Global Distribution Patterns Research Articles

The diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in lake sediments across different climate zones

Bacteria are diverse and play important roles in biogeochemical cycling of aquatic ecosystems, but the global distribution patterns of bacterial communities in lake sediments across different climate zones are still obscure. Here we integrated the high-throughput sequencing data of 750 sediment samples from published literature to investigate the distribution of bacterial communities in different climate zones and the potential driving mechanisms. The obtained results indicated that the diversity and richness of bacterial community were notably higher in temperate and cold zones than those in other climate zones. In addition, the bacterial community composition varied significantly in different climate zones, which further led to changes in bacterial functional groups. Specifically, the relative abundance of nitrogen cycling functional groups in polar zones was notably higher compared to other climate zones. Regression analysis revealed that climate (mean annual precipitation, MAP; and mean annual temperature, MAT), vegetation, and geography together determined the diversity pattern of sediment bacterial community on a global scale. The results of partial least squares path modeling further demonstrated that climate was the most significant factor affecting the composition and diversity of bacterial communities, and MAP was the most important climate factor affecting the composition of bacteria community (R2 = 0.443, P < 0.001). It is worth noting that a strong positive correlation was observed between the abundance of the dominant bacterial group uncultured_f_Anaerolineaceae and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; P < 0.001), suggesting that vegetation could affect bacterial community diversity by influencing dominant bacterial taxa. This study enhances our understanding of the global diversity patterns and biogeography of sediment bacteria.

Global Distribution Prediction of Cyrtotrachelus buqueti Guer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Insights from the Optimised MaxEnt Model.

Cyrtotrachelus buqueti Guer is a major pest affecting bamboo forests economically, causing significant damage to bamboo forests in Sichuan Province, China. To understand how C. buqueti responds to future climate conditions, an optimized Maximum Entropy Model (Maxent) was used to simulate the potential global distribution patterns of C. buqueti under current climate conditions and three different future climate scenarios and to analyze the dominant factors influencing its distribution. The results indicate that Bio18 (precipitation of the warmest quarter), Bio04 (temperature seasonality), Bio06 (minimum temperature of the coldest month), and Bio02 (mean diurnal temperature range) are the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of this species. The global area of high-suitability habitats for C. buqueti is 9.00 × 104 km2, primarily distributed in China. Under three different future climate scenarios, there are varying degrees of expansion in both the total suitable habitat and the medium-suitability areas for C. buqueti. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the medium-suitability area of the species increases the most, reaching 9.83 × 104 km2. Additionally, these findings can serve as a reference for developing and implementing control strategies, assisting relevant authorities in more effectively managing and controlling this pest, and mitigating its potential threats to bamboo forest ecosystems and economies.

An exploratory tag map for attributes-in-space tasks

Geo-text data, which combine geographical locations with textual information (e.g., geo-tagged tweets), are typically visualized using tag maps. Since tags are rich in attribute information, tag maps are an intuitive method of visualizing how attribute domains carried by tags vary across space. However, users may be interested not only in the overall spatial distribution of tags but also in exploring detailed attributes-in-space analyses, such as examining how a subclass of attribute domains is distributed globally or checking whether all attribute subclasses exhibit the same global distribution pattern. To date, the methods for representing tags with visual encoding (e.g., size, color) to extend various attributes-in-space tasks to support exploratory analysis remain unclear. In this work, we extended tag maps to support exploratory analysis by distinguishing space searching into local or global spaces and attribute domains into within or between attribute classes, supporting four types of attributes-in-space tasks: global-within, local-within, global-between, and local-between tasks. We evaluated our exploratory tag map through two case studies: investigating major disaster occurrences from 1981 to 2020 and examining the leading causes of death in 2000 and 2019 for Spain, France, Germany and Italy. We used eye-tracking and a questionnaire to evaluate our exploratory tag map for comparison. Both methods had similar self-reported usability scores in terms of aesthetics, density, layout, and legibility. However, our exploratory tag map was more effective and efficient and had a lower cognitive load.

Phylotranscriptomic and ecological analyses reveal the evolution and morphological adaptation of Abies.

