The largest amber-preserved flower revisited.

Amber exquisitely preserves the delicate organs of fossil flowers for millions of years. However, flower inclusions can be rare and usually do not exceed 10 mm in size. Here we report an exceptionally large flower from late Eocene Baltic amber, measuring 28 mm across, which is about three times as large as most floral inclusions.

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans' Amphibian Host Species and Invasion Range.

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a species related to the destructive pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), was found and identified in Europe in 2013. Now, a decade later, a large amount of information is available. This includes data from studies in the field, reports of infection in captive amphibians, laboratory studies testing host susceptibility, and data from prospective studies that test for Bsal's presence in a location.

Anticipating the occurrence and type of critical transitions.

Critical transition can occur in many real-world systems. The ability to forecast the occurrence of transition is of major interest in a range of contexts. Various early warning signals (EWSs) have been developed to anticipate the coming critical transition or distinguish types of transition.

Natural rubber reduces herbivory and alters the microbiome below ground.

Laticifers are hypothesized to mediate both plant-herbivore and plant-microbe interactions. However, there is little evidence for this dual function. We investigated whether the major constituent of natural rubber, cis-1,4-polyisoprene, a phylogenetically widespread and economically important latex polymer, alters plant resistance and the root microbiome of the Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz) under attack of a root herbivore, the larva of the May cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha).

Variation in heat shock protein 40 kDa relates to divergence in thermotolerance among cryptic rotifer species.

Genetic divergence and the frequency of hybridization are central for defining species delimitations, especially among cryptic species where morphological differences are merely absent. Rotifers are known for their high cryptic diversity and therefore are ideal model organisms to investigate such patterns. Here, we used the recently resolved Brachionus calyciflorus species complex to investigate whether previously observed between species differences in thermotolerance and gene expression are also reflected in their genomic footprint.

Immune Stimulation via Wounding Alters Chemical Profiles of Adult Tribolium castaneum.

Group-living individuals experience immense risk of disease transmission and parasite infection. In social and in some non-social insects, disease control with immunomodulation arises not only via individual immune defenses, but also via infochemicals such as contact cues and (defensive) volatiles to mount a group-level immunity. However, little is known about whether activation of the immune system elicits changes in chemical phenotypes, which may mediate these responses.

DNA barcoding unveils a high diversity of caddisflies (Trichoptera) in the Mount Halimun Salak National Park (West Java; Indonesia).

Background: Trichoptera are one of the most diverse groups of freshwater insects worldwide and one of the main bioindicators for freshwater quality. However, in many areas, caddisflies remain understudied due to lack of taxonomic expertise. Meanwhile, globally increasing anthropogenic stress on freshwater streams also threatens Trichoptera diversity.

Quantifying the impacts of symbiotic interactions between two invasive species: the tawny crazy ant () tending the sorghum aphid ().

The establishment of new symbiotic interactions between introduced species may facilitate invasion success. For instance, tawny crazy ant ( Mayr) is known to be an opportunistic tender of honeydew producing insects and this ants' symbiotic interactions have exacerbated agricultural damage in some invaded regions of the world. The invasive sorghum aphid ( Theobald) was first reported as a pest in the continental United States-in Texas and Louisiana-as recent as 2013, and tawny crazy ant (TCA) was reported in Texas in the early 2000s.

The Effects of Microbiota on the Herbivory Resistance of the Giant Duckweed Are Plant Genotype-Dependent.

In nature, all plants live with microbes, which can directly affect their host plants' physiology and metabolism, as well as their interacting partners, such as herbivores. However, to what extent the microbiota shapes the adaptive evolution to herbivory is unclear. To address this challenge, it is essential to quantify the intra-specific variations of microbiota effects on plant fitness.

Ruminant inner ear shape records 35 million years of neutral evolution.

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors impact diversity. On deep-time scales, the extrinsic impact of climate and geology are crucial, but poorly understood. Here, we use the inner ear morphology of ruminant artiodactyls to test for a deep-time correlation between a low adaptive anatomical structure and both extrinsic and intrinsic variables.

Recovery from heat-induced infertility-A study of reproductive tissue responses and fitness consequences in male .

The predicted temperature increase caused by climate change is a threat to biodiversity. Across animal taxa, male reproduction is often sensitive to elevated temperatures leading to fertility loss, and in more adverse scenarios, this can result in sterility when males reach their upper thermal fertility limit. Here, we investigate temperature-induced changes in reproductive tissues, fertility reduction, sterility, and the associated fitness loss during the subsequent recovery phase in male .

Anatomical study of the red flour beetle using synchrotron radiation X-ray phase-contrast micro-tomography.

Synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast microtomography (SR-PhC micro-CT) is well established, fast and non-destructive imaging technique for data acquisition that is currently being used to obtain new insights into insect anatomy and function in physiological, morphological and phylogenetic studies. In this study, we described in situ the internal organs of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum Herbst 1797, a widespread pest of cereals and stored food causing serious damage to the human economy. Two-dimensional virtual sections and volumetric reconstructions of the nervous, alimentary and reproductive systems were carried out in both sexes.

