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Wildlife biodiversity is essential for healthy, resilient and sustainable ecosystems. For biologists, this diversity also represents a treasure trove of genetic, molecular and developmental mechanisms that deepen our understanding of the origins and rules of life. However, the rapid decline in biodiversity reported recently foreshadows a potentially catastrophic collapse of many important ecosystems and the associated irreversible loss of many forms of life on our planet. Immediate action by conservationists of all stripes is required to avert this disaster. In this Spotlight, we draw together insights and proposals discussed at a recent workshop hosted by Revive & Restore, which gathered experts to discuss how stem cell technologies can support traditional conservation techniques and help protect animal biodiversity. We discuss reprogramming, in vitro gametogenesis, disease modelling and embryo modelling, and we highlight the prospects for leveraging stem cell technologies beyond mammalian species.

Legacy effects describe the persistent, long-term impacts on an ecosystem following the removal of an abiotic or biotic feature. Redlining, a policy that codified racial segregation and disinvestment in minoritized neighborhoods, has produced legacy effects with profound impacts on urban ecosystem structure and health. These legacies have detrimentally impacted public health outcomes, socioeconomic stability, and environmental health. However, the collateral impacts of redlining on wildlife communities are uncertain. Here, we investigated whether faunal biodiversity was associated with redlining. We used home-owner loan corporation (HOLC) maps [grades A (i.e., "best" and "greenlined"), B, C, and D (i.e., "hazardous" and "redlined")] across four cities in California and contributory science data (iNaturalist) to estimate alpha and beta diversity across six clades (mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, reptiles, and amphibians) as a function of HOLC grade. We found that in greenlined neighborhoods, unique species were detected with less sampling effort, with redlined neighborhoods needing over 8,000 observations to detect the same number of unique species. Historically redlined neighborhoods had lower native and nonnative species richness compared to greenlined neighborhoods across each city, with disparities remaining at the clade level. Further, community composition (i.e., beta diversity) consistently differed among HOLC grades for all cities, including large differences in species assemblage observed between green and redlined neighborhoods. Our work spotlights the lasting effects of social injustices on the community ecology of cities, emphasizing that urban conservation and management efforts must incorporate an antiracist, justice-informed lens to improve biodiversity in urban environments.

Human populations can be affected in unpredictable ways by the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic was a reminder of how devastating these events can be if left unchecked. However, once they have spread globally, the impact of these diseases when entering non-exposed wildlife populations is unknown. The current study reports the infection of brown-headed spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps) at a wildlife rescue center in Ecuador. Four monkeys were hospitalized, and all tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) by RT-qPCR (Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR). Fecal samples (n = 12) from monkeys at the rescue center also tested positive; three zookeepers responsible for feeding and deworming the monkeys also tested positive, suggesting human-animal transmission. Whole genome sequencing identified most samples omicron clade 22B BA.5 lineage. These findings highlight the threat posed by an emerging zoonotic disease in wildlife species and the importance of preventing spillover and spillback events during epidemic or pandemic events.IMPORTANCEAlthough COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019) has been primarily contained in humans through widespread vaccination, the impact and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and its transmission and epidemiology in wildlife may need to be addressed. In some natural environments, the proximity of animals to humans is difficult to control, creating perfect scenarios where susceptible wildlife can acquire the virus from humans. In these places, it is essential to understand how transmission can occur and to develop protocols to prevent infection. This study reports the infection of brown-headed spider monkeys with SARS-CoV-2, a red-listed monkey species, at a wildlife recovery center in Ecuador. This study reports the infection of brown-headed spider monkeys with SARS-CoV-2, indicating the potential for transmission between humans and wildlife primates and the importance of preventing such events in the future.

Bioenergetic constraints are the ultimate determinant of the timing of reproduction, and seasonal breeding is consequently a widely observed trait. Consistent with this, attention has focused on plasticity in reproductive phenology conceptualized as a response to concomitant advances in the phenology of the environmental energy supply caused by climate change. Few studies, however, have directly compared timing of reproduction with energetic status in free-living wild animals. Here we demonstrate that neither body mass nor adiposity are strong proximate predictors of date of conception in wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). Weak coupling between energetic status and the phenology of reproduction accounts for the increasing discrepancy between the phenology of forage (energy supply) and the phenology of reproduction (energy demand) observed across the last 2-4 decades in two populations of this species. The results emphasise that phenological plasticity is not a passive response to changes in energy supply but derives from the way in which environmental factors interact with the core control mechanisms that govern timing. Central in this respect is integration, within the rheostatic centres of the hypothalamus, of information on nutritional status with the circannual life-history calendar.

Human-wildlife conflict is an important factor in the modern biodiversity crisis and has negative effects on both humans and wildlife (such as property destruction, injury, or death) that can impede conservation efforts for threatened species. Effectively addressing conflict requires an understanding of where it is likely to occur, particularly as climate change shifts wildlife ranges and human activities globally. Here, we examine how projected shifts in cropland density, human population density, and climatic suitability-three key drivers of human-elephant conflict-will shift conflict pressures for endangered Asian and African elephants to inform conflict management in a changing climate. We find that conflict risk (cropland density and/or human population density moving into the 90th percentile based on current-day values) increases in 2050, with a larger increase under the high-emissions regional rivalry SSP3 - RCP 7.0 scenario than the low-emissions sustainability SSP1 - RCP 2.6 scenario. We also find a net decrease in climatic suitability for both species along their extended range boundaries, with decreasing suitability most often overlapping increasing conflict risk when both suitability and conflict risk are changing. Our findings suggest that as climate changes, the risk of conflict with Asian and African elephants may shift and increase and managers should proactively mitigate that conflict to preserve these charismatic animals.

Deep learning shows promise for automating detection and classification of wildlife from digital aerial imagery to support cost-efficient remote sensing solutions for wildlife population monitoring. To support in-flight orthorectification and machine learning processing to detect and classify wildlife from imagery in near real-time, we evaluated deep learning methods that address hardware limitations and the need for processing efficiencies to support the envisioned in-flight workflow. We developed an annotated dataset for a suite of marine birds from high-resolution digital aerial imagery collected over open water environments to train the models. The proposed 3-stage workflow for automated, in-flight data processing includes: 1) image filtering based on the probability of any bird occurrence, 2) bird instance detection, and 3) bird instance classification. For image filtering, we compared the performance of a binary classifier with Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) as a means of sub-setting large volumes of imagery based on the probability of at least one bird occurrence in an image. On both the validation and test datasets, the binary classifier achieved higher performance than Mask R-CNN for predicting bird occurrence at the image-level. We recommend the binary classifier over Mask R-CNN for workflow first-stage filtering. For bird instance detection, we leveraged Mask R-CNN as our detection framework and proposed an iterative refinement method to bootstrap our predicted detections from loose ground-truth annotations. We also discuss future work to address the taxonomic classification phase of the envisioned workflow.

