Modeling Eastern Russian High Arctic Geese (Anser fabalis, A. albifrons) during moult and brood rearing in the 'New Digital Arctic'.

Many polar species and habitats are now affected by man-made global climate change and underlying infrastructure. These anthropogenic forces have resulted in clear implications and many significant changes in the arctic, leading to the emergence of new climate, habitats and other issues including digital online infrastructure representing a 'New Artic'. Arctic grazers, like Eastern Russian migratory populations of Tundra Bean Goose Anser fabalis and Greater White-fronted Goose A.

Mitogenomics of modern Mongolic-speaking populations.

Here, we present a comprehensive data set of 489 complete mitogenomes (211 of which are new) from four Mongolic-speaking populations (Mongols, Barghuts, Khamnigans, and Buryats) to investigate their matrilineal genetic structure, ancestry and relationship with other ethnic groups. We show that along with very high levels of genetic diversity and lack of genetic differentiation, Mongolic-speaking populations exhibit strong genetic resemblance to East Asian populations of Chinese, Japanese, and Uyghurs. Phylogeographic analysis of complete mitogenomes reveals the presence of different components in the gene pools of modern Mongolic-speaking populations-the main East Eurasian component is represented by mtDNA lineages of East Asian, Siberian and autochthonous (the Baikal region/Mongolian) ancestry, whereas the less pronounced West Eurasian component can be ascribed to Europe and West Asia/Caucasus.

Human-modified canids in human-modified landscapes: The evolutionary consequences of hybridization for grey wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs.

Introgressive hybridization between domestic animals and their wild relatives is an indirect form of human-induced evolution, altering gene pools and phenotypic traits of wild and domestic populations. Although this process is well documented in many taxa, its evolutionary consequences are poorly understood. In this study, we assess introgression patterns in admixed populations of Eurasian wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs (FRDs), identifying chromosomal regions with significantly overrepresented hybrid ancestry and assessing whether genes located within these regions show signatures of selection.

The subfamily Myoxocephalinae of cottid fishes (Cottidae): Genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships.

A comprehensive study based on molecular marker and karyotype analyses has provided evidence for the monophyly of the subfamily Myoxocephalinae, which includes the genera Myoxocephalus, Megalocottus, Microcottus, Porocottus, Enophrys and Argyrocottus. In addition, the karyotype of the threadfoot sculpin Argyrocottus zanderi Herzenstein 1892 has been studied for the first time. Marker traits of karyotypes identified 13 species among six cottid genera.

Range-wide breeding habitat use of the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting after population collapse.

The population of the Yellow-breasted Bunting , a formerly widely distributed and abundant songbird of northern Eurasia, suffered a catastrophic decline and a strong range contraction between 1980 and 2013. There is evidence that the decline was driven by illegal trapping during migration, but potential contributions of other factors to the decline, such as land-use change, have not yet been evaluated. Before the effects of land-use change can be evaluated, a basic understanding of the ecological requirements of the species is needed.

Differentiation of the frog sculpin Tilesius, 1811 (Actinopterygii, Cottidae) based on mtDNA and karyotype analyses.

A molecular genetic and karyological study of the frog sculpin Tilesius, 1811 was carried out on an extensive sample from a large area of the species' range. A total of 42 specimens was sampled from the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, and coastal waters off the southern Kuril Islands, which makes this sampling scheme the most comprehensive to date. The level of mtDNA polymorphism was found to be low.

Combining modern tracking data and historical records improves understanding of the summer habitats of the Eastern Lesser White-fronted Goose .

The Lesser White-fronted Goose ( smallest of the "gray" geese, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected in all range states. There are three populations, with the least studied being the Eastern population, shared between Russia and China. The extreme remoteness of breeding enclaves makes them largely inaccessible to researchers.

On species of the genus emMacrosaldula/em (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Saldidae) of the Palaearctic Region, with description of emM. graziae/em sp. nov.

In this paper, we present new data on the genus Macrosaldula Leston Southwood, 1964 based on material held in the collections of the National Museum (Prague, Czech Republic) and the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia). Macrosaldula graziae sp.

Tapeworms in Rodents from the Lower Anabar River Basin, with a Review of Species Diversity of Cestodes in Yakutia, Russia.

Purpose: We aimed to explore the first data on the fauna of cestodes in rodents from the Lower Anabar River Basin situated in extreme north-western Yakutia, Russia and to develop a biological and biogeographical framework for examination of the species diversity of cestodes from Yakutia, which is an important faunal transition zone in the eastern Palaearctic.

Methods: Field inventory of cestodes from rodents was conducted for the first time in the region of north-western Yakutia. Species diversity, intensity and prevalence of infection were assessed.

