Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qianqian Yin, Zhuo Ren, Xinyue Wen, Beibei Liu, Dazhao Song, Kai Zhang, Hailong Dou
Summary: Leopard populations on the Chinese Loess Plateau have experienced declines and are mainly scattered in fragmented habitats. Genetic analysis of faecal samples revealed moderate mitochondrial diversity and high microsatellite diversity. The Yellow River acts as a barrier, resulting in a distinct population boundary. The time of population divergence was estimated to be between 8700 and 8300 years BP. Based on these findings, it is recommended to divide the leopard population on both sides of the Yellow River into two conservation management units.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Amira Azizan, Stefano Anile, Clayton K. Nielsen, Emmanuel Paradis, Sebastien Devillard
Summary: Studying genetic diversity within species provides insights into their biological traits and ability to cope with global changes. This study found a significant positive correlation between population density and genetic diversity, particularly in observed heterozygosity and allelic richness. The findings highlight the impact of recent demographic processes on neutral genetic diversity in threatened and small populations, and offer a methodological framework for identifying populations that require conservation actions to preserve maximum genetic variation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Bin Huang, Zhongwei Wang, Jianjian Huang, Xiaohui Li, Heng Zhu, Qiang Wen, Li-an Xu
Summary: This study investigated the genetic diversity of Camellia chekiangoleosa and found that the genetic diversity was low overall, with high diversity in central populations and high genetic differentiation among populations. The low genetic diversity can be attributed to small population sizes, bottleneck effects, inbreeding within populations, and low gene flow among populations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jordan B. Bemmels, Oliver Haddrath, Rogan M. Colbourne, Hugh A. Robertson, Jason T. Weir
Summary: Supervolcanoes are capable of emitting mega-colossal eruptions, with the most recent example being the Oruanui eruption of the Taupo supervolcano in New Zealand. These eruptions have significant impacts on habitats and population extinctions. This study focuses on the genetic structure of brown kiwi and finds that the eruptions of the Taupo supervolcano played a major role in reshaping the population differentiation and genetic diversity of the species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Chaoqiang Zhang, Yiwei Tang, Defeng Tian, Yanyan Huang, Guanghui Yang, Peng Nan, Yuguo Wang, Lingfeng Li, Zhiping Song, Ji Yang, Yang Zhong, Wenju Zhang
Summary: Population genetic structure plays a crucial role in conserving genetic resources and understanding evolution. However, its importance is often underestimated when using the most popular method and software for evaluation. This study found that hierarchical STRUCTURE analysis is more accurate in assessing genetic structure than traditional methods.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kenji Fujino, Kenta Shirasawa
Summary: This study elucidated the genetic population structure differences of rice landraces across Japan and identified two phases of differentiation, namely western to eastern and southern to northern phases. These differences may have facilitated the expansion of genetic diversity among local regions.
MOLECULAR GENETICS AND GENOMICS
(2022)
Article
Virology
Marta Canuti, Emilie Bouchard, Bruce Rodrigues, Hugh G. Whitney, Marti Hopson, Cornelia Gilroy, Garry Stenson, Suzanne C. Dufour, Andrew S. Lang, Joost T. P. Verhoeven
Summary: Newlavirus is a newly discovered fox protoparvovirus in Canada, with a high prevalence in foxes from Newfoundland and Labrador. It is not found in samples from other carnivores, indicating foxes may be the natural reservoir of this virus. Further studies should investigate its distribution due to its high prevalence and diversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David E. Ausband
Summary: The genetic composition of an individual has significant effects on its survival and reproduction. Conserving genetic diversity is a challenge as wildlife populations become smaller. This study examines the maintenance of genetic diversity in a population of gray wolves in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S. over 20 years after reintroduction. The study finds that genetic diversity remains relatively unchanged, and inbreeding avoidance may play a role in maintaining genetic diversity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Xiang Li, Minghui Zhao, Yujin Xu, Yan Li, Mulualem Tigabu, Xiyang Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the population genetic structure and genetic differentiation of Pinus koraiensis in northeast China, revealing significant genetic differentiation among populations with high levels of genetic diversity within populations. The results provide valuable genetic information for future genome-wide association studies and breeding programs, contributing to the conservation and management strategies for this valuable conifer species.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Isabel Salado, Michaela Preick, Natividad Lupianez-Corpas, Alberto Fernandez-Gil, Carles Vila, Michael Hofreiter, Jennifer A. A. Leonard
