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The introduction of alien water frogs is perhaps one of the most underestimated herpetological conservation issues in Europe. The identification of distinct species is highly challenging at the phenotypic level, and artificial syntopy between various taxa and lineages may lead to diverse outcomes, including hybridisation and local extinction. In central Italy the native synklepton of Pelophylax bergeri (the parental taxon) and P. kl. (klepton) hispanicus (the hybridogenetic hybrid, which clonally transmits the genome of an extinct ridibundus-like taxon) is present. Until recently, data regarding the presence of alien water frogs in central Italy was scarce, and no alien taxa have been reported for Tuscany. In this study, four distinct non-native Pelophylax lineages have been identified via molecular analysis in the Cecina and Arno river basins and ascribed to the Marsh frog group (P. ridibundus sensu lato). Alien Pelophylax ridibundus, P. kurtmuelleri, and P. cf. bedriagae sensu stricto currently appear to be widespread in the Cecina basin. Furthermore, evidence of hybridisation with autochthonous taxa has been suggested by genetic analyses in four out of eight sampling localities. With a view to evaluate urgent conservation strategies, a greater sampling effort is required to assess the actual distribution and ecology of the alien lineages, and further research is necessary to measure their impact on the native hybridogenetic system of the central-southern Italian pool frogs.

The Socotra Archipelago is a unique hotspot of biodiversity, particularly for terrestrial reptiles (28 endemic out of 31 native species) whose ecology is known only in general terms. We describe the ecological preference and the daily activity of 21 species of terrestrial reptiles, geckos, lizards, skinks, snakes and chameleon, from the largest island of the archipelago. The database includes 6950 records collected by 260 standardized transects from 2007 to 2013. The sister species Haemodracon riebeckii–H. trachyrhinus with very distinct body sizes, overlapped in their distribution but segregated by habitat and substrate. Three pairs of sister species with great phylogenetic affinity and similar morphology (Pristurus insignis–P. insignoides; Pristurus guichardi–P. obsti; Hemidactylus dracaenacolus–H. granti) were only partially segregated by distribution, habitat, substrate and body size, in the order of decreasing frequency. On the contrary, the other, phylogenetically more distant species of geckos, widely distributed and less similar in morphology, overlapped completely in their habitat use and distributional range. Such patterns suggest that strictly related species reduced their competition by segregation in different habitats and temporal niches and by non-overlapping distribution within the relatively small island of Socotra. On the other hand, the activity rhythm was similar within each genus. The unique biodiversity of Socotra endured up to present, thanks to a human impact lower than for most other inhabited islands, but the pace of change has accelerated recently. Conservation measures are urgent, particularly for the species of endemic geckos with a distribution range as small as 10 km2., RV was supported by a contract from ‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia’ (FCT), I.P. national funds from ‘Norma transitória’ (DL57/2016/CP1440/CT0002).

In northwestern Italy, traditional rice cultivation using permanent flooding has been replaced by cultivation that uses a reduced water depth and a shortened submersion period. Prey availability for the numerous herons and egrets using this intensive rice cultivation region changed as well, with a diminution of amphibians and an increase of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus). The prey intake in 2014 was compared with data available for 1987 for the three most common species of waterbirds that forage in the paddies. Total biomass intake by Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) feeding in the paddies decreased from 28 g dry mass/min in 1987 to 7 g in 2014, and by Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) from 8 g to 5 g, while the intake by Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) remained similar (12 and 13 g in 1987 and 2014, respectively). The observed levels of prey intake allowed breeding Grey Herons to meet their energy needs by feeding exclusively in the rice paddies in 1987, but not in 2014. The other two study species could not meet their daily requirements for successful breeding by feeding in the paddies only, either in 1987 or 2014. Yet the three species bred successfully in the study area, and their reproductive output remained stable both in 1987 and 2014. Successful breeding was probable by the three species foraging in other habitats, such as rivers, small natural wetlands and irrigation canals, in the region.

