Publications by authors named "M Pfenninger"
The presence of tyre and road wear particles (TRWP) in the environment is an underestimated threat due to their potential impact on ecosystems and human health. However, their mode of action and potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems remain largely unknown. In the present study, we adopted a sediment exposure scenario to investigate the influence of sediment coming from an urban runoff sedimentation basin on the life cycle of Chironomus riparius.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFeralization is the process of domesticated animals returning to the wild and it is considered the counterpart of domestication. Molecular genetic changes are well documented in domesticated organisms but understudied in feral populations. In this study, the genetic differentiation between domestic and feral cats was inferred by analysing whole-genome sequencing data of two geographically distant feral cat island populations, Dirk Hartog Island (Australia) and Kaho'olawe (Hawaii) as well as domestic cats and European wildcats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Ecotoxicological tests for assessing risks from toxic substances often use lab-cultured organisms, which are believed to give consistent and sensitive results compared to wild populations.
- This study compared two strains of C. riparius from Spain and Germany, both kept under identical lab conditions for over five years, to assess their responses to cadmium and PVC microplastics.
- Results indicated significant differences in the strains' responses, especially during co-exposure to both toxins, suggesting that laboratory-based risk assessments may not accurately represent toxicity effects across different populations.
Article Synopsis
- A co-evolutionary arms race occurs between the social parasite Temnothorax americanus and its host, the ant species Temnothorax longispinosus, leading to adaptations and counter-adaptations based on varying parasite prevalence and climatic conditions.
- Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS), researchers identified numerous candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), particularly in genes related to sensory perception, linked to parasite prevalence and climate factors.
- The study also found correlations between population-specific cuticular hydrocarbons, important for signaling and protection, and the environmental context, highlighting the complexity of genomic patterns influenced by both parasitic interactions and ecological factors.