Face Extinction Research Articles

Phylogenetic Diversity Rankings in the Face of Extinctions: The Robustness of the Fair Proportion Index.

Planning for the protection of species often involves difficult choices about which species to prioritize, given constrained resources. One way of prioritizing species is to consider their "evolutionary distinctiveness," (ED) that is, their relative evolutionary isolation on a phylogenetic tree. Several evolutionary isolation metrics or phylogenetic diversity indices have been introduced in the literature, among them the so-called Fair Proportion (FP) index (also known as the ED score). This index apportions the total diversity of a tree among all leaves, thereby providing a simple prioritization criterion for conservation. Here, we focus on the prioritization order obtained from the FP index and analyze the effects of species extinction on this ranking. More precisely, we analyze the extent to which the ranking order may change when some species go extinct and the FP index is recomputed for the remaining taxa. We show that for each phylogenetic tree, there are edge lengths such that the extinction of one leaf per cherry completely reverses the ranking. Moreover, we show that even if only the lowest-ranked species goes extinct, the ranking order may drastically change. We end by analyzing the effects of these two extinction scenarios (extinction of the lowest-ranked species and extinction of one leaf per cherry) for a collection of empirical and simulated trees. In both cases, we can observe significant changes in the prioritization orders, highlighting the empirical relevance of our theoretical findings. [Biodiversity conservation; Fair Proportion index; phylogenetic diversity; species prioritization.].

On Lyric Shame and Extinction

ABSTRACT According to a UN report published in 2019, up to one million species face extinction by 2100. Such a scale of loss outpaces language. Drawing on Denise Riley’s work on the autonomy of language, this article argues that contemplating extinction involves attending to language’s capacity to speak outside its context. Mindful of the 40% of amphibian life under threat of extinction, it examines three poems about frogs, by Paul Muldoon, Kathleen Jamie, and Vahni (Anthony Ezekiel) Capildeo, as instances of Riley’s concept of ‘lyric shame’, where the poet acknowledges the ‘voice of language itself … trying to speak’. Focusing on allusion, apostrophe, and ekphrasis (facets of the poem that involve a clinamen, a turn away from or towards the subject) it argues that the lyric poem – as an occasion where shame gives rise to song – can also be a vehicle for encountering the lament of long-neglected non-human voices.

Improving biodiversity protection through artificial intelligence

Over a million species face extinction, highlighting the urgent need for conservation policies that maximize the protection of biodiversity to sustain its manifold contributions to people’s lives. Here we present a novel framework for spatial conservation prioritization based on reinforcement learning that consistently outperforms available state-of-the-art software using simulated and empirical data. Our methodology, conservation area prioritization through artificial intelligence (CAPTAIN), quantifies the trade-off between the costs and benefits of area and biodiversity protection, allowing the exploration of multiple biodiversity metrics. Under a limited budget, our model protects significantly more species from extinction than areas selected randomly or naively (such as based on species richness). CAPTAIN achieves substantially better solutions with empirical data than alternative software, meeting conservation targets more reliably and generating more interpretable prioritization maps. Regular biodiversity monitoring, even with a degree of inaccuracy characteristic of citizen science surveys, further improves biodiversity outcomes. Artificial intelligence holds great promise for improving the conservation and sustainable use of biological and ecosystem values in a rapidly changing and resource-limited world.

Improving Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk.) Plantlet Formation Using Various Types and Concentrations of Auxins

<p><em><span lang="EN-US">Aquilaria malaccensis</span></em><span lang="EN-US"> Lamk</span><span lang="EN-US">.</span><span lang="EN-US"> is one of the most </span><span lang="EN-US">widespread</span><span lang="EN-US"> agarwood-producing plants </span><span lang="EN-US">that</span><span lang="EN-US"> face extinction due to overexploitation. Agarwood propagation using <em>in vitro </em>culture techniques is capable of producing large quantities of plants in a shorter time and free from pests and diseases. </span><span lang="EN-US">Therefore, this </span><span lang="EN-US">study</span><span lang="EN-US"> was conducted to analyze</span><span lang="EN-US"> the effect of auxins type and concentration on agarwood plantlet formation using a split-plot design. The main plot was the type of auxin which included IAA, IBA and NAA</span><span lang="EN-US">, while the</span><span lang="EN-US"> subplot was the concentration used which consisted of 0; 5; 10; 15 and 20 µM. The variable observed was agarwood plantlet formation with parameters measured including the number of shoots</span><span lang="EN-US"> and</span><span lang="EN-US"> leaves, plant height, and number of roots. The results showed that the formation of agarwood plantlets was controlled by the type, concentration, and interaction between the type and concentration of auxin. Furthermore, explants cultured on Murashige Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 10 µM IBA produced the highest number of shoots (3.39 shoots explant<sup>-1</sup>) and leaves (7.25 leaves explants<sup>-1</sup>), while the addition of 10 uM NAA resulted in the highest number of roots (2.52 roots explant<sup>-1</sup>). This is the first time a study is conducted to evaluate the effect of type and concentration of auxins on agarwood plantlet formation</span><span lang="EN-US">.</span><span lang="EN-US"> The production of high-quality shoots and plantlets increased agarwood germplasm availability to prevent extinction and support sustainable production.</span></p>

The multicausal twilight of\xa0South American native mammalian predators (Metatheria, Sparassodonta)

Sparassodonts were the apex mammalian predators of South America throughout most of the Cenozoic, diversifying into a wide array of niches including fox-like and even saber-toothed forms. Their extinction is still controversial, with different authors suggesting competition with other predators (placental carnivorans, terror birds, and carnivorous opossums), extinction of prey, and climate change as causal explanations. Here, we analyse these hypotheses using a novel approach implicating Bayesian analyses. We find that speciation and extinction rates of sparassodonts can be correlated with (i) intrinsic biotic factors such as changes in body mass and diversity of sparassodonts, (ii) extrinsic biotic factors such as potential prey diversity, and iii) extrinsic abiotic factors like the atmospheric CO2, sea level, temperature, and uplift of the Andes. Thus, sparassodonts are a good example of a multilevel mixed model of evolution, where various factors drove the evolutionary history of this clade in a pluralistic way. There is no evidence for competition between Sparassodonta and others predators, and the effect of competition in the face of extinctions of fossil species should be tested and not assumed. Furthermore, we propose a novel approach for evaluating the fossil record when performing macroevolutionary analyses.

Natural Selection of Independently Originated Life Clades

AbstractLife on Earth descends from a common ancestor. However, it is likely that there are other instances of life in the universe. If so, each abiogenesis event will have given rise to an independently originated life clade (IOLC), of which Earth-life is an example. In this paper, I argue that the set of all IOLCs in the universe forms a Darwinian population subject to natural selection, with more widely dispersed IOLCs being less likely to face extinction. As a result, we should expect that, over time, more planets will become inhabited by fewer, more successful IOLCs.

The first de novo genome assembly and sex marker identification of Pluang Chomphu fish (Tor tambra) from Southern Thailand

The Tor genus belongs to the group of cyprinid fish commonly known as mahseer. Although Tor species are rapidly declining in the wild, and some face extinction, ambiguities in species identification hinder their collection and conservation. We conducted a genome survey of male and female Tor tambra collected in Thailand. The genome sizes of the male and female fish were approximately 1,671 and 1,645 Mb, respectively, with repeat contents of approximately 33%. The heterozygosity ratios of the male and female fish, which were 0.34% and 0.39%, respectively, suggested that the sex of T. tambra is determined by the ZW system. A sex marker was identified in silico and confirmed by PCR amplification. The result indicated that T. tambra has a ZZ/ZW sex determination system. Subsequently, comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses of T. tambra and other fish in the Cyprinidae family were performed to explore the genetic diversity and evolution of the species. We also assembled the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of the T. tambra collected in Thailand. A phylogenetic tree of different Tor species, constructed based on mitochondrial genome sequences, indicated that T. tambra was closely related to T. tambroides. We believe this is the first genome survey of a species from the Tor genus or Mahseer group. Our results may help identify Tor species, providing a reference for genetic studies of the Tor genus and other mahseer fish.

