Picture of a mouse (Mus musculus).
Invasive rodents are a threat, especially in islands. Toxic baits work, but not everywhere. Study shows new genetic biocontrol tools that could help in the critical "last mile" of eradication. The 'Gravid Lethal' approach eradicated house mice in <2.3 years 🐀
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70238
Four Asian elephants of different ages bathing on a pond.
Predicted DNA methylation age from the final epigenetic clock model. It shows a relationship close to 1 (r = 0.96).
Scientists built a DNA methylation clock for Asian elephants with 96% accuracy of age prediction, associating aging to genes for neurogenesis, oxytocin, and metabolism. This can be linked to-life history traits. Great tool for conservation and evolutionary biology 🐘⏰
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70236
Pain sensitivity in women is shaped by evolutionary trade-offs between reproduction and survival, driven by early menarche, low testosterone, and high leptin. Check this evolutionary-medical lens for understanding and reducing female-biased pain 🙆♀️🧬
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70228
Dr. Arunkumar Ramesh
Dr. Arunkumar Ramesh's work examines the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and their evolution in plants. His study systems include Arabidopsis, Capsella & wheat, rice, and sunflower crops, translating insights from tractable models to species with large and complex genomes
@sishuowang.bsky.social is a research assist prof at the Chinese Uni of Hong Kong. His work aims at developing statistical methods in evolutionary and phylogenetic inference, with applications to microbial evolution across host & environmental transitions, emerging pathogens and microbiome evolution
Dr. Sishuo Wang
Dr. Arunkumar Ramesh
The EVA team got bigger 🤩
We have 2 new Associate Editors joining the team: Dr. Sishuo Wang (left, @sishuowang.bsky.social) and Dr. Arunkumar Ramesh (right)!
Let's give them our warmest welcome! 🎉🎉
The plants that received this “genetic help” flowered earlier and showed noticeable changes in key traits, suggesting that assisted gene flow could be a useful tool—but also one that comes with trade‑offs we need to understand carefully 🧬 (2/2)
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70087
Can we help plants keep up with climate change? In their study, @carlos-lara0.bsky.social et al. tested whether moving beneficial genes from southern to northern populations of Lupinus angustifolius could boost their ability to cope with warmer conditions 🌱 (1/2)
📸 Sandra Sacristán‑Bajo
The northern white rhino is effectively extinct. Can a healthy pop be restored from cryopreserved cells of only 12 inds? @arynwilder.bsky.social et al. show how restoration from biobanked cells eases constraints of a limited founder pool to enable recovery 🦏
📸 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
How do we choose source pops. for genetic rescue?
Black et al. use genome-wide data & 50-generation simulations in the southern brown bandicoot to show:
(1) closely related pops. can deliver sustained diversity gains;
(2) simulations matter more than simple metrics 🐾
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70050
First @molecology.bsky.social 's special issue in December (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1365294x...), and now this! Inspiring to see so many talented scientists working at the intersection of evobio, genomics, and applied conservation. Great for your reading lists!
Special Issue on Genetic Rescue is out 🎉🎉🎉
The 21 papers on the SI highlight how evolutionary biology can enhance resilience & long-term survival of biodiversity. Introducing genetically diverse individuals can boost fitness in small, isolated populations 🧬🌿
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70225
thermal tolerance acclimation with rearing temperature, and divergence between lowly-domesticated and highly-domesticated fish
Are you interested in domestication selection and conservation physiology?
Newest paper @evolappjournal.bsky.social: Highly and Lowly Domesticated Endangered Fish From a Conservation Hatchery Diverge in Their Thermal Physiology, Transcriptome, and Methylome
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Applied genetics can help address the challenges of adaptation to #ClimateChange: Our work on assisted gene flow in Lupin cited in the editorial for the special issue "Genetic Rescue: Latest Advances and Applications" in @evolappjournal.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/eva....
doi.org/10.1111/eva....
Great news 🎉🎉🎉
We have extended the deadline to submit to the Joint Special Issue with Molecular Ecology on "Evolutionary Genomics & Climate Change" 🌍🧬
📅 Submit by June 30🏃♂️
Reach out to us and @marenwellenreuther.bsky.social if you wanna know more! Please help us spread the word 🐕
Catching a raven is very difficult, as they are hard to fool. Catching 69 of them is an amazing achievement by itself.
Captive rearing can alter phenotypes & reduce fitness. This review summarizes how DNA methylation is linked to changes in behavior, color & development across salmonids. It proposes using epigenetics for monitoring and to boost survival 🐟🧬
w/@clarevenney.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70210
Super interesting, but also— what a harrowing punch to the gut
The article on dogs from the Ukrainian frontline showing evidence of malnutrition and mortality-based selection has been receiving great attention! 🐕🐕🐕
It's generating a lot of discussion, and you can read it here! 👇
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70182
Earlier, Lesser and Greater spotted eagles were shown to change their migration trajectories because of the war in Ukraine. www.cell.com/current-biol...
The terrible war that Russia is waging on Ukraine not only affects humans, but also animals. Feralized dogs are under natural selection to lose their dog-like traits, and become more wolf-like again. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @evolappjournal.bsky.social
One study investigated the native range of a planthopper used against invasive water hyacinth. They show 3 lineages shaped by ancient climate shifts & river basins with ongoing gene flow. This helps select the best populations for release in the US & South Africa 🌿🧬
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70208
This was a collaboration between local stakeholders from the Seychelles, Mauritius and Rodrigues with international scientists, funded as part of a UN Development Programme
w/@undp.org @epflenac.bsky.social @naturesey.bsky.social @ird-fr.bsky.social @uzh-ch.bsky.social @carnegiescience.bsky.social
This work shows oceanographic barriers that may shape adaptation and inform regional conservation, and provides critical insights for targeted #conservation and #management of coral #biodiversity under climate change across large ocean regions 🪸 w/ @annie-guillaume.bsky.social
Rising ocean temperatures threaten #corals in the Western Indian Ocean 🌊 #seascapegenomics helped identify coral populations and genes associated with thermal tolerance in two coral species 🧬
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70206
📷 O. Selmoni, C. Dale & UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles
Collage by Annie Guillaume
Poop can save species 💩
Scientists used fecal metagenomics to find pathogens in the critically endangered Iberian desman. They found 26 potential threats, some in almost half the individuals tested. Non-invasive way to study wildlife health!
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70199
Can corals survive a mass mortality event (MME)? A new study reveals corals can adapt rapidly after MME, with host genetics influencing bleaching survival & recovery, and beneficial alleles passing to the next generation 🪸
doi.org/10.1111/eva.70198
Advancing bioinformatics methods to identify pathogenic bacteria from fecal metagenomic data of the Iberian desman, a critically endangered species. A step forward for wildlife health monitoring.
🧬 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@ibe-barcelona.bsky.social @evolappjournal.bsky.social
🚨Final call for papers🚨
Joint Special Issue with Molecular Ecology!
Theme: Evolutionary Genomics & Climate Change 🌍🧬
📅 Submit by February 28🏃♂️
Reach out to us and @marenwellenreuther.bsky.social
if you wanna know more! And please help us spread the word 🦧
