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The Galapagos Islands (Galapagos Province, Ecuador) are an archipelago located in the eastern Pacific, about 560 miles west from the Ecuadorian coast. Known for their unique biodiversity and for the visit of Charles Darwin in 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle , the islands are currently a highly protected area and, at the same time, witness to strong tourist pressure. The local population is about 25,000 stable inhabitants, all of them subject to severe regulations. In such a territory—full of debates and contradictions related, above all, to conservation policies—libraries and spaces for building knowledge, recovering memories, and debating informed decisions have been practically nonexistent. This article chronicles the implementation of the first mobile library program in the archipelago, emphasizing the natural and social contexts and the author's personal impressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We map global patterns of taxonomic and functional change between past (pre‐human impacts) and present (after anthropogenic extinctions and introductions) in large oceanic island bird assemblages and investigate if these patterns can be explained by island characteristics and anthropogenic factors. Location: Sixty‐four oceanic islands (>100 km2). Time Period: Late Holocene. Major Taxa Studied: Terrestrial and freshwater bird species. Methods: We compiled information on extinct, extant native and introduced bird species for all islands and used a probabilistic hypervolume approach to build a multi‐dimensional trait space and calculate several functional diversity metrics before and after extinctions and introductions. We identified which islands are global hotspots of human‐induced transformation by mapping multiple facets of biotic change and investigated intrinsic island characteristics and anthropogenic factors as drivers for these observed patterns. Results: The Hawaiian and Mascarene islands stand out as hotspots of taxonomic and functional change, but all islands changed taxonomically and functionally, mostly gaining species but losing functional richness. Taxonomic and functional changes vary across islands but are often consistent within the same archipelago. Island isolation and surface can explain some of the observed variations, but anthropogenic factors, namely human occupation, also shaped both taxonomic and functional changes. Islands with higher human pressure, as well as larger islands with high elevation ranges, tended to have greater losses in functional richness. Main Conclusions: Most biodiversity change assessments are still largely based exclusively on taxonomic diversity, which is particularly worrying in the case of oceanic islands given that the magnitude of functional diversity change is often considerably larger. We call for comprehensive assessments of changes in both taxonomic and functional diversity across oceanic islands in order to better understand the drivers of these changes and, in turn, predict future trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single published record of centipedes from the Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory, is for the scolopendrid Rhysida longipes Newport, 1845, from Eagle Island. Recent collections from Diego Garcia atoll include new records of R. longipes as well as four other centipede species, including the first records of the orders Lithobiomorpha and Geophilomorpha. A new species of the lithobiid Australobius Chamberlin, 1920, A. chagosensissp. n., is closely allied to species described from southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The henicopid Lamyctes is represented by two geographically widespread species, L. mauriesi Demange, 1981 and L. tristani (Pocock, 1893), from which sequence data for the COI barcode marker are presented and analysed phylogenetically. The types of Lamyctes albipes (Pocock, 1894), and L. tristani, from Java and Tristan da Cunha, respectively, are illustrated for the first time to facilitate taxonomic comparisons with Chagos material. Specimens of Mecistocephalus are identified as Mecistocephalus lohmanderi Verhoeff, 1939, closely resembling specimens from the Seychelles. Collections from the archipelago in 1971–1972 also included Mecistocephalus angusticeps (Ribaut, 1914), and Nycternyssa dekania dekania (Verhoeff, 1938). The Chagos centipede fauna reveals affinities to those of the southern Indian Subcontinent, East Africa, Madagascar, the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Java. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Oman, many coastal sites dated to the Neolithic have yielded material culture related to ornament manufacture. These sites are the remnants of fishermen occupations, developing an economy mainly based on maritime and mangrove resources. The Omani islands of Maṣīrah and Al‐Ḥallāniyah are both situated in the Arabian Sea. Today, Maṣīrah is located about 20 km from the continent, while Al‐Ḥallāniyah is part of the Khurīyā Murīyā archipelago off the southern coast of Oman. On Maṣīrah, workshops have been discovered in Neolithic shell middens, revealing the work of stone and Spondylus sp. shells for bead production, using lithic tools. Separated by approximately 400 km from Maṣīrah, Al‐Ḥallāniyah yielded several Neolithic sites with similar evidence for shell bead production. The main lithic tools discovered are micro‐drills, pièces esquillées (splintered pieces) made of local chert, and multitasking tools made of stone, used as anvils, hammerstone and/or polishing stone. Most of the micro‐drills are made from bladelets either with sharped edges or with steep edges and testify to predetermined knapping operations. However, others created on undifferentiated flakes appear to be more opportunistic (or expedient). Micro‐drills of the Maṣīrah and Al‐Ḥallāniyah types seem to be quite new to the Neolithic toolkit of coastal Oman. Pièces esquillées demonstrate the use of bipolar flaking (performed on an anvil) but functional questions remain. These could be cores, but also chisels used between a hammer and a material (shell) placed on an anvil. Stone tools show marks that are characteristic of use as hammers, anvils and as tools used to polish the beads after perforation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing in part on the work of Édouard Glissant, this article explores how the Raizal population of the San Andrés Archipelago in the Caribbean mobilises the concept of maritorio as an archipelagic geopoetic vessel with emancipatory potential. This concept disrupts dominant land/sea binaries that result from and are rooted in geopolitical mechanisms and colonial fantasies. The San Andrés Archipelago is administratively and politically part of Colombia, but the Raizal people of the Archipelago share a long colonial and postcolonial history with Black Creole people elsewhere in the Anglophone Caribbean, especially the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, based on diverse forms of economic, familial, and cultural exchange and marine mobilities. For many years, the status of the Archipelago was the basis of a dispute between Nicaragua and Colombia at the International Court of Justice, who ruled in 2012 that the islands were in fact Colombian while Nicaragua gained 75,000 km2 of sea. This ruling was devastating for the Raizales, fragmenting their maritorio and further thwarting Black mobilities and cultural exchange across the region. Legal‐geopolitical dislocations applied to the islands and the sea exacerbated structural conditions of racial and environmental injustice, while geopoetic responses by Raizal people to this state of affairs serve to confront colonial dispossession, ecological damage, and the ideological fixities of the Eurocentric nation‐state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify clinical characteristics to differentiate multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki disease (KD) in Taiwan, an island with a delayed cluster of MIS-C and a high incidence of KD. Additionally, we studied risk factors for developing severe complications in patients with MIS-C. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, cohort, and observational study that linked data on patients with MIS-C between May and December 2022 and patients with KD between 2019 and 2021 from 12 medical centers. Hemodynamic compromise, defined as the need for inotropic support or fluid challenge, was recorded in patients with MIS-C. We also evaluated maximal coronary Z-scores before treatment and one month after disease onset. A total of 83 patients with MIS-C and 466 patients with KD were recruited. A 1:1 age and gender-matched comparison of 68 MIS-C and KD pairs showed that MIS-C patients had a lower percentage of positive BCG red halos, lower leukocyte/platelet counts, more gastrointestinal symptoms, and a higher risk of hemodynamic compromise. In Taiwan, 38.6% of MIS-C patients experienced hemodynamic compromise, with presence of conjunctivitis and elevated levels of procalcitonin (>1.62 ng/mL) identified as independent risk factors. We identified two independent risk factors associated with hemodynamic compromise in MIS-C patients. The comparison between matched MIS-C and KD patients highlighted significant differences in clinical presentations, like BCG red halos, which may aid in the differential diagnosis of the two disease entities, especially in regions with a high incidence rate of KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically analyses events that surrounded the reconstruction of the Colombian archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands after Hurricane Iota struck in 2020. Discussing the historical‐structural and conjunctural dimensions within which the archipelago's history, various hurricanes, and reconstructions must be set, this paper draws on two theoretical conversations from Latin American and Caribbean critical thought and the critical humanitarian field that understand humanitarian governance as an ‘arena of dispute’. Through mainly archival research of different sources, this paper assesses reconstruction and what it laid bare: structural vulnerability largely produced by the long lasting coloniality of power. In addition, it describes the active mediations and negotiations and the plethora of actions and repertoires in response to these centralised plans. Ultimately, we offer a vision whereby what is negotiated concerns not only the priorities and directions of the reconstruction, but also the design of a different future for the islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The spatial and temporal variations of cumulonimbus clouds (Cbs) that produce lightning have mesoscale characteristics due to the nature of Cbs and the influence of topography; however, previous studies have lacked a mesoscale perspective because historical lightning observations relied on human observation. In this study, mesoscale variations in the number of thunder days (TDs) over the Japanese Archipelago over a 56‐year period were investigated using manned observation data (Period 1: 1954–1963) and radio‐wave observation data (Period 2: 2010–2019). A comparison of the two periods of Period 1 and Period 2 revealed that the locations of mesoscale areas with high TDs did not change significantly; however, the number of TDs increased in most mesoscale areas and it was not possible to identify any mesoscale areas with a significant decreasing trend. The characteristics of mesoscale variation varied with the season as follows: (1) Winter (November–January): the number of TDs along the coastal lands of the Sea of Japan increased significantly. The variations in the synoptic‐scale winter pressure pattern with low stability were one of the factors contributing to the increasing trend of TDs. (2) In the first half of the Baiu season (June), the number of TDs increased in two regions: one region was the south of Japan associated with the Baiu front, while the second region was the northern area of Japan, where the influence of the Baiu front is limited. (3) Summer (August): the number of TDs in mountainous areas tended to increase significantly, and the variation in the water vapour content was significantly correlated with the variation in the number of TDs. The number of TDs in the foothills did not increase significantly. (4) Akisame season (September): the number of TDs along the Pacific Ocean coast significantly increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Mishima Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, are remote islands designated as medically underserved. Supporting the people living in such remote islands requires a multifaceted examination of the livelihoods of the residents, including their health, work, and living environment. Methods: Students from the faculties of nursing, veterinary science, agriculture, and engineering participated in a 3-day virtual fieldwork session held synchronously from the campus of Kagoshima University and on a remote island in the Mishima Mura island group in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Coursework and post-course surveys were analyzed to determine student engagement and learning. In particular, the analysis considered learning in relation to interprofessional learning and community-based learning. Results and discussion: Students expressed being able to conduct fieldwork online, collaborate with students from multiple faculties and graduate schools, and apply their expertise. These outcomes were reflected in the five-point Likert scale evaluation responses, highlighting a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Virtual fieldwork can contribute to student learning by introducing new concepts and allowing them to consider development issues in remote areas from multiple perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progressive aridification of the Australian continent, and coincident decline of mesic forest, has been a powerful driver of allopatric and environmental speciation in native species. The relictual mesic forests of the eastern seaboard now harbour a diverse group of endemic fauna, including the wood‐feeding cockroaches of the genus Panesthia, which reached the continent via two separate invasions from Melanesia. The more recent of these colonization events gave rise to a group of five recognized species, occurring in mainland woodlands, sclerophylls and rainforests, as well as the forests and grasslands of the Lord Howe Island Group. Due to limited sampling in molecular studies and doubt regarding the standing taxonomy, there is little certainty about relationships among the species and poor understanding of the effects of ancient climatic change upon their evolution. We undertook a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the clade, using complete mitogenomes and nuclear ribosomal markers from nearly all known morphospecies and populations. Our time‐calibrated phylogenetic analyses reveal an additional six unrecognized, highly divergent lineages and suggest that these have arisen primarily through vicariance as rainforests fragmented during Plio‐Pleistocene glacial cycles (2–5 million years ago). Ancestral niche estimations also evidence a tropical rainforest origin for the group, followed by at least three niche transitions into drier forest, including one associated with the singular colonization of the Lord Howe Island Group. Finally, we find evidence of frequent, parallel wing reduction, in potential association with the contraction of forest habitats into small refugia. Our results reiterate the far‐reaching role of ancient aridification in driving speciation, niche expansion and morphological evolution in Australian fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different theories have been proposed to explain the phenotypic changes observed in island lineages, but it remains unclear if predictable evolutionary trajectories can be identified within island communities. Using a 3D functional space approach, we tested whether insular endemic species tend to evolve towards apparent holes in niche space (expecting niche filling) or tend to become generalists, that is, moving towards the centre of the functional space (expecting niche expansion). We tested these two hypotheses in 378 insular endemic species from 24 islands of 8 archipelagos, including 177 prehistoric anthropogenically extinct species. Analyses were conducted with and without accounting for species size difference. We found that 57% of island endemic species evolved towards more unoccupied regions of the global morphospace (i.e. more distinct body sizes compared to the ones of their ancestors), suggesting a tendency for niche filling. When adjusted traits for body size, we found that half of the endemic species (50%) showed more distinct trait values than their ancestors. Results also revealed that certain dietary niches (terrestrial herbivores and nectarivores) evolved distinct body sizes more frequently. Differences noted between islands and archipelagos suggest that biogeographic factors may influence evolutionary trajectory and interactions between these two hypotheses. Our study confirms that extinct species occupied specific niches that have been left vacant, suggesting that these evolutionary ‘oddities’ could be more sensitive to extinction. Overall, it calls for a global assessment of the avian functional diversity lost from recent extinctions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the parasitoid wasp genus