scholarly journals Life on the Edge: Ecological Genetics of a High Arctic Insect Species and Its Circumpolar Counterpart

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Christophe Simon ◽  
Frédérique Mahéo ◽  
Lucie Mieuzet ◽  
Christelle Buchard ◽  
Jean-Pierre Gauthier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Aphid Species ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Ecological Genetics ◽  
Close Relative ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Svalbard Archipelago ◽  
History Of

Arctic ecosystems are subjected to strong environmental constraints that prevent both the colonization and development of many organisms. In Svalbard, few aphid species have established permanent populations. These high arctic aphid species have developed peculiar life-history traits such as shortened life cycles and reduced dispersal capacities. Here, we present data on the distribution and population genetics of Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum in Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard archipelago, and compared its genetic structure with that of its close relative Acyrthosiphon brevicorne, sampled in the top of Scandinavian mainland. We found that A. svalbardicum is common but heterogeneously distributed along the west coast of Spitsbergen. We recorded this species up to 79°12’, which constitutes the northernmost location for any aphid. Genetic structure examined using microsatellite markers showed more pronounced spatial differentiation in A. svalbardicum than in A. brevicorne populations, presumably due to reduced dispersal capacities in the former species. Although populations of A. brevicorne and A. svalbardicum were well-delineated at nuclear loci, they shared similar cytoplasmic DNA haplotypes as revealed by sequence analysis of two DNA barcodes. These results raise questions about whether these two taxa are different species, and the colonization sources and history of the Svalbard archipelago by A. svalbardicum.

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of the Svalbard archipelago in a changing world: history of research and challenges

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen James Coulson
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Invertebrate Fauna ◽  
Svalbard Archipelago ◽  
Scientific Investigations ◽  
Terrestrial Invertebrate ◽  
History Of Research ◽  
Freshwater Invertebrate ◽  
History Of

AbstractThe High Arctic represents a unique environment, an environment from where knowledge is limited and which is currently experiencing rapid change. The archipelago of Svalbard in the European High Arctic possesses a terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate fauna that is distinctive and diverse. However, the majority of studies concentrate on the fauna of the comparatively mild west coast. Very few investigations of the colder east coast exist. Furthermore, scientific investigations are relatively recent. Scientific records of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna begin in the mid-19th century with species inventories and community descriptions but experimental field-based studies and physiological investigations did not commence until the 1980s. Some 570 articles consider this fauna, 54% of which have appeared since 1990. There is hence a dramatic and rapid increase in our understanding, which is not only improving our comprehension of Arctic ecosystem functioning but also providing a baseline for environmental change studies. Due to a largely pristine environment, a political focus and relative ease of logistics, Svalbard is set to become a focus of such studies. This article considers the state of knowledge of the terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate fauna of Svalbard, current research, and discusses the threats to the distinctive communities.

scholarly journals Ancient plant DNA, macro- and microfossil studies of the lake sediments from the High Arctic lake Tenndammen, Svalbard

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Poliakova ◽  
Lena M. Håkansson ◽  
Anders Schomacker ◽  
Sandra Garces Pastor ◽  
Inger Greve Alsos
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Dna ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Plant Macrofossils ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
History Of ◽  
Shallow Water Body

<p>Ancient DNA metabarcoding applied together with the investigations of the plant macro-remains, pollen, spores and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP), open new perspectives and give better taxonomical resolution, allowing to obtain more precise and specific data on the local environment conditions and their changes. So far, only three multiproxy studies that involve both molecular and palaeobotanical/palynological methods are available for the high Arctic archipelago Svalbard. We intend to contribute filling this gap. Therefore, a field trip to Svalbard was undertaken in September, 2019, and three sediment cores were retrieved from the Tenndammen lake (N 78°06.118; E 15°02.024, 7 m asl) which is a small and shallow water body (ca 2.5 m depth). The lake is located in the valley of Colesdalen, a well-known Svalbard’s biodiversity hot spots and a home for about seven to ten thermophilic plant species.</p><p>To investigate the Holocene to modern vegetation history of this place, the 85cm core Te2019 was chosen, it was described for lithology, X-rayed, µXRF-scanned, line-scan photographed with high resolution and sampled for sedaDNA, pollen, spores and NPP studies as well as for studies on plant macrofossils. Ten 14C AMS dates were taken in order to establish an age-depth model. The DNA record contains around 100 taxa, most findings of those are supported by pollen studies (Asteraceae, <em>Betula</em>, Brassicaceae, <em>Salix, Saxifraga, Vaccinium</em>/Ericaceae) and by spores (<em>Equisetum</em> and Bryophyta). In addition, various fungi spores were identified. Investigations of plant macro-remains well support findings of the aquatic (i.e. Warnstorfia fluitans) and terrestrial mosses (e.g. <em>Aulacomnium</em> conf. <em>turgidum, Bryum</em> spp., <em>Distichium capillaceum, Calliergon richardsonii, Scorpidium cossonii, Sphagnum</em> spp., <em>Rhizomnium</em> spp.). Besides, fragments of <em>Salix</em> and <em>Betula</em> leaves and fruit parts, various leaf, stem tissues and flower fragments of <em>Saxifraga</em> species were found within the samples from the same depths with the correspondence to DNA records. Three DNA zones (SvDNA 1 – SvDNA3) and  one subzone within the earliest zone (SvDNA-1a – SvDNA-1b) were established. Relations between DNA, pollen and macrofossil zones were studied. This study is performed within the “Future ArcTic Ecosystems” (FATE) research program: Initiative for investigation on drivers of diversity and future scenarios from ethnoecology, contemporary ecology and ancient DNA.</p>

