Evolution Research Articles

The Role of Science and Historiography in the Development of Transnational Environmental Law: A New History of the 1900 London Convention for the Preservation of African Wildlife

Abstract Historiographic studies of transnational environmental law (TEL) are increasingly relevant as scholars and practitioners search for ways in which to deliver more quickly and efficiently effective regulation that is responsive to global environmental issues. This article uses new and original archival research to better locate the Convention for the Preservation of Wild Animals, Birds and Fish in Africa (1900 London Convention) in its legal-scientific historical context. Most of the scholarship on this topic draws on historian John M. MacKenzie's groundbreaking analysis of what he called ‘the hunting cult’ and its role in the imperial advance into India, Africa, and elsewhere. When viewed through the dual lens of legal history and the history of science, the late 19th and early 20th centuries represented a period of transition during which a new science-based perspective advanced by evolutionary biologists was embraced by science-minded policymakers, and expressed in domestic law and foreign policy aimed at the preservation of endangered species and the protection of biodiversity. The 1900 London Convention is an early example of a modern TEL instrument informed by science and by values that today most recognize as being critically important and universal. The new history in this article also resonates as an example of how polarizing political narratives can delay law reform and the importance of maintaining focus on collaborative problem solving and science-based regulation of complex transnational environmental issues.

Multiple old differentiation centres around the Alps and complex range expansion patterns in a semi-aquatic insect: the phylogeny and biogeography of the Wormaldia occipitalis species complex (Trichoptera)

The understanding of cryptic species complexes with their often highly interesting biogeographical patterns is still a crucial aspect in evolutionary biology and related disciplines. Trichoptera are a group of insects particularly rich in unresolved groups. One example is the Wormaldia occipitalis species complex in which morphological studies suggest remarkable patterns of differentiation. In order to determine genetic differentiation and phylogenetic structure, one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear markers (CAD, wingless) were analysed for the W. occipitalis species complex around the Alps and northwards to Germany. The morphology-defined differentiation pattern was also observed at the genetic level. The morphologically well distinguishable groups W. occipitalis and W. subterranea were identified as two genetically distant monophyletic groups with about 10 % genetic divergence of the mitochondrial marker. These two taxa likely split during the Mio-Pliocene transition. Genetic analyses revealed four subgroups within W. occipitalis and three within W. subterranea. Several possible postglacial dispersal and differentiation processes are proposed. Thereby, W. occipitalis from the western Alps and individuals of W. subterranea from the eastern Alps spread towards Central Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum. Today, both species groups are sympatric and partly syntopic in the recolonised area in western Germany but apparently allopatric in their centres of origin around the Alps. The high genetic differentiation, lack of detectable genetic evidence for hybridisation, their syntopic distribution and the morphological distinctness indicate that W. occipitalis and W. subterranea are two distinct species. The genetically determined subgroups might represent subspecies.

The Role of Epistemic Communities in Formulating EU Policy: The PrecisionTox Project

Abstract The interface of science and law is a territory frequently occupied by policymakers. In facilitating this interface, epistemic communities have become significant influencers in policymaking, especially at the European Union (EU) level, as a result of its complex multilevel governance system. In this article we assess the quality and nature of interactions between epistemic communities and EU stakeholders on the Horizon-funded project ‘PrecisionTox’, by deploying the concept of epistemic communities developed by Haas, as well as the learning modes of epistemic communities as presented and adapted by Dunlop. The overarching goal of PrecisionTox is to advance the safety assessment of chemicals by establishing a new, cost-effective testing paradigm built from evolutionary theory, which entails reduction, replacement, and refinement of mammalian testing (the 3Rs). The study shows that EU-funded projects can provide an excellent platform for building epistemic communities and forging alliances with EU policymakers, especially when novel technologies may be unlocked and socialized. This study also explores the early interaction of policymakers with epistemic communities through different forms of learning to better understand the complexities surrounding these new technologies in order to set an agenda for policy interventions.

