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6,170 results for “european”
Data from: Within-range translocations and their consequences in European larch
In contrast to biological invasions, translocations of individuals within a species range are understudied, due to difficulties in systematically detecting them. This results in limited knowledge about the corresponding processes and uncertainties regarding the status of extant populations. European larch, a forest tree whose fragmented native distribution is restricted to the Alps and to other Central European mountains, has been massively planted for at least 300 years. Here we focus on the genetic characterization of translocations having taken place within its native range. Microsatellite variation at 13 nuclear loci and sequence data of two mitochondrial DNA fragments were analyzed on the basis of a comprehensive range-wide population sample. Two complementary methods (Geneclass and Structure) were used to infer translocation events based on nuclear data whereas mitochondrial data were used for validation of these inferences. Using Geneclass, we found translocation events in a majority of populations. Additional cases of translocation and many instances of admixture were identified using Structure, thanks to the clear-cut ancestral genetic structure detected in this species. In particular, a strong divide between Alpine and Central European populations, also apparent at mitochondrial markers, helped uncover details on translocation events and related processes. Translocations and associated admixture events were found to be heterogeneously distributed across the species range, with a particularly high frequency in Central Europe. Furthermore, translocations frequently involved multiple geographic sources, some of which were over-represented. Our study illustrates the importance of range-wide investigations for tracing translocations back to their origins and for revealing some of their consequences. It provides some first clues for developing suitable conservation and management strategies.
Data from: Outlier SNP markers reveal fine-scale genetic structuring across European hake populations (Merluccius merluccius)
Shallow population structure is generally reported for most marine fish and explained as a consequence of high dispersal, connectivity and large population size. Targeted gene analyses and more recently genome-wide studies have challenged such view, suggesting that adaptive divergence might occur even when neutral markers provide genetic homogeneity across populations. Here, 381 SNPs located in transcribed regions were used to assess large- and fine-scale population structure in the European hake (Merluccius merluccius), a widely distributed demersal species of high priority for the European fishery. Analysis of 850 individuals from 19 locations across the entire distribution range showed evidence for several outlier loci, with significantly higher resolving power. While 299 putatively neutral SNPs confirmed the genetic break between basins (FCT = 0.016) and weak differentiation within basins, outlier loci revealed a dramatic divergence between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations (FCT range 0.275–0.705) and fine-scale significant population structure. Outlier loci separated North Sea and Northern Portugal populations from all other Atlantic samples and revealed a strong differentiation among Western, Central and Eastern Mediterranean geographical samples. Significant correlation of allele frequencies at outlier loci with seawater surface temperature and salinity supported the hypothesis that populations might be adapted to local conditions. Such evidence highlights the importance of integrating information from neutral and adaptive evolutionary patterns towards a better assessment of genetic diversity. Accordingly, the generated outlier SNP data could be used for tackling illegal practices in hake fishing and commercialization as well as to develop explicit spatial models for defining management units and stock boundaries.
Data from: Survival costs of within‐ and between‐season mate change in the European Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Many studies of socially monogamous birds discuss the adaptive role of between-season partner change, but only a handful of them refer to the benefits of pair fidelity in terms of increased survival. Moreover, there are no studies describing the benefits of within-season mate retention. Our data relating to an urban population of European Blackbirds (Turdus merula) enabled us to test the dependence of survival on pair faithfulness. Because Blackbirds divorce within and between seasons, we were able to test the influence of pair faithfulness on their within- and between-season survival and mate fidelity. For this purpose, we used a multievent capture-mark-recapture (MECMR) statistical model, which is based on recapture rates and different pair states (faithful to mate, paired with new partner, or dead). Our study indicated that between- and within-season survival depends on pair states: pair-bond duration increases survival to the next capture occasion in both sexes. We found that the pair-bond duration to the current partner increased the chances of being with the same partner during the next breeding occasion, although we failed to find any within-season pair-bond influence for females. Our results showed sex differences in mating at the end of the season: females had a much smaller chance of breeding with the current new partner in the next year. This study has demonstrated that within- and between-season survival is dependent on mate retention, and we discuss this in the context of how searching for a new partner could affect the birds' survival.