Summary: Gray wolves in the Iberian Peninsula have declined in range and population size due to human persecution and habitat fragmentation. However, they have never gone extinct in Iberia and their numbers have increased and stabilized in recent decades. Despite population growth, genetic diversity has declined, indicating that even expanding populations can lose genetic diversity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Supriya Khedkar, Georgy Smyshlyaev, Ivica Letunic, Oleksandr M. Maistrenko, Luis Pedro Coelho, Askarbek Orakov, Sofia K. Forslund, Falk Hildebrand, Mechthild Luetge, Thomas S. B. Schmidt, Orsolya Barabas, Peer Bork
Summary: Prokaryotic Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) play important roles in evolution and the spread of antibiotic resistance. However, current understanding of their global dispersal is limited. In this study, a computational framework was developed to capture different MGE types and their cargos, allowing for a better understanding of MGE dispersal. The findings were integrated into a resource, providing a valuable tool for future research on the mobile part of genomes and its horizontal dispersal.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Gholam Hosein Yusefi, Raquel Godinho, Leili Khalatbari, Siamak Broomand, Hadi Fahimi, Fernando Martinez-Freiria, Francisco Alvares
Summary: Generalist species like the golden jackal in Iran exhibit high habitat plasticity, genetic diversity, and lack of population structure. They prefer mountainous areas with moderate climates and low human populations, avoiding hyper-arid regions.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xiaohong Lu, Ximei Zhang, Xiaolin Jiao, Jianjun Hao, Shidong Li, Weiwei Gao
Summary: This study focuses on the genetic diversity and population structure of Cylindrocarpon-like fungi (CLF) causing ginseng root diseases in Northeast China. The results indicate that the genetic distance of these pathogens is correlated with geographic locations in this region, suggesting the need for corresponding management strategies.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Bin Huo, Xuan Liu, Shengao Chen, Jieya Liu, Qiong Zhou, Jianzhong Shen, Dapeng Li, Rong Tang, Jing Chen, Xiaoyun Zhou
Summary: Through genetic analysis, it was found that Triplophysa tenuis populations in the Xinjiang Tarim River have high genetic diversity, with three subgroups identified. The results provide important genomic data for the conservation of this species.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jan Buellesbach, Mark Lammers, Jose van de Belt, Bart A. Pannebakker
Summary: This study investigates the differentiation of Nasonia vitripennis into two distinct ecotypes, based on chemical profiles and population genetic divergence. The results show no evidence for the postulated two ecotypes, suggesting free interbreeding and no gene flow interruption between the two host patches. The findings challenge previous assumptions and highlight the importance of chemical ecological assessment and population genetics in studying ecological differentiation and incipient speciation mechanisms in parasitoid wasps.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Wolfram Meier-Augenstein, Arndt Schimmelmann
ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jurian Hoogewerff, Helen F. Kemp, Melanie J. Leng, Wolfram Meier-Augenstein
ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES
(2019)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Wolfram Meier-Augenstein
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Valerio Donfrancesco, Paolo Ciucci, Valeria Salvatori, David Benson, Liselotte Wesley Andersen, Elena Bassi, Juan Carlos Blanco, Luigi Boitani, Romolo Caniglia, Antonio Canu, Claudia Capitani, Guillaume Chapron, Sylwia D. Czarnomska, Elena Fabbri, Marco Galaverni, Ana Galov, Olivier Gimenez, Raquel Godinho, Claudia Greco, Maris Hindrikson, Djuro Huber, Pavel Hulva, Wlodzimierz Jedrzejewski, Josip Kusak, John D. C. Linnell, Luis Llaneza, Jose Vicente Lopez-Bao, Peep Mannil, Francesca Marucco, Luca Mattioli, Pietro Milanesi, Cyril Milleret, Robert W. Myslajek, Andres Ordiz, Vicente Palacios, Hans Christian Pedersen, Cino Pertoldi, Malgorzata Pilot, Ettore Randi, Alejandro Rodriguez, Urmas Saarma, Hakan Sand, Massimo Scandura, Astrid Vik Stronen, Elena Tsingaraska, Nibedita Mukherjee
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
J. O. Waterman, L. A. D. Campbell, L. Marechal, M. Pilot, B. Majolo
