I am so happy to share this new paper that I wrote with @cegamorim.bsky.social! We hope that it will help encourage dialogue and collaboration between archaeologists and geneticists trying to understand kinship in the past. www.cambridge.org/core/journal... 🧬🧪
Our special issue KINSHIP TROUBLE is now out in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal, edited by S. Cveček, M. Raghavan, & P. Bickle.
👉 Kinship Trouble: Traversing Interdisciplinary Boundaries between Archaeology, Archaeogenetics, and Socio-cultural Anthropology
🔗 www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
TOP: Fig. 1.Placement of study samples within the African crocodilian phylogenetic tree. Colours of the branches refer to the species found in Guinea-Bissau in this study, namely: the Nile crocodile (C. niloticus in green), the West African crocodile (C. suchus in yellow), and the West African dwarf crocodile (O. cf. tetraspisin purple). Red dots at the nodes represent highly supported nodes (>95% pp), coloured dots next to the branch description represent the samples collected for this study. The red rectangle in the inset map of Africa represents the geographic location of Guinea-Bissau. This figure and maps within it, were produced using QGIS version 3.36. BOTTOM: Fig. 2. Distribution of crocodile data collected in Guinea Bissau. Symbols with red strokes represent barcoded genetic samples.
Pizzigalli et al. (2025) used mtDNA from tissue & poop samples to investigate croc diversity in Guinea Bissau in W. Africa. They found evidence for Nile crocodile (previously thought to be extinct in that region 200 years ago)! doi.org/10.1038/s415... #2026MMM #RIP
A Representative ideograms of three main karyotypes (2n = 30/32/38) observed among the true crocodile species analyzed in the present study showing Zoo-FISH results after using CSI-1, OST-1, OST-4, and OST-19 probes, and the 18S rDNA distribution. Arrows indicate the 4 main chromosomal rearrangements involved in karyotype differentiation from a putative ancestral 2n = 32. B Ancestral state reconstruction of diploid chromosome number using maximum parsimony. The phylogenetic relationships were adapted from Oaks (2011) and Colston et al. (2020), C. halli was added manually, & its position requires confirmation. Karyological data were collected from Cohen & Gans (1970), Kawagoshi et al. (2008), Hekkala et al. (2011), Srikulnath et al. (2015), Oliveira et al. (2021), Olmo and Signorino (2022), and this study (in bold). The colored circles represent different 2n, while the black diamonds indicate the species with unknown 2n. Ambiguous data (marked with an asterisk) are addressed in the “Discussion” section of the paper.
Sales‑Oliveira et al. (2023) found that croc chromosomes are conservative maintaining similar karyotype structures & diploid chrom numbers for ~100 MY! Most Crocodylinae (including Nile Crocodile) maintain the ancestral number of 2n = 32 (16 pairs) #2026MMM doi.org/10.1007/s004...
(A) Geographic locations of non-invasive blow sampling (green dots) and invasive biopsy sampling for blow sampling validation (yellow dots) of humpback whales in Canada. (B) Image from a drone sent for blow sampling of a humpback whale. Scarring on the back of the whale was used for checking individual identification. (C) The drone used for blow sampling of humpback whales with custom attachments for holding a sterile petri dish for sampling. (D) An example of a blow sample from a humpback whale after collection by a drone but before processing by scientists.
There are many ways to get animal DNA! In a preprint (not yet peer-reviewed), scientists have shown that instead of invasive biopsies, they can generate whole genomes for humpback whales by non-invasively sampling their exhaled respiratory vapor or ‘blow’! #2026MMM doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.08.710374
HAT-TIP @acstone.bsky.social & @cegamorim.bsky.social for leading the genetics teaMMM of @n8upham.bsky.social @fervillanea.bsky.social @lucasrocm.bsky.social @carloschalicothere.bsky.social @elinork.bsky.social @afogel29.bsky.social @elliecat.bsky.social @michelle-e-white.bsky.social #2026MMM
Thank you again Oxford University Press or curating the special collection of articles about #2026MMM combatants freely accessible to folks researching the contenders academic.oup.com/asm/pages/ma...
