Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales

Beyond cichlid diversification: environmental drivers of biodiversity across the Nicaraguan lake system

Abstract The Nicaraguan lake system, comprising two Great Lakes and several isolated crater lakes, is a natural laboratory for investigating how environmental heterogeneity and isolation shape biodiversity and a classic model for Midas cichlid diversification. We asked whether la...

Genomic signatures of historical pastoralism in Iberian livestock dogs

Livestock working dogs provide a powerful system for understanding how human cultural practices shape domestic animal genomes. Across Iberia, centuries of pastoralism and transhumance brought together dogs selected for distinct tasks, including livestock guarding and herding, yet...

Expression diversity of cichlid MHC alleles

Abstract Background Diversification driven by natural selection is a major source of biodiversity. Parasites and pathogens impose important selective pressures on their hosts, contributing to high levels of polymorphism at immunologically relevant genes within and among populatio...

No evidence for a link between maternal aggression and inhibitory control across generations in domestic canaries

Maternal aggression (MA) towards offspring represents an early-life social stressor and has been linked to long-term behavioural differences. Yet, the cognitive mechanisms underlying its expression and potential intergenerational transmission remain unclear. We tested whether MA...

Management legacy effects drive soil food web resistance and resilience to climatic stress

Abstract Soil organisms’ response to climate change largely depends on soil management practices and resulting soil organic carbon levels. Conservation agriculture practices (e.g., no-tillage and crop diversification) have been shown to protect soil organisms, improve micro-food...

Phagocytosis of microbial symbionts supports embryonic nutrition in the sponge Halichondria panicea

Abstract Animals associate with microbial symbionts that play crucial roles in their nutrition and development, yet their function during gametogenesis and embryogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate host–symbiont dynamics throughout the reproductive cycle of th...

Simulated climate change disrupts soil food webs and agroecosystem services in two contrasting Mediterranean drylands

Climate change and intensive agriculture are major threats to soil biodiversity and key ecosystem functions, and Mediterranean systems are particularly vulnerable to these global change drivers. In such threatened environments, gaining insight into the interactions between aboveg...

Neanderthal’s heel: How the Neanderthal’s external calcaneal shape uniquely differs from that of modern humans

Neanderthals exhibit unique morphological adaptations in their calcaneus compared to Homo sapiens , shedding light on distinct evolutionary pressures and functional requirements shaping their respective foot anatomy. This study assesses which calcaneal traits represent plesiomorp...

Molecular investigation of tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes ricinus feeding on lizards in the Central Pyrenees, Spain

Abstract Ixodes ricinus is the most widespread tick species in Europe, parasitizing a broad range of vertebrate hosts, including reptiles. However, the role of lizards in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens remains poorly understood. This study investigated tick infestation level...

Improving methods for identifying pair bonds in animal social networks

In social animals, maintaining strong bonds with conspecifics can be important for reproduction and survival. However, it remains unclear how best to quantify these bonds. Existing social network techniques typically focus on building robust overall networks of co-occurrences but...