Factor In Evolution Research Articles

Unraveling the Impact of Environmental Factors and Evolutionary History on Species Richness Patterns of the Genus Sorbus at Global Level

Understanding the drivers of species richness patterns is a major goal of ecology and evolutionary biology, and the drivers vary across regions and taxa. Here, we assessed the influence of environmental factors and evolutionary history on the pattern of species richness in the genus Sorbus (110 species). We mapped the global species richness pattern of Sorbus at a spatial resolution of 200 × 200 km, using 10,652 specimen records. We used stepwise regression to assess the relationship between 23 environmental predictors and species richness and estimated the diversification rate of Sorbus based on chloroplast genome data. The effects of environmental factors were explained by adjusted R2, and evolutionary factors were inferred based on differences in diversification rates. We found that the species richness of Sorbus was highest in the Hengduan Mountains (HDM), which is probably the center of diversity. Among the selected environmental predictors, the integrated model including all environmental predictors had the largest explanatory power for species richness. The determinants of species richness show regional differences. On the global and continental scale, energy and water availability become the main driving factors. In contrast, climate seasonality is the primary factor in the HDM. The diversification rate results showed no significant differences between HDM and non-HDM, suggesting that evolutionary history may have limited impact on the pattern of Sorbus species richness. We conclude that environmental factors play an important role in shaping the global pattern of Sorbus species richness, while diversification rates have a lesser impact.

Morphological patterns of the European bison (Bison bonasus) skull

This study aimed to investigate the effects of environmental factors, sexual selection, and genetic variation on skull morphology by examining the skull structure of the European bison, a species at risk of extinction, and comparing it to other bovid species. The skull of the European bison was significantly bigger than that of other species of the tribe Bovini, and the results revealed considerable morphological differences in skull shape compared to other Bovini samples. The bison skull exhibited a broader shape in the frontal region and a more laterally oriented cornual process. The frontal bone also significantly influenced skull shape variation within the European bison subspecies. Also, the findings indicated that cornual processes size significantly affected skull shape. Male Bison had larger skulls and more developed cornual ridges, and these morphological changes in the frontal region are thought to have also influenced the nuchal region, maxillary region, and facial bones. Furthermore, the differences in skull size observed between the Lowland-Pszczyna and Lowland-Białowieża lines, which share a closer origin than the Lowland-Carpathian lines, may reflect environmental and genetic adaptations over time. This research provides a reference point for future studies on the ecological and evolutionary factors influencing bison skull variations, with significant implications for the conservation of this species.

CRISPR-Cas spacer acquisition is a rare event in human gut microbiome.

Host-parasite relationships drive the evolution of both parties. In microbe-phage dynamics, CRISPR functions as an adaptive defense mechanism, updating immunity via spacer acquisition. Here, we investigated these interactions within the human gut microbiome, uncovering low frequencies of spacer acquisition at an average rate of one spacer every ∼2.9 point mutations using isolates' whole genomes and ∼2.7 years using metagenome time series. We identified a highly prevalent CRISPR array in Bifidobacterium longum spreading via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), with six spacers found in various genomic regions in 15 persons from the United States and Europe. These spacers, targeting two prominent Bifidobacterium phages, comprised 76% of spacer occurrence of all spacers targeting these phages in all B.longum populations. This result suggests that HGT of an entire CRISPR-Cas system introduced three times more spacers than local CRISPR-Cas acquisition in B.longum. Overall, our findings identified key ecological and evolutionary factors in prokaryote adaptive immunity.