Seasonal ecophysiological variations of Echinocactus platyacanthus, a specially protected cactus species: Effect of induced climate warming

Cactus species are key components in American deserts and have a high socioeconomic value. Climate change exerts a threat to biodiversity, structure and functioning within deserts and many cactus species are predicted to face extinction because of climate change. Defining which plant species could tolerate climate change effects in desert ecosystems acquires crucial importance to promote conservation of these species. Echinocactus platyacanthus is a specially protected cactus species, widely distributed in desert areas of Mexico; however, long-term implications of climate change on survival and physiological responses of this species are still unclear. We assessed the effect of induced warming in the photosynthetic performance and survival on five-years old individuals of Echinocactus platyacanthus for a year. Open-top chambers (OTCs) were used to simulate the effect of global warming (a drive of climate change), while controls were exposed to the current climatic conditions. A generalized canonical correlation analysis was used to measure the intensity of the relationship among environmental variables (mean air temperature, evapotranspiration, global photon flux density, and rainfall), micro-environmental (mean temperature, mean relative humidity and photosynthetic photon flux density) and ecophysiological variables [effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Φ PSII ) and electron transport rate (ETR), both within and outside of OTCs]. OTCs had higher temperature than control plots through the seasons. Echinocactus platyacanthus showed higher seasonal variations in photosynthetic performance under warming than in current temperature; nevertheless, 100% survival in both treatments were found. The Φ PSII and ETR values were lower in summer inside OTCs but increased in autumn and winter. We found a strongest correlation between environmental and micro-environmental variables, as well as between micro-environmental and ecophysiological ones, which support the premise that the young individuals of E. platyacanthus depends on the microenvironment to survive. Although after a continuous year under induced warming, individuals of E. platyacanthus showed a decrease in the Φ PSII values during summer and spring and an increase in autumn and winter, survival was not affected. These results reflect the high tolerance in early developmental phases of E. platyacanthus , an adequate functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus of this species could be an efficient physiological mechanism to face future climate change. • We assessed the seasonal effect of induced warming on Echinocactus platyacanthus. • A canonical correlation analysis was applied to assess different sets of variables. • Environmental, micro-environmental, and ecophysiological variables were assessed. • Photosynthetic responses were impacted, but survival was not affected. • We found a strongest correlation among environmental and ecophysiological variables.

Identifying and mitigating the impacts on primates oftransportation and service corridors.

Most primate populations are declining; 60% of species face extinction. The expansion of transportation and service corridors (T&S) (i.e., roads and railways and utility and service lines) poses a significant yet underappreciated threat. With the development of T&S corridors predicted to increase across primates' ranges, it is necessary to understand the current extent of its impacts on primates, the available options to mitigate these effectively, and recognize research and knowledge gaps. By employing a systematic search approach to identify literature that described the relationship between primates and T&S corridors, we extracted information from 327 studies published between 1980 and 2020. Our results revealed that 218 species and subspecies across 62 genera are affected, significantly more than the 92 listed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The majority of studies took place in Asia (45%), followed by mainland Africa (31%), the Neotropics (22%), and Madagascar (2%). Brazil, Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea, Vietnam, and Madagascar contained the greatest number of affected primate species. Asia featured the highest number of species affected by roads, electrical transmission lines, and pipelines and the only studies addressing the impact of rail and aerial tramways on primates. The impact of seismic lines only emerged in the literature from Africa and the Neotropics. Impacts are diverse and multifaceted, for example, animal-vehicle collisions, electrocutions, habitat loss and fragmentation, impeded movement and genetic exchange, behavioral changes, exposure to pollution, and mortality associated with hunting. Although several mitigation measures were recommended, only 41% of studies focused on their implementation, whereas only 29% evaluated their effectiveness. Finally, there was a clear bias in the species and regions benefiting from research on this topic. We recommend that government and conservation bodies recognize T&S corridors as a serious and mounting threat to primates and that further research in this area is encouraged.

