Article
Biology
Pizza Ka Yee Chow, Kenta Uchida, Auguste M. P. von Bayern, Itsuro Koizumi
Summary: Urban environments can affect the problem-solving performance of Eurasian red squirrels, with larger squirrel populations and higher levels of human disturbance potentially hindering success rates at the population level. However, individual squirrels may show differences in problem-solving experience and time based on their exposure to the novel problem.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jitka Prediger, Jana Jezkova, Nikola Holubova, Bohumil Sak, Roman Konecny, Michael Rost, John McEvoy, Dusan Rajsky, Martin Kvac
Summary: A new species of Cryptosporidium, named Cryptosporidium sciurinum, was discovered in Eurasian red squirrels through genetic analysis.
Article
Parasitology
Lenka Tumova, Jana Jezkova, Jitka Prediger, Nikola Holubova, Bohumil Sak, Roman Konecny, Dana Kvetonova, Lenka Hlaskova, Michael Rost, John McEvoy, Lihua Xiao, Monica Santin, Martin Kvac
Summary: This study investigated the biology and genetic variability of different isolates of Cryptosporidium chipmunk genotype I. The results showed that chipmunk genotype I is genetically distinct from other Cryptosporidium species. Experimental infections also revealed the fatal infection risk it poses to native European squirrel species. Accordingly, the parasite previously known as Cryptosporidium chipmunk genotype I is proposed to be named Cryptosporidium mortiferum n. sp.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
D. Krauze-Gryz, J. Gryz, M. Brach
Summary: The study compared two urban populations of red squirrels, with squirrels in the park having smaller home ranges and relying more on human-supplemented food, while squirrels in the forest primarily consumed pine and hornbeam seeds.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mahdieh Tourani, Frederik Franke, Marco Heurich, Maik Henrich, Tomas Peterka, Cornelia Ebert, Julian Oeser, Hendrik Edelhoff, Cyril Milleret, Pierre Dupont, Richard Bischof, Wibke Peters
Summary: Forests in Europe are facing increasingly frequent and severe disturbances, which can have profound consequences for the wildlife inhabiting them. To adapt management strategies and coordinate them across borders, reliable estimates of red deer density and abundance are needed. This study conducted a transnational DNA sampling and spatial capture-recapture models to estimate red deer abundance in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem and found that forest disturbances and different management regimes shaped spatial heterogeneity in red deer density.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Meaghan R. Gade, Qing Zhao, William E. Peterman
Summary: This study assessed the spatial variation in demographic rates of a montane endemic lungless terrestrial salamander species across different spatial scales. The results showed that the magnitude of the variation depends on the scale of assessment, and animals exhibit demographic compensation across different environmental gradients.
Article
Ecology
Ellen C. Martin, Brage Bremset Hansen, Aline Magdalena Lee, Ivar Herfindal
Summary: Spatial population synchrony is common and important for predicting extinction risk. The extent of synchrony can be explained by environmental conditions and species sensitivity to the environment. Populations that are closer together experience more similar fluctuations in their environments and are therefore more synchronized.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Marius Grabow, Julie L. P. Louvrier, Aimara Planillo, Sarah Kiefer, Sinah Drenske, Konstantin Boerner, Milena Stillfried, Robert Hagen, Sophia Kimmig, Tanja M. Straka, Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
Summary: The increasing urbanization and habitat fragmentation call for a better understanding of species' habitat requirements and distribution. Species distribution models (SDMs) can help predict habitat suitability, but multiple data sets need to be considered to improve their accuracy. This study investigates the use of data integration techniques to model potential habitat and movement corridors for red squirrels in urban areas, and highlights the importance of considering multiple data sets for more accurate predictions.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Laurie A. Hall, Isa Woo, Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, John Y. Takekawa, David P. Krabbenhoft, Donald Yee, Letitia Grenier, Susan E. W. De La Cruz
Summary: Differences in sediment biogeochemistry among tidal marsh features can result in spatial variation in MeHg production. The MeHg concentrations in sediments and water do not necessarily match those in consumer tissues, possibly due to differences in behavior and physiology among consumers.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert Leech, Reinder Vos De Wael, Frantisek Vasa, Ting Xu, R. Austin Benn, Robert Scholz, Rodrigo M. Braga, Michael P. Milham, Jessica Royer, Boris C. Bernhardt, Emily J. H. Jones, Elizabeth Jefferies, Daniel S. Margulies, Jonathan Smallwood
Summary: Recent theories of cortical organisation propose that the spatial arrangement of brain regions determines their functional features. Association cortex, located farthest from action and perception systems, is interwoven with adjacent regions exhibiting different functional connectivity patterns. The study findings show that function changes more gradually with distance in sensory-motor cortex compared to association cortex. Importantly, systems within the same type of cortex exhibit similar profiles. The differentiation between primary and association cortex lies in how function changes over space, highlighting the importance of topographical features in estimating their contribution to cognition and behavior.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
David Modry, Lada Hofmannova, Petr Papezik, Karolina Majerova, Jan Votypka, Vaclav Honig, Daniel Ruzek, Kristyna Hrazdilova
Summary: The study reported molecular data on Hepatozoon presence in a population of Eurasian red squirrels in the Czech Republic, showing relatedness to sequences from Spain and the Netherlands, forming a single species. This provides a basis for future research on potential exchange of Hepatozoon species between Eurasian red and gray squirrels.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joshua G. Smith, Sabrina C. Garcia
Summary: The study found that sea urchins adapt to food-limited environments by adjusting energy allocation between reproductive capacity and modifications to their foraging apparatus. In sea urchin barrens, reproductive capacity was lower and the morphology of the foraging apparatus was more elongate.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Devon O'Rourke, Nicholas P. Rouillard, Katy L. Parise, Jeffrey T. Foster
Summary: This study assessed the spatial and temporal variability in prey consumed by little brown bats in New Hampshire, USA. The results showed that little brown bats are flexible foragers, capable of consuming a broad array of locally available prey resources.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Victoria Jenneson, Graham P. Clarke, Darren C. Greenwood, Becky Shute, Bethan Tempest, Tim Rains, Michelle A. Morris
Summary: This study examines fruit and vegetable purchasing at the neighborhood level in Leeds, England using transaction records of supermarket loyalty card holders. The results show spatial clustering of fruit and vegetable purchasing, with areas purchasing fewer portions being associated with younger residents, lower affluence, and lower spending per month with the retailer.
Article
Ecology
Gregory F. Albery, Tim H. Clutton-Brock, Alison Morris, Sean Morris, Josephine M. Pemberton, Daniel H. Nussey, Josh A. Firth
Summary: The article describes the decline in social connectedness in individual European red deer as they age, and identifies the underlying mechanisms through spatial and social network analyses. These findings contribute to our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes in wild animal populations.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
