Number Of Species Research Articles

Updating the Relationship Between the Threshold Value of Average Nucleotide Identity and Digital DNA–DNA Hybridization for Reliable Taxonomy of Corynebacterium

Currently, bacterial classification at the species level relies on the 95–96% average nucleotide identity (ANI) value that is known to be equivalent to a 70% digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) value. However, during the routine identification of bacteria in the uteri of camels with a history of conception failure, we found that four out of the seven strains (2298A, 2569A, 2652, 2571B, 1103A, 2571A, and 335C) could not be assigned to any valid Corynebacterium species. Furthermore, a 70% dDDH value did not correspond to a 95–96% ANI value in strain 2569A. Thus, we aimed to classify these strains and explain the mechanisms underlying gene repertoire diversity and the disagreement we found between the ANI and dDDH cutoff values. For this study, we extracted information from the genomes of 150 Corynebacterium-type species and seven sequenced genomes of uterine Corynebacterium isolates. We found that the 96.67% OrthoANI value should be used in place of the generally accepted 95–96% ANI threshold in order to obtain an equivalent 70% dDDH value. Phylogenomic analysis determined the evolutionary position of each uterine strain. Then, strains 2652 and 2571B were classified as C. camporealensis based on the ANI value (98.44% and 98.72%) and dDDH value (85.8% and 88.5%). Strain 2569A had a 96.58% ANI and a 69.4% dDDH value and was classified as C. urogenitale. The strains 335C, 1103A, 2571A, and 2298A were classified as novel Corynebacterium based on the ANI value (77.12, 94.01%, 94.26%, and 94.03%) and dDDH value (21.3%, 54.1%, 54.9%, and 51.3%), respectively. Genes for menaquinone biosynthesis and the saturation of chains were detected in uterine strains and their closely related type strains. Gene gain predominates as a source of variation in the gene repertoire. Most of these genes are gained by horizontal gene transfer, driven by genomic islands and prophage. In summary, we refined the ANI cutoff value for an accurate diagnosis of Corynebacterium. Moreover, we clarified the mechanism underlying the diversity of the gene repertoire and expanded the number of Corynebacterium species isolated from the camel uterus.

Body size and evolutionary rate analyses reveal complex evolutionary history of Alvarezsauria.

Some of the smallest examples of dinosaurian body size are from alvarezsaurians, an enigmatic group of maniraptoran coelurosaurians with a peculiar combination of anatomical features unique among theropods. Despite the large number of alvarezsaurian species described worldwide and the increased understanding this has provided, the body-size macroevolution of alvarezsaurians has received little attention. Here we reconstruct and analyse directional trends of alvarezsaurian body-size evolution through an integrated analysis of body mass, ontogenetic age, and morphological rate data enabled by a comprehensively revised phylogeny. Our analyses identify four periods of high morphological rate evolution (Bathonian-Callovian, Hauterivian-early Berriasian, early Cenomanian, and late Cenomanian-Turonian) that we link to the key effects of animal body-size changes for the first time, including morphological novelty, structural reduction and simplification, elevated homoplasy, and behavioral changes associated with miniaturization. In doing so, this study provides a holistic example of miniaturization in a Mesozoic vertebrate group that offers a framework for other detailed studies of animal body-size evolution, including in more disparate groups.

Species diversity and distribution of the macro algae from Bach Long Vi Island, Vietnam

