Conservation Of Species Research Articles

Micropropagation and cryopreservation of the rare endemic Colchicum figlalii germplasm

BACKGROUND: The natural population of Colchicum figlalii (Varol) Parolly & Eren grows in a narrow area of serpentine rock clearings at an altitude of 1900-2100 m in Southwestern Anatolia (Sandras Mountain, Mugla, Turkey). The species is regarded as endangered according to the IUCN Red List Categories. OBJECTIVE: To develop an optimum procedure for in vitro propagation and cryopreservation of germplasm of this rare endemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 281 bulbs were used as in vitro culture starting material and after surface sterilization, clean material was obtained from 157 of them. Woody Plant Medium (WPM), Olive Medium (OM), and Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) were used for in vitro culture establishment. RESULTS: The maximum regeneration rate (˜67.3%) was obtained after four weeks of incubation on OM. The calli were successfully induced by using OM supplemented with 10.7 μM NAA from leaves of in vitro grown C. figlalii bulbs. A PVS2-vitrification procedure was used for cryopreservation of C. figlalii callus tissue. After cryo-storage, the best result for regeneration (66.7%) was obtained from calli treated with PVS2 for 75 min before plunging into liquid nitrogen. All rooted seedlings derived from cryopreserved calli were successfully acclimatized to greenhouse conditions. CONCLUSION: This study is an effective reference for future long-term conservation of similar species that are difficult to cryopreserve.

A global survey of the societal benefits of trophy hunting in Africa

African trophy hunting is controversial. Central to the debate on this practice is whether it may be justified by any broader provisions to African society. These typically include meat supply to poor communities, problem animal control, and the funding of conservation and community development. The societal role of African hunting is as contested as the practice itself, with proponents advocating for the benefits of hunting, while critics point to these being inadequate. Little is known about the role of location and demography in the debate on hunting benefits. Here we circulated an anonymous online survey through our international networks. We asked respondents to indicate which (if any) benefits they thought may justify the practice and whether they supported African trophy hunting, or not. We also collected data on respondent geographic location, age, gender, and employment within conservation. The 5755 responses were analysed using multiple correspondence analysis and provided strong evidence for an association between the level of support/rejection of trophy hunting and potential benefits that were perceived to justify the practice. Funding of wildlife conservation through hunting was the most frequently selected benefit, even among many respondents with a neutral or slightly negative view toward trophy hunting as a practice. Respondents strongly opposed to trophy hunting were more likely to reject all societal benefits of hunting. There was some divergence in views between Africa-based respondents, and those outside of Africa. We suggest that any policy development on African trophy hunting be required to incorporate the views of all African stakeholders.

Yurok–wildlife relationship through the context of Traditional Ecological Knowledge

AbstractVarious aspects of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) continue to be integrated in the wildlife conservation and management discourse; however, there may be challenges in cross‐cultural understanding of the complex social‐ecological systems that make up the fabric of TEK. In a 2‐phased approach, we implemented research to better understand an Indigenous perspective of human–wildlife relationship. In phase 1, we conducted 16 semi‐structured interviews with Yurok and Yurok‐affiliated people about the relationship of Yurok people with wildlife and Yurok community hunting values. In phase 2, we conducted a secondary analysis of a subset of 10 interviews from phase 1. Permissions were obtained from the Yurok Tribe, under the project's previously established Institutional Review Board process, to access archived interview data for subsequent research relevant to the original research goals. We identified the following themes: Yurok conceptualizations of wildlife, cultural understanding of animals as people, animal harvesting protocols, cultural guidelines that maintain wildlife populations, and consequences for not following cultural guidelines as related to hunting. We explored how the terms wildlife and wildlife management are difficult to interpret within the context of Yurok TEK, as wildlife, in the same meaning as Western wildlife management, does not exist in the Yurok cultural paradigm. A fundamental, multifaceted aspect of the Yurok–wildlife relationship through a TEK context is the concept of animals as people, which we discuss in relation to Yurok spirituality. As Indigenous Knowledge continues to be recognized in scientific discourse, there may be opportunities to reconceptualize, Indigenize, and shift approaches to research, wildlife and wildlife habitat management, and conservation. Results of our study may support Yurok Tribe wildlife managers, Western‐trained biologists, and others in their considerations of Indigenous Knowledge in wildlife management and conservation.

