Online Library. Theme: Biology (p.2)
Found: 72
Found: 72
| Title: | Distribution of the Noctule Bat (Nyctalus noctula) in Rostov Region and the Problem of Expansion of the Northern Boundary of Its Wintering Area |
| Author: | Смирнов Дмитрий Григорьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2023 |
| Publishing house: | Pleiades Publishing |
| Title: | Diversity of trematodes from the amphibian anomaly P hotspot: Role of planorbid snails |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович Иванов Александр Юрьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | Trematode infection of the second intermediate hosts can lead to changes in their fitness and, as a result, a change in the invasion rate of animal communities. It is especially pronounced during the invasion of parasite species that reduce activity due to the manipulation of hosts through the changes of their morphology and physiology. One of these cases is an anomaly P syndrome hotspot found in some populations of water frogs and toads in Europe caused by the trematode Strigea robusta metacercariae. The occurrence of pathogen and their participation in ecosystems are intrigues questions in the anomaly P phenomenon, as well as the role of planorbid snails that serve as the first intermediate hosts for many trematode species. Herein, we focused on trematodes spectra from planorbid snails and amphibians from the anomaly P hosts with the aim to undetected interactions between the pathways of parasites. Emerging cercariae of 6802 planorbid snails of dominant species (Planorbarius corneus, Planorbis planorbis, and Anisus spp.) were detected by both morphological and molecular methods in seven waterbodies in Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve (Russia). A total of 95 sequences of 18 species were received, and 48 sequences were unique and did not present in any genetic databases. The 18 species of trematodes from snails and 14 species of trematodes from amphibian hosts (Pelophylax ridibundus; Ranidae; Anura) were detected. Three species (Echinostoma nasincovae, Tylodelphys circibuteonis and Australapatemon burti) was new for the trematode fauna of the Middle Volga River region and Russia as a whole. Eleven species of parasitic flatworms have amphibians in their life cycles and nine species used amphibians as metacercariae hosts: Echinostoma nasincovae, E. miyagawai, Echinoparyphium recurvatum, Tylodelphys circibuteonis, Neodiplostomum spathula, Paralepoderma cloacicola, Macrodera longicollis, Strigea robusta, and Strigea strigis. The occurrence of trematode species from planorbid mollusks and frogs were compared. |
| Publication date: | 2023 |
| Publishing house: | Public Library of Science |
| Title: | Diversity, Phylogenetic Relationships and Distribution of Marsh Frogs (the Pelophylax ridibundus complex) from Kazakhstan and Northwest China |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | In order to study the diversity, phylogenetic relationships and distribution of marsh frogs of the Pelophylax ridibundus complex in Kazakhstan and northwest China, we conducted phylogeographic analyses of 125 samples from 53 localities using the mtDNA ND2 and COI genes and the SAI nuclear gene sequences. Phylogenetic inference of mtDNA revealed three main lineages—sister lineages Balkhash and Syrdarya (as the Central Asian P. sp. novum), and the Anatolian P. cf. bedriagae, while from nDNA data, we additionally detected the western form, P. ridibundus. According to mtDNA data, the mean genetic distances between P. sp. novum and two other forms of marsh frogs was more than 5%. Genetic homogeneity within populations of the Syrdarya lineage and P. cf. bedriagae is characterized by low nucleotide diversity and high haplotype diversity. Demographic analyses of the lineages showed past population expansions of the Balkhash and the Syrdarya forms. Divergence from the most recent ancestor had occurred in the Early Pleistocene period (2.46 Mya) for the Balkhash and the Syrdarya lineages, and 1.27 Mya for the P. cf. bedriagae. Our findings provide a first investigation of the lineage diversification and population dynamics of the Central Asian marsh frogs and will be useful for further taxonomic implications and conservational actions. |
| Publication date: | 2022 |
| Publishing house: | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
| Title: | Does the Colonizing Population Exhibit a Reduced Genetic Diversity and Allele Surfing? A Case Study of the Midday Gerbil (Meriones meridianus Pallas) Expanding Its Range |
| Author: | Титов Сергей Витальевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2024 |
| Publishing house: | MDPI |
| Title: | Does the Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus (Soricidae, Eulipotyphla) expand the eastern part of the distribution range? |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович Быстракова Наталья Викторовна |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | The Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus is sparsely distributed across the major part of Eastern Europe. There is a large amount of new information about the enlargement of the distribution range of the species during last 2 to 3 decades. We analysed species distribution, variation of cytochrome b gene and character of appearance of new records on species distribution. We suggest that the “expansion” of the Mediterranean water shrew is rather a result of more thorough faunal studies than of a natural expansion of the species range. |
| Publication date: | 2021 |
| Publishing house: | KMK Scientific Press |
| Title: | Ectoparasites and Pathogens of Kuhl’s Pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): Our Own and Published Data Review |
