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The article introduces Scienstructable 3D Dissection Models, created by former secondary school science teachers Melissa Zaher and Gretchen Vikingson. Topics include examines the models are paper and digital representations of invertebrate and vertebrate animals and are intended to be used as a pre-laboratory activity prior to preserved specimen dissection or as an alternative to dissection.

Ethiopia is experiencing deterioration in river quality resulting in adverse effects on human health and hydrobionts. This study aimed to analyse the effects of specific environmental stressors on the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates in the Upper Awash River. The study was conducted from January 2018 to March 2018. Macroinvertebrates were collected from five sites using standard handheld nets. Physicochemical parameters including electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorous, nitrate-nitrogen, pH, dissolved oxygen and water temperature that can affect the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates were assessed. A total of 14,465 individuals belonging to 33 families of insects and 5 families of the noninsect group were identified. Among all recorded taxa, Diptera was the most abundant and diversified order. Macroinvertebrates among the five sites showed variation in species evenness, richness, and Shannon Diversity Index. Values obtained from biotic indices and environmental parameters indicated the presence of organic pollution at different levels. The impacted downstream site paper mill waste (Walgata) had the relatively highest H-FBI index followed by Osole (more agricultural activities) indicating that Walgata and Osole were poorer in benthic faunal diversity than other sites. In addition, as habitat and water quality degradation increased, the number and percentage of Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) decreased. The selected metrics will be also useful for the monitoring and assessment of the riverine systems and to access the impact of different stressors. As perturbation increased, species diversity, ETHbios index, Average Score Per Taxon, and family richness decreased, while the percentage of Chironomidae, Diptera, Dominant Taxa, and Hilsenhoff Family-Level Biotic Index increased indicating that tolerant species become abundant in degraded river bodies. Environmental protection agencies of governmental and nongovernmental organizations should make awareness for the local people so that they reduce activities that affect the river. Paper factory should also monitor its effluent from directly discharging into the Upper Awash River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a summary of a special issue of the journal Animals, which focuses on the welfare, ethics, and behavior of animals in zoos and aquariums. The authors emphasize the importance of continually improving animal welfare in these settings through transparent and scientifically rigorous research. They acknowledge the diversity of philosophical views on keeping animals in captivity and highlight the role of zoos and aquariums in conservation efforts. The papers in this issue cover a range of topics, including the ethics and legal concerns of zoo and aquarium species, strategies for improving animal welfare, and the need to critically evaluate data on controversial topics. The authors stress the need for ongoing dialogue and collaboration to advance animal welfare in these settings. [Extracted from the article]

Biodiversity is essential to the viability of ecological systems. Species diversity in ecosystems is promoted by cyclic, non-hierarchical interactions among competing populations. Central features of such non-transitive relations are represented by the ‘rock–paper–scissors’ game, in which rock crushes scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper wraps rock. In combination with spatial dispersal of static populations, this type of competition results in the stable coexistence of all species and the long-term maintenance of biodiversity. However, population mobility is a central feature of real ecosystems: animals migrate, bacteria run and tumble. Here, we observe a critical influence of mobility on species diversity. When mobility exceeds a certain value, biodiversity is jeopardized and lost. In contrast, below this critical threshold all subpopulations coexist and an entanglement of travelling spiral waves forms in the course of time. We establish that this phenomenon is robust; it does not depend on the details of cyclic competition or spatial environment. These findings have important implications for maintenance and temporal development of ecological systems and are relevant for the formation and propagation of patterns in microbial populations or excitable media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an overview of a special issue on the ecology, diversity, conservation, and management of ungulates (hoofed mammals). The issue includes ten papers that cover various topics related to ungulates and their habitats. The papers discuss the impact of ungulates on vegetation, forest composition, and structure, as well as their role as pests in forestry and agriculture. Other topics include the interactions between ungulates and predators, the conservation of ungulates and their habitats, and the genetic diversity of ungulates. The document also highlights research gaps and provides recommendations for integrated ungulate-forest management. [Extracted from the article]

Recent withdrawal of the U.S. military from the Republic of Panama has exposed 64,000 ha of lowland forest in the former Canal Zone to possible development. The forests form a 16-km-wide strip reaching 65 km from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean and function as the water supply for the canal and as home to one of the world's richest terrestrial biotas. We present an overview of the distribution of bird diversity in the forests of the canal area based on 10 years of inventories. A total of 498 terrestrial species has been recorded, of which 177 occur only in lowland forests. More species reside in Caribbean- than in Pacific-slope forests and in the largest forest tracts. The Panamanian government, recognizing the importance of the forests for protection of biodiversity and for proper functioning of the canal, has created two national parks and a national monument in the canal area. One large park, Soberania National Park, currently contains 92% of the region's forest-dwelling species. Two large tracts on the Caribbean coast, the Achiote Road forest and the Fort Sherman forest, are not designated as national parks but are recognized as important forest areas. Those two forests harbor species found nowhere else in the canal corridor. Extensive fragmentation, disconnection of forested corridors between foothills and lowlands, and anthropogenic degradation of forests near towns have altered regional bird-community dynamics. Some dynamics occur on large spatial scales, such as the poorly understood movements of elevational and transisthmian migrants. Long-term maintenance of bird species diversity in the canal area will require preservation of the large forest tracts and reestablishment of a forested connection from the canal corridor lowlands to the Chagres lowlands and foothills in the east. Such conservation activities will be challenging to execute given the region's growing human population and desires for a stronger national economy. We recommend protection of remaining forests and active enforcement of protection laws to reduce hunting and further intrusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria may be one of the most abundant and species-rich groups of organisms, and they mediate many critical ecosystem processes. Despite the ecological importance of bacteria, past practical and theoretical constraints have limited our ability to document patterns of bacterial diversity and to understand the processes that determine these patterns. However, recent advances in molecular techniques that allow more thorough detection of bacteria in nature have made it possible to examine such patterns and processes. Here, we review recent studies of the distribution of free-living bacterial diversity and compare our current understanding with what is known about patterns in plant and animal diversity. From these recent studies a preliminary picture is emerging: bacterial diversity may exhibit regular patterns, and in some cases these patterns may be qualitatively similar to those observed for plants and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article calls for papers on the scientific study of cavefish, particularly on areas like its evolution, systems biology, and neurobiology.

