Article
Plant Sciences
Tam Minh Nguyen, Duy Dinh Vu, Hien Phan Dang, Xuan Thi Tuyet Bui, Hong Phan Lan Nguyen, Duc Minh Nguyen
Summary: Moderate levels of genetic diversity and differentiation were found in Anisoptera costata. Population divergence during the Younger Dryas was detected. The anthropogenic disturbance significantly impacted the genetic diversity of the species in low tropical forests.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lisa Lehnen, Pierre-Loup Jan, Anne-Laure Besnard, Damien Fourcy, Gerald Kerth, Martin Biedermann, Pierrette Nyssen, Wigbert Schorcht, Eric J. Petit, Sebastien J. Puechmaille
Summary: Genetic diversity within species is essential for population and ecosystem persistence and integrity, influenced significantly by factors such as population size and connectivity. This study highlights the importance of historic bottlenecks, contemporary colony size, and connectivity in shaping genetic diversity, with contemporary connectivity having the most profound impact at a large geographic scale. Understanding the relative importance of these factors over time is crucial for effective conservation planning.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ramesh Prasad Sapkota, Narayan Babu Dhital, Kedar Rijal
Summary: Forest fires have significant ecological effects on vegetation patterns. This study investigates the biomass loss of woody plant seedlings caused by fire and its impacts on the demographic structure of plants in Terai forests of Nepal. The results show that fire leads to a high density of resprouting and newly grown seedlings, while also negatively affecting the biomass and demographic structure of woody plants.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yuheng Huang, Harsh Shukla, Yuh Chwen G. Lee
Summary: Transposable elements (TEs) are selfish genetic parasites that increase their copy number at the expense of host fitness. The abundance of TEs differs greatly between species, and this study explores the role of TE-mediated local enrichment of repressive marks in determining genomic TE abundance. The results show that the TE-mediated effect varies across and even within species, and the transcription of neighboring genes can impact this spreading. This multi-species analysis highlights the importance of host chromatin landscapes in shaping genome evolution through the epigenetic effects of TEs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Matthew R. Jones, Daniel E. Winkler, Rob Massatti
Summary: The study found that in a small desert region in southeast Utah, demographic and ecological mechanisms promote diversification, endemism, and rarity in the threatened Astragalus species complex. High-throughput DNA sequencing revealed the impacts of demographic history, geographical and ecological distances on genetic differentiation, and identified potential adaptive loci.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bernardo Antunes, Clara Figueiredo-Vazquez, Katarzyna Dudek, Marcin Liana, Maciej Pabijan, Piotr Zielinski, Wieslaw Babik
Summary: This study investigates the connectivity patterns of two closely related newt species using genomic data and tools from landscape genetics. The results show that forest habitat is important for connectivity in both species, but they differ in their use of forested habitat. Anthropogenic landscapes increase resistance in both species, but have a stronger effect on the range-restricted species.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Marc A. Beer, Rachael A. Kane, Steven J. Micheletti, Christopher P. Kozakiewicz, Andrew Storfer
Summary: Understanding the genetic differentiation and local adaptation is crucial for addressing rapid environmental changes. This study investigates the genetic patterns and adaptation of the streamside salamander across its geographic range, providing insights into its potential response to environmental changes. The findings suggest a polygenic architecture of adaptation and identify candidate genes contributing to local adaptation.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kyra S. Fitz, Humberto R. Montes Jr, Diane M. Thompson, Malin L. Pinsky
Summary: This study combines genetic isolation-by-distance patterns and oceanographic simulations to generate fine-scale estimates of dispersal for coral reef fish in the central Philippines. The results demonstrate the influences of ocean currents and geographic distance on dispersal, where ocean currents play a stronger role at larger spatial extents and geographic distance remains the best explanation at smaller spatial extents.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Armin R. W. Elbers, Jose L. Gonzales
Summary: This study investigated the influence of host species (dairy cow, sheep, and a light-trap) and distance of measurement to hosts on Culicoides abundance using sweep-net catches. The results showed that dairy cows were stronger attractors of Culicoides midges than sheep, and both livestock hosts were stronger attractors than the light-trap. Culicoides abundance decreased with increasing distance from the hosts, especially for dairy cows. In contrast, Culicoides abundance increased with increasing distance from the light-trap, indicating the shortcomings of the light-trap as a surrogate host. These findings have important implications for transmission modeling of vector-borne diseases.