| Author: | Смирнов Дмитрий Григорьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | Here we report the results of our own survey and literary published data on the ectoparasite fauna and pathogens of the alien bat species, the Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). This bat is a host of 36 species of parasitic mites, ticks and insects (including accidental findings) and 13 species of pathogens (protozoa, bacteria, viruses). The flea Ischnopsyllus variabilis is recorded on this host for the first time. We have found that outside of the host ancestral range, the core of the bat parasite fauna is significantly different due to the loss of host species-specific ectoparasites. Particularly, in Russia, only 6 species of parasitic arthropods have been recorded for Kuhl’s pipistrelle and all of them are host genus-specific. At the same time, the features of ecology and occasional finds of extrinsic parasites allow to suggest that P. kuhlii has wide contacts with animals which are the reservoirs of zoonotic infections, that in combination with the fact of isolation of several pathogens from this species (including two coronaviruses) points to a possible medical importance of Kuhl’s pipistrelle. |
| Publication date: | 2021 |
| Publishing house: | Pleiades Publishing |
| Title: | Effect of Supplementation Time and Selenium Chemical Form on the Efficiency of Dandelion Biofortification |
| Author: | Полубояринов Павел Аркадьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2025 |
| Publishing house: | ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Сборник статей XLII международной научно-практической конференции. |
| Title: | Effects of minimum Strigea robusta (Digenea: Strigeidae) cercariae doses and localization of cysts on the anomaly P manifestation in Pelophylax lessonae (Anura: Ranidae) tadpoles |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | The anomaly P is a mass morphological anomaly found in some populations of anuran amphibians (water frogs of the genus Pelophylax and toads of the genera Bufo and Bufotes) caused by the parasitic flatworm Strigea robusta. Minimum dose of cercariae for the appearance of the anomaly P remains unknown. However, it is important information for understanding of host population dynamics after invasion and the effects of the parasite on the second intermediate hosts. Herein, the invasion properties of S. robusta in Pelophylax lessonae tadpoles (Anura: Ranidae) and minimum dose for appearance of mild and severe forms of the anomaly P syndrome were described after direct experiments with certain numbers of cercariae exposure. Experimental groups of tadpoles have been exposed to eight doses of cercariae (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16). A total of 63.8% tadpoles survived to the end of this experiment. It was revealed that a mild form of the anomaly P (polydactyly) can appear after infection by two cercariae, while the severe form traits appear after infection by four cercariae. The mean number of detected encysted metacercariae was reached to 53.5%. Differences in infection rates can be explained by the presence of an individual immune response in tadpoles or by the presence of different genetic lineages of the parasite infecting the same snail, which have different infectious potential. Low doses of infection leading to the induction of anomalies characterize S. robusta as a highly pathogenic species for amphibian species that are susceptible to infection and show an abnormal phenotype. |
| Publication date: | 2023 |
| Publishing house: | Springer Nature Switzerland AG |
| Title: | Effects of taxonomic identification bias on ecological inferences: research community survey on testate amoeba microscopy dataset |
| Author: | Malysheva Elena |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | Differences in perception and judgment and their influences on knowledge are being evaluated in many domains of natural sciences and beyond. Among them, taxonomic uncertainty creates a known, but mostly ignored, identification bias in ecological studies. This bias undermines reproducibility, which is especially critical in comparisons among studies and meta-analyses. Testate amoebae (TA) are commonly used as proxies for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and as bioindicators in peatlands and lakes. Such work is always based on morphological identification, which for many taxa is challenging due to the lack of clear morphological criteria and identification keys. We conducted a survey within the TA research community, using microscopy images of TA observed in surface Sphagnum and peat samples. These images were shared with all research groups working with TA. Observers with varying degrees of expertise participated, and broad descriptive data about each participant was documented. Additionally, we recorded self-evaluated level of confidence for each identification. We hypothesized that TA taxonomic identification bias would affect estimates of diversity and ecological interpretation including applications such as bioindication. This is the first attempt to simultaneously include all the abovementioned metrics in one analysis. Notably, no expert judgement from our side or from any previously made research was used. Our results create a fundament for work on methodological guidelines and exploration of approaches allowing us to overcome identification bias. This will help make TA-based ecological studies more robust. |
| Publication date: | 2023 |
| Publishing house: | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
| Title: | Experience in Using an Echo Meter Touch Ultrasonic Module in Studies of the Species Composition, Occurrence, and Biotopic Preferences of Bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in Voronezh Oblast |
| Author: | Смирнов Дмитрий Григорьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2023 |