Research results on seaweed at four cross-sections of Bach Long Vi Island from 1994 onwards have shown that 129 species of macroalgae belong to 4 phyla. Among them, Cyanobacteria has ten species, accounting for 7.75% of the total number of species; Red seaweed (Rhodophyta) has 70 species (54.26%); Brown seaweed (Ochrophyta/Phaeophyta) has 27 species (20.93%), and Green seaweed (Chlorophyta) has 22 species (17.06%). They belong to 21 orders, 42 families, and 72 seaweed genera. The number of species in the studied transects ranges from 41 species (transect 4) to 99 species (transect 2) and averages 72.25 species/transect. The similarity coefficient of seaweed species at four surveyed transects ranged from 0.26 (between transects 1 and 4) to 0.74 (between transects 2 and 3) and averaged 0.48. Of the 129 known species, there were 44 species only distributed in the intertidal zone, accounting for 34.10% of the total number of species; 108 species are only distributed in the subtidal zone (83.72%) and 26 species are distributed in both intertidal and subtidal zones (20.15%); most species distributed from the low intertidal zone downward and are concentrated mainly in the low intertidal zone and the upper range of the subtidal zone. In terms of structure, the number of taxa ranges from 2 (Cyanophyta) to 12 (Rhodophyta). On average, 5.25 orders/phylum; of families from 4 (Cyanophyta, Ochrophyta) to 25 (Rhodophyta) and 10.5 families/order; of genera from 6 (Cyanophyta) to 42 (Rhodophyta) and 18; of species from 10 (Cyanophyta) to 70 (Rhodophyta) and 32.25. The average number of species/genera is quite large (32.25). However, some genera have only one species (Hydrocoryne, Asparagopsis, Parvocaulis, etc.), and some other genera have a more significant number of species (Dictyota: 10 species; Hypnea: 8 species; Peyssonnelia: 5 species, etc.). Among the families, some have only one genus (Peyssonneliaceae, Scytosiphonaceae, Codiaceae, etc.), but others have more genera (Dictyotaceae: 5, Boodleaceae: 4, Sargassaceae: 2, etc.). The total number of orders of the four phyla (Cyanophyta, Rhodophyta, Ochrophyta, and Chlorophyta) is 21. Of which, Cyanophyta has 2 orders, accounting for 9.5% of the total number of recorded orders: Rhodophyta (12 and 57.1%), Ochrophyta (4 and 19%), and Chlorophyta (3 and 14.4%).

Increased temperatures could heighten vulnerability of an ant-plant mutualism.

Mutualisms may be more or less sensitive to environmental conditions depending on the diversity and responses of the species involved. Ants frequently form mutualistic associations with plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs): the ants protect the plants from herbivores and receive food resources (i.e., nectar) in return. As ectotherms, ants are strongly influenced by temperature, and temperature shifts can affect ant-plant interactions in ways that often depend on species functional traits. In this study, we explored the influence of EFN size and leaf surface temperature on ant-plant interactions in a Caatinga dry forest in Brazil. We observed the ants visiting 14 EFN-bearing plant species at different times of day over 12 sampling months; we also measured leaf surface temperatures during these periods. We next quantified EFN size for 68 individuals from the 14 plant species. The observational data were used to characterize the heat tolerance of the attendant ant species (i.e., based on levels of foraging activity). We then evaluated the mutualism's degree of functional resilience using two indices: functional redundancy (i.e., the number of ant species interacting with a given plant species) and thermal response diversity (i.e., variability in the heat tolerance of the ant species interacting with a given plant species). We found that leaf surface temperature, but not EFN size, had an influence on mutualism functional resilience. As temperatures increased, both functional redundancy and thermal response diversity decreased. This result implies that warmer global temperatures could heighten the vulnerability of facultative ant-plant mutualisms, regardless of plant traits.

Evaluating the stability of nursery-established arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal associations in apple rootstocks.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are promoted as commercial bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture. Little is known, however, about the survival of AMF inoculants in soil and their impacts on native or pre-established AMF communities in root tissue. The current study was designed to assess the stability of pre-existing/nursery-derived AMF in apple rootstocks after being planted into soil containing a known community of AMF with a limited number of species. Root-associated endophytic communities (bacteria and fungi) are known to differ depending on apple rootstock genotype. Thus, an additional aim of this study was to explore the effect of apple rootstock genotype on AMF community structure. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in which a variety of apple rootstock genotypes (G.890, G.935, M.26, and M.7) were inoculated with a commercially available, multi-species AMF consortium. Nursery-derived AMF communities were sequenced, and changes to AMF community structure following cultivation in pasteurized soil (inoculated and non-inoculated) were assessed using a Glomeromycota-specific phylogenetic tree, which included 91 different AMF species from 24 genera. Results show that inoculant colonization potential was limited and that apple rootstocks serve as a significant source of inoculum from the nursery where they are produced. Rootstocks established relationships with introduced AMF in a genotype-specific manner. Regardless of colonization success, however, the inoculant caused alterations to the resident AMF communities of both Geneva and Malling rootstocks, particularly low abundance taxa. In addition, phylogeny-based analysis revealed a unique, well-supported clade of unknown taxonomy, highlighting the importance of using phylogenetic-based classification for accurate characterization of AMF communities.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the impacts of introduced AMF on residential AMF communities is essential to improving plant productivity in nursery and orchard systems. In general, there is a dearth of data on the interactions of commercial AMF inoculants with pre-established AMF communities living in symbiosis with the host plant. The interplay between apple rootstock genotype and the endophytic root microbiome is also an area where more research is needed. This study demonstrates the potential for nursery-established AMF associations to be maintained when transplanted into the field. In addition to providing insight into rootstock/AMF associations, our study calls attention to the current issues attendant with relying on web-based databases for determining AMF identity. The use of phylogenetic tools represents one possible solution and may be of value to industry practitioners in terms of improving product composition and consistency.