Article
Plant Sciences
Megan Rhianne Quail, Flavio Nunes Ramos, Thom Dallimore, Paul Ashton, Jennifer Clayton-Brown, Jim Provan, Sven Peter Batke
Summary: Increasing urban expansion has led to the decline of natural and seminatural communities globally. This study examined the connectivity and genetic structure of Tillandsia recurvata populations in urban green spaces. The results showed low connectivity and high genetic structure between urban populations, indicating the potential negative impact of urbanization on sensitive epiphytic species. This study provides valuable insights into epiphyte population structure in urban landscapes.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kyle M. Ewart, Toby G. L. Kovacs, James Walker, Nikolai J. Tatarnic, Huon Clark, Nathan Lo
Summary: Through genetic analysis of two troglomorphic cockroach species, this study found that the subterranean habitat in Pilbara region is conducive to gene flow over relatively large distances, which differs from the high levels of endemism observed in other subterranean taxa within the region. The differing patterns of gene flow among the Pilbara and Queensland study species illustrate the importance of different subterranean habitats on patterns of dispersal and vicariance.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Flor Hernandez, Joshua I. Brown, Marissa Kaminski, Michael G. Harvey, Philip Lavretsky
Summary: The study explores hybridization among introduced feral Rock Pigeon and Eurasian Collared-Dove and native White-winged and Mourning doves in southwestern North America, finding limited evidence of extensive hybridization but detecting six putative contemporary late-stage hybrids involving the Mourning Dove. The research highlights the importance of using multiple marker types to infer complex evolutionary histories and considers important factors when analyzing populations that were recently established or of domestic origins.
Article
Ecology
Justin A. Gude, Nicholas J. DeCesare, Kelly M. Proffitt, Sarah N. Sells, Robert A. Garrott, Imtiaz Rangwala, Mark Biel, Jessica Coltrane, Julie Cunningham, Tammy Fletcher, Karen Loveless, Rebecca Mowry, Megan O'Reilly, Ryan Rauscher, Michael Thompson
Summary: Climate change disproportionately affects species in ecosystems with hard boundaries. This study developed predictive models to analyze the impact of climate change and pneumonia epidemics on mountain goat populations in Montana, USA. The findings highlight the importance of reducing uncertainty and implementing adaptive management strategies to improve the conservation of alpine species.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nathan W. Byer, Thomas E. Dilts, Eveline S. Larrucea, Miranda M. Crowell, Kevin T. Shoemaker, Peter J. Weisberg, Marjorie D. Matocq
Summary: This study investigates the effects of pluvial lakes and sagebrush cover on genetic connectivity for the pygmy rabbit. Findings suggest that sagebrush distribution has a stronger explanatory power than pluvial lakes, and projections of sagebrush distribution align with mid-Holocene genetic connectivity. Limited dispersal pathways indicate spatially restricted corridors of connectivity, highlighting the importance of maintaining sagebrush cover for the population persistence of pygmy rabbits.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
William E. Peterman, Nathaniel S. Pope
Summary: The field of landscape genetics is rapidly evolving and using regression-based frameworks to infer the contributions of landscape and habitat variables to genetic differentiation. It is important to model a single conductance or resistance surface as a parameterized function of spatial covariates and estimate parameters by linking resistance distances to genetic dissimilarity. Nuisance parameters in regression models should not be confused with the mapping between spatial covariates and conductance/resistance.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Stephan Peischl, Isabelle Dupanloup, Adrien Foucal, Michele Jomphe, Vanessa Bruat, Jean-Christophe Grenier, Alexandre Gouy, K. J. Gilbert, Elias Gbeha, Lars Bosshard, Elodie Hip-Ki, Mawusse Agbessi, Alan Hodgkinson, Helene Vezina, Philip Awadalla, Laurent Excoffier
