Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariana Louro, Tetiana A. Kuzmina, Christina M. Bredtmann, Irina Diekmann, Luis M. Madeira de Carvalho, Georg Von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Juergen Kruecken
Summary: Cyathostomins, important intestinal nematode parasites of equines, include 50 accepted species. This study found no obvious differentiation between geographic regions or equine host species, and a combined analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial haplotypes improved resolution of the phylogeny. This approach should be applied to remaining cyathostomin species across different equine host species and geographic regions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Wanhao Chen, Jiandong Liang, Xiuxiu Ren, Jiehong Zhao, Yanfeng Han, Zongqi Liang
Summary: The study identified cryptic diversity in several Isaria farinosa strains, proposing two new species. Results emphasize the need for more attention to cryptic intraspecific diversity in different isolates and genotypes of Isaria-like fungi.
Article
Ecology
Corey T. Callaghan, Diana E. Bowler, Shane A. Blowes, Jonathan M. Chase, Mitchell B. Lyons, Henrique M. Pereira
Summary: Broad-scale biodiversity monitoring relies on citizen scientists. It is important to understand the spatial pattern of citizen scientists' sampling effort and its deviation from an optimal pattern. This study develops a workflow to estimate the optimal distribution of sampling effort for species diversity inference using citizen science data.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Vanja Bugarski-Stanojevic, Gorana Stamenkovic, Vida Jojic, Nada Cosic, Dusko Cirovic, Oliver Stojkovic, Jelena Velickovic, Ivo Savic
Summary: This study explores cryptic speciation in blind mole rats, providing molecular genetic records and proposing conservation strategies based on the analysis of chromosomal forms and mitochondrial gene sequences. The findings highlight the need for taxonomic revision and detailed monitoring of cryptic species for conservation purposes.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jonas Jourdan, Mirco Bundschuh, Denis Copilas-Ciocianu, Cene Fiser, Michal Grabowski, Kamil Hupalo, Anita Jemec Kokalj, Jana Kabus, Joerg Roembke, Laura J. Soose, Joerg Oehlmann
Summary: The use of genetic methods has allowed the discovery of previously undistinguishable species based on morphology. However, these cryptic species are rarely considered in ecotoxicology, which can lead to false extrapolations and lack of reproducibility in experiments. It is crucial to address the ecological differentiation and sensitivity of closely related cryptic species for evolutionary ecology, conservation biology, and regulatory ecotoxicology.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sabrina M. Deeley, Nicholas J. Kalen, Samuel R. Freeze, Elaine L. Barr, W. Mark Ford
Summary: The study found that increasing the number of sample sites within a survey area, rather than increasing the number of nights at individual sampling sites, is more effective in detecting the presence of extant bat species in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The effort required to detect a given bat species varies by species, land-cover type, and physiographic region.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Maria Pia Miglietta, Sarah Pruski
Summary: Sampling in multiple localities and molecular barcoding reveal the presence of local cryptic species in allopatry in wide-ranging nominal species. However, cryptic species in sympatry can easily be missed if they have different seasonality and require long-term frequent sampling for identification. This study investigates the presence of cryptic species within a temporal gradient and on a spatial scale in Hydrozoa using mitochondrial sequencing and finds a high number of sympatric cryptic species. The bi-dimensional cryptic diversity highlighted in this study is crucial for understanding evolution processes, biogeography, and biodiversity assessments in the sea.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniele De Luca, Roberta Piredda, Diana Sarno, Wiebe H. C. F. Kooistra
Summary: Marine protists have traditionally been considered low in diversity and widespread, but recent studies have shown the presence of cryptic species complexes. Overcoming sampling and methodological limitations, global metabarcoding data analysis reveals geographic and ecological differentiation driving speciation among marine protists.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew J. Christmas, Julia C. Jones, Anna Olsson, Ola Wallerman, Ignas Bunikis, Marcin Kierczak, Valentina Peona, Kaitlyn M. Whitley, Tuuli Larva, Alexander Suh, Nicole E. Miller-Struttmann, Jennifer C. Geib, Matthew T. Webster
