During their radiation, certain groups of animals evolved significant phenotypic disparity (morphological diversity), enabling them to thrive in diverse environments. Adaptations to the same type of environment can lead to convergent evolution in function and morphology. However, well-documented examples in repeated adaptations of teleost fishes to different habitats, which are not primarily related to trophic specialization, are still scarce. Gobies are a remarkable fish group, exhibiting a great species diversity, morphological variability, and extraordinary ability to colonize very different environments. A variety of lifestyles and body forms evolved also in European lineages of gobies. We conducted two-dimensional geometric morphometric and phylomorphospace analyses in European lineages of gobies and evaluated the extent of convergent evolution in shape associated with adaptation to various habitats. Our analyses revealed the change in shape along the nektonic-cryptobenthic axis, from very slender head and body to stout body and wide head. We showed convergent evolution related to mode of locomotion in the given habitat in four ecological groups: nektonic, hyperbenthic, cryptobenthic, and freshwater gobies. Gobies, therefore, emerge as a highly diversified lineage with unique lifestyle variations, offering invaluable insights into filling of ecomorphological space and mechanisms of adaptation to various aquatic environments with distinct locomotion requirements.
- Klíčová slova
- Gobiiformes, convergent evolution, geometric morphometry, molecular dating, teleosts,
- MeSH
- biologická evoluce * MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- fyziologická adaptace MeSH
- Perciformes anatomie a histologie genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
Environmental filtering and dispersal history limit plant distributions and affect biogeographical patterns, but how their relative importance varies across evolutionary timescales is unresolved. Phylogenetic beta diversity quantifies dissimilarity in evolutionary relatedness among assemblages and might help resolve the ecological and biogeographical mechanisms structuring biodiversity. Here, we examined the effects of environmental dissimilarity and geographical distance on phylogenetic and taxonomic turnover for ~270,000 seed plant species globally and across evolutionary timescales. We calculated past and present dispersal barriers using palaeogeographical reconstructions and calculated geographical linear and least-cost distances, accounting for dispersal over water, mountains or areas with unsuitable climates. Environmental dissimilarity and geographical distance jointly explained most of the deviance in taxonomic (up to 86.4%) and phylogenetic turnover (65.6%). While environmental dissimilarity consistently showed strongly positive effects, the effect of geographical distance on phylogenetic turnover was less pronounced further back in evolutionary time. Past physiogeographical barriers explained a relatively low amount of the variation across all timescales, with a slight peak at intermediate timescales (20-50 Myr BP). Our results suggest that while old lineages have generally dispersed widely, the imprint of environmental filtering on range expansion persists, providing insights into biogeographical and evolutionary processes underlying global biodiversity patterns.
Common altmetrics indices are limited and biased in the social media that they cover. In this Perspective, we highlight how and why altmetrics should broaden its scope to provide more reliable metrics for scientific content and communication.
- MeSH
- altmetrika MeSH
- komunikace MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- sociální média * MeSH
- věda výchova MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
For a long time, snakes were presented as a textbook example of a group with gradual differentiation of homologous ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes. However, recent advances revealed that the ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes characterize only caenophidian snakes and certain species of boas and pythons have nonhomologous XX/XY sex chromosomes. We used genome coverage analysis in four non-caenophidian species to identify their sex chromosomes, and we examined the homology of sex chromosomes across phylogenetically informative snake lineages. We identified sex chromosomes for the first time in 13 species of non-caenophidian snakes, providing much deeper insights into the evolutionary history of snake sex chromosomes. The evolution of sex chromosomes in snakes is more complex than previously thought. Snakes may have had ancestral XX/XY sex chromosomes, which are still present in a blind snake and some boas, and there were several transitions to derived XX/XY sex chromosomes with different gene content and two or even three transitions to ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes. However, we discuss more alternative scenarios. In any case, we document that (1) some genomic regions were likely repeatedly co-opted as sex chromosomes in phylogenetically distant lineages, even with opposite types of heterogamety; (2) snake lineages differ greatly in the rate of differentiation of sex chromosomes; (3) snakes likely originally possessed sex chromosomes prone to turnovers. The sex chromosomes became evolutionarily highly stable once their differentiation progressed in the megadiverse caenophidian snakes. Snakes thus provide an ideal system for studying the evolutionary factors that drive unequal rates of differentiation, turnovers and stability of sex chromosomes.
