Copper-Induced Transgenerational Plasticity in Plant Defence Boosts Aphid Fitness.

Transgenerational plasticity in plants is an increasingly recognized phenomenon, yet it is mostly unclear whether transgenerational plasticity is relevant to both the fitness of the plant and its interacting species. Using monoclonal strains of the giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) and its native herbivore, the waterlily aphid (Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae), we assessed whether pre-treating plants with copper excess, both indoors and outdoors, induces transgenerational plasticity in plant defences that alter plant and herbivore fitness. Outdoors, copper pre-treatment tended to increase plant growth rates under recurring copper excess.

Herbivory can increase plant fitness via reduced interspecific competition-evidence from models and mesocosms.

Herbivores are generally considered to reduce plant fitness. However, as in natural communities they often feed on several competing plant species, herbivores can also increase plant fitness by reducing interspecific competition among plants. In this study, we developed a testable model to predict plant fitness in the presence of an interspecific competitor and a herbivore that feeds on both plant species.

Maintenance of long-term transposable element activity through regulation by nonautonomous elements.

Transposable elements are DNA sequences that can move and replicate within genomes. Broadly, there are 2 types: autonomous elements, which encode the necessary enzymes for transposition, and nonautonomous elements, which rely on the enzymes produced by autonomous elements for their transposition. Nonautonomous elements have been proposed to regulate the numbers of transposable elements, which is a possible explanation for the persistence of transposition activity over long evolutionary times.

Genomics Reveal Population Structure and Intergeneric Hybridization in an Endangered South American Bird: Implications for Management and Conservation.

Genomics is an invaluable tool for conservation, particularly for endangered species impacted by wildlife trafficking. This study uses genomic data to provide new insights to aid conservation and management of endangered species, using as a case study the Yellow cardinal (), a bird endemic to southern South America severely affected by illegal trade and the transformation of its natural habitat. We explore population structure within the Yellow cardinal, delimiting management units and describing connectivity among them.

One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction.

Freshwater ecosystems are highly biodiverse and important for livelihoods and economic development, but are under substantial stress. To date, comprehensive global assessments of extinction risk have not included any speciose groups primarily living in freshwaters. Consequently, data from predominantly terrestrial tetrapods are used to guide environmental policy and conservation prioritization, whereas recent proposals for target setting in freshwaters use abiotic factors.

Tracing the paths of modular evolution by quantifying rearrangement events of protein domains.

Background: Protein evolution is central to molecular adaptation and largely characterized by modular rearrangements of domains, the evolutionary and structural building blocks of proteins. Genetic events underlying protein rearrangements are relatively rare compared to changes of amino-acids. Therefore, these events can be used to characterize and reconstruct major events of molecular adaptation by comparing large data sets of proteomes.

Unearthing the secrets of Australia's most enigmatic and cryptic mammal, the marsupial mole.

The marsupial moles are arguably Australia's most enigmatic marsupials. Almost indistinguishable from placental (eutherian) moles, they provide a striking example of convergent evolution. Exploring the genome of the southern marsupial mole, we provide insights into its unusual biology.

Europe-wide distribution and bat-host specific lineages in the malarial parasite Polychromophilus murinus revealed through genetic screening of bat flies.

Malaria parasites of the genus Polychromophilus commonly infect vespertilionid and miniopterid bats, and are transmitted by bat flies (Nycteribiidae). While Polychromophilus murinus has been recorded sporadically in Europe, its host range, distribution and phylogeographic structure have not been explored. Here we investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of P.

Cardiac performance mirrors the passive thermal tolerance range in the oyster, Ostrea edulis.

Increasing frequencies of heatwaves threaten marine ectotherm species but not all alike. In exposed habitats, some species rely on a higher capacity for passive tolerance at higher temperatures, thereby extending time-dependent survival limits. Here we assess how the involvement of the cardiovascular system in extended tolerance at the margins of the thermal performance curve is dependent on warming rate.

Suture zones, speciation, and evolution.

In the more than 50 years since the initial conceptualization of the suture zone, little work has been done to take full advantage of the comparative capability of these geographic regions. During this time, great advances have been made in hybrid zone research that have provided invaluable insight in speciation and evolution. Hybrid zones have long been recognized to be "windows to the evolutionary process".

