Long-read sequencing and genome assembly of natural history collection samples and challenging specimens.

Museum collections harbor millions of samples, largely unutilized for long-read sequencing. Here, we use ethanol-preserved samples containing kilobase-sized DNA to show that amplification-free protocols can yield contiguous genome assemblies. Additionally, using a modified amplification-based protocol, employing an alternative polymerase to overcome PCR bias, we assembled the 3.

Cryptic hybridization between the ancient lineages of Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri).

Studying hybrid zones that form between morphologically cryptic taxa offers valuable insights into the mechanisms of cryptic speciation and the evolution of reproductive barriers. Although hybrid zones have long been the focus of evolutionary studies, the awareness of cryptic hybrid zones increased recently due to rapidly growing evidence of biological diversity lacking obvious phenotypic differentiation. The characterization of cryptic hybrid zones with genome-wide analysis is in its early stages and offers new perspectives for studying population admixture and thus the impact of gene flow.

Bat diversity in the Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam - Results from VIETBIO field training and annotated species list.

Background: Biodiversity surveys are essential for both academic research and conservation. Integrative approaches that combine morphological, genetic and acoustic aspects for species identification can provide reliable information in taxonomy and evolution. This is especially relevant for those groups with a high degree of cryptic diversity such as bats.

Species- and sex-dependent changes in body size between 1892 and 2017, and recent biochemical signatures in rural and urban populations of two ground beetle species.

Increasing urbanisation and intensified agriculture lead to rapid transitions of ecosystems. Species that persist throughout rapid transitions may respond to environmental changes across space and/or time, for instance by altering morphological and/or biochemical traits. We used natural history museum specimens, covering the Anthropocene epoch, to obtain long-term data combined with recent samples.

Diversity and Paleodemography of the Addax (), a Saharan Antelope on the Verge of Extinction.

Since the 19th century, the addax () has lost approximately 99% of its former range. Along with its close relatives, the blue antelope () and the scimitar-horned oryx (), the addax may be the third large African mammal species to go extinct in the wild in recent times. Despite this, the evolutionary history of this critically endangered species remains virtually unknown.

African and Asian leopards are highly differentiated at the genomic level.

Leopards are the only big cats still widely distributed across the continents of Africa and Asia. They occur in a wide range of habitats and are often found in close proximity to humans. But despite their ubiquity, leopard phylogeography and population history have not yet been studied with genomic tools.

DNA methylation predicts age and provides insight into exceptional longevity of bats.

Exceptionally long-lived species, including many bats, rarely show overt signs of aging, making it difficult to determine why species differ in lifespan. Here, we use DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles from 712 known-age bats, representing 26 species, to identify epigenetic changes associated with age and longevity. We demonstrate that DNAm accurately predicts chronological age.

Historical isolation facilitates species radiation by sexual selection: Insights from Chorthippus grasshoppers.

Theoretical and empirical studies have shown that species radiations are facilitated when a trait under divergent natural selection is also involved in sexual selection. It is yet unclear how quick and effective radiations are where assortative mating is unrelated to the ecological environment and primarily results from sexual selection. We address this question using sympatric grasshopper species of the genus Chorthippus, which have evolved strong behavioural isolation while lacking noticeable ecomorphological divergence.

Patterns of mtDNA introgression suggest population replacement in Palaearctic whiskered bat species.

Secondary contacts can play a major role in the evolutionary histories of species. Various taxa diverge in allopatry and later on come into secondary contact during range expansions. When they meet, their interactions and the extent of gene flow depend on the level of their ecological differentiation and the strength of their reproductive isolation.

Thinking small: Next-generation sensor networks close the size gap in vertebrate biologging.

Recent advances in animal tracking technology have ushered in a new era in biologging. However, the considerable size of many sophisticated biologging devices restricts their application to larger animals, whereas older techniques often still represent the state-of-the-art for studying small vertebrates. In industrial applications, low-power wireless sensor networks (WSNs) fulfill requirements similar to those needed to monitor animal behavior at high resolution and at low tag mass.

Wireless Sensor Platform for Detection of Vital Parameters of Bats.

In this paper an advanced sensor node for animal tracking is proposed, which includes an accelerometer, an air pressure sensor as well as an electrocardiography sensor. The system is designed for studying the physiology and behavior of bats by inferring activity, wing beat frequency as well as heart rate. This system offers outstanding functionality compared to other tracking nodes and is easily applicable thanks to its noninvasive design.

Vampire Bats that Cooperate in the Lab Maintain Their Social Networks in the Wild.

Social bonds, maintained by mutual investments of time and energy, have greatly influenced the evolution of social cognition and cooperation in many species [e.g., 1-8].