| Publishing house: | Pleiades Publishing |
| Title: | Faunal structure of small mammals (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Chiroptera and Rodentia) in two protected areas of the Middle Volga region (European Russia) |
| Author: | Смирнов Дмитрий Григорьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2024 |
| Publishing house: | Altai State University |
| Title: | Female polyandry dilutes inbreeding in a solitary fast‑living hibernator |
| Author: | Титов Сергей Витальевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | Inbreeding depression is commonly considered an evolutionary influence on pre-copulatory mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance. Inbreeding may be minimized by: (1) delayed maturation and reproduction, (2) sex-biased dispersal, (3) behavioural avoidance of mating with relatives, and/or (4) mating by females with multiple males (polyandry). Time constraints on reproduction and limited opportunities for outbred matings may limit mate choice, forcing females to mate with relatives and favouring multiple paternity to reduce the costs of inbred matings. Using parentage, relatedness, and spatial genetic analyses, we studied genetic mating system, dispersal and inbreeding patterns in a wild partially isolated colony of the yellow ground squirrels (Spermophilus fulvus), fast-living hibernators. Females were phylopatric, while males dispersed within the colony. Nevertheless, male-biased dispersal could not completely separate closely related males and females, and the potential risk of inbreeding was high, in particular due to early maturation of males — some of them matured before dispersal. Females did not mate assortatively with respect to relatedness of males, mating both with close kin and non-kin, and 38% of sire-mother pairs were closely related (coefficient of relatedness > 0.125). Multiple paternity was common (56% of all litters), and multiply sired litters combined offspring from inbred and outbred matings. Parents of singly sired litters were mostly unrelated. The overall level of inbreeding was low. We conclude that, under strong time constraints on reproduction and mate choice, females do not mate selectively with unrelated males. However, multiple paternity dilutes inbred matings effectively enough to maintain the overall low level of inbreeding. |
| Publication date: | 2021 |
| Publishing house: | Springer |
| Title: | Findings to the flora of Russia and adjacent countries: New national and regional vascular plant records, 3 la |
| Author: | Novikova Liubov |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2021 |
| Publishing house: | Ботанический сад-институт ДО РАН |
| Title: | Fluctuating fine-scale spatial genetic structure in the common shrews (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) |
| Author: | Титов Сергей Витальевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic edition |
| Annotation: | The spatial genetic structure is a topical issue in the studies of various aspects of ecology and evolution. Using the multilocus autocorrelation method with hypervariable microsatellite genetic markers, we investigated a fine-scale pattern of genetic structure in 5 local populations of the common shrew Sorex araneus separated by distances of 300-1000 m (the Moscow chromosomal race). Spatial genetic autocorrelation analysis based on 5 microsatellite loci (expected heterozygosity >0.79) with 90 alleles revealed a consistent pattern of significant positive genetic structure. By testing the autocorrelation at multiple scales from 25 to 500 m, we found that positive spatial genetic structure is detectable in distance classes of <500 m. The weaker spatial genetic structure positively correlated with a higher ratio of nonresident individuals to residents' activity (number of captures). In contrast to nonresident animals, the residents demonstrated prominent genetic structure. Genetic difference (F-ST) between the populations was significant (0.016-0.051) and comparable with that between populations of different races analyzed previously (0.016-0.038). F-ST was not associated with geographic distance. These demographic patterns allowed us to propose a scheme of genetic-structure dynamics involving periodic appearance of more related local groups and renewal of allelic profiles from a common pool where the alleles are mixed. The scheme predicts fluctuating genetic structure and random similar differences among local populations. |
| Publication date: | 2022 |
| Publishing house: | Wiley |
| Title: | Forest history, peatland development and mid- to late Holocene environmental change in the southern taiga forest of central European Russia |
| Author: | Babeshko Kirill Мазей Юрий Александрович Цыганов Андрей Николаевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2018 |
| Publishing house: | Cambridge University Press |
| Title: | Forest-steppe oxbows in limnophase — Abiotic features and biodiversity |
| Author: | Стойко Тамара Григорьевна Сенкевич Виктория Александровна |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Publication date: | 2019 |
| Publishing house: | Elsevier |
| Title: | Freshwater testate amoebae in the Belaya River basin (Northwestern Caucasus) |
| Author: | Malysheva Elena Мазей Юрий Александрович Мазей Наталья Григорьевна |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | Fifty-two species and intraspecific taxa of testate amoebae have been detected in 24 different habitats in the Belaya River basin (Northwestern Caucasus). Four types of communities are distinguished which differ in the composition of the complex of dominating species: freshwater species from bottom sediments in water bodies and water courses, soil-dwelling species from inundated parts of floodplains, a mixture of soildwelling and freshwater species in different littoral biotopes, and eurybiontic species in moss hummocks along the banks. |
