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Zemanova MA. Crucial but Neglected: Limited Availability of Animal Welfare Courses in Education of Wildlife Researchers. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2907. [PMID: 37760307 PMCID: PMC10525554 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal welfare is a subject of increasing scientific and ethical concern in today's society, crucial for the well-being of animals used in research and the integrity of scientific data. Equipping researchers in the life science disciplines with a science-based knowledge of animal welfare, behaviour, physiology, and health is, therefore, essential. Nevertheless, previous studies evaluating animal welfare education focused on veterinary, laboratory, or farm animal science. Consequently, the aim of this study was, for the very first time, to map the prevalence of animal welfare courses in the university education of ecologists, wildlife biologists, and conservation managers in Europe, Canada, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. A comprehensive assessment of 1548 universities was conducted, resulting in the identification of 596 relevant programs at the bachelor's and master's levels. Analysis of the curricula revealed that only 1% of the programs offered a formal course on animal welfare, while 65% provided courses on animal behaviour, 59% on animal physiology, and 34% on animal health. However, the majority of these courses were listed as electives rather than mandatory components of the programs. These results underscore the need for universities to incorporate more formal and obligatory education in animal welfare in order to better prepare future ecologists, wildlife biologists, and conservation managers for the challenges of working with wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A. Zemanova
- Environmental Sciences and Humanities Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland;
- Animalfree Research, Postgasse 15, 3011 Bern, Switzerland
- Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, 91 Iffley Road, Oxford OX4 1EG, UK
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2
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Cowie RH, Malik R, Morgan ER. Comparative biology of parasitic nematodes in the genus Angiostrongylus and related genera. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2023; 121:65-197. [PMID: 37474239 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The rise to prominence of some Angiostrongylus species through associated emerging disease in humans and dogs has stimulated calls for a renewed focus on the biology of this genus and three related genera. Although significant research efforts have been made in recent years these have tended to focus on individual species and specific aspects such as diagnosis and treatment of disease or new records of occurrence and hosts. This comprehensive review takes a comparative approach, seeking commonalities and differences among species and asking such questions as: Which species belong to this and to closely related genera and how are they related? Why do only some species appear to be spreading geographically and what factors might underlie range expansion? Which animal species are involved in the life cycles as definitive, intermediate, paratenic and accidental hosts? How do parasite larvae find, infect and develop within these hosts? What are the consequences of infection for host health? How will climate change affect future spread and global health? Appreciating how species resemble and differ from each other shines a spotlight on knowledge gaps and provides provisional guidance on key species characteristics warranting detailed study. Similarities exist among species, including the basic life cycle and transmission processes, but important details such as host range, climatic requirements, migration patterns within hosts and disease mechanisms differ, with much more information available for A. cantonensis and A. vasorum than for other species. Nonetheless, comparison across Angiostrongylus reveals some common patterns. Historically narrow definitive host ranges are expanding with new knowledge, combining with very broad ranges of intermediate gastropod hosts and vertebrate and invertebrate paratenic and accidental hosts to provide the backdrop to complex interactions among climate, ecology and transmission that remain only partly understood, even for the species of dominant concern. Key outstanding questions concern larval dynamics and the potential for transmission outside trophic relations, relations between infection and disease severity in different hosts, and how global change is altering transmission beyond immediate impacts on development rate in gastropods. The concept of encounter and compatibility filters could help to explain differences in the relative importance of different gastropod species as intermediate hosts and determine the importance of host community composition and related environmental factors to transmission and range. Across the group, it remains unclear what, physiologically, immunologically or taxonomically, delimits definitive, accidental and paratenic hosts. Impacts of infection on definitive host fitness and consequences for population dynamics and transmission remain mostly unexplored across the genus. Continual updating and cross-referencing across species of Angiostrongylus and related genera is important to synthesise rapid advances in understanding of key traits and behaviours, especially in important Angiostrongylus species that are emerging causative agents of disease in humans and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Cowie
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaii, Maile Way, Gilmore, Honolulu, HI, United States.
