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The authors report an Initial Upper Palaeolithic archaeological assemblage from China dating to 45,000 years ago that includes blade technology, tanged and hafted projectile points, long-distance obsidian transfer and the use of a perforated graphite disc.
An analysis of three ancient Iberian lynx genomes shows that genetic admixture with the Eurasian lynx contributed to levels of modern Iberian lynx genetic diversity higher than those experienced millennia ago, despite recent population decline.
Comparing data on genetic monitoring efforts across Europe with the distributions of areas at species’ climatic niche margins, the authors show that monitoring efforts should be expanded to populations at trailing niche margins to include genetic variation that may prove important for adaptation to ongoing climate warming.
Exploring pollen records from 13 South Pacific islands, the authors find that floristic homogenization commenced following human arrival beginning around 3,000 years ago.
Analysis of a newly sequenced genome of the inshore hagfish, Eptatretus burgeri, together with genomes of lampreys and jawed vertebrates, provides insights into whole-genome duplication events and their implications for vertebrate genome evolution.
Using a large sample of herbarium records containing flowering-time data for 1,605 species of plants from the United States, the authors show that most changes in phenology in response to temperature change are attributable to phenotypic plasticity rather than local adaptation.
Analysing data on the relative abundance of basal area of ectomycorrhizal trees from lowland tropical forests, the authors show that their distribution and abundance are independent of soil quality.
A geometric morphometric analysis of the developing skulls of 44 squamate species shows that the diversity of skull shapes arises from changes in spatial arrangements followed by alterations in developmental timings, and that phenotypic integration with surrounding head tissues is greater in snakes than in lizards.
Comparative analysis of whole-genome sequencing of six zokor species that live at different altitudes show the contribution of deletions and inversions to adaptation to high altitude in these subterranean rodents.
Across terrestrial and aqueous ecosystems, vertebrates increase litter decomposition, both directly and indirectly, by 6.7% on average, and this effect interacts with but generally occurs at a later stage of decomposition than the effect of invertebrates.
Decline of the Tasmanian devil due to transmissible cancer has allowed mesopredator release of the spotted-tailed quoll. Population genomic analysis of the quoll shows the effect of devil decline on population structure, and selection on genes, including those for muscle development and locomotion.
The authors apply explicit phylogenetic methods to single-cell transcriptomic data of eye cells to reconstruct the evolutionary history of cell types in distantly related mammals.
The authors collate literature on the responses of bird assemblages to forest loss and show that locations with a more variable natural environment and a longer history of agricultural land use have bird assemblages that are more tolerant to forest loss.
Using pseudogenes as a neutral reference, the authors examine whether prokaryotic pangenomes have evolved primarily under selection or neutral drift. They show that even rare intact accessory genes are often under selection, providing support for an adaptive pangenome model.
A compilation of survey data from pre- and post-2000 for 42 raptor species across parts of West, Central, East and southern Africa shows 88% of species in population decline and reveals trends across regions, protected areas and species size.
The authors evolved antibiotic-resistant Helicobacter pylori in the absence of antibiotics and presence of DNA from antibiotic-sensitive strains. Horizontal gene transfer mediated the molecular reverse evolution of the antibiotic-resistance gene to the antibiotic-sensitive allele, and the authors used theoretical modelling to determine the evolutionary conditions that promote reverse evolution.
Combining long-term atmospheric CO2 records with satellite observations of vegetation activities across the Northern Hemisphere, the authors identify a weakening trend of the link between spring and summer productivity over the past 40 years.
Remote sensing of vegetation productivity in mangroves and nearby terrestrial evergreen forests shows that mangrove productivity has increased more but also shown more variability in the last two decades compared to nearby terrestrial forests, suggesting they are more vulnerable to coastal water deficits.
The authors compare how grasslands, shrublands and forests differ in their capacity to recover from fires, and how this recovery depends on deviations in water balance caused by drought; they show that the compound effects of fire and drought are less impactful in forests than in non-forests, owing to deeper rooting structures that can maintain access to water.
A combination of phylogenetic analysis and functional assays reveals surprising diversity of taste receptors in the ancestors of vertebrates and their complex evolutionary history.