Mitochondrial Variation in Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii: Phylogeographic Legacy and Mitonuclear Associations With Metabolic Resistance to Pathogens and Insecticides.

Mitochondrial DNA has been a popular marker in phylogeography, phylogeny, and molecular ecology, but its complex evolution is increasingly recognized. Here, we investigated mitochondrial DNA variation in Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii, in relation to other species in the Anopheles gambiae complex, by assembling the mitogenomes of 1,219 mosquitoes across Africa. The mitochondrial DNA phylogeny of the Anopheles gambiae complex was consistent with previously reported highly reticulated evolutionary history, revealing important discordances with the species tree.

High dispersal ability versus migratory traditions: Fine-scale population structure and post-glacial colonisation in bar-tailed godwits.

In migratory animals, high mobility may reduce population structure through increased dispersal and enable adaptive responses to environmental change, whereas rigid migratory routines predict low dispersal, increased structure, and limited flexibility to respond to change. We explore the global population structure and phylogeographic history of the bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica, a migratory shorebird known for making the longest non-stop flights of any landbird. Using nextRAD sequencing of 14,318 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and scenario-testing in an Approximate Bayesian Computation framework, we infer that bar-tailed godwits existed in two main lineages at the last glacial maximum, when much of their present-day breeding range persisted in a vast, unglaciated Siberian-Beringian refugium, followed by admixture of these lineages in the eastern Palearctic.

Genomic Signatures of Microgeographic Adaptation in Along an Anthropogenic Gradient in Gabon.

Unlabelled: Species distributed across heterogeneous environments often evolve locally adapted populations, but understanding how these persist in the presence of homogenizing gene flow remains puzzling. In Gabon, a major African malaria mosquito is found along an ecological gradient, including a sylvatic population, away of any human presence. This study identifies into the genomic signatures of local adaptation in populations from distinct environments including the urban area of Libreville, and two proximate sites 10km apart in the La Lopé National Park (LLP), a village and its sylvatic neighborhood.

A genotyping array for the globally invasive vector mosquito, Aedes albopictus.

Background: Although whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is the preferred genotyping method for most genomic analyses, limitations are often experienced when studying genomes characterized by a high percentage of repetitive elements, high linkage, and recombination deserts. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), for example, has a genome comprising up to 72% repetitive elements, and therefore we set out to develop a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip to be more cost-effective. Aedes albopictus is an invasive species originating from Southeast Asia that has recently spread around the world and is a vector for many human diseases.

Harbor porpoise losing its edge: Genetic time series suggests a rapid population decline in Iberian waters over the last 30 years.

Impact of climate change is expected to be especially noticeable at the edges of a species' distribution, where they meet suboptimal habitat conditions. In Mauritania and Iberia, two genetically differentiated populations of harbor porpoises () form an ecotype adapted to local upwelling conditions and distinct from other ecotypes further north on the NE Atlantic continental shelf and in the Black Sea. By analyzing the evolution of mitochondrial genetic variation in the Iberian population between two temporal cohorts (1990-2002 vs.

A comparison of genomic diversity and demographic history of the North Atlantic and Southwest Atlantic southern right whales.

Right whales (genus Eubalaena) were among the first, and most extensively pursued, targets of commercial whaling. However, understanding the impacts of this persecution requires knowledge of the demographic histories of these species prior to exploitation. We used deep whole genome sequencing (~40×) of 12 North Atlantic (E.

Ancient dolphin genomes reveal rapid repeated adaptation to coastal waters.

Parallel evolution provides strong evidence of adaptation by natural selection due to local environmental variation. Yet, the chronology, and mode of the process of parallel evolution remains debated. Here, we harness the temporal resolution of paleogenomics to address these long-standing questions, by comparing genomes originating from the mid-Holocene (8610-5626 years before present, BP) to contemporary pairs of coastal-pelagic ecotypes of bottlenose dolphin.

Population Genomic Evidence of Adaptive Response during the Invasion History of Plasmodium falciparum in the Americas.

Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria, spread from Africa to all continents following the out-of-Africa human migrations. During the transatlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, it was introduced twice independently to the Americas where it adapted to new environmental conditions (new human populations and mosquito species). Here, we analyzed the genome-wide polymorphisms of 2,635 isolates across the current P.

Standing genetic variation and chromosome differences drove rapid ecotype formation in a major malaria mosquito.

Species distributed across heterogeneous environments often evolve locally adapted ecotypes, but understanding of the genetic mechanisms involved in their formation and maintenance in the face of gene flow is incomplete. In Burkina Faso, the major African malaria mosquito comprises two strictly sympatric and morphologically indistinguishable yet karyotypically differentiated forms reported to differ in ecology and behavior. However, knowledge of the genetic basis and environmental determinants of diversification was impeded by lack of modern genomic resources.