Are you ready? #2026MMM
Given tonight's #2026MMM, you might wonder how do we recover DNA from ancient animals or humans? To find out see www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp_y...!
Historic oil painting RCS 15 from the church with signs of biodeterioration on both sides. (A) Front side of the painting, (B–D) Back, (E–G) Stratigraphy of the painting under UV light. (E), the ground layer, the paint layer, and the surface of the varnish (F), and the ground layer and the paint layer (G), all with visible penetration of dark septate hyphae. Light and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (K–M) images show conidiogenous structures of Aspergillus on the back and massive growth on the front side of the painting.
RIP the mold? Or the library?
Xerophilic fungi like Aspergillus thrive at very low moisture and slowly consume paintings and paper—maybe by switching on enzyme genes that digest cellulose, glues, and binders.
#RIP #2026MMM www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/10...
a, Unrooted maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree showing the itraconazole MIC breakpoint and clinical or environmental source of isolation. b, Map showing the location of isolation for isolates included in this study, with the legend (bottom right) indicating the cyp51A polymorphisms present. c, Unrooted maximum likelihood phylogeny of all 218 isolates showing the genetic relationship between isolates. ‘Clade A’ and ‘clade B’ indicate the clustered nature of triazole resistance polymorphisms.
Watch out! Mold (Aspergillus) is lurking all around us, in the soil and in the air. Genome sequencing shows many infections in vulnerable patients trace back to environmental sources. #2026MMM www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A) Frequency of species tree compared to alternative tree topologies, B) Divergence times of specific species tree topologies in windows, C) Possible signals of hybridization in the cats, and D) Relationship between recombination and phylogenetic discordance in windows across the genome.
Genome-level analyses from Figueiro et al. (2017) revealed that the big cats have a very tangled evolutionary history. Their analyses showed evidence of post-speciation hybridization (aka introgression) between big cat species many millions of years ago. doi.org/10.1126/scia... #2026MMM
Figure 1.(from Harvey 2014) —Chelifer cancroides (Linnaeus), living male from near Prebbleton, New Zealand (image courtesy of B. Donovan).
#RIP Book scorpion: 'Chelifer cancroides' is the sole surviving member of its genus. Over 300 other named Chelifer species have been moved or synonymized into relatives. Yet this tiny cosmopolitan arachnid thrives on every continent... just not in every battle. #2026MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1636/K13-...
Photo of a Fox
Photo of a Book Scorpion
Moving On: #5-seed Grey Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) vs. #12-seed Book Scorpion (Chelifer cancroides) #2026MMM
Fig. 3. Documentation of venom release in C. cancroides after electrical stimulation of the chelal hand. The flow of current was facilitated by a conductive fluid (CF). A liquid indicator (LI) was used for the experiments to visualize venom release. A, B) Venom extraction using Type 1 capillaries with larger inner diameter. These capillaries partially cover the movable finger (MF) while the venom (V) is being collected. Before electrical stimulation, the movable finger is in a relaxed state (A). When electrical power is applied, the venom tooth pinches the glass wall of the capillary, causing the release of venom (B). C, D) Venom extraction from the fixed finger using Type 2 capillaries with an inner diameter of about 10 μm. These capillaries covered only the venom tooth and lamina defensor. The application of electricity caused the immediate release of venom, which replaced the brownish liquid indicator at the tip of the capillary.
The tiny pseudoscorpion 'Chelifer cancroides' evolved venomous claws independently from scorpions & spiders. Proteomics & transcriptomics of its venom revealed the first genuine pseudoscorpion toxins, including brand-new antimicrobial compounds! #2026MMM
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34416254/
Fig. 1. from Armstrong et al. 2024; Left: Map showing the location of gray fox samples used in some genetic studies and the location of our new reference genome from Vermont, overlaid on the current gray fox range (IUCN). Map sources: Esri, USGS, and NOAA. Right: A gray fox explores a commonly used hiking trail on the Middlebury College campus (photo by Andrew Ng, Middlebury College).