Heads up-Four Giraffa species have distinct cranial morphology.

Giraffe (Giraffa spp.) are among the most unique extant mammals in terms of anatomy, phylogeny, and ecology. However, aspects of their evolution, ontogeny, and taxonomy are unresolved, retaining lingering questions that are pivotal for their conservation.

Ocean-Wide Conservation Genomics of Blue Whales Suggest New Northern Hemisphere Subspecies.

The blue whale is an endangered and globally distributed species of baleen whale with multiple described subspecies, including the morphologically and genetically distinct pygmy blue whale. North Atlantic and North Pacific populations, however, are currently regarded as a single subspecies despite being separated by continental land masses and acoustic call differences. To determine the degree of isolation among the Northern Hemisphere populations, 14 North Pacific and 6 Western Australian blue whale nuclear and mitochondrial genomes were sequenced and analysed together with 11 publicly available North Atlantic blue whale genomes.

Three new species of Apotropina Hendel, 1907 (Diptera: Chloropidae) of the Colombian Andean-Amazon cloud forest.

The genus Apotropina Hendel is poorly known. In Colombia only one species registered. In this study, we describe three new species from Reserva Natural y Ecoturística La Ruidosa, Colombia: A.

New species and new records of Chloropinae from Singapore (Diptera: Chloropidae).

Chloropidae biodiversity in the Oriental region is remarkably diverse and yet poorly understood. In this study, we used integrative taxonomy to tackle the species diversity of the subfamily Chloropinae from Singapore. We describe the first Oriental species of Cryptonevra Lioy, C.

Cobitis feroniae, a new spined loach from southern Latium, Italy (Teleostei: Cobitidae).

Cobitis feroniae, new species, is described from central Italy. It is distinguished from C. zanandreai, its putatively closest relative, by having several, small, black dots below Z4; minute, black spot at the upper caudal peduncle, and the pigmentation in Z2 separated from pigmentation in Z1 anterior to the dorsal-fin origin.

Sea cucumbers of the genus Labidodemas (Holothuroidea: Holothuriida: Holothuriidae) from Indonesia, with the description of a new species and a revised key to the genus.

The present paper describes two often-reported species of Labidodemas as present in Indonesia: L. rugosum (Ludwig, 1875) and L. semperianum Selenka, 1867, and describes a new species to science Labidodemas javaensis sp.

The enigmatic Notolathrus sensitivus Remes Lenicov, 1992 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae): supplementary description and conservation status.

Notolathrus sensitivus holds the distinction of being the first cave-restricted planthopper species documented in South America, and currently stands as the sole known troglobitic Fulgoromorpha species in Argentina. This paper presents a comprehensive supplementary description of N. sensitivus, incorporating newly collected male and female specimens.

Macrobrachium ngankeeae, a new species of freshwater shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Papua Barat Province, Indonesia.

A new freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium ngankeeae n. sp., is described from two rivers in the Kaimana Regency on the southern coast of Papua Barat Province, Indonesia.

Another new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1927 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the angularis group from the karstic landscape of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam.

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang (PNKB National Park in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is a bastion for the protection and conservation of Vietnam's natural heritage. Thus, the discovery of yet another new species of Cyrtodactylus, C. hangvaensis sp.

The riodinid taxa described by Rudolf Emil Mell (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae), with notes on related ones.

The two riodinid taxa described by Rudolf Emil Mell were reviewed. Lectotypes have been designated for Sospita sobrina Mell, 1923 and Hipporion chauchowensis Mell, 1923. Abisara freda Bennett, 1957 syn.

A pioneering longterm experiment on mesophotic macrofouling communities in the North Atlantic.

The mesophotic zone represents one of our planet's largest and least explored biomes. An increasing number of studies evidence the importance of macrofouling species in marine ecosystems, but information on these communities and the factors influencing their structures at mesophotic depths remain poor. This lack of understanding limits our ability to predict anthropogenic impacts or conduct restoration operations in the mesophotic and the lower boundary of the euphotic zones.