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Effective dispersal patterns in prairie plant species across human‐modified landscapes Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-24 Elizabeth C. Hendrickson, Mitchell B. Cruzan
Effective dispersal among plant populations is dependent on vector behaviour, landscape features and availability of adequate habitats. To capture landscape feature effects on dispersal, studies must be conducted at scales reflecting single‐generation dispersal events (mesoscale). Many studies are conducted at large scales where genetic differentiation is due to dispersal occurring over multiple generations
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Combining population genomics and biophysical modelling to assess connectivity patterns in an Antarctic fish Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-24 Valentina Bernal‐Durán, David Donoso, Andrea Piñones, Per R. Jonsson, Laura Benestan, Mauricio F. Landaeta, Javier Naretto, Karin Gerard, Pilar A. Haye, Claudio Gonzalez‐Wevar, Elie Poulin, Nicolás I. Segovia
Connectivity is a fundamental process of population dynamics in marine ecosystems. In the last decade, with the emergence of new methods, combining different approaches to understand the patterns of connectivity among populations and their regulation has become increasingly feasible. The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is characterized by complex oceanographic dynamics, where local conditions could
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The road less taken: Dihydroflavonol 4‐reductase inactivation and delphinidin anthocyanin loss underpins a natural intraspecific flower colour variation Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-23 Darren C. J. Wong, Zemin Wang, James Perkins, Xin Jin, Grace Emma Marsh, Emma Grace John, Rod Peakall
Visual cues are of critical importance for the attraction of animal pollinators, however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underpinning intraspecific floral colour variation. Here, we combined comparative spectral analysis, targeted metabolite profiling, multi‐tissue transcriptomics, differential gene expression, sequence analysis and functional analysis to investigate a bee‐pollinated
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How structural variants shape avian phenotypes: Lessons from model systems Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-23 María Recuerda, Leonardo Campagna
Despite receiving significant recent attention, the relevance of structural variation (SV) in driving phenotypic diversity remains understudied, although recent advances in long‐read sequencing, bioinformatics and pangenomic approaches have enhanced SV detection. We review the role of SVs in shaping phenotypes in avian model systems, and identify some general patterns in SV type, length and their associated
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How admixed captive breeding populations could be rescued using local ancestry information Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Daniel J. Lawson, Jo Howard‐McCombe, Mark Beaumont, Helen Senn
This paper asks the question: can genomic information be used to recover a species that is already on the pathway to extinction due to genetic swamping from a related and more numerous population? We show that a breeding strategy in a captive breeding program can use whole genome sequencing to identify and remove segments of DNA introgressed through hybridisation. The proposed policy uses a generalized
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The Andes as a semi‐permeable geographical barrier: Genetic connectivity between structured populations in a widespread spider Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Fabian C. Salgado‐Roa, Carolina Pardo‐Diaz, Nicol Rueda‐M, Diego F. Cisneros‐Heredia, Eloisa Lasso, Camilo Salazar
Geographical barriers like mountain ranges impede genetic exchange among populations, promoting diversification. The effectiveness of these barriers in limiting gene flow varies between lineages due to each species' dispersal modes and capacities. Our understanding of how the Andes orogeny contributes to species diversification comes from well‐studied vertebrates and a few arthropods and plants, neglecting
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Climate‐related naturally occurring epimutation and their roles in plant adaptation in A. thaliana Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Bowei Chen, Min Wang, Yile Guo, Zihui Zhang, Wei Zhou, Lesheng Cao, Tianxu Zhang, Shahid Ali, Linan Xie, Yuhua Li, Gaurav Zinta, Shanwen Sun, Qingzhu Zhang
DNA methylation has been proposed to be an important mechanism that allows plants to respond to their environments sometimes entirely uncoupled from genetic variation. To understand the genetic basis, biological functions and climatic relationships of DNA methylation at a population scale in Arabidopsis thaliana, we performed a genome‐wide association analysis with high‐quality single nucleotide polymorphisms
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Toxic to the touch: The makings of lethal mantles in pitohui birds and poison dart frogs Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Sophie Zaaijer, Simon C. Groen
How do chemically defended animals resist their own toxins? This intriguing question on the concept of autotoxicity is at the heart of how species interactions evolve. In this issue of Molecular Ecology (Molecular Ecology, 2024, 33), Bodawatta and colleagues report on how Papua New Guinean birds coopted deadly neurotoxins to create lethal mantles that protect against predators and parasites. Combining
