Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew Barnbrook, Mario Duran-Castillo, Jo Critchley, Yvette Wilson, Alex Twyford, Andrew Hudson
Summary: The study of speciation cases involving parallel adaptations can reveal adaptive characters and their underlying genes. By studying the parallel evolution of alpine morphology in the genus Antirrhinum, it was found that two later diverged sympatric species only differ by around 2% of nuclear loci, but still maintain morphological characters typical of earlier-diverged alpine or lowland lineages and correlate with local landscape features, as expected of ecological adaptations. The morphological differences involve multiple, unlinked genes that can be easily broken up by recombination in hybrids. There is little evidence of post-pollination barriers to gene flow or recombination, suggesting that genetic isolation related to ecological adaptation is important in maintaining character combinations and might have contributed to parallel speciation. Genes involved in the earlier alpine-lowland split were also reused in parallel evolution of alpine species, consistent with introgressive hybridization, and it is speculated that many non-ecological barriers to gene flow might have been purged during the process.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jae Young Choi, Xiaoguang Dai, Ornob Alam, Julie Z. Peng, Priyesh Rughani, Scott Hickey, Eoghan Harrington, Sissel Juul, Julien F. Ayroles, Michael D. Purugganan, Elizabeth A. Stacy
Summary: The study conducted an evolutionary genomics analysis of genus Metrosideros, a landscape-dominant adaptive radiation of woody plants in Hawaii. It was found that Hawaiian Metrosideros originated from a single colonization event and showed evidence of extensive reticulation and admixture between taxa. Divergent selection was identified as driving the formation of differentiation outliers in early stages of speciation/divergence.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexander Mackintosh, Roger Vila, Dominik R. Laetsch, Alex Hayward, Simon H. Martin, Konrad Lohse
Summary: Chromosome rearrangements play a role in promoting reproductive isolation between fritillary butterflies. This study investigates the speciation of Brenthis daphne and Brenthis ino and identifies nine chromosome fissions and fusions. The results show that these rearrangements have reduced gene flow and directly contribute to reproductive isolation.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Leon Hilgers, Stefanie Hartmann, Jobst Pfaender, Nora Lentge-Maass, Ristiyanti M. Marwoto, Thomas von Rintelen, Michael Hofreiter
Summary: This study investigates the role of radula diversification in the divergence of Tylomelania ecomorphs. The results show higher sequence divergence and differential gene expression in radula transcriptomes compared to mantle and foot. Some candidate genes also contribute to trophic specialization in other animal groups, suggesting that certain molecular pathways are prone to adaptive diversification.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emilie J. Richards, Joseph A. McGirr, Jeremy R. Wang, Michelle E. St. John, Jelmer W. Poelstra, Maria J. Solano, Delaney C. O'Connell, Bruce J. Turner, Christopher H. Martin
Summary: This study investigated the evolutionary origins and stages of vertebrate adaptive radiation using the genomes of 202 Caribbean pupfishes. They found evidence supporting hybrid swarm origins and temporal stages of adaptation in an adaptive radiation event on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. The research demonstrates how ancient alleles from different environmental refugia can be reassembled into new adaptive combinations, providing insights into the spatiotemporal landscape of adaptation and speciation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rishi De-Kayne, Oliver M. Selz, David A. Marques, David Frei, Ole Seehausen, Philine G. D. Feulner
Summary: This study on genomic research of Alpine whitefish radiations reveals the role of genetic architecture and hybridization in diversification and evolution. The results show that ecological and morphological diversification is associated with genome-wide allele frequency shifts and a specific gene edar, while highlighting the importance of introgression between species from different lake-systems in the evolution and persistence of unique traits and ecology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Emilie J. Richards, Christopher H. Martin
Summary: This study reports the discovery of an intermediate ecological form in a radiation of Cyprinodon pupfishes, highlighting the transition from a generalist to a specialist. The intermediate form is genetically differentiated from the generalist and specialist, and shares genetic variation with other scale-eating species. This research provides a new framework for studying the microevolutionary processes of ecological transitions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
James M. Alfieri, Michelle M. Jonika, Jennifer N. Dulin, Heath Blackmon
Summary: In this article, the authors synthesized data from thousands of insect species and used biologically realistic models to infer the tempo and mode of chromosome evolution among insect orders. The results showed significant variation in the rate and pattern of chromosome number evolution among different orders. These findings have important implications for understanding speciation and guiding future genome sequencing studies.