ABSTRACT The overarching goal of neurobiology is to understand how complex behaviors are generated by the nervous system. The behavior of each species, and the brain that controls it, is shaped by the historical and current state of the environment that they inhabit. This fact is juxtaposed with the reductionist approach of neuroscience that isolates animals from their natural environment. Understanding how brains evolved to orchestrate the myriads of natural behaviors an animal performs in response to its environment requires an integrative approach to neuroscience that considers ecology, ethology, and evolution. Current technological developments are leading us to an inflection point at which studying brain functions in the wild is now possible. Ecological studies on how the environment affects behavior of animals (i.e., hibernation, foraging, food hoarding, and nest building) have framed a plurality of questions to be answered mechanistically, and yet, only few studies have addressed the relationship between the environment and the brain's anatomy and physiology. Neuroscience needs new animal models that allow us to tackle such questions in the wild. Here, we propose a new animal model for wild neuroscience, the agouti (Dasyprocta spp.), a large wild rodent playing a critical seasonal role in the maintenance of the central and south American rainforest ecosystems. We focus on how a rodent model, like the agouti, will allow for the investigation of large‐scale brain dynamics during seasonal behaviors of ecological importance: scatter‐hoarding and retrieval. We describe agouti evolution, ecology, and physiology as well as neuro‐anatomical and neurophysiological studies, which have set the foundation for future neuroscience in natura. We suggest agoutis have the potential to be a groundbreaking model for wild neuroscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Flavour, texture, and extended shelf life are key quality traits for blueberries. Studies have used trained panelists and texture analysers to evaluate frozen blueberries. However, more studies are needed to investigate consumer perception and acceptance of frozen blueberries' texture. This study used word association, hedonic scales, and rate‐all‐that‐apply to evaluate how consumers perceive the texture of frozen blueberries.Consumers were interested in the firmness of frozen blueberries, as well as crunchiness, softness, juiciness, and smoothness. They also identified the textural descriptors mushy, tough, chewy, squishy, and mealy. The participants separated the wild blueberries from the cultivated blueberries when evaluating their liking. Textural attributes were correlated with the consumers' overall liking (juicy, firm, crunchy, smooth positively and mushy, tough, squishy negatively).This study identified which textural attributes influence consumers' liking of frozen blueberries. Consumers preferred frozen blueberries that were firm, juicy and crunchy. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Maize is a highly versatile crop holding significant importance in global food, feed and nutritional security. Grain yield is a complex trait and difficult to improve without targeting the improvement of grain yield attributing traits, which are relatively less complex in nature. Hence, considering the erosion in genetic diversity, there is an urgent need to use wild relatives for genetic diversification and unravel the genomic regions for grain yield attributing traits in maize. Thus, the current study aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked with grain yield and yield attributing traits. Two BC2F2 populations developed from the cross of LM13 with Zea parviglumis (population 1) and LM14 with Zea parviglumis (population 2) were genotyped and phenotyped in field conditions in the kharif season. BC2F2:3 lines in both populations were phenotyped again for grain yield and attributing traits in the spring season. In total, three QTLs each for ear height (EH), two QTLs for flag leaf length (FLL) and one QTL each for ear diameter (ED), plant height, flag leaf length (FLL), flag leaf width and 100 kernel-weight were identified in population 1. In population 2, two QTLs for kernel row per ear (KRPE) and one QTL for FLL were detected in. QTLs for EH, FLL and KPRE showed consistency across seasons. Among the identified QTLs, six QTLs were found to be co-localized near identified genomic regions in previous studies, validating their potential in contributing to trait expression. The identified QTLs can be utilized for marker assisted selection, transferring favorable alleles from wild relatives in modern maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serpentoviruses are strongly associated with upper respiratory tract disease in captive and free-ranging bluetongued skinks (Tiliqua spp.). In Australia, bluetongue serpentoviruses were first reported in shingleback skinks (Tiliqua rugosa) with upper respiratory tract disease that presented to wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Perth, Western Australia. Since then, serpentoviruses have been detected commonly in captive bluetongued skinks from most areas of Australia, yet knowledge about the prevalence and distribution of these viruses in free-ranging bluetongued skinks, and other skink species, remains limited. Oral swabs were collected from 162 shingleback skinks from four areas in Western Australia and neighboring South Australia to screen for bluetongue serpentoviruses by PCR. The proportions of PCR positives were 0% (0/4) for Rottnest Island (a small island west of Perth, Western Australia), 3% (1/32) for the Shire of Kent (~5,600 km² in the southwest of Western Australia), 1% (1/91) from an approximately 250,000 km² area across South Australia and Western Australia, and 0% (0/35) from Mount Mary (~150 km² n² in the mid north of South Australia). Neither of the two PCR-positive shingleback skinks had overt signs of upper respiratory tract disease. These results are consistent with serpentoviruses occurring at a relatively low crude prevalence of 1.4% (95% confidence interval, 0.2-4.9%) across these areas, although the potential bias from sampling active and apparently healthy individuals may mean that this estimate is lower than the true prevalence. This contrasts with the high proportion of PCR positives reported in captive individuals. In the absence of experimental or observational data on viral clearance and recovery, Tiliqua spp. skinks that are intended for release into the wild should be housed with strict biosecurity to prevent interactions with captive individuals and screened to ensure that they are not PCR positive before release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is an excellent candidate for aquaculture diversification, due to its biological traits and high market demand. To ensure a high-quality product while maintaining welfare in captive environments, it is crucial to develop non-invasive methods for testing health biomarkers. Proteins found in skin mucus offer a non-invasive approach to monitoring octopus welfare. This study compares the protein profiles in the skin mucus of wild, aquarium-maintained, and senescent specimens to identify welfare biomarkers. A tandem mass tag (TMT) coupled with an Orbitrap Eclipse Tribrid mass spectrometer was used to create a reference dataset from octopus skin mucus, identifying 1496 non-redundant protein groups. Although similar profiles were observed, differences in relative abundances led to the identification of potential biomarkers, including caspase-3-like, protocadherin 4, deleted in malignant brain tumors, thioredoxin, papilin, annexin, cofilin and mucin-4 proteins. Some of these proteins also revealed potential as bioactive peptides. This investigation provides the most extensive analysis of the skin mucus proteome in the common octopus and is the first to explore how aquarium maintenance and senescence alter the mucus proteome. This research highlights the potential of skin mucus protein/peptides as non-invasive monitoring biomarkers in cultured animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) were deliberately introduced to rivers surrounding the White Sea and has spread to Norway and several other countries surrounding the North Atlantic Ocean. In August 2021, a female pink salmon displaying pale gills and abnormal behaviour was captured in River Lakselva in Northern Norway and later submitted to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI) for post‐mortem examination. Histological examination of organ samples revealed structures indicative of systemic ichthyophoniasis, caused by Ichthyophonus sp. The parasites appeared to be especially abundant in the heart and skeletal musculature, and local tissue responses were assessed to be absent or very mild. Sequences of the ribosomal 18S rRNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) genes confirmed the diagnosis and identified the pathogen as Ichthyophonus sp. The CO1 sequence further established that the isolate from pink salmon was most similar to sequences of Ichthyophonus sp. from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the US and from Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus, from Iceland. We here report the first detection of Ichthyophonus sp. in pink salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTRwt-CM) is increasingly recognized as a contributing factor to cardiac insufficiency in the elderly population. We aimed to identify the factors affecting age of onset of ATTRwt-CM, encompassing the assessment of amyloid deposition in myocardial tissue through the use of 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PYP) and clinical parameters. Methods: A retrospective investigation involving a consecutive cohort of 107 cases, each having been diagnosed with ATTRwt-CM confirmed through histopathological and genetic analysis, was performed. All patients underwent PYP scintigraphy, and the heart-to-contralateral (H/CL) ratio was calculated to measure amyloid deposition in the myocardium. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of the age of onset of ATTRwt-CM, considering the H/CL ratio and various clinical risk factors for heart failure. Results: Gender (p = 0.03), Creatinine (Cr) (r = 0.32, p < 0.01), hemoglobin (Hb) (r = − 0.44, p < 0.01), albumin (Alb) (r = − 0.32, p < 0.01), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (r = 0.21, p = 0.03), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = − 0.27, p < 0.01), and H/CL ratio (r = − 0.44, p < 0.01) were all significantly associated with the onset age. In multiple regression analysis, the independent predictive factors for the onset age of ATTRwt-CM were identified as the H/CL ratio (p < 0.01), Hb (p < 0.01), and Cr (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The H/CL ratio, Hb, and Cr independently affect age of onset in patients with ATTRwt-CM. The H/CL ratio is inversely correlated with age of onset, and may be the sole factor in the development of heart failure in early onset patients, while it may have a synergistic effect on heart failure with anemia and renal dysfunction in late-onset patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarias species used in aquaculture are suffering from inbreeding depression with its attendant poor reproductive attributes and there is the need to explore the natural population to improve reproductive performance. Therefore, this work aimed at evaluating the morpho-genetic variability among wild and cultured Clarias garipinus available in Ogbomoso, South-Western, Nigeria. Fifty C. gariepinus samples were obtained from the wild and cultured populations and only ten were favoured for this work. The DNA was extracted from the caudal peduncles of five representatives of the two sampled populations and DNA amplification was done using cytochrome oxidase region's COX1. Predictive Analytics Software version 20.0 was used for data analyses. Results showed that virtually all morphometric parameters measured were significantly higher in the cultured populations compared to the wild except the dorsal fin length (p=0.346). The A260/280 ratio ranges from 1.85 (C1) to 2.11 (W2), with most samples having a ratio close to 2.0, indicating high-purity DNA, which is around standard recommended DNA concentration for the amplification. The DNA amplified at 700 bp from a portion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of wild and cultured Clarias gariepinus. The genetic distance between each strain is represented by the length of the branch that connects them. Therefore, these suggest that C. gariepinus breeders and farmers should source C. gariepinus species from the wild in order to genetically enrich the gene pool. Additionally, head region-based morphometric traits might be more informative in distinguishing wild and cultured populations of C. gariepinus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite that can cause severe morbidity and mortality in warm-blooded animals, including marine mammals such as sea otters. Free-ranging cats can shed environmentally resistant T. gondii oocysts in their feces, which are transported through rain-driven runoff from land to sea. Despite their large population sizes and ability to contribute to environmental oocyst contamination, there are limited studies on T. gondii oocyst shedding by free-ranging cats. We aimed to determine the frequency and genotypes of T. gondii oocysts shed by free-ranging domestic cats in central coastal California and evaluate whether genotypes present in feces are similar to those identified in sea otters that died from fatal toxoplasmosis. We utilized a longitudinal field study of four free-ranging cat colonies to assess oocyst shedding prevalence using microscopy and molecular testing with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). T. gondii DNA was confirmed with primers targeting the ITS1 locus and positive samples were genotyped at the B1 locus. While oocysts were not visualized using microscopy (0/404), we detected T. gondii DNA in 25.9% (94/362) of fecal samples. We genotyped 27 samples at the B1 locus and characterized 13 of these samples at one to three additional loci using multi locus sequence typing (MLST). Parasite DNA detection was significantly higher during the wet season (16.3%, 59/362) compared to the dry season (9.7%; 35/362), suggesting seasonal variation in T. gondii DNA presence in feces. High diversity of T. gondii strains was characterized at the B1 locus, including non-archetypal strains previously associated with sea otter mortalities. Free-ranging cats may thus play an important role in the transmission of virulent T. gondii genotypes that cause morbidity and mortality in marine wildlife. Management of free-ranging cat colonies could reduce environmental contamination with oocysts and subsequent T. gondii infection in endangered marine mammals and people.

