Article
Ecology
Kostas A. Triantis, Francois Rigal, Robert J. Whittaker, Julian P. Hume, Catherine Sheard, Dimitrios Poursanidis, Jonathan Rolland, Spyros Sfenthourakis, Thomas J. Matthews, Christophe Thebaud, Joseph A. Tobias
Summary: The study found significant convergence in morphological and phylogenetic structure among oceanic archipelago bird communities, which is a result of non-random colonization and in situ adaptation. Similar community assembly patterns were observed in different subsamples. Data from extinct species showed pre- and post-anthropogenic extinction community convergence, highlighting the role of non-random extinction in generating convergence patterns.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carmelo Andujar, Paula Arribas, Heriberto Lopez, Yurena Arjona, Antonio Perez-Delgado, Pedro Oromi, Alfried P. Vogler, Brent C. Emerson
Summary: Most of the understanding of island diversity comes from aboveground systems, while the patterns and processes of diversification and community assembly for belowground biotas remain poorly understood. This study focuses on a young and dynamic oceanic island to advance our understanding of the processes driving community assembly of soil mesofauna. Through DNA metabarcoding and analysis, the study reveals the role of niche conservatism in community assembly and the importance of habitat specialization through colonization and preadapted species. The study also shows hierarchical patterns of distance decay and geographical structuring within the soil mesofaunal community.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philip F. Yang, Nicole Spanier, Parker Aldredge, Nabiha Shahid, Ashley Coleman, Jordan Lyons, J. Adam Langley
Summary: Microbes play a crucial role in biogeochemical transformations and understanding their variability is important for ecosystem function and climate change. However, it is uncertain to what extent microbial community composition controls biogeochemistry independently of other factors. We reviewed literature and conducted experiments to determine the influence of microbial richness on ecosystem function in natural environments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chloe Turner, Maura A. Powell, Rodney R. Finalle, Kate Westmoreland, Kevin Osterhoudt, Ramona Cordero Paulino, Elizabeth D. Lowenthal
Summary: The study identified common health concerns for children in the perirural community of Consuelo, Dominican Republic, such as respiratory infections, asthma, and diarrheal diseases, which were linked to air quality and sanitation issues. Therefore, interventional priorities included reducing trash accumulation and improving sanitation facilities.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alan Fecchio, Henrique Batalha-Filho, Janice H. Dispoto, Jeffrey A. Bell, Jason D. Weckstein
Summary: Amazonia serves as the main source of diversity for haemosporidian parasites in South America, but our understanding of their biogeographical processes and contributions from different areas of endemism is incomplete. This study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus parasites and finds that dispersal is the main driver of Plasmodium diversification, while duplication is more frequent in Parahaemoproteus. The results show that the Inambari area is the primary source of Plasmodium diversity on Marajó Island, but the island receives more Parahaemoproteus lineages from Cerrado habitats than any Amazonian area. The unique dispersal patterns and host-shifting ability of each parasite genus may have facilitated their diversification across Amazonia, with deep evolutionary history potentially constraining their colonization of Marajó Island.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shengyang Lian, Yuanyuan Qu, Chunxiao Dai, Shuzhen Li, Jiawei Jing, Lu Sun, Ying Yang
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of interaction between selenite and microbial community in wastewater and systematically examines the key factors affecting this interaction. The results reveal significant effects of selenite on reactor performance and the structure, composition, and function of the microbial community. The study also highlights the connection between selenite and microbial networks and the regulatory role of selenite in competition and parasitism/predation among microorganisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Daniel S. Jones, Irene Schaperdoth, Diana E. Northup, Rodolfo Gomez-Cruz, Jennifer L. Macalady