Cratichneumon Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) from the Madrean Archipelago of southeastern Arizona and describe 11 new species: C. antichromus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. arussatus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. elongatus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. fossorius Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. igniferus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. luteus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. permagnus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. scabriculus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. symmixtus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. tetragonops Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., and C. warneri Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov. Cratichneumon russatus (Cresson, 1877) syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of C. astutus (Holmgren, 1868). New distribution records are presented for C. arizonensis (Viereck, 1905), C. astutus (Holmgren, 1868), and C. flaschkai Heinrich, 1973, extending their range far into the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. Despite the present advances, there are still significant unresolved questions. For instance, the females of 3 species remain unidentified, no biological information is known for any of the species, and our knowledge of the distribution of all species is undoubtedly highly fragmentary. The discovery of so many unknown Cratichneumon species in Arizona highlights the paucity of our knowledge of Ichneumoninae in western North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its proximity to coastal South America and settlement during the early phase of insular Caribbean occupation, Curaçao's archaeological record offers potential evidence for early overwater exploration and regional interaction. Here, we report new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates on charcoal from C-1426 at Saliña Sint Marie, an Archaic rockshelter site that extends Curaçao's occupation back to 5735–5600 cal BP, some 290–850 years earlier than the established settlement chronology. This finding makes the C-1426 rockshelter Curaçao's earliest known archaeological site and among the oldest in the insular Caribbean. We describe the site and the archaeological context of dating and conclude by considering the implications of Curaçao's revised occupation chronology for initial Caribbean settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboriginal peoples have managed Australian landscapes for millennia; however, deep-time paleoecological evidence of the nature of landscape modification remains rare. The Fleurieu Group of islands in Bass Strait was one of the areas actively used by Aboriginal people in lutruwita (Tasmania), until forced dispossession of their lands due to European colonization occurred over 230 years ago, with subsequent land use including leaseholder pastoralism and nature conservation. There are emerging opportunities for greater input from Aboriginal people into land management of the islands now and into the future. This investigation of the long-term human–island ecosystem interactions in the area is aimed at providing a greater understanding of the impact of land-use changes on biodiversity and ecosystem change through time. Holocene multi-proxy paleoecological records from the islands show periods of low to high intensity land use, with the highest intensity periods occurring around 8500–6500 BP and the last 2000 years. Aboriginal land use in the past ∼2000 BP promoted a complex mosaic biodiverse landscape and provides a baseline for current and future land management on the islands and elsewhere in Tasmania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of non-Arctic and non-European countries in the Arctic has been growing over the past two decades. Given the geographic distance of these countries from the polar region, their presence in the High North may seem surprising. In this article, we study the presence in Svalbard of scientists from different origins and how they interact through an analysis of the field missions in which they are involved. Combining network analysis and interviews, we highlight the role of the stations located in the archipelago for access to the field and the cooperation strategies of scientists, including those from countries that do not have stations above the Arctic Circle. We tackle issues of integration in this area by empirically discussing three logics: (1) scientific autonomy, (2) core-periphery structure, and (3) regional patterns of cooperation, thus going beyond an approach strictly limited to the analysis of science diplomacy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island biogeography theory predicts that species richness in islands and island-like systems is the ultimate result of island isolation and area. Species with high dispersal capabilities are predicted to be less affected by these factors because of their capacity to move more efficiently between islands or habitats, and here we test this idea in bats, the only mammals capable of flight. We conducted mist net and acoustic surveys across 21 islands in the San Juan Archipelago (Washington State, United States) and adjacent northwest mainland to: (i) investigate the effects of island area, distance from mainland, and habitat on bat diversity; and (ii) evaluate whether differences in morphological (body mass, forearm length, wing loading) and ecological (dietary niche breadth, foraging guild) traits among species influence their prevalence across islands. We found that island size strongly influenced patterns of species richness, with larger islands having a greater number of bat species. However, neither island distance from mainland nor any measure of habitat availability was a significant predictor of species richness at the scale of this study. Additionally, we found that dietary niche breadth, as opposed to any morphological trait, best predicted the prevalence of species across the islands. Our results suggest that species with more specialized diets may be more vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, and provide insight into how geographic and ecological factors affect the diversity of insular bat communities, adding to growing knowledge about the role of species traits as mediators of their responses to large-scale landscape structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed features are a useful and relevant source of taxonomic information, especially when evaluated based on morphometric and micromorphological approaches. Here, we studied 21 populations from four out of the five species of the Mediterranean Linaria purpurea group (Plantaginaceae). Linaria capraria (endemic to Tuscan Archipelago) and L. cossonii (endemic to Sardinia and Tunisia) are easily recognizable based on overall morphometry and SEM analysis, respectively. On the contrary, L. arcusangeli (endemic to southern Sardinia) and L. purpurea (endemic to peninsular Italy and Sicily) show very similar seeds, whose features do not guarantee a reliable identification, although these two species are otherwise well distinct for their habit and flower features. Accordingly, by integrating all the available information, all four species are well supported on morphological grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arkhangelsk Seismic Network (ASN) of the N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, founded in 2003, includes 10 permanent seismic stations located on the coasts of the White, Barents, and Kara Seas and on the Arctic archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, and Severnaya Zemlya. The network is registered with the International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks and the International Seismological Center. We used not only ASN data to process earthquakes but also the waveforms of various international seismic stations. The 13,000 seismic events were registered using ASN data for 2012–2022, and for 5,500 of them, we determined the parameters of the earthquake epicenters from the European Arctic. The spatial distribution of epicenters shows that the ASN monitors not only the main seismically active zones but also weak seismicity on the shelf of the Barents and Kara Seas. The representative magnitude of ASN was ML,rep=3.5. The level of microseismic noise has seasonal variations that affect the registration capabilities of each station included in the ASN and the overall sensitivity of the network as a whole. In summer, the sensitivity of the ASN decreased owing to the increasing microseismic and ambient noises, whereas in winter, the sensitivity of the ASN increased significantly because of the decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the