Coniferous forests are under severe threat of the rapid anthropogenic climate warming. Abies (firs), the fourth-largest conifer genus, is a keystone component of the boreal and temperate dark-coniferous forests and harbors a remarkably large number of relict taxa. However, the uncertainty of the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Abies significantly impedes our prediction of future dynamics and efficient conservation of firs. In this study, using 1,533 nuclear genes generated from transcriptome sequencing and a complete sampling of all widely recognized species, we have successfully reconstructed a robust phylogeny of global firs, in which four clades are strongly supported and all intersectional relationships are resolved, although phylogenetic discordance caused mainly by incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization was detected. Molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction suggest a Northern Hemisphere high-latitude origin of Abies during the Late Cretaceous, but all extant firs diversified during the Miocene to the Pleistocene, and multiple continental and intercontinental dispersals took place in response to the late Neogene climate cooling and orogenic movements. Notably, four critically endangered firs endemic to subtropical mountains of China, including A. beshanzuensis, A. ziyuanensis, A. fanjingshanensis and A. yuanbaoshanensis from east to west, have different origins and evolutionary histories. Moreover, three hotspots of species richness, including western North America, central Japan, and the Hengduan Mountains, were identified in Abies. Elevation and precipitation, particularly precipitation of the coldest quarter, are the most significant environmental factors driving the global distribution pattern of fir species diversity. Some morphological traits are evolutionarily constrained, and those linked to elevational variation (e.g., purple cone) and cold resistance (e.g., pubescent branch and resinous bud) may have contributed to the diversification of global firs. Our study sheds new light on the spatiotemporal evolution of global firs, which will be of great help to forest management and species conservation in a warming world.

Global pattern of conodont similarity and faunal constraints during the highstand of the Evae eustatic event (late Floian, Lower Ordovician)

One of the largest Ordovician sea-level rises is the Evae transgression, which occurs in the lower part of the Oepikodus evae Biozone, indicative of a late Floian age. Specifically, the characteristics associated with the highstand of this event included: a higher proportion of specimens of the index species O. evae than other species, a diversity acme in the evae Biozone, and a reduction of biogeographic barriers that resulted in a high proportion of species with cosmopolitan distribution. In the present contribution, the pattern of species similarity among Laurentia, Argentine Precordillera, Baltica, Kazakhstania, South China, and Australia is evaluated with a multiple coefficient analysis including only the sections that recorded the highstand of the Evae transgression. Moreover, the effect of possible terrestrial, latitudinal, physicochemical barriers and palaeogeographic distance on the species distribution is statistically analysed. Our results show a global pattern of conodont species distribution that is highly constrained by the tested palaeoenvironmental factors. This suggests that contrary to what was expected for a prominent transgression, faunal barriers did not decrease significantly during the Evae drowning peak.

Global distribution patterns of siphonophores across horizontal and vertical oceanic gradients.

Siphonophores are diverse, globally distributed hydrozoans that play a central role in marine trophic webs worldwide. However, they still constitute an understudied fraction of the open ocean gelatinous taxa, mainly due to challenges related to siphonophore sampling and identification, which have led to a general knowledge gap about their diversity, distribution and abundance. Here, we provide a global overview of the oceanic vertical distribution of siphonophores using DNA metabarcoding data from 77 bulk mesozooplankton samples collected at four different depth ranges (0-200, 200-500, 500-1000, 1000-3000 m depth) along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans during the MALASPINA-2010 circumnavigation expedition. We detected a total of 44 siphonophore species (which represents about one quarter of the described siphonophore species) from which 26 corresponded to Calycophores, 14 to Physonectae and 2 to Cystonectae. Our results suggest wider horizontal and vertical distributions of siphonophore species than previously described, including novel records of some species in certain oceanic basins. Also, we provide insights into the intraspecific variation of widely distributed species. Finally, we show a vertical structuring of siphonophores along the water column; Calycophores (siphonophores without pneumatophores) dominated the epipelagic (from the surface to 200 m depth) and upper mesopelagic layers (from 200 to 500 m depth), while the proportion Physonectids (siphonophores with pneumatophore) notably increased below 500 meters and were dominant at bathypelagic depths (>1000 m depth). Our results support that the siphonophore community composition is vertically structured. Also, we provide insights into the potential existence of genetic variations within certain species that dominate some ocean basins or depth ranges. To our knowledge, this is the first time that DNA metabarcoding data is retrieved to study siphonophore distribution patterns, and the study provides evidence of the potential of molecular techniques to study the distribution of gelatinous organisms often destroyed in net sampling.