Our ecological knowledge base is extensive, but the motivations for research are many and varied, leading to unequal species representation and coverage. As this evidence is used to support a wide range of conservation, management and policy actions, it is important that gaps and biases are identified and understood. In this paper we detail a method for quantifying research effort and impact at the individual species level, and go on to investigate the factors that best explain between-species differences in outputs. We do this using British breeding birds as a case study, producing a ranked list of species based on two scientific publication metrics: total number of papers (a measure of research quantity) and h-index (a measure of the number of highly cited papers on a topic – an indication of research quality). Widespread, populous species which are native, resident and in receipt of biodiversity action plans produced significantly higher publication metrics. Guild was also significant, birds of prey the most studied group, with pigeons and doves the least studied. The model outputs for both metrics were very similar, suggesting that, at least in this example, research quantity and quality were highly correlated. The results highlight three key gaps in the evidence base, with fewer citations and publications relating to migrant breeders, introduced species and species which have experienced contractions in distribution. We suggest that the use of publication metrics in this way provides a novel approach to understanding the scale and drivers of both research quantity and impact at a species level and could be widely applied, both taxonomically and geographically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) and its intrinsic mechanisms has always been a hot research topic among ecologists. However, there are few recent reviews and syntheses on BEF research. We analyze the annual publication volume, research strength, and research hotspots of the literature about BEF in Web of Science from 2001 to 2021 to explore the current status and future trends. The results showed that the number of publications on BEF research increased steadily from 2001 to 2021, with the initial development stage occurring before 2007 and a steady growth stage from 2008 to 2012, as well as a steady growth trend can be observed in the number of publications. After 2013, it entered a phase of rapid development, with the highest number of publications in 2021, with 596 publications. The studies were mainly conducted in developed countries, such as the USA, England, and France, which outstood in terms of the quantity and quality of literature published. China has the 5th highest number of publications in the world and the strongest growth in the last 5 years. The Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) was the institution with the most publications, while the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDIV), the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), and the Helmholtz Association all accounted for more than 60% of their respective publication volumes in the last 5 years, demonstrating the trend of rapid development in Germany in recent five years. The author with the most publications was Schmid B, while Verheyen K had been more active with 69.23% of the total number of papers published over the previous five years. Ecology was the journal with the most publications among the top 15 journals, but Global Change Biology and PNAS had the highest impact factors and the highest average citation frequency. The BEF hotspots primarily concentrate on biodiversity and its productivity, but with the extinction of species around the world, the effects of climate change, and the loss of biodiversity, it is important to investigate the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is a disparity in the number of publications and average citations per article between scholars in China and in European and American countries. However, the number of Chinese publications increased rapidly in the last five years. Furthermore, BEF relationships are anticipated to differ across multiple trophic levels, but this subject has received less attention in terms of animal diversity, belowground biodiversity, and ecosystem multifunctionality within and across ecosystems, which needs to be thoroughly investigated to provide a strong base for the conservation of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document, published in the journal Biomedicines, discusses the challenges of translating therapeutics for neurotrauma and neurological disorders from the lab to the clinic. The authors highlight the importance of large animal models, specifically pigs, in bridging the gap between small animals and humans. The document presents a collection of papers detailing clinically relevant studies and sophisticated swine model systems that demonstrate the potential of pigs in translational research. The authors also discuss the strengths and limitations of preclinical traumatic brain injury (TBI) models, emphasizing the need for accurate reporting and the development of effective therapies. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Behavioral diversity is sometimes used by animal scientists to better understand and compare how animals behave. The methods used in behavioral diversity research have not been investigated across the entire research sector. This paper aims to identify which methods are being used in behavioral diversity research and find some novel methods from other areas of science that could be used in new research. To investigate the techniques and species investigated in behavioral diversity literature, a literature search was conducted. Two methods: behavioral richness and the Shannon–Wiener index, were the most often used methods, whereas the Behavioral Variability index featured rarely. While a range of species appeared in the behavioral literature, mammals were the most frequently studied animal group, whereas amphibians did not feature in any papers. There are several diversity indices which did not feature in behavioral diversity including Simpson's index, and Chao. These methods could be used to better understand animal behavioral study outputs or be used to estimate the number of 'unobserved' behaviors that an animal may express. Future studies could therefore make use of these unused tools. Behavioral diversity is a commonly used tool used to quantify the richness and evenness of animal behaviors and assess the effect of variables that may impact an animal's quality of life. The indices used in behavioral diversity research, and the study subjects, have not been formally reviewed. This paper aims to identify which indices are being used in behavioral diversity research, and under which scenarios, and uncover novel indices from other disciplines that could be applied to behavioral diversity. To investigate the techniques and species investigated in behavioral diversity literature, a Web of Science literature search was conducted. Two methods: behavioral richness and the Shannon–Wiener index, were the most frequently used indices, whereas the Behavioral Variability index featured rarely. While a range of species appeared in the behavioral literature, mammals were the most frequently studied Class, whereas amphibians did not feature in any papers. There are several diversity indices which did not feature in behavioral diversity including Simpson's index, and Chao. Such indices could be used to better understand animal behavioral study outputs or be used to estimate the number of 'unobserved' behaviors that an animal may express. Future studies could therefore extend beyond the Shannon–Wiener and richness indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasping and object manipulation have been considered key domains of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) since the beginning of automation, as