worldwide moratorium on whaling, humpback whale populations began to recover, reoccupying former areas of use, as also observed on the Brazilian coast. Abrolhos Bank represents the area of greatest humpback whale concentration but the number of individuals to the north has increased, as has happened in the region of Serra Grande. To compare relative abundance, habitat use, and movement patterns between a well‐established breeding and a reoccupation area, visual monitoring from land‐based stations was performed: 160 days in the Abrolhos Archipelago located on the Abrolhos Bank and 133 days in Serra Grande in 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019. While relative abundance varied annually in the Abrolhos Archipelago, it gradually increased in Serra Grande, surpassing the number registered in Abrolhos in 2019. Group composition frequency was similar between areas except for mother and calf accompanied by one or more escorts, which were more frequent in Abrolhos. Despite similar movement speed and linearity values, whales in Serra Grande had a higher reorientation rate. Monitoring different areas occupied by this population supports decisions about spatial management of the Brazilian coast in relation to the implementation of anthropogenic activities, especially in areas where whales have recently returned to occupy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, a novel call was discovered in autonomous acoustic recordings from the Mariana Archipelago and designated a "Biotwang". It was assumed to be produced by a baleen whale, but without visual verification it was impossible to assign a species. Using a combination of visual and acoustic survey data collected in the Mariana Archipelago, we determined that Biotwangs are produced by Bryde's whales. Bryde's whales occur worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters, but their population structure and movements are not well understood. Genetic and morphological data recognize two populations in the western North Pacific (WNP), separate from those elsewhere in the Pacific. We used a combination of manual and machine learning annotation methods to detect Biotwangs in our extensive historical passive acoustic monitoring datasets collected across the central and western North Pacific. We identified a consistent seasonal presence of Biotwangs in the Mariana Archipelago and to the east at Wake Island, with occasional occurrence as far away as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and near the equator (Howland Island). The seasonal occurrence of Biotwangs is consistent with Bryde's whales migrating between low and mid-latitudes, with a small peak in calling between February and April and a larger peak between August and November as the whales travel past the recording sites. Our results provide evidence for a pelagic WNP population of Bryde's whales with broad distribution, but with seasonal and inter-annual variation in occurrence that imply a complex range most likely linked to changing oceanographic conditions in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gyrfalcon is a rare falcon with circumpolar distribution in the low Arctic tundra. For the Russian Arctic islands and archipelagos, it is known as an occasional vagrant only. Here we report late summer sightings of a young female gyrfalcon far beyond its primary range. This find of gyrfalcon on Vize Island in 2020 is the northeasternmost record of this species from Eurasian Arctic. The falcon spent at least two weeks on the island and was able to adapt and master a new food resource, kittiwake fledglings. The young falcon took prey only in flight and often failed while attacking kittiwakes, but hunted one or two gulls daily, which covered its energy demands in full. Under conditions of scarce food resources and few prey species available, when hungry, the gyrfalcon could eat stale food, but only if self-captured. Any new data on the distribution of this rare species expands our understanding of its capabilities for dispersal and exploration of new habitats, adaptations to unfamiliar trophic conditions, and food plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sea urchin Diadema africanum is a macro-herbivore found in the rocky reef systems of the West African region and Macaronesian archipelagos. Over several decades, high densities of this species have generated marine barrens in certain areas at the Canary Islands. In contrast, more recently, during the last few years, the species has suffered mass mortality events that continue to the present day. In this study, we used 9,109 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and a fragment of a mitochondrial gene to evaluate the species' population structure, effects of mass mortalities on its diversity, and potential local adaptation across the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde. Our research provides compelling evidence of low genomic diversity and homogeneity across the studied area for neutral markers, along with recent demographic fluctuations. The high connectivity among distant areas likely allows a rapid recovering of the populations from local mortality events. Interestingly, we also observed genomic sub-structure from 405 SNPs identified as candidate loci under selection for seawater temperature. The lack of divergence among distant sites and the low diversity found can be attributed to the species' divergence from a small ancestral genomic pool, followed by a contemporary demographic expansion, and ongoinggene flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sodium butyrate is a potential antibiotic growth promoter and has had advantageous effects on the poultry industry. Methods: Evaluating the effect of sodium butyrate on the intestinal villi and the humoral part of innate immunity of the male Cobb 500 broiler using scanning electron microscopy and quantitative real-time PCR analysis, the control group and treated group of Cobb 500 with SB supplemented received water containing 0.98 mg sodium butyrate. Results: The administration of sodium butyrate changed the villi characters, as the shape changed from tongue to long tongue. They were mainly parallel to each other and long finger-like at the duodenum. The tips of the villi in the control group appeared thin-slight curved with a prominent center in the duodenum, thin rectangular in the jejunum, and ileum in the control group. In contrast, in the treatment group, they changed to thick rectangular in the duodenum and ileum zigzag shape in the jejunum. The epithelium lining of the duodenal villi showed a dome shape, the jejunal villi showed a polygonal shape, and the ileal villi appeared scales-like. The epithelium lining showed irregular microfolds and many different-sized pores, and the treatment group showed islands of long microvilli in the duodenum and solitary long microvilli in the ileum. Real-time PCR of AvBD 1, 2, 10, and 12 significantly (P < 0.01). The better expression of AvBD 1, 2, and 12 was determined in the duodenum, while AvBD 10 was in the jejunum. Conclusion: Sodium butyrate enhanced the chicks' growth and small intestine parameters, modified the morphology of the intestinal villi, and improved the humoral part of innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recreational angling for novel marine species and related tourism development can be important in a Blue Economy. The milkfish (Chanos chanos) is growing in popularity as a target of fly fishing‐based catch‐and‐release (C&R) recreational fisheries, largely because of their challenge to catch and powerful swimming abilities, resulting in fight times that can exceed 1 h. Anecdotal sentiments by anglers claim that milkfish can fight for long periods of time because they do not accumulate blood lactate. To test this hypothesis, we measured blood lactate and blood glucose for 21 milkfish caught by fly fishing in the remote Alphonse Group of islands, Republic of Seychelles. Fight times ranged 5–78.3 min. Blood lactate and blood glucose concentrations increased with fight times that did not exceed 60 min. Total length of milkfish was not correlated to blood lactate or blood glucose concentrations. Ours is the first study on C&R of milkfish that debunks the anecdote that milkfish can fight for long periods of time because they do not accumulate blood lactate. Our study also revealed that milkfish may begin to physiologically recover after fight times longer than 60 min. In the context of C&R, our study indicates that anglers should limit fight times to 20–30 min when possible to reduce angling‐induced physiological stress and other potential impacts (e.g., depredation) on milkfish in recreational fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogeographical reconstructions of the Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) have suggested a recent spread across the Sunda and Sahul shelves of lineages with diverse origins, which appears to be congruent with a geological history of recent tectonic uplift in the region. However, this scenario is challenged by new geological evidence suggesting that the Sunda shelf was never submerged prior to the Pliocene, casting doubt on the interpretation of recent uplift and the correspondence of evidence from biogeography and geology. A mismatch between geological and biogeographical data may occur if analyses ignore the dynamics of extinct lineages, because this may add uncertainty to the timing and origin of clades in biogeographical reconstructions. We revisit the historical biogeography of multiple IAA taxa and explicitly allow for the possibility of lineage extinction. In contrast to models assuming zero extinction, we find that all of these clades, including plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, have a common and widespread geographic origin, and each has spread and colonized the region much earlier than previously thought. The results for the eight clades re-examined in this article suggest that they diversified and spread during the early Eocene, which helps to unify the geological and biological histories of IAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Antarctic islands are expected to show a high degree of endemicity due to their remoteness. However, biogeographic affinities in the sub-Antarctic remain poorly understood, especially in the marine realm. Sub-Antarctic islands being at the crossroads between Antarctic and cold temperate regions, biodiversity characterization and biogeographic analyses are a priority for monitoring and rapidly assessing variations associated with environmental changes. One underexplored sub-Antarctic area is Crozet, a protected archipelago located halfway between Antarctica and South Africa. In this study, we investigated the shallow-water Crozet macrofaunal diversity, distribution patterns and biogeographic affinities based on the examination of fieldwork specimens via a thorough morphological identification and a genetic characterisation. The resulting dataset provides an important baseline for further studies and conservation strategies, compiling the first genetic and taxonomic database for the Crozet archipelago. In total, 100 morphotypes were found, belonging to nine different phyla, among which arthropods (32), molluscs (18) and echinoderms (17) were the richest. Forty-seven morphotypes were identified to the species level, among which 20 were reported in Crozet for the first time. This confirms that Crozet is a poorly known region, even compared to other sub-Antarctic areas. A large proportion of species (62%) had circum Southern Ocean or circum subAntarctic distributions. These species were mostly shared with Kerguelen (72%), the Magellan Province (64%), and Prince Edward Islands (64%), confirming the patterns found in macroalgae and specific macrofaunal groups. However, this large-distribution statement needs to be counterbalanced by the detection (genetic data) of more restricted distributions than expected in four study cases (the tanaid Apseudes spectabilis, the nudibranch Doris kerguelenensis, the polychaete Neanthes kerguelensis and the chiton Hemiarthrum setulosum). Considering that most morphotypes had no genetic data available from other regions, the proportion of morphotypes with restricted distribution is likely to increase alongside future investigations. In addition, we also found a few cases of unrecognized diversity that might lead to the descriptions of new species, some likely to be endemic to Crozet (e.g., within the polychaete genus Harmothoe and the bryozoan genus Antarctothoa). Altogether, this stresses the need to maintain conservation efforts in Crozet and pursue integrative investigations in order to highlight and protect its unusual diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise Methods Results Conclusions Island plants have long interested biologists because of their distinctive morphological features and their isolation on small land areas in vast oceans. Studies of insular endemics may include identifying their ancestors, tracing their dispersal to islands, and describing their evolution on islands, including characters adaptive to island life. Thamnoseris is a monospecific genus endemic to the Desventuradas Islands, Chile. Its origins and relationships are unresolved, given the challenges of getting to the islands and accessing plants there.Sequences from ITS of nrDNA and the complete chloroplast genome were employed to resolve phylogenetic relationships of Thamnoseris.Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and chloroplast sequences showed Thamnoseris nested within or sister to Dendroseris, the largest endemic genus in the Juan Fernández Islands.Thamnoseris evolved from a common ancestor of all or most species of Dendroseris prior to the diversification of Dendroseris in the Juan Fernández archipelago. The ancestor of Thamnoseris dispersed to the Desventuradas archipelago, which consists of the islands San Ambrosio and San Félix, within the past 3 Ma (the age of San Ambrosio). This is the only known example of possible plant dispersa\l between the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas Islands. We also mention two less likely biogeographic scenarios for the origin of Thamnoseris, which has features not seen in Dendroseris: small capitula with yellow florets; style branches barely divergent; and basally swollen subtending involucral bracts, all features associated with selfing and reduced dispersal. Goats and rabbits (now removed) reduced T. lacerata, once very abundant on the Desventuradas Islands, to several plants, making it of extreme conservation concern and worthy of further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In medieval times, Christians on the Iberian peninsula fought wars to expel Muslim rulers from Europe. This protracted conflict, known as the Reconquista, was concluded in 1492 when the last of the Muslim rulers surrendered. Less than a hundred years later, in 1565, the Spanish Empire's conquering impulse had carried it across two oceans into Southeast Asia, where Christian Spaniards, once again, confronted and fought against Islam. Though there are distinct differences between these two Christian-Muslim conflicts, there are also important similarities. As the Reconquista had done in Spain, Christian-Muslim conflicts in the Philippines—known as the Moro Wars—shaped local perceptions of Islam, established political and cultural boundaries, and attached personal loyalties to one or the other of these two global religions. This paper analyzes this process by focusing on two Christian conquests of Moros. The first of these was the conquest of Manila. When the Spanish arrived, Manila was a developing Moro settlement with ties to Islamic rulers on Borneo, Mindanao, and Jolo. Over several decades the Spanish gradually coopted Moro authority in Manila, and then finally expelled it through the prosecution of several conspirators involved in the Tondo conspiracy. This conquest established the political and cultural center of the colony and its emerging multiethnic colonial community. The second conquest happened on Min danao. Unlike the conquest of Manila, the conquest of Mindanao was never completed. Though the Spanish colony won several battles, Moro authority continued to thrive in the region. By focusing on the triumphal entry of a Spanish army following one of these victories, this paper shows how the constant Christian-Muslim conflict reaffirmed and gave personal meaning to the boundaries separating the Moros and the Christians in the archipelago. Together these two different conquests demonstrate how the revival of the Reconquista contributed to the creation of the Philippine colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNMT1 is an essential DNA methyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of methyl groups to CpG islands in DNA and generates a prominent epigenetic mark. The catalytic activity of DNMT1 relies on its conformational plasticity and ability to change conformation from an auto-inhibited to an activated state. Here, we present four cryo-EM reconstructions of apo DNMT1 and DNTM1: non-productive DNA, DNTM1: H3Ub2-peptide, DNTM1: productive DNA complexes. Our structures demonstrate the flexibility of DNMT1's N-terminal regulatory domains during the transition from an apo 'auto-inhibited' to a DNA-bound 'non-productive' and finally a DNA-bound 'productive' state of DNMT1. Furthermore, we address the regulation of DNMT1's methyltransferase activity by a DNMT1-selective small-molecule inhibitor and ubiquitinated histone