Microbiome composition is shaped by geography and population structure in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica, but not in the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia.

The microbial community composition is crucial for diverse life-history traits in many organisms. However, we still lack a sufficient understanding of how the host microbiome is acquired and maintained, a pressing issue in times of global environmental change. Here we investigated to what extent host genotype, environmental conditions, and the endosymbiont Wolbachia influence the bacterial communities in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica.

The critically endangered vaquita is not doomed to extinction by inbreeding depression.

In cases of severe wildlife population decline, a key question is whether recovery efforts will be impeded by genetic factors, such as inbreeding depression. Decades of excess mortality from gillnet fishing have driven Mexico's vaquita porpoise () to ~10 remaining individuals. We analyzed whole-genome sequences from 20 vaquitas and integrated genomic and demographic information into stochastic, individual-based simulations to quantify the species' recovery potential.

Evolutionary history of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium simium in the Americas.

Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human-infecting species in the Americas. However, the origins of this parasite in this continent are still debated.

Global flyway evolution in red knots Calidris canutus and genetic evidence for a Nearctic refugium.

Present-day ecology and population structure are the legacies of past climate and habitat perturbations, and this is particularly true for species that are widely distributed at high latitudes. The red knot, Calidris canutus, is an arctic-breeding, long-distance migratory shorebird with six recognized subspecies defined by differences in morphology, migration behavior, and annual cycle phenology, in a global distribution thought to have arisen just since the last glacial maximum (LGM). We used nextRAD sequencing of 10,881 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess the neutral genetic structure and phylogeographic history of 172 red knots representing all known global breeding populations.

Predator biomass and vegetation influence the coastal distribution of threespine stickleback morphotypes.

Intraspecific niche differentiation can contribute to population persistence in changing environments. Following declines in large predatory fish, eutrophication, and climate change, there has been a major increase in the abundance of threespine stickleback () in the Baltic Sea. Two morphotype groups with different levels of body armor-completely plated and incompletely plated-are common in coastal Baltic Sea habitats.

No leading-edge effect in North Atlantic harbor porpoises: Evolutionary and conservation implications.

Understanding species responses to past environmental changes can help forecast how they will cope with ongoing climate changes. Harbor porpoises are widely distributed in the North Atlantic and were deeply impacted by the Pleistocene changes with the split of three subspecies. Despite major impacts of fisheries on natural populations, little is known about population connectivity and dispersal, how they reacted to the Pleistocene changes, and how they will evolve in the future.

Investigating the relation between instantaneous driving decisions and safety critical events in naturalistic driving environment.

The availability of large-scale naturalistic driving data provides enormous opportunities for studying relationships between instantaneous driving decisions prior to involvement in safety critical events (SCEs). This study investigates the role of driving instability prior to involvement in SCEs. While past research has studied crash types and their contributing factors, the role of pre-crash behavior in such events has not been explored as extensively.

Europe as a bridgehead in the worldwide invasion history of grapevine downy mildew, Plasmopara viticola.

Europe is the historical cradle of viticulture, but grapevines (Vitis vinifera) have been increasingly threatened by pathogens of American origin. The invasive oomycete Plasmopara viticola causes downy mildew, one of the most devastating grapevine diseases worldwide. Despite major economic consequences, its invasion history remains poorly understood.

Femtosecond laser-matter interaction of tungsten carbide.

We investigate the femtosecond laser-matter interaction for a tungsten carbide with 10% of cobalt. A femtosecond laser (1030 nm) with a pulse duration of 400 fs was used. For cumulated fluences between 1.

Population structure in a continuously distributed coastal marine species, the harbor porpoise, based on microhaplotypes derived from poor-quality samples.

Harbor porpoise in the North Pacific are found in coastal waters from southern California to Japan, but population structure is poorly known outside of a few local areas. We used multiplexed amplicon sequencing of 292 loci and genotyped clusters of single nucleotide polymoirphisms as microhaplotypes (N = 271 samples) in addition to mitochondrial (mtDNA) sequence data (N = 413 samples) to examine the genetic structure from samples collected along the Pacific coast and inland waterways from California to southern British Columbia. We confirmed an overall pattern of strong isolation-by-distance, suggesting that individual dispersal is restricted.

Impact of cyberattacks on safety and stability of connected and automated vehicle platoons under lane changes.

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) offer a huge potential to improve the operations and safety of transportation systems. However, the use of smart devices and communications in CAVs introduce new risks. CAVs would leverage vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication, thus providing additional system access points compared to traditional systems.