| | - Richard Malik
- Centre for Veterinary Education, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eric R Morgan
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, United Kingdom; School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, North Somerset, United Kingdom
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3
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Ripa A, Díaz-Caballero JA, Palacios-González MJ, Zalba J, Espinosa A, García-Zapata JL, Gómez-Martín A, Tkach V, Fernández-Garcia JL. Non-Invasive Wildlife Disease Surveillance Using Real Time PCR Assays: The Case of the Endangered Galemys pyrenaicus Populations from the Central System Mountains (Extremadura, Spain). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071136. [PMID: 37048392 PMCID: PMC10093302 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is a small semi-aquatic mammal that inhabits mountainous areas from the centre to the north of the Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrenees and is listed as endangered because it has suffered a serious decline. Since 1960, only three species of digeneans (Omphalometra flexuosa, Maritrema pyrenaica and Mathovius galemydis) and two nematodes (Aonchotheca galemydis and Paracuaria hispanica) have been reported from the desman, but no further information on health status and no data from Extremadura has been available. The aim of our study was to characterise the diversity and distribution of parasites and microbiomes of desmans in different areas of the Central System of Extremadura. Between 2019 and 2021 we collected 238 fecal samples and one tissue (intestine) sample that was obtained from a dead desman. DNA templates were processed by commercial or customised real-time PCR using TaqMan probes. Representative data were obtained for Cryptosporidium spp., Omphalometra spp., Eimeria spp., Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Leptospira spp. Omphalometra spp. was studied using a newly developed PCR test. The screening of the dead desman allowed us to obtain, for the first time, a partial sequence of the 18SrDNA. This study is the most complete study of the desman, allowing us to identify parasites and the microbiome in populations of G. pyrenaicus using non-invasive sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Ripa
- Genetic and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
| | - José A Díaz-Caballero
- Dirección General Sostenibilidad, Consejería Para la Transición Ecológica y Sostenibilidad, Junta de Extremadura, 06800 Merida, Spain
| | - María Jesús Palacios-González
- Dirección General Sostenibilidad, Consejería Para la Transición Ecológica y Sostenibilidad, Junta de Extremadura, 06800 Merida, Spain
| | - Javier Zalba
- Dirección General Sostenibilidad, Consejería Para la Transición Ecológica y Sostenibilidad, Junta de Extremadura, 06800 Merida, Spain
| | - Antonio Espinosa
- Genetic and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
| | | | - Ana Gómez-Martín
- Genetic and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Vasyl Tkach
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58201, USA
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Vilizzi L, Piria M, Pietraszewski D, Kopecký O, Špelić I, Radočaj T, Šprem N, Ta KAT, Tarkan AS, Weiperth A, Yoğurtçuoğlu B, Candan O, Herczeg G, Killi N, Lemić D, Szajbert B, Almeida D, Al-Wazzan Z, Atique U, Bakiu R, Chaichana R, Dashinov D, Ferincz Á, Flieller G, Gilles Jr AS, Goulletquer P, Interesova E, Iqbal S, Koyama A, Kristan P, Li S, Lukas J, Moghaddas SD, Monteiro JG, Mumladze L, Olsson KH, Paganelli D, Perdikaris C, Pickholtz R, Preda C, Ristovska M, Švolíková KS, Števove B, Uzunova E, Vardakas L, Verreycken H, Wei H, Zięba G. Development and application of a multilingual electronic decision-support tool for risk screening non-native terrestrial animals under current and future climate conditions. NEOBIOTA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.76.84268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Electronic decision-support tools are becoming an essential component of government strategies to tackle non-native species invasions. This study describes the development and application of a multilingual electronic decision-support tool for screening terrestrial animals under current and future climate conditions: the Terrestrial Animal Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (TAS-ISK). As an adaptation of the widely employed Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK), the TAS-ISK question template inherits from the original Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) and related WRA-type toolkits and complies with the ‘minimum requirements’ for use with the recent European Regulation on invasive alien species of concern. The TAS-ISK consists of 49 basic questions on the species’ biogeographical/historical traits and its biological/ecological interactions, and of 6 additional questions to predict how climate change is likely to influence the risks of introduction, establishment, dispersal and impact of the screened species. Following a description of the main features of this decision-support tool as a turnkey software application and of its graphical user interface with support for 32 languages, sample screenings are provided in different risk assessment areas for one representative species of each of the main taxonomic groups of terrestrial animals supported by the toolkit: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, annelids, insects, molluscs, nematodes, and platyhelminths. The highest-scoring species were the red earthworm Lumbricus rubellus for the Aegean region of Turkey and the New Zealand flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus for Croatia. It is anticipated that adoption of this toolkit will mirror that of the worldwide employed AS-ISK, hence allowing to share information and inform decisions for the prevention of entry and/or dispersal of (high-risk) non-native terrestrial animal species – a crucial step to implement early-stage control and eradication measures as part of rapid-response strategies to counteract biological invasions.
