Article
Geology
Shuo Wang, Xiaoxuan Long, Hongrui Zhang, Haohong Cai, Michael S. Engel, Chao Shi
Summary: The present study reports the discovery of unique leaflets of a semi-aquatic fern in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar and describes a new species of Marsileaceae. The new species has fan-shaped leaflets without a midvein, dichotomous venation partially anastomosing, and dense hairs on the dorsal base radiating upward. This finding represents the first record of semi-aquatic ferns of the Marsileaceae in Myanmar amber and demonstrates their ecological adaptability in the aquatic environments of the mid-Cretaceous.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stacy D. Holt Jr, Erin M. Sigel, Brittany L. Sutherland, Pedro Bond Schwartsburd, James B. Beck
Summary: The aquatic fern Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch is an invasive species that can have devastating effects on freshwater habitats. The lack of clarity surrounding its genomic composition and genetic diversity hampers eradication efforts. This research reveals that S. molesta has multiple divergent genotypes and its maternal progenitor is likely an undescribed or extinct species, indicating multiple origins of this hybrid. The observed genomic diversity has significant implications for successful management and biological control of this invasive species.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
N. K. Konotop, Yu. S. Vinogradova, E. V. Chemeris, A. A. Bobrov
Summary: Using data from published sources, herbarium collections, and internet resources, researchers have tracked the change in distribution of Salvinia natans in Russia from the early 20th century until 2021. They found that temperature indicators in specific months have the highest statistical significance in determining the fern's distribution. The species has expanded significantly in different regions, and if current temperature trends persist, it is expected to continue expanding further north, east, and west in Russia.
INLAND WATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Tong Chen, Siyuan Wang, Xinwei Jiang, Ying Huang, Minghe Mo, Zefen Yu
Summary: Most species of Didymellaceae are associated with diseases of land plants, but their occurrence in aquatic plants is not well known. In this study, 51 isolates belonging to Didymellaceae were obtained from endophytes in aquatic plants. Through genetic analysis, two new varieties belonging to Boeremia and 12 new species distributed into seven genera were identified. The high frequency of new species suggests that aquatic plants may be a special ecological niche promoting species differentiation, and further investigation of fungal resources in aquatic environments is necessary.
Review
Plant Sciences
Sylvia P. Kinosian, Carol A. Rowe, Paul G. Wolf
Summary: The mechanisms controlling chromosome number and its relationship to genome size in plants are not fully understood. There is a stark difference in chromosome number between homosporous and heterosporous lineages, and understanding the reasons behind this difference is of great importance for evolutionary biology.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Silvina A. Contreras, Juan M. Robledo
Summary: The Gran Chaco Americano is a major biogeographic and morphostructural territory in South America, with the Eastern Chaco being the wettest region and having diverse environments. Fossilized aquatic ferns discovered in the Fidelidad Formation provide insights into the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Eastern Chaco.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrea S. Meseguer, Ruben Carrillo, Sean W. Graham, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: The relatively low diversity of aquatic angiosperms compared to their terrestrial relatives is caused by lower speciation and higher extinction rates, as well as infrequent transitions from land to water. The stressful conditions and limited space in aquatic habitats are hypothesized to explain this pattern.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anetta Hanc, Alwyn R. Fernandes, Jerzy Falandysz, Ji Zhang
Summary: The study investigated the mercury and selenium content in different developmental stages of Amanita muscaria mushrooms, finding that the concentrations of these elements may be related to growth demands, with selenium levels significantly higher than mercury. This research may be significant for those who consume Amanita muscaria mushrooms, given selenium's role in mitigating mercury toxicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Virology
Fangxin Lu, Shuang Wu, Yimin Ni, Yongxin Yu, Songzhe Fu, Yongjie Wang
Summary: In this study, the complete genome sequence of a new RNA virus, named marine RNA virus Yangshan-LWW (YS-LWW), was obtained from Yangshan Harbor. Further analysis revealed that YS-LWW belongs to a new species in the genus Locarnavirus and is widely detected in coastal and freshwater environments, suggesting its potential significance in aquatic ecosystems.
ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Armisen, Severine Viala, Isabelle da Rocha Silva Cordeiro, Antonin Jean Johan Crumiere, Elisa Hendaoui, Augustin Le Bouquin, Wandrille Duchemin, Emilia Santos, William Toubiana, Aidamalia Vargas-Lowman, Carla Fernanda Burguez Floriano, Dan A. Polhemus, Yan-Hui Wang, Locke Rowe, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo Moreira, Abderrahman Khila
Summary: Key innovations enable access to new adaptive zones and increase species diversification. Water striders and their relatives provide an excellent model to study the patterns and processes of species diversification following the conquest of new adaptive zones. By reconstructing a new phylogeny of Gerromorpha, this study uncovered important patterns and dynamics of phenotypic evolution resulting from the initial event of water surface invasion.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hossein Masigol, Forough Rezakhani, Mohammad Javad Pourmoghaddam, Seyed Akbar Khodaparast, Hans-Peter Grossart
Summary: Several undescribed fungal species were isolated from freshwater habitats in Anzali Lagoon in Iran, belonging to the genera Arthrobotrys and Sarocladium. Morphological descriptions, illustrations, and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis were provided for these new species.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aleksandra Jaszczynska, Andrzej Falniowski, Simona Prevorcnik, Artur Osikowski, Sebastian Hofman
Summary: The Western Balkans is home to the richest subterranean aquatic gastropod fauna in the world. In this study, the genetic diversity of Belgrandiella populations from caves, springs, and interstitial aquifers was assessed using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, histone 3, and RAPD analysis. The results suggest that these snails form a metapopulation with low gene flow between populations.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alex Rodrigues Gomes, Italo Nascimento Freitas, Thiarlen Marinho da Luz, Abraao Tiago Batista Guimaraes, Amanda Pereira da Costa Araujo, Chinnaperumal Kamaraj, Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul Islam, Andres Hugo Arias, Fabia Barbosa da Silva, Sengodan Karthi, Omar Cruz-Santiago, Fabiano Guimaraes Silva, Guilherme Malafaia
Summary: Recently, there has been increasing attention on the impacts of microplastics (MPs) on plants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of polyethylene MPs (PE MPs) on Salvinia auriculata, a freshwater vascular plant. The results showed that exposure to PE MPs caused changes in plant growth/development, epidermal thickness, leaf necrosis, chlorosis, and root deformations. Additionally, exposure to PE MPs resulted in lower chlorophyll content, cell membrane damage, and redox imbalance. The study highlights the potential hazards of putting MPs in freshwater environments from an ecotoxicological perspective.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hien Giang Pham, Manh Tuan Ha, Thao Quyen Cao, Ngoc Khanh Vu, Thi Thanh Le, Byung Sun Min
Summary: The phytochemical research on Salvinia natans led to the isolation of 11 compounds, including eight new compounds found for the first time in the Salvinia genus. The study also introduced the chemotaxonomic significance of these isolates.
BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gonfa Kewessa, Tatek Dejene, Demelash Alem, Motuma Tolera, Pablo Martin-Pinto
Summary: This study assessed mushroom production levels and the influence of climate and environmental variables in Ethiopian forests. It found that natural forests had greater species richness but lower mushroom yield compared to plantation forests. Soil organic matter, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, and daily minimum temperature were found to be correlated with fungal community composition.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily J. Yang, Chan Yul Yoo, Jiangxin Liu, He Wang, Jun Cao, Fay-Wei Li, Kathleen M. Pryer, Tai-ping Sun, Detlef Weigel, Pei Zhou, Meng Chen
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tzu-Tong Kwo, Carl J. Rothfels, Alicia Melgoza-Castillo, Kathleen M. Pryer, Michael D. Windham
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael D. Windham, Kathleen M. Pryer, Derick B. Poindexter, Fay-Wei Li, Carl J. Rothfels, James B. Beck
APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Emily K. Meineke, Carlo Tomasi, Song Yuan, Kathleen M. Pryer
APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kathleen M. Pryer, Carlo Tomasi, Xiaohan Wang, Emily K. Meineke, Michael D. Windham
APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amanda L. Grusz, Michael D. Windham, Kathryn T. Picard, Kathleen M. Pryer, Eric Schuettpelz, Christopher H. Haufler
