Search

The little-known western Eurasian taxa of the Phaedusinae (land snail family Clausiliidae) are Tertiary relicts, which are widely separated geographically from the rest of the subfamily occurring in eastern Eurasia. In order to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of this group, we carried out molecular analyses with 11 of the 16 genera using nuclear gene sequences. Our results revealed that within the subfamily, Nothoserrulina and Pamphylica , together with Caspiophaedusa , Dobatia , Pravispira , and Serrulina , belong to a clade that is sister to that of all east Eurasian Phaedusinae except Synprosphyma. In contrast, Graecophaedusa , Laeviphaedusa , Pontophaedusella , and Serrulinella , together with Pontophaedusa , belong to paraphyletic lineages diverging between the branching point of these clades and that of the most basal Synprosphyma lineage. Laeviphaedusa and Pontophaedusella represent the earliest western Eurasian lineages, estimated to date back to the Eocene–Oligocene boundary. Comparison of our phylogeny to morphological traits of the genera identified clade-specific character states of the shells and the reproductive organs. Based on fossil records and on palaeogeographical and palaeofloristic data, we also propose a model for the geographical origin and radiation of this subfamily in Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 5 million years, numerous species of Australian stygobiotic (subterranean and aquatic) beetles have evolved underground following independent colonization of aquifers by surface ancestors, providing a set of repeated evolutionary transitions from surface to subterranean life. We used this system as an 'evolutionary experiment' to investigate whether relaxed selection has provided a source of variability for adaptive radiations into ecosystems containing open niches and whether this variability underpins phenotypic evolution in cave animals. Linear and landmark-based measurements were used to quantify the morphology of subterranean species from different aquifers, compared to interstitial and closely related aquatic surface species. Subterranean dytiscids were observed to be morphologically distinct, suggesting they have a different lifestyle compared to their surface relatives. However, variation in the measured traits was much greater in the subterranean species, and unstructured, showing no evidence of clustering that would indicate adaptation to specific niches. Furthermore, a previously identified pattern of repeated nonoverlapping size variation in beetles across aquifers was not correlated with repeated body shape evolution. The observed variability across body shape and limb traits provides support for the hypothesis that relaxed selection and neutral evolution underlie the phenotypic evolution in these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In comparison to biodiversity on Earth's surface, subterranean biodiversity has largely remained concealed. The olm (Proteus anguinus) is one of the most enigmatic extant cave inhabitants, and until now little was known regarding its genetic structure and evolutionary history. Olms inhabit subterranean waters throughout the Dinaric Karst of the western Balkans, with a seemingly uniform phenotypic appearance of cave‐specialized traits: an elongate body, snout and limbs, degenerated eyes and loss of pigmentation ("white olm"). Only a single small region in southeastern Slovenia harbours olms with a phenotype typical of surface animals: pigmented skin, eyes, a blunt snout and short limbs ("black olm"). We used a combination of mitochondrial DNA and genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism data to investigate the molecular diversity, evolutionary history and biogeography of olms along the Dinaric Karst. We found nine deeply divergent species‐level lineages that separated between 17 and 4 million years ago, while molecular diversity within lineages was low. We detected no signal of recent admixture between lineages and only limited historical gene flow. Biogeographically, the contemporaneous distribution of lineages mostly mirrors hydrologically separated subterranean environments, while the historical separation of olm lineages follows microtectonic and climatic changes in the area. The reconstructed phylogeny suggests at least four independent transitions to the cave phenotype. Two of the species‐level lineages have miniscule ranges and may represent Europe's rarest amphibians. Their rarity and the decline in other lineages call for protection of their subterranean habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aach cave loach (Barbatula barbatula), a recently discovered member of the Nemacheilidae family, offers a unique opportunity to understand the mechanisms underlying evolutionary change. In a common garden experiment, we reared groups of laboratory-bred cave, surface, and hybrid loach under different light conditions. Troglomorphic characters varied significantly among the fish, influenced to a different extent by parental origin and light conditions. Cavefish progeny consistently exhibited smaller eyes, lighter pigmentation, longer barbels, and larger olfactory epithelia than surface fish, while hybrids displayed intermediate characteristics. Surface and hybrid fish raised in complete darkness resembled the cavefish phenotype, while cavefish raised under a natural photoperiod approached the surface form. Characters associated with eye degeneration were found to be primarily heritable. Conversely, traits related to chemo- and mechano-reception were enhanced in the surface and hybrid groups reared in complete darkness, suggesting phenotypic plasticity. Our findings offer valuable insights into the interplay between genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity to troglomorphic adaption. This contributes to the broader understanding of the early stages of adaptation, where phenotypic plasticity, drift, and selection shape phenotypes. Relatively recently established cavefish, such as the Aach cave loach, are promising candidates for comparative research investigating evolutionary mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Leptanilla Emery, 1870 of the family Formicidae, subfamily Leptanillinae, comprises miniscule, pale, blind ants that are rarely collected and poorly understood due to their hypogaeic (i.e. underground) lifestyles. Here we describe a new Leptanilla species from two workers collected via subterranean scraping in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia. Leptanilla voldemort sp. nov. is the second leptanilline species documented in Australia after the elusive Leptanilla swani Wheeler, 1932. Workers of L. voldemort sp. nov. display a remarkably gracile morphology characterised by elongated legs, antennae, and mandibles, and they are easily differentiated from other Leptanilla species. We also provide new measurements for L. swani from two workers found proximally to the type locality of L. voldemort sp. nov. A key to the worker caste of Leptanilla species of the Australian continent is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we perform a novel and extended field evaluation of the state-of-the-art algorithmic frameworks' performance on global pose estimation. More specifically, we focus on relocalizing a mobile robot in a pre-built 3D point cloud map of a large subterranean environment. The evaluation is divided into two parts. The first part consists of multiple simulations performed in two different Gazebo SubT worlds, where one is flat with various types of features, while another has uneven structure and is more textured. The second part is an experimental evaluation and takes place in a real-world underground tunnel. In all evaluation tests, the robot's pose is selected in such a way that we can test the robustness, as well as the feature extraction capability, of each algorithm. The evaluation is carried out using three ROS packages: a) hdl_global_localization using both BBS and FPFH+RANSAC, b) LIO-SAM_based_relocalization, and c) Fast-LIO-Localization. Our goal is to have a clear view of each algorithm's efficiency in terms of CPU load, memory allocation and time to relocalize, while we increase the size of the map and transverse the robot in different parts of the map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cave biodiversity and ecosystems are underexplored. To guide conservation needs for visitor management, we surveyed the 2,158 m long Danial Cave in northern Iran for vertebrate fauna. We identified four mammalian and two amphibian species in the cave: the greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Blasius's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus blasii, the lesser mouse-eared myotis Myotis blythii, the Hyrcanian field mouse Apodemus hyrcanicus, the Hyrcanian wood frog Rana pseudodalmatina and the Eurasian marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus. Considering the increasing tourism pressures at Danial Cave, information on cave fauna is imperative for the conservation management of unique and endemic cave species.