they are the most common interactions between systems, or a system and its environment. As the demand for automation is spreading to increasingly complex fields of industry, smart tools with sensors and internal decision-making become necessities. CPS, such as robots and smart autonomous machinery, have been introduced in the meat industry in recent decades; however, the natural diversity of animals, potential anatomical disorders and soft, slippery animal tissues require the use of a wide range of sensors, software and intelligent tools. This paper presents the development of a smart robotic gripper for deployment in the meat industry. A comprehensive review of the available robotic grippers employed in the sector is presented along with the relevant recent research projects. Based on the identified needs, a new mechatronic design and early development process of the smart gripper is described. The integrated force sensing method based on strain measurement and magnetic encoders is described, including the adjacent laboratory and on-site tests. Furthermore, a combined slip detection system is presented, which relies on an optical flow-based image processing algorithm using the video feed of a built-in endoscopic camera. Basic user tests and application assessments are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 25 years, research on biodiversity has expanded dramatically, fuelled by increasing threats to the natural world. However, the number of published studies is heavily weighted towards certain taxa, perhaps influencing conservation awareness of and funding for less-popular groups. Few studies have systematically quantified these biases, although information on this topic is important for informing future research and conservation priorities. We investigated: i) which animal taxa are being studied; ii) if any taxonomic biases are the same in temperate and tropical regions; iii) whether the taxon studied is named in the title of papers on biodiversity, perhaps reflecting a perception of what biodiversity is; iv) the geographical distribution of biodiversity research, compared with the distribution of biodiversity and threatened species; and v) the geographical distribution of authors’ countries of origin. To do this, we used the search engine Web of Science to systematically sample a subset of the published literature with ‘biodiversity’ in the title. In total 526 research papers were screened—5% of all papers in Web of Science with biodiversity in the title. For each paper, details on taxonomic group, title phrasing, number of citations, study location, and author locations were recorded. Compared to the proportions of described species, we identified a considerable taxonomic weighting towards vertebrates and an under-representation of invertebrates (particularly arachnids and insects) in the published literature. This discrepancy is more pronounced in highly cited papers, and in tropical regions, with only 43% of biodiversity research in the tropics including invertebrates. Furthermore, while papers on vertebrate taxa typically did not specify the taxonomic group in the title, the converse was true for invertebrate papers. Biodiversity research is also biased geographically: studies are more frequently carried out in developed countries with larger economies, and for a given level of species or threatened species, tropical countries were understudied relative to temperate countries. Finally, biodiversity research is disproportionately authored by researchers from wealthier countries, with studies less likely to be carried out by scientists in lower-GDP nations. Our results highlight the need for a more systematic and directed evaluation of biodiversity studies, perhaps informing more targeted research towards those areas and taxa most depauperate in research. Only by doing so can we ensure that biodiversity research yields results that are relevant and applicable to all regions and that the information necessary for the conservation of threatened species is available to conservation practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil nematode fauna can give important insights into soil development and other habitat changes that occur during primary succession. We investigated the generic composition, density, distribution and community structure of nematodes 50 years after the formation of a pristine volcanic island, Surtsey, Iceland. Part of the island has received additional nutrient inputs from seagulls breeding there since 1985, while the reminder has been much less affected and is at present found at a different successional sere. In total, 25 genera of nematodes were identified, of which 14 were reported on Surtsey for the first time. Nematode communities were more diverse in the more infertile area outside the gull colony, where 24 genera were found, compared to 18 inside. The trophic structure of the nematode communities showed relatively higher abundance of fungal feeders in the infertile areas, but relatively more bacterial- and plant-feeders inside the colony. Nematode abundance in surface soil was, however, significantly higher within the gull colony, with 16.7 ind. cm-2 compared to 3.6 ind. cm-2 outside. A multivariate analysis indicated that the nematode abundance and distribution on Surtsey were most strongly related to the soil C:N ratio, soil acidity, plant cover and biomass, soil temperature and soil depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is a key ecological factor affecting biodiversity structure and composition. Fires' effects on biodiversity can be beneficial or harmful depending on how, where, when, and why they occur. The impacts of fire on fauna vary according to species ecology and the fire regime. To understand the research effort relating fire, fauna, and mammals, we surveyed papers published in World and in Brazil. Only 5% of the publications between 1970 and 2019 with fire subject dealt with fauna and 0.5% with mammal. For Brazil, we obtained 7% of papers for fauna and 3% for mammal. The Brazilian Biome with more papers was Cerrado, followed by Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Pampas, Caatinga and Pantanal. The United States of America and Australia stand out as protagonists in their continents with the largest papers number. The volume of research is related to investment in Research and Development and to occurrence of fires. The slope of temporal trend shows the terms related to wildfire have more papers than prescribed burn and there is less interest in fauna and mammal research. It is necessary to form research groups with these themes as research lines and intensify research relating fire ecology and mammals. There is yet no unified understanding of how fire may influence animal diversity and how it influences the vegetative structure and subsequently the resources which wildlife rely on. We consider this information is essential to establish efficient conservation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1959, G.E. Hutchinson provided a general explanation for the diversity of species in his paper “Homage to Santa Rosalia or why are there so many kinds of animals?” To assess the contribution of the ideas Hutchinson introduced in “The Homage” to aquatic ecology research, we performed a bibliometric evaluation of all the articles that cited this paper between 1960 and 2009. The articles were retrieved using the database from Thomson Reuters (ISI Web of Knowledge) in March 2009. For each paper, we first identified the studied environment (terrestrial, marine or freshwater) and whether the study was theoretical or empirical. For marine and freshwater studies, we recorded the journal where the article was published, the year of publication, the number of citations, the taxonomic group (e.g. fish, phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates or macrophytes), the habitat (e.g. wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams or ocean) and the main ideas addressed. A total of 1345 articles cited “The Homage”, and the number of citations increased significantly with time. Most of the articles that cited “The Homage” described research carried out in a terrestrial environment or were theoretical, and a lesser number of citations came from freshwater and marine papers, which used mainly fish and invertebrates as model organisms. In the aquatic sciences, most of the papers discussed the influences of competition and energy (productivity) on diversity. Our results indicate that “The Homage” can still be considered a “citation classic” and a breakthrough contribution, and that it is still having a great impact on different fields of ecology, including limnology and marine ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sabine Deschler-Erb outlines the scope and intent of the volume and ties together some common themes that emerge in the study of zooarchaeological assemblages from ritual contexts. A final category in this volume includes chapters that explore ritual contexts along a more synthetic perspective, across wider geographic settings. Nevertheless, the synthetic perspective these papers take, even if not always fully focused or complete, provides a nice counterbalance to the more compartmentalized case-study style of papers elsewhere in the volume. [Extracted from the article]

The Gulf of Cadiz is an extensive seepage area in the South Iberian Margin (NE Atlantic) encompassing over 40 mud volcanoes (MVs) at depths ranging from 200 to 4000m. The area has a long geologic history and a central biogeographic location with a complex circulation assuring oceanographic connectivity with the Mediterranean Sea, Equatorial and Northern Atlantic regions. The geodynamics of the region promotes a notorious diversity in the seep regime despite the relatively low fluxes of hydrocarbon-rich gases. We analyse quantitative samples taken during the cruises TTR14, TTR15 and MSM01-03 in seven mud volcanoes grouped into Shallow MVs (Mercator: 350m, Kidd: 500m, Meknès: 700m) and Deep MVs (Captain Arutyunov: 1300m, Carlos Ribeiro: 2200m, Bonjardim: 3000m, Porto: 3900m) and two additional reference sites (ca. 550m). Macrofauna (retained by a 500 µm sieve) was identified to species level whenever possible. The samples yielded modest abundances (70-1567 ind. per 0.25 m²) but a number of species among the highest ever reported for cold seeps. Among the 366 recorded species, 22 were symbiont-hosting bivalves (Thyasiridae, Vesicomyidae, Solemyidae) and tubeworms (Siboglinidae). The multivariate analyses indicated significant differences between Shallow and Deep MVs: The environmental conditions at the Shallow MVs makes them highly permeable to the penetration of background fauna leading to high diversity of the attendant assemblages (H': 2.92-3.94; ES(100): 28.3-45.0; J': 0.685-0.881). The Deep MVs showed, in general, contrasting features but were more heterogeneous (H': 1.41-3.06; ES(100): 10.5-30.5; J': 0.340-0.852) and often dominated by one or more siboglinid species. The rarefaction curves confirmed the differences in biodiversity of Deep and Shallow MVs as well as the approximation of the latter to the reference sites. The Bray--Curtis dissimilarity demonstrated the high β-diversity of the assemblages, especially in pairwise comparisons involving samples from the deeper MVs. Diversity partitioning assessed for species richness, Hurlbert's expected number of species and Shannon--Wiener index confirmed the high β-diversity across different spatial scales (within MVs, between MVs, between Deep and Shallow MVs). We suggest that historical and contemporary factors with differential synergies at different depths contribute to the high α-, β- and γ-diversity of the mud volcano faunal assemblages in the Gulf of Cadiz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publication, in 1958, of Charles Elton's book The ecology of invasions by animals and plants launched the systematic study of biological invasions. Invasion ecology has grown to become an important multi-disciplinary subfield of ecology with growing links to many other disciplines. This paper examines the citation history of Elton's book using the Web of Science. We also examine Elton's influence in shaping the current research agenda in invasion ecology, for which we use the 28 papers in a special issue of Diversity and Distributions (Volume 14: 2) as a representative sample. After 50 years, Elton's book remains the most cited single source in the field (> 1500 citations), and is cited more often every year (> 100 times) than any other invasion-related publication, including influential papers in journals. Most citations to Elton's book refer to particular topics/concepts covered in the book, rather than citing it as a general reference about invasions. The shift in the distribution of topics/concepts cited with reference to Elton over time follows the same trend as for biogeography and ecology in general (increasing emphasis on analytical studies, multi-scale analyses, multi-disciplinary studies, etc.). Some topics emphasized by Elton are still the focus of current research (dispersal and spread of invasive organisms, impact on biodiversity, role of disturbance and enemy release) but several prominent themes in modern studies were not addressed by Elton. The emergence of new themes can be attributed to a general change in approach and emphasis underpinning research questions in conservation biogeography and applied ecology over the last half century (risk analysis, multi-scale comparisons, propagule pressure, experimental approaches) and to the recent emergence and increasing availability of large data sets on the distribution of introduced species and to the emergence of key technologies (e.g. geographic information systems, modelling techniques, including niche-based modelling, and molecular methods). Half a century after its publication, Charles Elton's book on invasions remains influential, but massive changes in the status of invasions and other environmental issues worldwide, together with advances in technology, are reshaping the game rules and priorities of invasion ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In many parts of the world, belted pig breeds have been selectively raised for their distinctive appearance for centuries. These pigs present a white belt of variable width, generally centred on the shoulders or trunk on a solid black background. The present review aimed to identify and describe, from a genetic point of view, all existing pig breeds with this peculiar coat pattern. Using the online database, 42 pig breeds, their origin, productive, and reproductive data, and conservation status have been identified. Most of them are local small-size breeds, some extinct or endangered. Highlighting the attention paid to these breeds and their role as local livestock is of great importance for conserving local biodiversity. Belted pig breeds have unique, distinguishing phenotypic characteristics. This review summarises the current knowledge on pig breeds displaying a belted coat pattern. Belts of different widths and positions around the animal's trunk characterise specific pig breeds from all around the world. All the breeds included in the present paper have been searched through the FAO domestic animal diversity information system (DAD-IS), Every country was checked to identify all breeds described as having black or red piebald coat pattern variations. Advances in genomic technologies have made it possible to identify the specific genes and genetic markers associated with the belted phenotype and explore the genetic relationships between different local breeds. Thus, the origin, history, and production traits of these breeds, together with all the genomic information related to the mechanism of skin pigmentation, are discussed. By increasing our understanding of these breeds, we