Enhancing biotechnological approaches for the in vitro micropropagation: Protecting endangered wild tulip species in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Tulipa, a genus of bulbous geophytes, boasts a globally recognized ornamental value. Anthropogenic influences have precipitated a decline in the wild populations of Tulipa, including those in Uzbekistan, necessitating the development of forward-looking conservation strategies. This study focuses on advancing biotechnological strategies for in vitro micropropagation to conserve endangered wild Tulipa species in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Tulipa ingens and Tulipa fosteriana, listed as vulnerable and near threatened, respectively, on the IUCN Red List, face numerous anthropogenic threats including habitat loss and overexploitation. Our research demonstrates the effectiveness of sterilization protocols, successful micropropagation from seeds, and the importance of adapting to non-sterile conditions. Through meticulous experimentation, a novel sterilization approach involving a 5 percent Domestos solution coupled with brief ethanol exposure yielded the highest viability rates for plant materials. Micropropagation from seeds resulted in successful shoot and microbulb formation, providing a promising conservation strategy for these rare species. The study underscores the urgency of conservation efforts in Uzbekistan, where the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of these species classify them as endangered. Our findings contribute valuable data for ex-situ conservation measures, offering hope for the preservation of red-listed Tulipa species in the region.

Communities beyond geographical limitation: The network characteristics of international wildlife trade under the pandemic

The international wildlife trade, contributing billions of dollars to global economies and encompassing thousands of species, has increased due to rising demands for wildlife products. Revealing the key participants and trade characteristics across taxa is imperative for sustaining wildlife resources and conservation efforts. To provide a basis for informed wildlife management and trade supervision, we investigated the global wildlife trade's fundamental characteristics and spatial patterns by analyzing transaction records reported to The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 2020 to 2022. During this period, the essential demands for wildlife were highlighted due to stricter trade regulations and higher trade costs in response to the suspected wildlife origin of the pandemic. Our analysis highlights the formation of trade communities that are tightly interconnected by strong trade relations in wildlife trade networks, transcending geographical limitations. Unlike the division of the continents, geographical proximity alone does not necessarily contribute to the formation of these trade communities. Germany emerges as the leading importer based on trade frequency, while the Netherlands leads in exports. The main driving forces behind wildlife trades include commercial use (74.98 %), personal use (3.80 %), and hunting trophies (3.19 %). Apart from 44.90 % of flora trades, Reptilia was the primary traded taxa (21.08 %), involving 196 engaged countries/territories with the most mutual connections (27.21 %) and an average of 12.51 shipments to 11.33 nodes. Aves (9.70 %), Mammalia (9.44 %), and Anthozoa (7.62 %) followed. Notably, certain European and Asian countries/territories dominate the import or export of most trades, exhibiting distinct variations across taxa. The United Arab Emirates led the Aves trade, accounting for 15.96 % of global Aves transactions during this period. Similarly, Italy led the Reptilia trades (21.28 %), South Africa led the Mammalia trades (18.72 %), and Indonesia led the trades in Insecta (56.84 %), Hydrozoa (66.96 %), and Anthozoa (56.12 %). Our findings underscore the traded species facing overexploited and the countries most involved, thereby informing proactive monitoring and policy-making for sustainable wildlife conservation and management.

Effects of climate warming on soil nitrogen cycles and bamboo growth in core giant panda habitat

Climate change can pose a significant threat to terrestrial ecosystems by disrupting the circulation of soil nitrogen. However, experimental analyses on the effect of climate change on soil nitrogen cycles and the implications for the conservation of key wildlife species (i.e., the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca) remain understudied. We investigated the effects of a 1.5 °C, 3 °C, and 4.5 °C temperature increase on nitrogen distribution in different soil layers of bamboo forest via an in-situ experiment and assessed the implications for the growth and survival of arrow bamboo (Bashania faberi), a critical food resource for giant pandas. Our results showed that warming treatments generally increased soil N content, while effects differed between surface soil and subsurface soil and at different warming treatments. Particularly an increase of 1.5 °C raised the subsurface soil NO3-N content, as well as the content of N in bamboo leaves. We found a significant positive correlation between the subsurface soil NO3-N content and the N content of arrow bamboo. An increase of 3–4.5 °C raised the content of total N and NO3-N in the surface soil and led to a reduction in the total aboveground biomass and survival rate of arrow bamboo. Limited warming (e.g., the increase of 0–1.5 °C) may promote the soil N cycle, raise the N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activity, increase NO3-N in subsurface soil, increase the N content of bamboo, and boost the biomass of bamboo – all of which could be beneficial to giant panda survival. However, higher warming (e.g., an increase of 3–4.5 °C) resulted in mass death of bamboo and a large reduction in aboveground biomass. Our findings provide a cautiously optimistic scenario for bamboo forest ecosystems under low levels of warming over a short period of time, but risks from higher levels of warming may be serious, especially considering the unpredictability of global climatic change.

