Non-breeding movements of the Black-tailed Gull(Larus crassirostris)

With the continued development of tracking technology and increasing interest in animal movement,our understanding of migration behavior has become more comprehensive.However,there are still many species that have not been well studied,particularly sea birds.Here,we present the first year-round Global Positioning System(GPS)tracking data of the Black-tailed Gull(Larus crassirostris)at the population level.We used solar-powered GPS-Global System for Mobile communication(GSM)loggers to successfully track 30 individuals breeding at Xingrentuo Islet,Liaoning Province,China,for 1-3 years.Except for one individual who roamed in the far north of the Yellow Sea during non-breeding period,all others did a directed southward migration.Migration routes and wintering sites differed among migrating gulls and between years for the birds tracked for two or more years.Additionally,during wintering,the migrating gulls were more likely to travel over a large body of water and shift sites,and some trajectories were quite complex,which was probably closely related to what we observed in the field about their boat-chasing behavior.Compared to wintering movements,the post-breeding movements ranged over a smaller area.Specifically,almost all of them had a long post-breeding period near the breeding islet(≥120days,<220 km from the breeding islet),and 80%of the gulls who were tracked more than one year had at least one faithful post-breeding site.Compared to the post-breeding period,only approximately half of the migrating gulls had a pre-breeding period that was shorter(3-20 days)and closer to the breeding islet(≤80 km).Migration distance varied among migrating gulls(range 209-2405 km)and the gulls moved least distance during postbreeding period.Furthermore,we found that the southward movement of the migrating gulls occurred when the temperature near the breeding islet dropped;specifically,the gulls directly migrated southward away from the post-breeding site.Our results suggest that the Black-tailed Gull has a long post-breeding period but a short prebreeding period near the breeding islet and high diversity of their migrating patterns(in especial migration routes and wintering sites).

When nets meet environmental DNA metabarcoding:integrative approach to unveil invertebrate community patterns of hypersaline lakes

Saline and hypersaline wetlands account for almost half of the volume of inland water globally.They provide pivotal habitat for a vast range of species,including crucial ecosystem services for humans such as carbon sink storage and extractive resource reservoirs.Despite their importance,effective ecological assessment is in its infancy compared to current conventional surveys carried out in freshwater ecosystems.The integration of environmental DNA(eDNA)analysis and traditional techniques has the potential to transform biomonitoring processes,particularly in remote and understudied saline environments.In this context,this preliminary study aims to explore the potential of eDNA coupled with conventional approaches by targeting five hypersaline lakes at Rottnest Island(Wadjemup)in Western Australia.We focused on the invertebrate community,a widely accepted key ecological indicator to assess the conservational status in rivers and lakes.The combination of metabarcoding with morphology-based taxonomic analysis described 16 taxa belonging to the orders Anostraca,Diptera,Isopoda,and Coleoptera.DNA-based diversity assessment revealed more taxa at higher taxonomic resolution than the morphology-based taxonomic analysis.However,certain taxa(i.e.,Ephydridae,Stratyiomidae,Ceratopogonidae)were only identified via net surveying.Overall,our results indicate that great potential resides in combining conventional net-based surveys with novel eDNA approaches in saline and hypersaline lakes.Indeed,urgent and effective conservational frameworks are required to contrast the enormous pressure that these ecosystems are increasingly facing.Further investigations at larger spatial temporal scales will allow consolidation of robust,reliable,and affordable biomonitoring frameworks in the underexplored world of saline wetlands.

渤海湾西岸CH500孔磁性地层年代研究

对渤海湾西岸孔深503.22m的CH500孔进行了详细的磁性地层学研究,基于377个交变退磁样品分离出的特征剩磁,建立了钻孔的磁性地层,并与标准极性年表相对比,确定了极性时和极性亚时,在此基础上探讨了该孔年代地层划分及其区域构造意义。结果表明:本钻孔B/M界限深度119.5m,M/G界限深度为359.1m,钻孔底部位于C2An.2r内,其年龄应小于3.33 Ma。通过与渤海湾西北岸的其他钻孔对比,发现各钻孔的B/M界限深度和M/G界限深度存在较大的不同,反映了不同的级次构造单元地层厚度的差异。这一研究为该钻孔提供了可靠的年代标尺,为渤海湾西岸第四系地层划分和对比提供了新的依据。