Longer days enable higher diurnal activity for migratory birds.

Seasonal geophysical cycles strongly influence the activity of life on Earth because they affect environmental conditions like temperature, precipitation and day length. An increase in daylight availability during summer is especially enhanced when animals migrate along a latitudinal gradient. Yet, the question of how day length (i.

[Genetic markers on the distribution of ancient marine hunters in Priokhotye].

This is a review of studies on the genetic polymorphism of modern and ancient populations of the north of Asia and America, with the aim of reconstructing the history of migrations of ancient marine hunters in the Okhotsk Sea region. The data on mitochondrial DNA polymorphism and the "Arctic" mutation distribution - the rs80356779-A variant of the CPT1A gene - were analyzed. It is known that the "Arctic" variant of the CPT1A gene is widely distributed in modern populations of the Eskimos, Chukchis, Koryaks, and other peoples of the Okhotsk Sea region, whose economic structure is associated with marine hunting.

Morphotypes and genetic diversity of Dendrobaena schmidti (Lumbricidae, Annelida).

Dendrobaena schmidti (Michaelsen, 1907) is a polymorphic earthworm species from the Caucasus and adjacent regions. Adult D. schmidti individuals have highly variable body size (from 1.

Climate-driven flyway changes and memory-based long-distance migration.

Millions of migratory birds occupy seasonally favourable breeding grounds in the Arctic, but we know little about the formation, maintenance and future of the migration routes of Arctic birds and the genetic determinants of migratory distance. Here we established a continental-scale migration system that used satellite tracking to follow 56 peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) from 6 populations that breed in the Eurasian Arctic, and resequenced 35 genomes from 4 of these populations. The breeding populations used five migration routes across Eurasia, which were probably formed by longitudinal and latitudinal shifts in their breeding grounds during the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene epoch.

Temperature and pH define the realised niche space of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are a globally distributed group of soil organisms that play critical roles in ecosystem function. However, the ecological niches of individual AM fungal taxa are poorly understood. We collected > 300 soil samples from natural ecosystems worldwide and modelled the realised niches of AM fungal virtual taxa (VT; approximately species-level phylogroups).

Karyotype Evolution in 10 Pinniped Species: Variability of Heterochromatin versus High Conservatism of Euchromatin as Revealed by Comparative Molecular Cytogenetics.

Pinnipedia karyotype evolution was studied here using human, domestic dog, and stone marten whole-chromosome painting probes to obtain comparative chromosome maps among species of Odobenidae (), Phocidae (, , , , ), and Otariidae (, , , and ). Structural and functional chromosomal features were assessed with telomere repeat and ribosomal-DNA probes and by CBG (C-bands revealed by barium hydroxide treatment followed by Giemsa staining) and CDAG (Chromomycin A3-DAPI after G-banding) methods. We demonstrated diversity of heterochromatin among pinniped karyotypes in terms of localization, size, and nucleotide composition.

Meteorological factors affecting refueling of European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) during migrations.

Weather ultimately affects avian migration. The significance of meteorological variables is relatively well known for flights of migrants and for departure/landing decisions at stopover sites. Success of migration greatly depends on storage of fat and body mass gain at stopovers; however, the influence of weather on refueling at stopovers is surprisingly poorly studied.

Morphological description and DNA barcoding of some Diamesinae (Diptera, Chironomidae) from the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago and the Vaigach Island (Russian Arctic).

Chironomids of the Diamesinae subfamily from the Russian Arctic were studied using both morphological characters and molecular data. Adult males of Diamesa urvantsevi sp. nov.

Author Correction: Arctic avian predators synchronise their spring migration with the northern progression of snowmelt.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Complete mitogenome data for the Serbian population: the contribution to high-quality forensic databases.

Mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is a valuable resource in resolving various human forensic casework. The usage of variability of complete mtDNA genomes increases their discriminatory power to the maximum and enables ultimate resolution of distinct maternal lineages. However, their wider employment in forensic casework is nowadays limited by the lack of appropriate reference database.

Year-round spatiotemporal distribution pattern of a threatened sea duck species breeding on Kolguev Island, south-eastern Barents Sea.

Background: The long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) was categorized as ´Vulnerable` by the IUCN after a study revealed a rapid wintering population decline of 65% between 1992-1993 and 2007-2009 in the Baltic Sea. As knowledge about the European long-tailed duck's life cycle and movement ecology is limited, we investigate its year-round spatiotemporal distribution patterns. Specifically, we aimed to identify the wintering grounds, timing of migration and staging of this population via light-level geolocation.