Intermittent incubation in birds is currently interpreted as the result of trade-offs between the needs of the embryo and those of the parents. However, the low nest attendance in some species is still puzzling. We studied the Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola), a tropical burrow nesting shorebird with very low incubation constancy (less than 55%) due to frequent recesses from incubation (on average 5 recesses/h), mostly spent in the colony area without any apparent function. We aimed to test whether such unusual incubation rhythm can be partly explained by the need to scan for approaching predators. Data collected at Dahret Island (Eritrea) between 2006 and 2014 support the antipredatory function of the incubation rhythm: (1) many recesses on the colony surface were so short (50% less than 37 s in the hotter periods) that a thermoregulatory function can be dismissed; (2) adults on the colony surface responded to approaching predators with alarm calls that drove most incubating Crab Plovers to run out of the burrows and to escape in flocks; (3) sound intensity sharply decreased inside burrows, which explains the delayed escape observed for 9% of the incubating birds; (4) the delayed exit when predators were still in the colony area rules out their permanence inside burrows as an alternative antipredatory strategy; (5) after the visit of a predator, adults restarted incubation with very short in-bouts (2 min on average) apparently in order to scan frequently for approaching predators. We discuss how burrow nesting, alarm calls, and the antipredatory reactions of adults (escape into or out of the burrows, flock flight, mobbing) and chicks (escape into burrows) might have favoured colonial breeding in Crab Plovers.

Four cases of interspecific mixed broods between Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta; n = 175), Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis; n = 125), Squacco Herons (Ardeola ralloides; n = 25) and Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax; n = 199) were recorded from 7 April to 16 August 2016 at two colonies in Iran. The rare occurrence of mixed broods and the low survival of the parasite chicks suggest that brood parasitism is not adaptive in the Ardeidae.

At Anzali Lagoon, on the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea, Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus were observed breeding both in monospecific colonies and in a mixed colony with Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus. In the mixed colony, Great Crested Grebes bred later than in their monospecific colonies, while laying clutches of similar size, but significantly fewer of their nests disappeared during incubation and their chicks had higher survival rates up to at least 20 days old. Human disturbance and the resulting increases in predation likely caused greater losses at monospecific colonies of Great Crested Grebes where there is no common anti-predatory activity; while the strong anti-predatory behaviour of Whiskered Terns in the mixed colony might have offered enhanced protection to the chicks. Unfortunately, we could not separate the effects of the seasonal differences in human disturbance and of the protective presence of terns on the Great Crested Grebe's reproductive output.

The importance of targeting ecological and evolutionary processes in reserve design has been widely acknowledged in the literature but rarely implemented on islands. Using Socotran reptiles as models, we aim to relate richness of widespread and restricted-range species directly with landscape variables and to compare the impact of setting conservation targets for lineages versus species. Socotra Island is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, containing high levels of endemism in relation to its area, especially of reptiles, the vertebrates with the most comprehensive available genetic data. We predicted the occurrences of reptile species using distribution models and used a novel approach to interpolate maps of spatial phylogenetic patterns. Patterns of intra and interspecifc diversity and differences between spatial outputs of lineage and species richeness were related to eco-geographic variables. We evaluated differences in target achievement for each conservation unit within protected areas (PAs) under the current Zoning Plan (ZP) using gap and reserve design analyses. Although intraspecific richness was strongly correlated with interspecific richness, differences in their spatial distribution reached ~30% in some areas. Differences were more pronounced for wide-ranging than restricted-range taxa. Gap analysis indicates that most conservation units are under-represented in sanctuaries and that intra and interspecific richness were significantly higher outside PAs. This work will guide local-scale conservation planning as the ZP is due to be re-evaluated. This is one of the few studies on islands using genetic data from an entire class of vertebrates to incorporate lineage diversity in reserve design. This study provides an alternative methodological framework for supporting the use of landscape and genetic tools in reserve design, circumventing the use of phylogenetic distances and deterministic spatial interpolation of lineage diversity that can be widely applied to other systems.