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Chen Z, Doğan Ö, Guiglielmoni N, Guichard A, Schrödl M. Pulmonate slug evolution is reflected in the de novo genome of Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14226. [PMID: 35987814 PMCID: PMC9392753 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Stylommatophoran pulmonate land slugs and snails successfully completed the water-to-land transition from an aquatic ancestor and flourished on land. Of the 30,000 estimated species, very few genomes have so far been published. Here, we assembled and characterized a chromosome-level genome of the "Spanish" slug, Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855, a notorious pest land slug in Europe. Using this reference genome, we conclude that a whole-genome duplication event occurred approximately 93-109 Mya at the base of Stylommatophora and might have promoted land invasion and adaptive radiation. Comparative genomic analyses reveal that genes related to the development of kidney, blood vessels, muscle, and nervous systems had expanded in the last common ancestor of land pulmonates, likely an evolutionary response to the terrestrial challenges of gravity and water loss. Analyses of A. vulgaris gene families and positively selected genes show the slug has evolved a stronger ability to counteract the greater threats of external damage, radiation, and water loss lacking a protective shell. Furthermore, a recent burst of long interspersed elements in the genome of A. vulgaris might affect gene regulation and contribute to rapid phenotype changes in A. vulgaris, which might be conducive to its rapid adaptation and invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyuan Chen
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247, Munich, Germany.
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Munich, Germany.
| | - Özgül Doğan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Nadège Guiglielmoni
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anne Guichard
- INRAE, Agrocampus Ouest, Université de Rennes, IGEPP, 35650, Le Rheu, France
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Inria, IRISA-UMR 6074, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Michael Schrödl
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247, Munich, Germany
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center LMU, 80333, Munich, Germany
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6
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Wosinek A, Kuźnik-Kowlaska E, Maltz TK, Proćków M. Occurrence and abundance of invasive and native Arion slugs in three types of habitats in urban area of Wrocław (SW Poland). ACTA ZOOL ACAD SCI H 2022. [DOI: 10.17109/azh.68.3.247.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Arion vulgaris and Arion rufus are two cryptic slug species whose ranges overlap in vast areas of Europe. In Poland, A. rufus is native; it reaches the eastern border of its range near Wrocław, while the invasive A. vulgaris was previously not recorded in this area. The study aimed to map the distribution of both species in the city of Wrocław and determine the size and abundance of their populations. Twenty-six sites were surveyed in 2019-2020. They represented three types of habitats: natural, semi-natural and anthropogenic. Because the investigated species are externally indistinguishable, their identification was based on the genital organs. Among 280 analysed specimens, 72% were identified as A. vulgaris, 23% as A. rufus and 5% were classified as hybrids. The hybrids and A. vulgaris were most abundant in semi-natural (83%) and anthropogenic habitats (95%), while A. rufus most often occurred in natural habitats (51%). Arion vulgaris occupied most of the sites (88.5%), and in 50%, it was collected alone. Arion rufus occurred in 46% of the sites (in 11.5% alone), and the hybrids were noted in 27%. In Wrocław A. vulgaris dominates in most sites, and its populations are much more abundant than those of A. rufus where the two species co-occur. This finding indicates that A. vulgaris, with its better adaptive skills and competitive abilities, may negatively impact the native species and, consequently, the latter’s displacement. Although the recorded frequency of hybridisation was very low (5%), it may also have an effect on the local extinction of A. rufus. Interspecific hybridisation is assumed to foster invasions, and climate change may further exacerbate displacement; therefore, they should continue to be monitored.