Pseudorabies virus as a zoonosis: scientific and public health implications.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a herpes virus, also known as Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV), which can cause a highly infectious disease pseudorabies (PR) in a variety of mammals. In the past, it has been debated whether PRV can infect humans, but more and more cases of PRV infection have been reported since 2017. The illness has claimed many victims and left survivors with serious sequelae. This indicates that humans may ignore the zoonotic ability of PRV. This review aims to summarize the pathology and pathogenesis of PRV and speculate on how it infects humans. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the progression of PRV, including its virology characteristics, genomic organization, and genetic evolution. It also synthesises the existing literature on PRV infection in humans, and analyses the factors contributing to PRV zoonosis. Finally, the pathogenesis of PRV-infected pigs and other mammals was summarized, and the pathogenesis of PRV-infected humans was speculated.

Evolutionary dynamics with random payoff matrices

Abstract Uncertainty, characterised by randomness and
stochasticity, is ubiquitous in applications of
evolutionary game theory across various fields,
including biology, economics and social sciences.
The uncertainty may arise from various sources
such as fluctuating environments, behavioural
errors or incomplete information. Incorporating
uncertainty into evolutionary models is essential
for enhancing their relevance to real-world
problems. In this perspective article, we survey
the relevant literature on evolutionary dynamics
with random payoff matrices, with an emphasis
on continuous models. We also pose challenging
open problems for future research in this important
area.

Exploring the significant genetic diversity of Iranian isolates of Leishmania RNA virus 2 using whole genome sequence analysis

BackgroundOur work presents the whole genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of five Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) isolates obtained from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Iran.MethodsThe whole genome sequencing of LRV2 was performed using a primer walking approach. The resulting sequences were analyzed for genetic and haplotype diversity, highlighting their independent evolution and significant genetic divergence.ResultsThe whole genome sequence of the current LRV2 showed high genetic and haplotype diversity. The study also revealed the existence of three distinct clades of LRV2, with the LRV2 sequences infecting L. major, L. aethiopica, and sauroleishmania belonging to separate lineages. These lineages have seemingly evolved independently, as the geographic distribution of their flagellate hosts does not overlap with the Leishmania species. The divergence between these three clades is attributed to considerable antiquity, leading to genetic modifications within the viruses residing in them and resulting in structural differences in their genome.ConclusionsThese findings contribute to our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of LRVs, providing valuable insights into their role in Leishmania infections. Further investigations are needed to understand the significance of these polymorphic sites and their potential impact on viral characteristics and disease outcomes.

A Theory of the Evolutionary Role of Hereditary Tumors (carcino-evo-devo): the History and the Current State. Part 1. From General Principles to Hypothesis, and from Hypothesis to New Concept

The theory of the evolutionary role of hereditary tumors, or carcino-evo-devo theory, may be considered as the next step after A.N. Severtsov theory of phylembryogenesis, the theory of evo-devo, and Susumu Ohno theory of evolution by gene duplication. The carcino-evo-devo theory pretends to be a unifying biological theory, because it unifies within an integrated consideration three main types of biological development – individual, evolutionary and neoplastic development. The carcino-evo-devo theory explains a series of unexplained biological phenomena. In the first place, it explains the mechanisms of progressive evolution and biological complexity increase using the concept of relatively unstable transitory forms and autonomous uncontrolled processes. The theory of the evolutionary role of hereditary tumors has formulated several non-trivial predictions in various fields of biology, which have been confirmed in the lab of the author and in other laboratories. The consequences of the carcino-evo-devo theory have implications in medicine and biotechnology. The first part of the article describes the basic principles from which the main hypothesis followed, the progressive developments of the concept, and the first experimental data in support of non-trivial predictions obtained in the laboratory of the author in the period before 2014, when our monograph “Evolution by Tumor Neofunctionalization” (Kozlov, 2014) has been published.

Molecular underpinnings of plasticity and supergene-mediated polymorphism in fire ant queens.