The paper focuses on two so-called rock castles (Sloup and Jestřebí in northern Bohemia) and their presentation in the early modern topographies written by Mauritius Vogt. While today they are both perceived as former castles, for Vogt, only Jestřebí was an abandoned castle, while Sloup was mainly a hermitage. The relationship between both places leans on their bizarre appearance and connection to the underground. They both were rocks upon a lowland described as saxum vivum. Vogt’s view is contextualized by Athanasius Kircher’s Mundus subterraneus and other works on the underground.

The new genus and species of the family Hadziidae, Fingerhadzia zorae, gen. and spec. nov., is described and figured from the subterranean waters of the river Shushica, tributary of Vjosa River, S. Albania (Adriatic Sea drainage system). The problem of recognition of genera within "Hadziid" Group of genera is discussed, and genus Fingerhadzia differs from other "Hadziid" genera by partially reduced palpus of left maxilla 1, dilated conus excretorius near antenna 2 and very short inner ramus of uropod 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cave biodiversity and ecosystems are underexplored. To guide conservation needs for visitor management, we surveyed the 2,158 m long Danial Cave in northern Iran for vertebrate fauna. We identified four mammalian and two amphibian species in the cave: the greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , Blasius's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus blasii , the lesser mouse-eared myotis Myotis blythii , the Hyrcanian field mouse Apodemus hyrcanicus , the Hyrcanian wood frog Rana pseudodalmatina and the Eurasian marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus. Considering the increasing tourism pressures at Danial Cave, information on cave fauna is imperative for the conservation management of unique and endemic cave species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of subterranean amphipod (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae) in the genus Stygobromus from a hypotelminorheic seepage spring at Shepherd Parkway, part of National Capital East Parks, Washington, D.C., USA, part of the National Park System, using both morphological and genetic approaches. The Anacostia Groundwater Amphipod, S. anacostensis sp. nov. is a member of the S. tenuis species group but differs from related congeners based on body size, serrate blade-like edge of both palms of gnathopods 1 and 2, presence of rastellate setae on the posterodistal margin of the carpus of gnathopod 2, and aspects of the second antennae, mandibular palp, pereopods 5-7, uropods 1 and 2, and telson. Moreover, S. anacostensis sp. nov. is genetically distinct from S. tenuis in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The description of S. anacostensis sp. nov. increases the number of described Stygobromus species to eight in the Washington D.C. area and highlights the need for continued biodiversity studies, even in regions that have received considerable attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planthoppers are an interesting and contrasting model among insects for studying the subterranean environments. Their morphological and ethological adaptations to the underground conditions (complete darkness, lower temperatures, high hygrometry, stability of environmental constants, rarefied food sources, etc.), and their worldwide distribution in both temperate and tropical areas make them an interesting model among invertebrates. In this review, we highlight why cave planthoppers study matters, with particular emphasis on the Cixiidae. The two hypotheses proposed, the 'climatic relict hypothesis' and the 'adaptive shift', are not sufficient enough to clearly understand and explain the drivers to cavernicoly. Phylogenetic analyses approaches might help to better document and increase our knowledge on such peculiar environments. The singularity of the distribution pattern of the adaptation to cavernicoly in planthoppers raises also interesting questions to investigate and suggest contrasting scenarios to explore further, particularly should the Cixiidae be defined as a subtroglophile lineage? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being the largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in a period of depletion by extraction and pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked in global biodiversity conservation agendas. Disregarding the importance of groundwater as an ecosystem ignores its critical role in preserving surface biomes. To foster timely global conservation of groundwater, we propose elevating the concept of keystone species into the realm of ecosystems, claiming groundwater as a keystone ecosystem that influences the integrity of many dependent ecosystems. Our global analysis shows that over half of land surface areas (52.6%) has a medium‐to‐high interaction with groundwater, reaching up to 74.9% when deserts and high mountains are excluded. We postulate that the intrinsic transboundary features of groundwater are critical for shifting perspectives towards more holistic approaches in aquatic ecology and beyond. Furthermore, we propose eight key themes to develop a science‐policy integrated groundwater conservation agenda. Given ecosystems above and below the ground intersect at many levels, considering groundwater as an essential component of planetary health is pivotal to reduce biodiversity loss and buffer against climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subterranean life is associated with strong adaptive constraints, leading to the frequent occurrence of morphologically cryptic lineages. This is true of most small mammals, including moles (Eulipotyphla: Talpidae), where a number of species have been recognized recently, particularly following the application of molecular genetics. Here, we use mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data and geometric morphometrics to explore the systematics and evolution of some of the least-known Western Palaearctic moles: the Talpa davidiana group of Eastern Anatolia/Iran. We show that T. davidiana includes four taxa, two of which we describe herein: T. hakkariensis sp. nov. T. davidiana davidiana , T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. and T. streetorum valid species. For the first time, we apply molecular species delimitation analyses to Talpa , confirming taxonomic hypotheses and suggesting the existence of further morphologically cryptic lineages. These analyses also support the recognition of T. transcaucasica as a valid species distinct from T. levantis. We present a revised phylogeny for