Salmonella infection causes epidemic death in wild songbirds, with potential to spread to humans. In February 2021, public health officials in Oregon and Washington, USA, isolated a strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium from humans and a wild songbird. Investigation by public health partners ultimately identified 30 illnesses in 12 states linked to an epidemic of Salmonella Typhimurium in songbirds. We report a multistate outbreak of human salmonellosis associated with songbirds, resulting from direct handling of sick and dead birds or indirect contact with contaminated birdfeeders. Companion animals might have contributed to the spread of Salmonella between songbirds and patients; the outbreak strain was detected in 1 ill dog, and a cat became ill after contact with a wild bird. This outbreak highlights a One Health issue where actions like regular cleaning of birdfeeders might reduce the health risk to wildlife, companion animals, and humans.

BACKGROUND: Since 2005, highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5N1 viruses have spread from Asia worldwide, infecting poultry, humans and wild birds. Subsequently, global interest in avian influenza (AI) surveillance increased. OBJECTIVES: Mongolia presents an opportunity to study viruses in wild birds because the country has very low densities of domestic poultry and supports large concentrations of migratory water birds. METHODS: We conducted AI surveillance in Mongolia over two time periods, 2009-2013 and 2016-2018, utilizing environmental fecal sampling. Fresh fecal samples were collected from water bird congregation sites. Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes of positive samples were identified through viral isolation or molecular assays, with pathogenicity determined by HA subtype or sequencing the HA cleavage site. RESULTS: A total of 10,222 samples were collected. Of these, 7,025 fecal samples were collected from 2009 to 2013, and 3,197 fecal samples were collected from 2016 to 2018. Testing revealed 175 (1.7%) positive samples for low-pathogenicity influenza A, including 118 samples from 2009 to 2013 (1.7%) and 57 samples from 2016 to 2018 (1.8%). HA and NA subtyping of all positives identified 11 subtypes of HA and nine subtypes of NA in 29 different combinations. Within periods, viruses were detected more frequently during the fall season than in the early summer. CONCLUSION: Mongolias critical wild bird habitat is positioned as a crossroad of multiple migratory flyways. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of using an affordable environmental fecal sampling approach for AI surveillance and contributes to understanding the prevalence and ecology of low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in this important location, where birds from multiple flyways mix.

Leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world, is broadly understudied in multi-host wildlife systems. Knowledge gaps regarding Leptospira circulation in wildlife, particularly in densely populated areas, contribute to frequent misdiagnoses in humans and domestic animals. We assessed Leptospira prevalence levels and risk factors in five target wildlife species across the greater Los Angeles region: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), coyotes (Canis latrans), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger). We sampled more than 960 individual animals, including over 700 from target species in the greater Los Angeles region, and an additional 266 sampled opportunistically from other California regions and species. In the five target species seroprevalences ranged from 5 to 60%, and infection prevalences ranged from 0.8 to 15.2% in all except fox squirrels (0%). Leptospira phylogenomics and patterns of serologic reactivity suggest that mainland terrestrial wildlife, particularly mesocarnivores, could be the source of repeated observed introductions of Leptospira into local marine and island ecosystems. Overall, we found evidence of widespread Leptospira exposure in wildlife across Los Angeles and surrounding regions. This indicates exposure risk for humans and domestic animals and highlights that this pathogen can circulate endemically in many wildlife species even in densely populated urban areas.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many people around the world stayed home, drastically altering human activity in cities. This exceptional moment provided researchers the opportunity to test how urban animals respond to human disturbance, in some cases testing fundamental questions on the mechanistic impact of urban behaviours on animal behaviour. However, at the end of this anthropause, human activity returned to cities. How might each of these strong shifts affect wildlife in the short and long term? We focused on fear response, a trait essential to tolerating urban life. We measured flight initiation distance-at both individual and population levels-for an urban bird before, during and after the anthropause to examine if birds experienced longer-term changes after a year and a half of lowered human presence. Dark-eyed juncos did not change fear levels during the anthropause, but they became drastically less fearful afterwards. These surprising and counterintuitive findings, made possible by following the behaviour of individuals over time, has led to a novel understanding that fear response can be driven by plasticity, yet not habituation-like processes. The pandemic-caused changes in human activity have shown that there is great complexity in how humans modify a behavioural trait fundamental to urban tolerance in animals.

The best-known example of episodic memory in animals came from food-storing birds. One of the beauties of the food-storing system was that inherent in the behaviour were the elements that (at the time) made up episodic memory: what, where and when. While there were then already plenty of data on animals' ability to put together what and where, the addition of the time element in animals' memory and its testing was one that was both new and experimentally challenging. It has, however, led to an increasing variety of examples showing that animals can put together all three informational components. If episodic memories can be described as those memories that make any one of us who we are, why should non-human animals have such memories? Here, we argue that episodic memories play a significant functional role in the lives of real animals, in particular, enabling them to make decisions about how they might or should act in their future. We support our argument with data from a range of examples, focussing on data from the field. This article is part of the theme issue 'Elements of episodic memory: lessons from 40 years of research'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The domestication process in grapevines has facilitated the fixation of desired traits. Nowadays, vegetative propagation through cuttings enables easier preservation of these genotypes compared to sexual reproduction. Nonetheless, even with vegetative propagation, various phenotypes are often present within the same vineyard due to the accumulation of somatic mutations. These mutations are not the sole factors influencing phenotype. Alongside somatic variations, epigenetic variation has been proposed as a pivotal player in regulating phenotypic variability acquired during domestication. The emergence of these epialleles might have significantly influenced grapevine domestication over time. This study aims to investigate the impact of domestication on methylation patterns in cultivated grapevines. Reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing was conducted on 18 cultivated and wild accessions. Results revealed that cultivated grapevines exhibited higher methylation levels than their wild counterparts. Differential Methylation Analysis between wild and cultivated grapevines identified a total of 9955 differentially methylated cytosines, of which 78% were hypermethylated in cultivated grapevines. Functional analysis shows that core methylated genes (consistently methylated in both wild and cultivated accessions) are associated with stress response and terpenoid/isoprenoid metabolic processes. Meanwhile, genes with differential methylation are linked to protein targeting to the peroxisome, ethylene regulation, histone modifications, and defense response. Collectively, our results highlight the significant roles that epialleles may have played throughout the domestication history of grapevines.

Protozoa are well-known inhabitants of the mammalian gut and so of the gut microbiome. While there has been extensive study of a number of species of gut protozoa in laboratory animals, particularly rodents, the biology of the gut protozoa of wild rodents is much less well-known. Here we have systematically searched the published literature to describe the gut protozoa of wild rodents, in total finding records of 44 genera of protozoa infecting 228 rodent host species. We then undertook meta-analyses that estimated the overall prevalence of gut protozoa in wild rodents to be 24%, with significant variation in prevalence among some host species. We investigated how host traits may affect protozoa prevalence, finding that for some host lifestyles some protozoa differed in their prevalence. This synthesis of existing data on wild rodent gut protozoa provides a better understanding of the biology of these common gut inhabitants and suggests directions for their future study.