Article
Ecology
Erik D. Nelson, Qian Cong, Nick V. Grishin
Summary: Recent studies have shown that diverged butterfly populations in North America exhibit high levels of divergence on the Z chromosome compared to autosomes. Simulation results suggest that closely linked interacting gene clusters on the Z chromosome increase levels of divergence, consistent with the distribution of functionally related genes in butterfly genomes.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nare Ngoepe, Moritz Muschick, Mary A. Kishe, Salome Mwaiko, Yunuen Temoltzin-Loranca, Leighton King, Colin Courtney Mustaphi, Oliver Heiri, Giulia Wienhues, Hendrik Vogel, Maria Cuenca-Cambronero, Willy Tinner, Martin Grosjean, Blake Matthews, Ole Seehausen
Summary: Adaptive radiations play a crucial role in generating biodiversity, but the relative importance of species' ecological versatility and arrival order in determining which lineage radiates is still unclear. Through analyzing the fossil record of cichlid fishes in Lake Victoria, it was found that their ecological versatility was key to their persistence in new habitats, suggesting that it played a major role in adaptive radiation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nare Ngoepe, Moritz Muschick, Mary A. Kishe, Salome Mwaiko, Yunuen Temoltzin-Loranca, Leighton King, Colin Courtney Mustaphi, Oliver Heiri, Giulia Wienhues, Hendrik Vogel, Maria Cuenca-Cambronero, Willy Tinner, Martin Grosjean, Blake Matthews, Ole Seehausen
Summary: This study presents a continuous fossil record showing how haplochromine cichlids came to dominate the fish fauna of Lake Victoria in Africa.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jianbo Jian, Liandong Yang, Xiaoni Gan, Bin Wu, Li Gao, Honghui Zeng, Xuzhen Wang, Zhiqiang Liang, Ying Wang, Lihua Fang, Jie Li, Sanjie Jiang, Kang Du, Beide Fu, Mingzhou Bai, Ming Chen, Xiaodong Fang, Huanzhang Liu, Shunping He
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis of the East Asian cyprinids including the silver carp and bighead carp, revealing their evolution and speciation. The expanded gene families in these two carp species were found to be associated with diseases, the immune system, and environmental adaptations, while genetic markers differentiating populations were identified, linked to reproductive system development and female sexual characteristics.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lin Yang, Fuwen Wei, Xiangjiang Zhan, Huizhong Fan, Pengpeng Zhao, Guangping Huang, Jiang Chang, Yinghu Lei, Yibo Hu
Summary: This study investigates the genomics of takins and reveals the existence of two phylogenetic species and recent speciation. Two genetically divergent subspecies were also identified. The findings provide insights into the scientific conservation of takins and the biogeography of the Himalaya-Hengduan biodiversity hotspot.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Edgar L. Y. Wong, Dmitry A. Filatov
Summary: It is well known that closely related species can hybridize and exchange genetic material, which can either promote or hinder adaptation and speciation. The heterogeneity of genomes in most eukaryotic species, such as variations in gene density, repetitive DNA, and chromatin compactness, can determine susceptibility to gene exchange from other species. Recombination rates also greatly influence the permeability of genomic regions to interspecific introgression, with regions lacking recombination impeding genetic exchange. The presence of large rarely recombining regions in plant genomes plays a significant role in preserving species identity in hybridizing plant species.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph Heras, Christopher H. Martin
Summary: This study compares the gut microbiota of two trophic specialist pupfishes with closely related and distant generalist populations. The results show that the gut microbiota largely reflects phylogenetic distance among species, rather than their trophic specialization. However, certain bacterial groups were found to be enriched in the specialist populations, suggesting an adaptive shift in their microbiomes. The study highlights the importance of understanding the functional role of microbiota in trophic diversification.
Article
Ornithology
Vojtech Brlik, Pavel Pipek, Kate Brandis, Nikita Chernetsov, Fabio J. V. Costa, L. Gerardo Herrera M., Yosef Kiat, Richard B. Lanctot, Peter P. Marra, D. Ryan Norris, Chima J. Nwaogu, Petra Quillfeldt, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Craig A. Stricker, Robert L. Thomson, Tianhao Zhao, Petr Prochazka
Summary: Reusing avian tissue samples can lead to multispecies or large-scale studies, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the generation of new ideas, ultimately enhancing the quality and impact of research. Additionally, sample reuse can reduce the need for new samples and is especially beneficial for endangered species where sample collection is limited.