DNA metabarcoding reveals seasonal changes in diet composition across four arthropod-eating lizard species(Phrynosomatidae:Sceloporus)

Diet composition and its ecological drivers are rarely investigated in coexisting closely related species.We used a molecular approach to characterize the seasonal variation in diet composition in four spiny lizard species inhabiting a mountainous ecosystem.DNA metabarcoding revealed that the lizards Sceloporus aeneus,S.bicanthalis,S.grammicus,and S.spinosus mostly consumed arthropods of the orders Hemiptera,Araneae,Hymenoptera,and Coleoptera.The terrestrial lizards S.aeneus and S.bicanthalis mostly predated ants and spiders,whereas the arboreal–saxicolous S.grammicus and saxicolous S.spinosus largely consumed grasshoppers and leafhoppers.The taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the prey was higher during the dry season than the rainy season,likely because reduced prey availability in the dry season forced lizards to diversify their diets to meet their nutritional demands.Dietary and phylogenetic composition varied seasonally depending on the species,but only dietary composition varied with altitude.Seasonal dietary turnover was greater in S.spinosus than in S.bicanthalis,suggesting site-specific seasonal variability in prey availability;no other differences among species were observed.S.bicanthalis,which lives at the highest altitude in our study site,displayed interseasonal variation in diet breadth.Dietary differences were correlated with the species’feeding strategies and elevational distribution,which likely contributed to the coexistence of these lizard species in the studied geographic area and beyond.

堆积物古DNA揭示西藏廓雄遗址的食物构成

动物考古和植物考古是重建古代食谱的重要手段.对出土动植物遗存的种属鉴定是动植物考古研究的基础,但其鉴定效率严重依赖于动植物遗存的保存状态.沉积物古DNA(sedimentary ancient DNA)是一种新兴的技术手段,可以从数十万年以来的沉积物中提取出古代动植物和微生物的遗传信息,进而恢复当时生态环境中的物种组成.但目前将沉积物古DNA技术应用于旷野遗址的研究还鲜有报道.本文尝试将沉积物古DNA技术应用于西藏廓雄遗址(3160~2954cal a BP)的调查剖面,并与出土的动植物遗存进行对比.结果发现,在大麦(Hordeum vulgare)和绵羊(Ovis aries)等农作物与家养动物的鉴定上,两种方法可以互相印证,但遗址堆积物古DNA中还检测到大植物遗存中没有发现的粟(Setaria italica),以及多种与农作物伴生的微生物.本研究通过动植物常规鉴定方法与沉积物古DNA分析,揭示了廓雄遗址先民的部分食物组成,其中包括:粟类、麦类等谷物,绵羊、黄牛等家养动物,以及渔猎的野生动物等.本项研究表明,沉积物古DNA技术具有通过旷野遗址文化堆积物复原其中动植物种属信息的潜力,为其进一步应用于植物考古和动物考古研究奠定了基础.

Food resources of the Khog Gzung site on the Tibetan Plateau revealed by sedimentary ancient DNA

Traditional zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical methods based on morphological identification of the excavated faunal and floral remains have been broadly used in reconstructing ancient subsistence economies. However, the accuracy and reliability of these methods rely heavily on the preservation state of the remains. By sequencing the ancient DNA of plants,animals, and microorganisms preserved in sediment, sedimentary ancient DNA(sedaDNA) now offers a novel approach for reconstructing the taxa composition dated back to hundreds of thousands of years. Yet, its application in open-air archaeological sites is rarely reported. In this study, we attempted to apply sedaDNA shotgun metagenomics on the archaeological deposits of the Khog Gzung site(an open-air site dated to 3160–2954 cal yr BP) on the Tibetan Plateau, and then compared the reconstructed taxonomic composition to the unearthed remains. Results showed that most of the crops and domestic animals identified by the two approaches, such as barley(Hordeum vulgare) and sheep(Ovis aries), are in general consistent. Some species, such as foxtail millet(Setaria italica), however, were only detected by sedaDNA. In addition, a variety of microorganisms were also detected by the sedaDNA. The two approaches combined revealed diversified food resources at the Khog Gzung site, which included crops such as millet, barley and wheat, domestic animals such as sheep and cattle, and likely also wild animals from fishing and hunting. Our data proves that sedaDNA has a great potential in reconstructing the faunal and floral compositions from archaeological deposits, therefore laying the foundation for its border applications.