The soundscape of swarming: Proof of concept for a noninvasive acoustic species identification of swarming bats.

Bats emit echolocation calls to orientate in their predominantly dark environment. Recording of species-specific calls can facilitate species identification, especially when mist netting is not feasible. However, some taxa, such as bats can be hard to distinguish acoustically.

Quaternary megafauna extinctions altered body size distribution in tortoises.

The late Quaternary is characterized by the extinction of many terrestrial megafauna, which included tortoises (Family: Testudinidae). However, limited information is available on how extinction shaped the phenotype of surviving taxa. Here, based on a global dataset of straight carapace length, we investigate the temporal variation, spatial distribution and evolution of tortoise body size over the past 23 million years, thereby capturing the effects of Quaternary extinctions in this clade.

Eusocial Transition in Blattodea: Transposable Elements and Shifts of Gene Expression.

(1) Unravelling the molecular basis underlying major evolutionary transitions can shed light on how complex phenotypes arise. The evolution of eusociality, a major evolutionary transition, has been demonstrated to be accompanied by enhanced gene regulation. Numerous pieces of evidence suggest the major impact of transposon insertion on gene regulation and its role in adaptive evolution.

Hard ticks in Burmese amber with Australasian affinities.

Three examples of metastriate hard ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) with apparent affinities to modern Australasian genera are described from the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 100 Ma) Burmese amber of Myanmar. Two nymphs of sp.

More effective transposon regulation in fertile, long-lived termite queens than in sterile workers.

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences, which can cause the accumulation of genomic damage in the lifetime of an organism. The regulation of TEs, for instance via the piRNA-pathway, is an important mechanism to protect the integrity of genomes, especially in the germ-line where mutations can be transmitted to offspring. In eusocial insects, soma and germ-line are divided among worker and reproductive castes, so one may expect caste-specific differences in TE regulation to exist.

Exceptional preservation of internal organs in a new fossil species of freshwater shrimp (Caridea: Palaemonoidea) from the Eocene of Messel (Germany).

A new species of extinct freshwater shrimp was discovered in the Eocene deposit of the Messel Pit Konservat-Lagerstätte. This rare find is represented by only a few specimens, one of which showing exceptionally preserved soft tissues and other internal parts like the stomach with possibly gastric ossicles in place, branchiae, the ovary, and the left mandible, never described in a fossil shrimp. The new species Bechleja brevirostris n.

Intronization Signatures in Coding Exons Reveal the Evolutionary Fluidity of Eukaryotic Gene Architecture.

The conventionally clear distinction between exons and introns in eukaryotic genes is actually blurred. To illustrate this point, consider sequences that are retained in mature mRNAs about 50% of the time: how should they be classified? Moreover, although it is clear that RNA splicing influences gene expression levels and is an integral part of interdependent cellular networks, introns continue to be regarded as accidental insertions; exogenous sequences whose evolutionary origin is independent of mRNA-associated processes and somewhat still elusive. Here, we present evidence that aids to resolve this disconnect between conventional views about introns and current knowledge about the role of RNA splicing in the eukaryotic cell.

Signatures of Positive Selection in the Genome of : A Subspecies of European Honeybees.

The technology of long reads substantially improved the contingency of the genome assembly, particularly resolving contiguity of the repetitive regions. By integrating the interactive fragment using Hi-C, and the HiFi technique, a solid genome of the honeybee was assembled at the chromosomal level. A distinctive pattern of genes involved in social evolution was found by comparing it with social and solitary bees.

Experiencing herd immunity in virtual reality increases COVID-19 vaccination intention: Evidence from a large-scale field intervention study.

This study investigates the impact of an immersive virtual reality (VR) simulation of herd immunity on vaccination intentions and its potential underlying mechanisms. In this preregistered field study,  = 654 participants were randomly assigned to one of the three VR conditions: (1) Gamified Herd Immunity; (2) Gamified Herd Immunity + Empathy (with additional narrative elements); (3) Control (gamified with no vaccination-related content). In the Gamified Herd Immunity simulation, participants embodied a vulnerable person and navigated a wedding venue trying to avoid getting infected.

Community engagement and data quality: best practices and lessons learned from a citizen science project on birdsong.

Unlabelled: Citizen Science (CS) is a research approach that has become popular in recent years and offers innovative potential for dialect research in ornithology. As the scepticism about CS data is still widespread, we analysed the development of a 3-year CS project based on the song of the Common Nightingale () to share best practices and lessons learned. We focused on the data scope, individual engagement, spatial distribution and species misidentifications from recordings generated before (2018, 2019) and during the COVID-19 outbreak (2020) with a smartphone using the 'Naturblick' app.

Bacterial Hsp90 predominantly buffers but does not potentiate the phenotypic effects of deleterious mutations during fluorescent protein evolution.

Chaperones facilitate the folding of other ("client") proteins and can thus affect the adaptive evolution of these clients. Specifically, chaperones affect the phenotype of proteins via two opposing mechanisms. On the one hand, they can buffer the effects of mutations in proteins and thus help preserve an ancestral, premutation phenotype.