Article
Zoology
Michal Sulc, Anna E. Hughes, Jolyon Troscianko, Gabriela Stetkova, Petr Prochazka, Milica Pozgayova, Lubomir Pialek, Radka Pialkova, Vojtech Brlik, Marcel Honza
Summary: Individual identification is crucial for studying animal ecology and evolution. This study used an automatic analytical approach to predict the identity of bird females based on the appearance of their eggs, and focused on the common cuckoo as a model species. The results showed that individual cuckoo females lay eggs with a relatively constant appearance and that eggs laid by more genetically distant females differ more in colour. The novel method of automatic analysis outperformed human observers and can reliably assign eggs without genetic data to their mothers.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Milica Pozgayova, Jaroslav Kolecek, Marcel Honza, Petr Prochazka
Summary: This study examined the behavior of great reed warbler parents fostering common cuckoos and factors influencing their timing of autumn migration. The results showed that the parents fostering the cuckoos did not have delayed departure or arrival compared to parents caring for their own nestlings. There was also no effect of hatching date and parent sex on the timing of autumn migration. Future research should focus on female parents and post-fledging survival of young.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jiri Reif, Zdenek Vermouzek, Petr Vorisek, Dusan Romportl, Federico Morelli
Summary: Variation in bird community composition across habitats can be seen through changes in species' ecological characteristics. Although habitat type explains a relatively low proportion of variability in these characteristics, there are significant differences in ecological characteristics between broad habitat categories and within specific habitat types. Factors such as habitat-specific selection pressures, biogeographic constraints, and human-induced habitat changes can drive these patterns.
Correction
Ecology
Walter Jetz, Grigori Tertitski, Roland Kays, Uschi Mueller, Martin Wikelski, Susanne Akesson, Yury Anisimov, Aleksey Antonov, Walter Arnold, Franz Bairlein, Oriol Balta, Diane Baum, Mario Beck, Olga Belonovich, Mikhail Belyaev, Matthias Berger, Peter Berthold, Steffen Bittner, Stephen Blake, Barbara Block, Daniel Bloche, Katrin Boehning-Gaese, Gil Bohrer, Julia Bojarinova, Gerhard Bommas, Oleg Bourski, Albert Bragin, Alexandr Bragin, Rachel Bristol, Vojtech Brlik, Victor Bulyuk, Francesca Cagnacci, Ben Carlson, Taylor K. Chapple, Kalkidan F. Chefira, Yachang Cheng, Nikita Chernetsov, Grzegorz Cierlik, Simon S. Christiansen, Oriol Clarabuch, William Cochran, Jamie Margaret Cornelius, Iain Couzin, Margret C. Crofoot, Sebastian Cruz, Alexander Davydov, Sarah Davidson, Stefan Dech, Dina Dechmann, Ekaterina Demidova, Jan Dettmann, Sven Dittmar, Dmitry Dorofeev, Detlev Drenckhahn, Vladimir Dubyanskiy, Nikolay Egorov, Sophie Ehnbom, Diego Ellis-Soto, Ralf Ewald, Chris Feare, Igor Fefelov, Peter Fehervari, Wolfgang Fiedler, Andrea Flack, Magnus Froboese, Ivan Fufachev, Pavel Futoran, Vyachaslav Gabyshev, Anna Gagliardo, Stefan Garthe, Sergey Gashkov, Luke Gibson, Wolfgang Goymann, Gerd Gruppe, Chris Guglielmo, Phil Hartl, Anders Hedenstrom, Arne Hegemann, Georg Heine, Maggi Hieber Ruiz, Heribert Hofer, Felix Huber, Edward Hurme, Fabiola Iannarilli, Marc Illa, Arkadiy Isaev, Bent Jakobsen, Lukas Jenni, Susi Jenni-Eiermann, Brett Jesmer, Frederic Jiguet, Tatiana Karimova, N. Jeremy Kasdin, Fedor Kazansky, Ruslan Kirillin, Thomas Klinner, Andreas Knopp, Andrea Koelzsch, Alexander Kondratyev, Marco Krondorf, Pavel Ktitorov, Olga Kulikova, R. Suresh Kumar, Claudia Kuenzer, Anatoliy Larionov, Christine Larose, Felix Liechti, Nils Linek, Ashley Lohr, Anna Lushchekina, Kate Mansfield, Maria Matantseva, Mikhail Markovets, Peter Marra, Juan F. Masello, Joerg Melzheimer, Myles