Dominance effects strengthen premating hybridization barriers between sympatric species of grasshoppers (Acrididae, Orthoptera).

Sexual selection can lead to the rapid evolution of premating hybridization barriers and allows accelerated diversification and speciation within an evolutionary lineage. Especially during early stages of divergence, hybridization may impede further divergence, which strongly depends on the reproductive success of hybrids. Behavioural sterility of hybrids can limit or even prevent homogenizing gene flow.

Proximity sensors on common noctule bats reveal evidence that mothers guide juveniles to roosts but not food.

Female bats of temperate zones often communally rear their young, which creates ideal conditions for naive juveniles to find or learn about resources via informed adults. However, studying social information transfer in elusive and small-bodied animals in the wild is difficult with traditional tracking techniques. We used a novel 'next-generation' proximity sensor system (BATS) to investigate if and how juvenile bats use social information in acquiring access to two crucial resources: suitable roosts and food patches.

Physical linkage and mate preference generate linkage disequilibrium for behavioral isolation in two parapatric crickets.

Behavioral isolation is a potent barrier to gene flow and a source of striking diversity in the animal kingdom. However, it remains unclear if the linkage disequilibrium (LD) between sex-specific traits required for behavioral isolation results mostly from physical linkage between signal and preference loci or from directional mate preferences. Here, we test this in the field crickets Gryllus rubens and G.

BATS: Adaptive Ultra Low Power Sensor Network for Animal Tracking.

In this paper, the BATS project is presented, which aims to track the behavior of bats via an ultra-low power wireless sensor network. An overview about the whole project and its parts like sensor node design, tracking grid and software infrastructure is given and the evaluation of the project is shown. The BATS project includes a lightweight sensor node that is attached to bats and combines multiple features.

Demography and selection shape transcriptomic divergence in field crickets.

Gene flow, demography, and selection can result in similar patterns of genomic variation and disentangling their effects is key to understanding speciation. Here, we assess transcriptomic variation to unravel the evolutionary history of Gryllus rubens and Gryllus texensis, cryptic field cricket species with highly divergent mating behavior. We infer their demographic history and screen their transcriptomes for footprints of selection in the context of the inferred demography.

The evolution of a rare mammalian trait - benefits and costs of male philopatry in proboscis bats.

While inbreeding avoidance is widely accepted as the major driver of female natal dispersal, the evolution of male philopatry is still poorly understood and discussed to be driven by male mating strategy, mate competition among male kin and kin cooperation. During a twelve-year study, we gathered detailed genetic and observational data of individually marked proboscis bats to assess the degree of male philopatry as well as its costs and benefits to improve the understanding of its evolution. Our results reveal several patrilines with simultaneous presence of closely related males and a small proportion of unrelated immigrant males in their colonies.

Transcriptome profiling of ontogeny in the acridid grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus.

Acridid grasshoppers (Orthoptera:Acrididae) are widely used model organisms for developmental, evolutionary, and neurobiological research. Although there has been recent influx of orthopteran transcriptomic resources, many use pooled ontogenetic stages obscuring information about changes in gene expression during development. Here we developed a de novo transcriptome spanning 7 stages in the life cycle of the acridid grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the lesser sac-winged bat (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) from Costa Rica.

Here we present the first complete mitochondrial genome of the lesser sac-winged bat (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) from Costa Rica, assembled from next-generation sequencing data. The mitogenome of measures 16,577 bp in length, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes. A slight A + T bias was observed in the mitogenome of with an overall base composition of 31.

From resource to female defence: the impact of roosting ecology on a bat's mating strategy.

With their extraordinary species richness and diversity in ecological traits and social systems, bats are a promising taxon for testing socio-ecological hypotheses in order to get new insights into the evolution of animal social systems. Regarding its roosting habits, proboscis bats form an extreme by occupying sites which are usually completely exposed to daylight (e.g.

MHC-dependent mate choice is linked to a trace-amine-associated receptor gene in a mammal.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes play a pivotal role in vertebrate self/nonself recognition, parasite resistance and life history decisions. In evolutionary terms, the MHC's exceptional diversity is likely maintained by sexual and pathogen-driven selection. Even though MHC-dependent mating preferences have been confirmed for many species, the sensory and genetic mechanisms underlying mate recognition remain cryptic.

Divergence of cuticular hydrocarbons in two sympatric grasshopper species and the evolution of fatty acid synthases and elongases across insects.

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play a major role in the evolution of reproductive isolation between insect species. The CHC profiles of two closely related sympatric grasshopper species, Chorthippus biguttulus and C. mollis, differ mainly in the position of the first methyl group in major methyl-branched CHCs.