Animal migration to northern latitudes: environmental changes and increasing threats

AbstractThe Bølling–Allerød interstadial is the closest warm time period to the Holocene. The study of the climate variability during this most recent warm scenario provides a natural record of potential environmental changes related with global temperature variations. Little is known about this interstadial in the Southern Iberian Peninsula. Therefore, the exceptional climatic record of the Otiñar paleo-lake (ca. 14.5–14.0 cal ka BP), provides environmental information about the first part of this interstadial (Bølling) in this key region. Although the studied high-resolution isotopic record point to almost invariant hydrological conditions in the paleo-lake, with little change in the carbon budget and important limestone dissolution, the pollen record shows an increase in forest species that can be interpreted as a warming trend and an increase in humidity during the Bølling in the area. This record is one of the few continental archives that show this climatic trend in Southern Iberia, agreeing with many other regional records from the western Mediterranean. This does not agree with higher latitude records that show an opposite trend. This opposite pattern in precipitation between the western Mediterranean and more northern latitudes could be explained by a persistent and increasing negative NAO mode during the Bølling in this area.

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Occurrence of Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the northeastern plain of Italy

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-021-04652-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alice Michelutti ◽

Federica Toniolo ◽

Michela Bertola ◽

Marika Grillini ◽

Giulia Simonato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Sampling Site ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Canine Leishmaniasis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Entomological Surveillance ◽

Phlebotomine Sand Flies ◽

Northern Latitudes ◽

Geographical Unit ◽

Recent Climate

AbstractBackgroundRecent climate and environmental changes have resulted in the geographical expansion of MediterraneanLeishmania infantumvectors towards northern latitudes and higher altitudes in different European countries, including Italy, where new foci of canine leishmaniasis have been observed in the northern part of the country. Northern Italy is also an endemic area for mosquito-borne diseases. During entomological surveillance for West Nile virus, mosquitoes and other hematophagous insects were collected, including Phlebotomine sand flies. In this study, we report the results of Phlebotomine sand fly identification during the entomological surveillance conducted from 2017 to 2019.MethodsThe northeastern plain of Italy was divided by a grid with a length of 15 km, and a CO2-CDC trap was placed in each geographical unit. The traps were placed ~ 15 km apart. For each sampling site, geographical coordinates were recorded. The traps were operated every two weeks, from May to November. Sand flies collected by CO2-CDC traps were identified by morphological and molecular analysis.ResultsFrom 2017 to 2019, a total of 303 sand flies belonging to the speciesPhlebotomus perniciosus(n = 273),Sergentomyia minuta(n = 5),P. mascittii(n = 2) andP. perfiliewi(n = 2) were collected, along with 21 unidentified specimens. The trend forP. perniciosuscollected during the entomological surveillance showed two peaks, one in July and a smaller one in September. Sand flies were collected at different altitudes, from −2 m above sea level (a.s.l.) to 145 m a.s.l. No correlation was observed between altitude and sand fly abundance.ConclusionsFour Phlebotomine sand fly species are reported for the first time from the northeastern plain of Italy. Except forS. minuta, the sand fly species are competent vectors ofLeishmaniaparasites and other arboviruses in the Mediterranean Basin. These findings demonstrate the ability of sand flies to colonize new environments previously considered unsuitable for these insects. Even though the density of the Phlebotomine sand fly population in the plain areas is consistently lower than that observed in hilly and low mountainous areas, the presence of these vectors could herald the onset of epidemic outbreaks of leishmaniasis and other arthropod-borne diseases in areas previously considered non-endemic.

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Linking transcription, RNA polymerase II elongation and alternative splicing

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bcj20200475 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 477 (16) ◽

pp. 3091-3104 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luciana E. Giono ◽

Alberto R. Kornblihtt

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Alternative Splicing ◽

Rna Polymerase Ii ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Transcription Elongation ◽

Single Gene ◽

Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽

Regulation Of Transcription ◽

Stepping Stones ◽

Eukaryotic Transcription

Gene expression is an intricately regulated process that is at the basis of cell differentiation, the maintenance of cell identity and the cellular responses to environmental changes. Alternative splicing, the process by which multiple functionally distinct transcripts are generated from a single gene, is one of the main mechanisms that contribute to expand the coding capacity of genomes and help explain the level of complexity achieved by higher organisms. Eukaryotic transcription is subject to multiple layers of regulation both intrinsic — such as promoter structure — and dynamic, allowing the cell to respond to internal and external signals. Similarly, alternative splicing choices are affected by all of these aspects, mainly through the regulation of transcription elongation, making it a regulatory knob on a par with the regulation of gene expression levels. This review aims to recapitulate some of the history and stepping-stones that led to the paradigms held today about transcription and splicing regulation, with major focus on transcription elongation and its effect on alternative splicing.

