A Genomic-Based Workflow for eDNA Assay Development for a Critically Endangered Turtle, .

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has become a popular conservation tool for detecting rare and elusive species. eDNA assays typically target mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) due to its high copy number per cell and its ability to persist in the environment longer than nuclear DNA. Consequently, the development of eDNA assays has relied on mitochondrial reference sequences available in online databases, or in cases where such data are unavailable, de novo DNA extraction and sequencing of mtDNA.

The impacts of alien species on river bioassessment.

The extent of alien taxa impacts on river ecosystem health is unclear, but their frequency continues to rise. We investigated 1) the prevalence of including alien taxa in common bioindicators used in river bioassessment, 2) the effect of alien taxa on the richness and abundance of natives, and 3) whether including alien taxa in bioassessment tools increased their sensitivity to river degradation. In the 17 countries analyzed fish represented the greatest number of alien species (1726), followed by macrophytes (925), macroinvertebrates (556), and diatoms (7).

Disruption of Sex-Linked Causes ZW Female-to-Male Sex Reversal in the Japanese Frog .

is an ancestral homologous gene of the male-determining in eutherian mammals and determines maleness in medaka fish. In the Japanese frog, , is located on the Z and W chromosomes. To assess the sex-determining function of in this frog, we investigated its expression in gonads during early tadpole development and conducted genome-editing experiments.

The cost of recovering Australia's threatened species.

Accounting for the cost of repairing the degradation of Earth's biosphere is critical to guide conservation and sustainable development decisions. Yet the costs of repairing nature through the recovery of a continental suite of threatened species across their range have never been calculated. We estimated the cost of in situ recovery of nationally listed terrestrial and freshwater threatened species (n = 1,657) across the megadiverse continent of Australia by combining the spatially explicit costs of all strategies required to address species-specific threats.

Spatiotemporal variation in population dynamics of a narrow endemic, Ranunculus austro-oreganus.

Premise: Understanding how population dynamics vary in space and time is critical for understanding the basic life history and conservation needs of a species, especially for narrow endemic species whose populations are often in similar environments and therefore at increased risk of extinction under climate change. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal variation in population dynamics of Ranunculus austro-oreganus, a perennial buttercup endemic to fragmented prairie habitat in one county in southern Oregon.

Methods: We performed demographic surveys of three populations of R.

Trochopus martydeveneyi n. sp. (Monogenea) infecting the pectoral fins of the southern African endemic Cape gurnard, Chelidonichthys capensis in Table Bay, and the proposal of Trochopus lawleri n. sp. for T. hobo from Australia.

Trochopus martydeveneyi n. sp., a large, elegant species is described from the dorsal surface of the pectoral fins of captive Cape gurnard, Chelidonichthys capensis (Cuvier), at Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, originally collected from Table Bay, South Africa in 2007.

Biodiversity impacts of the 2019-2020 Australian megafires.

With large wildfires becoming more frequent, we must rapidly learn how megafires impact biodiversity to prioritize mitigation and improve policy. A key challenge is to discover how interactions among fire-regime components, drought and land tenure shape wildfire impacts. The globally unprecedented 2019-2020 Australian megafires burnt more than 10 million hectares, prompting major investment in biodiversity monitoring.

One-Step Leaping Evolution from an Autosomal Pair to the Heteromorphic Sex Chromosomes.

Background: Sex chromosomes evolve from an autosomal pair after the acquisition of a sex-determining gene. The primary sex chromosomes are homomorphic in both sexes and often undergo heteromorphism in either sex (XY in males or ZW in females) in association with chromosome rearrangements such as inversion, which creates a non-recombining region, called a stratum. Then, multiple strata may form by sequential inversions and extend the non-recombining region, where gene divergence accelerates, and degeneration of the Y or W chromosome progressively occurs.

Gradual chromosomal lagging drive programmed genome elimination in hemiclonal fishes from the genus Hypseleotris.

Most eukaryotes maintain the stability of their cellular genome sizes to ensure genome transmission to offspring through sexual reproduction. However, some alter their genome size by selectively eliminating parts or increasing ploidy at specific developmental stages. This phenomenon of genome elimination or whole genome duplication occurs in animal hybrids reproducing asexually.

Mineral pollutants and coliform contamination in groundwater pose health risks to consumers: a spatiotemporal study in a mining-impacted area.