The Grey Fox sits on the earliest branch of the canid family tree, splitting from wolves, coyotes & dogs over 10 million years ago. Its genome reveals all canids lost the PRDM9 gene (key for reproduction in most mammals) before this long-ago split. #2026MMM academic.oup.com/g3journal/ar...
The mitochondrial genome of Liposcelis bostrychophila. The directional transcription is indicated with arrows. Protein-coding and ribosomal genes are shown in white with standard abbreviations. tRNA genes are abbreviated by a single letter with dark gray except the 2 serine and 2 leucine tRNAs: S1 = AGN, S2 = UCN, L1 = CUN, and L2 = UUR. The non-coding regions >50 bp are indicated in black. IR, an identical region in mt chromosome I and mt chromosome II. The four pseudogenes and their corresponding position in the putatively functional genes are indicated by the number I, II, III, and IV.
Mitochondrial overachiever? Most animals have just one mitochondrial genome, but booklice split theirs into two, each with half the genes. Why? No one knows.
It may be an evolutionary bonus...
...or just a biological accident.
#RIP #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Figure 3. (from Borkenhagen & Krupp, 2013) Ventral view of the head and chest. A Carasobarbus apoensis (SMF 30167, 108.6 mm SL) B Carasobarbus canis (SMF 33135, 108.3 mm SL) C Carasobarbus chantrei (SMF 33133, 122.9 mm SL) D Carasobarbus exulatus (SMF 33109, 103.7 mm SL) E Carasobarbus fritschii (SMF 33446, 89.6 mm SL) F Carasobarbus harterti (SMF 33368, 93.6 mm SL) G Carasobarbus kosswigi (SMF 30173, 107.1 mm SL) H Carasobarbus luteus (SMF 30176, 120.7 mm SL) I Carasobarbus sublimus (SMF 33118, 80.2 mm SL), pictures resized to facilitate comparison.
Dated phylogeny of hemipteroid insects (Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, and Psocodea) based on maximum likelihood analysis of a supermatrix of first and second codon position nucleotides corresponding to 859,518 aligned amino acid positions from transcriptome or genome sequences of 193 samples. Colored circles indicate bootstrap support.
Booklice may prefer libraries, but their relatives prefer to live on us!
Phylogenomics puts parasitic lice in the same insect order as booklice, and suggests they probably evolved from ancestors that looked a lot like booklice.
#2026MMM www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Adapted from Axelsson et al. 2013 Fig 2c: Histogram showing the distribution of diploid amylase copy number in wolf (n=35, blue) and dog (n=136, red). Dogs carry more copies of the starch-digesting gene AMY2B than wolves. Additional copies make dogs better than wolves at digesting starchy foods like grains & vegetables.
Dogs evolved to eat your leftovers! Comparing dog & wolf genomes revealed dogs have up to 30 EXTRA copies of the amylase gene (AMY2B) that helps digest starch. This is a key genomic signature of living alongside humans & table scraps for thousands of years 🐕 www.nature.com/articles/nat... #2026MMM
#RIP Mesopotamian Himri 🐟
Carasobarbus fish are hexaploid, which means they carry 6 copies of each chromosome instead of the usual 2! This ancient genome duplication makes their DNA uniquely complex.
#2026MMM #RIP
zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3291/
Fig 1 (from Arash Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. 2024): Distribution map of Carasobarbus species in Persian Gulf basin.
The Tigris & Euphrates, rivers that cradled the world's first civilizations, are home to a genus of ~10 "himri" fish (including the Mesopotamian Himri) found nowhere else. DNA reveals how these ancient rivers shaped their spread across SW Asia & North Africa. #2026MMM www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Loss of migratory behaviour in the white stork Ciconia ciconia. (a) Increased food availability, particularly at landfills, is one of the major factors promoting an increase in the wintering population of white storks in Europe . (b) Population trends of wintering white storks from the Portuguese population between 1995 and 2020. (c) Changes in the percentage of resident white storks in Portugal in the last 25 years.
