- Department:(Dept. 5) Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology
Urban affinity and its associated traits: a global analysis of bats
The authors developed indices to quantify the urban affinity of species by using publicly available occurrence data and examined the performance of these indices using a global dataset of bats. The results show that simple indices are appropriate and most practical for producing quantitative assessments of species’ urban affinity.
Phylogenomic insights into the early diversification of fungi
The authors analysed several hundred proteins of a broad diversity of fungal species in order to untangle the early diversification of fungi. Thorough curation of the phylogenomic data set and usage of cutting-edge methods enabled them to resolve long-standing contested relationships among different phyla.
The EICAT+ framework enables classification of positive impacts of alien taxa on native biodiversity
The IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is a global standard to assess negative impacts of alien species on native biodiversity. This paper presents EICAT+, a complementary framework using 5 semiquantitative scenarios to classify the magnitude of positive impacts that alien species have on biodiversity.
Biological invasions reveal how niche change affects the transferability of species distribution models
It is widely debated if species distribution models are transferable across space and time. The authors synthesized results on 217 species from 50 studies to elucidate effects of niche change on model transferability. They found that niche change reduced model transferability; however, a lack of presence points for developing models led to an even stronger reduction in transferability.
The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics
The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) is a pan-European scientific response to the current threats to biodiversity that aims to generate reference genomes of eukaryotic species across the tree of life. ERGA reference genomes will include threatened, endemic, and keystone species, as well as pests and species important to agriculture, fisheries, and ecosystem function.
Host-associated bacterial communities vary between daphnia galeata genotypes but not by host genetic distance
The authors studied the role of host genetics in host-associated microbiome community structure. Gut and body microbiome composition still varied between Daphnia host genotypes, even though these Daphnia were kept under identical lab conditions for five years. This highlights the importance of host genetic component in microbiome structure.
Antiparasitic potential of agrochemical fungicides on a non-target aquatic model (Daphnia× Metschnikowia host-parasite system)
The authors investigated antiparasitic potential of 3 agrochemical fungicides on a non-target aquatic model (Daphnia × parasitic yeast system). The results suggest that azole fungicides may disrupt host-parasite interactions in natural systems. There might be broader consequences of this parasite-clearance effect, especially in face of increasing evidence that parasites are ecologically important.
Societal extinction of species
When the last individual dies, species not only disappear from our planet. They also disappear from our collective memory, from our cultures and discourses. Researchers have now studied the process.
Refining the evolutionary time machine: an assessment of whole genome amplification using single historical Daphnia eggs
Aquatic sediments contain eggbanks of invertebrates such as the waterflea Daphnia, a keystone freshwater herbivore. These "time capsules" uniquely allow observation of genomic evolution over centuries. To bypass the problem of minute DNA amounts in individual eggs, the authors developed a whole genome amplification workflow, and show its utility to sequence full genomes of centuries-old eggs.
Land-use type temporarily affects active pond community structure but not gene expression patterns
The team investigated the ffects of land-use type on the composition and gene expression activity of aquatic organisms, using an eRNA approach. At times, there is a temporary difference in the active community structure between ponds in grasslands, forests, and arable fields, but not in the expressed functions. Soon after, the active community returns to being homogenous across the land-use types.