Proactive and reactive movement behaviours shape the antipredator sequence in a large herbivore.

Background: Prey species can display antipredator movement behaviours to reduce predation risk, including proactive responses to chronic or predictable risk, and reactive responses to acute or unpredictable risk. Thus, at any given time, prey movement choice may reflect a trade-off between proaction and reaction. In previous studies, proaction and reaction have generally been considered separately, which neglects their potentially simultaneous influence on animal movement decisions and overall space use.

VoronaGasyCodes: A Public Database of Mitochondrial Barcodes for Malagasy Birds.

Molecular tools are increasingly being used to survey the presence of biodiversity and their interactions within ecosystems. Indirect methods, like environmental DNA (eDNA) and invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA), are dependent on sequence databases with accurate and sufficient taxonomic representation. These methods are increasingly being used in regions and habitats where direct detection or observations can be difficult for a variety of reasons.

Quality-checked species records from the German citizen science platform ArtenFinder.

Background: Volunteers and citizen science initiatives play a crucial role for the documentation of species occurrences and distributions. When quality-checked and openly available, such data can provide information for biodiversity research and nature conservation. While some large international platforms reach a high number of opportunistic users around the world, there are also many smaller and regional citizen science initiatives, which often collaborate very closely with local authorities, conservation organisations and local experts and volunteers.

Social Microbial Transmission in a Solitary Mammal.

Microbial transmission is hypothesised to be a major benefit of sociality, facilitated by affiliative behaviours such as grooming and communal nesting in group-living animals. Whether microbial transmission is also present in animals that do not form groups because territoriality limits interactions and prevents group formation remains unknown. Here, we investigate relationships among gut microbiota, population density and dynamic behavioural and spatial measures of territoriality in wild North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus).

Portal bile acid composition and microbiota along the intestinal tract exhibit sex differences in physiology.

Microbes in the intestine transform bile acids during transit, altering their functional and signaling capacities before recirculation via the portal vein. Sex differences in the gut microbiota have been noted, but their consequence on bile acid composition is unclear. Here, we investigated the composition and functional potential of microbes in the small and large intestines together with portal and systemic bile acid levels.

Exotic Invasive Plant Species Increase Primary Productivity, but Not in Their Native Ranges.

Ecosystem net primary productivity is thought to occur near the maximum that abiotic constraints allow; but exotic invasive plants often correlate with increased productivity. However, field patterns and experimental evidence for this come only from the non-native ranges of exotic species. Thus, we do not know if this pattern is caused by exotic invasions per se or whether successful exotic species are disproportionately productive or colonise more productive microsites.

Nuclear and Chloroplast Markers Provide New Insights Into the Syngameon Dynamics of Genus (Lamiaceae) in the Canary Islands.

Species syngameons are groups of more than two hybridizing species that form complex hybrid networks. Syngameons facilitate sharing the gene pool among species while maintaining morphological differentiation. In oceanic islands, hybridization is common, and syngameons are expected to be common and play an important role in increasing standing variation in the face of the founder effect associated with the colonization process.

Plant Diversity Maintains Soil Detritivore Activity Under Drought.

Biodiversity loss and increasing drought events due to climate change threaten ecosystem stability by disrupting soil organic matter decomposition. Soil detritivores play a crucial role in mitigating this impact through the fragmentation of organic residues, enhancement of microbial activity, and modification of soil structure, ultimately regulating soil organic carbon cycling and nutrient availability. However, the interactive effects of plant diversity and extreme drought on their activity remain unknown.

A literature review on the role of Culicoides in the transmission of avian blood parasites in Europe.

Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges are a diverse group of insect vectors that transmit pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and wild animals. Among them, Oropouche virus, African Horse sickness virus, and bluetongue virus are the most notable pathogens. However, comparatively little is known about which Culicoides species serve as vectors of wildlife parasites affecting wild birds globally, including the malaria-like parasite of the genus Haemoproteus (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) and kinetoplastid Trypanosoma (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae).

The adoption of a westernized gut microbiome in Indian Immigrants and Indo-Canadians is associated with dietary acculturation.

Indian immigration to westernized countries has recently surged, increasing their risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) post-migration. While crucial for understanding IBD risk, the gut microbiome remains understudied in Indians. This cross-sectional study examines the impact of westernization on the gut microbiomes of Indians residing in India, Indo-Immigrants, and Indo-Canadians compared to Euro-Canadian and Euro-Immigrant controls.

Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar's endangered lemurs.

Lemurs are often cited as an example of adaptive radiation, as more than 100 extant species have evolved and filled ecological niches on Madagascar. However, recent work suggests that lemurs lack a hallmark of other adaptive radiations: explosive speciation rates that decline over time. Thus, characterizing the tempo and mode of evolution in lemurs can reveal alternative ways that hyperdiverse clades arise over time, which might differ from traditional models.

Exploring structural characteristics and biological effects of the lectin from Dioclea violacea Mart. Ex Benth: an integrative review.

Lectins are natural proteins vital for organism survival, recognized for their specific carbohydrate-binding property. This unique characteristic enables diverse biotechnological applications, making them molecules of significant scientific interest. In this sense, hololectin DVL, a lectin found in the seeds of the fruit of the woody vine Dioclea violacea, has a multimeric structure that confers it several biological properties, including antinociceptive, entomotoxic, angiogenic, immunomodulatory, vasorelaxant, antibacterial, antiprotozoal and anti-inflammatory.

Comprehension of the age-dependent gut and brain interaction of honey bee workers by integration of multi omics approaches.

Introduction: In honey bees, division of labour is a key feature, with age-related behavioural transitions being closely associated with molecular changes in the brain, gut, and microbiota. Despite evidence of both microbiome and brain changes in honey bees, most studies focus on either aspect or a single method of investigation, limiting our understanding of their interconnected roles in development and task differentiation.