Advancing Genetic Methods in the Study of Parrot Biology and Conservation

Parrots (Psittaciformes) are a well-studied, diverse group of birds distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Today, one-third of their species face extinction, mainly due to anthropogenic threats. Emerging tools in genetics have made major contributions to understanding basic and applied aspects of parrot biology in the wild and in captivity. In this review, we show how genetic methods have transformed the study of parrots by summarising important milestones in the advances of genetics and their implementations in research on parrots. We describe how genetics helped to further knowledge in specific research fields with a wide array of examples from the literature that address the conservation significance of (1) deeper phylogeny and historical biogeography; (2) species- and genus-level systematics and taxonomy; (3) conservation genetics and genomics; (4) behavioural ecology; (5) molecular ecology and landscape genetics; and (6) museomics and historical DNA. Finally, we highlight knowledge gaps to inform future genomic research on parrots. Our review shows that the application of genetic techniques to the study of parrot biology has far-reaching implications for addressing diverse research aims in a highly threatened and charismatic clade of birds.

A brief review on phytochemistry and pharmacology of Taxus baccata L

Mother Nature is full of surprises, hiding several gems beneath its heart in the form of forests, mountains, rivers, etc. One of the treasures that human got as a gift are the forests which value more than anything presents on this earth in terms of its significance. Still, humans are not realizing the full potential of trees and driving deforestation with supersonic speed (see the example of Amazon forests in Brazil). One of such trees which might face extinction soon is Taxus baccata L. Also called Yew, the tree is the toolbox for various kinds of diseases since ancient times. It is important for the common people and the scientific community to understand the importance of the chemical constituents present in it in the form of alkaloids, flavonoids, and essential oils. Here in this review, we will shed the light on the natural products present in Yew and their applications, side effects, and medicinal properties. Afterward, we will discuss the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) of Yew constituents, as most of the part of the tree is toxic for human consumption. This review will give insight into the T. baccata species and will be helpful for the medicinal chemists to design new molecules for various cancers, fungal and microbial infections, and asthma.

Peak shifts and extinction under sex-specific selection

A well-known property of sexual selection combined with a cross-sex genetic correlation (rmf) is that it can facilitate a peak shift on the adaptive landscape. How do these diversifying effects of sexual selection + rmf balance with the constraints imposed by such sexual antagonism, to affect the macroevolution of sexual dimorphism? Here, I extend existing quantitative genetic models of evolution on complex adaptive landscapes. Beyond recovering classical predictions for the conditions promoting a peak shift, I show that when rmf is moderate to strong, relatively weak sexual selection is required to induce a peak shift in males only. Increasing the strength of sexual selection leads to a sexually concordant peak shift, suggesting that macroevolutionary rates of sexual dimorphism may be largely decoupled from the strength of within-population sexual selection. Accounting explicitly for demography further reveals that sex-specific peak shifts may be more likely to be successful than concordant shifts in the face of extinction, especially when natural selection is strong. An overarching conclusion is that macroevolutionary patterns of sexual dimorphism are unlikely to be readily explained by within-population estimates of selection or constraint alone.

Limited plasticity in thermally tolerant ectotherm populations: evidence for a trade-off.