The sciaenid meagre (Argyrosomus regius, Asso 1801) is a significant organism in fisheries and a promising candidate for the Egyptian aquaculture. This study presented a comparative analysis of wild and aquacultured meagre. Two size groups of fish, small (S) and large (L), from the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea and a local farm in Maryut Valley were examined. Oxidative stress markers and antioxidant responses, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and catalase (CAT), were measured in the liver. Additionally, variations in muscle composition of lipids, total proteins, moisture, and ash content were evaluated. The muscle heavy metals (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni)) concentrations were analyzed, and total accumulation was assessed using the metal pollution index (MPI). Furthermore, assessments of hazard associated with fish ingestion were conducted based on estimated dietary intakes (EDI and EWI), the target hazard quotient (THQ) and the carcinogenic risk (CR). The muscle contents of moisture, ash, total lipids, and total protein revealed insignificant results. The liver of small farmed fish (SFM) exhibited higher levels of SOD, CAT, and TAC compared to other groups. Analysis of heavy metals showed a nonsignificant trend of higher accumulation of Ni in farmed and small-sized fish, while Pb, Cd and Hg levels were higher in wild fish. However all recorded heavy metals did not exceed the international guideline of maximum permissible limit (MPL) for human consumption. Metal estimated dietary intake was calculated, and non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk was assessed for different studied groups. The calculated THQ for Pb, Cd, Mn and Ni were less than 1, indicating lack of health risks from consumption of single metal up to seven times per week. The CR level indicated safe levels of Pb, Cd, Ni and Hg in the flesh of meagre in the Egyptian water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the fusion of growth plates and the development of secondary ossification centres in the forelimb bones of maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), contrasting the findings with established data from domestic dogs. Three maned wolves, comprising one male and two females, initially aged between 3 and 4 months, were subjected to monthly radiographic evaluations until 10–11 months of age, followed by bimonthly assessments until 18–19 months of age, encompassing both forelimbs. The closure times of growth plates were observed as follows: supraglenoid tubercle (7–8 months), proximal humerus (17–19 months), distal humerus (8–9 months), medial epicondyle of the humerus (8–9 months), proximal ulna (9–10 months), proximal radius (13–15 months), distal ulna (13–15 months) and distal radius (17–19 months). Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the areas of secondary ossification centres in the proximal epiphyses of the humerus and radius, respectively, observed from the initial evaluation at 8–9 months and 6–7 months. Conversely, the epiphyses of the supraglenoid tubercle, distal humerus, proximal ulna, distal ulna, medial epicondyle of the humerus and distal radius did not exhibit significant area differences between 3–4 months and 4–5 months, yet notable distinctions emerged at 5–6 months. In summary, while the radiographic appearance of epiphyseal growth plates and secondary ossification centres in maned wolves resembles that of domestic dogs, closure times vary. These findings contribute to understanding the dynamics of epiphyseal growth plates in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower endophytic fungi play a major role in plant reproduction, stress resistance, and growth and development. However, little is known about how artificial cultivation affects the endophytic fungal community found in the tepals of rare horticultural plants. In this research, we used high-throughput sequencing technology combined with bioinformatics analysis to reveal the endophytic fungal community of tepals in Lirianthe delavayi and the effects of artificial cultivation on the community composition and function of these plants, using tepals of L. delavayi from wild habitat, cultivated campus habitat, and cultivated field habitat as research objects. The results showed that the variety of endophytic fungi in the tepals of L. delavayi was abundant, with a total of 907 Amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) obtained from all the samples, which were further classified into 4 phyla, 23 classes, 51 orders, 97 families, 156 genera, and 214 species. We also found that artificial cultivation had a significant impact on the community composition of endophytic fungi. Although there was no significant difference at the phylum level, with Ascomycota and Basidiomycota being the main phyla, there were significant differences in dominant and unique genera. Artificial cultivation has led to the addition of new pathogenic fungal genera, such as Phaeosphaeria, Botryosphaeria, and Paraconiothyrium, increasing the risk of disease in L. delavayi. In addition, the abundance of the endophytic fungus Rhodotorula, which is typical in plant reproductive organs, decreased. Artificial cultivation also altered the metabolic pathways of endophytic fungi, decreasing their ability to resist pests and diseases and reducing their ability to reproduce. A comparison of endophytic fungi in tepals and leaves revealed significant differences in community composition and changes in the endophytic diversity caused by artificial cultivation. To summarize, our results indicate that endophytic fungi in the tepals of L. delavayi mainly consist of pathogenic and saprophytic fungi. Simultaneously, artificial cultivation introduces a great number of pathogenic fungi that alter the metabolic pathways associated with plant resistance to disease and pests, as well as reproduction, which can increase the risk of plant disease and reduce plant reproductive capacity. Our study provides an important reference for the conservation and breeding of rare horticultural plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ladakh covers 80–85% of the total sea buckthorn area in India which grows wild and that too luxuriantly. It contributed to the traditional medicine system for ages without any true economic benefit. After decades of recognizing its immense value in the international market, researchers across the country have recently begun to explore its niches and exploit the crop in ways never seen before. The prominence of the crop is underscored by significant government projects and missions, highlighting its increasing importance. Multinational corporations worldwide view Ladakh as a potential source of inexpensive raw materials, though government regulations and policies currently limit accessibility. Commercial exploitation of the crop has recently commenced on a modest scale, yielding substantial profits for stakeholders. While cultivation for commercial purposes remains an aspiration, Ladakh can look forward to an economic revolution with the proper technological and political support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestication process in grapevines has facilitated the fixation of desired traits. Nowadays, vegetative propagation through cuttings enables easier preservation of these genotypes compared to sexual reproduction. Nonetheless, even with vegetative propagation, various phenotypes are often present within the same vineyard due to the accumulation of somatic mutations. These mutations are not the sole factors influencing phenotype. Alongside somatic variations, epigenetic variation has been proposed as a pivotal player in regulating phenotypic variability acquired during domestication. The emergence of these epialleles might have significantly influenced grapevine domestication over time. This study aims to investigate the impact of domestication on methylation patterns in cultivated grapevines. Reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing was conducted on 18 cultivated and wild accessions. Results revealed that cultivated grapevines exhibited higher methylation levels than their wild counterparts. Differential Methylation Analysis between wild and cultivated grapevines identified a total of 9955 differentially methylated cytosines, of which 78% were hypermethylated in cultivated grapevines. Functional analysis shows that core methylated genes (consistently methylated in both wild and cultivated accessions) are associated with stress response and terpenoid/isoprenoid metabolic processes. Meanwhile, genes with differential methylation are linked to protein targeting to the peroxisome, ethylene regulation, histone modifications, and defense response. Collectively, our results highlight the significant roles that epialleles may have played throughout the domestication history of grapevines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is the smallest-bodied endangered species among the six native sturgeon species of the Danube River, and self-sustaining populations still inhabit the Hungarian section of the Danube River and its largest tributary, the Tisza River. Their populations are drastically decreasing; however, they still have natural reproduction in these habitats. For the genetic conservation of the species, an ex situ gene bank is maintained in Hungary. The present study aimed to analyze the genetic resources of a gene bank with a near 40-year history and to compare it with natural populations and farmed stocks. Twelve microsatellites were used for population genetics analyses and individual genotyping of 268 specimens from two natural habitats (Danube and Tisza Rivers) and three captive stocks (a gene bank broodstock and two farms). Microsatellites revealed similar patterns among wild populations and gene bank stocks and did not show genetic differentiation (FST: 0.016–0.017) among them. These results confirmed that the gene bank broodstock properly represents the genetic background of the Danube and Tisza populations and is suitable as a source of breeding materials for the restocking programs. Negative trends were detected in the farmed stocks, reflected in reduced polymorphism at a few loci. The results of the principal component analyses indicate the farm stocks' separation from the wild and gene bank stocks. The present genetic characterization study reveals a valuable captive stock of the endangered sterlet populations and provides unique information about the genetic similarities and differences among farms and wild stocks in Hungary. Our results provide information that contributes to preserving the genetic structure and variability in sterlet populations and supports the management of gene bank broodstock—avoiding inbreeding and preserving the unique genetic background of the Carpathian basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: The genetic diversity of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora), a cornerstone in the global coffee industry, remains not fully explored, leading to a significant gap in our understanding of its sensory intricacies. Our study evaluated the sensory quality potential of the Robusta cultivars from the INERA Coffee Collection in Yangambi (the Democratic Republic of the Congo), the local wild diversity, and their hybrids. Methods: We evaluated the sensory attributes of 70 genotypes representing the genetic structure of the coffee collection. Of those 70, 22 genotypes were evaluated for two consecutive years to assess the consistency of the sensory quality. Standard coffee cupping with the Fine Robusta Standards and Protocols was enhanced through sensory descriptors from the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel. Each genotype's sensory profile was constructed based on the Total cupping score and the frequency of reported sensory descriptors. The Total cupping score ranged from 75.75 to 84.75, with a substantial variation in sensory profiles, even within a genetic cluster. Results and discussion: Nutty/Cocoa was the most frequently reported descriptor class. The sensory profile ideotype exhibits a high frequency of Fruity, Sweet, and Sour/Fermented descriptors and a low frequency of Green/Vegetative, Other, and Roasted descriptors. Evidence suggests that the sensory profile of a genotype is consistent over two harvest years. Genotypes with promising and unique sensory profiles were discovered within the cultivars and the wild - cultivar hybrids. The genetic diversity of wild and cultivated Robusta in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could play an essential role in understanding and improving its sensory quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundSarbecoviruses are a subgenus of Coronaviridae that mostly infect bats with known potential to infect humans (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2). Populations in Southeast Asia, where these viruses are most likely to emerge, have been undersurveyed to date.MethodsWe surveyed communities engaged in extractive industries and bat guano harvesting from rural areas in Myanmar. Participants were screened for exposure to sarbecoviruses, and their interactions with wildlife were evaluated to determine the factors associated with exposure to sarbecoviruses.ResultsOf 693 people screened between July 2017 and February 2020, 12.1% were seropositive for sarbecoviruses. Individuals were significantly more likely to have been exposed to sarbecoviruses if their main livelihood involved working in extractive industries (logging, hunting, or harvesting of forest products; odds ratio [OR] = 2.71, P = 0.019) or had been hunting/slaughtering bats (OR = 6.09, P = 0.020). Exposure to a range of bat and pangolin sarbecoviruses was identified.ConclusionExposure to diverse sarbecoviruses among high-risk human communities provides epidemiologic and immunologic evidence that zoonotic spillover is occurring. These findings inform risk mitigation efforts needed to decrease disease transmission at the bat-human interface, as well as future surveillance efforts warranted to monitor isolated populations for viruses with pandemic potential.