- Klíčová slova
- DNA-seq, genomics, qPCR, reptiles, sex chromosomes, sex determination,
- MeSH
- biologická evoluce MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- hadi * genetika MeSH
- molekulární evoluce MeSH
- pohlavní chromozomy * genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and nature's contributions to people worldwide. However, the effectiveness of invasive alien species (IAS) management measures and the progress toward achieving biodiversity targets remain uncertain due to limited and nonuniform data availability. Management success is usually assessed at a local level and documented in technical reports, often written in languages other than English, which makes such data notoriously difficult to collect at large geographic scales. Here we present the first European assessment of how managers perceive trends in IAS and the effectiveness of management measures to mitigate biological invasions. We developed a structured questionnaire translated into 18 languages and disseminated it to local and regional managers of IAS in Europe. We received responses from 1928 participants from 41 European countries, including 24 European Union (EU) Member States. Our results reveal substantial efforts in IAS monitoring and control, with invasive plants being the primary focus. Yet, there is a general perception of an increase in the numbers, occupied areas, and impacts of IAS across environment and taxonomic groups, particularly plants, over time. This perceived increase is consistent across both EU and non-EU countries, with respondents from EU countries demonstrating more certainty in their responses. Our results also indicate a lack of data on alien vertebrates and invertebrates, reflecting a need for more targeted monitoring and knowledge sharing between managers and policymakers and between countries. Overall, our study suggests that Europe's current strategies are insufficient to substantially reduce IAS by 2030 and hence to meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target.
- Klíčová slova
- environmental perception, exotic species, expert survey, invasive alien species, management practices, non‐native species, policy,
- MeSH
- biodiverzita * MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
- zachování přírodních zdrojů * MeSH
- zavlečené druhy * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
The parasite island syndrome denotes shifts in parasite life histories on islands, which affect parasite diversity, prevalence and specificity. However, current evidence of parasite island syndromes mainly stems from oceanic islands, while sky islands (i.e. mountains isolated by surrounding low-elevation habitats) have received limited attention. To explore the parasite syndrome in Afrotropical sky islands, we examined haemosporidian blood parasites and their bird hosts in two Afromontane regions in Cameroon. Analysing more than 1300 bird blood samples from the Bamenda Highlands and Mount Cameroon, we found considerably reduced parasite lineage diversity and total prevalence in Mt Cameroon, but not in the Bamenda Highlands. We found highly specific parasite-host interactions at both sites and these associations showed significant phylogenetic congruence, suggesting that closely related parasites infect phylogenetically related hosts. These parasite-host associations tend to be shaped mainly by duplications, switches, losses and failures to diverge rather than through co-speciation events. Overall, the high specificity and parasite-host association differences at local scales largely agree with the limited insights from other sky islands. Yet the drivers of these interactions differ geographically, suggesting that unique dynamics of fragmentation and isolation of montane habitats can lead to similar patterns of host-parasite interactions that are shaped by different underlying drivers.
- Klíčová slova
- Cameroon, avian malaria, parasite island syndrome, parasite–host networks, taxon cycles,
- MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- Haemosporida * genetika fyziologie MeSH
- hostitelská specificita * MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita * MeSH
- nemoci ptáků parazitologie epidemiologie MeSH
- ostrovy MeSH
- ptáci * parazitologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Kamerun MeSH
- ostrovy MeSH
The expansion of human settlements over the past few centuries is responsible for an unprecedented number of invasive species introductions globally. An important component of biological invasion management is understanding how introduction history and postintroduction processes have jointly shaped present-day distributions and patterns of population structure, diversity and adaptation. One example of a successful invader is the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), which was intentionally introduced to numerous countries in the 19th century, including Aotearoa New Zealand, where it has become firmly established. We used reduced representation sequencing to characterise the genetic population structure of the European starling in New Zealand, comparing it to that present in sampling locations in the native range and invasive Australian range. The population structure and genetic diversity patterns we found suggested restricted gene flow from the majority of New Zealand to the northmost sampling location (Auckland). We also profiled genetic bottlenecks and shared outlier genomic regions, which supported historical accounts of translocations between both Australian subpopulations and New Zealand, and provided evidence of which documented translocation events were more likely to have been successful. Using these results as well as historic demographic patterns, we demonstrate how genomic analysis complements even well-documented invasion histories to better understand invasion processes, with direct implications for understanding contemporary gene flow and informing invasion management.