The intensive rice cultivation area in northwestern Italy hosts the largest surface of rice paddies in Europe, and it is valued as a substantial habitat for aquatic biodiversity, with the paddies acting as a surrogate for the lost natural wetlands. The extent of submerged paddies strictly depends on crop management practices: in this framework, the recent diffusion of rice seeding in dry conditions has led to a reduction of flooded surfaces during spring and could have contributed to the observed decline of the populations of some waterbird species that exploit rice fields as foraging habitat. In order to test the existence and magnitude of a decreasing trend in the extent of submerged rice paddies during the rice-sowing period, MODIS remotely-sensed data were used to estimate the extent of the average flooded surface and the proportion of flooded rice fields in the years 2000–2016 during the nesting period of waterbirds. A general reduction of flooded rice fields during the rice-sowing season was observed, averaging − 0.86 ± 0.20 % per year (p-value < 0.01). Overall, the loss in submerged surface area during the sowing season reached 44 % of the original extent in 2016, with a peak of 78 % in the sub-districts to the east of the Ticino River. Results highlight the usefulness of remote sensing data and techniques to map and monitor water dynamics within rice cropping systems. These techniques could be of key importance to analyze the effects at the regional scale of the recent increase of dry-seeded rice cultivations on watershed recharge and water runoff and to interpret the decline of breeding waterbirds via a loss of foraging habitat.

The Danakil Depression in northeastern Africa represents one of the harshest arid environments on Earth, yet two genera of fishes, Danakilia (Cichlidae) and Aphanius (Cyprinodontidae), share its sparse aquatic habitats. The evolutionary history of these fishes is investigated here in the context of genetic, geological and paleoenvironmental information. We collected samples from seven sites and assessed phylogeographic relationships using concatenated COI and cytb mtDNA genes. Danakilia morphospecies show low differentiation at mitochondrial markers, but variation is partitioned between a northern cluster containing D. dinicolai plus three undescribed riverine populations, and a southern cluster including two creek populations of D. franchettii separated by the hypersaline waters of Lake Afrera. Aphanius displayed four genetically distinct clades (A. stiassnyae in Lake Afrera; one distributed across the entire area; one in Lake Abaeded; and one in the Shukoray River), but without clear large-scale geographic structure. However, Danakil Aphanius are clearly differentiated from A. dispar sensu stricto from the Sinai Peninsula. Geological evidence suggests that after the Late Pleistocene closure of the Danakil-Red Sea connection, increased post-glacial groundwater availability caused the formation of a brackish paleo-lake flooding the entire region below the -50 m contour. Fish populations previously isolated in coastal oases during glaciation were able to mix in the paleo-lake. Subsequently, in a more arid phase starting ∼7300 BP, paleo-lake regression isolated fishes in separate drainages, triggering their still ongoing diversification.

The protection of freshwater biodiversity has become a priority task for conservation practices, as freshwater ecosystems host high levels of cryptic diversity, while also record similarly high rates of extinction. The Italian white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius italicus is an endemic freshwater crustacean, threatened by several anthropogenic impacts such as habitat fragmentation, pollution, invasion of exotics, and climate change. Previous phylogenetic studies conducted in Italy pointed out a complex phylogeographic framework for the species, with four different subspecies currently recognized. Conservation efforts, particularly when involving restocking and reintroduction, require a detailed knowledge of their population genetics. In this study we describe the genetic structure of A. italicus populations in northern Italy (Lombardy Alpine foothills and northern Apennines) by using the informative mitochondrial marker cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, in order to assess their current evolutionary diversity and past phylogeographic history from a conservation perspective. Our results contribute to the mapping of the contact area among A. i. carsicus and A. i. carinthiacus in the Orobie Larian Prealps. More interestingly, we highlight the existence of two deeply differentiated evolutionary lineages within A. i. carsicus, showing alternative phylogeographic patterns and past demographic trends. We propose to consider these two clades as distinct molecular operational taxonomic units for the conservation of this endangered crayfish.

Being trapped is a potentially stressful experience, especially for breeding birds, so capture should be limited to target individuals and be as least harmful as possible. We describe here a modified leg-noose trap that we developed for the burrow nesting Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola). Similar to other commonly used devices, it consists of monofilament fishing line nooses secured to a heavy metal base. We modified this traditional device by positioning the nooses perpendicular to the bird movement and by adding shock-absorbing elastic bands. This last addition proved effective in protecting the captured bird's legs from superficial wounds and abrasions; it did not affect capture success relative to a version of the same trap lacking these improvements. Such improvements could be applied to similar noose traps employed for other birds in order to reduce discomfort and avoid injury.