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Seeking to uncover biology's chemical roots

Emerging Topics in Life Sciences ◽

10.1042/etls20190012 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

pp. 435-443 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Addy Pross

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Biological Systems ◽

Significant Development ◽

The Road ◽

Physical Chemical ◽

Systems Chemistry ◽

Biological World ◽

Inanimate Matter ◽

The Origin Of Life ◽

Opening Up

Despite the considerable advances in molecular biology over the past several decades, the nature of the physical–chemical process by which inanimate matter become transformed into simplest life remains elusive. In this review, we describe recent advances in a relatively new area of chemistry, systems chemistry, which attempts to uncover the physical–chemical principles underlying that remarkable transformation. A significant development has been the discovery that within the space of chemical potentiality there exists a largely unexplored kinetic domain which could be termed dynamic kinetic chemistry. Our analysis suggests that all biological systems and associated sub-systems belong to this distinct domain, thereby facilitating the placement of biological systems within a coherent physical/chemical framework. That discovery offers new insights into the origin of life process, as well as opening the door toward the preparation of active materials able to self-heal, adapt to environmental changes, even communicate, mimicking what transpires routinely in the biological world. The road to simplest proto-life appears to be opening up.

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Holocene diatom assemblages from Dunderbukhta sediments, West Svalbard

Issues of modern algology (Вопросы современной альгологии) ◽

10.33624/2311-0147-2019-2(20)-242-245 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 242-245

Author(s):

Ksenya V. Poleshchuk ◽

Zinaida V. Pushina ◽

Sergey R. Verkulich

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Ecological Groups ◽

Diatom Assemblages ◽

Diatom Analysis ◽

Diatom Flora ◽

Sediment Samples ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Middle Holocene ◽

Temperature Trends

The diatom analysis results of sediment samples from Dunderbukta area (Wedel Jarlsberg Land, West Svalbard) are presented in this paper. The diatom flora consists of four ecological groups, which ratio indicates three ecological zones. These zones show environmental changes of the area in early–middle Holocene that is demonstrating periods of regression and temperature trends.

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Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing

10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5 ◽

1978 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Keyword(s):

Animal Migration

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DIVERSITY OF FISH LARVAE AROUND THE ESTUARY OF THE BANYUASIN RIVER, SOUTH SUMATERA PROVINCE

BIOVALENTIA Biological Research Journal ◽

10.24233/biov.6.2.2020.181 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Moh. Rasyid Ridho ◽

Enggar Patriono ◽

Sarno Sarno ◽

Sahira Wirda

Keyword(s):

Initial Phase ◽

Sampling Method ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Fish Larvae ◽

River Estuary ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Critical Phase ◽

Morisita Index ◽

Index Value

The initial phase of the fish life cycle is a critical phase associated with high mortality due to sensitivity to predators, food availability, and also environmental changes that occur in nature. Disruption of the initial stages of fish life has a negative impact on fish populations. Until now there has been no information about fish larvae around the Banyuasin River Estuary. Therefore, research is needed on the diversity of fish larvae around the Banyuasin River Estuary, South Sumatra Province. This research were used purposive sampling method, sampling technique in the form of Cruise Track Design with continuous parallel survey trajectory. Based on the results of the study found as many as 10 families consisting of 1483 individuals of fish larvae in March and 1013 individuals of fish larvae in May consisting of Engraulidae 1,601 individuals of fish larvae, Mungiloidei as many as 109 individuals, Leiognathidae 50 individuals, Chanidae 453 individuals, Scatophagidae 20 individuals , Belonidae 39 individuals, Gobioididae 5 individuals, Chandidae 183 individuals, Syngnatihidae 6 individuals, and Gobiidae 30 individuals fish larvae. The index value of fish larvae diversity is classified as medium category (March 1.02 and May 1.12), Morisita index shows the distribution pattern of fish larvae classified as a group (March 0-14.17 and May 2.43-10.40 ), and the evenness index value is in the medium category (March 0.437 and May 0.521).

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Autumn Migration of Waders (Charadrii) at the Reda Mouth (N Poland)

Ring ◽

10.2478/v10050-008-0046-6 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 23-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Włodzimierz Meissner ◽

Anna Włodarczak-Komosińska ◽

Dariusz Górecki ◽

Cezary Wójcik ◽

Mateusz Ściborski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Migration Pattern ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Autumn Migration ◽

Tundra Zone ◽

Age Classes ◽

Calidris Alpina ◽

Mouth Region ◽

Baltic Coast ◽

Northern Latitudes ◽

Vanellus Vanellus

Autumn Migration of Waders (Charadrii) at the Reda Mouth (N Poland) The migration of waders was investigated at the Reda mouth (Polish Baltic coast) between 1996 and 2001. During the study 496 counts were conducted in the period between 5 July and 5 October. The most numerous species observed were: the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) - 39.5% and Dunlin (Calidris alpina) - 29.8% of all waders. Because of a variety of habitats in the Reda mouth region, among the waders staging numerously in the Reda mouth there were species typical both for coastal and inland habitat. It was shown that birds from tundra zone migrated later than those from more southern breeding areas, which was caused by much later beginning of egg laying in northern latitudes. Moreover, in the species from tundra zone, e.g. the Knot (Calidris canutus), Little Stint (C. minuta), Curlew Sandpiper (C. ferruginea), the migration of both age classes were well separated, whereas in those from more southern areas, e.g. the Little Ringed Plover (Charadius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), such difference was less pronounced and the period of common passage of adults and juveniles was much longer. A comparison of the obtained data on migration pattern with some other sites in Poland where regular counts were conducted showed several similarities and some discrepancies, which are discussed in the paper.

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