Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Bechteler, Alfons Schaefer-Verwimp, David Glenny, D. Christine Cargill, Karola Maul, Nicole Schuetz, Matt von Konrat, Dietmar Quandt, Martin Nebel
Summary: This study presents the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Metzgeria, showing its diversity and ancestral ranges. Results indicate that Metzgeria started diversifying in the Cretaceous and its biogeographic history was directly shaped by Gondwana vicariance between South America and Australasia.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caitlin M. Baker, Rebecca S. Buckman-Young, Cristiano S. Costa, Gonzalo Giribet
Summary: RNA sequencing and phylogenomic analysis were used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships within the phylum Onychophora, revealing a well-supported phylogeny for the family Peripatopsidae with signals of Gondwanan vicariance. However, the family Peripatidae in the Neotropical region showed unstable relationships largely due to amino acid-translated sequence data. Discordant phylogenetic signal between genes may indicate a rapid, mid-Cretaceous radiation in the group.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paula Arribas, Carmelo Andujar, Antonia Salces-Castellano, Brent C. Emerson, Alfried P. Vogler
Summary: Research using high-throughput sequencing analyzed soil arthropod communities in three Iberian mountain regions, identifying significant differences in local assemblage composition between grasslands and forests. The study revealed a self-similar distance decay pattern across different hierarchical levels, suggesting that limited dispersal processes shape community assembly at the local scale. These findings provide insight into how dispersal limitations influence mesofauna community structure and may challenge current estimations of total arthropod diversity on Earth.
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Sherpa, Daniele Salvi, Iolanda Silva-Rocha, Thibaut Capblancq, Josephine R. Paris, Miguel Angel Carretero, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: This study combines population genomics, demographic models, and paleogeographical reconstructions to investigate the colonization dynamics of wall lizards in Mediterranean archipelagos. The results reveal that many island populations were colonized long before human settlements, either through land bridges or over-sea rafting. However, islands further from the continent were often colonized more recently, coinciding with historical records of human arrival. Additionally, long-established island populations exhibit lower genetic diversity compared to recently colonized islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ben Bettisworth, Stephen A. Smith, Alexandros Stamatakis
Summary: Computing ancestral ranges using the DEC model of biogeography is time-consuming due to the large matrix exponential computation. This study introduces Lagrange-NG, a faster version of the Lagrange tool, which achieves significant speedups and allows analysis of datasets with a large number of regions. Lagrange-NG also improves coding quality standards compared to its predecessor.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Geography, Physical
Alycia L. Stigall
Summary: Biotic immigration events, in which organisms from one geographic region invade and become established in a new region, have had significant impacts on diversification patterns and processes throughout Earth history. The Richmondian Invasion is a well-studied example of such events, with multiple waves of invasion into the Cincinnati Basin during the Katian Stage. Detailed studies have documented the general patterns of this invasion and its effects on paleocommunities, establishing it as a coordinated invasion within the Invasion Hierarchy.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Weston L. Testo, Andre L. de Gasper, Sonia Molino, Jose Maria Gabriel y Galan, Alexandre Salino, Vinicius Antonio de Oliveira Dittrich, Emily B. Sessa
Summary: This study analyzed sequence data of the fern family Blechnaceae and found that the group originated in Eurasia in the late Cretaceous, and diversified mainly in the austral Pacific region during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Long-distance dispersal is frequent and asymmetrical, with Australia and tropical America being major source areas; climate-mediated vicariance shaped current distributions.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lily Shapiro, Greta J. Binford, Ingi Agnarsson
Summary: This study explores the phylogeography of the Caribbean and proximal mainland spiny orbweavers and suggests that overwater dispersal primarily from North/Central America has led to multiple independent colonizations of the region. The findings highlight the greater species richness of Micrathena in the Caribbean than previously known.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zheng Zhang, Guangyue Wen, Dexiao Bu, Guojun Sun, Sheng Qiang
Summary: Canada goldenrod is an invasive plant species that spreads rapidly through wind dispersal, traveling longer distances and in greater amounts in the downwind direction. The temperature and wind speed positively affect the dispersal amount, while relative humidity negatively affects it.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
G. Voelker, J. W. Huntley, J. Bryja, C. Denys, R. Sumbera, T. C. Demos, L. Lavrenchenko, V Nicolas, T. P. Gnoske, J. C. Kerbis Peterhans
