Surveillance for Leptospira sp. in Native and Invasive Shrews in Ireland Compared with Cohabitating Shrews in France.

Leptospirosis is a complex and often underestimated global bacterial disease that continues to be of zoonotic concern. It is difficult to diagnose and has an unclear pathogenesis. Several new species of the genus Leptospira have been discovered in recent years; the impact of these species on animal health is unknown.

Red Deer Resequencing Reveals the Importance of Sex Chromosomes for Reconstructing Late Quaternary Events.

Sex chromosomes differ in their inheritance properties from autosomes and hence may encode complementary information about past demographic events. We compiled and analyzed a range-wide resequencing data set of the red deer (Cervus elaphus), one of the few Eurasian herbivores of the Late Pleistocene megafauna still found throughout much of its historic range. Our analyses of 144 whole genomes reveal striking discrepancies between the population clusters suggested by autosomal and X-chromosomal data.

Genome-wide SNP assessment of contemporary European red deer genetic structure highlights the distinction of peripheral populations and the main admixture zones in Europe.

Genome-wide technologies open up new possibilities to clarify questions on genetic structure and phylogeographic history of taxa previously studied with microsatellite loci and mitochondrial sequences. Here, we used 736 individual red deer (Cervus elaphus) samples genotyped at 35,701 single nucleotide polymorphism loci (SNPs) to assess the population structure of the species throughout Europe. The results identified 28 populations, with higher degrees of genetic distinction in peripheral compared to mainland populations.

Coupling remote sensing and eDNA to monitor environmental impact: A pilot to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon.

Monitoring is essential to ensure that environmental goals are being achieved, including those of sustainable agriculture. Growing interest in environmental monitoring provides an opportunity to improve monitoring practices. Approaches that directly monitor land cover change and biodiversity annually by coupling the wall-to-wall coverage from remote sensing and the site-specific community composition from environmental DNA (eDNA) can provide timely, relevant results for parties interested in the success of sustainable agricultural practices.

Seasonal development of a tidal mixing front drives shifts in community structure and diversity of bacterioplankton.

Bacterioplankton underpin biogeochemical cycles and an improved understanding of the patterns and drivers of variability in their distribution is needed to determine their wider functioning and importance. Sharp environmental gradients and dispersal barriers associated with ocean fronts are emerging as key determinants of bacterioplankton biodiversity patterns. We examined how the development of the Celtic Sea Front (CF), a tidal mixing front on the Northwest European Shelf affects bacterioplankton communities.

Universal closed-tube barcoding for monitoring the shark and ray trade in megadiverse conservation hotspots.

Trade restrictions for endangered elasmobranch species exist to disincentivise their exploitation and curb their declines. However, trade monitoring is challenging due to product variety and the complexity of import/export routes. We investigate the use of a portable, universal, DNA-based tool which would greatly facilitate monitoring.

Resource competition drives an invasion-replacement event among shrew species on an island.

Invasive mammals are responsible for the majority of native species extinctions on islands. While most of these extinction events will be due to novel interactions between species (e.g.

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of bald uakaris, genus Cacajao (Primates: Pitheciidae), with the description of a new species.

Bald uakaris, genus Cacajao, are Amazonian primates currently classified as one species and four subspecies based on the patterns of pelage coloration. In this study, we test if their current taxonomy is represented by the phylogenetic relationship of the main lineages retrieved from molecular data. We included, for the first time, all bald uakari taxa in a mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and genome-wide (ddRAD) phylogenetic analyses.

Mapping differences in mammalian distributions and diversity using environmental DNA from rivers.

Finding more efficient ways to monitor and estimate the diversity of mammalian communities is a major step towards their management and conservation. Environmental DNA (eDNA) from river water has recently been shown to be a viable method for biomonitoring mammalian communities. Most of the studies to date have focused on the potential for eDNA to detect individual species, with little focus on describing patterns of community diversity and structure.

Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome.

Interactions between hosts and their resident microbial communities are a fundamental component of fitness for both agents. Though recent research has highlighted the importance of interactions between animals and their bacterial communities, comparative evidence for fungi is lacking, especially in natural populations. Using data from 49 species, we present novel evidence of strong covariation between fungal and bacterial communities across the host phylogeny, indicative of recruitment by hosts for specific suites of microbes.

Fine-scale seascape genomics of an exploited marine species, the common cockle , using a multimodelling approach.

Population dynamics of marine species that are sessile as adults are driven by oceanographic dispersal of larvae from spawning to nursery grounds. This is mediated by life-history traits such as the timing and frequency of spawning, larval behaviour and duration, and settlement success. Here, we use 1725 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to study the fine-scale spatial genetic structure in the commercially important cockle species and compare it to environmental variables and current-mediated larval dispersal within a modelling framework.

Space-time dynamics in monitoring neotropical fish communities using eDNA metabarcoding.

The biodiverse Neotropical ecoregion remains insufficiently assessed, poorly managed, and threatened by unregulated human activities. Novel, rapid and cost-effective DNA-based approaches are valuable to improve understanding of the biological communities and for biomonitoring in remote areas. Here, we evaluate the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding for assessing the structure and distribution of fish communities by analysing water and sediment from 11 locations along the Jequitinhonha River catchment (Brazil).

Environmental DNA metabarcoding as an effective and rapid tool for fish monitoring in canals.