The genus Macadamia in the Proteaceae family includes four species native to Australia. Two of the four species, M. integrifolia and M. tetraphylla, have recently been utilized to generate domesticated macadamia varieties, grown for their edible nuts. To explore diversity in macadamia genetic resources, a total of 166 wild genotypes, representing all four species, were sequenced. The four species were clearly distinguished as four separate clades in a phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear genome (based upon concatenated nuclear gene CDS and SNPs). The two larger species (M. integrifolia and M. tetraphylla) formed a clade, that had diverged from a clade including the smaller species (M. ternifolia and M. jansenii). The greatest diversity in nuclear and chloroplast genomes was found in the more widely distributed M. integrifolia while the rare M. jansenii showed little diversity. The chloroplast phylogeny revealed a much more complex evolutionary history. Multiple chloroplast capture events have resulted in chloroplast genome clades, including genotypes from different species. This suggests extensive reticulate evolution in Macadamia despite the emergence of the four distinct species that are supported by the analysis of their nuclear genomes. The chloroplast genomes showed strong associations with geographical distribution reflecting limited maternal gene movement in these species that have large seeds. The nuclear genomes showed lesser geographical differences, probably reflecting the longer distance pollen movement. This improved understanding of the distribution of diversity in Macadamia will aid in the conservation of these rare species now found in highly fragmented rainforest remnants.

The knowledge of gut microbial information helps evaluate the nutrition and health of the host and can be used as an important tool for improving wildlife conservation and management. Guizhou golden monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi) is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2023) Red List. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the difference of gut microbiome and resistome among three different groups of Guizhou golden monkeys using a metagenome approach, thus providing valuable insights and tools for management of captive golden monkeys. Fecal samples of Guizhou golden monkeys were collected from three places including Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou (n =3, Wild), Panxi wildlife rescue center in Guizhou (n=3, CapGZ), and Beijing Zoo (n=3, CapBJ). Fecal DNA was extracted and libraries were prepared and then were sequenced on Illumina PE150 platform with 2 × 150 bp paired reads. The results showed that wild Guizhou golden monkeys had lower abundance of Firmicutes, Uroviricota, Spirochaetes, Fibrobacterota, Campylobacterota, and Candidatus Melainabacteria and higher abundance Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria than the two groups of captive monkeys. PCoA analysis showed that fecal samples from three groups could be distinctly separated. Wild monkeys had significantly higher abundance of genes associated with metabolic function, including carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. Among the top 20 ARGs analyzed, more ARGs were detected in the wild monkeys than the rest two groups. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of microbiomes and resistome in wild and captive Guizhou golden monkeys. The data is important for improving the health, management, and conservation of Guizhou golden monkeys based on the deviations in gut microbiome. It also establishes the scientific foundation for future comparative studies on the gut microbiome and resistome of Guizhou golden monkeys and other closely related Rhinopithecus species.

Wildlife translocations are increasingly used to combat declining biodiversity worldwide. Successful translocation often hinges on coexistence between humans and wildlife, yet not all translocation efforts explicitly include human dimensions (e.g., economic incentives, education programs, and conflict reduction assistance). To evaluate the prevalence and associated outcomes of including human dimensions as objectives when planning translocations, we analyze 305 case studies from the IUCN's Global Re-Introduction Perspectives Series. We find that fewer than half of all projects included human dimension objectives (42%), but that projects including human dimension objectives were associated with improved wildlife population outcomes (i.e., higher probability of survival, reproduction, or population growth). Translocation efforts were more likely to include human dimension objectives if they involved mammals, species with a history of local human conflict, and local stakeholders. Our findings underscore the importance of incorporating objectives related to human dimensions in translocation planning efforts to improve conservation success.

Demographic factors are fundamental in shaping infectious disease dynamics. Aspects of populations that create structure, like age and sex, can affect patterns of transmission, infection intensity and population outcomes. However, studies rarely link these processes from individual to population-scale effects. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying demographic differences in disease are frequently unclear. Here, we explore sex-biased infections for a multi-host fungal disease of bats, white-nose syndrome, and link disease-associated mortality between sexes, the distortion of sex ratios and the potential mechanisms underlying sex differences in infection. We collected data on host traits, infection intensity and survival of five bat species at 42 sites across seven years. We found females were more infected than males for all five species. Females also had lower apparent survival over winter and accounted for a smaller proportion of populations over time. Notably, female-biased infections were evident by early hibernation and likely driven by sex-based differences in autumn mating behaviour. Male bats were more active during autumn which likely reduced replication of the cool-growing fungus. Higher disease impacts in female bats may have cascading effects on bat populations beyond the hibernation season by limiting recruitment and increasing the risk of Allee effects.