Summary: Evidence suggests that gene flow commonly occurs between recently diverged species, despite barriers to gene flow. Genetic barriers to gene flow often accumulate in regions of low recombination and near centromeres.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Pauline Guenser, Samuel Ginot, Gilles Escarguel, Nicolas Goudemand
Summary: Taxonomy is the first step in biodiversity studies, but the accuracy of taxa delineation can be influenced by sampling effort, especially in the presence of transitional forms. This study highlights the complexity of taxonomic work and emphasizes the importance of extensively illustrating, measuring, and comparing material to better understand morphological variability and delineate taxa.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
J. Luis Leal, Pascal Milesi, Jarkko Salojarvi, Martin Lascoux
Summary: In this study, a new approach is proposed that uses genomic polarization to analyze the phylogenetic history of polyploid hybrid species. It simplifies the complex and expensive process by directly performing phasing on the multiple-sequence alignment. The method is demonstrated to accurately identify the ancestral species of polyploids using simulated data.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingming Cao, Chengjian Zheng, Dong Yang, Edward Kalkreuter, Ajeeth Adhikari, Yu-Chen Liu, Mostafa E. Rateb, Ben Shen
Summary: Through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, it has been shown that the conversion of TACs may result from two non-enzymatic steps, possibly mediated by endogenous hydrogen sulfide. Therefore, TACs are proposed to derive from a detoxification process.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Christophe Botella, Alexis Joly, Pierre Bonnet, Francois Munoz, Pascal Monestiez
Summary: This study introduces a method for jointly estimating sampling effort and species densities to avoid biases in species distribution models. The proposed method accurately estimated sampling effort when constant within spatial mesh cells. Inferences were correct and robust to sampling variation within cells, providing reliable SDM for large presence-only datasets.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Victoria I. Verhoeve, Tyesha D. Fauntleroy, Riley G. Risteen, Timothy P. Driscoll, Joseph J. Gillespie
Summary: This study identified a symbiotic Rickettsia species called Rickettsia buchneri that blocks tick superinfection with other Rickettsia pathogens. The researchers also identified a gene that can be used to assess R. buchneri infection frequency in tick populations.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natasha Gilbert
Summary: After the signing of a significant biodiversity agreement last year, countries are currently debating the fair financing of conservation efforts.
Review
Fisheries
Henry S. Lane, Cara L. Brosnahan, Robert Poulin
Summary: Dedicated studies on aquatic disease in New Zealand began in 1974, with a focus on aquatic disease ecology and diseases of commercial species. However, aquatic disease in New Zealand has not received much attention and there is a need to address knowledge gaps on future threats such as climate change, invasive species, and pollution. More attention from the wider marine science community is needed.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Fisheries
Jerusha Bennett, Bronwen Presswell, Robert Poulin
Summary: A comprehensive understanding of helminth biodiversity in New Zealand's marine environment is lacking, with records of parasitic helminths being few and uneven across host taxa. Taxonomical uncertainties and incomplete life cycle knowledge are common issues, highlighting the need for further research to fill these knowledge gaps and improve understanding of parasite diversity in the region. The study also suggests that species of greater conservation concern are being investigated for helminths less frequently than those of low conservation concern, indicating potential impacts on conservation efforts.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Fatima Jorge, Nolwenn M. Dheilly, Celine Froissard, Eleanor Wainwright, Robert Poulin
Summary: The study found that different life stages of the parasite trematode have distinct bacteriomes compared to their host and the external environment. Additionally, trematodes from different geographic locations display differences in bacteriome composition, although they share more bacterial taxa than different life stages from the same location. This suggests non-random, stage-specific acquisition, selection and/or propagation of bacteria along the parasite's developmental history.