Characterizing molecular underpinnings of plastic traits and balanced polymorphisms represent two important goals of evolutionary biology. Fire ant gynes (pre-reproductive queens) provide an ideal system to study potential links between these phenomena because they exhibit both supergene-mediated polymorphism and nutritional plasticity in weight and colony-founding behavior. Gynes with the inversion supergene haplotype are lightweight and depend on existing workers to initiate reproduction. Gynes with only the ancestral, non-inverted gene arrangement accumulate more nutrient reserves as adults and, in a distinct colony-founding behavior, initiate reproduction without help from workers. However, when such gynes overwinter in the natal nest they develop an environmentally induced lightweight phenotype and colony-founding behavior, similar to gynes with the inversion haplotype that have not overwintered. To evaluate the extent of shared mechanisms between plasticity and balanced polymorphism in fire ant gyne traits, we assessed whether genes with expression variation linked to overwintering plasticity may be affected by evolutionary divergence between supergene haplotypes. To do so, we first compared transcriptional profiles of brains and ovaries from overwintered and non-overwintered gynes to identify plasticity-associated genes. These genes were enriched for metabolic and behavioral functions. Next, we compared plasticity-associated genes to those differentially expressed by supergene genotype, revealing a significant overlap of the two sets in ovarian tissues. We also identified sequence substitutions between supergene variants of multiple plasticity-associated genes, consistent with a scenario in which an ancestrally plastic phenotype responsive to an environmental condition became increasingly genetically regulated.

What you can do for evolutionary developmental linguistics

A growing number of linguistic attempts to explain how languages change use cultural-evolutionary models involving selection or drift. Developmental constraints and biases, which take center stage in evolutionary developmental biology or evo-devo, seem to be absent within this framework, even though linguistics is home to numerous notions of constraint. In this paper, we show how these evo-devo concepts could be applied to linguistic change and why they should. This requires some conceptual groundwork, due to important differences between linguistic and biotic evolution. In biological evolution, development generates the organism's variable traits on which selection and drift act. In linguistic evolution by analogy, we say development generates the linguistic variants on which selection and drift can act. “Linguistic development” then picks out how individual speakers produce and comprehend language. It involves much more than just learning. Using this broad notion of development, we distinguish between different types of bias that could operate in the processes of linguistic innovation and transmission, which correspond to genetic mutation and biological reproduction, respectively. Having thus sharpened our conceptual toolbox, we then reanalyze two well-documented cases of linguistic change and show that, in both these cases, linguists have only considered Neo-Darwinian evolutionary explanations, falsely deploying an exclusive disjunction of selection and drift. We show that there is at least a third relevant alternative in these examples, namely developmental constraint or bias in the sense we explicate here.

From regeneration to the evolution of development and philosophy: the work of professor Galina Korotkova (1924–2009), on the 100th anniversary of her birth

Evolutionary and developmental biology are among the most dynamically developing areas of modern biology. Both have a long and turbulent history, especially in Russia (USSR). However, any science develops thanks to the breakthrough research of individual scientists and scientific teams. In this paper, we briefly analyzed the main theoretical works of Leningrad State University professor G. P. Korotkova (1924–2009), who made a significant contribution to general biology at the end of the twentieth century. G. P. Korotkova is known for her pioneering work in the field of regeneration of invertebrate animals and, first of all, sponges, evolutionary and philosophical aspects of biology. In particular, her contribution to the theoretical aspects of regenerative biology, to the development of philosophical aspects of the problems of wholenessis considered. The principles of her original hypothesis of the origin and phase evolution of ontogenesis are briefly outlined, as well as her ideas regarding the theoretical aspects of the biology and organization of sponges (Porifera).