can appreciate the richness of our biological and cultural heritage and work to preserve the biodiversity of the world's animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper considers examples of how humans negatively affect the welfare of wild animals, how such impacts might be reduced and what additional research is needed, including examples from biodiversity conservation, wildlife management, wildlife tourism and wildlife trade. Further, it discusses the relationship between wild animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, including consideration of various ethical viewpoints. Human activities negatively impact the welfare of wild vertebrates in many different contexts globally, and countless individual animals are affected. Growing concern for wild animal welfare, especially in relation to conservation, is evident. While research on wild animal welfare lags behind that focused on captive animals, minimising human-induced harm to wild animals is a key principle. This study examines examples of negative anthropogenic impacts on wild animal welfare, how these may be mitigated and what further research is required, including examples from wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife tourism and wildlife trade. Further, it discusses the relationship between animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, and synergies that may be achieved between these. Ultimately, it is discussed how the welfare of wild animals may be balanced with other priorities to ensure that welfare is afforded due consideration in interactions between people and wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerations and new data for insects of the carabidae family in the area of Malesia e Madhe (Northern part of Albania). Insects, especially coleopters, represent living things with the greatest biodiversity of the animal world. Recognition of the values of this biodiversity plays an important role and undoubtedly constitutes a contribution to the recognition of the Albanian coleoptera fauna Based on the publications of various authors on the Albanian coleoptera fauna (German Expedition of 1961, 1933, 1935, 1936), as well as a series of articles published by Misja K, Paparisto.A, Striniqi.A, in this paper it is ., intended to give new data on coleopters and especially data on species of the family Carabidae (Order Coleoptera). Data are given for 16 species representatives of this family, giving the identification, bio-ecology, data on the zoogeographical grouping, the number of exemplars studied and the area and subzone where this species has met. The data are the result of expeditions carried out during the years 2018-2022, in the area of Malesia e Madhe located in the northern part of Albania. From the 16 collected species of this family, compared to the materials of other authors, there are 7 species referred for the first time to Albania. A special analysis pertains to the species referred for the first time to the Albanian coleoptera fauna. The Malesia e Madhe area presents a variety of relief forms, which are premises for the biodiversity of coleopters species, as well as representatives of the Carabidae family. The paper is accompanied by a detailed database of coleoptera (Carabidae) of this area. I think that the recognition of the values of this biodiversity contributes to the recognition of the biodiversity values of Albania and undoubtedly helps in the assessment and management of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In non-marine environments, insects comprise one of the most species-rich and abundant groups of organisms. Many aquatic insects, such as mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies, have shown to be highly sensitive to anthropogenic alterations in their habitats and have been widely used as valuable taxonomic groups for biomonitoring programs worldwide [[5]]. Figures Graph: Figure 1 Aquatic insect orders investigated in studies published in the Diversity Special Issue: Aquatic Insects: biodiversity, ecology, and conservation challenges. Relatively small orders of aquatic insects, Ephemeroptera [[12], [14]] and Odonata [[15], [17]], are represented with three papers each. [Extracted from the article]

Ancient Lake Ohrid is probably of early Pleistocene or Pliocene origin and amongst the few lakes in the world harboring an outstanding degree of endemic biodiversity. Although there is a long history of evolutionary research in Lake Ohrid, particularly on molluscs, a mollusc fossil record has been missing up to date. For the first time, gastropod and bivalve fossils are reported from the basal, calcareous part of a 2.6 m long sediment succession (core Co1200) from the north-eastern part of Lake Ohrid. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of mollusc shells from the same stratigraphic level yielded an age of 130±28 ka. Lithofacies III sediments, i.e. a subdivision of the stratigraphic unit comprising the basal succession of core Co1200 between 181.5-263 cm appeared solid, grayish-white, and consisted almost entirely of silt-sized endogenic calcite (CaCO3 >70%) and intact and broken mollusc shells. Here we compare the faunal composition of the thanatocoenosis with recent mollusc associations in Lake Ohrid. A total of 13 mollusc species (9 gastropod and 4 bivalve species) could be identified within Lithofacies III sediments. The value of sediment core fossils for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental settings was evaluated. The agreement between sediment and palaeontological proxies was tested. The combined findings of the ecological study and the sediment characteristics suggest deposition in a shallow water environment during the Last Interglacial period. We tested for major faunal changes since the Last Interglacial period and searched for signs of extinction events. The fossil fauna exclusively included species also found in the present fauna, i.e. no extinction events are evident for this site since the Last Interglacial. The thanatocoenosis showed the highest similarity with recent Intermediate Layer (5-25 m) mollusc assemblages. The demonstrated existence of a mollusc fossil record in Lake Ohrid sediment cores also has great significance for future deep drilling projects. It can be hoped that a more far reaching mollusc fossil record will then be obtained, enabling insight into the early evolutionary history of Lake Ohrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of fish bones from archaeological sites in southeast Arabia is challenging because of high taxonomic diversity, comparatively few reference collections with a wide range of species, as well as access to these resources. This paper provides illustrations of bones from many common taxonomic groups of fish from the southeast Arabia including several species of fish identified in very few assemblages, probably because of the lack of comparative reference material. This is a guide to aid other analysts in the identification process. We also consider the effect of reference collection size on the taxonomic diversity of analysed fish bone assemblages and conclude that research would benefit by the publication of further identification guides. Ideally these should include differences between closely related species, as this has a significant impact on the taxonomic diversity of archaeo‐ichthyological assemblages. Although many papers are devoted to the influence of sample size, recovery method or recording protocols on the taxonomic diversity of faunal assemblages, a similar discussion on the effect of the reference collection used is often overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commoditization of marine resources has dramatically increased anthropogenic footprints on coastal and ocean systems, but the scale of these impacts remain unclear due to a pervasive lack of historical baselines. Through the analysis of historical newspapers, this paper