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Hirano T, Kagawa O, Fujimoto M, Saito T, Uchida S, Yamazaki D, Ito S, Mohammad Shariar S, Sawahata T, Chiba S. Species identification of introduced veronicellid slugs in Japan. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13197. [PMID: 35480566 PMCID: PMC9037128 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Reliable identification of species is important for protecting native ecosystems against the invasion of non-native species. DNA barcoding using molecular markers, such as the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene, helps researchers distinguish species. In this study, we focused on introduced veronicellid slugs in the Ryukyu Islands and some greenhouses on mainland Japan. Some veronicellids are medium-to-high risk pest species for humans. Identifying veronicellid species by their external morphology is difficult and unreliable because there is substantial overlap between intraspecific variation and interspecific differentiation. Therefore, internal morphologies such as male genitalia have been the primary traits used to distinguish veronicellids. To identify introduced veronicellid slugs in Japan to the species level, we used morphological assessment of male genitalia and DNA barcoding of the standard COI gene fragment. We also conducted species-delimitation analyses based on the genetic data. The results showed that five evolutionarily significant units, corresponding to four nominal species inhabit the Ryukyu Islands, of which two species were also found in the greenhouses of mainland Japan, including the first record of Sarasinula plebeia in Japan. The presence of non-native slug species could increase the transmission of parasites in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Hirano
- Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Osamu Kagawa
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | | | - Takumi Saito
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shota Uchida
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Daishi Yamazaki
- Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Shun Ito
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | | | - Takuo Sawahata
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara, Nara, Japan
| | - Satoshi Chiba
- Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
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Schikov EV, Komarov YE. Detection of an invasive species Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Arionidae) in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. FOLIA MALACOLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.12657/folmal.029.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon is a serious agricultural pest. Its rapid spread started in the middle of the twentieth century. Currently, its range covers almost all of Western Europe and it is rapidly expanding to the east. A. vulgaris has been recorded in the Baltics, Ukraine, and central Russia; it is also found in the Faroe Islands. In 2009, it was discovered in Russia in the commercial greenhouses of Tver. Now it has spread in the suburbs and Moscow. On the 6th of August 2019, a population of this species was found in the arboretum of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia which is the first record of A. vulgaris in the Caucasus. Description of the slug’s genitalia is given.
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Hernández‐Agüero JA, Ruiz‐Tapiador I, Cayuela L. What feeds on
Quercus ilex
L.? A biogeographical approach to studying trophic interactions in a Mediterranean keystone species. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luis Cayuela
- Departamento de Biología y Geología Física y Química Inorgánica Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
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10
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Noninvasive Genetic Assessment Is an Effective Wildlife Research Tool When Compared with Other Approaches. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111672. [PMID: 34828277 PMCID: PMC8625682 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife research has been indispensable for increasing our insight into ecosystem functioning as well as for designing effective conservation measures under the currently high rates of biodiversity loss. Genetic and genomic analyses might be able to yield the same information on, e.g., population size, health, or diet composition as other wildlife research methods, and even provide additional data that would not be possible to obtain by alternative means. Moreover, if DNA is collected non-invasively, this technique has only minimal or no impact on animal welfare. Nevertheless, the implementation rate of noninvasive genetic assessment in wildlife studies has been rather low. This might be caused by the perceived inefficiency of DNA material obtained non-invasively in comparison with DNA obtained from blood or tissues, or poorer performance in comparison with other approaches used in wildlife research. Therefore, the aim of this review was to evaluate the performance of noninvasive genetic assessment in comparison with other methods across different types of wildlife studies. Through a search of three scientific databases, 113 relevant studies were identified, published between the years 1997 and 2020. Overall, most of the studies (94%) reported equivalent or superior performance of noninvasive genetic assessment when compared with either invasive genetic sampling or another research method. It might be also cheaper and more time-efficient than other techniques. In conclusion, noninvasive genetic assessment is a highly effective research approach, whose efficacy and performance are likely to improve even further in the future with the development of optimized protocols.
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Hutchinson JMC, Schlitt B, Reise H. One town’s invasion by the pest slug Arion vulgaris (Gastropoda: Arionidae): microsatellites reveal little introgression from Arion ater and limited gene flow between infraspecific races in both species. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The terrestrial slug Arion vulgaris has recently spread across most of Europe, often causing the local extinction of resident populations of Arion ater s.l. The species hybridize, which leads to the prediction of massive introgression of A. ater genes into A. vulgaris. To test this, we used 16 microsatellite markers applied to samples of both species collected around Görlitz, Germany, during the invasion. Amongst A. vulgaris individuals with typical genitalia, an analysis using structure suggested that only 6% were appreciably admixed with local A. ater; admixture did not increase over the course of the invasion. Amongst the ~4% of slugs with intermediate genitalia, microsatellites confirmed that they were often hybrids, their anatomy correlating with the estimated share of ancestry from each species. The microsatellites also distinguished the three subspecies of A. ater previously recognized on the basis of genital anatomy and mitochondrial DNA. The subspecies were not well mixed spatially, with A. a. ater in wilder places and A. a. rufus never found in the Polish part of the town; nevertheless, hybridization between them was occurring. Unexpectedly, the microsatellites indicated three genetic races amongst A. vulgaris; these occurred in different districts and are mixing spatially and genetically only slowly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bettina Schlitt
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Am Museum 1,Görlitz, Germany
| | - Heike Reise
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Am Museum 1,Görlitz, Germany
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12
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New Online Resource on the 3Rs Principles of Animal Research for Wildlife Biologists, Ecologists, and Conservation Managers. CONSERVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/conservation1020009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Earth’s biodiversity is in crisis. Without radical action to conserve habitats, the current rate of species extinction is predicted to accelerate even further. Efficient species conservation requires planning, management, and continuous biodiversity monitoring through wildlife research. Conservation biology was built on the utilitarian principle, where the well-being of species, populations, and ecosystems is given priority over the well-being of individual animals. However, this tenet has been increasingly under discussion and it has been argued that wildlife researchers need to safeguard the welfare of the individual animals traditionally subjected to invasive or lethal research procedures. The 3Rs principles of animal use (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) have become the cornerstone of ethical scientific conduct that could minimize the potential negative impact of research practices. One of the obvious strategies to implement the 3Rs in wildlife studies is to use non-invasive or non-lethal research methods. However, in contrast to toxicological or pharmacological research on laboratory animal models, up to now no 3Rs databases or online resources designed specifically for wildlife biologists, ecologists, and conservation managers have been available. To aid the implementation of the 3Rs principles into research on wildlife, I developed an online resource whose structure is outlined in this paper. The website contains a curated database of peer-reviewed articles that have implemented non-invasive or non-lethal research methods that could be used as a guideline for future studies.
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Zhu X, Hua L, Fang M, DU Y, Lin C, Lin L, Ji X. Lineage diversification and niche evolution in the Reeves' Butterfly Lizard Leiolepis reevesii (Agamidae). Integr Zool 2020; 16:404-419. [PMID: 33274597 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We used mitochondrial cytochrome b and ND4 genes and 9 microsatellite loci to determine genetic diversity, population structure, evolutionary history, and migration patterns within the Reeves' butterfly lizard Leiolepis reevesii (Agamidae). Considering molecular-based phylogeographical lineages, we then performed niche equivalency and similarity tests between divergent lineages. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data revealed 2 lineages (A and B) diverging ≈0.84 million years ago and, respectively, restricted to the northern and southern portions of the Wuzhishan and Yinggeling mountain ranges. Lineage B contains individuals from southern Hainan; Lineage A includes individuals from all other localities and can be further divided into 3 clusters according to microsatellite data. The null hypothesis that the 2 lineages shared identical niches was rejected in all niche equivalency tests, indicating niche shifts during genetic divergence. Similarity tests provided evidence of niche conservatism, suggesting that the 2 lineages share more characteristics of their niche spaces than randomly expected. The niche similarity and equivalency tests indicated a complex niche pattern in which both lineages share a main portion of their ecological spaces. The climatic niche of Lineage B represented a marginal and specialized fraction of the entire ecological space of the climatic niche of Lineage A, with warmer conditions. Isolation caused by orogenesis and subsequent niche divergence, together with local adaptation, may have led to genetic differentiation and further lineage sorting in L. reevesii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaming Zhu
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Hua
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mengchao Fang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu DU
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Hainan Key Laboratory of Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Chixian Lin
- Hainan Key Laboratory of Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Longhui Lin
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Hainan Key Laboratory of Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, Hainan, China.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Satoh SS, Ikeda S, Yamazaki Y. Multiple introduction events and artificial long-distance dispersal of the exotic slugAmbigolimax valentianusin Japan. MOLLUSCAN RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2020.1753903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shin S. Satoh
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Saho Ikeda
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yuji Yamazaki
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Zemanova MA. Towards more compassionate wildlife research through the 3Rs principles: moving from invasive to non-invasive methods. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A. Zemanova
- M. A. Zemanova (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5002-3388) ✉ , Dept of Philosophy, Univ. of Basel, Steinengraben 5, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
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Reise H, Schwarzer AK, Hutchinson JMC, Schlitt B. Genital morphology differentiates three subspecies of the terrestrial slug Arion ater (Linnæus, 1758) s.l. and reveals a continuum of intermediates with the invasive A. vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855. FOLIA MALACOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.12657/folmal.028.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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17
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18
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Li H, Heckel G, Huang Y, Fan W, Ślipiński A, Pang H. Genomic changes in the biological control agent Cryptolaemus montrouzieri associated with introduction. Evol Appl 2019; 12:989-1000. [PMID: 31080510 PMCID: PMC6503826 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological control is the main purpose of intentionally introducing non-native invertebrate species. The evolutionary changes that occur in the populations of the introduced biological control agents may determine the agent's efficiency and the environmental safety. Here, to explore the pattern and extent of potential genomic changes in the worldwide introduced predatory ladybird beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, we used a reduced-representation sequencing method to analyze the genome-wide differentiation of the samples from two native and five introduced locations. Our analyses based on a total of 53,032 single nucleotide polymorphism loci showed that beetles from the introduced locations in Asia and Europe exhibited significant reductions in genetic diversity and high differentiation compared with the samples from the native Australian range. Each introduced population belonged to a unique genetic cluster, while the beetles from two native locations were much more similar. These genomic patterns were also detected when the dataset was pruned for genomic outlier loci (52,318 SNPs remaining), suggesting that random genetic drift was the main force shaping the genetic diversity and population structure of this biological control agent. Our results provide a genome-wide characterization of polymorphisms in a biological control agent and reveal genomic differences that were influenced by the introduction history. These differences might complicate assessments of the efficiency of biological control and the invasion potential of this species but also indicate the feasibility of selective breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao‐Sen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Ecology and Evolution, School of Life SciencesSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Yu‐Hao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Ecology and Evolution, School of Life SciencesSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Wei‐Jian Fan
- College of Life SciencesTianjin Normal UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Adam Ślipiński
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Ecology and Evolution, School of Life SciencesSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Australian National Insect Collection, National Research CollectionsCSIROCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Hong Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Ecology and Evolution, School of Life SciencesSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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19
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Reise H, Arslangündoğdu Z, Schlitt B, Hutchinson JMC, Hızal E, Bacak E. First records of the terrestrial slug Arion ater s. l. (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pulmonata: Arionidae) from Turkey. FOLIA MALACOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.12657/folmal.026.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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