The timing of breeding in birds is a life-history trait that generally depends on food availability, but other factors may play a role, particularly in tropical areas where food availability is less seasonal than in temperate or polar areas. We studied the factors affecting the breeding season of the Crab Plover Dromas ardeola, a burrownesting colonial shorebird endemic to the north-western Indian Ocean. A reduced risk of burrow flooding, high temperatures suitable for exploiting solar incubation, a reduced interference by Palaearctic shorebirds during foraging, a reduced risk of predation by Palaearctic raptors and a high food abundance are all associated with the summer breeding season of the Crab Plover in our study area in Eritrea. In addition, we collected remotely recorded data associated with these advantageous environmental factors around breeding colonies in nine well-separated areas. Only average annual chlorophyll a concentration, a proxy of marine productivity, was significantly correlated wit...

In countries with emerging and developing economies the need to promote development and the lack of information on the status of the Near Threatened Eurasian otter Lutra lutra have given rise for concern about the conservation status of the species. In Albania information about the distribution of this otter dates from 1985. In 2013 we resurveyed 31 sites previously surveyed in 1985, and a further 42 sites throughout the country. At each site nine habitat variables of potential importance to otters were recorded and analysed. Overall the distribution pattern in 2013 did not differ from that recorded in 1985, although a reduction in marking intensity suggested a possible decline in otter numbers. Distribution of the otter has been influenced by land use and human density, suggesting man-induced habitat changes since the fall of communism may have affected the quality and fragmentation of otter habitats.

The condition-dependent sexual dimorphism model explains the evolution and maintenance of sexual dimorphism in traits targeted by sexual selection, and predicts that the magnitude of sexual dimorphism depends on the variability of individual condition, male traits being more variable than female corresponding traits. Most convincing examples concern insects, while studies among vertebrates are scanty because manipulating condition often is not possible, and the time to reach sexual maturity may be too long. Islands offer a unique opportunity to compare how the environment affects the expression of sexual dimorphism, since they represent ‘natural experimental sets’ in which different populations of the same species may experience alternative environmental constraints. We investigated the occurrence of context-dependent expression in sexual dimorphism of head shape in insular populations of the common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) inhabiting the Tuscan Archipelago (Tyrrhenian Sea). Alternative models were formulated: H0 assumes that the sexual dimorphism is uninfluenced by islands, H1 assumes the only effect of phylogeny, H2A and H2B account for the biogeography of the archipelago (island size and distance from the mainland), while H3 assumes island-specific effects on sexual dimorphism. Models were compared using Akaike's information criterion adjusted for multivariate analyses. All hypotheses performed better than H0, but H3 largely outperformed all other alternative hypotheses, indicating that environmental features of islands play an additive effect to ontogenetic, biogeographic and genetic factors in defining variation in head shape sexual dimorphism. Our results support the hypothesis of a context-dependent sexual dimorphism in common wall lizards. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 114, 552–565.

The concentrations of trace metals were assessed using feathers of cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), collected within two industrial areas of Pakistan, Lahore and Sialkot. We found, in order of descending concentration: Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), and Manganese (Mn), Chromium (Cr), Arsenic (As), and Lithium (Li), without any significant difference (except Fe, Zn, and Ni) between the two areas. The concentrations of trace metals, we recorded were among the highest ever reported in the feathers of avian species worldwide. The concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd were above the threshold that affects bird reproductive success. The high contamination by heavy metals in the two areas is due to anthropogenic activities as well to natural ones (for As and Fe). The bioaccumulation ratios in eggs and feathers of the cattle egret, their prey, and the sediments from their foraging habitats, confirmed that avian feathers are a convenient and non-destructive sampling tool for the metal contamination. The results of this study will contribute to the environmental management of the Lahore and Sialkot industrial areas.

The breeding herons and egrets in northwestern Italy derive a large portion of their food resources from rice fields. In order to investigate the possible effects of changes in rice cultivation techniques on the trends of the breeding population of these birds, we studied their diet and the prey availability in rice fields, and we compared the results for 2013 with the situation in past decades, by taking advantage of similar investigations conducted by our research team since 1978. The diet of five species of herons and egrets changed sharply after 1995, with the bulk of the diet now made up of completely new prey species, in particular the allochthonous Louisiana crayfish and Oriental weatherfish, that only recently colonized our study area, and with a lower frequency of the amphibians that were a staple prey before 2000, but whose abundance in rice fields has declined. Since 2000, the decrease in the populations of some breeders, particularly the most abundant Grey Heron and Little Egret, has c...