Summary: Climbing mice in the genus Dendromus are distributed widely in Africa, with considerable variation in species and habitats occupied. Through a comprehensive survey, the systematics and biogeography of Dendromus have been assessed, leading to the recognition of three genera within the group. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and ancestral area reconstructions provide insights into the evolutionary history and distribution of these climbing mice species.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
William B. Ludt
Summary: Biogeographers have long been intrigued by the disjunct distributions of flora and fauna, particularly when species are present in temperate or polar regions of both hemispheres but absent near the equator. Researchers have proposed various hypotheses regarding the mechanisms responsible for this pattern and emphasized the importance of using an integrative approach in future studies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sung-Joo Lee, Hyojin Cho, Yuyoung Choi, Won Il Choi, Hye In Chung, No Ol Lim, Youngwoo Nam, Seongwoo Jeon
Summary: This study proposed a path-finding algorithm based on road networks as a more precise assessment method for human-vectored long-distance dispersals (HVLDD). By comparing with the widely used Euclidean distance method, the algorithm provided more accurate estimation of dispersal distances in the case of pine wilt disease. The study also revealed that most HVLDD events occurred and ended on small roads, while large roads accounted for the majority of the total dispersal length.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Italo Mourthe, Renato R. Hilario, William D. Carvalho, Jean P. Boubli
Summary: This study investigates the impact of river characteristics on primate species diversity in the Brazilian Amazon. It finds that although Amazonian rivers act as barriers for many primate species in the short term, this effect does not hold over longer time scales.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francis J. Nge, Jurgen Kellermann, Ed Biffin, Michelle Waycott, Kevin R. Thiele
Summary: The study investigates the biogeographic history of Pomaderris, a plant genus found in Australia and New Zealand, using molecular phylogeny and time-calibrated analysis. The research reveals that Pomaderris originated in the Oligocene with a widespread distribution in Australia, and multiple long-distance dispersal events to New Zealand during the Pliocene-Pleistocene. The findings highlight the importance of dispersal in shaping the current distribution patterns of Pomaderris and the broader New Zealand flora.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Michael Heads, John R. Grehan
Summary: The study of biogeographic patterns in the Galapagos Islands reveals shared patterns among different groups that coincide spatially with specific tectonic structures. Research suggests that species in the Galapagos Islands may have survived by dispersing populations from older islands to new ones for colonization.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jose M. Fedriani, Pedro J. Garrote, Gemma Calvo, Miguel Delibes, Antonio R. Castilla, Magdalena Zywiec
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Magdalena Zywiec, Jose M. Fedriani, Przemyslaw Kurek, Jan Holeksa
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonio R. Castilla, Pedro J. Garrote, Magdalena Zywiec, Gemma Calvo, Alberto Suarez-Esteban, Miguel Delibes, Jose A. Godoy, F. Xavier Pico, Jose M. Fedriani
Article
Ecology
Miguel E. Jacome-Flores, Pedro Jordano, Miguel Delibes, Jose M. Fedriani
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
J. M. Fedriani, D. Ayllon, T. Wiegand, V Grimm
Article
Ecology
Pedro J. Garrote, Antonio R. Castilla, Jose M. Fedriani
Summary: One advantageous strategy for landscape restoration is the use of nurse plants, with a study showing that a Mediterranean endemic palm is the most important nurse species. This species can promote spatial associations with late-successional plant species and save additional resources.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pedro Jose Garrote, Antonio Ramon Castilla, Jose Maria Fedriani
Summary: This study investigates the role of nurse-beneficiary plant interactions in the success of revegetation projects, showing that shifts in plant-plant interactions can affect plant recruitment and performance. The study also highlights the strong inter-individual variation in these interactions and proposes management recommendations to increase plant recruitment and project success.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Tamara Burgos, Jose M. Fedriani, Gema Escribano-Avila, Javier Seoane, Javier Hernandez-Hernandez, Emilio Virgos
Summary: The presence of apex predators can have significant impacts on food webs, affecting the abundance and foraging behavior of frugivorous carnivores, as well as seed dispersal and the demography of fleshy-fruited plant species. Understanding these ecological interactions is crucial for designing effective conservation strategies, particularly in rewilding programs.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Raquel Munoz-Gallego, Jose M. Fedriani, Pau E. Serra, Anna Traveset
Summary: Plant-animal interactions have a wide range of effects on plant reproductive success. This study examines the isolated and joint effects of two introduced herbivores on pollinator abundance and plant reproductive success in the Mediterranean dwarf palm.