Summary: In this study, we examined microbial communities from extremely acidic biofilms and found low biodiversity dominated by Acidithiobacillus bacteria. Interestingly, Acidithiobacillus populations on different continents were substantially divergent, suggesting random colonization from local sources and strong environmental selection.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Qing-Lin Chen, Hang-Wei Hu, Zhen-Zhen Yan, Chao-Yu Li, Bao-Anh Thi Nguyen, An-Qi Sun, Yong-Guan Zhu, Ji-Zheng He
Summary: The study found that microbial communities in termite mounds exhibit a significant distance-decay pattern, with fungi having a stronger distance-decay relationship than bacteria. Deterministic selection, rather than stochastic forces, predominated the microbial community assembly in termite mounds. The findings also show that mean annual temperature was the most important predictor of both bacterial and fungal profiles in termite mounds.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yiming Jiang, Haiying Huang, Yanrong Tian, Xuan Yu, Xiangkai Li
Summary: The study investigated the microbial assembly pattern in petrochemical sludge, revealing different strategies for the abundant and rare operational taxonomic units. Abundant OTUs were more influenced by deterministic processes, while rare OTUs were more affected by weak selection. The results provide insights into the adaptation of bacteria and archaea in petrochemical wastewater treatment.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuo Jiao, Baogang Zhang, Guozhuang Zhang, Weimin Chen, Gehong Wei
Summary: A large-scale cross-biome soil survey in arid regions of northwest China revealed that fungal communities in agricultural soils are more influenced by stochastic assembly processes and have a strong relationship with fungal richness. Aridity was identified as the most important environmental factor affecting fungal richness, beta-diversity, and species co-occurrence patterns. These findings advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying biogeographic patterns and assembly processes of fungal communities in arid ecosystems, and can be used to predict species co-occurrence and diversity patterns under climate aridity and land-use change scenarios.
Article
Ecology
Farzad Aslani, Stefan Geisen, Daliang Ning, Leho Tedersoo, Mohammad Bahram
Summary: Soil fungi, protists, and animals are essential for ecosystem functions in terrestrial ecosystems, but there is still a lack of holistic understanding of the processes shaping the global distribution of the eukaryome. The study found that the community structure of eukaryotic microbes and animals is primarily determined by soil pH and mean annual precipitation, with contrasting latitudinal diversity patterns observed. Additionally, there may be a potential link between body size and niche breadth of soil eukaryotes and the relative effects of ecological processes and environmental factors in driving their biogeographic patterns.
Article
Ecology
Jonathan D. Kennedy, Petter Z. Marki, Andrew H. Reeve, Mozes P. K. Blom, Dewi M. Prawiradilaga, Tri Haryoko, Bonny Koane, Pepijn Kamminga, Martin Irestedt, Knud A. Jonsson
Summary: The study on passerine birds in New Guinea reveals that species distribution and evolution are closely related to elevation and geographic location, with differences in phylogeny and endemism between lowland and mountain species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Yang Gao, Haiyan Song, Fan Zhou, Shuanglin Chen, Gang He, Junqing Yan, Qibiao Sun, Haozhi Long, Zhijun Zhai, Dianming Hu, Haijing Hu
Summary: Myxomycetes are important microorganisms in soil environments, and their community assembly is influenced by both biotic and spatial factors. Bacterial community structure has the greatest effect on the turnover of myxamoebae, followed by spatial factors. This study provides important insights into the distribution and function of these ecologically important microorganisms.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xianzhe Gong, Zhiyi Chen, Ye Deng, Duo Zhao, Ping Gao, Liang Zhang, Qichao Tu, Lingyun Qu, Liwen Zheng, Yong Zhang, Chao Song, Jihua Liu
Summary: Marine microbial communities assemble along sediment depth gradients, affected by various factors. Archaeal community assembly is determined by determinism, while bacterial community assembly is dominated by stochasticity. Rare taxa play a significant role in community stabilization, suggesting the importance of studying benthic microbial interactions in the bottom sediments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guihao Li, Yaping Wang, Han Li, Xiaoli Zhang, Jun Gong