Eurasian Talpa and increase the number of known extant taxa to 18, most of which are found in Anatolia, the global hotspot of diversity in this genus. This probably results from the isolation of suitable habitats by a combination of climatic and topographical heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hypogean species, Domene lohajisp. n., is described from Amasya province, northern Anatolia, and the male of Domene miranda Assing, 2010 is presented from Kastamonu province, northwestern Anatolia, for the first time. These species were collected in the mesovoid shallow substratum. A total of three hypogean species are now known to occur in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Balkan's Vjetrenica Cave in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina is renowned for high richness of subterranean species. However, the data on its fauna have been published only in monographs printed in a small number of copies, making them hardly accessible to the wider scientific community. To overcome this issue, we compiled the data from published monographs with the data from our own recent field surveys. Further, as they are connected via water channels or small crevices in bedrock, we defined the Vjetrenica Cave System as a system comprising Vjetrenica and Bjelušica Caves and Lukavac Spring. Altogether, 93 troglobiotic, i.e., obligate subterranean aquatic (48) and terrestrial (45), taxa were reported for the system, verifying the Vjetrenica Cave System as the second richest locality in subterranean biodiversity in the world. The global uniqueness of the system is also reflected in the fact that as many as 40 troglobiotic species were described from the system. Finally, we reviewed the factors endangering this unique subterranean community and questioned whether it will withstand human-induced changes and pressures due to infrastructural development in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure development cannot take place without gravel, which is scarce in the North American Arctic. Conditioning where development can occur, the commodity has become the target of Indigenous actors seeking to secure land and resource bases and their material futures, too. In Alaska, decades of litigation pitting Indigenous surface versus subsurface corporate landholders has contested gravel's legal location. In Canada, contrastingly, Inuvialuit land claims negotiators successfully secured access to granular resources. In both locales, legal processes have resulted in certain Indigenous actors' accumulation of geologic power. Rooted in the subterranean, this power enables them to transform the surface of the Earth. Contributing to research on geologic power and political geology and drawing on fieldwork and a review of court cases, policy documents and reports, this article critiques how gravel has become an Arctic resource lucrative to local communities rather than global markets and a key source of Indigenous political and economic agency. Going forward, struggles over Indigenous rights may concern securing ownership over not only the land base, but the land column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on two so-called rock castles (Sloup and Jestřebí in northern Bohemia) and their presentation in the early modern topographies written by Mauritius Vogt. While today they are both perceived as former castles, for Vogt, only Jestřebí was an abandoned castle, while Sloup was mainly a hermitage. The relationship between both places leans on their bizarre appearance and connection to the underground. They both were rocks upon a lowland described as saxum vivum. Vogt's view is contextualized by Athanasius Kircher's Mundus subterraneus and other works on the underground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent colonization of extreme environments provides unique opportunities to study the early steps of adaptation and the potential for rapid convergent evolution. However, phenotypic shifts during recent colonization may also be due to plasticity in response to changes in the rearing environment. Here, we analyzed a suite of morphological and behavioral traits in paired surface, subterranean, and facultatively subterranean Mexican tetras (Astyanax mexicanus) from recent introductions in two separate watersheds outside of their native range. We found a variety of phenotypic and behavioral shifts between subterranean and surface populations that are similar to those observed in relatively ancient populations in Mexico. Despite this rapid morphological divergence, we found that most of these trait differences were due to plasticity in response to rearing environments. While most trait assays in common-garden, lab-raised fish indicated that phenotypic shifts in wild fish were the result of plasticity, we also found evidence of genetic control in several traits present in subterranean populations. Interestingly, wall following behavior, an important subterranean foraging behavior, was greater in lab-born subterranean fish than in lab-born surface fish, suggesting rapid divergence of this trait between subterranean and surface populations. Thus, this study sheds light on the early steps of subterranean evolution, identifies potential rapid behavioral evolution, and suggests that plasticity in traits involving exploratory behavior may facilitate subterranean colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cave systems of the Neretva River basin in the Dinaric Karst are home to Congeria kusceri, one of the very few known examples of stygobiotic bivalve mollusks, which displays several unique life history traits and adaptations that allowed its adaptation to the subterranean environment. This endemic species is undergoing rapid decline, most likely linked with habitat degradation, which might seriously threaten its survival in the next few decades. Unfortunately, the urgent need for effective conservation efforts is hampered by the lack of effective regulations aimed at preserving remnant populations as well as by our limited knowledge of the biology of this species. Although the precise factors underlying the disappearance of C. kusceri from its type locations are not entirely clear, the alteration of seasonal changes in water temperatures and alkalinity is most likely involved, as these are the main drivers of shell growth, spawning, and the onset and progression of the new gametogenic cycle. While these aspects have so far only been studied using morphological and physiological observations, future conservation efforts would certainly benefit from an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Here, using RNA-sequencing, we provide an overview of