Article
Ecology
M. Teresa Alonso-Lopez, Pedro J. Garrote, Jose M. Fedriani
Summary: The spatial distribution of individuals has important effects on the reproduction of self-incompatible trees, with higher conspecific density resulting in competition for pollinators. However, trees close to flowering conspecifics have higher fruit set despite receiving fewer visits from pollinators, indicating pollen limitation rather than pollinator limitation. Additionally, spatially isolated trees have higher crop sizes, which may be attributed to reduced competition for resources and higher reproductive investment.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victor Gonzalez-Garcia, Pedro J. Garrote, Jose M. Fedriani
Summary: Although farmlands are the most extensive terrestrial biomes, the abandonment of traditional agriculture has created opportunities and challenges for the restoration of human-disturbed habitats. This study found that the spatial distribution of perch plants affects the seed arrival via frugivorous birds, with isolated plants receiving more bird feces and dispersed seeds. These findings provide valuable insights for the restoration of disturbed habitats.
Article
Ecology
Brayan Morera, Victor Montalvo, Eduardo Carrillo, Ronald Sanchez, Miriam Selwyn, Jose M. Fedriani, Carolina Saenz-Bolanos, Todd K. Fuller
Summary: The study examines the spatial and temporal interactions between white-tailed deer and horses in Costa Rica. The results suggest that white-tailed deer prefer areas with horses and habitats such as grassland and shrubland. Although there is a high degree of overlap in activity patterns between horses and white-tailed deer, the presence of horses does not negatively affect the spatiotemporal activity of white-tailed deer.
RANGELAND ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Raquel Munoz-Gallego, Thorsten Wiegand, Anna Traveset, Jose M. Fedriani
Summary: This study investigates the interaction between Mediterranean palm and feral goat, and finds that the intensity of goat activity affects palm distribution, seed rain, and seed predation. In areas with low goat activity, seeds are spatially aggregated around adult palms but experience higher insect-seed predation and lower seed germination success. In areas with high goat activity, palm seed dispersal and recruitment are almost non-existent due to heavy consumption by goats. The study shows how the outcome of plant-animal interactions can vary from mutualism to antagonism and even reproductive collapse depending on species abundance and activity.
Article
Plant Sciences
P. J. Garrote, M. N. Bugalho, J. M. Fedriani
Summary: This study investigates the effects of plant intrinsic and extrinsic factors on plant-ungulate interactions in Mediterranean ecosystems. The results suggest that severe clipping and seedling aging decrease seedling survival, while moderate clipping has no effect. Nurse shrubs play a role in increasing seedling size and improving survival. The study emphasizes the importance of managing severe herbivory and summer droughts to protect plant communities.
Article
Ecology
Jose M. Fedriani, Gemma Calvo, Miguel Delibes, Daniel Ayllon, Pedro J. Garrote