Prevalence of coronaviruses in European bison (Bison bonasus) in Poland

Coronaviruses have been confirmed to infect a variety of species, but only one case of associated winter dysentery of European bison has been described. The study aimed to analyze the prevalence, and define the impact on the species conservation, the source of coronavirus infection, and the role of the European bison in the transmission of the pathogen in Poland. Molecular and serological screening was performed on 409 European bison from 6 free-ranging and 14 captive herds over the period of 6 years (2017–2023). Presence of coronavirus was confirmed in one nasal swab by pancoronavirus RT-PCR and in 3 nasal swab samples by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) specific real time RT-PCR. The detected virus showed high (> 98%) homology in both RdRp and Spike genes to BCoV strains characterised recently in Polish cattle and strains isolated from wild cervids in Italy. Antibodies specific to BCoV were found in 6.4% of tested samples, all originating from free-ranging animals. Seroprevalence was higher in adult animals over 5 years of age (p = 0.0015) and in females (p = 0.09). Our results suggest that European bison play only a limited role as reservoirs of bovine-like coronaviruses. Although the most probable source of infections in the European bison population in Poland is cattle, other wild ruminants could also be involved. In addition, the zoonotic potential of bovine coronaviruses is quite low.

Identification of the first nursery area of the Galápagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) in the south-east Pacific Ocean.

The identification of important areas (i.e., nursery grounds) is essential for the conservation of most shark species. To assess whether Salas y Gómez Island serves as a nursery area for the Galápagos shark Carcharhinus galapagensis, we conducted a thorough literature review. Multiple lines of evidence show that young-of-the-year (YOY); inhabiting the remote Salas y Gómez Island (1) present a higher density around Salas y Gómez Island than the surrounding deeper oceanic waters and in the south-eastern Pacific, (2) potentially display high fidelity to this area, and (3) demonstrate the repeated use of this area over multiple years. We also discuss the significance of this isolated island for the Galápagos shark population and propose specific research, management, and conservation actions for its preservation.

City divided: Unveiling family ties and genetic structuring of coyotes in Seattle.

Linear barriers pose significant challenges for wildlife gene flow, impacting species persistence, adaptation, and evolution. While numerous studies have examined the effects of linear barriers (e.g., fences and roadways) on partitioning urban and non-urban areas, understanding their influence on gene flow within cities remains limited. Here, we investigated the impact of linear barriers on coyote (Canis latrans) population structure in Seattle, Washington, where major barriers (i.e., interstate highways and bodies of water) divide the city into distinct quadrants. Just under 1000 scats were collected to obtain genetic data between January 2021 and December 2022, allowing us to identify 73 individual coyotes. Notably, private allele analysis underscored limited interbreeding among quadrants. When comparing one quadrant to each other, there were up to 16 private alleles within a single quadrant, representing nearly 22% of the population allelic diversity. Our analysis revealed weak isolation by distance, and despite being a highly mobile species, genetic structuring was apparent between quadrants even with extremely short geographic distance between individual coyotes, implying that Interstate 5 and the Ship Canal act as major barriers. This study uses coyotes as a model species for understanding urban gene flow and its consequences in cities, a crucial component for bolstering conservation of rarer species and developing wildlife friendly cities.

Molecular Detection and Genetic Variability of Hepatozoon canis in Golden Jackals (Canis aureus L. 1758) in Serbia.

Hepatozoon canis is a protozoan tick-borne parasite infecting domestic and wild canids, including foxes, wolves, and jackals. It is mainly found in dogs but has also been detected in several wild carnivores, including foxes, wolves, and jackals. Host transmission primarily occurs through the ingestion of infected ticks, typically Rhipicephalus sanguineus, with documented instances of transplacental transmission from infected females to cubs. In Serbia, the golden jackal is common throughout the country, and its population has increased in recent years. Previous research has documented the presence of several vector-borne pathogens in the jackal population in Serbia, so we conducted this study to determine the presence, prevalence, and genetic variability of H. canis. Over eleven years (2010-2020), 114 animal samples were collected from 23 localities in Serbia. A total of 90/114 (78.95%) jackals were positive for H. canis, and they came from 22 localities. Among 15 juveniles, almost half (6/15 (40%)) tested positive for H. canis. In addition to the high prevalence, high genetic variability of the pathogen was also found. According to the mutated positions, four sequence types (S4-S7) of H. canis were determined. Based on our earlier research on the grey wolf and on this study, it can be observed that various sequence types of H. canis circulate within wild canid populations in Serbia. The prevalence of H. canis infection in wild carnivores raises significant concerns for wildlife conservation and animal health. Infected animals may act as reservoirs for the disease, posing a potential risk to domestic animals by acting as a source of infection.

