoqi Cheng, Yongli Ding, Chongnv Wang, Juha Merila, Baocheng Guo
Summary: New study shows that introgression contributes significantly to the diversification of Pungitius sticklebacks and plays a crucial role in phenotypic convergence. The analysis of genomic data reveals that introgression is more prevalent than previously thought, with asymmetric gene flow and unequal genomic signatures in hybridizing species. Introgression of genetic variants is accompanied by transitions in important diagnostic traits and adaptation in gene regulatory networks, highlighting its importance as a source of adaptive variation. This study provides insight into the long-standing challenges in the taxonomy and systematics of this highly diverse group of fish.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Mikko Kivikoski, Antoine Fraimout, Pasi Rastas, Ari Loytynoja, Juha Merila
Summary: Crossovers in meiosis play a crucial role in ensuring proper segregation and recombination of chromosomes in sexual reproduction. However, little is known about the heritability and repeatability of crossover rates in the wild. This study examined crossover rate variation in outbred stickleback populations and found that repeatability was moderate, with higher values in females than in males. Due to limitations in sample size and parental relatedness, heritability could not be confidently estimated. Overall, the evolvability of crossover rates appears to be low based on our results and comparisons with previous studies.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antoine Fraimout, Pasi Rastas, Lei Lv, Juha Merila
Summary: Using experimental cross data and genome-wide identity-by-descent (IBD) relationships, this study finds a significant decrease in offspring survival probability with increasing parental IBD sharing in an outbred marine nine-spined stickleback population, indicating substantial inbreeding load. Interestingly, a positive effect of paternal inbreeding coefficient on offspring survival suggests that certain combinations of parental inbreeding and genetic relatedness among mates may promote offspring survival. These results demonstrate the potential for inbreeding depression in outbred populations and highlight the importance of considering fine-scale genetic relatedness in future studies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sunandan Das, Eli Greenbaum, Shai Meiri, Aaron M. Bauer, Frank T. Burbrink, Christopher J. Raxworthy, Jeffrey L. Weinell, Rafe M. Brown, Jonathan Brecko, Olivier S. G. Pauwels, Nirhy Rabibisoa, Achille P. Raselimanana, Juha Merila
Summary: The snake superfamily Elapoidea is a classic example of ancient and rapid radiation. Previous studies have had difficulty resolving the phylogenetic relationships within this highly diverse group. This study sequenced over 4,500 ultraconserved element loci from representative taxa and used multiple methods to infer their phylogeny, resulting in largely congruent and well-supported topologies. Elapoidea originated in the early Eocene and rapidly diversified into major lineages during this epoch.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Mi Yoon Chung, Juha Merila, Yuseob Kim, Kangshan Mao, Jordi Lopez-Pujol, Myong Gi Chung
Summary: Increased access to genome-wide data provides new opportunities for plant conservation. However, information on neutral genetic diversity in a small number of marker loci can still be valuable. To bridge the gap between conservation science and practice, conservation practitioners should use population genetic information more efficiently. They can use estimates of genetic differentiation in quantitative traits (Q(ST)) and neutral markers (F(ST)) to capture both adaptive and neutral genetic variations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Mi Yoon Chung, Juha Merilae, Jialiang Li, Kangshan Mao, Jordi Lopez-Pujol, Yoshihiko Tsumura, Myong Gi Chung
Summary: Genetic diversity is crucial for evolutionary change and the ability of populations to adapt to new environmental conditions. While the importance of incorporating genetic diversity into conservation measures is recognized, the distinction between neutral and adaptive genetic variation has received less attention. This review addresses the utility of neutral genetic variation in ecological and evolutionary inference, as well as conservation strategies for plant populations and species. It also discusses the identification and estimation of adaptive genetic variation and emphasizes the need for a better understanding of its role in climate change adaptation. Until more estimates of adaptive genetic variation are available, conservation researchers and practitioners should continue to utilize neutral genetic variation to develop relevant strategies for rare and endangered plant species.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chaowei Zhang, Kerry Reid, Arthur F. Sands, Antoine Fraimout, Mikkel Heide Schierup, Juha Merila
Summary: Mutation rate is a critical parameter in population genetics, but accurate estimates for wild organisms are limited. This study estimated mutation rates in two marine populations of nine-spined stickleback using pedigrees, whole-genome resequencing, and a high-quality reference genome. The results showed high levels of parental mosaicism and increased estimated divergence times after recalibration with the mutation rate.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