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Malgorzata Pilot, Andre E. Moura, Innokentiy M. Okhlopkov, Nikolay V. Mamaev, Abdulaziz N. Alagaili, Osama B. Mohammed, Eduard G. Yavruyan, Ninna H. Manaseryan, Vahram Hayrapetyan, Natia Kopaliani, Elena Tsingarska, Miha Krofel, Pontus Skoglund, Wieslaw Bogdanowicz
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Eugenia Natoli, Roberto Bonanni, Simona Cafazzo, Daniel S. Mills, Dominique Pontier, Malgorzata Pilot
Summary: Through reconstructing the genetic pedigree and assessing kinship patterns, it was found that free-ranging dogs exhibit a polygynandrous mating system with a network of kinship relationships across packs. While retaining some common reproductive patterns with wolves, such as repeated mating of the same pairs and adult offspring staying within packs, the shift in ecological niche from apex predator to human commensal likely influenced this behavior.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Malgorzata Pilot, Andre E. Moura, Innokentiy M. Okhlopkov, Nikolay Mamaev, Ninna H. Manaseryan, Vahram Hayrapetyan, Natia Kopaliani, Elena Tsingarska, Abdulaziz N. Alagaili, Osama B. Mohammed, Elaine A. Ostrander, Wieslaw Bogdanowicz
Summary: The study reveals that introgressive hybridization between wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs can impact gene pools and phenotypic traits, with free-ranging domestic dogs being more influenced by wolf introgression. This introgression may provide an adaptive advantage to free-ranging domestic dogs, but is mainly driven by drift in wolves.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Laura Martinez-Inigo, Antje Engelhardt, Muhammad Agil, Malgorzata Pilot, Bonaventura Majolo
Summary: Lethal gang attacks, observed in both humans and other social mammals, are driven by coalitionary bonds, hostility towards outgroup individuals, and the ability to estimate numerical odds. Crested macaques engage in intergroup gang attacks when the power dynamic favors the attackers, particularly targeting adult females and infants as victims.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Malgorzata Pilot
Summary: The study demonstrates that the true phylogenetic signal within a genome is concentrated in low-recombination regions, and information from these regions is essential for accurately inferring lineage splitting order. Their analytical approaches reveal the possibility of reconstructing complex intraspecific evolutionary relationships.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Alexa Hammond, Thomas Rowland, Daniel S. Mills, Malgorzata Pilot
Summary: Aggressive behavior by dogs is a serious social problem, but the ability to predict individual dogs with increased aggressive tendencies is limited. There is a common perception that certain breeds are more likely to exhibit aggression, leading to breed-specific legislation. However, our study found that breed alone is not a reliable predictor of individual behavioral tendencies, including aggression, and therefore breed-specific legislation is unlikely to be an effective instrument for reducing risk.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Matti T. T. Heino, Tommi Nyman, Jukka U. U. Palo, Jenni Harmoinen, Mia Valtonen, Malgorzata Pilot, Sanni Oversti, Elina Salmela, Mervi Kunnasranta, Risto Vainola, A. Rus Hoelzel, Jouni Aspi
Summary: The Saimaa ringed seal in Finland is an endangered subspecies with low genetic diversity. Through genetic sequencing of museum specimens, it is found that they have affinities to North American ringed seals rather than their traditionally believed Baltic origin. This suggests recent genetic drift and a need to re-evaluate the deep history of this subspecies.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Francelly Martinez Sosa, Malgorzata Pilot
Summary: Adaptive evolution is a process where advantageous variations arise and spread through a population in a specific environmental context. Recent advancements in molecular data and technology have allowed researchers to go beyond description and infer the underlying mechanisms of adaptive evolution. This systematic review discusses articles from 2016 to 2022 that investigated the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in vertebrates in response to environmental variation. Regulatory elements and proteins involved in gene expression and cellular pathways have been found to play important roles, as well as gene losses in certain contexts. Future research should focus on noncoding regions, gene regulation mechanisms, and the conservation of advantageous genotypes to further our understanding of adaptive evolution.
Article
Archaeology
J. S. Sehrawat, Niraj Rai, Wolfram Meier-Augenstein
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2020)
Review
Criminology & Penology
Wolfram Meier-Augenstein
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS: FORENSIC SCIENCE
(2019)