Collaborative supervision strategies for risk issues of generative artificial intelligence in the tourism industry

ABSTRACT This study investigates the collaborative supervision strategies of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in the hospitality and tourism industry, focusing on managing risks in GAI-based travel recommendations. Using evolutionary game theory and system dynamics, a tripartite model is developed, involving the government, GAI companies, and tourists. Five evolutionarily stable strategies (E1, E5, E6, E7, E8) are identified, showing how stakeholder behaviour evolves under different scenarios. The model operates through ‘dual supervision, one implementation’, with government regulation, tourist monitoring, and GAI self-regulation via AI or manual reviews. Simulations indicate that combined government and tourist involvement enhances self-regulation, with subsidies being more effective than penalties. While GAI companies may currently favour manual reviews, the potential for AI-driven reviews remains substantial. This framework provides practical insights for sustainable GAI governance in tourism.

Bilirubin Reductase Shows Host-Specific Associations in Animal Large Intestines.

Animal gastrointestinal tracts contain diverse metabolites, including various host-derived compounds that gut-associated microbes interact with. Here, we explore the diversity and evolution of bilirubin reductase, a bacterial enzyme that metabolizes the host-derived tetrapyrrole bilirubin, performing a key role in the animal heme degradation pathway. Through an analysis of the bilirubin reductase phylogeny and predicted structures, we found that the enzyme family can be divided into three distinct clades with different structural features. Using these clade definitions, we analyzed metagenomic sequencing data from multiple animal species, finding that bilirubin reductase is significantly enriched in the large intestines of animals and that the clades exhibit differences in distribution among animals. Combined with phylogenetic signal analysis, we find that the bilirubin reductase clades exhibit significant associations with specific animals and animal physiological traits like gastrointestinal anatomy and diet. These patterns demonstrate that bilirubin reductase is specifically adapted to the anoxic lower gut environment of animals and that its evolutionary history is complex, involving adaptation to a diverse collection of animals harboring bilirubin-reducing microbes. The findings suggest that bilirubin reductase evolution has been shaped by the host environment, providing a new perspective on heme metabolism in animals and highlighting the importance of the microbiome in animal physiology and evolution.

NUP155 and NDC1 interaction in NSCLC: a promising target for tumor progression

BackgroundNUP155 was reported to involve breast invasive carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. We hypothesized that NUP155 and NDC1impacted the progression of NSCLC.MethodsThe dataset was analyzed to find differentially expressed genes. Functional enrichment analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed for differentially expressed genes. Western blot, Clone formation assay, Transwell assay and CCK-8 assay were performed to determine the performance and role of the target gene in NSCLC.ResultsThe research found that the NUP family played a role in various diseases. Differential expression analysis and survival analysis were performed to identify 6 related-genes, including NUP155, NDC1, KPNA2, MAD2L1, NUP62CL, and POM121L2NUP155 and NDC1 could interact with NUP53, respectively. This effect was necessary to complete the assembly of the nuclear pore complex.ConclusionNUP155 interacted with NDC1 to complete the assembly of the nuclear pore complex, which promoted the development of NSCLC. Our study demonstrated that NUP155 was expected to be a potential target for the treatment of NSCLC.

The crossroads of clonal evolution, differentiation hierarchy and ontogeny in leukemia development.

Transformative technologies to sequence tumor genomes at large scale and single-cell resolution have exposed the repertoire of genetic alterations that are present in leukemia genomes, the timing of their acquisition and patterns of their co-occurrence. In parallel, single-cell multi-omics technologies are allowing us to map the differentiation paths and hierarchical structures of malignant cells and giving us a glimpse into hematopoietic development in prenatal life. We propose that interrogating how the genetic evolution, differentiation hierarchy and ontogeny of malignant myeloid cells intersect with each other, using new experimental systems and multimodal technologies, will fuel the next generation of research breakthroughs.

