Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

Understanding predator–prey interactions is crucial for wildlife management and human–wildlife coexistence, particularly in multi-use landscapes such as western Europe. As wolves Canis lupus recoloni...

Using simulations, we provide the first systematic evaluation of the performance of STRUCTURE under a variety of cross-species hybridization scenarios. We find that STRUCTURE performs well in identif...

Empirical knowledge on how genetic diversity changes through time in populations in the wild is extremely limited. This study aims to contribute toward a better understanding of the dynamics of genetic diversity over time in an amphibian species Red-Listed as endangered in Switzerland, the natterjack toad, Epidalea calamita, which lives along the Swiss Reuss valley, an area Dominated by human activity. We collected samples in 1998 and 2020 from the same area and, when possible, from the same sites (i.e., populations). Observed and expected heterozygosity, and allelic richness (Ho, He, and Ar, respectively) were significantly higher in 1998 than in 2020, while the fixation index (Fst) was significantly higher in 2020 than in 1998. The inbreeding coefficient and the effective population size (Fis and Ne, respectively) did not differ between 1998 and 2020. Bottleneck events were detected in two populations in 1998 and in five populations in 2020. Spatial genetic differentiation among the four populations which could be sampled in both 1998 and 2020 was greater in 2020 than in 1998. In conclusion, genetic monitoring revealed that populations of an endangered amphibian lost genetic diversity and became more isolated over a period of 22 years, corresponding roughly to seven generations. Future research should investigate the causes and consequences of this loss of genetic diversity for individual fitness and population viability and to develop conservation strategies to mitigate further losses of genetic diversity.

As natural and anthropogenic disturbances to coastal ecosystems increase in frequency and intensity, the need for efficient and cost-effective biodiversity survey methods also rises. We evaluated the efficacy of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding for profiling coastal fish diversity in Texas, USA. Our objectives were to (1) characterize coastal fish richness using metabarcoding at 18 sites across 580 km (360 miles) of Texas coastline and (2) compare eDNA results with traditional survey data. Simultaneously, we developed a novel filtration system that applied pre-filtration to increase processed water volume, and we explored relationships between filtered water volume, local environmental characteristics, and eDNA results. Based on Illumina MiSeq sequencing with MiFish Universal primers, we identified 61 fish species. When we compared eDNA detections (i.e., sequencing reads) with traditional sampling results based on Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) surveys in 2008, we found no relationship (Spearman’s rank correlation p = 0.484). Rather, eDNA and traditional survey results shared 41 detections in common (species × site combinations); there were 59 species × site combinations for which traditional survey methods detected a species that eDNA did not, and 45 species × site combinations existed where eDNA detected a species that traditional surveys did not. Overall, our Texas case study suggests that eDNA metabarcoding provides a useful addition to the coastal biodiversity assessment toolbox, but rather than replacing traditional survey methods, a combination of eDNA and traditional approaches could serve to maximize the comprehensiveness of coastal fish surveys.

Complex diseases driven by gene-environment interactions impose a heavy burden on human and animal health. Addressing these challenges requires innovative research. The emerging field of historical epigenomics offers a promising opportunity to link genotypes with phenotypes using preserved biological material. New methods such as historical chromatin profiling in museum specimens provide valuable insights into vertebrate genome regulation. Building on successful work with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, we expect growing interest in using historical specimens for biomedical, evolutionary, and ecological research. Applied to historical collections, these tools can provide critical baselines for understanding modern diseases, environmental stressors, and human adaptation.

Scientific Data - Decoding the Peruvian Amazon with in situ DNA barcoding of vertebrate and plant taxa

The World’s protected areas (WDPA) have been established for more than 100 years and serve an essential role in global biodiversity conservation. Asse…

Aim To investigate how past climate change has shaped the genetic diversity and demographic responses (changes in population size and structure inferred from genetic data) of tarantulas across latit...

In the German federal state Baden-Wuerttemberg, the distribution of red deer (Cervus elaphus) is restricted by law to five spatially separated management units, and it is mandatory to harvest deer moving outside of these units. This practice could severely reduce gene flow among management units, which occur in a landscape that is already highly fragmented by anthropogenic infrastructure. We here use 27 microsatellite loci to analyse 579 red deer samples collected between 2018 and 2022 from all five management units in the state, as well as eight sites in adjacent states and countries. Furthermore, we compare our estimates of genetic variation within the state to results of a previous study that included samples collected from 2004 to 2007. Compared to adjacent sampling areas, management units in Baden-Wuerttemberg show lower levels of genetic diversity, gene flow and genetic effective population size (Ne), as well as higher levels of genetic differentiation and inbreeding. Furthermore, our temporal comparison reveals notable changes in genetic variation over time. Specifically, during approximately 15 years (i.e., less than three red deer generations), allelic richness declined by ca. 16.7%, genetic differentiation (measured via fixation index FST) increased by ca. 17.2%, and Ne dropped by ca. 19.8% on average across management units in the state. Current Ne values are below recommended thresholds to prevent further genetic erosion, indicating that the situation will likely worsen without intervention. Evidence-based management concepts, involving all stakeholders, are needed to increase genetic connectivity of red deer management units in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Abstract. Species remain the primary unit for measuring biodiversity in ecology and conservation, and for understanding human-caused extinctions. Historica

Conservation biologist need to take into account the various aspects of introgression in their attempts to protect the species integrity and evolutionary potential of threatened species. To do so, th....

We are proud to support the work of Rama Mishra and WILD CARE Nepal. Recently, her inspiring report ‘Wild Cats Series 2025’ was published. Her research forms the foundation of training programs that e...

Cell Research - The genetics of tiger pelage color variations

A century ago, India’s tigers were on the brink of extinction. Slowly, their numbers have rebounded. But that ecological success has prompted a dire problem—and a race to save many of them from geneti...

Ecological restoration offers a multitude of benefits for the human-nature system, which has put it at the forefront of international initiatives oppo…

The global biodiversity crisis demands targeted conservation strategies that maximize impact despite limited resources. Surrogate species approaches, …

The Aldabra giant tortoise is the only surviving lineage of Malagasy megafauna, eradicated by human activities over the last millennium. In 2018, the first rewilding project was launched in the Anjaj...

Population history learning by averaging sampled histories is a new Bayesian method for estimating historical effective population size from recombining sequence data that offers improved speed and ac...

Simon Baeckens and Colin Donihue review case studies of rapid evolutionary change in response to extreme climate events and sketch a framework for future studies in the rapidly changing climate of the...

Genomic species delimitation is transforming how we understand and define species by enabling a process-oriented and efficient approach to identifying species boundaries. This review outlines the two ...