Characterizing of ITS2 secondary structures reveals the geographical differentiation of seagrass <i>Halophila ovalis</i> (Hydrocharitaceae) in the world

The seagrass Halophila is one of the genera of Hydrocharitaceae that shows the highest number of species, with around 20 species. Among them, H. ovalis, H. major, H. minor, and H. nipponica are closely related species. It is the first time ITS2 secondary structures and their phylogenetic utility in this genus were reported worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis based on 205 bp of ITS2 showed four clades corresponding to above species. ITS2 secondary structures showed insight into Halophila ovalis from the East coast of Africa. Halophila ovalis from the East coast of Africa showed a distinct variant in Helix 1, 2, and 3 compared to the worldwide populations. Therefore, the ITS2 locus should be used as a DNA barcode for identifying Halophila species.

Species composition and distribution of Sponges in some islands in Vietnam sea

Research results from 2003 to present, in same Vietnamese islands, have identified 205 Sponges species belonging to 85 genera and 56 families, 22 orders of 3 classes, including Dermospongia class (203 species), two classes Calcarea and Homoscleromorpha has only 1 species in each class. Among these, there are 3 species new to science: Cladocroce pansinii Bertolino & Calcinai, 2023, Cladocroce lamellata Bertolino and Calcinai, 2023 and Spongilla marconii. The diversity of Sponges is quite high, reaching 2.4 species/genus, 3.66 species/family and 9.32 species/order. Orders with the highest number of species include Haplosclerida (55 species), followed by Poecilosclerida (29 species), Dictyoceratida (21 species), and Halichondrida (20 species). The South Central islands have the highest number of species (121 species), followed by the North Central islands (65 species), the Northeastern islands of Vietnam (57 species), Spratly Islands (37 species) and Phu Quoc (15 species). Species Cinachyrella australiensis, Dysidea fragilis, Dysidea cinerea can live at a water depth of 134 m. The biomass of Sponges varies from 0.14–2.5 kg/m2.

Biosphere reserves in the megadiverse Cape Floristic Region are effective in conserving arthropod diversity

AbstractBiosphere reserves (BRs) aim to protect global biodiversity alongside social and economic development. Each BR is composed of a core area where biodiversity conservation is maximal. Surrounding this zone is a buffer and then a transition zone where agroecological farming and other low‐intensity land‐uses are undertaken to an increasing degree. The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is a biodiversity hotspot at the southern tip of Africa, extremely rich in endemic plants and arthropods. We review the instigation of four CFR BRs for effective conservation to protect this unique biodiversity, and where new species are regularly being discovered. Core areas protect many endemic and rare arthropod species with impacts from human activities in these critical areas being softened by the outer zones. Within the buffer and transition zones, agroecological approaches are advancing arthropod conservation, largely through maintenance of natural patches in the agricultural matrix. While larger patches are better, small patches also have high value for arthropods, especially when functionally connected. Other biodiversity‐friendly farming methods such as high vegetation cover between vine rows are also proving to be effective for indigenous arthropod conservation, as is an ecologically sensitive pest management strategy. Furthermore, a national programme aimed at removal of invasive alien trees is enabling arthropod recovery, especially endemic stream insects. Although fire is a natural CFR phenomenon, increased fire frequency is of concern. Nevertheless, natural fire refuges remain vitally important and are playing a critical role, especially for vulnerable species‐rich groups like pollinators. Overall, there is optimism that most arthropod species will remain at effective population levels in this megadiversity hotspot by putting in place effective precautionary measures. Here we show that the BR model contributes towards the protection of the CFR's endemic arthropod fauna, with potential to expand the BRs beyond the four official reserves.