the modulation of gene expression recorded in five key tissues (the mantle, gonads, gills, adductor muscle, and digestive gland) between early June and late September. We highlight the presence of markedly tissue-specific responses, with the most dramatic changes affecting the gonads, mantle, and gills. We further identified a drastic switch in the use of energy budgets between the two periods, with evidence of ongoing shell growth and high metabolic activity in the mantle and gills at the early time point, followed by a massive redirection of all available energy to the gonads for the generation of new gamete primordia in early autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the Kola Peninsula in the Russian Arctic lies an innocuous iron disc about the size of a dinner plate. If one were to prise this disc open, they would find the remains of the world's deepest vertical hole. Reaching a depth of over 12 kilometres, the Kola Superdeep Borehole was drilled in the pursuit of excavating scientific knowledges for a better understanding of the Earth's crust. Whilst the borehole produced some important findings, and hosted an international delegation of researchers, once the Soviet Union collapsed, it fell into disrepair. Since its closure, the Kola Superdeep has become lost to history, but its existence as a ruin has generated new artistic engagements with the underground. This article uses the geological notion of discontinuity – a structural break in the rock – to imagine how discontinuity might be found within the borehole itself. It does this by identifying three access points: excavation through drilling and coring, collaboration through cross-border scientific work, and imagination through art and the weird. By resisting the notion that the subterranean can be objectively known through science, I reveal how the Kola Superdeep produces other relations, knowledges, and ways of sensing the subterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Natura Sloveniae: Revija za Terensko Biologijo / Journal of Field Biology is the property of Natura Sloveniae and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Studying the anti-predatory behavior of mammals represents an important challenge, especially for fossorial small mammals that hide in burrows. In the Arctic, such behaviors are critical to the survival of lemmings considering that predation risks are high every summer. Because detailed information about how lemmings use burrows as hideouts is still lacking, we developed a 1.59 g photosensitive collar to record any event of a small mammal moving between a dark area (e.g., burrow) and a bright area (e.g., outside the burrow). Tests of how collars affected lemming behavior were conducted in captivity in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada, in November 2019 and field tests were conducted on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, in August 2021. Results The device was made of two chemical batteries and a printed circuit board (PCB) equipped with a photosensor and a real-time clock that recorded amplitude transient thresholds of light (lux) continuously. In accordance with ethical use of such devices, we verified that no abnormal loss of body mass was observed in captive or free-ranging lemmings, and no difference in recapture rates were observed between those with and without a collar, though we could not test this for periods longer than 108 h. Measurements of light intensities revealed consistent patterns with high lux levels at mid-day and lowest during the night. Lemmings showed clearly defined behavioral patterns alternating between periods outside and inside burrows. Despite 24-h daylight in the middle of the summer, August nighttime (i.e., 11 PM to 4 AM) lux levels were insufficient for amplitude transient thresholds to be reached. Conclusion By taking advantage of the long periods of daylight in the Arctic, such technology is very promising as it sets new bases for passive recording of behavioral parameters and builds on the prospect of further miniaturization of batteries and PCBs.

The genus Troglohyphantes Joseph, 1882 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) includes 131 species, mainly distributed across the main European mountain ranges. The Alps and the north-western Dinarides account for 66 species, most of them showing narrow or even point-like distributions. The majority of Troglohyphantes spiders dwell in subterranean habitats including caves, mines, soil litter, rocky debris and other moist and shaded retreats. Despite being intensively studied from taxonomic, ecological and biogeographic standpoints, knowledge on the status of conservation and on the potential risk of extinction of these spiders is lagging. To date, only three species have been included in the global IUCN Red List, but their status has not been updated ever since their last assessment in 1996. The aim of this contribution is to assess the Alpine and north-western Dinaric species of the genus Troglohyphantes and to re-assess the species previously evaluated, according to the last version of the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.Amongst the 66 species here considered, 62 had sufficient data to allow the quantification of their Extent Of Occurrence (EOO) and Area Of Occupancy (AOO). Most of the species have a narrow distribution range, with an estimated EOO < 20,000 km2 and AOO < 2,000 km2, meeting the thresholds for the inclusion in the threatened categories. Five species have a more widespread distribution (EOO > 20,000 km2), extending across multiple countries. The quality of the data on distribution of four species was not sufficient to provide a reliable estimation of the distribution range.A continuing decline in EOO, AOO and habitat quality was inferred for 30 species. The majority of them were subterranean specialised species, with a reduced thermal tolerance and a low dispersal ability. Accordingly, changes in subterranean microclimatic conditions due to climate change represent a major threat for these species. Land-use change and habitat alteration were identified as additional relevant threats for several species.A considerable proportion of the species here assessed was found in protected areas and in sites of the Natura 2000 network. In addition, 14 species are formally protected by national and sub-national legislation. At present, 25 species are listed in the regional Red Lists.Long-term monitoring programmes, management plans for both the species and their habitats, expansion of the extant protected areas and designation of new ones, should be considered as the most effective approaches to species conservation.