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Environmental DNA: The next chapter Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Rosetta Blackman, Marjorie Couton, François Keck, Dominik Kirschner, Luca Carraro, Eva Cereghetti, Kilian Perrelet, Raphael Bossart, Jeanine Brantschen, Yan Zhang, Florian Altermatt
Molecular tools are an indispensable part of ecology and biodiversity sciences and implemented across all biomes. About a decade ago, the use and implementation of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect biodiversity signals extracted from environmental samples opened new avenues of research. Initial eDNA research focused on understanding population dynamics of target species. Its scope thereafter broadened
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Recurrent gene flow events occurred during the diversification of clownfishes of the skunk complex Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Anna Marcionetti, Joris A. M. Bertrand, Fabio Cortesi, Giulia F. A. Donati, Sara Heim, Filip Huyghe, Marc Kochzius, Loïc Pellissier, Nicolas Salamin
Clownfish (subfamily Amphiprioninae) are an iconic group of coral reef fish that evolved a mutualistic interaction with sea anemones, which triggered the adaptive radiation of the clade. Within clownfishes, the “skunk complex” is particularly interesting. Besides ecological speciation, interspecific gene flow and hybrid speciation are thought to have shaped the evolution of the group. We investigated
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Importance of the ECM–receptor interaction for adaptive response to hypoxia based on integrated transcription and translation analysis Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Da Huo, Shilin Liu, Libin Zhang, Hongsheng Yang, Lina Sun
Low dissolved oxygen (LO) conditions represent a major environmental challenge to marine life, especially benthic animals. For these organisms, drastic declines in oxygen availability (hypoxic events) can trigger mass mortality events and thus, act as agents of selection influencing the evolution of adaptations. In sea cucumbers, one of the most successful groups of benthic invertebrates, the exposure
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Global assessment of effective population sizes: Consistent taxonomic differences in meeting the 50/500 rule Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-13 Shannon H. Clarke, Elizabeth R. Lawrence, Jean‐Michel Matte, Brian K. Gallagher, Sarah J. Salisbury, Sozos N. Michaelides, Ramela Koumrouyan, Daniel E. Ruzzante, James W. A. Grant, Dylan J. Fraser
Effective population size (Ne) is a particularly useful metric for conservation as it affects genetic drift, inbreeding and adaptive potential within populations. Current guidelines recommend a minimum Ne of 50 and 500 to avoid short‐term inbreeding and to preserve long‐term adaptive potential respectively. However, the extent to which wild populations reach these thresholds globally has not been investigated
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Highly structured populations of copepods at risk to deep‐sea mining: Integration of genomic data with demogenetic and biophysical modelling Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-12 Coral Diaz‐Recio Lorenzo, Adrien Tran Lu Y, Otis Brunner, Pedro Martínez Arbizu, Didier Jollivet, Stefan Laurent, Sabine Gollner
Copepoda is the most abundant taxon in deep‐sea hydrothermal vents, where hard substrate is available. Despite the increasing interest in seafloor massive sulphides exploitation, there have been no population genomic studies conducted on vent meiofauna, which are known to contribute over 50% to metazoan biodiversity at vents. To bridge this knowledge gap, restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing
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Genetic insight into a polygenic trait using a novel genome‐wide association approach in a wild amphibian population Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Elisavet‐Aspasia Toli, Petri Kemppainen, Anastasios Bounas, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos
Body size variation is central in the evolution of life‐history traits in amphibians, but the underlying genetic architecture of this complex trait is still largely unknown. Herein, we studied the genetic basis of body size and fecundity of the alternative morphotypes in a wild population of the Greek smooth newt (Lissotriton graecus). By combining a genome‐wide association approach with linkage disequilibrium
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A time course analysis through diapause reveals dynamic temporal patterns of microRNAs associated with endocrine regulation in the butterfly Pieris napi Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Kevin T. Roberts, Rachel A. Steward, Philip Süess, Philipp Lehmann, Christopher W. Wheat
Organisms inhabiting highly seasonal environments must cope with a wide range of environmentally induced challenges. Many seasonal challenges require extensive physiological modification to survive. In winter, to survive extreme cold and limited resources, insects commonly enter diapause, which is an endogenously derived dormant state associated with minimized cellular processes and low energetic expenditure
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Survival in nunatak and peripheral glacial refugia of three alpine plant species is partly predicted by altitudinal segregation Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Francesco Rota, Pau Carnicero, Gabriele Casazza, Juri Nascimbene, Peter Schönswetter, Camilla Wellstein
Mountain biota survived the Quaternary cold stages most probably in peripheral refugia and/or ice‐free peaks within ice‐sheets (nunataks). While survival in peripheral refugia has been broadly demonstrated, evidence for nunatak refugia is still scarce. We generated RADseq data from three mountain plant species occurring at different elevations in the southeastern European Alps to investigate the role
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Transgressive gene expression and expression plasticity under thermal stress in a stable hybrid zone Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Lindsey C. Schwartz, Vanessa L. González, Ellen E. Strong, Manuela Truebano, Thomas J. Hilbish
Interspecific hybridization can lead to myriad outcomes, including transgressive phenotypes in which the hybrids are more fit than either parent species. Such hybrids may display important traits in the context of climate change, able to respond to novel environmental conditions not previously experienced by the parent populations. While this has been evaluated in an agricultural context, the role
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Rapid evolutionary adaptation: Potential and constraints Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-09 Aurélien Tellier, Kathryn Hodgins, Wolfgang Stephan, Eva Stukenbrock
The vast diversity of life on earth is the result of evolutionary processes that acted over billions of years. Historically it was assumed that adaptation and the origin of new species required long periods of time. However, it is now well established that adaptation to new environments can occur rapidly and sometimes even within a few generations. We define here rapid adaptation as a selective process
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Symbiodiniaceae diversity varies by host and environment across thermally distinct reefs Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-08 Magena R. Marzonie, Matthew R. Nitschke, Line K. Bay, David G. Bourne, Hugo B. Harrison
Endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae) influence coral thermal tolerance at both local and regional scales. In isolation, the effects of host genetics, environment, and thermal disturbances on symbiont communities are well understood, yet their combined effects remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigate Symbiodiniaceae across 1300 km in Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park to disentangle these
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The influence of gene flow on population viability in an isolated urban caracal population Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-06 Christopher C. Kyriazis, Laurel E. K. Serieys, Jacqueline M. Bishop, Marine Drouilly, Storme Viljoen, Robert K. Wayne, Kirk E. Lohmueller
Wildlife populations are becoming increasingly fragmented by anthropogenic development. Small and isolated populations often face an elevated risk of extinction, in part due to inbreeding depression. Here, we examine the genomic consequences of urbanization in a caracal (Caracal caracal) population that has become isolated in the Cape Peninsula region of the City of Cape Town, South Africa, and is
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Genetic legacies of mega‐landslides: Cycles of isolation and contact across flank collapses in an oceanic island Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-05 Víctor Noguerales, Yurena Arjona, Víctor García‐Olivares, Antonio Machado, Heriberto López, Jairo Patiño, Brent C. Emerson
Catastrophic flank collapses are recognized as important drivers of insular biodiversity dynamics, through the disruption of species ranges and subsequent allopatric divergence. However, little empirical data supports this conjecture, with their evolutionary consequences remaining poorly understood. Using genome‐wide data within a population genomics and phylogenomics framework, we evaluate how mega‐landslides
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The role of historical biogeography in shaping colour morph diversity in the common wall lizard Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Prem Aguilar, Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza, Miguel Carneiro, Pedro Andrade, Catarina Pinho
The maintenance of polymorphisms often depends on multiple selective forces, but less is known on the role of stochastic or historical processes in maintaining variation. The common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) is a colour polymorphic species in which local colour morph frequencies are thought to be modulated by natural and sexual selection. Here, we used genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphism
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Epigenetic age estimation of wild mice using faecal samples Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-01 Eveliina Hanski, Susan Joseph, Aura Raulo, Klara M. Wanelik, Áine O'Toole, Sarah C. L. Knowles, Tom J. Little
Age is a key parameter in population ecology, with a myriad of biological processes changing with age as organisms develop in early life then later senesce. As age is often hard to accurately measure with non-lethal methods, epigenetic methods of age estimation (epigenetic clocks) have become a popular tool in animal ecology and are often developed or calibrated using captive animals of known age.
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Retraction: The genomics of mimicry: Gene expression throughout development provides insights into convergent and divergent phenotypes in a Müllerian mimicry system Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-01
Retraction: Stuckert, A. M. M., Chouteau, M., McClure, M., LaPolice, T. M., Linderoth, T., Nielsen, R., Summers, K., MacManes, M. D. (2021). The genomics of mimicry: Gene expression throughout development provides insights into convergent and divergent phenotypes in a Müllerian mimicry system. Molecular Ecology, 30: 4039–4061. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16024.
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Environmental DNA unveils deep phylogeographic structure of a freshwater fish Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-01 Tetsu Yatsuyanagi, Takashi Kanbe, Kazuya Fujii, Shouko Inoue, Hitoshi Araki
Phylogeography bears an important part in ecology and evolution. However, current phylogeographic studies are largely constrained by limited numbers of individual samples. Using an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay for phylogeographic analyses, this study provides detailed information regarding the history of Siberian stone loach Barbatula toni, a primary freshwater fish across the whole range of Hokkaido
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The prevalence of copy number increase at multiallelic copy number variants associated with cave colonization Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-01 Ivan Pokrovac, Nicolas Rohner, Željka Pezer
Copy number variation is a common contributor to phenotypic diversity, yet its involvement in ecological adaptation is not easily discerned. Instances of parallelly evolving populations of the same species in a similar environment marked by strong selective pressures present opportunities to study the role of copy number variants (CNVs) in adaptation. By identifying CNVs that repeatedly occur in multiple
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Signals of selection and ancestry in independently feral Gallus gallus populations Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-30 E. Gering, M. Johnsson, D. Theunissen, M. L. Martin Cerezo, A. Steep, T. Getty, R. Henriksen, D. Wright
Recent work indicates that feralisation is not a simple reversal of domestication, and therefore raises questions about the predictability of evolution across replicated feral populations. In the present study we compare genes and traits of two independently established feral populations of chickens (Gallus gallus) that inhabit archipelagos within the Pacific and Atlantic regions to test for evolutionary
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Genetic architecture of inbreeding depression may explain its persistence in a population of wild red deer Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-29 Anna M. Hewett, Susan E. Johnston, Alison Morris, Sean Morris, Josephine M. Pemberton
Inbreeding depression is of major concern in declining populations, but relatively little is known about its genetic architecture in wild populations, such as the degree to which it is composed of large or small effect loci and their distribution throughout the genome. Here, we combine fitness and genomic data from a wild population of red deer to investigate the genomic distribution of inbreeding
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Matching maternal and paternal experiences underpin molecular thermal acclimation Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-23 L. C. Bonzi, J. M. Donelson, R. K. Spinks, P. L. Munday, T. Ravasi, C. Schunter
The environment experienced by one generation has the potential to affect the subsequent one through non-genetic inheritance of parental effects. Since both mothers and fathers can influence their offspring, questions arise regarding how the maternal, paternal and offspring experiences integrate into the resulting phenotype. We aimed to disentangle the maternal and paternal contributions to transgenerational
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Genotype–environment associations reveal genes potentially linked to avian malaria infection in populations of an endemic island bird Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-27 Eleanor C. Sheppard, Claudia A. Martin, Claire Armstrong, Catalina González-Quevedo, Juan Carlos Illera, Alexander Suh, Lewis G. Spurgin, David S. Richardson
Patterns of pathogen prevalence are, at least partially, the result of coevolutionary host–pathogen interactions. Thus, exploring the distribution of host genetic variation in relation to infection by a pathogen within and across populations can provide important insights into mechanisms of host defence and adaptation. Here, we use a landscape genomics approach (Bayenv) in conjunction with genome-wide
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Nematodes alter the taxonomic and functional profiles of benthic bacterial communities: A metatranscriptomic approach Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-27 Rodgee Mae Guden, Annelies Haegeman, Tom Ruttink, Tom Moens, Sofie Derycke
Marine sediments cover 70% of the Earth's surface, and harbour diverse bacterial communities critical for marine biogeochemical processes, which affect climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Nematodes, the most abundant and species‐rich metazoan organisms in marine sediments, in turn, affect benthic bacterial communities and bacterial‐mediated ecological processes, but the underlying
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Non‐concordant epigenetic and transcriptional responses to acute thermal stress in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-26 Xingyue Ren, Junjie Zhao, Juntao Hu
Climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme temperatures. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability to cope with acute thermal stress is key for predicting species' responses to extreme temperature events. While many studies have focused on the individual roles of gene expression, post‐transcriptional processes and epigenetic modifications in response to
