Integrative Zoology

The present study compared metabolic responses to thermal stress in a globally invasive turtle Trachemys scripta elegans and two native turtles Pelodiscus sinensis and Mauremys reevesii. Results showed different metabolic responses between the invader and native turtles, especially in energy sensors and anaerobic metabolism, under extremely hot conditions. Our study suggested the potential role of physiological differences in mediating the interaction between climate change and biological invasion.

Microorganism-released metabolites, proteins, or toxins modulate plant-based targets to regulate physiological processes such as phytohormone and nutrition balance and stress resistance. Microbes that affect plant physiological processes regulate the visual, olfactory, and gustatory cues associated with plants to attract or repel insect herbivores and/or their natural enemies. A fundamental understanding of such three-way (bottom-up) interaction mechanisms could yield new approaches and products for improving agricultural productivity and ecosystem restoration.

Antibiotic residues from veterinary medicines have increased the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), leading to the enrichment of ARGs in wildlife. We found livestock grazing significantly altered the gut microbiota and resistome profile of plateau pika, with the enrichment of colistin (MCR) and streptogramin (vat) resistance genes. Our results hint that plateau pika is a potential reservoir of new antibiotic resistance genes.

We have constructed the chromosome-scale genome and investigated the evolutionary genomics of Schizopygopsis younghusbandi, a fish species native to the Yarlung Tsangpo River on the Tibetan Plateau. Our study indicated that this species diverged from other Schizothoracine fish approximately 4.2 million years ago, during the Neogene Tibetan uplift. Population studies suggested the species originated upstream and gradually adapted downstream.

Microorganism-released metabolites, proteins, or toxins modulate plant-based targets to regulate physiological processes such as phytohormone and nutrition balance and stress resistance. Microbes that affect plant physiological processes regulate the visual, olfactory, and gustatory cues associated with plants to attract or repel insect herbivores and/or their natural enemies. A fundamental understanding of such three-way (bottom-up) interaction mechanisms could yield new approaches and products for improving agricultural productivity and ecosystem restoration.

eDNA metabarcoding, using various primer sets, effectively amplified 83 amphibian species from China, showcasing its potential for biodiversity assessments. However, optimizing amphibian-specific primers is crucial due to occasional non-amphibian amplification. Using multiple primer sets is essential for comprehensive surveys, and it also reveals seasonal variations in amphibian species composition, aligning with traditional methods.

This study investigates the impact of landscape features and human influence on terrestrial mammal diversity in the Mediterranean basin using 300 camera traps across 28 sites. Contrary to expectations, landscape heterogeneity and anthropization did not correlate with mammal diversity. Instead, elevation differences, domestic carnivore abundance, rainfall, and mean elevation emerged as key factors, emphasizing climate change as a major threat to mammal populations in the region.