A governability lesson for the Blue Economy: the collapse of mobile salmon aquaculture in the Norwegian coastal zone

Inspired by governability and evolutionary governance theory, this paper studies innovative aquaculture technologies that aim to contribute to the transition toward a sustainable blue economy. By tracing path, inter-, and goal dependencies, we explore a case related to developing new production systems in the Norwegian salmon aquaculture industry. As further development using conventional production systems is deemed unsustainable, the government has incentivised technological innovation to alleviate environmental and spatial pressures limiting industry expansion. We describe the work behind enrolling one innovative technology into the coastal governance system. As we find, there are conflicts between the conditions in governance that technological innovations depend on for realisation versus the conditions the governance system depends on for governability. Through our relational approach, we display how innovation challenges governability and that achieving Blue Economy objectives may require considerable political and administrative reorganisation of the existing governance setup.

Ultrahigh-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Advances for Biogeochemical Analysis: From Seafloor Sediments to Petroleum and Marine Oil Spills.

This Perspective explores the transformative impact of ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (UHR-MS), particularly Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR-MS), in the characterization of complex environmental and petroleum samples. UHR-MS has significantly advanced our ability to identify molecular formulas in complex mixtures, revolutionizing the study of biogeochemical processes and organic matter evolution on wide time scales. We start by briefly reviewing the main technological advances of UHR-MS in the context of petroleum and environmental applications, highlighting some of the challenges of the technology such as quantitation and structural identification. We then showcase a selection of impactful applications published in the last 20+ years. In the field of environmental lipidomics, high-resolution analysis of lipids in sediments enables multiproxy studies and provides novel insights into past environmental conditions. UHR-MS has also facilitated the characterization of kerogen, a complex, poorly soluble mixture formed from sedimented organic matter over geological time scales, and the identification of polar compounds within its fractions. In petroleum (geo)chemistry, UHR-MS has enabled the identification of biomarkers such as petroporphyrins, asphaltenes, and high-molecular-weight naphthenic acids, shedding light on the molecular complexity of crude oil. The application of UHR-MS in oil spill science has revealed significant molecular transformations during weathering processes, such as photo-oxidation, which are crucial for assessing the environmental impact of past spills and improving the preparedness for future spills. These advancements underscore the role of this maturing analytical technology in deepening our understanding of geochemical processes and biogeochemical cycles, highlighting its potential for future research directions in organic geochemistry.

Research and Simulation Application of Automatic Generation of Judging Curves for IoT Mobile Devices in Train Driving Operations Incorporating Hybrid Genetic Algorithms

A control system for automatically generating a train operation evaluation curve based on a hybrid genetic algorithm has been proposed in order to improve the safety of automatic train operation. The system is based on Internet of Things (IoT) mobile devices and utilizes various sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, and GPS to collect real-time data on the driver’s acceleration, angular velocity, air pressure, and position, among other parameters. 5G wireless communication technology is used to achieve high-speed data transmission and real-time communication with the cloud. Based on cloud data, a spatial grid area planning model is constructed to automatically generate the train operation evaluation curve. Using a spatial dynamic programming method, the entire network of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains is treated as a whole, and a dynamic model of the EMU train is constructed. The spatial area parameters of the EMU train’s automatic driving operation evaluation curve are combined with the dynamic model analysis method. By identifying and analyzing environmental parameters such as train speed and distance, the EMU train’s automatic driving operation evaluation curve is optimized. A hybrid genetic evolution learning optimization algorithm is used to fit the motion spatial parameters of the EMU train’s automatically generated driving operation evaluation curve, and a spatial behavior analysis simulation is created for the EMU train’s automatically generated control driving operation curve. Through the use of hybrid genetic evolution learning optimization technology, adaptive control and automatic driving operation curve simulation planning for the automatically generated driving operation evaluation curve of the maglev train are achieved, as well as simulation and algorithm optimization design for the automatically generated driving operation evaluation curve of the maglev train. The simulation results show that the method has good adaptability and strong automatic control capability. The experimental results demonstrate the control effect of the proposed method on energy consumption and train stopping error, indicating that the proposed method can effectively improve the parameter adjustment and offset correction ability of the evaluation curve generated by the high-speed train driving operation.

