Reviews & Analysis

A dataset that links geographical occurrences, phylogenies, fossils and climate reconstructions for more than 10,000 vertebrate species reveals accelerated rates of climate niche evolution in warm-blooded animals.

For natural ecosystems, the speed of climate change is what matters most. If stratospheric climate geoengineering is deployed but not sustained, its impacts on species and communities could be far worse than the damage averted.

The earliest animal diversification has been associated with increased oxygenation. Here an alternative model is proposed: hypoxia-inducible transcription factors gave animals unprecedented control of cell stemness that allowed them to cope with fluctuating oxygen concentrations.

Until recently, human dispersals out of Africa and into the Levant early in Marine Isotope Stage 5 (around 126–74 ka) were characterized as a precursor to a later, more successful out of Africa event. Recently discovered archaeological evidence from Asia challenges this story and helps challenge what we see as dispersal success.

The poor reputation of predator and scavenger species belies their benefits to people, which include disease regulation, contributions to agriculture and waste disposal. These services should be emphasized in conservation considerations.

Large-scale analysis of faunal similarity reveals the interconnectedness of Miocene savannah ecosystems, but also the need for more fossils to fill the gaps in the African palaeontological record.

The genome of the extinct thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, has been sequenced from a 109-year-old museum specimen. The sequence resolves the phylogenetic placement of the species and reveals details of convergent evolution between the thylacine and eutherian canines.

Invasive species can affect pollination in various ways, including altered ecological networks, new disease threats and reduced nutrition. This Review assesses these threats and builds on the IPBES report on pollinators.

The US beef industry is a major contributor of greenhouse gases and is commonly regarded as unsustainable at current levels. A new study models a system in which sustainability could be increased by subsistence on grass and agricultural by-products, prompting the question, ‘what are the limits of sustainable livestock production in the US’?

Studying eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature is challenging. In this Perspective, the authors discuss how genomic data can be used to understand the mechanisms behind eco-evolutionary dynamics and lead to evolutionary and ecological predictions in nature.

The application of a species-extinction model allows improved determination of the timing of phenological events, and increases the breadth of data types that can be mined and compared in phenology research.

Intragenomic conflict arises when a gene functions for its own good to the detriment of the rest of the genome. Here, the authors propose a general theory of intragenomic conflict and discuss its implications to organismal maladaptation and human disease.

Emerging research suggests ancient Amazonians employed a range of cultivation practices to develop diversified diets, rich in both wild and domesticated plant and animal resources. Southwestern Amazonia is now understood as a major centre of plant domestication.

Incorporating marine biomes into the planetary boundaries framework promotes integrated understanding of biophysical limits and earth system governance.

Phylogenetic data infer temporal clustering of immigration and re-diversification of Australian lizards and snakes, suggesting that climatic and geological changes may have precipitated re-assemblies of this vertebrate group.

Biocultural approaches combining local values, knowledge, and needs with global ecological factors provide a fruitful indicator framework for assessing local and global well-being and sustainability, and help bridge the divide between them.

Lake ecosystems have provided much of the empirical evidence for ecological resilience theory. Here, a more rigorous logical approach is called for when translating this research into management decisions.

Host–microbiome interactions may have unique characteristics that are not completely captured by existing ecological and evolutionary theories. Here, the authors highlight potential pitfalls in applying these frameworks to the human microbiome.

A survey of plant and animal sightings, feeding interactions and carbon cycling across 4.8 million hectares provides evidence for the role of multitrophic biodiversity and interactions in large-scale biogeochemical dynamics in the Amazon.

The quantitative genetics of reproduction and lifespan in a Utah population from the 1800s reveal no support for any of the three most prominent hypotheses invoked for why women live so long past menopause.