Summary: The research synthesizes studies of apomixis in ferns and presents a six-stage model for the evolution of obligate apomixis. It highlights the role played by drought and associated abiotic conditions in the establishment of this reproductive strategy, with an increase in the frequency of apomixis observed among taxa inhabiting dry North American deserts. The findings reinforce the strong association between abiotic factors, particularly water limitation, and obligate apomixis in ferns.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Blake D. Fauskee, Erin M. Sigel, Kathleen M. Pryer, Amanda L. Grusz
Summary: Recent studies of plant RNA editing have shown significant variation in editing sites among different taxonomic groups, with ferns remaining largely unexplored. By analyzing the RNA editing in two Adiantum species and comparing them with a previously studied species, it was found that there is variation in both the number and location of editing sites among the species, with U-to-C editing sites showing higher conservation than C-to-U sites, especially those affecting start and stop codons. This suggests that RNA editing can evolve rapidly within Adiantum species, with certain types of edits potentially conferring selective advantages.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Karla Sosa, Kathleen M. Pryer, Layne Huiet, George Yatskievych, Michael D. Windham
Summary: Ongoing research has led to the discovery of a new species, Cheilanthes ecuadorensis, from the taxonomically complex genus Cheilanthes in Ecuador. Despite its superficial similarity to C. pilosa, molecular analysis shows that C. ecuadorensis is actually more closely related to C. micropteris. This study underscores the significance of herbaria in the process of discovering new species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Keegan Heron, Michael D. Windham, Donald R. Farrar, Kathleen M. Pryer
Summary: This study summarizes 130 years of collections-based research on the ferns and lycophytes of Glacier National Park and documents the changes in flora understanding over time. By conducting field surveys and online herbarium studies, the authors confirmed a total of 71 fern and lycophyte taxa for the Park, with most previously unreported taxa belonging to the Botrychium genus.
AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael D. Windham, Layne Huiet, Jordan S. Metzgar, Tom A. Ranker, George Yatskievych, Christopher H. Haufler, Kathleen M. Pryer
Summary: In this study, using a combination of taxonomic approaches, we demonstrate that plants identified as P. wrightiana represent three morphologically distinguishable polyploids that have arisen through repeated hybridization events involving the divergent sexual taxa P. ternifolia and P. truncata.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael D. Windham, Kathryn T. Picard, Kathleen M. Pryer
Summary: Myriopteris scabra is a xeric-adapted fern species, endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. This study reveals that M. scabra consists of two genetically disparate, morphologically recognizable taxa, with little or no geographic overlap. The tetraploid taxon, named M. grusziae, replaces diploid M. scabra in the northeastern portion of its range, and is most similar to M. scabra but with distinct morphological differences.
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael D. Windham, Kathryn T. Picard, Kathleen M. Pryer
Summary: Previously published evidence suggests that Draba maguirei may represent a species complex rather than a single species. A systematic study reveals the existence of three distinct lineages within D. maguirei, with each lineage having different chromosome numbers and occupying different geographic ranges. The clarification of the diversity and distribution of these taxa is important for conservation efforts.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nikolai M. Hay, Michael D. Windham, Terezie Mandakova, Martin A. Lysak, Kasper P. Hendriks, Klaus Mummenhoff, Frederic Lens, Kathleen M. Pryer, C. Donovan Bailey
Summary: This study successfully resolved the phylogeny of the Boechera tribe using sequence data from target enrichment approaches. The results provide a foundation for a new taxonomy and further research on Boechera as a model system.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nikolai M. Hay, Jadesola V. Akinwuntan, Victor Cai, Michael D. Windham, Kathleen M. Pryer
Summary: Anthropogenic climate change poses a threat to the survival of Gymnocarpium appalachianum, a narrowly endemic fern. Understanding the species' distribution and potential relocation for conservation purposes is crucial. Ecological niche modeling was used to project the future distribution of G. appalachianum and suggests the importance of human-mediated population relocation to cooler areas.
AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Veronika Konecna, Michael D. Nowak, Filip Kolar
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)