Spatial population genetic structure of Caquetaia kraussii (Steindachner, 1878) evidenced by species-specific microsatellite loci in the middle and low basin of the Cauca River, Colombia.

The adaptative responses and divergent evolution shown in the environments habited by the Cichlidae family allow to understand different biological properties, including fish genetic diversity and structure studies. In a zone that has been historically submitted to different anthropogenic pressures, this study assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of cichlid Caquetaia kraussii, a sedentary species with parental care that has a significant ecological role for its contribution to redistribution and maintenance of sedimentologic processes in its distribution area. This study developed de novo 16 highly polymorphic species-specific microsatellite loci that allowed the estimation of the genetic diversity and differentiation in 319 individuals from natural populations in the area influenced by the Ituango hydroelectric project in the Colombian Cauca River. Caquetaia kraussii exhibits high genetic diversity levels (Ho: 0.562-0.885; He: 0.583-0.884) in relation to the average neotropical cichlids and a three group-spatial structure: two natural groups upstream and downstream the Nechí River mouth, and one group of individuals with high relatedness degree, possibly independently formed by founder effect in the dam zone. The three genetic groups show recent bottlenecks, but only the two natural groups have effective population size that suggest their long-term permanence. The information generated is relevant not only for management programs and species conservation purposes, but also for broadening the available knowledge on the factors influencing neotropical cichlids population genetics.

Wolverine population density and home range size in Arctic Alaska

AbstractUnderstanding the spatial requirements of exploited wildlife species, including population density and home range size, is important for wildlife management and conservation. Wolverines (Gulo gulo) are hunted and trapped across the Arctic, and are vulnerable to numerous, often interrelated, threats resulting from anthropogenic changes in their environment. Previous population density estimates for wolverines in the Arctic range tenfold, from the lowest to highest available for the species, limiting their utility outside the specific areas and times they were derived. The most recent density estimate in Arctic Alaska, USA, was produced 4 decades ago and was derived from a relatively small study area. We evaluated wolverine population density and home range size across the North Slope of Alaska during 2017–2022 using global positioning system (GPS)‐based collar data and spatial capture‐recapture models. Population density estimates were 2.0 individuals/1,000 km2 (95% credible interval = 1.3–3.5) in 2018 and 2.8 individuals/1,000 km2 (95% credible interval = 1.7–3.5) in 2021. Median home range sizes modeled with autocorrelated kernel density estimators and Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck foraging movement processes were 699 km2 (range = 158–2,895 km2) among 12 females and 2,332 km2 (range = 797–4,699 km2) among 10 males. These population density estimates are nearly 10 times lower than the previous estimate for Arctic Alaska. We recommend incorporating this information into management strategies to ensure sustainable harvest, particularly as the region's remote areas are more efficiently accessed by hunters and are being considered for transportation corridors supporting new industrial development.

Identifying human elephant conflict hotspots through satellite remote sensing and GIS to support conflict mitigation

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a significant issue in Sri Lanka and many parts of the world where elephants and humans coexist. To address HEC, this study integrates remote sensing and GIS analysis, focusing on monitoring changes in greenery. The study prepared the latest land cover and land use (LCLU) maps with Sentinel-2 satellite data, correlating them with reported HEC incidents reported in 2021 and 2022 to identify HEC hotspots in two forest-dominated regions of Southeast Sri Lanka. High-resolution sentinel-2 satellite imagery were used to detect areas of human activities and elephant habitats in proximity to each other. Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification methods were used for LCLU classification. The overall accuracy of the classification was 97.31 and 94.62, and kappa was 0.95 and 0.90 for RF and SVM, respectively. Multi-temporal normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) analysis provided insights into vegetation health and coverage, offering a clear picture of greenery changes. Monthly changes in vegetation cover readings were quantified using NDVI values derived from MODIS data, identifying suitable regions for elephants to forage frequently. Furthermore, Kernel density estimation identified high-density areas for reported incidents of human and elephant deaths. This process involved assigning weight to conflict incidents within a 5 km radius, considering the proximity to the forest, and evaluating greenery changes using NDVI values, revealing varying levels of HEC risk, ranging from very high to low. The LCLU map, created using the RF classifier, indicates that all potential HEC hotspots for very high and high HEC risks are closely aligned with forest boundaries. The findings support HEC mitigation strategies through community awareness, HEC hotspots mapping and restoration practices to ensure a sustainable human-elephant coexistence. This method will help policymakers in wildlife conservation to identify high risk HEC zones to support HEC mitigation. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of integrating remote sensing and GIS techniques in demarcating HEC hotspots in Sri Lanka to support conflict mitigation efforts.