Global distribution pattern of soil phosphorus-cycling microbes under the influence of human activities.

Human activities have profoundly altered the Earth's phosphorus (P) cycling process and its associated microbial communities, yet their global distribution pattern and response to human influences remain unclear. Here, we estimated the abundances of P-cycling genes from 3321 global soil metagenomic samples and mapped the global distribution of five key P-cycling processes, that is, organic phosphoester hydrolysis, inorganic phosphorus solubilization, two-component system, phosphotransferase system, and transporters. Structural equation modeling and random forest analysis were employed to assess the impact of anthropogenic and environmental factors on the abundance of P-cycling genes. Our findings suggest that although less significant than the climate and soil profile, human-related factors, such as economic activities and population, are important drivers for the variations in P-cycling gene abundance. Notably, the gene abundances were increased parallel to the extent of human intervention, but generally at low and moderate levels of human activities. Furthermore, we identified critical genera, such as Pseudomonas and Lysobacter, which were sensitive to the changes in human activities. This study provides insights into the responses of P-cycling microbes to human activities at a global scale, enhancing our understanding of soil microbial P cycling and underscoring the importance of sustainable human activities in the Earth's biogeochemical cycle.

Non-native species in marine protected areas: Global distribution patterns

Marine protected areas (MPAs) across various countries have contributed to safeguarding coastal and marine environments. Despite these efforts, marine non-native species (NNS) continue to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems, even within MPAs. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on the inventories, distribution patterns, and effect factors of NNS within MPAs. Here we show a database containing over 15,000 occurrence records of 2714 marine NNS across 16,401 national or regional MPAs worldwide. To identify the primary mechanisms driving the occurrence of NNS, we utilize model selection with proxies representing colonization pressure, environmental variables, and MPA characteristics. Among the environmental predictors analyzed, sea surface temperature emerged as the sole factor strongly associated with NNS richness. Higher sea surface temperatures are linked to increased NNS richness, aligning with global marine biodiversity trends. Furthermore, human activities help species overcome geographical barriers and migration constraints. Consequently, this influences the distribution patterns of marine introduced species and associated environmental factors. As global climate change continues to alter sea temperatures, it is crucial to protect marine regions that are increasingly vulnerable to intense human activities and biological invasions.

An ecological-evolutionary perspective on the genomic diversity and habitat preferences of the Acidobacteriota.

Members of the phylum Acidobacteriota inhabit a wide range of ecosystems including soils. We analyzed the global patterns of distribution and habitat preferences of various Acidobacteriota lineages across major ecosystems (soil, engineered, host-associated, marine, non-marine saline and alkaline, and terrestrial non-soil ecosystem) in 248,559 publicly available metagenomic datasets. Classes Terriglobia, Vicinamibacteria, Blastocatellia, and Thermoanaerobaculia were highly ubiquitous and showed clear preference to soil over non-soil habitats, class Polarisedimenticolia showed comparable ubiquity and preference between soil and non-soil habitats, while classes Aminicenantia and Holophagae showed preferences to non-soil habitats. However, while specific preferences were observed, most Acidobacteriota lineages were habitat generalists rather than specialists, with genomic and/or metagenomic fragments recovered from soil and non-soil habitats at various levels of taxonomic resolution. Comparative analysis of 1930 genomes strongly indicates that phylogenetic affiliation plays a more important role than the habitat from which the genome was recovered in shaping the genomic characteristics and metabolic capacities of the Acidobacteriota. The observed lack of strong habitat specialization and habitat transition driven lineage evolution in the Acidobacteriota suggest ready cross colonization between soil and non-soil habitats. We posit that such capacity is key to the successful establishment of Acidobacteriota as a major component in soil microbiomes post ecosystem disturbance events or during pedogenesis.

How many animal-pollinated angiosperms are nectar-producing?