Many species face extinction risks owing to climate change, and there is an urgent need to identify which species' populations will be most vulnerable. Plasticity in heat tolerance, which includes acclimation or hardening, occurs when prior exposure to a warmer temperature changes an organism's upper thermal limit. The capacity for thermal acclimation could provide protection against warming, but prior work has found few generalizable patterns to explain variation in this trait. Here, we report the results of, to our knowledge, the first meta-analysis to examine within-species variation in thermal plasticity, using results from 20 studies (19 species) that quantified thermal acclimation capacities across 78 populations. We used meta-regression to evaluate two leading hypotheses. The climate variability hypothesis predicts that populations from more thermally variable habitats will have greater plasticity, while the trade-off hypothesis predicts that populations with the lowest heat tolerance will have the greatest plasticity. Our analysis indicates strong support for the trade-off hypothesis because populations with greater thermal tolerance had reduced plasticity. These results advance our understanding of variation in populations' susceptibility to climate change and imply that populations with the highest thermal tolerance may have limited phenotypic plasticity to adjust to ongoing climate warming.

Decadal changes in size, salinity, waterbirds, and fish in lakes of the Konya Closed Basin, Turkey, associated with climate change and increasing water abstraction for agriculture

ABSTRACT The Konya Closed Basin (KCB) in Turkey has a cold semiarid to warm Mediterranean climate and hosts the largest Turkish freshwater lake, Lake Beyşehir, and the iconic saline Lake Tuz. Using published as well as our own ground-truth and remote sensing data, we provide (1) a brief description of the paleoenvironmental changes in the KCB; followed by (2) a detailed description of the changes in land use, crop farming, groundwater and surface water levels, and climate; and (3) associated changes in lake water surface area and salinity as well as in waterbird and fish communities during the past 40 years. The KCB is intensively farmed, and the farming of mainly water intensive crops has increased substantially, especially since 2000. This, combined with climate warming, has led to a substantial rate of reduction of the groundwater level (up to 1 m/yr) and the surface area of the lakes and wetlands, followed by an increase in salinisation, and even complete loss of several wetlands. Three globally threatened waterbird species face extinction in the basin, and 18 of the 62 previous breeding species have already been lost. The KCB has 38 fish species, of which 74% are endemic and 61% are considered threatened or near threatened. Modelling projections using various climate and land use scenarios predict serious additional reductions of the water level in the future due to climate change, leading to deterioration (or complete loss) of lake ecosystems and the services they provide.

Ethiopian birds face extinction due to climate change

Ethiopian birds face extinction due to climate change

Manuscript Rejection in Public Health, Nutrition and Dietetics Research

It is evident that each century and decade has unique challenges and inquiries that require answers to ensure the survival of humanity on Earth. The advent of modern technologies has significantly transformed the scope and purpose of research inquiries in the fields of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics. These advancements have empowered us to pose more profound questions, leading to more comprehensive outcomes and larger insights. These research questions in the fields of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics accurately depict the current state of affairs. By asking the appropriate questions, we can expect to obtain the correct answers that will have a significant impact on people's lives. The writers aim to publish these answers to get the stakeholders' attention. Why, in certain cases, may this great act and display of generosity be declined? This review examines the manuscript rejection process in Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Research. The fundamental elements determining whether a Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Research paper is accepted or rejected are its quality, conciseness, clarity, verifiability, uniqueness, and appeal. Authors should collaborate with editors to effectively accomplish this goal, while editors and publishers should carry out their responsibilities with impartiality, avoiding any kind of prejudice in this honorable task. Effective acceptance and publication of well-executed manuscripts would greatly propel the progress of human existence on Earth by satisfying our curiosity as we explore the vast expanse of the planet, while rejection would regress us to the prehistoric era before the advent of civilization. The decision lies in our hands to opt for either sustainable development or face extinction.