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Phylosymbiosis and metabolomics resolve phenotypically plastic and cryptic sponge species in the genus Agelas across the Caribbean basin Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-26 M. S. Pankey, D. J. Gochfeld, M. Gastaldi, K. J. Macartney, A. Clayshulte Abraham, M. Slattery, M. P. Lesser
Fundamental to holobiont biology is recognising how variation in microbial composition and function relates to host phenotypic variation. Sponges often exhibit considerable phenotypic plasticity and also harbour dense microbial communities that function to protect and nourish hosts. One of the most prominent sponge genera on Caribbean coral reefs is Agelas. Using a comprehensive set of morphological
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Patterns of genetic variation and local adaptation of a native herbivore to a lethal invasive plant Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-22 Nitin Ravikanthachari, Rachel A. Steward, Carol L. Boggs
Understanding the evolutionary processes that influence fitness is critical to predicting species' responses to selection. Interactions among evolutionary processes including gene flow, drift and the strength of selection can lead to either local adaptation or maladaptation, especially in heterogenous landscapes. Populations experiencing novel environments or resources are ideal for understanding the
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Neurogenomic landscape associated with status‐dependent cooperative behaviour Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-21 Peri E. Bolton, T. Brandt Ryder, Roslyn Dakin, Jennifer L. Houtz, Ignacio T. Moore, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Brent M. Horton
The neurogenomic mechanisms mediating male–male reproductive cooperative behaviours remain unknown. We leveraged extensive transcriptomic and behavioural data on a neotropical bird species (Pipra filicauda) that performs cooperative courtship displays to understand these mechanisms. In this species, the cooperative display is modulated by testosterone, which promotes cooperation in non‐territorial
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Dietary metabarcoding reveals the simplification of bird–pest interaction networks across a gradient of agricultural cover Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Luis P. da Silva, Vanessa A. Mata, Pedro B. Lopes, Catarina J. Pinho, Catia Chaves, Edna Correia, Joana Pinto, Ruben H. Heleno, Sergio Timoteo, Pedro Beja
Agriculture is vital for supporting human populations, but its intensification often leads to landscape homogenization and a decline in non-provisioning ecosystem services. Ecological intensification and multifunctional landscapes are suggested as nature-based alternatives to intensive agriculture, using ecological processes like natural pest regulation to maximize food production. Birds are recognized
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Identification, expression analysis, and functional verification of three opsin genes related to the phototactic behaviour of Ostrinia furnacalis Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Mei Huang, Jian‐Yu Meng, Xue Tang, Long‐Long Shan, Chang‐Li Yang, Chang‐Yu Zhang
Ostrinia furnacalis is a disreputable herbivorous pest that poses a serious threat to corn crops. Phototaxis in nocturnal moths plays a crucial role in pest prediction and control. Insect opsins are the main component of insect visual system. However, the inherent molecular relationship between phototactic behaviour and vision of insects remains a mystery. Herein, three opsin genes were identified
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Transcriptional chronology reveals conserved genes involved in pennate diatom sexual reproduction Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Sien Audoor, Gust Bilcke, Katerina Pargana, Darja Belišová, Sander Thierens, Michiel Van Bel, Lieven Sterck, Nadine Rijsdijk, Rossella Annunziata, Maria Immacolata Ferrante, Klaas Vandepoele, Wim Vyverman
Sexual reproduction is a major driver of adaptation and speciation in eukaryotes. In diatoms, siliceous microalgae with a unique cell size reduction-restitution life cycle and among the world's most prolific primary producers, sex also acts as the main mechanism for cell size restoration through the formation of an expanding auxospore. However, the molecular regulators of the different stages of sexual
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The emerging importance of cross-ploidy hybridisation and introgression Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Max R. Brown, Richard J. Abbott, Alex D. Twyford
Natural hybridisation is now recognised as pervasive in its occurrence across the Tree of Life. Resurgent interest in natural hybridisation fuelled by developments in genomics has led to an improved understanding of the genetic factors that promote or prevent species cross-mating. Despite this body of work overturning many widely held assumptions about the genetic barriers to hybridisation, it is still
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N6-methyladenosine modification of RNA controls dopamine synthesis to influence labour division in ants Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Jie Chen, Ziying Guan, Lina Sun, Xinlin Fan, Desen Wang, Xiaoqiang Yu, Lihua Lyu, Guojun Qi
The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of RNA has been reported to remodel gene expression in response to environmental conditions; however, the biological role of m6A in social insects remains largely unknown. In this study, we explored the role of m6A in the division of labour by worker ants (Solenopsis invicta). We first determined the presence of m6A in RNAs from the brains of worker ants and