Article
Parasitology
Fatima Jorge, Celine Froissard, Nolwenn M. Dheilly, Robert Poulin
Summary: This study demonstrates that the microbial community of a trematode parasite can be experimentally altered by antibiotic exposure within its snail host. The results reveal dynamic changes in the bacterial community over time after exposure, leading to a new state different from the pre-exposure state.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Jean-Francois Doherty, Robert Poulin
Summary: Host manipulation by parasites can affect host behavior and energy flow in food webs. This study found that higher numbers of hairworm cysts in caddisfly larvae correlated with a faster transition from water to land. The presence of dormant hairworms appears to impact the development of aquatic hosts, potentially accelerating their transition.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Christian Selbach, Kim N. Mouritsen, Robert Poulin, Bernd Sures, Nico J. Smit
Summary: The One Health framework emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment but often overlooks the significance of aquatic parasites in understanding these interconnections, particularly in the context of environmental changes.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Antoine Filion, Jean-Francois Doherty, Robert Poulin
Summary: To better understand disease emergence patterns, it is important to integrate phylogenetic information in disease ecology. However, the integration of phylogenetic information is still lacking and potential solutions to this problem are highlighted.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Daniela de Angeli Dutra, Alan Fecchio, Erika Martins Braga, Robert Poulin
Summary: This study analyzed whether migratory behavior affects the coevolutionary congruence between avian hemoparasites and hosts. The results showed that migratory behavior neither weakens nor strengthens this coevolutionary congruence, suggesting that other avian host traits are more influential in generating phylogenetic congruence in this host-parasite system.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antoine Filion, Lucas Deschamps, Chris N. Niebuhr, Robert Poulin
Summary: Anthropogenic changes can have significant impacts on wild populations and contribute to the emergence of diseases, such as avian malaria, which threaten native bird species in New Zealand. Understanding the cascading effects of human modifications on fragile species is crucial for conservation efforts.
Article
Biology
Robert Poulin, Cameron McDougall, Bronwen Presswell
Summary: This study investigated the naming trends of nearly 2900 new species of parasitic helminths described in the past two decades. The findings suggest that the likelihood of new species being given names that convey information about them or not depends on the higher taxonomic group to which the parasite or its host belongs. Furthermore, there is a consistent gender bias among species named after eminent scientists, with male scientists being immortalized more frequently than female scientists. The study also reveals an increasing tendency to name new species after family members or close friends.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jerusha Bennett, Robert Poulin, Bronwen Presswell
Summary: Parasitic helminths with complex life cycles require multiple hosts, and we have limited knowledge about invertebrate hosts compared to vertebrates. In New Zealand, less than 1% of marine invertebrates have records of parasite infections, indicating a lack of understanding about invertebrate parasites in marine ecosystems. This study provides a comprehensive parasite-host checklist, including data from the literature and newly discovered infections in New Zealand.
INVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Robert Poulin, Fatima Jorge, Priscila M. Salloum
Summary: Alterations in host phenotype induced by metazoan parasites are influenced by the composition of symbiotic microbial communities living within individual parasites. Microbiome composition variation among individual parasites can explain the variation in the extent of alterations to host phenotype. Two approaches are proposed to further understand the impact of microbiome composition on host-parasite interactions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Robert Poulin, Cameron McDougall
Summary: Treating host-parasite associations as bipartite interaction networks provides insights into structural patterns and possible causes in fish-parasite communities. Network analysis revealed that tropical fish-parasite networks are more stable than temperate networks. At the species level, different transmission modes do not affect the centrality of parasite species within the networks, but certain taxa, such as branchiurans, acanthocephalans, and larval trematodes, have higher centrality values and may play a key role in network cohesion.
Article
Parasitology
Robert Poulin, Daniela de Angeli Dutra, Bronwen Presswell
Summary: The study found that there was no significant temporal change in the length of specific names for parasitic helminth species described in the past two decades, with an average length of just over 9 letters. Acanthocephalan species were found to have longer specific names compared to other helminth taxa. Although most species had shorter specific names than genus names, there was no clear relationship between the lengths of the two.
SYSTEMATIC PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Jean-Francois Doherty, Antoine Filion, Robert Poulin
Summary: Parasites such as hairworms modify the behavior of their terrestrial hosts to increase transmission and reproduction. This study found new host records for hairworms and suggests that their host specificity is low, indicating a greater diversity and distribution than previously known in New Zealand.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)