Since 2020, the south-western Caucasus has been recognized as a hotspot of stygobiotic Mollusca diversity after revealing a large number of new, range-restricted species within the spring snail family Hydrobiidae, subfamily Sadlerianinae sensu Szarowska. Meantime, based on extensive material collected in the south-western Caucasus during the last decades, we studied members of another spring snail subfamily Belgrandiellinae Radoman, 1983. Modern integrative taxonomic work revealed hitherto unknown diversity within this subfamily in the region and further proved the importance of the south-western Caucasus as a hotspot of stygobiotic life. In particular, the subterranean environment and springs of Georgia were known to be inhabited by the genus Tschernomorica Vinarski and Palatov, 2019 with four nominal species. Our research, based on a morpho-anatomical study and genetic investigation of COI/H3 mitochondrial/nuclear markers, revealed additionally seven species and three genera new to science—Colchiella lugella gen. et sp. nov., C. nazodelavo gen. et sp. nov., C. shiksa gen. et sp. nov., C. dadiani gen. et sp. nov., Sataplia cavernicola gen. et sp. nov., Aetis starobogatovi gen. et sp. nov., and Tschernomorica kopidophora sp. nov. —to inhabit the Georgian part of south-western Caucasus. The full taxonomic description of each new taxa, along with the review of habitat characteristics and conservation status, is provided. Molecular genetics suggests that the ancestors of Caucasian Belgrandiellinae have migrated from south-western Europe, probably more than once during the late Messinian and early Pliocene periods. Later, Plio-Pleistocene climate oscillations, particularly the repeated rise and fall of the Black Sea water level, resulted in the isolation and radiation of various lineages within the Caucasus and Crimea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daddy long-legs spiders are common inhabitants of tropical and subtropical caves around the globe. Numerous species have evolved troglomorphisms, including the loss of body pigments and eyes. Here we describe the first troglomorphic pholcids from Australia and Réunion. Belisana coblynau Huber & Clark, sp. nov. was extracted from mining boreholes in the arid West Australian Pilbara region. It represents a genus that is widespread in tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, reaching the tropical north and east of Australia. Belisana coblynau is thus presumably a relict whose epigean ancestor lived in the area before the aridification of Australia starting in the early Cenozoic. Buitinga ifrit Huber & Cazanove, sp. nov. was collected in Grotte de La Tortue on Réunion, one of the oldest lava tubes on the island (~300,000 years). Congeneric species are known from East Africa, and the genus does not seem to have reached Madagascar. Since Pholcidae do not balloon, the now extinct epigean ancestor of Buitinga ifrit probably reached the island by highly accidental means (such as rafts or storms). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors that limit successful nest-founding by ant queens are not well understood. Predation has been hypothesized to be limiting to founding queens but there has been very little work on impacts under natural conditions. We experimentally reduced Solenopsis thief ant populations (5 species of subterranean ants) to test if belowground predation by ants is a factor affecting survivorship of founding fire ant queens (Solenopsis invicta). Results showed that there was no difference in survival rates of founding queens whether thief ant populations had been reduced or not. This outcome suggests that belowground predation by thief ants is not a strong factor shaping the ability of fire ants to found colonies, even in areas with robust populations of subterranean ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hagia Sophia’s hypogeum is a group of subterranean Roman tomb structures located in the area between the northeastern side of the structure and the imaret (“soup kitchen”) of Hagia Sophia. Consisting of three chambers connected by a passage, the hypogeum is dated to the fourth century and older than the current Hagia Sophia. The story of the architectural documentation of the hypogeum is also interesting. As a matter of fact, exposed findings during the museum research still contribute to the dating studies of the structure. The first digital architectural visualisation of the space was made in 2020 within the documentation of the subterranean structures of Hagia Sophia. After the partial cleaning of the inner space at the end of 2021, a relatively more favourable environment allowed for its visualisation. This study presents the most recent architectural documentation of the hypogeum carried out, the first reconstruction plan proposal, and a virtual superposition of the structure with its superstructure. Completely cleaning the interior and top will enable this space to be thoroughly documented and dated. By including the narrative of the documentation story to the present, this study is expected to be the last visualisation of the hypogeum until it is completely cleaned. The lack of architecturally similar structures in Istanbul requires special attention to this subterranean structure.

Animals inhabiting subterranean environments tend to evolve a constellation of ‘regressive’ and ‘constructive’ features. Regressive traits like vision and pigmentation are reduced or lost in derived organisms. In contrast, constructive traits like non-visual sensation, are commonly augmented and evolving under strong selection. Numerous studies have examined the genetic, developmental and molecular bases for regressive traits, while constructive traits have received less attention. A key constructive sensory feature in cave animals is the gustatory system which is likely useful for animals living in complete darkness, given the need to secure food for survival. Interestingly, despite having been studied for decades in the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, much remains unknown regarding the biological basis, and adaptive relevance, of taste system evolution in cave morphs. Here, we present a brief review of taste system research in this system, conducted over the past ~90 years. We underscore key differences in gustation between cave and surface fish that reside at the levels of anatomy, perception and behavior. From this review, we sought to identify key knowledge gaps in our understanding of constructive taste system evolution. Future studies will provide further insights to the nature of constructive trait evolution by determining if constructive and regressive traits evolve through similar or different genetic and developmental mechanisms, and provide an essential case study for examining convergence of constructive traits across geographically distinct populations.