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Yosemite toad (Anaxyrus canorus) transcriptome reveals interplay between speciation genes and adaptive introgression Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Paul A. Maier, Amy G. Vandergast, Andrew J. Bohonak
Genomes are heterogeneous during the early stages of speciation, with small ‘islands’ of DNA appearing to reflect strong adaptive differences, surrounded by vast seas of relative homogeneity. As species diverge, secondary contact zones between them can act as an interface and selectively filter through advantageous alleles of hybrid origin. Such introgression is another important adaptive process,
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Symbiosis modulates gene expression of symbionts, but not coral hosts, under thermal challenge Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Hannah E. Aichelman, Alexa K. Huzar, Daniel M. Wuitchik, Kathryn F. Atherton, Rachel M. Wright, Groves Dixon, E. Schlatter, Nicole Haftel, Sarah W. Davies
Increasing ocean temperatures are causing dysbiosis between coral hosts and their symbionts. Previous work suggests that coral host gene expression responds more strongly to environmental stress compared to their intracellular symbionts; however, the causes and consequences of this phenomenon remain untested. We hypothesized that symbionts are less responsive because hosts modulate symbiont environments
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Ecological characteristics explain neutral genetic variation of three coastal sparrow species Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Logan M. Maxwell, Jonathan D. Clark, Jennifer Walsh, Meaghan Conway, Brian J. Olsen, Adrienne I. Kovach
Eco-phylogeographic approaches to comparative population genetic analyses allow for the inclusion of intrinsic influences as drivers of intraspecific genetic structure. This insight into microevolutionary processes, including changes within a species or lineage, provides better mechanistic understanding of species-specific interactions and enables predictions of evolutionary responses to environmental
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Does urbanisation lead to parallel demographic shifts across the world in a cosmopolitan plant? Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Aude E. Caizergues, James S. Santangelo, Rob W. Ness, Fabio Angeoletto, Daniel N. Anstett, Julia Anstett, Fernanda Baena-Diaz, Elizabeth J. Carlen, Jaime A. Chaves, Mattheau S. Comerford, Karen Dyson, Mohsen Falahati-Anbaran, Mark D. E. Fellowes, Kathryn A. Hodgins, Glen Ray Hood, Carlos Iñiguez-Armijos, Nicholas J. Kooyers, Adrián Lázaro-Lobo, Angela T. Moles, Jason Munshi-South, Juraj Paule, Ilga
Urbanisation is occurring globally, leading to dramatic environmental changes that are altering the ecology and evolution of species. In particular, the expansion of human infrastructure and the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats in cities is predicted to increase genetic drift and reduce gene flow by reducing the size and connectivity of populations. Alternatively, the ‘urban facilitation
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Expression of concern: Natural copy number variation of tandemly repeated regulatory SNORD RNAs leads to individual phenotypic differences in mice Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-11
Keshavarz, M., Savriama, Y., Refki, P., Reeves, R. G., & Tautz, D. (2021). Natural copy number variation of tandemly repeated regulatory SNORD RNAs leads to individual phenotypic differences in mice. Molecular Ecology, 30, 4708–4722. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16076
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Population genomics of flat-tailed horned lizards (Phrynosoma mcallii) informs conservation and management across a fragmented Colorado Desert landscape Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Andrew D. Gottscho, Daniel G. Mulcahy, Adam D. Leaché, Kevin de Queiroz, Robert E. Lovich
Phrynosoma mcallii (flat-tailed horned lizards) is a species of conservation concern in the Colorado Desert of the United States and Mexico. We analysed ddRADseq data from 45 lizards to estimate population structure, infer phylogeny, identify migration barriers, map genetic diversity hotspots, and model demography. We identified the Colorado River as the main geographic feature contributing to population
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Severe hurricanes increase recruitment and gene flow in the clonal sponge Aplysina cauliformis Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Iris Segura-García, Julie B. Olson, Deborah J. Gochfeld, Marilyn E. Brandt, Andia Chaves-Fonnegra
Upright branching sponges, such as Aplysina cauliformis, provide critical three-dimensional habitat for other organisms and assist in stabilizing coral reef substrata, but are highly susceptible to breakage during storms. Breakage can increase sponge fragmentation, contributing to population clonality and inbreeding. Conversely, storms could provide opportunities for new genotypes to enter populations
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An inquiline mosquito modulates microbial diversity and function in an aquatic microecosystem Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Aldo A. Arellano, Erica B. Young, Kerri L. Coon