H3. We observe that DNMT1 binds DNA in a 'non-productive' state despite the presence of the inhibitor and present the cryo-EM reconstruction of full-length DNMT1 in complex with a di-ubiquitinated H3 peptide analogue. Taken together, our results provide structural insights into the reaction cycle of DNMT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationship between pumice formation and long-term floatability in seawater is becoming increasingly important in terms of eruption dynamics, material cycles, biological and environmental effects, and ocean hazards. Pumice rafts were produced during the 2021 eruption of the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba submarine volcano in the Pacific Ocean, far from the Japanese archipelago. The pumice rafts reached the Amami-Ōshima and Okinawa Islands approximately two months after the eruption and continued to cover the sea surface at several bays and ports, providing a great opportunity to study the characteristics of raft pumices. Sieve analysis of the floating pumice indicated that the pumice rafts characteristically contained several millimeter-sized particles with a peak at 2–4 mm. This evidence raises an important question why the millimeter-sized, Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba 2021 pumice particles were able to float for over two months, which exceeds the floatation time shown in previous studies. To answer this question, a porosity measurement technique for millimeter-to-centimeter-sized pumice particles was established and applied to drifting pumice that erupted during the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba 2021 eruption. The total, connected, and isolated porosities (including errors) were acquired for floating and sunken pumice particles. As studied for the floating pumice from past submarine eruptions, most floating pumice particles contain a high amount of isolated porosity (> 30 vol%) and are thus unsinkable even when the pumice size is in the millimeter scale. This study emphasizes that skeletal density is a useful measure for the determination of pumice floatability (sinkable or unsinkable). As the particle size decreases, crystals are lost from the floating pumice particles, suggesting that the particle size of the floating pumice is affected by its petrological properties (crystal content and size). A comparison with natural pumices from subaerial eruptions and experimental pumices from magma decompression experiments suggests that the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba 2021 pumices contain abundant isolated pores due to the suppression of expansion after fragmentation by quenching in seawater, and that the relatively low to moderate crystal content in the magma (< 17 vol%) may contribute to favorable conditions to produce abundant, millimeter-sized, unsinkable pumice. Most floating pumices have lower saturation density than seawater due to abundant isolated porosity (> 30 vol%) and are thus unsinkable even when the pumice size is in the millimeter scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phylogenetic analysis incorporating mitochondrial cox1 gene sequences of members of the family Caesionidae revealed the conspecificity of Pterocaesio flavifasciata and Squamosicaesio marri, which was also supported by the absence of any clear morphological diagnostic characters and meristic counts to separate the two species. Additionally, we provide the first record of the Suez fusilier, Flavicaesio suevica, from outside the Red Sea, based on specimens collected from the Laccadive archipelago, Western Indian Ocean. Together, these results show that the taxonomy, diversity, and distribution of members of the family Caesionidae continue to be poorly known, necessitating a comprehensive range‐wide study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccoloba uvifera L. (seagrape) is a primarily dioecious neotropical tree species which often grows in the beach–forest transitional ecotone of coastal strand vegetation. We used five maternally inherited non-coding chloroplast regions to characterize the phytogeography of C. uvifera collected across the Caribbean Basin and Florida. Bayesian analysis revealed divergence between the Aruba–Trinidad–Tobago–Antigua–Jamaica island group and the continental Belize–Florida–US Virgin Islands (USVI) group at 1.78 million years before present (mybp), divergence between the Belize and Florida–USVI groups at 1.08 mybp, and a split of Antigua–Jamaica from Aruba–Trinidad–Tobago at 0.217 mybp. Haplotype network analysis supports the three clades, with the island group possessing the oldest haplotype. Based on geology and proximity, these clades correspond to South American (oldest), Central American, and North American (most recent). Coccoloba uvifera demographic expansion occurred during the Pleistocene epoch and peaked near the end of the last glacial maximum (ca. 0.026–0.019 mybp) when the global sea levels were 125 m lower than today. Our findings also reveal that tropical cyclones, which often impact coastal strand vegetation, did not affect genetic diversity. However, there was a positive association between latitude and the average number of substitutions, further enriching our understanding of the species' phytogeography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are contaminants of great concern due to their ubiquitous environmental occurrence in the environment and their potential adverse effects on organisms. There is currently limited information regarding the occurrence of PFASs in Scopoli's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea). In this study, two feather samples per bird were obtained from 26 adults on Strofades colony (Ionian Sea/Greece) during the early phase of the chick-rearing period (late July 2019). The samples consisted of barbs and barbules of the primary feathers, P1 and P10, reflecting pollution pressures at the time and the place of feather growth, i.e., at the species' breeding and wintering grounds for P1 and P10, respectively. There were 25 PFAS detected in the feathers, with detection rates ranging from 2% (perfluorododecanoic acid—PFDoDA; perfluorohexane sulfonate—PFHxS; 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonate—9Cl-PF3ONS; 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(1,1,2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropoxy)propanoate—Gen-X) to 98% (sodium 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctane sulfonate; 6:2 FTSA). ∑PFAS ranged from 25.93 ng/g to 426.86 ng/g of feather sample. The highest mean concentration (109.10 ng/g feather) was reported for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). No significant differences in PFAS concentrations with high detection rate (>20%) were found according to the sex of the birds. PFAS concentrations with a detection rate > 20% in the P1 vs. P10 feathers of Scopoli's Shearwater adults were not significantly different, reflecting the fact that breeding grounds in the Mediterranean and wintering grounds in the Atlantic seem to be contaminated with similar PFASs levels, even though some compounds showed regional trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio‐logging has revealed much about high‐latitude seabird migratory strategies, but migratory behaviour in tropical species may differ, with implications for understanding nutrient deposition. Here we use combined light‐level and saltwater immersion loggers to study the year‐round movement behaviour of adult red‐footed boobies Sula sula rubripes from the Chagos Archipelago, tropical Indian Ocean, to assess migratory movements and estimate nutrient deposition rates based on the number of days they spent ashore. Light levels suggest that red‐footed boobies are resident in the Chagos Archipelago year‐round, although there are large latitudinal errors this close to the equator. Immersion data also indicate residency with tracked birds returning to land every one or two days. Spending an average of 79.86 ± 2.80 days and 280.84 ± 2.64 nights per year on land allows us to estimate that the 21 670 pairs of red‐footed boobies deposit 37.34 ± 0.56 tonnes year−1 of guano‐derived nitrogen throughout the archipelago. Our findings have implications for tropical seabird conservation and phylogenetics, as well as for assessing the impact of seabird nutrients on coral reef ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kerguelen archipelago in the Southern Indian Ocean was never militarised and never posed a realistic naval threat to Australia or the British Empire during the twentieth century. However, there were two episodes, once in the Federation Era and during the Second World War, when there was debate within Australia as to whether this outlying French possession posed a threat to Australian security. By