Three-lattice metapopulation model: Connecting corridor between patches may be harmful due to “hub effect”

Many authors have reported the risk of habitat fragmentation and the importance of connecting corridors between subpopulations (patches). However, we report that the connection of corridors may be harmful to species conservation. The paper deals with the birth and death processes of a single species living in a network composed of three patches. The disturbance due to a changing environment is assumed to affect only one patch. Two types of metapopulation models are applied. One is the lattice simulation model where we set a lattice as a patch. The other is based on metapopulation theory, which utilizes reaction-migration equations. The lattice simulation reveals that the connecting corridor between patches may be disadvantageous; the complete graph or a network with fully connected corridors is found not to be optimal for species conservation. Similar results are indicated by the application of metapopulation theory. We discuss the relationship between the risk of corridor construction and the effect of the hub patch.

Age is not just a number: How incorrect ageing impacts close-kin mark-recapture estimates of population size.

Population size is a key parameter for the conservation of animal species. Close-kin mark-recapture (CKMR) relies on the observed frequency and type of kinship among individuals sampled from the population to estimate population size. Knowledge of the age of the individuals, or a surrogate thereof, is essential for inference with acceptable precision. One common approach, particularly in fish studies, is to measure animal length and infer age using an assumed age-length relationship (a 'growth curve'). We used simulation to test the effect of misspecifying the length measurement error and the growth curve on population size estimation. Simulated populations represented two fictional shark species, one with a relatively simple life history and the other with a more complex life history based on the grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos). We estimated sex-specific adult abundance, which we assumed to be constant in time. We observed small median biases in these estimates ranging from 1.35% to 2.79% when specifying the correct measurement error standard deviation and growth curve. CI coverage was adequate whenever the growth curve was correctly specified. Introducing error via misspecified growth curves resulted in changes in the magnitude of the estimated adult population, where underestimating age negatively biased the abundance estimates. Over- and underestimating the standard deviation of length measurement error did not introduce a bias and had negligible effect on the variance in the estimates. Our findings show that assuming an incorrect standard deviation of length measurement error has little effect on estimation, but having an accurate growth curve is crucial for CKMR whenever ageing is based on length measurements. If ageing could be biased, researchers should be cautious when interpreting CKMR results and consider the potential biases arising from inaccurate age inference.

CircHTT(2,3,4,5,6)— co-evolving with the HTT CAG-repeat tract — modulates Huntington's disease phenotypes

Circular RNA (circRNA) molecules have critical functions during brain development and in brain related disorders. Here, we identified and validated a circRNA, circHTT(2,3,4,5,6), stemming from the Huntington's disease (HD) gene locus that is most abundant in the CNS. We uncovered its evolutionary conservation in diverse mammalian species, and a correlation between circHTT(2,3,4,5,6) levels and the length of the CAG-repeat tract in exon-1 of HTT in human and mouse HD model systems. The mouse orthologue, circHtt(2,3,4,5,6), is expressed during embryogenesis, increases during nervous system development, and is aberrantly up-regulated in presence of the expanded CAG-tract. While an IRES-like motif was predicted in circHtt(2,3,4,5,6), the circRNA does not appear to be translated in adult mouse brain tissue. Nonetheless, a modest, but consistent fraction of circHtt(2,3,4,5,6) associates with the 40S ribosomal subunit, suggesting a possible role in the regulation of protein translation. Finally, circHtt(2,3,4,5,6) over-expression experiments in HD-relevant STHdh striatal cells revealed its ability to modulate CAG-expansion driven cellular defects in cell-to-substrate adhesion, thus uncovering an unconventional modifier of HD pathology.