| Publication date: | 2017 |
| Publishing house: | Springer |
| Title: | From the Woods to the Great Steppe: The Phylogenetic Affinities and New Distribution Records of the Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca in Kazakhstan |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | The smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) has a wide but fragmented distribution across the Western Palearctic, with limited records in Kazakhstan. This study aims to provide an updated distribution map and to explore the phylogenetic affinities of C. austriaca in Kazakhstan. The species had not been documented for over 60 years until its recent rediscovery in the region. Field surveys conducted between 2019 and 2024 in the West Kazakhstan and Aktobe regions have yielded novel records, including the southernmost observation in the Mugodzhar mountain range. Mitochondrial DNA analysis confirmed that the Kazakh populations belong to the Eastern lineage, sharing haplotypes with specimens from the northwestern Caucasus and Crimea. Habitat assessment revealed that the species’ distribution is restricted to open habitats of petrophytic and calciphyte steppe communities on chalks and rocky steppes. Of particular interest is that 70% of the observed individuals exhibited patternless coloration, suggesting the potential for regional morphological variation. These findings offer the first evidence for the phylogenetic affiliation of the smooth snake in Kazakhstan and reflect its rarity in the country, highlighting the need for local conservation efforts, including habitat protection and population monitoring. |
| Publication date: | 2025 |
| Publishing house: | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
| Title: | Genetic Screening of Distribution Pattern of Roaches Rutilus rutilus and R. lacustris (Cyprinidae) in Broad Range of Secondary Contact (Volga Basin) |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович Ильин Владимир Юрьевич |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | We investigated the distribution of mitochondrial lineages of two species—the common roach Rutilus rutilus and Ponto-Caspian roach R. lacustris—in the broadest zone of their secondary contact, the Volga basin. For the purpose of species identification, we applied the approach of multiplex PCR based on species-specific divergences in sequences of the first subunit of cytochrome oxidase (COI) of mtDNA. A total of 1120 samples from 82 localities are analyzed. The distribution of certain mitochondrial lineages and their sympatric co-occurrence clarified for the Volga basin. Our study shows that R. rutilus is significantly predominant in the Upper Volga, while the Middle and Lower Volga is dominated by R. lacustris. The various hypotheses of formation of the broad spatial pattern of secondary contact are discussed. |
| Publication date: | 2021 |
| Publishing house: | Pleiades Publishing |
| Title: | Genetic structure, morphological variation, and gametogenic peculiarities in water frogs (Pelophylax) from northeastern European Russia |
| Author: | Ермаков Олег Александрович |
| Type: | Article |
| Kind: | Electronic copy |
| Annotation: | The edible frog, Pelophylax esculentus, is a hybrid form that reproduces via clonal propagation of only one of the parental genomes through generations of hybrids while the genome of other parental species is eliminated during gametogenesis. Such reproductive ability requires hybrids to coexist with one of the parental species or rarely both parental species causing the formation of so-called population systems. Population systems and reproductive biology of water frogs from the east of the range remained partially unexplored. In this study, we investigated the distributions, population systems, genetic structure, types of gametes, and morphological variability of water frogs of the genus Pelophylax from the northeastern parts of their ranges (Mari El Republic and adjacent territories, Russia). We examined 1,337 individuals from 68 localities using morphological traits combined with DNA flow cytometry and a multilocus approach (fragments of a nuclear and two mitochondrial genes). We revealed five types of population systems: “pure” populations of the parental P. ridibundus (R) and P. lessonae (L), mixed populations of parental species (R-L) along and with their hybrids (R-E-L), as well as mixed populations of P. lessonae and P. esculentus (L-E). However, the “pure” hybrid (E) and the mixed P. ridibundus and P. esculentus (R-E) population systems were not found. All hybrids studied by DNA flow cytometry were diploid. Analysis of gametogenesis showed that the majority of hybrid males, as well as hybrid females from the L-E system, produced gametes with the P. ridibundus genome. However, in the R-E-L system, hybrid females were usually sterile. The reproduction of hybrids in such systems is primarily based on crosses of P. esculentus males with P. lessonae females. Molecular analysis showed the presence of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA introgression of the Anatolian marsh frog (P. cf. bedriagae) into both P. ridibundus and P. esculentus. The observations of alleles and haplotypes of P. cf. bedriagae in P. ridibundus and P. esculentus individuals from the same localities suggest de novo formation of local hybrids. However, the presence of the Balkan marsh frog (P. kurtmuelleri) haplotypes in local hybrids supports the hypothesis regarding the migration of old hemiclonal lineages from glacial refugia. Finally, the diagnostic value of various morphological characteristics was discussed. |
| Publication date: | 2021 |
| Publishing house: | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing |