Violence and value in the migratory passage through Central America: The Cadereyta massacre (2012) and the struggle to have the bodies returned

This article shows the relationships laden with violence within the dynamics of cross-border mobility from the history of nine Hondurans and their grieving families. The case occurs in the broader context of the crude contemporary production of the Central America–Mexico migratory corridor, as well as the different forms of conflict that emerge around it. This context is marked by a logic of terror and death that becomes a structuring condition of the contemporary dispute for space, especially in the border areas, among diverse actors that include the state, organized crime, and migratory movements. In this transnational field, the dispute for space, rather than for the control of a perimeter territory, takes place around the control of certain specific circulation dynamics that are vertebral in the regional configuration of the capitalist global model: the movement of people and goods. These complex and dynamic territorialization processes are taking place along with the dynamic configuration of sovereignty, in which the operation of organized crime, migratory mobility, and the processes of formation of the state define a field of power characterized by a logic of war.

Migratory insights from singing humpback whales recorded around central New Zealand

The migration routes of wide-ranging species can be difficult to study, particularly at sea. In the western South Pacific, migratory routes of humpback whales between breeding and feeding areas are unclear. Male humpback whales sing a population-specific song, which can be used to match singers on migration to a breeding population. To investigate migratory routes and breeding area connections, passive acoustic recorders were deployed in the central New Zealand migratory corridor (2016); recorded humpback whale song was compared to song from the closest breeding populations of East Australia and New Caledonia (2015–2017). Singing northbound whales migrated past New Zealand from June to August via the east coast of the South Island and Cook Strait. Few song detections were made along the east coast of the North Island. New Zealand song matched New Caledonia song, suggesting a migratory destination, but connectivity to East Australia could not be ruled out. Two song types were present in New Zealand, illustrating the potential for easterly song transmission from East Australia to New Caledonia in this shared migratory corridor. This study enhances our understanding of western South Pacific humpback whale breeding population connectivity, and provides novel insights into the dynamic transmission of song culture.

Gender Variability in Processes of Migrants’ Smuggling Along the Nigerian–Libyan Corridor

While varying factors have been adduced as facilitators of budding patterns of irregular mobility across the Sahara, a pivotal issue of concern amid the crisis has been lack of appropriate gender profiling of various actors. Engaging an exploratory design (which combines case profiling, in-depth interviews [IDIs], and focus group discussions [FGDs]) and ‘actor-network’ theoretical approach, which affirms the significance of both human and nonhuman agencies in processes of irregular transnational mobility, this study assesses the interpositions of gender and migrants’ smuggling along the Nigerian–Libyan migratory corridor. Although organized crime is explored as a general notion, the emphasis in the study has been on specific gender roles of individual actors (between the point of migrants’ departure [Benin City, Nigeria] and the point of migrants’ processing [Agadez, Niger Republic]). Of what significance are gender categories (male and female) in the recruitment of ‘organizers’ and ‘subjects’ of migrants’ smuggling within these study locations? Though it has been assumed that the female gender has often been at the receiving end of most organized irregular mobilities along the Nigerian–Libyan corridor, findings from this study have shown that female network actors have been as active as their male network counterparts in processes of migrants’ smuggling. The outcomes of this study have been particularly useful in situating the interpositions of gender and smuggling of migrants along the Nigerian–Libyan corridor within an appropriate epistemological context.

Regional variation in green-up timing along a caribou migratory corridor: spatial associations with snowmelt and temperature

Spring green-up in Arctic and alpine systems is predominantly controlled by temperature and snowmelt timing preceding and during the growing season. Variation in the timing of green-up across space is an important aspect of resource variability with which mobile herbivores must contend. Here, we measure the explanatory power of abiotic drivers of green-up in a Low Arctic region of west Greenland, host to a migratory caribou population. We identify inconsistent relationships between green-up and abiotic drivers across space. While green-up timing is most closely related to snowmelt in some areas, in others it is most closely related to spring temperature. The negative correlation between the explanatory power of snowmelt and temperature suggests that at broad scales, where green-up is more constrained by snow cover, such as moist, mountainous coastal areas, it is less constrained by temperature. Where snow is less persistent through winter, such as cold, dry inland areas, temperature becomes the predominant factor driving green-up. If the principal driver of spring plant growth is inconsistent across a region, long-term trends in resource phenology could vary spatially. For seasonal migrants like caribou, synchronizing migration timing with resource phenology may be complicated by discordant interannual change across drivers of green-up timing.

Pachyderms through Pencil: Children’s Perception and Understanding of Human Elephant Conflict and Coexistence

<p>The study was conducted among young children from the villages near the migratory corridor of the elephants, by employing draw and write method which is a subjective yet effective method in understanding the perception of the young stakeholders on complex issues like HEC, coexistence and conservation. The young respondents expressed negative interaction between humans and elephants, and also the vulnerability indicators. The discontent among young children was evident and it could further erode the future stakeholders’ traditional and cultural connect that contributes to safeguard future of wildlife. Content analysis of the drawn sketches complemented by subsequent discussion in the context of their production provided profound and in-depth insights into the complex situation.</p>

Pachyderms through Pencil: Children’s Perception and Understanding of Human Elephant Conflict and Coexistence

<p>The study was conducted among young children from the villages near the migratory corridor of the elephants, by employing draw and write method which is a subjective yet effective method in understanding the perception of the young stakeholders on complex issues like HEC, coexistence and conservation. The young respondents expressed negative interaction between humans and elephants, and also the vulnerability indicators. The discontent among young children was evident and it could further erode the future stakeholders’ traditional and cultural connect that contributes to safeguard future of wildlife. Content analysis of the drawn sketches complemented by subsequent discussion in the context of their production provided profound and in-depth insights into the complex situation.</p>

Mitogenome Diversity and Maternal Origins of Guangxi Cattle Breeds

Guangxi Province is located in the southernmost region of China, adjacent to the hotspot that is considered to be the putative migratory corridor or domestication area for Chinese indicine cattle. Here, we investigated the evolutionary status of Guangxi native breeds, Longlin (n = 21), Nandan (n = 18), and Weizhou cattle (n = 17) using mitogenome sequencing. Our results show that Bos indicus sub-haplogroup I1a predominates in Guangxi cattle breeds. Population structure by multidimensional-scaling analysis significantly differentiates Weizhou from the other two breeds (Longlin and Nandan). Moreover, the mtDNA haplotype composition and FST values indicate that the formation of Longlin and Nandan breeds may have been affected by Indian indicine, whereas, Weizhou island might have preserved pure Chinese indicine cattle due to its geographical isolation. We speculate that following the initial entry of zebu into southern China, the subsequent introgression of Indian indicine may have influenced the matrilineal origin of local breeds in southwestern China.