Data from: Harvesting changes mating behavior in European lobster
Removing individuals from a wild population can affect the availability of prospective mates and the outcome of competitive interactions, with subsequent effects on mating patterns and sexual selection. Consequently, the rate of harvest-induced evolution is predicted to be strongly dependent on the strength and dynamics of sexual selection yet, there is limited empirical knowledge on the interplay between selective harvesting and the mating systems of exploited species. In this study, we used genetic parentage assignment to compare mating patterns of the highly valued and overexploited European lobster (Homarus gammarus) in a designated lobster reserve and nearby fished area in Southern Norway. In the area open to fishing, the fishery is regulated by a closed season, a minimum legal size and a ban on the harvest of egg-bearing females. Due to the differences in size and sex-specific fishing mortality between the two areas, males and females are of approximately equal average size in the fished area, whereas males tend to be larger in the reserve. Our results show that females would mate with males larger than their own body size, but the relative size difference was significantly larger in the reserve. Sexual selection acted positively on both body size and claw size in males in the reserve, while it was non-significant in fished areas. This strongly suggests that size truncation of males by fishing reduces the variability of traits that sexual selection acts upon. If fisheries continue to target large individuals (particularly males) with higher relative reproductive success, the weakening of sexual selection will likely accelerate fisheries-induced evolution towards smaller body size.
Data from: No energetic cost of tuberculosis infection in European badgers (Meles meles)
1. Energy availability and energy use directly influence an organism's life history, fitness and ecological function. In wild animals, abiotic factors such as ambient temperature, season and rainfall, and biotic factors such as body mass, age, social group size and disease status, all potentially influence energy balance. 2. Relatively few studies have examined the effects of disease on the energy expenditure of wild animals. Such studies could further our understanding of factors influencing the transmission of zoonotic diseases. The European badger (Meles meles) is a medium-sized carnivore that occurs in mixed-sex, familial groups across much of its range. In the UK they are a protected species but are also involved in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle. 3. We measured the daily energy expenditure (DEE) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) of wild badgers and related this to their TB infection status and a range of other interacting factors including season, group size, disease status, sex, age, body mass and body fat. 4. Individuals were larger and fatter when they were older and fatter during the winter. Males were also heavier than females during the summer. In addition, individuals from smaller groups that were exposed to TB tended to have lower body mass. 5. There were no direct effects of disease status on DEE or RMR, however, there was a significant interaction whereby DEE increased with body mass in small groups but decreased with body mass in large groups. 6. Results are consistent with the costs of TB infection being met by compensatory mechanisms enabling badgers to survive for extended periods without exhibiting measurable energetic consequences.
Data from: Evidence of neutral and adaptive genetic divergence between European trout populations sampled along altitudinal gradients
Species with a wide geographical distribution are often composed of distinct subgroups which may be adapted to their local environment. European trout (Salmo trutta species complex) provide an example of such a complex consisting of several genetically and ecologically distinct forms. However, trout populations are strongly influenced by human activities, and it is unclear to what extent neutral and adaptive genetic differences have persisted. We sampled 30 Swiss trout populations from heterogeneous environments along replicated altitudinal gradients in three major European drainages. More than 850 individuals were genotyped at 18 microsatellite loci which included loci diagnostic for evolutionary lineages and candidate markers associated with temperature tolerance, reproductive timing and immune defence. We find that the phylogeographic structure of Swiss trout populations has not been completely erased by stocking. Distinct genetic clusters corresponding to the different drainages could be identified, although nonindigenous alleles were clearly present, especially in the two Mediterranean drainages. We also still detected neutral genetic differentiation within rivers which was often associated with the geographical distance between populations. Five loci showed evidence of divergent selection between populations with several drainage-specific patterns. Lineage-diagnostic markers, a marker linked to a quantitative trait locus for upper temperature tolerance in other salmonids and a marker linked to the major histocompatibility class I gene were implicated in local adaptation and some patterns were associated with altitude. In contrast, tentative evidence suggests a signal of balancing selection at a second immune relevant gene (TAP2). Our results confirm the persistence of both neutral and potentially adaptive genetic differences between trout populations in the face of massive human-mediated dispersal.