MCHelper automatically curates transposable element libraries across eukaryotic species.

The number of species with high-quality genome sequences continues to increase, in part due to the scaling up of multiple large-scale biodiversity sequencing projects. While the need to annotate genic sequences in these genomes is widely acknowledged, the parallel need to annotate transposable element (TE) sequences that have been shown to alter genome architecture, rewire gene regulatory networks, and contribute to the evolution of host traits is becoming ever more evident. However, accurate genome-wide annotation of TE sequences is still technically challenging. Several de novo TE identification tools are now available, but manual curation of the libraries produced by these tools is needed to generate high-quality genome annotations. Manual curation is time-consuming, and thus impractical for large-scale genomic studies, and lacks reproducibility. In this work, we present the Manual Curator Helper tool MCHelper, which automates the TE library curation process. By leveraging MCHelper's fully automated mode with the outputs from three de novo TE identification tools, RepeatModeler2, EDTA, and REPET, in the fruit fly, rice, hooded crow, zebrafish, maize, and human, we show a substantial improvement in the quality of the TE libraries and genome annotations. MCHelper libraries are less redundant, with up to 65% reduction in the number of consensus sequences, have up to 11.4% fewer false positive sequences, and up to ∼48% fewer "unclassified/unknown" TE consensus sequences. Genome-wide TE annotations are also improved, including larger unfragmented insertions. Moreover, MCHelper is an easy-to-install and easy-to-use tool.

Gill Health in Fish Farmed in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS): A Review.

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) have been proposed as the future of aquaculture, because they can be used anywhere regardless of access to water, they offer high level of control over farming environment, including biosecurity, and are considered to be sustainable. However, despite of continuous development, there can be still issues with water quality affecting gill health of fish farmed in these systems. This review provides an overview of fish gill structure and gill immune response, and discusses the known impacts of RAS on gill health. Several experimental studies have inadequately reported conditions, particularly water quality, making it difficult to determine if the observed effects were due to water quality issues or RAS system itself. It is crucial for studies investigating the impact of RAS on fish to report water quality during the study. Furthermore, assessments of RAS effects on gill health should include sufficient independent replicates and flow through controls using a common water source. Various methods have been used to assess gill health in RAS, including gill histology, presence of pathogens, gene expression in the gills and gill microbiome analysis. Differences in gill health in fish from RAS and a flow through system have been shown for a number of freshwater and marine fish species. However, these results have been inconsistent across studies, and some results have been challenging to interpret as indicators of gill health. Holistic studies including a number of different methods to assess fish gills would give more conclusive results. More research is needed, in particular, on brackish and marine RAS, to fully understand their impacts on gill health.

Global rarity of high-integrity tropical rainforests for threatened and declining terrestrial vertebrates

Structurally intact native forests free from major human pressures are vitally important habitats for the persistence of forest biodiversity. However, the extent of such high-integrity forest habitats remaining for biodiversity is unknown. Here, we quantify the amount of high-integrity tropical rainforests, as a fraction of total forest cover, within the geographic ranges of 16,396 species of terrestrial vertebrates worldwide. We found up to 90% of the humid tropical ranges of forest-dependent vertebrates was encompassed by forest cover. Concerningly, however, merely 25% of these remaining rainforests are of high integrity. Forest-dependent species that are threatened and declining and species with small geographic ranges have disproportionately low proportions of high-integrity forest habitat left. Our work brings much needed attention to the poor quality of much of the forest estate remaining for biodiversity across the humid tropics. The targeted preservation of the world's remaining high-integrity tropical rainforests that are currently unprotected is a critical conservation priority that may help alleviate the biodiversity crisis in these hyperdiverse and irreplaceable ecosystems. Enhanced efforts worldwide to preserve tropical rainforest integrity are essential to meet the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework which aims to achieve near zero loss of high biodiversity importance areas (including ecosystems of high integrity) by 2030.

Efficacy of 0.2% povidone-iodine and 0.1% polyhexamethylene biguanide as preoperative antiseptics in equine ophthalmic procedures.

This retrospective study evaluates the efficacy of povidone-iodine (PI) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) as preoperative antiseptics in equine ophthalmic procedures. Horses that underwent routine ophthalmic surgery and procedures. Data were collected retrospectively from the medical records of equine patients undergoing ophthalmic procedures. Inclusion criteria were sampling for aerobic microbial culture at three different time points (T0: pre-irrigation, T1: post-irrigation, and T2: postoperatively) and T0 showing bacterial growth. Microbiological outcomes were assessed semi-quantitatively by creating a scoring system to describe the bacterial load. Furthermore, the species detected were evaluated. Poisson regression analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of the disinfectants. Eighty eyes (75 horses) met the inclusion criteria, with 36 cases being aseptically prepared with PI and 44 with PHMB. Both antiseptics significantly reduced the bacterial load and number of bacterial species (p < .001) between time points T0 and T1, and T0 and T2. PHMB showed a reduction in the bacterial load by 64% (CI: 51%-73%) whereas PI reduced it by 48% (CI: 36%-58%) between time points T0 and T1. The reduction in the number of bacterial species between time points T0 to T1 was significantly greater in the PHMB group (85%, CI: 70%-93%), compared to PI (47%, CI: 26%-62%). Both PHMB and PI reduced the bacterial load and number of species on the ocular surface and eyelids significantly, with 0.1% PHMB being superior to 0.2% PI. Therefore, PHMB can be considered as a good alternative in preoperative antisepsis in equine ophthalmic procedures.

Endemic Plant Species of India: Challenges and Conservation Strategies

India is home to a rich diversity of endemic plant species, many of which face severe threats due to habitat destruction, climate change, and unsustainable human activities. This paper explores the current status of endemic plant species in India, highlights the challenges they face, and proposes conservation strategies. India boasts a significant number of endemic species, with many of them listed as threatened, underscoring the urgency for effective conservation. Habitat loss, primarily driven by urbanization, agriculture, and deforestation, is a major contributor to this decline. Climate change further exacerbates these threats, altering species distributions and accelerating the loss of suitable habitats. The paper discusses various conservation approaches, including in situ and ex situ methods, along with the importance of local community involvement in conservation efforts. Technological innovations such as GIS and satellite monitoring have proven to be instrumental in mapping biodiversity hotspots and enhancing conservation efforts. Policy frameworks like the Biological Diversity Act of 2002 have laid a foundation for species protection, but stronger enforcement and broader initiatives are needed. Finally, the paper outlines future directions for conservation, emphasizing the need for integrated approaches that combine technology, research, policy, and community participation. The survival of India's endemic plant species is crucial for maintaining ecological balance and safeguarding biodiversity for future generations.

A tale of long tails: Evolution of host specialization in non‐pollinating fig wasps

Abstract The evolution of host specialization and feeding habits in non‐pollinating fig wasps remains poorly understood. This study investigates these dynamics within the wasp genus Idarnes, which exhibits diverse life strategies and degrees of host specificity. We reconstructed the phylogeny of 57 Idarnes species using four genetic markers—two mitochondrial, one nuclear and one ribosomal—and performed ancestral state reconstructions to elucidate the evolution of host specialization. Our analyses reveal that host monophagy is ancestral in Idarnes, with oligophagy evolving independently in several lineages. Oligophagous species are more prevalent in kleptoparasitic compared to gall‐inducing lineages. Early gallers—which are wasps that colonize figs during the pre‐receptive stage of development—are predominantly monophagous, while some oligophagous species occur in the galler lineage that uses flower ovaries at the fig receptive phase. The relative ovipositor length correlates with the number of host species visited by kleptoparasite species, suggesting morphological adaptations play a role in host specialization. In the gall‐inducing lineages, the use of multiple host species seems not primarily constrained by the ovipositor size but possibly by the capacity of the wasp to induce galls in a non‐typical host species. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms driving host specialization in fig wasps, enhancing our understanding of this intricate insect‐plant system.

Modern state of ichthyofauna of Lake Donuzlav (Western Crimea, Black Sea)

Lake Donuzlav is a manmade water body, the ecosystem of which began to form since the 1960s. In this study, the current state of the fish population of Lake Donuzlav is assessed, taking into account the active fishing pressure on the lake and insufficient study of the biology and ecology of particular groups of aquatic organisms. Based on the literature and original data, the modern composition of the ichthyofauna was revealed, which includes 65 species of fish of 34 families, among which the family Gobiidae is dominated in terms of the number of species (13). Thirteen fish species previously unfound in the lake were recorded; these are mainly Ponto-Caspian endemics (monkey goby Neogobius fluviatilis, mushroom goby Ponticola eurycephalus, and tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus). The ichthyofauna in Lake Donuzlav is similar in taxonomic composition to that of Yarylgach Bay and the eastern part of the Karkinit Bay (northwestern Black Sea). In general, the current fish population of Lake Donuzlav is characterized by the predominance of sedentary demersal fish species, which have settled over the last 20 years.

Biochip-Based Identification of Mycobacterial Species in Russia.

Infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are rising globally throughout the world. The number of species isolated from clinical samples is steadily growing, which demands the implementation of a robust diagnostic method with wide specificity. This study was carried out in in 2022-2024 in three clinical antituberculosis centers in the biggest cities of Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. We developed the DNA hybridization assay 'Myco-biochip' that allows the identification of 79 mycobacterial species and analyzed 3119 samples from 2221 patients. Sixty-eight mycobacterial species were identified in clinics, including the three novel species phylogenetically related to M. duvalii, M. lentiflavum, and M. talmoniae. The identification of a close relative of M. talmoniae adds to the existence of separate clade between M. terrae, M. triviale complexes and other slow-growing Mycobacteria, which supports the thesis against the splitting of Mycobacteria into five separate genera. Adding to the list of potentially pathogenic species, we identified M. adipatum and M. terramassiliense, which were previously described as natural habitats. The diversity of acid-fast bacilli identified in TB-suspected persons was not limited to the Mycobacteria genus and also includes species from genera Nocardia, Gordonia, Corynebacterium, Tsukamurella, and Rhodococcus of the order Mycobacteriales. The revealed bacterial diversity in patients with suspected NTM-diseases requires the implementation of relevant species identification assays as the first step in the laboratory diagnostic pipeline.

Strengthening the DNA barcode reference library for marine copepods in South Africa

DNA barcode reference libraries that link taxonomically verified species records to standardised barcode sequences form the basis for species identification using molecular methods. We conducted an integrated morphology and molecular study of marine copepods collected from the continental shelf of eastern South Africa, western Indian Ocean, to strengthen the regional reference library for metabarcoding applications. Regional barcode records account for endemic species and geographical variation of barcode sequences. A DNA barcode gap analysis confirmed the CO1 gene region as an effective marker for distinguishing between copepod species. Intact exoskeletons after DNA extraction were retained as voucher specimens. A total of 166 new barcode records representing 24 copepod species were added to BOLD. The new barcode records included 10 species with exact matches to existing records on BOLD, four close matches (1–4% similarity gain) for regionally collected specimens, and six distant matches (4–20% similarity gain) to genetically diverged populations of the same species. Additionally, four mismatches were identified, indicating prior misidentifications or subsequent name changes. The improved reference library increased the number of species identified in metabarcoding outputs by 29% in the ‘before’ (2019) and ‘after’ (2023) treatments that matched the same amplicon sequence variants outputs to the BOLD and NCBI GenBank barcode records.

Eco-phylogenetic study of Trebouxia in southern Africa reveals interbiome connectivity and potential endemism in a green algal lichen photobiont.