古环境DNA与环境考古

古环境DNA(ancient environmental DNA,简称ancient eDNA)指保存于古环境样品中的生物古DNA(ancient DNA,简称aDNA).与直接从古代生物遗存内获取的单一物种古DNA不同,古环境DNA为多种生物的混合DNA,常常以小片段DNA分子形式吸附在腐殖质和矿物颗粒上,主要从粪化石、牙结石、肠道残留物、冰川、冻土、泥炭、湖泊、海洋、洞穴和遗址沉积物等环境样品中获得.古环境DNA研究自1998年开始兴起,经历了早期的DNA条形码(DNA barcoding)古代物种鉴定,到DNA宏条形码(DNA metabarcoding)古代生物类群恢复,再到近期的鸟枪法宏基因组(shotgun metagenomic)古生态系统重建等发展历程,目前已形成了完善的研究体系,可以完成对古环境样品中大部分动物、植物和微生物物种的检测.相比于传统的动植物化石形态鉴定手段,古环境DNA研究具有样品用量少、方法简单快捷、不依赖于化石、一次实验可以确定大量物种信息等优势.目前,国际上的古环境DNA研究在古生态环境重建、古代农业发展、古代人类食性、人类扩散历史和人类活动对环境影响等环境考古领域的应用都取得了良好的进展并发表了大量成果,但国内相关研究还少有报道.本文综述了古环境DNA技术的发展、研究方法、应用方向及存在的问题等内容,认为随着古环境DNA研究技术的日趋完善,其在环境考古学中的应用前景也将更加广阔.

古环境DNA揭示过去5万年北极生态动态演化过程

Much focus is currently placed on human-caused climate change and how it may influence living organisms, i.e., biodiversity in general and the humanity associated with it, particularly in the circumpolar where the ecosystem is more vulnerable, and the climate change is amplified due to the inherent instability of high latitude climates [1].

The Global Soil Mycobiome consortium dataset for boosting fungal diversity research

Fungi are highly important biotic components of terrestrial ecosystems,but we still have a very limited understanding about their diversity and distribution.This data article releases a global soil fungal dataset of the Global Soil Mycobiome consortium(GSMc)to boost further research in fungal diversity,biogeography and macroecology.The dataset comprises 722,682 fungal operational taxonomic units(OTUs)derived from PacBio sequencing of full-length ITS and 18S-V9 variable regions from 3200 plots in 108 countries on all continents.The plots are supplied with geographical and edaphic metadata.The OTUs are taxonomically and functionally assigned to guilds and other functional groups.The entire dataset has been corrected by excluding chimeras,index-switch artefacts and potential contamination.The dataset is more inclusive in terms of geographical breadth and phylogenetic diversity of fungi than previously published data.The GSMc dataset is available over the PlutoF repository.

FungalTraits:a user-friendly traits database of fungi and fungus-like stramenopiles

The cryptic lifestyle of most fungi necessitates molecular identification of the guild in environmental studies.Over the past decades,rapid development and affordability of molecular tools have tremendously improved insights of the fungal diversity in all ecosystems and habitats.Yet,in spite of the progress of molecular methods,knowledge about functional properties of the fungal taxa is vague and interpretation of environmental studies in an ecologically meaningful manner remains challenging.In order to facilitate functional assignments and ecological interpretation of environmental studies we introduce a user friendly traits and character database FungalTraits operating at genus and species hypothesis levels.Combining the information from previous efforts such as FUNGuild and FunFun together with involvement of expert knowledge,we reannotated 10,210 and 151 fungal and Stramenopila genera,respectively.This resulted in a stand-alone spreadsheet dataset covering 17 lifestyle related traits of fungal and Stramenopila genera,designed for rapid functional assignments of environmental stud-ies.In order to assign the trait states to fungal species hypotheses,the scientific community of experts manually categorised and assigned available trait information to 697,413 fungal ITS sequences.On the basis of those sequences we were able to summarise trait and host information into 92,623 fungal species hypotheses at 1%dissimilarity threshold.

Correction to:FungalTraits:a user friendly traits database of fungi and fungus-like stramenopiles

Correction to:Fungal Diversity(2020)105:116 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-020-00466-2 There were errors in the name of author LászlóG.Nagy and in affiliation no.31 in the original publication.The original article has been corrected.