Summary: Biotic interactions play a major role in microbial diversity, but they have not been adequately quantified, leading to unexplained residual variation in microbial biogeographic studies. In this study, a holistic approach was proposed to understand the importance of inter-domain interactions in shaping microbial diversity by considering community-level characteristics. The research found that eukaryotic characteristics were better predictors of bacterial diversity indices and community structure compared to environmental and spatial variables alone. The study also highlighted the significance of non-grazing interacting processes in shaping bacterial diversity and community assembly.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dan L. Warren, Nicholas J. Matzke, Marcel Cardillo, John B. Baumgartner, Linda J. Beaumont, Michael Turelli, Richard E. Glor, Nicholas A. Huron, Marianna Simoes, Teresa L. Iglesias, Julien C. Piquet, Russell Dinnage
Summary: ENMTools software package was initially introduced as a Perl script in 2008 but later transitioned into a new R version with added functionality for model fit, overlapping measurements and testing of evolutionary hypotheses. The R version of ENMTools is designed to simplify the construction, comparison and evaluation of niche models within the expanding universe of R tools for ecological biogeography.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel H. Shain, Philip M. Novis, Andrew G. Cridge, Krzysztof Zawierucha, Anthony J. Geneva, Peter K. Dearden
Summary: The study revealed the presence of various undescribed species in the glacier environment of New Zealand's southwestern coast, indicating not only a biodiversity hotspot but also highlighting the adaptive plasticity of microinvertebrate Animalia.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher K. Boccia, Lindsey Swierk, Fernando P. Ayala-Varela, James Boccia, Isabela L. Borges, Camilo Andres Estupinan, Alexandra M. Martin, Ramon E. Martinez-Grimaldo, Sebastian Ovalle, Shreeram Senthivasan, Ken S. Toyama, Maria del Rosario Castaneda, Andres Garcia, Richard E. Glor, D. Luke Mahler
Summary: Diving arthropods and semi-aquatic anoles have evolved to respire underwater using air stored between their cuticle and surrounding water, allowing them to stay submerged for extended periods of time. This specialized adaptation, known as rebreathing, is facilitated by thin air layers supported by the animal's hydrophobic skin upon submergence, enhancing dive performance and enabling the clearance of carbon dioxide and uptake of oxygen from the surrounding water. The presence of this unique ability in semi-aquatic species suggests that specialized rebreathing is adaptive for habitat specialists in aquatic environments.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Pietro Longo Hollanda de Mello, Paul M. Hime, Richard E. Glor
Summary: This study identified candidate color and color-pattern genes in squamate reptiles through comparative transcriptomic analyses and found that squamates may produce similar colors using distinct color-reflecting molecules. The results suggest that both color and color-pattern genes are likely conserved across vertebrates.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isaac Overcast, Megan Ruffley, James Rosindell, Luke Harmon, Paulo A. Borges, Brent C. Emerson, Rampal S. Etienne, Rosemary Gillespie, Henrik Krehenwinkel, D. Luke Mahler, Francois Massol, Christine E. Parent, Jairo Patino, Ben Peter, Bob Week, Catherine Wagner, Michael J. Hickerson, Andrew Rominger
Summary: Biodiversity accumulates hierarchically through ecological and evolutionary processes, and by using simulations to integrate different data dimensions, it is possible to make accurate predictions and distinguish community assembly models.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dan G. Bock, Simon Baeckens, Jessica N. Pita-Aquino, Zachary A. Chejanovski, Sozos N. Michaelides, Pavitra Muralidhar, Oriol Lapiedra, Sungdae Park, Douglas B. Menke, Anthony J. Geneva, Jonathan B. Losos, Jason J. Kolbe
Summary: Our study showed that hybridization in invasive populations is influenced by changes in natural selection, with stable genetic structure over time suggesting limited gene flow among invasive populations. The persistence of hybrids in invasive populations is attributed to changes in natural selection during invasion. Additionally, a large-effect X chromosome locus associated with limb length variation plays a role in hybrid adaptation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Raphael Scherrer, Colin M. Donihue, Robert Graham Reynolds, Jonathan B. Losos, Anthony J. Geneva
Summary: The study revealed significant differences in dewlap coloration among habitat types within small islands, sometimes over very short distances. While differences existed across islands, the hypothesis of similar local adaptive processes occurring over smaller spatial scales was not supported, indicating potential involvement of neutral processes or selection, including sexual selection.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nathalie Feiner, Miguel Brun-Usan, Pedro Andrade, Robin Pranter, Sungdae Park, Douglas B. Menke, Anthony J. Geneva, Tobias Uller
Summary: This study reveals that a female-limited polymorphism in the brown anole's dorsal patterning is controlled by a single locus containing the gene CCDC170, which is coexpressed with the Estrogen receptor-1 gene and regulates cell migratory behaviors. Agent-based modeling demonstrates that changes in cell migratory behaviors are sufficient to switch between morphs.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Christopher J. Sottolano, Nicole T. Revaitis, Anthony J. Geneva, Nir Yakoby
Summary: Researching the diversity among Drosophila species provides an opportunity to study the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of biological phenomena, but many species lack tools like sequenced genomes, posing challenges to research. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering, successful disruption of the w gene in D. nebulosa was achieved, revealing the essential role of the w gene in mating.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Anthony J. Geneva, Sungdae Park, Dan G. Bock, Pietro L. H. de Mello, Fatih Sarigol, Marc Tollis, Colin M. Donihue, R. Graham Reynolds, Nathalie Feiner, Ashley M. Rasys, James D. Lauderdale, Sergio G. Minchey, Aaron J. Alcala, Carlos R. Infante, Jason J. Kolbe, Dolph Schluter, Douglas B. Menke, Jonathan B. Losos
Summary: Rapid technological improvements have made high-quality genome assemblies more accessible, allowing non-traditional and emerging model species to be studied at the genome level. This study presents a complete chromosome-scale genome assembly for the brown anole lizard, Anolis sagrei, and proposes a hypothesis for the evolutionary history of its sex chromosomes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristin M. Winchell, Shane C. Campbell-Staton, Jonathan B. Losos, Liam J. Revell, Brian C. Verrelli, Anthony J. Geneva
Summary: Urbanization has significant impacts on landscapes, including fragmentation, degradation, and loss of biodiversity. However, urban environments also provide opportunities to study rapid evolutionary changes in wild populations that survive and thrive in these habitats. This study focuses on the genetic basis of adaptive phenotypic differentiation in urban populations of Anolis cristatellus, a neotropical lizard. The researchers find that parallel phenotypic changes in response to urban environmental change are underpinned by parallel genetic changes, and identify candidate genes associated with this adaptive morphological divergence. This research sheds light on the genomic basis of complex morphological adaptations and highlights the value of urban environments for studying evolution.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew P. Heinicke, Stuart V. Nielsen, Aaron M. Bauer, Ryan Kelly, Anthony J. Geneva, Juan D. Daza, Shannon E. Keating, Tony Gamble
Summary: Hoplodactylus delcourti is a presumably extinct species of gecko, known only from a single specimen. It is the largest known gekkotan, and based on external features, it was thought to belong to the New Zealand genus Hoplodactylus. However, DNA analysis revealed that it is actually related to a clade of geckos endemic to New Caledonia. The convergence in form between H. delcourti and New Zealand Hoplodactylus can be partially explained by repeated changes in toe pad structure.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jody M. Taft, Krystal A. Tolley, Graham J. Alexander, Anthony J. Geneva, Bonnie Fraser
Summary: High-quality genome assemblies for two southern African dwarf chameleon species, Bradypodion pumilum and Bradypodion ventrale, were generated using Pacific Biosciences long-read sequencing data. The assemblies exhibited a high level of completeness based on BUSCO analysis, and comparison between the genome alignments revealed a high level of synteny. Coalescent analysis of genomic data also indicated a correlation between historical changes in effective population size and shifts in the southern African environment. These high-quality genomes will facilitate future research on the evolutionary history, diversification, and genetic underpinnings of adaptation in Bradypodion.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Tanner C. Myers, Pietro L. H. De Mello, Richard E. Glor
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2020)