examining these periods of Australian anxiety surrounding the Kerguelen archipelago, it becomes possible to see that these concerns were more reflective of Australian strategic angst than any tangible threat posed by a remote, unpopulated, nominal French possession. This episode is an example of a broader Australian angst in the early and mid‐twentieth century that remote colonial possessions could be weaponised to isolate Australia and threaten it. The Kerguelens represent one of the most peculiar examples of the manifestations of Australian strategic insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island syndrome is a widespread biological phenomenon that describes a suite of morphological, behavioural, demographic and life‐history changes associated with island dwelling. These similar evolutionary responses among disparate groups of animals and plants represent a remarkable case of convergent evolution. Among animals, birds are a highly suitable group to study the island syndrome; they are a comparatively data‐rich taxon, are frequent island colonisers, and sometimes display extreme adaptations such as the loss of flight. However, the avian island syndrome literature is fragmented, and multiple components are rarely considered together even though many are inextricably linked. We reviewed multi‐species comparative studies, single‐species or population‐level studies and anecdotal accounts, to summarise and assess the support for individual components of the island syndrome for birds, and to identify suites of traits that should be considered together. The weight of evidence for island syndrome patterns in morphology is substantial, but is more partial or even anecdotal for various aspects of behaviour, life history and physiology. Full validation of the island syndrome in birds will require the less‐studied components to be treated in a comparative framework, and for covarying components to be examined in an integrated way. An improved description of the scope of the syndrome will pave the way to understanding its drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Flower traits are critical to the mutualistic networks that underpin ecosystem function. However, the broad‐scale drivers of flower traits are unclear. Using the megadiverse islands of Malesia, we test three hypotheses: (1) Flower size, openness and colourfulness (i.e. the trend from white to colourful flowers) will decrease with increasing temperature, but not with increasing precipitation seasonality. (2) Flower size, openness and colourfulness will increase with island area, and decrease with isolation. (3) Models parameterised by climate, rather than non‐climatic island characteristics will have the greatest predictive capacity as climate affects both pollinator communities and energetic/physiological constraints upon flower traits. Location: Fourteen Malesian islands. Taxon: Angiosperms. Methods: We applied Bayesian phylogenetic models of occurrence for >2500 species in 400 m elevation bands, across islands, as a function of flower trait interactions with either climatic variables or islands characteristics. We compare predictive capacity of models based on climate versus island characteristics using Leave One Out‐Cross Validation. Results: All six flower traits examined varied with at least temperature, precipitation seasonality, island area and isolation. Flowers are larger in cold environments. The lowland tropics are mostly inhabited by white flowered species. At cold high elevations, red and pink flowered species are more frequent whereas green and purple flowered species increase in the drought‐prone seasonally dry tropics. Flower openness declined with precipitation seasonality and increased with isolation. Models parameterised by climate performed best for perianth length, red and white flowers, whereas pink flowers and flower openness were better predicted using island characteristics. Main Conclusions: There are relationships between flower traits and climatic gradients within Malesia. However, island characteristics have also left a legacy upon current flower trait distributions. These island biogeographical impacts are likely key for the eco‐evolutionary drivers of flower traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses how the Chagos Archipelago Advisory Opinion (2019) has contributed to the determination of the role of General Assembly resolutions in the identification of customary norms. By exposing, firstly, the many theories on the weight of these international organisations' instruments and, secondly, which of these conclusions are considered customary (by the International Law Commission's work on Identification of Customary Law and by the International Court of Justice's jurisprudence); it defends that the Chagos advisory opinion has innovated in three main points. Firstly, the resolutions were not subsidiary evidence, but rather the central point of analysis for establishing the existence and scope of the right to self-determination. Secondly, the Court has offered more elements to be observed in these instruments than it ever did. Thirdly, although maintaining the focus on State practice, the Court acknowledged the role of the General Assembly, as one collective organ, on decolonisation as relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects geographically separated into island and mainland populations often exhibit phenotypic variations, a phenomenon known as insular conditions. These conditions can lead to rapid evolutionary changes that affect the morphological characteristics of mosquito vectors. Nevertheless, studies that specifically examine phenotype differences between island and mainland mosquito populations have been limited. In this study, wing variation in size and shape was investigated using the geometric morphometric (GM) technique in two dominant mosquito vectors, Aedes albopictus and Armigeres subalbatus, in the Ranong and Trat archipelagos of Thailand. Significant differences in average wing centroid size (CS) were found in 6 out of 15 population pairs for Ae. albopictus (p < 0.05) and in 5 population pairs for Ar. subalbatus (p < 0.05). After removing the allometric effect, canonical variate analyses (CVA) based on wing shape analysis revealed overlap across all populations for both Ae. albopictus and Ar. subalbatus. However, the statistical analysis indicated that Ar. subalbatus exhibited wing shape differences across all populations (p < 0.05), and most Ae. albopictus populations also displayed distinct wing shapes (p < 0.05), except for the populations from Chang Island and the mainland of Ranong, which showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). These findings enhance our understanding of mosquito adaptability in island regions and provide valuable data for the surveillance and monitoring of vector evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals that colonize islands often undergo significant evolutionary changes in comparison with their continental counterparts as a response to specific island conditions. The pace of such changes can be relatively fast, which poses challenges in the evaluation of the taxonomic status of island taxa. The Japanese and Manchurian Bush Warbler species complex (Horornis diphone–canturians), which breeds in East Asia and the Japanese Archipelago, is such an avian example. This species complex exhibits significant morphological differentiation between different taxa, and the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships within the complex are debated. Here, we updated the taxonomy of this species complex and shed insight on its evolutionary history using multi‐locus phylogeographic and acoustic analyses. Our results support the conventional treatment of the two continental taxa borealis and canturians as subspecies of H. canturians, contrary to some recent proposals that they are affiliated to H. diphone. We also document a reduction in body size, that is dwarfism, and vocal divergence in the nominate subspecies H. d. diphone, which is endemic to the remote and isolated Ogasawara Islands. These changes may have happened following colonization of these islands, which was estimated to have taken place approximately 0.2 million years ago. Although H. d. diphone is clearly distinctive and deserves recognition as an evolutionarily significant unit, H. d. diphone and other H. diphone samples were not reciprocally monophyletic. Because of this lack of reciprocal monophyly and a relatively recent divergence time, we advocate maintaining its current subspecies status. We also detected reduced genetic diversity, measured as heterozygosity, in H. d. diphone. We suggest that conservation efforts in the Ogasawara Islands should prioritize the protection of this endemic subspecies. Collectively, our