Amphibian and reptile diversity of Peleng Island, Banggai Kepulauan, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract. Riyanto A, Rahmadi C. 2021. Amphibian and reptile diversity of Peleng Island, Banggai Kepulauan, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2930-2939. Indonesia is an archipelagic country and is known as one of the world’s megadiverse countries and has three zoogeographic zones. Therefore, proper conservation efforts to face extinction threats are very important, and the fundamental steps to better understanding it’s biodiversity provide valuable baseline information. Amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) are main biodiversity components that experience extinction threats but, at the same time, provide an important role in ecosystems and community life. This paper is the first to provide a checklist of the herpetofauna of Peleng Island, Banggai Kepulauan, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Data was gathered by field surveys and supplemented by references. Visual Encounter Surveys (VES) were undertaken in 8 sites. A total of 34 species are listed herein, 29 (85%) of them revealed from this fieldwork, and 21 (62%) new for the island. At least two candidate new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus were confirmed by molecular data and one frog of the genus Kaloula also suspected new species.

Resistance to extinction versus extinction as discrimination.

The hypothesis that response strength might be measured by persistence of responding in the face of extinction was discredited in the 1960s because experiments showed that responding persists longer following intermittent reinforcers than following continuous reinforcers. Instead, researchers proposed that the longer persistence following intermittent reinforcers arises because intermittent reinforcement more closely resembles extinction-a discrimination theory. Attention to resistance to extinction revived because one observation seemed to support the persistence hypothesis: Following training on a multiple schedule with unequal components, responding usually persisted longer in the formerly richer component than in the formerly lean component. This observation represents an anomaly, however, because results with single schedules and concurrent schedules contradict it. We suggest that the difference in results arises because the multiple-schedule procedure, while including extensive training on stimulus discrimination, includes no training on discrimination between food available and food unavailable, whereas comparable single- and concurrent-schedule procedures include such training with repeated extinction. In Experiment 1, we replicated the original result, and in Experiment 2 showed that when the multiple-schedule procedure includes training on food/no-food discrimination, extinction following multiple schedules contradicts behavioral momentum theory and agrees with the discrimination theory and research with single and concurrent schedules.

Urban heronry birds tolerate human presence more than its conspecific rural birds

ABSTRACT Urbanisation is a major threat to biodiversity by forcing animals to either adapt to it, emigrate or face extinction. Wetland depended birds, and in particular heronry birds, are known to be adapted to fresh urban conditions in Kerala, India. They nest on large trees and forage at waste yards and fish markets in urban sites. We used flight initiation distance (FID) as a measure of bird’s tolerance level to humans and to study urban adaptation in heronry birds. When a foraging bird of interest was spotted, we walked towards it holding a rangefinder to measure the FID. We studied this for 237 and 217 foraging birds in urban and rural sites, respectively. We also counted the number of birds in the foraging ground before walking in order to study the effect of group size on FID of the targeted bird. The FID of all bird species, except the intermediate egret, was significantly shorter in urban sites. While the habitat type affected FID, the group size and the interaction between group size and habitat type did not. This study concludes that heronry birds tolerate human presence in urban habitats more than in rural habitats, indicating urban adaptation of heronry birds.

Collapse and rescue of evolutionary food webs under global warming.

Global warming is severely impacting ecosystems and threatening ecosystem services as well as human well-being. While some species face extinction risk, several studies suggest the possibility that fast evolution may allow species to adapt and survive in spite of environmental changes. We assess how such evolutionary rescue extends to multitrophic communities and whether evolution systematically preserves biodiversity under global warming. More precisely, we expose simulated trophic networks of co-evolving consumers to warming under different evolutionary scenarios, which allows us to assess the effect of evolution on diversity maintenance. We also investigate how the evolution of body mass and feeding preference affects coexistence within a simplified consumer-resource module. Our simulations predict that the long-term diversity loss triggered by warming is considerably higher in scenarios where evolution is slowed down or switched off completely, indicating that eco-evolutionary feedback indeed helps to preserve biodiversity. However, even with fast evolution, food webs still experience vast disruptions in their structure and functioning. Reversing warming may thus not be sufficient to restore previous structures. Our findings highlight how the interaction between evolutionary rescue and changes in trophic structures constrains ecosystem responses to warming with important implications for conservation and management policies.