Pseudochthonius lubueno sp. nov., a new obligatory cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion species is described from Gruna da Altina cave, the fifth species of the genus in the region of Serra do Ramalho karst area, southwestern Bahia, Brazil. This genus occurs in South and Central America, sub-Saharan central Africa, and in the Arabian Peninsula. The new species can be identified by the following combination of characters: eyes or eyespots absent, coxa I with two and coxa II with 4--5 coxal spines, without microdenticles on the fixed pedipalpal finger, rallum with five blades, ratio ist--est/ist--esb = 1.9. With this new description, the genus now includes 15 species from Brazil: P. biseriatus Mahnert, 2001, P. brasiliensis Beier, 1970, P. diamachi Prado & Ferreira, 2023, P. gracilimanus Mahnert, 2001, P. heterodentatus Hoff, 1946, P. homodentatus Chamberlin, 1929, P. koinopoliteia Prado & Ferreira, 2023, P. lubueno sp. nov., P. orthodactylus Muchmore, 1970, P. olegario Schimonsky, 2022, P. pali Prado & Ferreira, 2023, P. ramalho Assis, Schimonsky & Bichuette, 2021, P. ricardoi Mahnert, 2001, P. strinatii Beier, 1969 and P. tuxeni Mahnert, 1979. The new species shows troglomorphic characteristics such as the depigmentation of the carapace and the absence of eyes. In addition, illustrations, diagnoses, an identification key for cave-dwelling species of the genus, and distribution maps for all Brazilian species of Pseudochthonius are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 (Crustacea: Amphipoda), co-occurring with water louse Asellus cf. aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Crustacea: Isopoda) in deep wells, is described from the Tarkhankut Upland, located in the northwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula. Niphargus tarkhankuticus sp. nov. corresponds to a separate phylogenetic lineage (the "tarkhankuticus" ingroup), also including several undescribed species from the coastal habitats of the Black Sea (the Crimean Peninsula, the southern Caucasus and the northern coast of Turkey), which is related to the paraphyletic European "stygius-longicaudatus" group. The divergence of the "tarkhankuticus" ingroup from the related European species probably appeared in the Late Miocene age, about 11–10 Mya, related to the separation of the Eastern Paratethys for different basins (Euxinian, Alpine and Pannopian). At the same time, the speciation within the ingroup started in Pliocene, about 5.76–3.6 Mya, and correlated with the Black Sea leveling and the drainage of coastal marine carbonate accumulations, including the Tarkhankut Upland. Intraspecific values of COI mtDNA gene markers (p-distances) for N. tarkhankuticus sp. nov. are about 2%, showing that the division into a number of isolated subpopulations, probably associated with local tectonic movements, the active formation of the river network, and further karst processes in the Tarkhankut Upland occurred during the Pleistocene (since 2.58 Mya). Analysis of stable isotopes (δ13C/δ15N) revealed that only discovered macrocrustaceans in the studied wells of the Tarkhankut Upland have non-overlapping trophic niches, with A. cf. aquaticus possibly feeding on algae/periphyton, while the trophic position of N. tarkhankuticus sp. nov. is close to predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe two new Nesticus Thorell, 1869 from Walker County, Georgia, USA. Nesticus lula sp. nov. is known from two caves on the eastern edge of Lookout Mountain and N. cressleri sp. nov. is known from three caves on Pigeon Mountain. Morphological and molecular evidence indicates the distinctiveness of both species when compared to other Nesticus from the southern Appalachians. Nesticus lula has reduced eyes and N. cressleri is eyeless. Both species are of conservation concern, as they are known from only a handful of sites spanning extremely limited ranges. This work contributes to our understanding of cave biodiversity in Georgia and of the Nesticus radiation in the southern Appalachians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Balkan’s Vjetrenica Cave in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina is renowned for high richness of subterranean species. However, the data on its fauna have been published only in monographs printed in a small number of copies, making them hardly accessible to the wider scientific community. To overcome this issue, we compiled the data from published monographs with the data from our own recent field surveys. Further, as they are connected via water channels or small crevices in bedrock, we defined the Vjetrenica Cave System as a system comprising Vjetrenica and Bjelušica Caves and Lukavac Spring. Altogether, 93 troglobiotic, i.e., obligate subterranean aquatic (48) and terrestrial (45), taxa were reported for the system, verifying the Vjetrenica Cave System as the second richest locality in subterranean biodiversity in the world. The global uniqueness of the system is also reflected in the fact that as many as 40 troglobiotic species were described from the system. Finally, we reviewed the factors endangering this unique subterranean community and questioned whether it will withstand human-induced changes and pressures due to infrastructural development in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Abstract Studying parallel evolution (repeated, independent evolution of similar phenotypes in similar environments) is a powerful tool to understand environment‐dependent selective forces. Surface‐dwelling species that repeatedly and independently colonized caves provide unique models for such studies. The primarily surface‐dwelling Asellus aquaticus species complex is a good candidate to carry out such research, because it colonized several caves in Europe. By comparing 17 functional morphological traits between six cave and nine surface populations of the A. aquaticus species complex, we investigated population divergence in morphology and sexual dimorphism. We found habitat‐dependent population divergence in 10 out of 17 traits, likely reflecting habitat‐driven changes in selection acting on sensory systems, feeding, grooming, and antipredator mechanisms. Sexual dimorphism was present in 15 traits, explained by sexual selection acting on male traits important in male–male agonistic behavior or mate guarding and fecundity selection acting on female traits affecting offspring number and nursing. In eight traits, the degree of sexual dimorphism was habitat dependent. We conclude that cave‐related morphological changes are highly trait‐ and function‐specific and that the strength of sexual/fecundity selection strongly differs between cave and surface habitats. The considerable population variation within habitat type warrants further studies to reveal cave‐specific adaptations besides the parallel patterns.