Article
Entomology
Jennifer Goff, Catherine Yerke, Nusha Keyghobadi, Stephen F. Matter
Article
Zoology
A. E. Gradish, N. Keyghobadi, F. A. H. Sperling, G. W. Otis
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Marzieh Asadi Aghbolaghi, Faraham Ahmadzadeh, Bahram Kiabi, Nusha Keyghobadi
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Stephan Peischl, Kimberly J. Gilbert
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kimberly J. Gilbert, Fanny Pouyet, Laurent Excoffier, Stephan Peischl
Article
Ecology
Maryam Jangjoo, Stephen F. Matter, Jens Roland, Nusha Keyghobadi
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Stephen F. Matter, Jennifer Goff, Nusha Keyghobadi, Jens Roland
Article
Zoology
Marzieh Asadi Aghbolaghi, Faraham Ahmadzadeh, Bahram H. Kiabi, Nusha Keyghobadi
ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nusha Keyghobadi, Lindsay A. Crawford, Sylvie Desjardins
Summary: Research on the northern peripheral populations of Behr's hairstreak butterfly in Canada found low genetic diversity, high allele frequency variation between years, and low estimates of effective population size. These populations may be at risk of high genetic drift and genetic stochasticity, hindering their adaptation to rapidly changing environmental conditions and contributing to a contraction of their range under climate change.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Kimberly J. Gilbert, Antoine Moinet, Stephan Peischl
Summary: By modeling the establishment of clines during range expansions due to the surfing of underdominant alleles, this study investigates spatial genetic structure, potential species divergence, and the formation of stable hybrid zones. The results show that gene surfing can lead to species divergence and range expansions can set the stage for parapatric speciation through the alignment of multiple selective clines.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kimberly J. Gilbert, Stefan Zdraljevic, Daniel E. Cook, Asher D. Cutter, Erik C. Andersen, Charles F. Baer
Summary: The distribution of fitness effects for new mutations is a crucial property in population genetics, but inferring it from natural genetic variation faces challenges such as selfing, genome structure, and natural selection on linked sites. Improved methods are needed to handle these challenges in inferring the DFE.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marius Roesti, Kimberly J. Gilbert, Kieran Samuk
Summary: Chromosomal inversions can promote local adaptation and population divergence by linking multiple adaptive alleles into nonrecombining genomic blocks. However, reduced recombination within inversions when ecological conditions change may limit their ability to adapt to novel ecological conditions, contributing to the maintenance of polymorphism within species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shayla L. Kroeze, Adrienne Brewster, Jessica E. Linton, D. Ryan Norris, Gard W. Otis, Yvonne Young, Nusha Keyghobadi
Summary: In this study, we described 24 microsatellite loci for the at-risk North American butterfly, the Mottled Duskywing. Using Illumina sequencing, we initially identified 41 loci and refined them to 24 variable and amplifiable loci. We characterized these loci in 34 individuals from a single population and found 2 to 10 alleles per locus. These microsatellites will be valuable for investigating population differentiation and diversity in the Mottled Duskywing.
CONSERVATION GENETICS RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adrian M. Altenhoff, Clement-Marie Train, Kimberly J. Gilbert, Ishita Mediratta, Tarcisio Mendes de Farias, David Moi, Yannis Nevers, Hale-Seda Radoykova, Victor Rossier, Alex Warwick Vesztrocy, Natasha M. Glover, Christophe Dessimoz
Summary: OMA is a resource that elucidates evolutionary relationships among 2326 genes, providing functions such as pairwise and groupwise orthologs and functional annotations. The updated OMA database has been reorganized into gene-, group-, and genome-centric pages, with new features and improvements added.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)