ummary Local recruitment and immigration play an important part in the dynamics and growth of animal populations. However, their estimation and incorporation into open populations models is, in most cases, problematic. We studied factors affecting the growth of a recently established colony of Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) and assessed the contribution of local recruits, i.e. birds born in the colony, and immigrants, i.e. birds of unknown origin, to colony growth. We applied an integrated population model that accounts for uncertainty in breeding state assignment and merges population surveys, local fecundity and individual longitudinal data of breeding and non-breeding birds, to estimate demographic rates and the relative role of recruitment and immigration in driving the local dynamics. We also used this analytical framework to assess the degree of support for the ʻperformance-basedʼ and ʻconspecific attractionʼ hypotheses as possible mechanisms of colony growth. Among the demographic rates, only immigration was positively and significantly correlated with population growth rate. In addition, the number of immigrants settling in the colony was positively correlated with colony size in the previous and current year, but was not correlated with fecundity of the previous year. Our results suggest that the variation in immigration affected colony dynamics and that conspecific attraction likely triggered the relevant role of immigration in the growth of a recently formed waterbird colony, supporting the need of including immigration in population analysis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

We used GPS data-loggers, video-recordings and dummy eggs to assess whether foraging needs may force the low incubation attentiveness (

Previous studies showed that common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) are polymorphic in colour, both sexes showing three main ventral morphs (white, yellow and red) within the same population and that the three morphs correlate with many life-history traits, including a positive assortative mating according to colour. Chemical communication plays a key role in intra-specific recognition and in social organization of lizards; thus chemical cues might be involved in morph recognition and mate choice. We used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to investigate possible differences in the lipophilic fraction of femoral gland secretions between size/age classes and to explore whether chemical secretions match male colour morphs. As expected, most males shared the same compounds, but smaller males showed significantly higher proportions of aldehydes, alcohols and ketones and significantly lower proportions of tocopherols than larger males. Interestingly, inter-morph differences in the proportion of some compounds (especially tocopherols and furanones) matched ventral colour polymorphism. Pairwise comparisons showed that white lizards had significantly different chemical profiles than both the yellow and red ones, whereas differences between yellow and red males were only marginal. A further canonical analysis of principal coordinates correctly classified 67.2 % on average of the chemical profiles according to colour morph (white 85.0 %, red 60.9 %, yellow 57.1 %). We hypothesized that chemical differences associated with colour polymorphism may play a central role in intra-specific communication and even in sexual selection, allowing individuals to choose their partners according to their age, and more interestingly according to their colour morph, in a non-random mating population system.

Intra-specific colour variation may either reflect a discrete polymorphism, potentially related to life-history strategies; a continuous signal, which may be related to individual quality; or a combination of both. Understanding the true nature of this colour variation may thus help to identify the possible selective mechanism producing it. The common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) exhibits polymorphic colouration, both sexes showing three pure morphs differing in throat and belly colouration (white, yellow and red) and three intermediate morphs (white-yellow, white-red, and yellow-red). In this study we used digital photography and image analysis (RGB system) to investigate colour variation among morphs, sexes and populations. We found that colouration of the six phenotypes results from the combination of three discrete colour tinges (white, red and yellow): pure morphs express a single colour, and no continuous variation exists among them. Similarly, ventral parts of the intermediate white-red and yellow-red morphs present a mixture of two discrete colours resulting from the concurrent expression in different scales of the same colours showed by the corresponding pure morphs. Finally, the white-yellow intermediates show the same colour tinge than pure yellow morph, but with a lower intensity. The finding that white-yellow lizards are smaller than all other ones suggests that they might be subadults not yet expressing the full yellow colouration. Morph colouration significantly varied among sexes, suggesting a possible role for hormone plasma levels in controlling colour expression. It is noteworthy that RGB values varied among sites, indicating that colour expression in this species holds some level of environmental plasticity. Therefore, our results confirmed the presence of discrete colour morphs, which may be genetically based in both sexes of common wall lizards. However, our findings also showed intra-individual variation in colour expression within a morph that is associated with habitat occupancy, which suggests phenotypic plasticity in morphs.