Data from: No clear effect of admixture between two European invading outbreaks of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in natura
In this study, we challenged the hypothesis that admixture may have had a positive impact in the context of the European invasion of the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, LeConte. This beetle was introduced in Europe from the USA several times since the 1980's. The multiple introductions of this major pest of cultivated corn led to the formation of two major outbreaks in North Western (NW) Italy and in Central and South Eastern (CSE) Europe that eventually merged into a secondary contact zone where insects from both outbreaks interbreed. We collected about 600 insects from this contact zone and genotyped them using 13 microsatellite markers. Three types of information were obtained from the collected individuals: (i) their survival under starvation; (ii) their admixed status, determined through a Bayesian method of genetic clustering and (iii) their mating probability, studied via the detection, isolation and genotyping of sperm in female spermathecae. Twenty six % and 12% of the individuals were assigned to the NW Italy or the CSE Europe parental types, respectively, and 23% and 39% to the F1 and backcross hybrid types, respectively. Globally, our results do not reveal any significant impact of the admixed status on the mating probability and on the choice of mating partners. However the admixed status had a sex- and sampling site-dependent effect on survival in adults under starvation. In addition sex had an effect on survival, with mortality hazard about 3 times larger in males than in females. The consequences of these findings for the evolution of the admixture zone of northern Italy are discussed.
Data from: Neighbouring-group composition and within-group relatedness drive extra-group paternity rate in the European badger (Meles meles)
Extra-group paternity (EGP) occurs commonly among group-living mammals and plays an important role in mating systems and the dynamics of sexual selection; however, socio-ecological and genetic correlates of EGP have been underexplored. We use 23 years of demographic and genetic data from a high-density European badger (Meles meles) population, to investigate the relationship between the rate of EGP in litters and mate availability, mate incompatibility and mate quality (heterozygosity). Relatedness between within-group assigned mothers and candidate fathers had a negative quadratic effect on EGP, whereas the number of neighbouring-group candidate fathers had a linear positive effect. We detected no effect of mean or maximum heterozygosity of within-group candidate fathers on EGP. Consequently, EGP was associated primarily with mate availability, subject to within-group genetic effects, potentially to mitigate mate incompatibility and inbreeding. In badgers, cryptic female choice, facilitated by superfecundation, superfoetation and delayed implantation, prevents males from monopolizing within-group females. This resonates with a meta-analysis in group-living mammals, which proposed that higher rates of EGP occur when within-group males cannot monopolize within-group females. In contrast to the positive meta-analytic association, however, we found that EGP associated negatively with the number of within-group assigned mothers and the number of within-group candidate fathers; potentially a strategy to counter within-group males committing infanticide. The relationship between the rate of EGP and socio-ecological or genetic factors can therefore be intricate, and the potential for cryptic female choice must be accounted for in comparative studies.
Data from: European sea bass show behavioural resilience to near-future ocean acidification
Ocean acidification (OA)—caused by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2)—is thought to be a major threat to marine ecosystems and has been shown to induce behavioural alterations in fish. Here we show behavioural resilience to near-future OA in a commercially important and migratory marine finfish, the Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Sea bass were raised from eggs at 19°C in ambient or near-future OA (1000 µatm pCO2) conditions and n = 270 fish were observed 59–68 days post-hatch using automated tracking from video. Fish reared under ambient conditions, OA conditions, and fish reared in ambient conditions but tested in OA water showed statistically similar movement patterns, and reacted to their environment and interacted with each other in comparable ways. Thus our findings indicate behavioural resilience to near-future OA in juvenile sea bass. Moreover, simulated agent-based models indicate that our analysis methods are sensitive to subtle changes in fish behaviour. It is now important to determine whether the absences of any differences persist under more ecologically relevant circumstances and in contexts which have a more direct bearing on individual fitness.