Correlation Between Agricultural Machinery Fleet and Arable Land Area

The paper examines the dependence of grain and crop production volumes on the availability and utilization of land resources in agriculture. (Research purpose) The study carries out a retrospective analysis of overarching trends and correlation between agricultural land area and the size of the tractor fleet. (Materials and methods) The analysis focuses on the evolution of land use systems and the integration of agricultural lands into economic turnover over three distinct historical periods in Russia: 1920-1940, 1945-1990, and 1991-2022. The study identifies key evolutionary factors and development patterns in the correlation between agricultural land area and tractor fleet capacity. (Results and discussion) The analysis reveals that the industrialization and collectivization programs implemented between 1928 and 1940 led to a significant expansion in agricultural land area, increasing from 113 million to 150 million hectares, and in the tractor fleet, which grew from 27,000 to 531,000 units. In 1945, the sown area reached a low of 113.8 million hectares, with the tractor fleet reduced to 397,000 units. By 1960, the development of virgin and fallow lands had expanded the sown area to 203 million hectares, and the tractor fleet had grown to 1,122,000 units. The study further identified that the highest recorded expansion in sown land area, reaching 210.3 million hectares, occurred in 1985 due to an increase in mechanization, with the tractor fleet peaking at 2,830,000 units. From 1991 to 2022, however, a steady decline in the tractor fleet led to the gradual withdrawal of agricultural land from use. In 1991, the tractor fleet stood at 1,344,200 units, but by 2022, it had decreased by 1,147,400 units, leaving only 196,800 units. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the shift from a state-command to a market economy had a profound impact on the trajectory of Russian agricultural development. (Conclusions) The dynamics of soil use over different periods have reflected both extensive and intensive farming methods. The extensive approach involved expanding agricultural land by developing virgin, fallow, and unused lands. Currently, development follows the intensive path, marked by increased mechanization, automation, chemical use, and higher crop yields.

Sex Chromosome Turnovers and Stability in Snakes.

For a long time, snakes were presented as a textbook example of a group with gradual differentiation of homologous ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes. However, recent advances revealed that the ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes characterize only caenophidian snakes and certain species of boas and pythons have nonhomologous XX/XY sex chromosomes. We used genome coverage analysis in four non-caenophidian species to identify their sex chromosomes, and we examined the homology of sex chromosomes across phylogenetically informative snake lineages. We identified sex chromosomes for the first time in 13 species of non-caenophidian snakes, providing much deeper insights into the evolutionary history of snake sex chromosomes. The evolution of sex chromosomes in snakes is more complex than previously thought. Snakes may have had ancestral XX/XY sex chromosomes, which are still present in a blind snake and some boas, and there were several transitions to derived XX/XY sex chromosomes with different gene content and two or even three transitions to ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes. However, we discuss more alternative scenarios. In any case, we document that (1) some genomic regions were likely repeatedly co-opted as sex chromosomes in phylogenetically distant lineages, even with opposite types of heterogamety; (2) snake lineages differ greatly in the rate of differentiation of sex chromosomes; (3) snakes likely originally possessed sex chromosomes prone to turnovers. The sex chromosomes became evolutionarily highly stable once their differentiation progressed in the megadiverse caenophidian snakes. Snakes thus provide an ideal system for studying the evolutionary factors that drive unequal rates of differentiation, turnovers and stability of sex chromosomes.

Hydraulic mechanism of limiting growth and maintaining survival of desert shrubs in arid habitats.

The growth and survival of woody plant species is mainly driven by evolutionary and environmental factors. However, little is known about the hydraulic mechanisms that respond to growth limitation and enable desert shrub survival in arid habitats. To shed light on these hydraulic mechanisms, 9-, 31-, and 56-yr-old Caragana korshinskii plants that had been grown under different soil water conditions at the southeast edge of the Tengger Desert, Ningxia, China, were used in this study. The growth of C. korshinskii was mainly limited by soil water rather than shrub age in nonwatered habitats, which indicated the importance of maintaining shrub survival prior to growth under drought. Meanwhile, higher vessel density, narrower vessels, and lower xylem hydraulic conductivity indicated that shrubs enhanced hydraulic safety and reduced their hydraulic efficiency in arid conditions. Importantly, xylem hydraulic conductivity is mediated by variation in xylem hydraulic architecture-regulated photosynthetic carbon assimilation and growth of C. korshinskii. Our study highlights that the synergistic variation in xylem hydraulic safety and hydraulic efficiency is the hydraulic mechanism of limiting growth and maintaining survival in C. korshinskii under drought, providing insights into the strategies for growth and survival of desert shrubs in arid habitats.

Interspecific variation in defensive flower closure of Drosera (Droseraceae) is related to the herbivory pressure

Abstract Rapid plant movements in response to mechanical stimulation have long captivated mainstream interest. The flowers of Drosera species, notably studied for their defensive closure upon touch, protect their ovules from the specialist herbivore caterpillar Buckleria paludum. Although several species within Drosera exhibit variation in the speed of flower closure, the evolutionary and ecological contexts of these differences remain unclear. We hypothesize that the interspecific variation in flower closure speed has evolved in response to differing levels of herbivory pressure. Using Drosera rotundifolia and Drosera tokaiensis, we investigated the relationships between flower closure speed, effectiveness in ovule defence, herbivory pressure in nature, and the potential cost of flower closure. Our results indicate that D. tokaiensis, which exhibits faster flower closure than D. rotundifolia, more effectively reduces ovule damage due to B. paludum feeding attempts. Field surveys revealed that D. tokaiensis experiences higher herbivory pressure, likely due to its preference for drier microhabitats, which may influence the evolution of its rapid closure response. These findings enhance our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors driving the diversification of rapid plant movements and contribute to the emerging field of plant behavioural ecology.

The Influence of Microbiota on Wild Birds' Parental Coprophagy Behavior: Current Advances and Future Research Directions.

This comprehensive review provides an in-depth exploration of the intriguing phenomenon of parental coprophagy in wild birds and its profound implications on the influence of adult avian parents' health. This review investigates the composition and dynamics of avian feces' microbiota, casting light on the various dietary, environmental, and genetic factors that influence its diversity. Furthermore, it emphasizes parental coprophagy, a behavior observed in numerous bird species, particularly among herbivorous and passerine birds. The review investigates multiple hypotheses proposed to explain the occurrence of coprophagy. It delves into its function as a potential mechanism for transmitting microorganisms, particularly feces bacteria, from nestlings to their parents. This microbial transfer may affect the health and well-being of adult avian parents. In addition, the review highlights the current research deficits and debates surrounding coprophagy. These gaps include crucial aspects such as the onset of coprophagy, its long-term effects on both parents and offspring, the nutritional implications of consuming nestling feces, the potential risks of pathogen transmission, and the ecological and evolutionary factors that drive this behavior. As the review synthesizes existing knowledge and identifies areas requiring additional research, it emphasizes the significance of future studies that comprehensively address these gaps. By doing so, we can understand coprophagy's ecological and evolutionary significance in wild birds, advancing our knowledge on avian biology. This information can improve conservation efforts to protect migratory bird populations and their complex ecosystems.

Nocturnal playback experiments: The response of two European species of birds to singing of foreign male at night.

Recent studies have shown that nocturnal singing in diurnal birds is a common phenomenon, however, the understanding of the mechanisms, functions and consequences of this behaviour has been lacking. We focused on the night singing of two diurnal songbirds-the yellowhammer and the common chaffinch that are widely distributed in Europe. We conducted day and night playback experiments, during which we broadcast songs of an unfamiliar male to the territory holder at two different stages of the breeding season, to examine whether the night singing in species which normally do not sing at night elicits responses from their conspecifics. We hypothesized that if nocturnal singing had no function, birds would ignore the night-time playback and respond only to the daytime intrusion. Otherwise, a response to the night-time playback would suggest that night singing may increase reproductive success but is limited by ecological factors. We found that, in contrast to the diurnal experiment, neither species responded vocally to the nocturnal playback. In yellowhammers, the probability of flights was higher during and after the playback than before it. This pattern was similar both during the day and night and did not differ between the stages of the season. For the common chaffinches, the probability of flight was low at night and constant across treatments, in contrast to the day when we observed more flights during the playback stage than before and after it. The playback of either species' songs at night caused the approach of predators, which was not observed during the day. The observed discrepancy in the probability of flights between the species suggests that nocturnal singing is a functional trait that affects other individuals in a specific context. Nocturnal singing does not seem to be a simple behaviour that extends during the day; it is a complex mechanism potentially dependent on specific conditions related to intraspecific communication, predatory pressure, local female access, or species' evolutionary history. We emphasise that those ecological and evolutionary factors need to be taken into account to understand this phenomenon widely.

Bridging generations: how primary school students and primary school prospective teachers view animals

This study explored and compared attitudes toward animals between primary school students and primary school prospective teachers, focusing on educational and cognitive influences. A cross-sectional survey of 100 primary school students and 102 primary school prospective teachers assessed animal behavior, animal attitudes, species conservation preferences, and general animal preferences. Data analysis revealed attitude similarities and differences. Primary school students often categorized animals as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, while prospective teachers displayed a more balanced understanding due to higher education. Both groups preferred killing non-appealing animals and showed a bias towards conservation of culturally positive animals. Regarding common fears, both groups showed similar inclinations, shaped by evolutionary and cultural factors. The results showed that, broadly, preferences and attitudes towards animals and animal conservation are already formed at the primary school stage, although some of these aspects seem to be modulated along students’ education process. Therefore, findings highlight the need for educational interventions promoting positive attitudes towards all animals, with balanced narratives and enhanced training for prospective teachers. This study contributes to the broader understanding of environmental and sustainability education by highlighting the importance of early and higher education in shaping animal conservation attitudes.

Ecological and Evolutionary Factors Contribute to the Uneven Diversification of Firs in the Northern Hemisphere

ABSTRACTAimThe Northern Hemisphere harbours the greatest diversity of temperate plants on Earth, with East Asia having the highest species richness compared with North America and Europe. When and how this uneven diversification pattern emerged remains unclear. Here, we use a conifer genus that forms extensive forests in the Northern Hemisphere to explore a fundamental question in ecology and evolution: what processes underlie temperate biodiversity through time and space?LocationThe Northern Hemisphere.TaxonAbies.MethodsTo reconstruct a well‐supported framework for estimating diversification rate, we performed phylogenetic analyses using concatenation and coalescent methods based on 58 fir taxa and 56 nuclear single‐copy genes. Niche evolution was explored using species occurrence data and environmental factors based on the l1ou model. Multiple regression was carried out to identify correlations between species richness and environmental variables at global and regional scales, to evaluate factors of species diversity preference, and potentially to explain the evolutionary history of firs.ResultsWe identified East Asia as having the highest species diversity and speciation rate. Two clade‐specific niche shifts corresponding with the distribution of firs were detected, one in the Himalaya‐Hengduan Mountains (c. 12.2 Ma) and the other in the Mexican highlands (c. 14.3 Ma), but none in the Euro‐Mediterranean region. Fir species richness increased with cool temperatures both globally and regionally. Seasonal precipitation showed significant positive correlation to species richness on a global scale and in North America and the Euro‐Mediterranean region. Soil factors showed significant trends and moderate correlations with species richness in the Himalaya‐Hengduan Mountains and Mexican highlands.Main ConclusionsOur results indicate that modern firs prefer cool climates with seasonal rainfall. East Asian firs experienced niche shifts with the Himalayan orogeny in the Middle Miocene. Novel heterogeneous habitats due to changes in topography and the establishment of a monsoon climate, accompanied by niche shift, can account for the high speciation of firs in East Asia. A similar process is found in the Mexican highland firs. In contrast, cold–dry continental climate in North America since the late Paleogene and the lack of seasonal rainfall and relatively stable topography in the Euro‐Mediterranean region are the main limiting factors for fir diversification. Our study rejects the ‘clade age’ hypothesis but supports the hypothesis that niche shift related to high diversification rate triggered by environmental heterogeneity underlies the uneven species diversity of the Northern Hemisphere.

Saturation of the compression of two interacting magnetized plasma toroids evidenced in the laboratory.

Interactions between magnetic fields advected by matter play a fundamental role in the Universe at a diverse range of scales. A crucial role these interactions play is in making turbulent fields highly anisotropic, leading to observed ordered fields. These in turn, are important evolutionary factors for all the systems within and around. Despite scant evidence, due to the difficulty in measuring even near-Earth events, the magnetic field compression factor in these interactions, measured at very varied scales, is limited to a few. However, compressing matter in which a magnetic field is embedded, results in compression up to several thousands. Here we show, using laboratory experiments and matching three-dimensional hybrid simulations, that there is indeed a very effective saturation of the compression when two independent parallel-oriented magnetic fields regions encounter one another due to plasma advection. We found that the observed saturation is linked to a build-up of the magnetic pressure, which decelerates and redirects the inflows at their encounter point, thereby stopping further compression. Moreover, the growth of an electric field, induced by the incoming flows and the magnetic field, acts in redirecting the inflows transversely, further hampering field compression.

Phylogenomic analyses of hamsters (Cricetinae) inferred from GBS data and mitochondrial genomes

Accurate species delimitation and identification is crucial for species conservation, providing a foundation for studies on evolutionary biology, ecology, and essentially all biological disciplines. The subfamily Cricetinae (Cricetidae, Rodentia), known as hamsters, is widely distributed in the Palearctic region. At present, there are nine genera and 18 species of hamsters are recognized worldwide, although the taxonomic status of certain taxa remains unclear. In this study, we collected 146 hamster specimens representing 14 species and generated new mitochondrial genomes and nuclear genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to explore their relationships among these hamsters using multiple species delimitation approaches. Results showed: (1) strong phylogenetic support for the classification of Urocricetus, Nothocricetulus, and Cansumys as separate genera; (2) Urocricetus contained two separate species, U. kamensis and U. lama, with U. alticola and U. tibetanus considered synonyms of U. lama; (3) U. kamensis and U. lama are separated by the Nujiang River, with the matching divergence time suggesting that the formation of the river was the primary evolutionary factor driving the species differentiation, and (4) genetic differentiation occurred within the Tscherskia genus, which included two cryptic species.

Population size rescaling significantly biases outcomes of forward-in-time population genetic simulations.

Simulations are an essential tool in all areas of population genetic research, used in tasks such as the validation of theoretical analysis and the study of complex evolutionary models. Forward-in-time simulations are especially flexible, allowing for various types of natural selection, complex genetic architectures, and non-Wright-Fisher dynamics. However, their intense computational requirements can be prohibitive to simulating large populations and genomes. A popular method to alleviate this burden is to scale down the population size by some scaling factor while scaling up the mutation rate, selection coefficients, and recombination rate by the same factor. However, this rescaling approach may in some cases bias simulation results. To investigate the manner and degree to which rescaling impacts simulation outcomes, we carried out simulations with different demographic histories and distributions of fitness effects using several values of the rescaling factor, Ǫ, and compared the deviation of key outcomes (fixation times, allele frequencies, linkage disequilibrium, and the fraction of mutations that fix during the simulation) between the scaled and unscaled simulations. Our results indicate that scaling introduces substantial biases to each of these measured outcomes, even at small values of Ʈ. Moreover, the nature of these effects depends on the evolutionary model and scaling factor being examined. While increasing the scaling factor tends to increase the observed biases, this relationship is not always straightforward, thus it may be difficult to know the impact of scaling on simulation outcomes a priori. However, it appears that for most models, only a small number of replicates was needed to accurately quantify the bias produced by rescaling for a given Ʈ. In summary, while rescaling forward-in-time simulations may be necessary in many cases, researchers should be aware of the rescaling procedure's impact on simulation outcomes and consider investigating its magnitude in smaller scale simulations of the desired model(s) before selecting an appropriate value of Ʈ.

A global overview of insect-fern interactions and its ecological trends.

Historically, ferns have been described as underutilized by insects. However, studies have shown a diversity of insects interacting with ferns, although the evolutionary and ecological drivers of these interactions are still to be untangled. To fill these gaps, we compiled more than 100 yr of global data on insect-fern interactions from the literature comprising 374 fern and 649 insect species. With this database we assessed how fern trophic specialization, phylogenetic relationships and climate have shaped their interactions with insects. Our findings showed that interactions between ferns and insects can be explained by the phylogenetic relations among them. We observed that insect orders part of the Endopterygota clade tend to interact with similar fern species, which might be a result of the inheritance of Endopterygota ancestors probably due to phylogenetic niche conservationism. Under an ecological context, fern specialization increased with temperature, precipitation, and climatic stability. Our results show that climate might be one of the main factors explaining the spatial variation of insect-fern interactions, postulate also supported by the observed phylogenetic clustering of the studied ferns species. Our study highlights the intricate and multifaceted nature of insect-fern interactions, where evolutionary history and ecological factors converge to shape these relationships.

Dynamics of Barred Coast at Different Temporal Scales (by the Example of Vistula Spit in the Baltic Sea)

According to fundamental concepts, the morphodynamic system of an accumulative sandy coast with underwater bars exhibits cyclic behavior across various time scales. This raises the question: which factor is more significant for the dynamics of a given coast—individual storms or seasonal changes in wave activity? While observations and studies addressing this issue have primarily been conducted on oceanic coasts, there is a lack of comparable data for fetch-limited areas. Monitoring of the bottom topography along the west coast of Vistula Spit (Baltic Sea) revealed a cyclic behavior in morphology, transitioning from a straightened external bar to its connection with the shore. Analysis of field measurement results indicated that seasonal variations in wave intensity do not significantly impact coastal relief. Furthermore, it was found that the complete cycle of underwater bar evolution lasts approximately two years, during which the coast profile maintains a stable shape at the stage of the straightened external bar. The identification of the primary factor influencing coastal evolution can be characterized by the Dean number (Ω), which combines wave parameters (wave height and period) with sediment fall velocity. Utilizing ERA5 wave reanalysis data, we compared the variability of Ω values on both annual and monthly scales. The analysis revealed that for the section of the coast under consideration, there is no clearly dominant evolutionary factor; rather, the coast is influenced approximately equally by individual storm events and seasonal fluctuations in wave energy. Modeling storm-induced bed profile deformations using the CROSS-PB model demonstrated that the position of the external underwater bar remains nearly constant even during intense and prolonged storms. It is concluded that under specific conditions—determined by a combination of sediment size, coastal slope, and wave regime characteristics—the coast can remain stable, exhibiting minimal response to relatively strong storms and seasonal variations in wave energy. Such coasts are characterized by an absence of a dominant evolutionary factor as indicated by fluctuations in the Dean parameter, allowing their morphodynamic cycles to span several seasons. This type of morphodynamics in coastal accumulative relief appears to be typical for conditions found in fetch-limited areas, such as regional and semi-closed seas.

BGC Atlas: a web resource for exploring the global chemical diversity encoded in bacterial genomes.

Secondary metabolites are compounds not essential for an organism's development, but provide significant ecological and physiological benefits. These compounds have applications in medicine, biotechnology and agriculture. Their production is encoded in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), groups of genes collectively directing their biosynthesis. The advent of metagenomics has allowed researchers to study BGCs directly from environmental samples, identifying numerous previously unknown BGCs encoding unprecedented chemistry. Here, we present the BGC Atlas (https://bgc-atlas.cs.uni-tuebingen.de), a web resource that facilitates the exploration and analysis of BGC diversity in metagenomes. The BGC Atlas identifies and clusters BGCs from publicly available datasets, offering a centralized database and a web interface for metadata-aware exploration of BGCs and gene cluster families (GCFs). We analyzed over 35000 datasets from MGnify, identifying nearly 1.8 million BGCs, which were clustered into GCFs. The analysis showed that ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptidesare the most abundant compound class, with most GCFs exhibiting high environmental specificity. We believe that our tool will enable researchers to easily explore and analyze the BGC diversity in environmental samples, significantly enhancing our understanding of bacterial secondary metabolites,and promote the identification of ecological and evolutionary factors shaping the biosynthetic potential of microbial communities.