explores changes in marine animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) targeted by historical fisheries in southern Brazil since the late 19th century. The investigation of historical newspaper archives revealed unprecedented information on catch composition, and perceived social and economic importance of key species over decades, predating official national-level landing records. We show that several economically and culturally important species have been under persistent fishing pressure at least since the first national-scale subsidies were introduced for commercial fisheries in Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Our work expands the current knowledge on historical fish catch compositions in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, while advocating for the integration of historical data in ocean sustainability initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil record is a unique resource on the history of life, but it is well known to be incomplete. In a series of high-profile papers, a residual modelling technique has been applied to correct the raw palaeodiversity signal for this bias and incompleteness, and the claim is made that the processed time series are more accurate than the raw data. We apply empirical and simulation approaches to test for correlation and directionality of any relationships between rock and fossil data. The empirical data comprise samples of the global fossil record through the Phanerozoic, and we use simulations to assess whether randomly sampled subsets of modelled data can be improved by application of the residual modelling technique. Our results show that using formation counts as a sampling proxy to correct the fossil record via residual modelling is ill founded. The supposedly independent model of sampling is information-redundant with respect to the raw palaeodiversity data it seeks to correct, and so the outputs are generally likely to be further from the truth than the raw data. We recommend that students of palaeodiversity cease to use residual modelling estimates based on formation counts, and suggest that results from a substantial number of papers published in the past ten years require re-evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global demand for animal products is extremely increasing in the future period, which mainly because of improvement in the global standard of living. In the meantime, global climate change is a pressure to animal production due to the impact on quality of forages, water availability, animal and milk production, animal health, animal reproduction and biodiversity. This paper reviews the impacts of climate change on animal production and converse contributions of animal production sector to global climate variation and specific climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in animal production sector. Global climate change will affect animal production and consequently food security mainly in tropical regions. This paper also reviewed that, converse contribution of animal production sector in emission of GHGs to the atmosphere for global climate change. Therefore, global climate change adaptation, mitigation practices and policy frameworks are critical to protect animal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The diversity of animal gene pools in terms of species and numbers indicates a country's food security. In the past, Bhutan was very rich in livestock resources. However, if there is no plan to support the conservation and utilization of livestock resources well, it may inevitably cause food shortage problems. The main message of this paper is that some animal species are showing a steady decline in their numbers without the cooperation of many organizations, and the lack of knowledge, in particular the genetic improvement and breeding selection, for maintaining the integrity of the country's available animal genetic resources may soon enter a crisis. Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) ensures food security and maintains genetic diversity. The efforts to conserve FAnGR are minimal in Bhutan. In the pursuit of increasing livestock productivity, farmers are rearing livestock that narrows the range of genetic diversity. This review attempts to summarize the status of FAnGR and the efforts to conserve them. Some unique livestock breeds in Bhutan are Nublang (cattle breed), Yak, Saphak (pig breed), Yuta (horse breed), Merak-Saktenpa (horse breed), and Belochem (chicken breed). There was a drop in the yak, buffalo, equine, pig, sheep, and goat populations. Both in situ and ex situ conservation measures are in place for some of the breeds and strains (e.g., Nublang and traditional chicken). Conservation efforts are limited to the government, but other individuals, stakeholders and non-government organizations must play an increasing role in preserving genetic diversity. It is pertinent that Bhutan comes up with a policy framework to conserve its indigenous cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Horn of Africa is a large area of arid and semi-arid land, holding about 10% of the global and 40% of the entire African livestock population. The region's livestock production system is mainly extensive and pastoralist. It faces countless problems, such as a shortage of pastures and watering points, poor access to veterinary services, and multiple endemic diseases like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most economically important livestock diseases worldwide and is endemic in most developing countries. Within Africa, five of the seven serotypes of the FMD virus (FMDV) are described, but serotype C is not circulating anymore, a burden unseen anywhere in the world. The enormous genetic diversity of FMDV is favored by an error-prone RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, intra-typic and inter-typic recombination, as well as the quasi-species nature of the virus. This paper describes the epidemiological dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease in the Horn of Africa with regard to the serotypes and topotypes distribution of FMDV, the livestock production systems practiced, animal movement, the role of wildlife, and the epidemiological complexity of FMD. Within this review, outbreak investigation data and serological studies confirm the endemicity of the disease in the Horn of Africa. Multiple topotypes of FMDV are described in the literature as circulating in the region, with further evolution of virus diversity predicted. A large susceptible livestock population and the presence of wild ungulates are described as complicating the epidemiology of the disease. Further, the husbandry practices and legal and illegal trading of livestock and their products, coupled with poor biosecurity practices, are also reported to impact the spread of FMDV within and between countries in the region. The porosity of borders for pastoralist herders fuels the unregulated transboundary livestock trade. There are no systematic control strategies in the region except for sporadic vaccination with locally produced vaccines, while literature indicates that effective control measures should also consider virus diversity, livestock movements/biosecurity, transboundary trade, and the reduction of contact with wild, susceptible ungulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data-driven research is a very important component of One Health. As the core part of the global One Health index (GOHI), the global One Health Intrinsic Drivers index (IDI) is a framework for evaluating the baseline conditions of human-animal-environment health. This study aims to assess the global performance in terms of GOH-IDI, compare it across different World Bank regions, and analyze the relationships between GOH-IDI and national economic levels. Methods: The raw data among 146 countries were collected from authoritative databases and official reports