Data from: A recent local sweep at the PHYA locus in the Northern European Spiterstulen population of Arabidopsis lyrata
Northern and central European Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea populations are locally adapted to prevailing climatic conditions through differences in timing of life history events. The timing of flowering, and in perennials, the timing of growth cessation influence fitness. Phytochrome A may have an important role in regulating these life-history traits as it perceives changes in daylength. We asked, whether PHYA has contributed to local adaptation to the northern conditions in A. l. petraea. To search for signals of directional selection at the PHYA locus, we resequenced PHYA and 9 short fragments around PHYA from a 57 kb region from a German (Plech) and a Norwegian (Spiterstulen) population and compared patterns of differentiation and diversity to a set of 19 reference loci around the genome. First, we found that the populations were highly differentiated: there were three nonsynonymous fixed differences at the PHYA locus, which was in stark contrast with the total four fixed differences in the 19 reference loci. Compatible with a sweep hypothesis, variation was almost completely removed from the 9.4 kb region around PHYA in the northern Spiterstulen population. The overall level of linkage disequilibrium (LD) was higher in Spiterstulen, but there was no LD across the PHYA locus in the population, which is also a known consequence of a selective sweep. The sweep has likely occurred after the last glacial maximum, which suggests that it has contributed to adaptation to the northern conditions.
Data from: Contrasting the roles of section length and instream habitat enhancement for river restoration success: a field study on 20 European restoration projects
1. Restoration of river hydromorphology often has limited detected effects on river biota. One frequently discussed reason is that the restored river length is insufficient to allow populations to develop and give the room for geomorphologic processes to occur. 2. We investigated ten pairs of restored river sections of which one was a large project involving a long, intensively restored river section and one represented a smaller restoration effort. The restoration effect was quantified by comparing each restored river section to an upstream non-restored section. We sampled the following response variables: habitat composition in the river and its floodplain, three aquatic organism groups (aquatic macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and fish), two floodplain-inhabiting organism groups (floodplain vegetation, ground beetles), as well as food web composition and land–water interactions reflected by stable isotopes. 3. For each response variable, we compared the difference in dissimilarity of the restored and nearby non-restored section between the larger and the smaller restoration projects. In a second step, we regrouped the pairs and compared restored sections with large changes in substrate composition to those with small changes. 4. When comparing all restored to all non-restored sections, ground beetles were most strongly responding to restoration, followed by fish, floodplain vegetation, benthic invertebrates and aquatic macrophytes. Aquatic habitats and stable isotope signatures responded less strongly. 5. When grouping the restored sections by project size, there was no difference in the response to restoration between the projects targeting long and short river sections with regard to any of the measured response variables except nitrogen isotopic composition. In contrast, when grouping the restored sections by substrate composition, the responses of fish, benthic invertebrates, aquatic macrophytes, floodplain vegetation and nitrogen isotopic composition were greater in sections with larger changes in substrate composition as compared to those with smaller changes. 6. Synthesis and applications. The effects of hydromorphological restoration measures on aquatic and floodplain biota strongly depend on the creation of habitat for aquatic organisms, which were limited or not present prior to restoration. These positive effects on habitats are not necessarily related to the restored river length. Therefore, we recommend a focus on habitat enhancement in river restoration projects.