How can statistical models improve the accuracy of phylogenetic tree reconstruction?

When building the phylogenetic tree, current methods for calculating phylogenetic trees often lack the desired level of accuracy. This research paper explores the role of statistical models in enhancing the precision of phylogenetic tree reconstruction. The phylogenetic tree plays an important role in phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary biology. An accurate phylogenetic tree underpins our understanding of the major transitions in evolution, such as the emergence of new body plans or metabolism. Recent advancements in statistical modeling have more elaborate improvements than traditional methods. For example, Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood estimation provide frameworks for evaluating phylogenetic relationships by incorporating probability distributions and likelihood functions. These models account for the inherent uncertainties and variations in genetic data, leading to more accurate tree constructions. Moreover, using statistical models allows for the incorporation of complex evolutionary processes such as variable rates of evolution across lineages, horizontal gene transfer, and hybridization events. Techniques like Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and bootstrap methods enhance the reliability of the inferred phylogenies by providing measures of confidence for the estimated relationships. Using these advanced statistical approaches, researchers can gain more accurate and reliable phylogenetic trees. Through a comprehensive review of current methodologies and case studies, this study aims to highlight statistical models' significant impact on evolutionary biology and the broader field of phylogenetics analysis and evolutionary biology.

A microRNA is the effector gene of a classic evolutionary hotspot locus.

In Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the genomic region around the gene cortex is a "hotspot" locus, repeatedly implicated in generating intraspecific melanic wing color polymorphisms across 100 million years of evolution. However, the identity of the effector gene regulating melanic wing color within this locus remains unknown. We show that none of the four candidate protein-coding genes within this locus, including cortex, serve as major effectors. Instead, a microRNA (miRNA), mir-193, serves as the major effector across three deeply diverged lineages of butterflies, and its role is conserved in Drosophila. In Lepidoptera, mir-193 is derived from a gigantic primary long noncoding RNA, ivory, and it functions by directly repressing multiple pigmentation genes. We show that a miRNA can drive repeated instances of adaptive evolution in animals.

A reinterpretation of the past 2.5 billion years of Earth’s tectonic history: Two episodes each of plate and single-lid tectonics

This paper reinterprets the past 2.5 billion years of Earth’s tectonic history as four alternating episodes when plate tectonics dominated and when it did not. Solar System exploration over the past 50 years reveals that 75% of the four actively convecting silicate bodies (Venus, Earth, Mars, and Io) do not have plate tectonics. Instead, their deformed and magmatically active lithospheres are better characterized as coherent, if deformed, single lids. I identified geologic indicators of plate tectonic regimes and single-lid tectonic regimes, used published compilations of these, and worked backward in time to 2.5 Ga. This analysis reveals four distinct tectonic episodes, two each of plate tectonics and single-lid tectonics. The youngest is the current episode of plate tectonics (PT2), which began at ca. 800 Ma. PT2 was preceded by an ∼600-m.y.-long episode of single-lid tectonics during the Mesoproterozoic (SL2). SL2 was preceded by an ∼300-m.y.-long episode of plate tectonics in mid-Paleoproterozoic time (PT1). The oldest post-2.5 Ga tectonic episode was an enigmatic ∼200-m.y.-long interval of single-lid tectonics in early Paleoproterozoic time (SL1). Each episode is separated from earlier and later episodes by transitional periods lasting 100−200 m.y. This reinterpretation of Earth’s post-2.5 Ga tectonic history helps to explain why Earth’s mantle is warmer than it would be if it had cooled as rapidly as it is cooling today—that is, if plate tectonics operated continuously during this time. It also moots the question of “When did plate tectonics start?” and suggests that a better question is, “How far back in time can we confidently reconstruct Earth’s tectonic history?” The reframed question provides new research opportunities and insights into mineralization, climate, and biologic evolution, and opens the door to a better understanding of Archean, especially Late Archean, tectonics.