H. M. Menz, Stephen Menzie, Swetlana Meshcheryagina, Dale Miquelle, Vladimir Morozov, Andrey Mukhin, Inge Mueller, Thomas Mueller, Juan G. Navedo, Ran Nathan, Luke Nelson, Zoltan Nemeth, Scott Newman, Ryan Norris, Olivier Nsengimana, Innokentiy Okhlopkov, Wioleta Oles, Ruth Oliver, Teague O'Mara, Peter Palatitz, Jesko Partecke, Ryan Pavlick, Anastasia Pedenko, Alys Perry, Julie Pham, Daniel Piechowski, Allison Pierce, Theunis Piersma, Wolfgang Pitz, Dirk Plettemeier, Irina Pokrovskaya, Liya Pokrovskaya, Ivan Pokrovsky, Morrison Pot, Petr Prochazka, Petra Quillfeldt, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Marilyn Ramenofsky, Ajay Ranipeta, Jan Rapczynski, Magdalena Remisiewicz, Viatcheslav Rozhnov, Froukje Rienks, Vyacheslav Rozhnov, Christian Rutz, Vital Sakhvon, Nir Sapir, Kamran Safi, Friedrich Schaeuffelhut, David Schimel, Andreas Schmidt, Judy Shamoun-Baranes, Alexander Sharikov, Laura Shearer, Evgeny Shemyakin, Sherub Sherub, Ryan Shipley, Yanina Sica, Thomas B. Smith, Sergey Simonov, Katherine Snell, Aleksandr Sokolov, Vasiliy Sokolov, Olga Solomina, Fernando Spina, Kamiel Spoelstra, Martin Storhas, Tatiana Sviridova, George Swenson, Phil Taylor, Kasper Thorup, Arseny Tsvey, Marlee Tucker, Sophie Tuppen, Woody Turner, Innocent Twizeyimana, Henk van der Jeugd, Louis van Schalkwyk, Marielle van Toor, Pauli Viljoen, Marcel E. Visser, Tamara Volkmer, Andrey Volkov, Sergey Volkov, Oleg Volkov, Jan A. C. von Ronn, Bernd Vorneweg, Bettina Wachter, Jonas Waldenstrom, Natalie Weber, Martin Wegmann, Aloysius Wehr, Rolf Weinzierl, Johannes Weppler, David Wilcove, Timm Wild, Hannah J. Williams, John H. Wilshire, John Wingfield, Michael Wunder, Anna Yachmennikova, Scott Yanco, Elisabeth Yohannes, Amelie Zeller, Christian Ziegler, Anna Ziecik, Cheryl Zook
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Frederic Jiguet, Paul Dufour, Kevin J. Kardynal, Keith A. Hobson, Jose Luis Copete, Jose Luis Arroyo, Raymond W. Lee, Hamid Rguibi-Idrissi, Petr Prochazka
Summary: This study reveals the migration strategy and wintering sites of the Iberian and North African populations of reed warblers. The results show that Spanish reed warblers are likely to moult south of the Sahara and winter in West Africa, while Moroccan reed warblers undergo post-breeding moult north of the Sahara and possibly migrate to West Africa. Additionally, the study suggests that there are variations in the post-breeding moult strategy of reed warblers according to breeding latitude.
Article
Ecology
Stefan J. G. Vriend, Vidar Grotan, Marlene Gamelon, Frank Adriaensen, Markus P. Ahola, Elena Alvarez, Liam D. Bailey, Emilio Barba, Jean-Charles Bouvier, Malcolm D. Burgess, Andrey Bushuev, Carlos Camacho, David Canal, Anne Charmantier, Ella F. Cole, Camillo Cusimano, Blandine F. Doligez, Szymon M. Drobniak, Anna Dubiec, Marcel Eens, Tapio Eeva, Kjell Einar Erikstad, Peter N. Ferns, Anne E. Goodenough, Ian R. Hartley, Shelley A. Hinsley, Elena Ivankina, Rimvydas Juskaitis, Bart Kempenaers, Anvar B. Kerimov, John Atle Kalas, Claire Lavigne, Agu Leivits, Mark C. Mainwaring, Jesus Martinez-Padilla, Erik Matthysen, Kees van Oers, Markku Orell, Rianne Pinxten, Tone Kristin Reiertsen, Seppo Rytkonen, Juan Carlos Senar, Ben C. Sheldon, Alberto Sorace, Janos Torok, Emma Vatka, Marcel E. Visser, Bernt-Erik Saether
Summary: Identifying the environmental drivers of variation in fitness-related traits is important in ecology and evolution. This study examined the influence of local climatic variables on spatial synchrony in fitness-related traits among bird populations in Europe. The researchers found that temperature strongly affected spatial synchrony in laying date for blue tits and great tits but not for pied flycatchers. Understanding how environmental conditions influence trait values improves our understanding of environmental impacts on populations.
