Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Seabirds and native vegetation drive ecosystem processes that support atoll island resilience

Ecosystem restoration is expected to enhance ecosystem resilience to climate change, but few empirical and mechanistic demonstrations of such assertions exist. Here, we explore this topic for tropical atoll systems, combining science on nutrient subsidies and geo-ecological funct...

Two new Orieosia Bucsek species discovered in Papua, Indonesia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini)

Two new species in the genus Orieosia Bucsek, 2012 have been discovered, O. waisimoni sp. n. and O. unipunctata sp. n. The species are described and the adults and genitalia are depicted. A tribute to wildlife conservationist Alex Waisimon is given.

Rationally designed FimH variants with enhanced functional immunogenicity as vaccine candidates for ExPEC urinary tract infections

Abstract Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a major cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and invasive disease. Rising antimicrobial resistance highlights the need for preventive strategies such as vaccination. The conserved D-mannose-specific adhesin FimH...

On the importance of body-size proxies when scaling sexual dimorphism: A case study in Mustelidae

Sexual dimorphism in a focal trait can arise from sex-specific selection acting directly on this trait. Alternatively, it may result from sex-specific selection acting on body size, to which the focal trait is genetically correlated. Quantifying the allometric relationship betwee...

Including linear landscape elements improves fine-scale species distribution models of bees and hoverflies

Abstract Context Species distribution models combine environmental and occurrence data to map and predict habitat suitability for a species. Predicting species distributions in agricultural regions can be challenging due to historical under-sampling in those areas and the presenc...

An Alternative Approach to Compute the Likelihood for the DAISIE (Dynamic Assembly of Island Biota Through Speciation, Immigration, and Extinction) Model

Abstract Understanding island biodiversity requires studying the processes driving its assembly and examining how these processes vary over time, across lineages, and across different islands. The DAISIE (Dynamic Assembly of Island biota through Speciation, Immigration, and Extin...

AI, citizen science data and expert opinions: towards an improved fossil identification process

Accurate identification of fossils is instrumental to palaeontological research but requires expert knowledge, is time consuming and subject to human biases. Through citizen science platforms and apps, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted identifications can mitigate those chall...