Data from: Effects of experimental night lighting on the daily timing of winter foraging in common European songbirds
The ecological effects of light pollution are becoming better understood, especially in birds. Recent studies have shown that several bird species can use street lighting to extend activity into the night during the breeding season. However, most of these studies are correlational and little is known about the effects of artificial night lighting on the timing of activities outside the breeding season. During winter, low temperatures and short days may limit foraging opportunities and can negatively affect survival of resident birds. However, night lighting may allow them to expand the time niche available for foraging. Here, we report on a study where we repeatedly manipulated the amount of night lighting during early winter at automated feeding stations in a natural forest. We used video-recordings at the feeders to determine the time of the first (at dawn) and last (at dusk) foraging visits for six songbird species. We predicted that all species, and in particular the naturally early-foraging species, would advance their daily onset of foraging during the mornings with night lighting, but would show minimal or no delays in their daily cessation of foraging during the lighted evenings. We found that two early-foraging species, the blue tit and the great tit, started foraging earlier during the experimentally lighted mornings. However, in great tits, this effect was weak and restricted to nights with inclement weather. The light treatment did not have any effect on the start of foraging in the willow/marsh tit, the nuthatch, the European jay, and the blackbird. Artificial night lighting did not cause later foraging at dusk in any of the six species. Overall, our results suggest that artificial light during winter has only small effects on timing of foraging. We discuss these findings and the importance of temperature and winter weather in shaping the observed foraging patterns.
Data from: Atypical panmixia in a European dolphin species (Delphinus delphis); implications for the evolution of diversity across oceanic boundaries.
Despite the scarcity of geographical barriers in the ocean environment, delphinid cetaceans often exhibit marked patterns of population structure on a regional scale. The European coastline is a prime example, with species exhibiting population structure across well defined environmental boundaries. Here we undertake a comprehensive population genetic study on the European common dolphin (Delphinus delphis, based on 492 samples and 15 loci) and establish that this species shows exceptional panmixia across most of the study range. We found differentiation only between the eastern and western Mediterranean, consistent with earlier studies, and here use Approximate Bayesian Computations to explore different scenarios to explain the observed pattern. Our results suggest that a recent population bottleneck likely contributed significantly to the differentiation of the Eastern Mediterranean population (in Greek waters). This interpretation is consistent with independent census data which suggests a sharp population decline in the recent past. The implication is that an unperturbed population may currently show panmixia across the full study range. This exception to the more typical pattern of population structure seen for other regional dolphin species (and for common dolphin populations elsewhere in the world) suggests particular ecological or life history traits distinct to this species in European waters.
Data from: Sequence analysis of European maize inbred line F2 provides new insights into molecular and chromosomal characteristics of presence/absence variants
Maize is well known for its exceptional structural diversity, including copy number variants (CNVs) and presence/absence variants (PAVs), and there is growing evidence for the role of structural variation in maize adaptation. While PAVs have been described in this important crop species, the extent of presence/absence variation and the relative position of inbred-specific regions remain to be elucidated. De novo genome sequencing of the F2 maize inbred line which played a key role in European breeding programs over the past 50 years revealed thousands of novel genomic regions, making up 88Mb of DNA, that are present in the F2 but not in B73. Comparison of B73 and F2 PAV localization revealed contrasted chromosomal distributions between the two inbreds and specific evolutionary dynamics of PAVs as compared to SNPs. Detailed sequence and functional annotation of F2 PAV sequences revealed hundreds of new genes with transcriptional support, but also a large fraction of repetitive sequences. Detailed analysis of sequence breakpoint highlights the role of double strand break repair, but also transposon insertion in PAV generation. Typing of the B73 and F2 PAVs in maize temperate inbreds revealed that some PAVs are found only in European Flint material, thus pinpointing structural features that may be at the origin of adaptive traits involved in the success of this material. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed that LD is strong within PAVs, as expected by the absence of recombination in crosses where PAV is missing in one of the parents.
Data from: Scientific output scales with resources. A comparison of US and European Universities
By using a comprehensive dataset of US and European universities, we demonstrate super-linear scaling between university revenues and their volume of publications and (field-normalized) citations. We show that this relationship holds both in the US and in Europe. In terms of resources, our data show that three characteristics differentiate the US system: (1) a significantly higher level of resources for the entire system, (2) a clearer distinction between education-oriented institutions and doctoral universities and (3) a higher concentration of resources among doctoral universities. Accordingly, a group of US universities receive a much larger amount of resources and have a far higher number of publications and citations when compared to their European counterparts. These results demonstrate empirically that international rankings are by and large richness measures and, therefore, can be interpreted only by introducing a measure of resources. Implications for public policies and institutional evaluation are finally discussed.
Data from: Geographic structure and adaptive population differentiation in herbivore defense genes in European aspen (Populus tremula L., Salicaceae)
When a phenotypic trait is subjected to spatially variable selection and local adaptation, the underlying genes controlling the trait are also expected to show strong patterns of genetic differentiation because alternative alleles are favoured in different geographical locations. Here, we study 71 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from seven genes associated with inducible defence responses in a sample of Populus tremula collected from across Sweden. Four of these genes (PPO2, TI2, TI4 and TI5) show substantial population differentiation, and a principal component analyses conducted on the defence SNPs divides the Swedish population into three distinct clusters. Several defence SNPs show latitudinal clines, although these were not robust to multiple testing. However, five SNPs (located within TI4 and TI5) show strong longitudinal clines that remain significant after multiple test correction. Genetic geographical variation, supporting local adaptation, has earlier been confirmed in genes involved in the photoperiod pathway in P. tremula, but this is, to our knowledge, one of the first times that geographical variation has been found in genes involved in plant defence against antagonists.
Data from: Previous exposure to myxomatosis reduces survival of European rabbits during outbreaks of rabbit haemorrhagic disease
1. Exploiting disease and parasite synergies could increase the efficacy of biological control of invasive species. In Australia, two viruses were introduced to control European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus — myxoma virus in 1950, and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in 1995. While these biological controls caused initial declines of > 95% in affected populations, today rabbits remain a problem in many areas, despite recurring outbreaks of both diseases. 2. We used eighteen years of capture-mark-recapture, dead recovery, and antibody assay data from a sentinel population in South Australia to test whether these two diseases interact to modify the survival of individual wild rabbits. We compared four joint, multi-state, dead-recovery models to test the hypotheses that rabbit haemorrhagic disease and myxoma viruses have synergistic (i.e., previous exposure to one virus affects survival during outbreaks of the other virus) or additive effects (i.e., previous exposure to one virus does not affect survival during outbreaks of the other virus). 3. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease outbreaks reduced the survival of individuals with no immunity by more than half during the 58-day capture-trip intervals, i.e., from 0.86–0.90 to 0.37–0.48. Myxomatosis outbreaks had a smaller effect, reducing survival to 0.74– 0.82; however, myxomatosis outbreaks were more prolonged, spanning more than twice as many trips. 4. There was considerable information-theoretic support (wAICc = 0.69) for the model in which exposure to myxomatosis affected survival during rabbit haemorrhagic disease outbreaks. Rabbits previously exposed to myxoma virus had lower survival during rabbit haemorrhagic disease outbreaks than rabbits never exposed to either virus. There was negligible support for the model in which previous exposure to rabbit haemorrhagic disease affected survival in myxomatosis outbreaks (wAICc < 0.01). 5. Synthesis and applications — Our results indicate that biological control agents can have a greater impact than single-pathogen challenge studies might suggest. Introducing additional biological control agents might therefore increase mortality of rabbits beyond the additive effects of individual biological controls. Furthermore, our results show that by understanding and exploiting disease synergies, managers could increase the efficacy of biological controls for other invasive animals.