The presence of mineral pollutants, combined with bacterial contamination, has significantly impacted groundwater quality and led to various health-related issues in mining-impacted areas. Therefore, we measured the concentration of fluoride (F), phosphate (PO), sulphate (SO), ammonium (NH), nitrate (NO), the total coliforms (TCs), and physiochemical characteristics in groundwater samples of South Khorasan, Eastern Iran. For this, we collected water samples from 100 wells in spring and autumn across this mining-impacted area.

Immediate Genetic Augmentation and Enhanced Habitat Connectivity Are Required to Secure the Future of an Iconic Endangered Freshwater Fish Population.

Genetic diversity is rapidly lost from small, isolated populations by genetic drift. Measuring the level of genetic drift using effective population size ( ) is highly useful for management. Single-cohort genetic estimators approximate the number of breeders in one season ( ): a value < 100 signals likely inbreeding depression.

Optimizing oxytetracycline removal from aqueous solutions using activated carbon from barley lignocellulosic wastes with isotherms and thermodynamic studies.

The excessive presence of antibiotics such as Oxytetracycline (OTC) in the wastewater has increased health problems due to their toxic impact on the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, their removal has become an important topic. This study aims to produce high surface area-activated carbon derived from low-cost and environmentally friendly barley lignocellulosic wastes to remove OTC from aqueous solutions.

Macroinvertebrate community and leaf litter breakdown measures lack concordance associated with singular or multiple stressors.

Freshwater ecosystems are being degraded by a wide range of stressors resulting from human activities. Various structural and functional metrics or indices are used to assess the 'health' or condition of riverine ecosystems. It is uncertain if structural or functional metrics or indices respond to different stressors and whether some are more responsive to stressors in general.

Hazard assessment of microplastics and heavy metals contamination in Levant frogs (Pelophylax bedriagae): A bioindicator in Western Iran.

The increasing pollution of aquatic ecosystems caused by microplastics (MPs) and heavy metal ions worldwide threatens the life of aquatic organisms, including amphibians. In this study, we investigated the presence and accumulation of MPs and heavy metal ions in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the Levant frog (Pelophylax bedriagae) as a bioindicator in contaminated sites of Western Iran. A total of 192 adult frogs from 16 locations in the west and northwest of Iran were collected.

Evidence for a metal disease refuge: The amphibian-killing fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) is inhibited by environmentally-relevant concentrations of metals tolerated by amphibians.

The amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused substantial declines in Bd-susceptible amphibian species worldwide. However, some populations of Bd-susceptible frogs have managed to survive at existing metal-polluted sites, giving rise to the hypothesis that frogs might persist in the presence of Bd if Bd is inhibited by metals at concentrations that frogs can tolerate. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the survival of Bd zoospores, the life stage that infects amphibians, and calculated the LC after exposure to environmentally-relevant elevated concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and their combination (Cu + Zn) in two repeated 4-day acute exposure runs.

Multiple karyotype differences between populations of the Hoplias malabaricus (Teleostei; Characiformes), a species complex in the gray area of the speciation process.

Neotropical fishes exhibit remarkable karyotype diversity, whose evolution is poorly understood. Here, we studied genetic differences in 60 individuals, from 11 localities of one species, the wolf fish Hoplias malabaricus, from populations that include six different "karyomorphs". These differ in Y-X chromosome differentiation, and, in several cases, by fusions with autosomes that have resulted in multiple sex chromosomes.

Hotspot shelters stimulate frog resistance to chytridiomycosis.

Many threats to biodiversity cannot be eliminated; for example, invasive pathogens may be ubiquitous. Chytridiomycosis is a fungal disease that has spread worldwide, driving at least 90 amphibian species to extinction, and severely affecting hundreds of others. Once the disease spreads to a new environment, it is likely to become a permanent part of that ecosystem.

Maternal diet influences fecundity in a freshwater turtle undergoing population decline.

Food availability determines the amount of energy animals can acquire and allocate to reproduction and other necessary functions. Female animals that are food limited thus experience reduced energy available for reproduction. When this occurs, females may reduce frequency of reproductive events or the number or size of offspring per reproductive bout.

Spatial health risk assessments of nickel in the groundwater sources of a mining-impacted area.

Mining activities have increased the potential risks of metal pollution to the groundwater resources in arid areas across the globe. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the health risk associated with nickel (Ni) in the groundwater sources of a mining-impacted area, South Khorasan, Eastern Iran. A total of 110 stations were included in the study, comprising 62 wells, 40 qanats, and 8 springs in summer, 2020.