Home sweet home. In just 25 years, White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) stopped migrating. Over 2/3 spend winter in Europe, snacking on landfills. DNA sequencing suggests this is NOT a genetic change but developmental plasticity: early-life experiences shape adult behavior #2026MMM doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Fig. 1. (From Alves et al. 2019) Rabbit origins and sampling locations. Historical (circles) and modern (triangles) sampling locations. Dates in red inside the maps show the date of the first myxomatosis outbreak in the respective countries. Orange dashed arrows and dates reflect historical and archaeological records of the colonization of European rabbits from France to the United Kingdom and Australia.
#RIP European rabbit 🐰 When myxoma virus devastated rabbit populations in Australia, UK & France in the 1950s, survivors in all three places independently evolved resistance driven by changes in the same immune genes.
Evolution finding the same solution 3X! #2026MMM
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Recent progression of house mice from Western Europe to Eastern North America. Hypothesized colonization history of house mice in Eastern North America showing divergence times as inferred from demographic modeling. Black dashed arrow illustrates migration of house mice from Western Europe to eastern North America.
A mouse in the house? Almost definitely. The house mouse (Mus musculus) moved in with humans 15,000 years ago, but they’re new to the Americas—hitching a ride on European ships in the 1500s. #2026MMM pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Fig 2 (from Alves et al 2015): Reduction of genetic diversity along the rabbit domestication route. Each of the 45 circles represents a single microsatellite coloured according to the proportion of the expected heterozygosity per microsatellite present on its respective population. Note that the two wild samples (Iberian Peninsula and France) are proxies for the ancient wild samples that were involved in colonization of France and domestication. Shaded areas indicate the different bottleneck events that occurred at the colonization of France, initial domestication event, and breed formation. Values aside arrows show the amount of genetic diversity lost in each event estimated using a resampling methodology (See Methods).
300+ rabbit breeds trace back to 1 domestication from the European rabbit that still hops wild in Spain today. DNA shows steps of diversity loss: Iberia → France → breeds. One species, one funnel 🐰 #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
A) Ventral thorax of Lepisma saccharinum (Spain): coxae (1) with rounded scales; femora (2) and tibiae (3) of the first and second legs lack scales and bear only setae. Scale: 0.25 mm. B) Ventral view of the second leg of Ctenolepisma villosum (Spain): coxa and femur with rounded scales; tibia without scales, bearing only setae. Scale: 0.1 mm. C) Ventral femur of Ctenolepisma rothschildi (Cape Verde) with modified scales (subtriangular, distally truncated, variable). Scale: 0.2 mm. D) Lanceolate scales on the ventral femur of Ctenolepisma lineatum (Spain). Scale: 50 μm.
Is Silverfish really gone? Nope. A global analysis of indoor silverfish species shows they thrive in human buildings and keep spreading by hitchhiking with cargo. The silverfish invasion may be just getting started. #2026MMM #RIP academic.oup.com/jinsectscien...
Detection of cellulase activity in digestive fluids of Thermobia domestica and Ctenolepisma longicaudata. Zymograms with 0.2% carboxymethyl cellulose were used to detect the cellulase (CMCase) activity in head, foregut, midgut and hindgut tissues of T. domestica (left) and C. longicaudata (right). MM, pre-stained protein molecular marker; +ve, commercial cellulase used as positive control; H, head; FG, foregut; MG, midgut; HG, hindgut.
Favorite snack for Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum): old library books. Why? RNA sequencing and proteomics of the gut in a close relative found plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes that break down the cellulose in aging paper and turn it into fuel. #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Fig 1. from Graciá et al 2013. Distribution of the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) in the Iberian Peninsula. This species can be considered continuous across the Iberian Peninsula, with the exception of the coastal region in the center and north of Portugal, and Galicia and the Cantabrian coasts in Spain. The number of analysed chicks (N) in each subpopulation is indicated.
Eagle owls in Spain were hunted nearly to extinction in the 20th century. DNA from survivors shows a classic genetic bottleneck: loss of diversity due to low numbers. But populations have bounced back since protections began! Conservation genetics in action #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...