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the molecular changes in the gut and brain in honey bee workers of different ages using (meta-)proteomics and metabolomics to better understand their contribution to behavioural responses and modulation.

Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage.

Interspecific hybridization may trigger species radiation by creating allele combinations and traits. Cultivated potato and its 107 wild relatives from the Petota lineage all share the distinctive trait of underground tubers, but the underlying mechanisms for tuberization and its relationship to extensive species diversification remain unclear. Through analyses of 128 genomes, including 88 haplotype-resolved genomes, we revealed that Petota is of ancient hybrid origin, with all members exhibiting stable mixed genomic ancestry, derived from the Etuberosum and Tomato lineages ca.

Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps, and an integrative revision of Pocock, 1897 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Eumenophorinae).

A taxonomic revision of the eumenophorine tarantula genus Pocock, 1897, which currently comprises three species, Pocock, 1897 (♂♀; Socotra, Yemen), Fage, 1922 (♂♀; Madagascar), and Pocock, 1903 (♂♀; Yemen), is presented. By integrating both morphological data and a molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial () and nuclear (, ) markers, the genus is herein redefined to include only the type species, . A new genus, Zamani & von Wirth, , is established to comprise , along with four new species from the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa described herein: Zamani & von Wirth, (♂; Saudi Arabia), Zamani, von Wirth & Stockmann, (♂♀; Yemen, Oman), Zamani & von Wirth, (♂; Somaliland), and Zamani, von Wirth & Just, (♂♀; Somaliland).

Pantropical tree rings show small effects of drought on stem growth.

Increasing drought pressure under anthropogenic climate change may jeopardize the potential of tropical forests to capture carbon in woody biomass and act as a long-term carbon dioxide sink. To evaluate this risk, we assessed drought impacts in 483 tree-ring chronologies from across the tropics and found an overall modest stem growth decline (2.5% with a 95% confidence interval of 2.

The influence of human presence and footprint on animal space use in US national parks.

Given the importance of protected areas for biodiversity, the growth of visitation to many areas has raised concerns about the effects of humans on wildlife. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to temporary closure of national parks in the United States, offering a pseudonatural experiment to tease apart the effects of permanent infrastructure and transient human presence on animals. We compiled GPS tracking data from 229 individuals of 10 mammal species in 14 parks and used third-order hierarchical resource selection functions to evaluate the influence of the human footprint on animal space use in 2019 and 2020.

Amicoumacins produced by the native citrus microbiome isolate inhibit the Huanglongbing-associated bacterial pathogen " Liberibacter asiaticus".

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating citrus disease associated with the gram-negative, phloem-limited, and unculturable bacterium " Liberibacter asiaticus (Las)," which is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid . Despite extensive research, effective, long-term, and sustainable solutions for managing HLB remain elusive. Oxytetracycline (OTC) is currently used as an emergency measure, but there is an urgent need for alternative compounds to complement or replace OTC.

Variation analysis using random forests reveals domestication patterns and breeding trends in sugar beet.

Cultivated beets (), including sugar beet, are important crops, and several studies employed whole genome sequencing to explore genomic variation. We applied the machine learning method "random forests" on hundreds of sequenced beet accessions and identified genomic variants that distinguish wild from domesticated beets at a mean accuracy of 98.4%.

Effect of Peanut Shell Extract and Luteolin on Gut Microbiota and High-Fat Diet-Induced Sequelae of the Inflammatory Continuum in a Metabolic Syndrome-like Murine Model.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. MetS is associated with increased intestinal permeability and dysbiosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of peanut shell extract (PSE) and luteolin (LUT) on the kidneys, colon, and ileum in a MetS-like murine model.

Gut-Vaginal Microbiome Crosstalk in Ovarian Cancer: Implications for Early Diagnosis.

Ovarian cancer remains a formidable global health burden, characterized by frequent late-stage diagnosis and elevated mortality rates attributable to its elusive pathogenesis and the critical lack of reliable early-detection biomarkers. Emerging investigations into the gut-vaginal microbiome axis have unveiled novel pathogenic mechanisms and potential diagnostic targets in ovarian carcinogenesis. This comprehensive review systematically examines the compositional alterations in and functional interplay between vaginal and intestinal microbial communities in ovarian cancer patients.

The BeeBiome data portal provides easy access to bee microbiome information.

Bees can be colonized by a large diversity of microbes, including beneficial gut symbionts and detrimental pathogens, with implications for bee health. Over the last few years, researchers around the world have collected a huge amount of genomic and transcriptomic data about the composition, genomic content, and gene expression of bee-associated microbial communities. While each of these datasets by itself has provided important insights, the integration of such datasets provides an unprecedented opportunity to obtain a global picture of the microbes associated with bees and their link to bee health.

Mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic position of the endemic Violet-capped hummingbird, Goldmania violiceps.

Background: The Violet-capped Hummingbird (Golmania violiceps), also known as Colibrí Copetivioleta, is a threatened species endemic to the highlands of eastern Panama and the border with Colombia. The species has a highly restricted distribution, with isolated populations only found in Cerro Chucantí, the Majé Range, and Cerro Tacarcuna. Within these remote regions, it occupies a narrow elevational range, inhabiting humid forests and forest edges between 600 and 1200 m above sea level.

Urine washing and urinary odour profiles in relation to dominance rank status in wild male capuchin monkeys ().

Urine plays an essential role in mammalian olfactory communication, although its potential role in primates has long been overlooked owing to focus on their visual adaptations for communication. Here, we combined behavioural and chemical data to test the role of urine in signalling male dominance in white-faced capuchins (). We predicted that: (i) urine washing (i.