Complex and ritualized displays require an assemblage of structural, neuronal, and muscular adaptations, and habitat structure may affect the effectiveness of signals to convey information. Therefore, ornament exaggeration through sexual selection may be severely constrained by the costs imposed by natural selection. We investigated this compromise in the courtship behavior of Mediterranean Tortoises by assessing the variability of the acoustic and behavioral signals used among species, and the relationship between courtship and species body size. Marginated, Greek, and Hermann's Tortoises base their courtship on the same kinds of displays, and differences among species rely mainly on the relative importance of aggressive displays with respect to acoustic signals. We found that the divergence of courtship patterns among species was also related to body size. Greek Tortoises, intermediate in size between the other two species, showed an intermediate courtship aggression. Body size in Mediterranean...

Colour polymorphism (CP) is widespread in animals, but mechanisms underlying morph evolution and maintenance are not completely resolved. In reptiles, CP is often genetically based and associated with alternative behavioural strategies, mainly in males for most cases. However, female colour morphs also display alternative reproductive strategies associated with behavioural and physiological traits, which may contribute to maintain CP in the population. Both sexes of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) show three pure colour morphs, white, yellow and red. Here, we looked for the effects of male and female colour morphs on fitness traits of captive-breeding pairs. All yellow-throated females laid clutches of many small eggs and produced many light offspring, behaving as r-strategists, whereas white-throated females laid clutches of few large eggs and produced few heavy offspring, behaving as K-strategists. Red-throated females adopted a conditional Kr-strategy depending on their size/age. These basic female strategies were modulated in relation to mate morph: white females had the best fitness gain in terms of viable offspring when mated to red males; mating between yellow morphs yielded a greater breeding success than all other morph crosses, but also lighter offspring; finally, red females produced heavy progeny when paired with red or white males, and light offspring in pair with yellow males. Thus, correlation between CP and traits relevant to fitness combined with non-random mating, either assortative or disassortative, could increase the potential for CP to contribute to divergent evolution in the common wall lizard.

Molt and ecdysis are costly activities crucial to several animals. Most birds completely molt their plumage once per year. The diverse energy and aerodynamic costs of molt are expected to shape the evolution of molt schedules and rate of feather renewal. Differences in molt strategies are also predicted between the sexes because of sex-related variation in fitness payoffs of rapid and early feather renewal. Feathers show barring patterns that reflect daily growth pulses. Ptilochronological analysis of growth bar width (GBW) reflecting condition-dependent feather growth rate can provide important, though overlooked information on molt strategies, and on the effects of body condition on feather renewal and subsequent migration or breeding. In this study of migratory Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) wintering in Nigeria, for the first time we analyzed sex-related variation in molt schedules and feather growth rate using molecular sexing. We found no sex difference in molt schedules but faster feather growth in females. Hence, protandry in arrival of swallows to European breeding grounds does not depend on sex-specific timing of molt or feather renewal rate. Individuals with advanced molt had larger GBW and muscle mass, suggesting that individuals in good condition complete molt earlier thanks to faster feather growth. Arrival date on the breeding areas may thus reliably signal male quality, if molt completion constrains migration. Finally, the frequency of low GBW values among wintering males was larger than during breeding in swallows that winter in Nigeria, suggesting selection against low GBW. This study provides the first unequivocal data on sex-related variation in molt schedules in a species with no discrete sexual dimorphism, and emphasizes the potential of ptilochronology in ecological–evolutionary studies, as it shows that feather growth rate covaries with timing of molt but may not mediate protandrous migration.

This study provided the first hand data of trace elements into fish muscles (N = 65) collected from river Chenab in Pakistan during 2013, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We monitored the health risk associated with consumption of contaminated fish of river Chenab, by the local population. The mean concentrations (μg/g, wet weight), in descending order were: Zn (35.5–54.4), Cu (1.38–4.57), Mn (2.43–4.5), As (0.23–1.21), Cr (0.21–0.67), Ni (0.14–0.34), Pb (0.14–0.31), Co (0.09–0.12), Cd (0.07–0.12) with higher concentration to be observed in the herbivore fish species (i.e., Cirrhinus reba and Catla catla). The levels of trace elements in different fish species found in this study were compared with similar data worldwide, and with the international standards for consumption. The concentration (μg/g) of arsenic in many cases (>65%) exceeded the FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives permissible limits. From the human health point of view, this study highlights that the local inhabitants, (i.e., fisher folk communities and population frequently consuming fish at about 100 g/day) along the river Chenab are exposed chronically to arsenic pollution with carcinogenic (10−4 to 10−6) and non-carcinogenic (THQ>1) risks, especially from the intake of Cirrhinus reba.