We focus on a case study along an English canal comparing environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with two types of electrofishing techniques (wade-and-reach and boom-boat). In addition to corroborating data obtained by electrofishing, eDNA provided a wider snapshot of fish assemblages. Given the semi-lotic nature of canals, we encourage the use of eDNA as a fast and cost-effective tool to detect and monitor whole fish communities.

Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of connectivity patterns: A basis for prioritizing conservation efforts for threatened populations.

Ecosystem fragmentation and habitat loss have been the focus of landscape management due to restrictions on contemporary connectivity and dispersal of populations. Here, we used an individual approach to determine the drivers of genetic differentiation in caribou of the Canadian Rockies. We modelled the effects of isolation by distance, landscape resistance and predation risk and evaluated the consequences of individual migratory behaviour (seasonally migratory vs.

Between the Balkans and the Baltic: Phylogeography of a Common Vole Mitochondrial DNA Lineage Limited to Central Europe.

The common vole (Microtus arvalis) has been a model species of small mammal for studying end-glacial colonization history. In the present study we expanded the sampling from central and eastern Europe, analyzing contemporary genetic structure to identify the role of a potential 'northern glacial refugium', i.e.

Emerging Infectious Disease Implications of Invasive Mammalian Species: The Greater White-Toothed Shrew (Crocidura russula) Is Associated With a Novel Serovar of Pathogenic Leptospira in Ireland.

The greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) is an invasive mammalian species that was first recorded in Ireland in 2007. It currently occupies an area of approximately 7,600 km2 on the island. C.

Land-bridge calibration of molecular clocks and the post-glacial Colonization of Scandinavia by the Eurasian field vole Microtus agrestis.

Phylogeography interprets molecular genetic variation in a spatial and temporal context. Molecular clocks are frequently used to calibrate phylogeographic analyses, however there is mounting evidence that molecular rates decay over the relevant timescales. It is therefore essential that an appropriate rate is determined, consistent with the temporal scale of the specific analysis.

Invading and expanding: range dynamics and ecological consequences of the greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) invasion in Ireland.

Establishing how invasive species impact upon pre-existing species is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation biology. The greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) is an invasive species in Ireland that was first recorded in 2007 and which, according to initial data, may be limiting the abundance/distribution of the pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus), previously Ireland's only shrew species. Because of these concerns, we undertook an intensive live-trapping survey (and used other data from live-trapping, sightings and bird of prey pellets/nest inspections collected between 2006 and 2013) to model the distribution and expansion of C.

The influence of habitat structure on genetic differentiation in red fox populations in north-eastern Poland.

The red fox () has the widest global distribution among terrestrial carnivore species, occupying most of the Northern Hemisphere in its native range. Because it carries diseases that can be transmitted to humans and domestic animals, it is important to gather information about their movements and dispersal in their natural habitat but it is difficult to do so at a broad scale with trapping and telemetry. In this study, we have described the genetic diversity and structure of red fox populations in six areas of north-eastern Poland, based on samples collected from 2002-2003.

Preferred habitat and effective population size drive landscape genetic patterns in an endangered species.

Landscape genetics provides a framework for pinpointing environmental features that determine the important exchange of migrants among populations. These studies usually test the significance of environmental variables on gene flow, yet ignore one fundamental driver of genetic variation in small populations, effective population size, N(e). W(e) combined both approaches in evaluating genetic connectivity of a threatened ungulate, woodland caribou.

A species-to-be? The genetic status and colonization history of the critically endangered Killarney shad.

Typically anadromous, the twaite shad (Alosa fallax) can become landlocked and adapt to a fully freshwater life. The only landlocked shad population in Northwestern Europe is found in a lake in Ireland, Lough Leane. The Killarney shad, Alosa killarnensis (or Alosa fallax killarnensis, as it is mostly referred to) displays a level of morphological divergence that indicates a long-term isolation in the lake.

Human selection of elk behavioural traits in a landscape of fear.

Among agents of selection that shape phenotypic traits in animals, humans can cause more rapid changes than many natural factors. Studies have focused on human selection of morphological traits, but little is known about human selection of behavioural traits. By monitoring elk (Cervus elaphus) with satellite telemetry, we tested whether individuals harvested by hunters adopted less favourable behaviours than elk that survived the hunting season.

Reconstruction of caribou evolutionary history in Western North America and its implications for conservation.

The role of Beringia as a refugium and route for trans-continental exchange of fauna during glacial cycles of the past 2million years are well documented; less apparent is its contribution as a significant reservoir of genetic diversity. Using mitochondrial DNA sequences and 14 microsatellite loci, we investigate the phylogeographic history of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in western North America. Patterns of genetic diversity reveal two distinct groups of caribou.

The Celtic fringe of Britain: insights from small mammal phylogeography.

Recent genetic studies have challenged the traditional view that the ancestors of British Celtic people spread from central Europe during the Iron Age and have suggested a much earlier origin for them as part of the human recolonization of Britain at the end of the last glaciation. Here we propose that small mammals provide an analogue to help resolve this controversy. Previous studies have shown that common shrews (Sorex araneus) with particular chromosomal characteristics and water voles (Arvicola terrestris) of a specific mitochondrial (mt) DNA lineage have peripheral western/northern distributions with striking similarities to that of Celtic people.