in November 2021. Descriptive statistical analysis, data visualization and manipulation, Shapiro normality test and ridge maps were used to evaluate and identify the spatial and classificatory distribution of GOH-IDI. This paper uses the World Bank regional classification and the World Bank income groups to analyse the relationship between GOH-IDI and regional economic levels, and completes the case studies of representative countries. Results: The performance of One Health Intrinsic Driver in 146 countries was evaluated. The mean (standard deviation, SD) score of GOH-IDI is 54.05 (4.95). The values (mean SD) of different regions are North America (60.44, 2.36), Europe and Central Asia (57.73, 3.29), Middle East and North Africa (57.02, 2.56), East Asia and Pacific (53.87, 5.22), Latin America and the Caribbean (53.75, 2.20), South Asia (52.45, 2.61) and sub-Saharan Africa (48.27, 2.48). Gross national income per capita was moderately correlated with GOH-IDI (R2 = 0.651, Deviance explained = 66.6%, P < 0.005). Low income countries have the best performance in some secondary indicators, including Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health and Health risks. Five indicators are not statistically different at each economic level, including Animal Epidemic Disease, Animal Biodiversity, Air Quality and Climate Change, Land Resources and Environmental Biodiversity. Conclusions: The GOH-IDI is a crucial tool to evaluate the situation of One Health. There are inter-regional differences in GOH-IDI significantly at the worldwide level. The best performing region for GOH-IDI was North America and the worst was sub-Saharan Africa. There is a positive correlation between the GOH-IDI and country economic status, with high-income countries performing well in most indicators. GOH-IDI facilitates researchers' understanding of the multidimensional situation in each country and invests more attention in scientific questions that need to be addressed urgently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dinosaur fossils of the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) Eumeralla Formation (Otway Basin) of Victoria provide insights into the faunal and ichnofaunal diversity of southern hemisphere high latitude dinosaurs during the initial separation of Australia from Antarctica. To date, at least eight dinosaur fossil locations have been reported from this formation. In this paper, we describe a new tracksite locality along the coastline of Wattle Hill that represents the most westerly occurrence of dinosaur fossils in the state. Some of the Wattle Hill prints resemble tracks attributed to ornithopodan trackmakers from neighbouring tracksites of the Eumeralla Formation (Knowledge Creek, Browns Creek), while others resemble bird prints. The site also preserves a large non-avian theropod footprint that resembles Megalosauropus prints from the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone, Western Australia that if correct, extends the temporospatial range of this ichnogenus. The Wattle Hill tracks vary in their erosion between and within tracksites, from a natural mould (concave epirelief), transmitted tracks, possibly penetrative tracks and infilled reliefs that resemble (but differ from) natural casts. With the constant weathering of the Eumeralla Formation exposures, it seems likely that additional dinosaur tracks fossils will be discovered with continued Victorian coastal explorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of studies in functional ecology grew exponentially in the last decades. Whether and how ecologists changed how they conduct these studies, however, remains poorly understood. Using butterflies as a model taxon, we assessed forty years of research asking whether and how functional analyses have changed. We found that how authors contextualize their work corresponds to divergent sub-fields in functional ecology. Articles explicitly referring to "functional traits" have become increasingly common in the last decade, focus on many species, and typically address the relationship between biodiversity and environmental gradients. Meanwhile, articles that do not refer to "functional traits" usually account for variation within species and among sexes, and are based on direct measures of the trait of interest. These differences have increased over time, highlighting a schism. As functional ecology continues to grow, authors and syntheses will benefit from awareness of these different schools of thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Due to the special geographical environment and underdeveloped infrastructure in southern Tibet, China, there are still many wild animals in this area that are not fully understood, especially wild animals with narrow distributions that are rare. Muntjacs are one such type of wild animal, as they have been weakly studied in terms of their physical characteristics, population, and habitat. Based on ten years of field monitoring efforts, this study obtained ample photographic evidence and original data on three species of muntjacs (red muntjac, Gongshan muntjac, and Fea's muntjac) in a Tibetan nature reserve. Using the obtained data and various models, the characteristics of the muntjac species were distinguished and their relatively objective population numbers and habitat occupancy were determined. This paper answers basic questions about the three different species of muntjac from the aspects of morphology, population sizes and density, and habitat occupation. This information will be useful for researchers and conservation management departments, and it will assist in providing well-informed suggestions for the management of protected areas in this region. Researchers have proposed a variety of classification schemes for the species in the genus Muntiacus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) based on morphological, molecular, and other evidence, but disputes remain. The Tibetan Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve in the Eastern Himalayas is an area with a rich diversity of muntjac species. The habitats of many species overlap in this area, but systematic research in this area is lacking. To clarify the species, population and habitat size of muntjac species in the study area, we used camera-traps to monitor muntjacs in the nature reserve from 2013 to 2021 and described and compared morphological characteristics of the muntjac species. Subsequently, we used the MaxEnt model to simulate the habitats of the muntjac species and the Random Encounter Model to estimate the population density and numbers of muntjacs. Three muntjac species were found in the area, namely Muntiacus vaginalis (n = 7788 ± 3866), Muntiacus gongshanensis (n = 6673 ± 2121), and Muntiacus feae (n = 3142 ± 942). The red muntjac has the largest habitat area, the highest population density, and largest size, followed by Gongshan muntjac and Fea's muntjac. This study provides basic data for improving the background knowledge of the animal diversity in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, as well as detailed information and references required by wildlife workers for species identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the future, demand for livestock products will be influence by socio-economic factors, such as human health concerns and changing socio-cultural values. The humanity will be preoccupied for how know what eat and who can satisfy this demand and answer to this question. Today, on a global level livestock management is a multifunctional activity which has a direct role to generating food and income, can be a valuable asset, serving as a store of wealth, collateral for credit and an essential safety net during times of crises; livestock are also central to mixed farming system. The study from this scientifically paper is based on specific literature presented on the end of paper, and especially of own studies