Supplemental figures and tables of a European multicenter validation study of the External Genitalia Score
<p><b>Context: </b>Standardized description of external genitalia is needed in the assessment of children with atypical genitalia.</p> <p><b>Objectives:<i> </i></b>To validate the External Genitalia Score (EGS), to present reference values for preterm and term babies up to 24 months and correlate obtained scores with anogenital distances (AGDs).</p> <p><b>Design, Setting: </b>A<b> </b>European multicentre (n=8) validation study was conducted from 07/2016 until 07/2018.</p> <p><b>Patients and Methods: </b>EGS is based on the external masculinization score but uses a gradual scale from female to male (range 0-12) and terminology appropriate for both sexes. The reliability of EGS and AGD's were determined by the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Cross-sectional data were obtained in 686 term (0-24 months), and 181 preterm babies and 111 babies with atypical genitalia.</p> <p><b>Results:<i> </i></b>ICC of EGS in typical and atypical genitalia is excellent and good. Median EGS (10<sup>th </sup>-<sup> </sup>90<sup>th </sup>centile) in males < 28 weeks gestation is 10 (8.6-11.5); in males 28-32 weeks 11.5 (9.2-12); in males 33-36 weeks 11.5 (10.5-12) and in full-term males 12 (10.5-12). In all female babies, EGS is 0 (0-0). The mean (SD) AGDl/u is 0.45 (0.1), with significant difference between AGDl/u in males 0.49 (0.1) and females 0.39 (0.1) and in-between values in DSD 0.43 (0.1). AGDl/u correlates with EGS in males with typical genitalia and in atypical genitalia.</p> <p><b>Conclusions: </b>EGS is a reliable and valid tool to describe external genitalia in premature and term babies up to 24 months. EGS correlates with AGDl/u in males. It facilitates standardized assessment, clinical decision-making and multicenter research.</p>
Data from: Strength and variability of postmating reproductive isolating barriers between four European white oak species
The identification and quantification of the relative importance of reproductive isolating barriers is of fundamental importance to understand species maintenance in the face of interspecific gene flow between hybridizing species. Yet, such assessments require extensive experimental fertilisations that are particularly difficult when dealing with more than two hybridizing and long generation time species such as oaks. Here we quantify the relative contribution of four postmating reproductive isolating barriers consisting of two prezygotic barriers (gametic incompatibility, conspecific pollen precedence) and two postzygotic barriers (germination rate, early survival) from extensive controlled pollinations between four oak species (Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens and Q. pyrenaica) that have been shown to frequently hybridize in natural populations. We found high variation in the strength of total reproductive isolation between species, ranging from total reproductive isolation to advantage toward hybrid formation. As previously found, Q. robur pollen was unable to fertilize Q. petraea due to a strong reproductive isolating mechanism. On the contrary, Q. pubescens pollen was more efficient at fertilizing Q. petraea than conspecific pollen. Overall, prezygotic barriers contribute far more than postzygotic barriers to isolate species reproductively, suggesting a role for reinforcement in the development of prezygotic barriers. Conspecific pollen precedence reduced hybrid formation when pollen competition was allowed, however presence of conspecific pollen did not totally prevent hybridization. Our results suggest that pollen competition depends on multiple ecological and environmental parameters, including species local abundance, and that it may be of uppermost importance to understand interspecific gene flow among natural multispecies populations.
Data from: Artificial selection on introduced Asian haplotypes shaped the genetic architecture in European commercial pigs
Early pig farmers in Europe imported Asian pigs to cross with their local breeds in order to improve traits of commercial interest. Current genomics techniques enabled genome-wide identification of these Asian introgressed haplotypes in modern European pig breeds. We propose that the Asian variants are still present because they affect phenotypes that were important for ancient traditional, as well as recent, commercial pig breeding. Genome-wide introgression levels were only weakly correlated with gene content and recombination frequency. However, regions with an excess or absence of Asian haplotypes (AS) contained genes that were previously identified as phenotypically important such as FASN, ME1, and KIT. Therefore, the Asian alleles are thought to have an effect on phenotypes that were historically under selection. We aimed to estimate the effect of AS in introgressed regions in Large White pigs on the traits of backfat (BF) and litter size. The majority of regions we tested that retained Asian deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) showed significantly increased BF from the Asian alleles. Our results suggest that the introgression in Large White pigs has been strongly determined by the selective pressure acting upon the introgressed AS. We therefore conclude that human-driven hybridization and selection contributed to the genomic architecture of these commercial pigs.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.