Article
Ecology
Vojtech Brlik, Petr Prochazka, Bengt Hansson, Craig A. Stricker, Elizabeth Yohannes, Rebecca L. Powell, Michael B. Wunder
Summary: This study developed a isotopic map based on sulphur isotopes to trace the origins of migratory animals in sub-Saharan Africa and found large-scale segregation and differences in climatic variation in their nonbreeding grounds. The link between migratory patterns and large-scale climatic variability appears important to understand population trajectories in many declining migratory animals.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Camille Sottas, Jiri Reif, Lubomir Pialek, Manon Poignet, Pavel Kverek, Pawel T. Dolata, Radka Reifova
Summary: Understanding reproductive isolation is important for evolutionary biology. Studying patterns of interspecific hybridization in hybrid zones can provide insight into this process. In this study, patterns of hybridization were examined in two closely related passerine species, the common nightingale and the thrush nightingale, revealing strong, yet incomplete, reproductive isolation between the species. The results suggest that nightingales are a useful model system for studying speciation with ongoing gene flow after secondary contact.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David Storch, Jaroslav Kolecek, Petr Keil, Zdenek Vermouzek, Petr Vorisek, Jiri Reif
Summary: This study reveals that reducing the population change trajectory of bird populations to a linear trend may obscure the complex responses of bird populations to changing human activities. By using multivariate analysis, the study decomposes bird population dynamics into different driving factors and finds that climate change and species traits are crucial drivers of complex population dynamics of central European birds.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adriana Holoskova, Tomas Kadlec, Jiri Reif
Summary: This study evaluates the invertebrate food availability and vegetation structure of three widespread crops (wheat, maize, and rapeseed) during their breeding. The research found that wheat, although it had the most suitable vegetation structure for birds, had limited food supply due to frequent insecticide treatment. Maize and rapeseed provided higher invertebrate abundance and biomass, but their stands created unsuitable vegetation structures for farmland birds. Conservation measures should include reducing field size and insecticide application to improve the food supply and vegetation structure.
Article
Ecology
Vaclav Bystricky, Lenka Dvorakova, Jiri Reif
Summary: Ecological succession results in a sequence of habitat types after disturbance, with different species communities associated with each type. The conservation status of these communities informs about environmental pressures on the habitats. We focused on birds and compared their conservation status across different habitat types in Central Europe.
Article
Cell Biology
Radka Reifova, S. Lorena Ament-Velasquez, Yann Bourgeois, Jenn Coughlan, Jonna Kulmuni, Agnieszka P. Lipinska, Genta Okude, Laurie Stevison, Kohta Yoshida, Jun Kitano
Summary: Intrinsic postzygotic isolation, caused by genetic incompatibilities between diverged parental genomes, typically results in reduced viability or fertility of interspecific hybrids. Dobzhansky-Muller interactions and chromosomal rearrangements have long been considered as major mechanisms behind intrinsic postzygotic isolation, but recent research suggests a more complex genetic basis involving overall sequence divergence and epigenetic changes.
COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Niki Vontzou, Yifan Pei, Jakob C. Mueller, Radka Reifova, Francisco J. Ruiz-Ruano, Stephen A. Schlebusch, Alexander Suh
Summary: In this article, the authors review the evolutionary history, genetic content, and expression of the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) in songbirds, and discuss its involvement in genetic conflicts. They also explore the potential role of the GRC in songbird germline development and highlight several unresolved mysteries.
CURRENT OPINION IN GENETICS & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Jiri Reif, Zdenek Vermouzek, Petr Vorisek, Dusan Romportl, Javier Rivas-Salvador, Federico Morelli
Summary: Forest and urban habitats in Czechia have the highest bird species richness, while cropland has the lowest. Grassland and other open habitats have higher species richness, although fewer than forests, and are similar to wetland.