and researches of authors working group made inside the Post-Doctoral School financed by European Union for project with topics: "The Post-doctoral School of livestock Biodiversity and Food Biotechnologies based on Ecoeconomy and Bioeconomy for Ecosanogenesis". Are presented more new concepts, terms and methodologically schemes about sustainable development of rural farms. GNIR Holding develops these innovative ideas in context of knowledge based on bioeconomy for a most priority strategic national project and integrated through recently objectives of Lisabona 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Beside, it is underline the role of the animal science engineer, very complex and involves a great responsibility. This fact means that the animal science engineer must be able to create and develop bioengineering and biotechnologies which can solve the food problem both aspects: quantitative and qualitative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the study of the epidemiological situation of rabies in the last 10 years on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. It has been found that the most susceptible animal species to rabies virus are cattle (358 cases), dogs (304 cases), foxes (186 cases) and cats (150 cases), which constitute 91.14% of the total number of cases recorded in animals in the last 10 years. The fox is the rabies-reservoir species and the main vector of its spread in wild animal populations. In the livestock sector, cattle are the most affected and constitute 32.69%. Data obtained from the study show that rabies is developing sporadically. In the population of wild animals other than foxes, cases of the disease are not dependent on the existence of infected foxes in that area. It has also been found that there is no significant correlation of rabies in fox and dogs, fox and cattle, or dogs and cattle. At the same time, there has been found a correlation between the number of fox units and rabies cases and a cyclicity of rabies cases every 4 years (2012-2015 and 2016-2019). The influence of thermal variations on the incidence of rabies in living biodiversity has specific oscillating effects according to the years of study, with multiple divergences, which require a well-founded argument, based on the existing importance of the problem approached through high-performance scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main aspects associated with the diversity in animal colour is the variation in melanization levels. In ectotherms, melanism can be advantageous in aiding thermoregulation through heat absorption. Darker bodies may also serve as a shield from harmful UV-B radiation. Melanism may also confer protection against parasites and predators through improving immunity responses and camouflage in regions with high precipitation, with complex and shaded vegetations and greater diversity of pathogens and parasites. We studied melanism evolution in the globally distributed ant genus Pheidole under the pressures of temperature, UV-B radiation and precipitation, while considering the effects of body size and nest habit, traits that are commonly overlooked. More importantly, we account for worker caste polymorphism, which is marked by distinct roles and behaviours. We revealed for the first time distinct evolutionary trajectories for each worker subcaste. As expected, major workers from species inhabiting locations with lower temperatures and higher precipitation tend to be more melanised. Curiously, we show a slight trend where minor workers of larger species also tend to have darker bodies when inhabiting regions with higher precipitation. Lastly, we did not find evidence for the effects of UV-B radiation and nest habit in the lightness variation of workers. Our paper explores the evolution of ant melanization considering a marked ant worker polymorphism and a wide range of ecological factors. We discuss our findings under the light of the Thermal Melanism Hypothesis, the Photoprotection Hypothesis and the Gloger's Rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the diversity of wild animals is a core part of the research and protection of wild animals. Due to the harsh outdoor environment, researchers cannot squat in the deep forest for a long time. Therefore, designing a sensor network system for wildlife monitoring is of great value to wildlife research, protection, and management. When deploying a wildlife monitoring network in the wild environment, it is necessary to solve the problem of the effective use of energy. To this end, this paper proposes an energy-saving optimization method for node scheduling and a wake-up scheme based on a cultural genetic algorithm. This method achieves the purpose of energy saving by making redundant nodes fall asleep and waking up sleep nodes to repair the coverage blind area caused by dead nodes. Simulation results show that this method can activate fewer sensor nodes to monitor the required sensing area, and its performance is better than other known solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper reported genetic parameters of four Senegalese sheep breeds, in relation to inbreeding, diversity and genetic proximity. The results provide informations on genetic conservation and adaptability of the breeds in the Senegalese context. In Senegal, sheep breeds have adapted to their environment and play a key socio-economic role. This study aimed to explore the genetic diversity and structure of four Senegalese sheep breeds (Peul-peul, Djallonke, Touabire, and Ladoum) and their relationships with global sheep breeds. To that end, forty-seven sheep were genotyped using the OvineSNP50 BeadChip, and these genotypic data were analysed with those of 73 sheep breeds representative of worldwide ovine diversity (2729 animals). The average observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.293 in Djallonke sheep to 0.339 in Touabire sheep. The estimated Fis values were low, ranging from 0.019 for Ladoum to 0.034 for Peul-peul sheep. The estimated Fst values were low (0.003–0.044) among the trypanosusceptible breeds (Peul-peul, Touabire, and Ladoum) but high between the previous breeds and the trypanotolerant Djallonke breed (0.075–0.116), indicating better genetic conservation of the Djallonke sheep. A principal component analysis revealed clustering of the Senegalese sheep breeds according to their geographic distribution. However, owing to genetic improvement practices, the introgression of Touabire sheep blood seems to have reshaped the genetic landscape of the trypanosusceptible sheep breeds in Senegal. The Senegalese sheep breeds showed lower genetic diversity than their presumed ancestral sheep breeds of the Middle East. They also presented some relatedness with Caribbean sheep breeds, which reveals their contribution to the global genetic diversity and to the development of Caribbean sheep breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Indies can be considered as a laboratory of biogeography and evolution, and the Caribbean Islands constitute one of the planet's biodiversity hotspots. Within the region, Cuba is the largest island and is crucial to gaining an understanding of the origin and evolutionary history of Caribbean flora and fauna. This paper provides an introduction to a Special Issue of the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society on current Cuban plant and animal biodiversity, with an emphasis on evolutionary biology and biogeography. The present issue includes 10 contributions and addresses a wide diversity of species and taxonomic groups, study levels, and research tools. This collection of articles not only provides an integrative vision of Cuba's biodiversity and the potential patterns and processes involved in its evolutionary history, but could also provide food for future research on its biodiversity from an evolutionary perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]