Understanding microbial roles in ecosystem function requires integrating microscopic processes into food webs. The carnivorous pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, offers a tractable study system where diverse food webs of macroinvertebrates and microbes facilitate digestion of captured insect prey, releasing nutrients supporting the food web and host plant. However, how interactions between these macroinvertebrate
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Considerable genetic diversity and structure despite narrow endemism and limited ecological specialization in the Hayden's ringlet, Coenonympha haydenii Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Amy L. Springer, Zachariah Gompert
Understanding the processes that underlie the development of population genetic structure is central to the study of evolution. Patterns of genetic structure, in turn, can reveal signatures of isolation by distance (IBD), barriers to gene flow, or even the genesis of speciation. However, it is unclear how severe range restriction might impact the processes that dominate the development of genetic structure
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Gene co‐expression patterns in Atlantic salmon adipose tissue provide a molecular link among seasonal changes, energy balance and age at maturity Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Ehsan Pashay Ahi, Jukka‐Pekka Verta, Johanna Kurko, Annukka Ruokolainen, Pooja Singh, Paul Vincent Debes, Jaakko Erkinaro, Craig R. Primmer
Sexual maturation in many fishes requires a major physiological change that involves a rapid transition between energy storage and usage. In Atlantic salmon, this transition for the initiation of maturation is tightly controlled by seasonality and requires a high‐energy status. Lipid metabolism is at the heart of this transition since lipids are the main energy storing molecules. The balance between
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Microbiome diversity and zoonotic bacterial pathogen prevalence in Peromyscus mice from agricultural landscapes and synanthropic habitat Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Janine Mistrick, Evan J. Kipp, Sarah I. Weinberg, Collin C. Adams, Peter A. Larsen, Meggan E. Craft
Rodents are key reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens and play an important role in disease transmission to humans. Importantly, anthropogenic land-use change has been found to increase the abundance of rodents that thrive in human-built environments (synanthropic rodents), particularly rodent reservoirs of zoonotic disease. Anthropogenic environments also affect the microbiome of synanthropic wildlife
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Contribution of combined stressors on density and gene expression dynamics of the copepod Temora longicornis in the North Sea Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Ilias Semmouri, Karel A. C. De Schamphelaere, Filip Van Nieuwerburgh, Dieter Deforce, Colin R. Janssen, Jana Asselman
The impact of multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the marine environment remains poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the contribution of environmental variables to the densities and gene expression of the dominant zooplankton species in the Belgian part of the North Sea, the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis. We observed a reduced density of copepods, which were also smaller
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The opposed forces of differentiation and admixture across glacial cycles in the butterfly Aglais urticae Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Valéria Marques, Joan Carles Hinojosa, Leonardo Dapporto, Gerard Talavera, Constantí Stefanescu, David Gutiérrez, Roger Vila
Glacial cycles lead to periodic population interbreeding and isolation in warm-adapted species, which impact genetic structure and evolution. However, the effects of these processes on highly mobile and more cold-tolerant species are not well understood. This study aims to shed light on the phylogeographic history of Aglais urticae, a butterfly species with considerable dispersal ability, and a wide
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Soil microbial subcommunity assembly mechanisms are highly variable and intimately linked to their ecological and functional traits Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Qiuping Fan, Kaifang Liu, Zelin Wang, Dong Liu, Ting Li, Haiyan Hou, Zejin Zhang, Danhong Chen, Song Zhang, Anlan Yu, Yongcui Deng, Xiaoyong Cui, Rongxiao Che
Revealing the mechanisms underlying soil microbial community assembly is a fundamental objective in molecular ecology. However, despite increasing body of research on overall microbial community assembly mechanisms, our understanding of subcommunity assembly mechanisms for different prokaryotic and fungal taxa remains limited. Here, soils were collected from more than 100 sites across southwestern
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Genomic underpinnings of head and body shape in Arctic charr ecomorph pairs Mol. Ecol. (IF 4.9) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Sam Fenton, Arne Jacobs, Colin W. Bean, Colin E. Adams, Kathryn R. Elmer
Across its Holarctic range, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) populations have diverged into distinct trophic specialists across independent replicate lakes. The major aspect of divergence between ecomorphs is in head shape and body shape, which are ecomorphological traits reflecting niche use. However, whether the genomic underpinnings of these parallel divergences are consistent across replicates