Inconsistent reproductive cycles and postnatal growth between captive and wild Chinese pangolins and its conservation implications

Captive breeding and reintroduction are crucial to the conservation of endangered species and restoring their populations in the wild. Previous research has primarily focused on behavioral changes and adaptations in captive-bred animals prior to release; few studies have examined changes in reproductive traits and postnatal development in captivity. The Chinese pangolin, Manis pentadactyla, is Critically Endangered because its population has substantially declined in the wild due to poaching for sale in the traditional medicine and luxury food markets. Nevertheless, success in captive breeding in Taiwan may provide a pathway to the recovery of wild populations. This study combined records on captive individuals and field observations on wild Chinese pangolins over a period from 1997 to 2023 to determine (i) mating season, (ii) birth timing, (iii) body mass and total length of newborns, and (iv) postnatal growth patterns prior to weaning. The present study suggests that mating and birth timings for captive Chinese pangolins are not seasonal, as they are in the wild. Captive-born infants are significantly longer and heavier at birth than wild-born infants. Remarkably, captive-born pangolins also experience more rapid weight gain, nearly doubling in size compared with their wild counterparts by 25 weeks of age, even before they are weaned. This rapid growth is likely attributable to the high nutritional content of captive diets. This study suggests artificial feed formulas should be aligned more closely with wild pangolins’ diets to reduce the risk of obesity. Additionally, reproductive parameters and postnatal growth rates in Chinese pangolins cannot be based on observations of captive individuals alone; wild populations must also be considered. We conclude that Chinese pangolins exhibit physiological flexibility in reproduction and growth in response to environmental changes, providing insights for captive pangolin management and reintroduction programs.

New Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) fossil mayfly nymphs (Oligoneuriidae, Heptageniidae, Hexagenitidae) from the Redmond Formation, Labrador, Canada

Three new fossil mayfly (Ephemeroptera) larvae from the Redmond Formation (Cenomanian) of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, are described: Alatuscapillus icarus gen. et sp. nov. (family Oligoneuriidae), Cruscolli sheppardae gen. et sp. nov. (family Heptageniidae), and Protoligoneuria borealis sp. nov. (family Hexagenitidae). This discovery marks the first juvenile insect nymphs to be described from this formation and helps fill gaps in our understanding of the global and temporal distribution of mayflies during the Cretaceous period. Of these, C. sheppardae marks the oldest occurrence of the family Heptageniidae in the fossil record, while A. icarus and P. borealis mark the first fossil occurrences of the families Oligoneuriidae and Hexagenitidae in North America. The anatomy, preservation, and behaviour of these new mayfly species inferred from modern taxa consolidate the hypothesis that the Redmond Formation’s palaeoenvironment was lacustrine in nature.

Climate change introduces threatened killer whale populations and conservation challenges to the Arctic.

The Arctic is the fastest-warming region on the planet, and the lengthening ice-free season is opening Arctic waters to sub-Arctic species such as the killer whale (Orcinus orca). As apex predators, killer whales can cause significant ecosystem-scale changes. Setting conservation priorities for killer whales and their Arctic prey species requires knowledge of their evolutionary history and demographic trajectory. Using whole-genome resequencing of 24 killer whales sampled in the northwest Atlantic, we first explored the population structure and demographic history of Arctic killer whales. To better understand the broader geographic relationship of these Arctic killer whales to other populations, we compared them to a globally sampled dataset. Finally, we assessed threats to Arctic killer whales due to anthropogenic harvest by reviewing the peer-reviewed and gray literature. We found that there are two highly genetically distinct, non-interbreeding populations of killer whales using the eastern Canadian Arctic. These populations appear to be as genetically different from each other as are ecotypes described elsewhere in the killer whale range; however, our data cannot speak to ecological differences between these populations. One population is newly identified as globally genetically distinct, and the second is genetically similar to individuals sampled from Greenland. The effective sizes of both populations recently declined, and both appear vulnerable to inbreeding and reduced adaptive potential. Our survey of human-caused mortalities suggests that harvest poses an ongoing threat to both populations. The dynamic Arctic environment complicates conservation and management efforts, with killer whales adding top-down pressure on Arctic food webs crucial to northern communities' social and economic well-being. While killer whales represent a conservation priority, they also complicate decisions surrounding wildlife conservation and resource management in the Arctic amid the effects of climate change.

Labor of a free-living buffy-tufted marmoset (Callithrix aurita) at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in southeastern Brazil.

Callithrix aurita is an endangered small primate endemic to the Atlantic Forest. The present work reports the labor of a free-living C. aurita, through observation of its length and offspring viability. A conservative treatment was used to maintain fetal viability, in view of the species conservation importance.