The diversity of plant-pollinator interactions is grounded in floral resources, with nectar considered one of the main floral rewards plants produce for pollinators. However, a global evaluation of the number of animal-pollinated nectar-producing angiosperms and their distribution world-wide remains elusive. We compiled a thorough database encompassing 7621 plant species from 322 families to estimate the number and proportion of nectar-producing angiosperms reliant on animal pollination. Through extensive sampling of plant communities, we also explored the interplay between nectar production, floral resource diversity, latitudinal and elevational gradients, contemporary climate, and environmental characteristics. Roughly 223 308 animal-pollinated angiosperms are nectar-producing, accounting for 74.4% of biotic-pollinated species. Global distribution patterns of nectar-producing plants reveal a distinct trend along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, with increased proportions of plants producing nectar in high latitudes and altitudes. Conversely, tropical communities in warm and moist climates exhibit greater floral resource diversity and a lower proportion of nectar-producing plants. These findings suggest that ecological trends driven by climate have fostered the diversification of floral resources in warmer and less seasonal climates, reducing the proportion of solely nectar-producing plants. Our study provides a baseline for understanding plant-pollinator relationships, plant diversification, and the distribution of plant traits.

Global patterns and drivers of buzzing bees and poricidal plants

Foraging behavior frequently plays a major role in driving the geographic distribution of animals. Buzzing to extract protein-rich pollen from flowers is a key foraging behavior used by bee species across at least 83 genera (these genera comprise ∼58% of all bee species). Although buzzing is widely recognized to affect the ecology and evolution of bees and flowering plants (e.g., buzz-pollinated flowers), global patterns and drivers of buzzing bee biogeography remain unexplored. Here, we investigate the global species distribution patterns within each bee family and how patterns and drivers differ with respect to buzzing bee species. We found that both distributional patterns and drivers of richness typically differed for buzzing species compared with hotspots for all bee species and when grouped by family. A major predictor of the distribution, but not species richness overall for buzzing members of four of the five major bee families included in analyses (Andrenidae, Halictidae, Colletidae, and to a lesser extent, Apidae), was the richness of poricidal flowering plant species, which depend on buzzing bees for pollination. Because poricidal plant richness was highest in areas with low wind and high aridity, we discuss how global hotspots of buzzing bee biodiversity are likely influenced by both biogeographic factors and plant host availability. Although we explored global patterns with state-level data, higher-resolution work is needed to explore local-level drivers of patterns. From a global perspective, buzz-pollinated plants clearly play a greater role in the ecology and evolution of buzzing bees than previously predicted.

Global emergence of double and multi-carbapenemase producing organisms: epidemiology, clinical significance, and evolutionary benefits on antimicrobial resistance and virulence.

Redundant carbapenemase-producing (RCP) bacteria, which carry double or multiple carbapenemases, represent a new and concerning phenomenon. The objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the epidemiology and genetic mechanisms of RCP strains to support targeted surveillance and control measures. A retrospective analysis was conducted using surveillance data from 277 articles. Statistical analysis was performed to determine and evaluate species prevalence, proportions of carbapenemases, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, sample information, and patient outcomes. Complete plasmid sequencing data were utilized to investigate potential antimicrobial resistance or virulence advantages that strains may gain from acquiring redundant carbapenemases. RCP bacteria are widely distributed globally, and their prevalence is increasing over time. Several countries, including China, India, Iran, Turkey, and South Korea, have reported more than 100 RCP strains. The most commonly reported RCP species are Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, which exhibit varying proportions of carbapenemase combinations. Certain species-carbapenemase combinations, such as K. pneumoniae carrying New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) + oxacillinase (OXA) (56.76%) and K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) + Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase (VIM) (50.00%) carbapenemases, are associated with high mortality rates. In patients with RCP strains isolated from the bloodstream and respiratory system, the mortality rates are 58.70% and 69.23%, respectively. Analysis of plasmids from RCP strains suggests that they may acquire additional antibiotic resistance phenotypes and virulence factors. Carbapenem-resistant bacteria carrying redundant carbapenemases pose a significant global health threat. This study provides valuable insights into the epidemiology and genetic mechanisms of these bacteria, supporting the development of effective control and prevention strategies to mitigate their transmission.IMPORTANCEThis study examined the global distribution patterns of 1,780 bacteria with double or multiple carbapenemases from 277 articles and assessed their clinical impact. The presence of multiple carbapenemases increases the chances of co-resistance to other classes of antibiotics and more virulence factors, further complicating the clinical management of infections.