Island colonization is often assumed to trigger extreme levels of phenotypic diversification. Yet, empirical evidence suggests that it does not always so. In this study we test this hypothesis using a completely sampled mainland-island system, the arid clade of Hemidactylus, a group of geckos mainly distributed across Africa, Arabia and the Socotra Archipelago. To such purpose, we generated a new molecular phylogeny of the group on which we mapped body size and head proportions. We then explored whether island and continental taxa shared the same morphospace and differed in their disparities and tempos of evolution. Insular species produced the most extreme sizes of the radiation, involving accelerated rates of evolution and higher disparities compared with most (but not all) of the continental groups. In contrast, head proportions exhibited constant evolutionary rates across the radiation and similar disparities in islands compared with the continent. These results, although generally consistent with the notion that islands promote high morphological disparity, reveal at the same time a complex scenario in which different traits may experience different evolutionary patterns in the same mainland-island system and continental groups do not always present low levels of morphological diversification compared to insular groups., This work was funded by CGL2012-36970 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (co-funded by FEDER). The JGP was also supported by the JAE-predoc grant of the CSIC and JS was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic under grant DKRVO 2016/15, National Museum, 00023272.

Mercury (Hg) contamination of environment is a major threat to human health in developing countries like Pakistan. Human populations, particularly children, are continuously exposed to Hg contamination via dust particles due to the arid and semi-arid climate. However, a country wide Hg contamination data for dust particles is lacking for Pakistan and hence, human populations potentially at risk is largely unknown. We provide the first baseline data for total mercury (THg) contamination into dust particles and its bioaccumulation trends, using scalp human hair samples as biomarker, at 22 sites across five altitudinal zones of Pakistan. The human health risk of THg exposure via dust particles as well as the proportion of human population that are potentially at risk from Hg contamination were calculated. Our results indicated higher concentration of THg in dust particles and its bioaccumulation in the lower Indus-plain agricultural and industrial areas than the other areas of Pakistan. The highest THg contamination of dust particles (3000ppb) and its bioaccumulation (2480ppb) were observed for the Lahore district, while the highest proportion (>40%) of human population was identified to be potentially at risk from Hg contamination from these areas. In general, children were at higher risk of Hg exposure via dust particles than adults. Regression analysis identified the anthropogenic activities, such as industrial and hospital discharges, as the major source of Hg contamination of dust particles. Our results inform environmental management for Hg control and remediation as well as the disease mitigation on potential hotspots.

Few DNA barcoding studies of squamate reptiles have been conducted. Due to the significance of the Socotra Archipelago (a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site and a biodiversity hotspot) and the conservation interest of its reptile fauna (94% endemics), we performed the most comprehensive DNA barcoding study on an island group to date to test its applicability to specimen identification and species discovery. Reptiles constitute Socotra’s most important vertebrate fauna, yet their taxonomy remains under-studied. We successfully DNA-barcoded 380 individuals of all 31 presently recognized species. The specimen identification success rate is moderate to high, and almost all species presented local barcoding gaps. The unexpected high levels of intra-specific variability found within some species suggest cryptic diversity. Species richness may be under-estimated by 13.8–54.4%. This has implications in the species’ ranges and conservation status that should be considered for conservation planning. Other phylogenetic studies using mitochondrial and nuclear markers are congruent with our results. We conclude that, despite its reduced length (663 base pairs), cytochrome c oxidase 1, COI, is very useful for specimen identification and for detecting intra-specific diversity, and has a good phylogenetic signal. We recommend DNA barcoding to be applied to other biodiversity hotspots for quickly and cost-efficiently flagging species discovery, preferentially incorporated into an integrative taxonomic framework., This article is an output of project CGL2012-36970 led by SC from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (www.mineco.gob.es), Spain (co-funded by FEDER) with the support of Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (2014-SGR-1532; http://universitatsirecerca.gencat.cat/ca). MSR is funded by a FPI grant from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (BES-2013-064248). RV and XS are supported by Postdoctoral grants from FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/79913/2011 and SFRH⁄BPD⁄73176/2010, respectively) financed by The European Social Fund and the Human Potential Operational Programme, POPH/FSE (www.fct.pt).