Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M

Diversity assessment of Western Indian Ocean whiprays (Himantura spp.) through a molecular species delimitation approach

Abstract The Himantura species complex consists of large demersal whiprays vulnerable to coastal fisheries, yet unresolved taxonomy within the genus hinders conservation efforts, making molecular assessments crucial for effective fishery management. This study clarified genetic r...

The territorial power of appearing and disappearing groundwater conflicts

• Hydrogeological and power relations keep groundwater conflicts latent. • Conflicts turning manifest require powerful shifts within hydrosocial territories. • This paper reveals how humans and other-than-humans influence conflicts’ trajectories. • Groundwater and long-distance w...

Chtenopteryx canariensis Salcedo-Vargas & Guerrero-Kommritz 2000

are provided.

On the true identity of Scolopendra robusta Kraepelin, 1903 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), with corrections to records of centipedes from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Summary. The Chilopoda of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico have been poorly studied until now. In this work, the historical literature is reviewed, old Scolopendromorpha specimens are (re)examined, and updated locality records are provided. One of the species, Scolopendra robusta Kr...

On the true identity of Scolopendra robusta Kraepelin, 1903 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), with corrections to records of centipedes from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Summary. The Chilopoda of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico have been poorly studied until now. In this work, the historical literature is reviewed, old Scolopendromorpha specimens are (re)examined, and updated locality records are provided. One of the species, Scolopendra robusta Kr...

Winters and biogeography: Diploptera cockroaches and biotic sorting in greenhouse and icehouse climates

Abstract We examine the effects of mean annual temperature (MAT) and coldest month mean temperature (CMMT) on Eocene and modern distributions of the cockroach genus Diploptera de Saussure, 1864. Today, Diploptera range in parts of the Sino–Japanese, Oriental, and Oceanian Realms...

Lack of evidence for gene-level convergence linked to evolutionary shifts in torpor among placental mammals

Torpor is a key survival strategy that many avian and mammalian lineages evolved in response to challenging environmental conditions. Whether the independent evolution of torpor in different lineages involved changes in the same genes remains poorly understood. Here, we performed...

How many bromeliads are there? History and future perspectives of species scientific discovery in the pineapple family

Societal Impact Statement It remains unclear how many plant species are not yet recorded by science. We illustrated the process by which species of the pineapple family in tropical America have been newly described to science to date, and we estimated how many species may still a...

Palynology of Bathonian macroflora-bearing beds from NW-Jordan – expanding a rare ‘peephole’ into Middle Jurassic palaeotropical vegetation

Abstract A diverse and well-preserved sporomorph assemblage was recovered from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) marine Arda Formation in Jordan. The recorded palynomorphs originated from macroflora-rich layers that primarily represent a bennettitalean-fern community. This finding...

eDNA metabarcoding provides scalable and continuous biodiversity monitoring across the tree of life

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has the potential to substantially expand our knowledge of global biodiversity beyond that provided by conventional approaches. However, the degree to which eDNA data provides real ecological insight, rather than primarily reflectin...

Glimpse into the past: Analyses of the middle and inner ear of extinct rodents (Eusciurida; Rodentia; Mammalia) with implications for their locomotory behaviour

Abstract Rodentia is the most diverse and species-rich group of mammals, inhabiting almost all regions and ecosystems on earth. One of the most specialised subgroups is the Eusciurida, composed of Sciuridae, Gliridae, and Aplodontia rufa , and characterised by arboreal, fossorial...

Integrative taxonomy reveals multiple Mediterranean invasions by Indo-Pacific Dorvillea (Annelida, Dorvilleidae)

Abstract Biological invasions are a major driver of global biodiversity loss, with the Mediterranean Sea among the most heavily invaded marine regions. However, identification and monitoring of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are hindered by taxonomic uncertainty and cryptic diversi...

A high-resolution perspective on climate drivers of lake stratification and phototrophic community dynamics in Late Glacial Central Europe

Abstract. Predicting the trajectory of aquatic deoxygenation under global warming requires a mechanistic understanding of lacustrine responses to rapid climate shifts. We investigated how climate-driven changes in catchment vegetation and local iron-rich lithology regulated lake...