scholarly journals Cycles and circulation: a theme in the history of biology and medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Hopwood ◽  
Staffan Müller-Wille ◽  
Janet Browne ◽  
Christiane Groeben ◽  
Shigehisa Kuriyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Philosophy ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Systems Ecology ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
Reproductive Cycles ◽  
Economics And Biology

AbstractWe invite systematic consideration of the metaphors of cycles and circulation as a long-term theme in the history of the life and environmental sciences and medicine. Ubiquitous in ancient religious and philosophical traditions, especially in representing the seasons and the motions of celestial bodies, circles once symbolized perfection. Over the centuries cyclic images in western medicine, natural philosophy, natural history and eventually biology gained independence from cosmology and theology and came to depend less on strictly circular forms. As potent ‘canonical icons’, cycles also interacted with representations of linear and irreversible change, including arrows, arcs, scales, series and trees, as in theories of the Earth and of evolution. In modern times life cycles and reproductive cycles have often been held to characterize life, in some cases especially female life, while human efforts selectively to foster and disrupt these cycles have harnessed their productivity in medicine and agriculture. But strong cyclic metaphors have continued to link physiology and climatology, medicine and economics, and biology and manufacturing, notably through the relations between land, food and population. From the grand nineteenth-century transformations of matter to systems ecology, the circulation of molecules through organic and inorganic compartments has posed the problem of maintaining identity in the face of flux and highlights the seductive ability of cyclic schemes to imply closure where no original state was in fact restored. More concerted attention to cycles and circulation will enrich analyses of the power of metaphors to naturalize understandings of life and their shaping by practical interests and political imaginations.

scholarly journals Spatial differentiation of ecosystem risks of soil pollution in floodplain areas of the Czech Republic

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Skála ◽  
R. Vácha ◽  
J. Hofman ◽  
V. Horváthová ◽  
M. Sáňka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Local Pollution ◽  
Floodplain Soils ◽  
History Of ◽  
High Flood

Extensive soil sampling and screening assessment of ecosystem risks combined with a multidimensional statistical analysis were used to estimate and spatially characterize the ecosystem risks stemming from the contamination of floodplain soils in the Czech Republic. We proved structural differences in regional pollution patterns where different regional/local pollution sources led to various nature and extent of the environmental load of floodplain soils. The established spatial patterns helped reveal the areas where soils do not meet soil quality standards and where the ecosystem risks were elevated. Furthermore, the results allowed to establish priority contaminants of flood affected areas in various catchments in the Czech Republic. Combining both the magnitudes of estimated ecosystem risks and structural characteristics of pollution profiles, the highest estimated risks showed the localities with high contents of organochlorine pesticides, several samples connected to geochemical anomalies of metallogenic zones (deposits), and localities with a long history of industrial load. Since extreme weather events have recently become more frequent, our results highlight the importance of a continual monitoring of pollutant turnover in floodplain soils with a high flood frequency.

scholarly journals Identification and phenotypic plasticity of Pseudanabaena catenata from the Svalbard archipelago

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoya Khan ◽  
Wan Maznah Wan Omar ◽  
Faradina Merican Mohd Sidik Merican ◽  
Asmimie Asmawarnie Azizan ◽  
Choon Pin Foong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Apical Cell ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Molecular Characterisation ◽  
Liquid Media ◽  
Svalbard Archipelago ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Cell Dimensions