findings suggest that the separation between the populations on the East Asian continent and the Japanese Archipelago, followed by colonization of remote oceanic islands through long‐distance dispersal, underlie rapid phenotypic and genetic diversification of the Horornis diphone–canturians species complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition of low-density urbanisation has been important in documenting how diverse human settlements generated enduring social and economic change. In tropical regions, the key challenges to studying low-density urbanisation have been the difficulty in acquiring past built environment data and integrating the frameworks that illuminate the social behaviours intrinsic to urbanisation. The introduction of lidar mapping and urban science methods has proven revolutionary in our understanding of low-density urbanisation as demonstrated by emerging research on settlements and states in Mesoamerica and Southeast Asia. These studies draw on urban theory to highlight patterns in the built environment associated with profound societal changes including the rise of social institutions, agglomeration effects, and ongoing settlement growth. Here, we present an approach that combines lidar survey and archaeological fieldwork with recent developments in urban science to understand the built environment of Tongatapu; the location of an archaic state whose influence spread across the southwest Pacific Ocean between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries a.d. Quantitative results show—for the first time—that settlements on a Pacific island were urbanised in a distinct low-density form and that the processes of urbanisation began prior to state development. This study highlights the potential contribution of Pacific landscapes to urban science and the low-density settlement phenomena given the presence of large populations, hierarchical societies, and vast distributions of archaeological built remains on many island groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A nested pattern (nestedness) in species composition is a frequent signature of insular communities. However, it remains unclear whether the drivers of nestedness are consistent across multiple island systems. Here, we investigated the pattern and drivers of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic nestedness in terrestrial mammal assemblages from 10 distinct island systems (archipelagos). Location: Global. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial mammals. Methods: We compiled occurrence data and species traits of terrestrial mammals from 228 islands in 10 distinct island assemblages. We assembled a dataset of island biogeographic characteristics for each of these islands, including island area, isolation index and maximum elevation. For all 10 assemblages, we first tested for significant patterns of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic nestedness. We then examined the associations between nestedness, island biogeographic characteristics and species traits. Results: We detected significant patterns of taxonomic, functional or phylogenetic nestedness in mammal assemblages from all 10 archipelagos. Biogeographic characteristics of islands affecting the rate of extinction in island species, namely, island area and elevation, were significantly associated with the degree of nestedness in these assemblages. Traits associated with the extinction probability of a species, such as litter size, further drove the nested pattern in some assemblages. Main conclusions: All analyses pointed to selective extinction as a main mechanism shaping the observed nested patterns in island mammal assemblages. From a conservation point of view, different management strategies should be implemented for mammal assemblages in these island systems by identifying the drivers of species extinction rates specific to each island system and species occurring on these islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, alternatively to the megathrust, we identify upper-plate normal faults orthogonal to the trench as a possible tsunami source along the Lesser Antilles subduction zone. The Morne Piton fault system is such a trench-perpendicular upper crustal fault at the latitude of Guadeloupe. By means of seismic reflection, high-resolution bathymetry, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) imaging and dating, we reassess the slip rate of the Morne Piton fault since 7 Ma, i.e., its inception, and quantify an average rate of 0.25 mm yr -1 since ca. 1.2 Ma. This result divides by two previous estimations, increases the earthquake time recurrence and lowers the associated hazard. The ROV dive revealed a metric scarp with striae at the toe of the Morne Piton fault system, suggesting a recent fault rupture. We estimate a fault rupture area of ∼ 450–675 km 2 and then a magnitude range for a maximum seismic event around Mw 6.5 ± 0.5, making this fault potentially tsunamigenic as the nearby Les Saintes fault responsible for a tsunami following the 2004 Mw 6.3 earthquake. Consequently, we simulate a multi-segment tsunami model representative of a worst-case scenario if all the identified Morne Piton fault segments ruptured together. Our model provides clues for the potential impact of local tsunamis on the surrounding coastal area as well as for local bathymetric controls on tsunami propagation. We illustrate that (i) shallow-water plateaus act as secondary sources and are responsible for a wrapping of the tsunami waves around the island of Marie-Galante; (ii) canyons indenting the shallow-water plateau slope break focus and enhance the wave height in front of the most touristic and populated town of the island; and (iii) the resonance phenomenon is observed within the Les Saintes archipelago, showing that the waves' frequency content is able to perturb the sea level for many hours after the seismic rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars of critical geography and geopolitics have long noted the intersection between research and strategic interest in the polar areas. This article focuses on how this link is displayed in the case of Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago under Norwegian sovereignty. While Norway' research policy in Svalbard has traditionally been welcoming and supportive of international research activity with little interference in the organization of research, the Norwegian government recently introduced a new policy for the research community Ny-Ålesund. The article reviews the changes introduced as well as the response from involved research organizations. It shows interdependence between political ambitions and research priorities and, given the status of Svalbard, a more complex relationship than is the case for research in polar areas outside national jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepinnotheres villosulus (Guérin-Méneville, 1832) [ Guérin-Méneville, 1829–1837 ] [type locality: Timor] and Nepinnotheres edwardsi (De Man, 1887) [type locality: Mergui Archipelago], as currently understood, are both reportedly widespread in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, and unique in the genus in having females densely covered by a setal tomentum that completely obscures the surfaces of the carapace and pereiopods. Based on the limited information contained in the type accounts, N. edwardsi and N. villosulus appear indistinguishable, but this cannot currently be confirmed by comparing type material because the holotype of N. villosulus , the senior name, is lost. A neotype is therefore designated for N. villosulus to fix its identity and taxonomic status as a senior synonym of N. edwardsi. In addition to the unique setation pattern of female N. villosulus , males of the species also present important differences from those of male Nepinnotheres sensu stricto. Pinnotheres trichopus Tesch, 1918 [type locality: Elat, Great Kei Island, Indonesia], is also shown to be a junior synonym of P. villosulus. Moreover, recent molecular phylogenetic analyses determined that N. villosulus is phylogenetically distant from Nepinnotheres sensu stricto. As such, we establish a new genus for N. villosulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the transpacific crossings of beetle borer at several sugar transplantations in Hawaii. Topics mentioned include a description of beetle borer's parasitoid called tachinid fly, the history of sugar, the physical and socioecological geographies of the Pacific Ocean, the examination of insects as coconsumers and coproducers, and the birth of the Hawaiian sugarcane.

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented including one about oceanic connectivities, island iconographies, and the geospatial dimensions of the Pacific Ocean.