Global soil respiration estimation based on ecological big data and machine learning model

Soil respiration (Rs) represents the greatest carbon dioxide flux from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. However, its environmental drivers are not fully understood, and there are still significant uncertainties in soil respiration model estimates. This study aimed to estimate the spatial distribution pattern and driving mechanism of global soil respiration by constructing a machine learning model method based on ecological big data. First, we constructed ecological big data containing five categories of 27-dimensional environmental factors. We then used four typical machine learning methods to develop the performance of machine learning models under four training strategies and explored the relationship between soil respiration and environmental factors. Finally, we used the RF machine learning algorithm to estimate the global Rs spatial distribution pattern in 2021, driven by multiple dimensions of environmental factors, and derived the annual soil respiration values. The results showed that RF performed better under the four training strategies, with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.78216, root mean squared error (RMSE) = 285.8964 gCm−2y−1, and mean absolute error (MAE) = 180.4186 gCm−2y−1, which was more suitable for the estimation of large-scale soil respiration. In terms of the importance of environmental factors, unlike previous studies, we found that the influence of geographical location was greater than that of MAP. Another new finding was that enhanced vegetation index 2 (EVI2) had a higher contribution to soil respiration estimates than the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized vegetation index (NDVI). Our results confirm the potential of utilizing ecological big data for spatially large-scale Rs estimations. Ecological big data and machine learning algorithms can be considered to improve the spatial distribution patterns and driver analysis of Rs.

Pervasive accumulations of chert in the Equatorial Pacific during the early Eocene climatic optimum

Biosiliceous cherts hosting the transformation of biogenic silica to paracrystalline opal-CT, deposited in the low-latitude realms of Jurassic to Neogene, were recently interpreted as developing during episodes of elevated primary productivity along upwelling areas in equatorial and sub-equatorial paleo-latitudes. Geographically widespread distribution of chert and other rock types of biosiliceous origin, including porcellanite and siliceous claystones throughout the Eocene however indicates these diagenetic deposits are not in any case the dependable markers of latitude-driven upwelling regimes. This study aims to explore the dominance of early Eocene chert occurrences in the Equatorial Pacific (EP) sediments, and their contribution to the Cenozoic global climate change. Our new assessment of the age-abundance dispersal of EP Cenozoic chert sections accommodated by Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP)- and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP)-cored deposits realized that the cherts transformed from deposited opal-A sediments most commonly in the early Eocene, with a peak in abundance at ∼50 Ma. This age interval of significant chert occurrences coincided with the period of seawater-temperature maxima of the early Eocene climatic optimum (EECO), during which the world ocean was supposedly marked by highly reduced upwelling intensity and siliceous bioproduction. The spatio-temporal distribution model of the EP Cenozoic cherts with the peak occurrences during the EECO presented in this study bears close similarities to the global distribution patterns of chert during the Cenozoic, which strongly correspond to a global paleoclimatic driver rather than upwelling regimes. Following our survey, cherts occurred less frequently in the post-early Eocene, which is characterized by cooling bottom waters and amplified upwelling and bioproductivity. This model suggests the paleo-seawater rich in dissolved silicon (DSi) would have been imperative for peak incidences of early Eocene chert production, despite extreme surface warmth and greenhouse conditions of the EECO, making DSi available to opal-secreting phytoplankton via deep-water ventilation. These imply that the paleo-climate was more impactful to diagenetic chert production than latitudinally mediated ocean upwelling. The chert distribution events during the early Eocene reduced siliceous bioproductivity appear to have been insufficient to compensate for the significant silica input to the basin mainly from climate-controlled continental weathering. The DSi uptake by precipitation of authigenic clays which accompanies opal-A diagenesis in many depositional systems has been operative, with higher rates in carbonate- than clay-dominated sediments, so as to sustain balance between DSi released to the ocean from terrestrial sources and the silica expelled in sediments during the EECO weakened upwelling.