The increasing global emergence of zoonoses warrants improved awareness of activities that predispose vulnerable communities to greater risk of disease. Zoonotic disease outbreaks regularly occur within Myanmar and at its borders partly due to insufficient knowledge of behavioral risks, hindering participatory surveillance and reporting. This study employed a behavioral surveillance strategy among high-risk populations to understand the behavioral risks for zoonotic disease transmission in an effort to identify risk factors for pathogen spillover. To explore behavioral mechanisms of spillover in Myanmar, we aimed to: (1) evaluate the details around animal contact and types of interaction, (2) assess the association between self-reported unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) and animal contact activities and (3) identify the potential risk factors including behavioral practices of self-reported illness. Participants were enrolled at two community sites: Hpa-An and Hmawbi in Southern Myanmar. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants animal exposures, behaviors and self-reported illnesses. From these responses, associations between (1) animal contact activities and self-reported unusual illnesses, and (2) potential risk factors and self-reported unusual illness were tested. Contact with poultry seemed to be very frequent (91.1%) and many participants reported raising, handling and having poultry in their houses as well as slaughtering or being scratched/bitten by them, followed by contact with rodents (57.8%) and swine (17.9%). Compared to participants who did not have any unusual symptoms, participants who had unusual symptoms in the past year were more likely to have sold dead animals (OR = 13.6, 95% CI 6.8-27.2), slaughtered (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.7-3.3), raised (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 2.3-5.0) or handled animals (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.6), and had eaten sick (OR = 4.4, 95% CI 3.0-6.4) and/or dead animals (OR = 6.0, 95% CI 4.1-8.8) in the same year. Odds of having reported unusual symptoms was higher among those involved in animal production business (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.9-6.2) and animal-involved livelihoods (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.5-7.2) compared to other livelihoods. The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock and wild animals in communities we investigated in Myanmar. The study highlights the specific high-risk behaviors as they relate to animal contact and demographic risk factors for zoonotic spillover. Our findings contribute to human behavioral data needed to develop targeted interventions to prevent zoonotic disease transmission at human-animal interfaces.

Abstract: Effectively promoting the stability and quality of ecosystem services involves the successful management of domesticated species and the control of introduced species. In the pollinator literature, interest and concern regarding pollinator species and pollinator health dramatically increased in recent years. Concurrently, the use of loaded terms when discussing domesticated and non-native species may have increased. As a result, pollinator ecology has inherited both the confusion associated with invasion biology’s lack of a standardized terminology to describe native, managed, or introduced species as well as loaded terms with very strong positive or negative connotations. The recent explosion of research on native bees and alternative pollinators, coupled with the use of loaded language, has led to a perceived divide between native bee and managed bee researchers. In comparison, the bird literature discusses the study of managed (poultry) and non-managed (all other birds) species without an apparent conflict with regard to the use of terms with strong connotations or sentiment. Here, we analyze word usage when discussing non-managed and managed bee and bird species in 3614 ecological and evolutionary biology papers published between 1990 and 2019. Using time series analyses, we demonstrate how the use of specific descriptor terms (such as wild, introduced, and exotic) changed over time. We then conducted co-citation network analyses to determine whether papers that share references have similar terminology and sentiment. We predicted a negative language bias towards introduced species and positive language bias towards native species. We found an association between the term invasive and bumble bees and we observed significant increases in the usage of more ambiguous terms to describe non-managed species, such as wild. We detected a negative sentiment associated with the research area of pathogen spillover in bumble bees, which corroborates the subjectivity that language carries. We recommend using terms that acknowledge the role of human activities on pathogen spillover and biological invasions. Avoiding the usage of loaded terms when discussing managed and non-managed species will advance our understanding and promote effective and productive communication across scientists, general public, policy makers and other stake holders in our society.

Barred loach Nemacheilus fasciatus are unable to reproduce naturally in captivity due to the lack of environmental cues and gonadal maturation occurs slower than in the wild. To optimize breeding procedures for this fish species, we determined whether hormone application via the gills was an effective process and assessed hormone dosage treatments. Oodev™ was used to induce gonadal maturation and Ovaprim™ was used to induce spawning via a topical gill approach. Multiple maturation parameters such as gonadal-somatic index (GSI) and hepatosomatic index (HSI), fecundity, and egg diameter; and spawning parameters such as latency period, egg produce, fertilization rate (FR), hatching rate (HR), survival rate (SR) were recorded and compared between the hormone dosage treatments and control treatment. Both the Oodev™ gonadal maturation induction and Ovaprim™ spawning induction were effectively applied to barred loach via topical gill application. Gonadal maturation parameters were positively correlated with dosage and all were significantly different. Fry survival rate was not different between doses. The optimal dose of Oodev™ (0.75 µL/g fish) resulted in male GSI of 5.334 ± 0.320%, female GSI of 15.501 ± 0.675%, male HSI of 0.416 ± 0.023%, female HSI of 1.670 ± 0.104%, egg fecundity 4584.20 ± 493.216 eggs, egg diameter 0.964 ± 0.0151 mm. Ovaprim™ optimal dosage (3.00 µL/g female and 1.50 µL/g male) was resulted latency period 11.05 ± 0.52 hours, egg produced 3504.83 ± 358.57, FR 96.77 ± 0.88%, HR 83.62 ± 3.78%, and SR 91.44 ± 2.53%.

Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) is now routinely used for estimating abundance and density of wildlife populations. A standard SCR model includes sub-models for the distribution of individual activity centers (ACs) and for individual detections conditional on the locations of these ACs. Both sub-models can be expressed as point processes taking place in continuous space, but there is a lack of accessible and efficient tools to fit such models in a Bayesian paradigm. Here, we describe a set of custom functions and distributions to achieve this. Our work allows for more efficient model fitting with spatial covariates on population density, offers the option to fit SCR models using the semi-complete data likelihood (SCDL) approach instead of data augmentation, and better reflects the spatially continuous detection process in SCR studies that use area searches. In addition, the SCDL approach is more efficient than data augmentation for simple SCR models while losing its advantages for more complicated models that account for spatial variation in either population density or detection. We present the model formulation, test it with simulations, quantify computational efficiency gains, and conclude with a real-life example using non-invasive genetic sampling data for an elusive large carnivore, the wolverine (Gulo gulo) in Norway.