For a decade, the exploitation of the Vaca Muerta hydrocarbon formation in Argentina has brought its share of political and economic controversies as well as serious environmental damages. These transformations also have consequences on the sensitive experience of the project’s opponents. This article explores how the opponents to the project try to decipher the atmosphere that radiates from an industrial complex that makes it difficult to distinguish between the underground, the surface, and the surrounding air. It is this subterranean atmosphere that penetrates, swathes, and finally disturbs the worlds of everyday life that activists and inhabitants alike describe in their testimonies and practices. The analysis of these forms of ordinary criticism also makes it possible to highlight the importance of atmosphere when it comes to taking collective action against these extractive industries.

Background: Studying the anti-predatory behavior of mammals represents an important challenge, especially for fossorial small mammals that hide in burrows. In the Arctic, such behaviors are critical to the survival of lemmings considering that predation risks are high every summer. Because detailed information about how lemmings use burrows as hideouts is still lacking, we developed a 1.59 g photosensitive collar to record any event of a small mammal moving between a dark area (e.g., burrow) and a bright area (e.g., outside the burrow). Tests of how collars affected lemming behavior were conducted in captivity in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada, in November 2019 and field tests were conducted on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, in August 2021. Results: The device was made of two chemical batteries and a printed circuit board (PCB) equipped with a photosensor and a real-time clock that recorded amplitude transient thresholds of light (lux) continuously. In accordance with ethical use of such devices, we verified that no abnormal loss of body mass was observed in captive or free-ranging lemmings, and no difference in recapture rates were observed between those with and without a collar, though we could not test this for periods longer than 108 h. Measurements of light intensities revealed consistent patterns with high lux levels at mid-day and lowest during the night. Lemmings showed clearly defined behavioral patterns alternating between periods outside and inside burrows. Despite 24-h daylight in the middle of the summer, August nighttime (i.e., 11 PM to 4 AM) lux levels were insufficient for amplitude transient thresholds to be reached. Conclusion: By taking advantage of the long periods of daylight in the Arctic, such technology is very promising as it sets new bases for passive recording of behavioral parameters and builds on the prospect of further miniaturization of batteries and PCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four obligate cave fish species have been recorded from Zagros in Iran: Garra typhlops (Bruun and Kaiser, 1944), G. lorestanensis (Mousavi-Sabet and Eagderi, 2016), G. tashanensis (Mousavi-Sabet, Vatandoust, Fatemi and Eagderi, 2016) and Eidinemacheilus smithi (Greenwood, 1976). So far, the only known locality of the latter has been the Loven cave. Here, we extend the known range of the Zagros blind loach (E. smithi) by reporting a new locality, the Tuveh spring, located 31 km south of Loven. We combine morphological evidence with the calculated K2P genetic divergences of 1.39% between Tuveh and Loven to confirm that these populations are conspecific. Our discovery of the second E. smithi population has implications for the conservation of this rare and vulnerable species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Investigation of mechanistic insights of digestive strategies in rodents can be difficult, but it is important to understand how rodents adapt to different environments. Applying physiological analyses to compare the differences between digestive tracts in plateau zokor and laboratory rats, we found that the length and weight of the digestive tract of the plateau zokor was significantly greater than the laboratory rat. Particularly, the weight and length of the large intestine and cecum in plateau zokor is three times that of the laboratory rat. Our gut microbiota analysis results showed that bacteria associated with cellulose degradation were significantly enriched in laboratory rats, when compared to plateau zokor. However, both plateau zokor and laboratory rats were predicted to share the same functions in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. Our findings suggest that both the morphology of the digestive tract and gut microbiota are vital to the digestion in wild rodents. Rodents' lifestyles vary in different environments, and to adapt to various lifestyles specific digestion strategies have been developed. Among these strategies, the morphology of the digestive tracts and the gut microbiota are considered to play the most important roles in such adaptations. However, how subterranean rodents adapt to extreme environments through regulating gut microbial diversity and morphology of the digestive tract has yet to be fully studied. Here, we conducted the comparisons of the gastrointestinal morphology, food intake, food assimilation, food digestibility and gut microbiota of plateau zokor Eospalax baileyi in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and laboratory rats Rattus norvegicus to further understand the survival strategy in a typical subterranean rodent species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our results revealed that plateau zokor evolved an efficient foraging strategy with low food intake, high food digestibility, and ultimately achieved a similar amount of food assimilation to laboratory rats. The length and weight of the digestive tract of the plateau zokor was significantly higher than the laboratory rat. Particularly, the weight and length of the large intestine and cecum in plateau zokor is three times greater than that of the laboratory rat. Microbiome analysis showed that genus (i.e., Prevotella, Oscillospira, CF231, Ruminococcus and Bacteroides), which are usually associated with cellulose degradation, were significantly enriched in laboratory rats, compared to plateau zokor. However, prediction of metagenomic function revealed that both plateau zokor and laboratory rats shared the same functions in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. The higher digestibility of crude fiber in plateau zokor was mainly driven by the sizes of cecum and cecum tract, as well as those gut microbiota which associated with cellulose degradation. Altogether, our results highlight that both gut microbiota and the morphology of the digestive tract are vital to the digestion in wild rodents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) is a common and widespread subterranean rodent of the North American west. The species has been of long interest to evolutionary biologists due to the phenotypic diversity across its range and unusual levels of variation in chromosome number and composition. Here, we present a high-quality reference genome from a male T. b. bottae individual captured in the San Francisco Bay Area. The assembly is comprised of 2,792 scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 value of 23.6 Mb and a BUSCO score of 91.0%. This genome helps fill a significant taxonomic sampling gap in rodent genome resources. With this reference genome, we envision new opportunities to investigate questions regarding the genomics of adaptation to the belowground niche. Further, we can begin to explore the impact of associated life history traits, such as limited dispersal and low population connectivity, on intraspecific genetic and phenotypic variation, genome evolution, speciation, and phylogenetic relationships across the Geomyoidea., (© The American Genetic Association. 2024.)