Sea anemone (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) diversity in Mo’orea (French Polynesia)

Sea anemones (Order Actiniaria) are a diverse group of marine invertebrates ubiquitous across marine ecosystems. Despite their wide distribution and success, a knowledge gap persists in our understanding of their diversity within tropical systems, owed to sampling bias of larger and more charismatic species overshadowing cryptic lineages. This study aims to delineate the sea anemone diversity in Mo’orea (French Polynesia) with the use of a dataset from the Mo’orea Biocode’s “BioBlitz” initiative, which prioritized the sampling of more cryptic and understudied taxa. Implementing a target enrichment approach, we integrate 71 newly sequenced samples into an expansive phylogenetic framework and contextualize Mo’orea’s diversity within global distribution patterns of sea anemones. Our analysis corroborates the presence of several previously documented sea anemones in French Polynesia and identifies for the first time the occurrence of members of genera Andvakia and Aiptasiomorpha. This research unveils the diverse sea anemone ecosystem in Mo’orea, spotlighting the area’s ecological significance and emphasizing the need for continued exploration. Our methodology, encompassing a broad BLAST search coupled with phylogenetic analysis, proved to be a practical and effective approach for overcoming the limitations posed by the lack of comprehensive sequence data for sea anemones. We discuss the merits and limitations of current molecular methodologies and stress the importance of further research into lesser-studied marine organisms like sea anemones. Our work sets a precedent for future phylogenetic studies stemming from BioBlitz endeavors.

ToTE: A global database on trees of the treeline ecotone.

Globally, treelines form a transition zone between tree-dominated forest downslope and treeless alpine vegetation upslope. Treelines represent the highest boundary of "tree" life form in high-elevation mountains and at high latitudes. Recently, treelines have been shifting upslope in response to climate warming, so it has become important to understand global tree diversity and treeline distributions. However, to the best of our knowledge, no global database on tree flora of treelines exists, which limits our capacity to undertake macroecological analyses. Here, for the first time, we present a global data set on the trees of the treeline ecotone, supported by an online ToTE database. We synthesized the database from 1202 studies published over the last 60 years (1962 to 2022) following the Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol. We classified the tree species in the database into three categories: treeline tree (TL) species, near to treeline (NTL) tree species, and tree species with an upper montane range limit (TUMR). The ToTE Version-1 presents a total of 208 tree taxa, including 189 species, five subspecies, and 14 varieties, belonging to 54 genera and 26 families distributed across 34 mountain regions worldwide that either grow exactly at the treeline or have a range limit below the treeline. Of the total taxa, 155, 14, and 39 belong to TL, NTL, and TUMR, respectively. Genera such as Abies, Picea, Pinus, Larix, and Juniperus are more represented in the treeline tree category. On the other hand, Acer, Prunus, Populus, and Quercus have more representatives in the near to treeline category, whereas Erica, Nothofagus, and Polylepis contribute more tree species with an upper montane range limit. Furthermore, families such as Rosaceae and Pinaceae include trees that occur both at the treeline and with an upper montane range limit, whereas Sapindaceae includes trees that occur exclusively near to treeline. Our database also includes information on the global distribution patterns of treeline tree species richness across mountains and biomes. The mountains with the highest number of tree species are the Andes (39) followed by the Himalaya (37). Close to 67% of tree species show restricted distributions in different mountains, with the highest endemism in the Andes and the Himalaya. In terms of tree species distribution, Pinus sylvestris was widespread, with a distribution across nine mountain regions, followed by Picea glauca and Fagus sylvatica, both distributed across five mountain regions. In terms of species' distribution across biomes, the temperate biome harbors the highest treeline tree species richness (152 species), which may reflect the fact that the majority of studies are available from the temperate regions of the world. The remaining 56 species are distributed within five other biomes, with the least in dry tropical and subarctic (four species each). Furthermore, currently 40 treeline tree species fall under different International Union for Conservation of Nature threat categories. We anticipate that our database will help advance research on macroecological, biogeographic, evolutionary, climate-change, and conservation aspects of the treeline on a global scale. The data are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international license. Please cite this data paper when the data are reused.

Larval gregariousness in Papilionidae is more prevalent outside the tropics

Abstract Larval gregariousness, reported for 20 of the 127 families of Lepidoptera, may enhance thermoregulation, feeding efficiency, and antipredator defence. In the swallowtail family (Papilionidae), which is distributed worldwide yet mainly in the tropics, larval gregariousness has independently evolved at least six times. Here we evaluated in Papilionidae whether gregarious species are mostly distributed in temperate regions, where enhanced thermoregulation should be more beneficial because of the colder climate and greater climatic variations, compared to the tropics. We found data for 198 of the c. 560 species of Papilionidae. Results showed that larval gregariousness was significantly more prevalent in temperate regions. This pattern was statistically significant even when the analysis accounted for phylogenetic relatedness, which also influenced the occurrence of gregariousness. Thus, the shared evolutionary history of Papilionidae species explains in part the global distribution pattern of larval gregariousness. Nonetheless, this macroecological pattern of distribution of larval gregariousness in swallowtail species could have resulted from the ecological benefits concerning thermoregulation that are associated with group living.