Animal tolerance towards humans can be a key factor facilitating wildlife-human coexistence, yet traits predicting its direction and magnitude across tropical animals are poorly known. Using 10,249 observations for 842 bird species inhabiting open tropical ecosystems in Africa, South America, and Australia, we find that avian tolerance towards humans was lower (i.e., escape distance was longer) in rural rather than urban populations and in populations exposed to lower human disturbance (measured as human footprint index). In addition, larger species and species with larger clutches and enhanced flight ability are less tolerant to human approaches and escape distances increase when birds were approached during the wet season compared to the dry season and from longer starting distances. Identification of key factors affecting animal tolerance towards humans across large spatial and taxonomic scales may help us to better understand and predict the patterns of species distributions in the Anthropocene.

Cancers occur across species. Understanding what is consistent and varies across species can provide new insights into cancer initiation and evolution, with significant implications for animal welfare and wildlife conservation. We build a pan-species cancer digital pathology atlas (panspecies.ai) and conduct a pan-species study of computational comparative pathology using a supervised convolutional neural network algorithm trained on human samples. The artificial intelligence algorithm achieves high accuracy in measuring immune response through single-cell classification for two transmissible cancers (canine transmissible venereal tumour, 0.94; Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease, 0.88). In 18 other vertebrate species (mammalia = 11, reptilia = 4, aves = 2, and amphibia = 1), accuracy (range 0.57-0.94) is influenced by cell morphological similarity preserved across different taxonomic groups, tumour sites, and variations in the immune compartment. Furthermore, a spatial immune score based on artificial intelligence and spatial statistics is associated with prognosis in canine melanoma and prostate tumours. A metric, named morphospace overlap, is developed to guide veterinary pathologists towards rational deployment of this technology on new samples. This study provides the foundation and guidelines for transferring artificial intelligence technologies to veterinary pathology based on understanding of morphological conservation, which could vastly accelerate developments in veterinary medicine and comparative oncology.

Protected areas (PAs) can help address biodiversity loss by promoting conservation while fostering economic development through sustainable tourism. Nature-based tourism can generate economic benefits for communities in and around PAs; however, its impacts do not lend themselves to conventional impact evaluation tools. We utilize a Monte Carlo simulation approach with econometric estimations using microdata to estimate the full economic impact of nature-based tourism on the economies surrounding three terrestrial and two marine PAs. Simulations suggest that nature-based tourism creates significant economic benefits for communities around PAs, including the poorest households, and many of these benefits are indirect, via income and production spillovers. An additional tourist increases annual real income in communities near the PAs by US$169-$2,400, significantly more than the average tourist's expenditure. Conversely, lost tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic costs of human-wildlife conflict have disproportionately large negative impacts on local incomes.

In conifer forests of western North America, wildlife populations can change rapidly in the decade following wildfire as trees die and animals respond to concomitant resource pulses that occur across multiple trophic levels. In particular, black-backed woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) show predictable temporal increases then declines following fire; this trajectory is widely believed to be a response to the woodpeckers' main prey, woodboring beetle larvae of the families Buprestidae and Cerambycidae, but we lack understanding of how abundances of these predators and prey may be associated in time or space. Here, we pair woodpecker surveys over 10 years with surveys of woodboring beetle sign and activity, collected at 128 survey plots across 22 recent fires, to ask whether accumulated beetle sign indicates current or past black-backed woodpecker occurrence, and whether that relationship is mediated by the number of years since fire. We test this relationship using an integrative multi-trophic occupancy model. Our results demonstrate that woodboring beetle sign is a positive indicator of woodpecker presence 1-3 years following fire, an uninformative indicator from 4-6 years after fire, and a negative indicator beginning 7 years following fire. Woodboring beetle activity, itself, is temporally variable and dependent on tree species composition, with beetle sign generally accumulating over time, particularly in stands with diverse tree communities, but decreasing over time in Pinus-dominated stands where faster bark decay rates lead to brief pulses of beetle activity followed by rapid degradation of tree substrate and accumulated beetle sign. Altogether, the strong connections of woodpecker occurrence to beetle activity support prior hypotheses of how multi-trophic interactions govern rapid temporal dynamics of primary and secondary consumers in burned forests. While our results indicate that beetle sign is, at best, a rapidly shifting and potentially misleading measure of woodpecker occurrence, the better we understand the interacting mechanisms underlying temporally dynamic systems, the more successfully we will be able to predict the outcomes of management actions.

Bellinger River virus (BRV) is a serpentovirus (nidovirus) that was likely responsible for the catastrophic mortality of the Australian freshwater turtle Myuchelys georgesi in February 2015. From November 2015 to November 2020, swabs were collected from turtles during repeated river surveys to estimate the prevalence of BRV RNA, identify risk factors associated with BRV infection, and refine sample collection. BRV RNA prevalence at first capture was significantly higher in M. georgesi (10.8%) than in a coexisting turtle, Emydura macquarii (1.0%). For M. georgesi, various risk factors were identified depending on the analysis method, but a positive BRV result was consistently associated with a larger body size. All turtles were asymptomatic when sampled and conjunctival swabs were inferred to be optimal for ongoing monitoring. Although the absence of disease and recent BRV detections suggests a reduced ongoing threat, the potential for the virus to persist in an endemic focus or resurge in cyclical epidemics cannot be excluded. Therefore, BRV is an ongoing potential threat to the conservation of M. georgesi, and strict adherence to biosecurity principles is essential to minimise the risk of reintroduction or spread of BRV or other pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barred loach Nemacheilus fasciatus are unable to reproduce naturally in captivity due to the lack of environmental cues and gonadal maturation occurs slower than in the wild. To optimize breeding procedures for this fish species, we determined whether hormone application via the gills was an effective process and assessed hormone dosage treatments. Oodev™ was used to induce gonadal maturation and Ovaprim™ was used to induce spawning via a topical gill approach. Multiple maturation parameters such as gonadal-somatic index (GSI) and hepatosomatic index (HSI), fecundity, and egg diameter; and spawning parameters such as latency period, egg produce, fertilization rate (FR), hatching rate (HR), survival rate (SR) were recorded and compared between the hormone dosage treatments and control treatment. Both the Oodev™ gonadal maturation induction and Ovaprim™ spawning induction were effectively applied to barred loach via topical gill application. Gonadal maturation parameters were positively correlated with dosage and all were significantly different. Fry survival rate was not different between doses. The optimal dose of Oodev™ (0.75 µL/g fish) resulted in male GSI of 5.334 ± 0.320%, female GSI of 15.501 ± 0.675%, male HSI of 0.416 ± 0.023%, female HSI of 1.670 ± 0.104%, egg fecundity 4584.20 ± 493.216 eggs, egg diameter 0.964 ± 0.0151 mm. Ovaprim™ optimal dosage (3.00 µL/g female and 1.50 µL/g male) was resulted latency period 11.05 ± 0.52 hours, egg produced 3504.83 ± 358.57, FR 96.77 ± 0.88%, HR 83.62 ± 3.78%, and SR 91.44 ± 2.53%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]