As global change processes modify the extent and functions of terrestrial-aquatic interfaces, the variability of critical and dynamic transitional zones between wetlands and uplands increases. However, it is still unclear how fluctuating water levels at these dynamic boundaries alter groundwater biogeochemical cycling. Here, we used high-temporal resolution data along gradients from wetlands to uplands and during fluctuating water levels at freshwater coastal areas to capture spatiotemporal patterns of groundwater redox potential ( E h ). We observed that topography influences groundwater E h that is higher in uplands than in wetlands; however, the high variability within TAI zones challenged the establishment of distinct redox zonation. Declining water levels generally decreased E h , but most locations exhibited significant E h variability, which is associated with rare instances of short-term water level fluctuations, introducing oxygen. The E h -oxygen relationship showed distinct hysteresis patterns, reflecting redox poising capacity at higher E h , maintaining more oxidizing states longer than the dissolved oxygen presence. Surprisingly, we observed more frequent oxidizing states in transitional areas and wetlands than in uplands. We infer that occasional oxygen entering specific wetland-upland boundaries acts as critical biogeochemical control points. High-resolution data can capture such rare yet significant biogeochemical instances, supporting redox-informed models and advancing the predictability of climate change feedback.

When operating in confined spaces or near obstacles, collision‐free path planning is an essential requirement for autonomous exploration in unknown environments. This study presents an autonomous exploration technique using a carefully designed collision‐free local planner. Using LiDAR range measurements, a local end‐point selection method is designed, and the path is generated from the current position to the selected end‐point. The generated path showed the consistent collision‐free path in real‐time by adopting the Euclidean signed distance field‐based grid‐search method. The results consistently demonstrated the safety and reliability of the proposed path‐planning method. Real‐world experiments are conducted in three different mines, demonstrating successful autonomous exploration flights in environment with various structural conditions. The results showed the high capability of the proposed flight autonomy framework for lightweight aerial robot systems. In addition, our drone performed an autonomous mission in the tunnel circuit competition (Phase 1) of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge.

The cave systems of the Neretva River basin in the Dinaric Karst are home to Congeria kusceri, one of the very few known examples of stygobiotic bivalve mollusks, which displays several unique life history traits and adaptations that allowed its adaptation to the subterranean environment. This endemic species is undergoing rapid decline, most likely linked with habitat degradation, which might seriously threaten its survival in the next few decades. Unfortunately, the urgent need for effective conservation efforts is hampered by the lack of effective regulations aimed at preserving remnant populations as well as by our limited knowledge of the biology of this species. Although the precise factors underlying the disappearance of C. kusceri from its type locations are not entirely clear, the alteration of seasonal changes in water temperatures and alkalinity is most likely involved, as these are the main drivers of shell growth, spawning, and the onset and progression of the new gametogenic cycle. While these aspects have so far only been studied using morphological and physiological observations, future conservation efforts would certainly benefit from an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Here, using RNA-sequencing, we provide an overview of the modulation of gene expression recorded in five key tissues (the mantle, gonads, gills, adductor muscle, and digestive gland) between early June and late September. We highlight the presence of markedly tissue-specific responses, with the most dramatic changes affecting the gonads, mantle, and gills. We further identified a drastic switch in the use of energy budgets between the two periods, with evidence of ongoing shell growth and high metabolic activity in the mantle and gills at the early time point, followed by a massive redirection of all available energy to the gonads for the generation of new gamete primordia in early autumn.

The waters of the Dinaric Karst drain into both the Adriatic and the Black Sea basins. Precipitation is high, yet surface waters are scarce, with the exception of sinking streams. Dinaric Karst is a biodiversity hotspot, with diverse speleo- and epigean freshwater fauna. The distribution patterns of taxa in Dinaric Karst have arisen from a combination of vicariance and dispersal and their alteration over time. Within fishes, there are genera that include both species that are widespread and species with restricted ranges (e.g., Phoxinus, Telestes), and genera with only restricted distributions (e.g., Delminichthys, Phoxinellus). Some (Delminichthys, Phoxinellus and Dinaric Telestes) have a similar lifestyle, specialized for dwelling in sinking streams in karst poljes. The present study compares the distribution ranges of Phoxinus, Delminichthys, Phoxinellus and Telestes in Dinaric Karst based upon their mitochondrial genetic lineages, including dating of divergence times and reconstruction of ancestral geographic ranges. The biology of Phoxinus has played a major role in its wider distribution than the other three genera, which exhibit some limited ability to migrate underground, but which cannot disperse along main river courses due to their specific adaptation for dwelling in the sinking streams of karst poljes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]