- Klíčová slova
- Sturnus vulgaris, historical records, invasion history, invasive species, population structure, reduced representation sequencing,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Freshwater crayfish are amongst the largest macroinvertebrates and play a keystone role in the ecosystems they occupy. Understanding the global distribution of these animals is often hindered due to a paucity of distributional data. Additionally, non-native crayfish introductions are becoming more frequent, which can cause severe environmental and economic impacts. Management decisions related to crayfish and their habitats require accurate, up-to-date distribution data and mapping tools. Such data are currently patchily distributed with limited accessibility and are rarely up-to-date. To address these challenges, we developed a versatile e-portal to host distributional data of freshwater crayfish and their pathogens (using Aphanomyces astaci, the causative agent of the crayfish plague, as the most prominent example). Populated with expert data and operating in near real-time, World of Crayfish™ is a living, publicly available database providing worldwide distributional data sourced by experts in the field. The database offers open access to the data through specialized standard geospatial services (Web Map Service, Web Feature Service) enabling users to view, embed, and download customizable outputs for various applications. The platform is designed to support technical enhancements in the future, with the potential to eventually incorporate various additional features. This tool serves as a step forward towards a modern era of conservation planning and management of freshwater biodiversity.
- Klíčová slova
- Aphanomyces astaci, Astacidae, Cambaridae, Endangered species, Invasive species, Open data, Parastacidae, Species distribution,
- MeSH
- Aphanomyces MeSH
- databáze faktografické MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- internet MeSH
- severní raci * mikrobiologie MeSH
- sladká voda * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Elton's biotic resistance hypothesis posits that species-rich communities are more resistant to invasion. However, it remains unknown how species, phylogenetic and functional richness, along with environmental and human-impact factors, collectively affect plant invasion as alien species progress along the introduction-naturalization-invasion continuum. Using data from 12,056 local plant communities of the Czech Republic, this study reveals varying effects of these factors on the presence and richness of alien species at different invasion stages, highlighting the complexity of the invasion process. Specifically, we demonstrate that although species richness and functional richness of resident communities had mostly negative effects on alien species presence and richness, the strength and sometimes also direction of these effects varied along the continuum. Our study not only underscores that evidence for or against Elton's biotic resistance hypothesis may be stage-dependent but also suggests that other invasion hypotheses should be carefully revisited given their potential stage-dependent nature.
- MeSH
- biodiverzita * MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- rostliny MeSH
- zavlečené druhy * MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
Diatoms are among the most important primary producers in alpine and polar freshwaters. Although temperate diatoms are sensitive to freezing, polar diatoms often exhibit more resistance. This is particularly true for members of the (predominantly terrestrial) Pinnularia borealis species complex. However, it remains unclear to what extent this resistance applies to other representatives of the genus. Here, we compare the freezing-stress tolerance of 11 freshwater, benthic strains representing different species of Pinnularia (including Caloneis) from polar, alpine, and temperate habitats. As vegetative cells, strains were exposed to freezing temperatures of -4, -10, -20, -40, -80, and -196°C. Survival was assessed by light microscopy and photosynthetic measurements. We observed vegetative cells to be sensitive to low freezing temperatures; only "mild" freezing was survived by all tested strains, and most tested strains did not survive treatments ≤-10°C. However, individual strain sensitivities appeared related to their original habitats. For example, polar and alpine strains better withstood "mild" and "moderate" freezing (-4 and -10°C, respectively); although temperate strains were significantly affected by the "mild" freezing treatment, polar and alpine strains were not. The -10°C treatment was survived exclusively by polar strains, and only P. catenaborealis survived all treatments. Interestingly, this species exhibited the lowest survival in the -10°C treatment, potentially implying some metabolic activity even at freezing temperatures. Thus, despite more extensive sampling throughout the genus and finer temperature scaling compared to previous studies, the remarkable freezing-stress tolerance of the P. borealis species complex remains unique within the genus.
- Klíčová slova
- Caloneis, Pinnularia, LSU rDNA, diatoms, ecophysiological experiment, freezing survival, rbcL, stress,
- MeSH
- ekosystém * MeSH
- fyziologický stres MeSH
- rozsivky * fyziologie MeSH
- sladká voda MeSH
- zmrazování * MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