The efficacy of low frequency repetitive transcial magnetic stimulation for treating auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia: Insights from functional gradient analyses

BackgroundAuditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVH) constitute a prominent feature of schizophrenia. Although low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has demonstrated therapeutic benefits in ameliorating AVH, the underlying mechanisms of its efficacy necessitate further elucidation. ObjectiveThis study investigated the cortical gradient characteristics and their associations with clinical responses in schizophrenia patients with AVH, mediated through 1 Hz rTMS targeting the left temporoparietal junction. MethodFunctional gradient metrics were employed to examine the hierarchy patterns of cortical organization, capturing whole-brain functional connectivity profiles in patients and controls. ResultsThe 1 Hz rTMS treatment effectively ameliorated the positive symptoms in patients, specifically targeting AVH. Initial evaluations revealed expanded global gradient distribution patterns and specific principal gradient variations in certain brain regions in patients at baseline compared to a control cohort. Following treatment, these divergent global and local patterns showed signs of normalizing. Furthermore, there was observed a closer alignment in between-network dispersion among various networks after treatment, including the somatomotor, attention, and limbic networks, indicating a potential harmonization of brain functionality. ConclusionLow-frequency rTMS induces alternations in principal functional gradient patterns, may serve as imaging markers to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning the therapeutic efficacy of rTMS on AVH in schizophrenia.

Mucormycosis in the time of COVID-19: risks and challenges

The first patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 were registered in December 2019. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, the beginning of a worldwide health crisis that revealed numerous medical challenges for healthcare systems and pandemic emergency strategies.Among these challenges, mucormycosis, a typically rare fungal infection, gained global attention. With an average global incidence of about 2 per 1 million people, mucormycosis is considered a very rare disease, an opportunistic infection mostly affecting the lungs or skin and soft tissues in immunocompromised patients. Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus is one of the leading risk factors for rhino-orbital mucormycosis. Countries with a high prevalence of diabetes and limited healthcare resources have higher mucormycosis rates, with India and Pakistan being among the nations with particularly high incidences.During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, mucormycosis rates surged dramatically within a few weeks, with over 47,500 cases of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) reported between May and August 2021. Mucormycosis is characterized by a high mortality rate of up to 90%, especially when the diagnosis is delayed, and treatment commences late. There were concerns about a potentially global threat.In this article, we explore the risk factors and mechanisms leading to this viral-fungal coinfection. We present global distribution patterns, clinical presentation, and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis.

Pacific marine gregarines (Apicomplexa) shed light on biogeographic speciation patterns and novel diversity among early apicomplexans

Gregarines are the most biodiverse group of apicomplexan parasites. This group specializes on invertebrate hosts (e.g., ascidians, crustaceans, and polychaetes). Marine gregarines are of particular interest because they are considered to be the earliest evolving apicomplexan lineage, having subsequently speciated (and radiated) through virtually all existing animal groups. Still, mechanisms governing the broad (global) distribution and speciation patterns of apicomplexans are not well understood. The present study examines Pacific lecudinids, one of the most species-rich and diverse groups of marine gregarines. Here, marine polychaetes were collected from intertidal zones. Single trophozoite cells were isolated for light and electron microscopy, as well as molecular phylogenetic analyses using the partial 18S rRNA gene. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene was used to confirm morphology-based host identification. This study introduces Undularius glycerae n. gen., n. sp. and Lecudina kitase n. sp. (Hokkaido, Japan), as well as Difficilina fasoliformis n. sp. (California, USA). Occurrences of Lecudina cf. longissima and Lecudina cf. tuzetae (California, USA) are also reported. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between L. pellucida, L. tuzetae, and L. kitase n. sp. Additionally, clustering among North Atlantic and Pacific L. tuzetae formed a species complex, likely influenced by biogeography.