Southern Africa is a biodiversity hotspot rich in endemic plants and lichen-forming fungi. However, species-level data about lichen photobionts in this region are minimal. We focused on Trebouxia (Chlorophyta), the most common lichen photobiont, to understand how southern African species fit into the global biodiversity of this genus and are distributed across biomes and mycobiont partners. We sequenced Trebouxia nuclear ribosomal ITS and rbcL of 139 lichen thalli from diverse biomes in South Africa and Namibia. Global Trebouxia phylogenies incorporating these new data were inferred with a maximum likelihood approach. Trebouxia biodiversity, biogeography, and mycobiont-photobiont associations were assessed in phylogenetic and ecological network frameworks. An estimated 43 putative Trebouxia species were found across the region, including seven potentially endemic species. Only five clades represent formally described species: T. arboricola s.l. (A13), T. cf. cretacea (A01), T. incrustata (A06), T. lynniae (A39), and T. maresiae (A46). Potential endemic species were not significantly associated with the Greater Cape Floristic Region or desert. Trebouxia species occurred frequently across multiple biomes. Annual precipitation, but not precipitation seasonality, was significant in explaining variation in Trebouxia communities. Consistent with other studies of lichen photobionts, the Trebouxia-mycobiont network had an anti-nested structure. Depending on the metric used, ca. 20-30% of global Trebouxia biodiversity occurs in southern Africa, including many species yet to be described. With a classification scheme for Trebouxia now well established, tree-based approaches are preferable over "barcode gap" methods for delimiting new species.

Avian influenza: A new threat to wild bird conservation?

&lt;p&gt;Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, significantly threatens wild bird populations and global biodiversity. As wild birds are natural reservoirs for various strains of the influenza virus, they have a crucial role in the epidemiology of the disease, which has profound implications for both wildlife conservation and public health. The emergence and dispersion of highly pathogenic avian influenza strains, particularly H5N1, have resulted in large-scale mortality events in wild bird populations, disrupting ecosystems and threatening endangered species. The conservation of wild birds in the context of avian flu involves several critical actions, including surveillance, rapid response to outbreaks, habitat management, and minimizing human-wildlife interactions that facilitate virus transmission. Studying avian influenza’s impact on wild bird populations is crucial due to its dual importance in wildlife conservation and public health. Wild birds, as natural reservoirs of the virus, play a central role in its spread, with highly pathogenic strains like H5N1 causing devastating mortality events that disrupt ecosystems and endanger species. Effective management, including monitoring, rapid outbreak response, and habitat protection, is essential to mitigate these effects. Collaboration among experts is vital to protect biodiversity, sustain ecological balance, and reduce risks to human health, ensuring the long-term survival of wild bird populations.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

A phylogenetic analysis and new delimitation of the Neotropical genus Werneria (Compositae, Senecioneae)

AbstractThe genus Werneria was first described from six species found in the northern Andes in 1818 by Karl S. Kunth. By 1970 the number of species increased to around 50. Werneria is mostly distributed in the Andean highlands with a single species, W. nubigena, reaching as far as southern Chiapas, Mexico. Today, the genus Werneria encompasses 28 species with its center of diversity located in Peru and Bolivia. It is defined, in part, by having involucral bracts fused at least halfway and lacking a well‐developed calyculus at the base of the head. Further research indicated that there was considerable variability between Werneria species, and several species were transferred into the related genera Anticona, Misbrookea, Senecio, and Xenophyllum. Recently, it has been brought to light that the type of the genus Werneria is W. rigida, an effective lectotypification made by Rockhausen that previous authors working on this group overlooked. Since W. rigida has been accepted so far as a member of the genus Xenophyllum, Rockhausen's typification has resulted in: (1) Xenophyllum a superfluous name for Werneria; (2) Werneria a name to be applied to the species treated thus far as Xenophyllum; and (3) describing the new genus Rockhausenia to place the “traditional” Werneria species. Instead of proposing to conserve the name Werneria to avoid the aforementioned undesirable disruptions in the interest of nomenclatural stability, 30 new combinations have been made. Herein, we present the first comprehensive phylogenetic study based on ITS, trnL, ndhF, matK, and psbA sequence data involving 29 out of the 51 known species of Werneria and Xenophyllum (including the monotypic genus Misbrookea). The results indicate that: (1) the treatment of Misbrookea as a distinct genus is well supported; and (2) Werneria and Xenophyllum are each clearly not monophyletic. This, in addition to the fact that there are no diagnostic morphological synapomorphies to support either of the two genera, suggests treating them as members of a single genus. Moreover, the type of W. subg. Anactis appears to be nested in the genus Senecio. The three species belonging to this subgenus are accordingly transferred to Senecio. Finally, two subgenera are here proposed for facilitating species identification: (1) W. subg. Werneria, including species previously treated under Xenophyllum; (2) W. subg. Rockhausenia comb. &amp; stat. nov., including the “traditional” Werneria species centered around W. nubigena.