Abstract A filamentous benthic cyanobacteria, strain USMAC16, was isolated from the High Arctic Svalbard archipelago, Norway, and a combination of morphological, ultrastructural and molecular characterisation (16S rRNA gene sequence) used to identify to species level. Cell dimensions, thylakoid arrangement and apical cell shape are consistent with the Pseudanabaena genus description. The molecular characterisation of P. catenata gave 100% similarity with Pseudanabaena catenata SAG 1464-1, originally reported from Germany. Strain USMAC16 was cultured under a range of temperature and photoperiod conditions, in solid and liquid media, and harvested at exponential phase to examine its phenotypic plasticity. Under different culture conditions, we observed considerable variations in cell dimensions. The longest cell (5.91±0.13 μm) was observed at 15°C under 12:12 light:dark, and the widest cell (3.24±0.06 μm) at 4°C under 12:12 light: dark in liquid media. The study provides baseline data documenting the morphological variation of P. catenata in response to changing temperature regimes.

Genetic variability and demographic history of Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) populations from Brazil inferred by mtDNA sequences

2011 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.C. Albernaz ◽  
K.L. Silva-Brandão ◽  
P. Fresia ◽  
F.L. Cônsoli ◽  
C. Omoto
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Heliothis Virescens ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Haplotype Network ◽  
Demographic Expansion ◽  
Significant Genetic Structure ◽  
History Of

AbstractIntra- and inter-population genetic variability and the demographic history of Heliothis virescens (F.) populations were evaluated by using mtDNA markers (coxI, coxII and nad6) with samples from the major cotton- and soybean-producing regions in Brazil in the growing seasons 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10. AMOVA indicated low and non-significant genetic structure, regardless of geographical scale, growing season or crop, with most of genetic variation occurring within populations. Clustering analyzes also indicated low genetic differentiation. The haplotype network obtained with combined datasets resulted in 35 haplotypes, with 28 exclusive occurrences, four of them sampled only from soybean fields. The minimum spanning network showed star-shaped structures typical of populations that underwent a recent demographic expansion. The recent expansion was supported by other demographic analyzes, such as the Bayesian skyline plot, the unimodal distribution of paired differences among mitochondrial sequences, and negative and significant values of neutrality tests for the Tajima's D and Fu's FS parameters. In addition, high values of haplotype diversity (Ĥ) and low values of nucleotide diversity (π), combined with a high number of low frequency haplotypes and values of θπ<θW, suggested a recent demographic expansion of H. virescens populations in Brazil. This demographic event could be responsible for the low genetic structure currently found; however, haplotypes present uniquely at the same geographic regions and from one specific host plant suggest an initial differentiation among H. virescens populations within Brazil.

scholarly journals Population Genetic Structure and Colonisation History of the Tool-Using New Caledonian Crow

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e36608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawad Abdelkrim ◽  
Gavin R. Hunt ◽  
Russell D. Gray ◽  
Neil J. Gemmell
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
New Caledonian Crow ◽  
Caledonian Crow ◽  
History Of

Genetic structure and population history of wintering Asian Great Bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii) in China: implications for conservation

2017 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Liu ◽  
Xiaolong Hu ◽  
Aaron B. A. Shafer ◽  
Minghao Gong ◽  
Morigen Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Population History ◽  
Great Bustard ◽  
Otis Tarda ◽  
History Of

The last glaciation and sea level history of Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Canadian High Arctic

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1075-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Bell
Keyword(s):  
High Arctic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Marine Deposits ◽  
Last Glaciation ◽  
Maximum Elevation ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ice Conditions

The last glaciation of Fosheim Peninsula is reconstructed on the basis of landform and sediment mapping and associated radiocarbon dates. Ice growth involved the expansion of cirque glaciers and accumulation on upland surfaces that are now ice free. Limited ice buildup, despite lowering of the paleoglaciation level by 700–800 m, is attributed to the hyperaridity of the region during glacial conditions. Marine deposits in formerly submerged basins beyond the ice margins are interpreted to represent (i) sedimentation caused by local ice buildup and marine transgression by 10.6 ka BP, (ii) increased ablation and glacier runoff [Formula: see text]9.5 ka BP, and (iii) marine regression during the Holocene. Holocene marine limit reaches a maximum elevation of approximately 150 m asl along northern Eureka Sound and Greely Fiord and descends southeastwards to 139–142 m asl near the Sawtooth Mountains. A synchronous marine limit is implied where the last ice limit was inland of the sea. The magnitude and pattern of Holocene emergence cannot be fully explained by the glacioisostatic effects of the small ice load during the last glaciation of the region. Deglaciation of the peninsula was underway by 9.5 ka BP; however, local ice caps may have persisted through the wannest period of the Holocene until 6–5 ka BP. This was likely a function of reduced sea ice conditions and increased moisture availability which benefited low-lying coastal icefields, but had negligible effect on interior highland ice caps.

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