Cross-sectional survey of gender differences in gross motor skills among preschool children in Jinhua City, China

BackgroundWhile gender differences in ball skills are widely recognized, the differences in locomotor skills remain unclear. This study aims to explore these gender differences among preschool children in Jinhua City, China, and to examine the influence of evolutionary factors and local cultural activities on these skills. MethodsA cluster random sampling method was employed to select 777 preschool children aged 5.1–6.7 years from seven kindergartens in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. The Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3) was used to assess GMS, including locomotor and ball skills. ResultsBoys outperformed girls in ball skills, such as underhand throwing, catching, two-handed striking, and kicking. However, no significant overall gender differences were found in locomotor skills. A deeper analysis revealed that boys excelled in running-related tasks, whereas girls performed better in skipping-related tasks. These findings suggest that TGMD-3 locomotor skills should be divided into running-related and jumping-related categories. The results also show that not all ball skills are dominated by boys, indicating the impact of environmental factors. The findings highlight the role of both evolutionary factors and local cultural activities in shaping these specific gender differences. ConclusionThe study's cross-sectional design provides a snapshot of existing gender differences in motor skills among preschool children. The results suggest the need for gender-sensitive physical education programs to address these disparities early on. Future research should utilize longitudinal methods and objective measures to further understand the development of these skills over time and the underlying factors contributing to these differences.

Distinctive and highly variable bird migration system revealed in Eastern Australia

Our understanding of bird migration is heavily biased toward long-distance movements in the Northern Hemisphere,1,2,3 with only fragmented knowledge from the Southern Hemisphere.4,5 In Australia, while some species migrate,4,6,7,8 the timing and direction of large-scale, multi-species seasonal movements remain critically understudied due to the complexity of movement in this region and a lack of research personnel and infrastructure.7,9 It is still unclear whether there are pronounced and structured mass movements resembling those in the Northern Hemisphere.10,11,12 Here, we analyze data from a latitudinal transect of weather radars spanning the entire coastline of Eastern Australia to determine the magnitude, directions, timing, and variability of bird migration compared to that of Northern Hemisphere migration systems. Bird movements exhibited sequential seasonal peaks along a latitudinal gradient with seasonally contrasting flight directions, confirming that a structured bird migration system exists. Three features were distinct from Northern Hemisphere migrations. First, distinct movements occurred around sunrise with comparable magnitudes to nocturnal migration, likely representing a strong diurnal component to the bird movements. Second, migration intensity averaged 0.06 million birds km-1 in autumn, much lower than Northern Hemisphere migrations.11,12,13 Finally, flight directions were more dispersed, and the timing and amount of migration were highly variable between years compared to Northern Hemisphere migration systems, perhaps in response to variable climate.7 This first quantification of continental-scale movements in Australia revealed a distinctive migration system, and it suggests that much remains to be discovered about the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping animal migrations in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Impact of IQ on Marriage Likelihood: Gender Differences in the UK

This paper explores the relationship between intelligence (IQ) and marriage likelihood, with a focus on gender disparities, particularly in the UK and China. Previous studies have shown that higher intelligence increases the likelihood of marriage for men, while it decreases for women. Through an interdisciplinary analysis of evolutionary, sociological, and biological factors, this paper seeks to explain why such disparities exist. The research highlights that evolutionary pressures traditionally associate intelligence in men with resource acquisition, making them desirable partners, whereas highly intelligent women often face societal resistance due to gender norms that devalue their career achievements in favor of caregiving roles. In the context of China, Confucianism and traditional gender roles further accentuate these disparities, particularly through the persistent practice of hypergamy. The paper concludes with a discussion of how evolving gender roles, media representation, and policy changes can influence future marriage patterns for intelligent women in both the UK and China.