On December 10, 2024, Saniya Gabdurakhmanovna Shayakhmetova, an employee of the IEE RAS vivarium, passed away after a serious illness. Saniya had worked in the vivarium since 2004. Always decent, energetic, responsible, kind and sympathetic, able to get along with both people and animals, always ready to help. May her bright memory forever remain in our hearts.

Figure 1. Objects decorated in the Scythian animal style from the burial mound Novozavedennoe-III: A) a bronze horse forehead protector with an image of a horse protome from burial No. 1 of burial mound No. 7; B) a horn pin with an image of a predator's head from burial No. 1 of burial mound No. 4; C) a gold plaque with an image of a syncretic "elk-goat" from burial No. 1 of burial mound No. 4. Natalia Prilepskaya and Andrey Bush, employees of the Laboratory of Ecology, Physiology, and Functional Morphology of Higher Vertebrates and the Laboratory of Behavior of Lower Vertebrates at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), together with colleagues from Moscow State University, the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, used the method of analyzing growth layers in the dental cement of mammals to establish the seasonality of burials and memorial events in the Novozavedyonnoye-III burial mound (Stavropol Krai, 430–300 BC). The study was carried out within the framework of the topic of the RSF grant No. 22-18-00108. The Scythian archaeological culture was widespread in the Northern Black Sea region and the Ciscaucasia and was a component of the Scythian-Siberian community of horse nomadic cattle breeders. One of the main sources of information about the Scythians, who did not have a written language, are the works of their material culture: dishes, jewelry, weapons, clothing, etc. In the work carried out, the researchers addressed the issue of the seasonality of the life of the Scythians in the Central Ciscaucasia. The Scythians were a nomadic people, so the question of the seasonality of their territorial distribution has long been of interest to archaeologists. Since Scythian settlements in this region are unknown, the authors of the article decided to find out in what season of the year the Scythians buried their fellow tribesmen in burial mounds and held memorial events in order to find out whether the Scythians were in this region during a given period of the year. Figure 2. Mound No. 1 Novozavedenny-III: A) bones of a horse and cattle in the north-eastern corner of the burial pit (burial No. 9) and B) remains of a horse in a ditch near the mound (skeleton without front legs). The Novozavedennoye-III burial mound is located southwest of the village of Novozavedennoye (Georgievsk district of Stavropol Krai). The burial system under study originally consisted of more than a dozen mounds, but some of them were destroyed during agricultural work. Of the 11 mounds studied, 10 date back to the Scythian era, all with strong wooden and reed structures over the graves. Representatives of the Scythian military nobility buried in the mounds were accompanied by weapons, vessels, jewelry, ritual animals, including horses. All the graves were robbed in ancient times. The caste isolation of the Scythian elite is confirmed by objects from the Novozavedennoye-III burial mound, made in the Scythian animal style. The style of these images has characteristic features that distinguish it from the style of other nomadic cultures (Fig. 1). The chronological framework for the creation of the burial mound Novozavedennoe-III – 430–300 BC – was determined by antique imports, arrowheads, swords, bridle accessories, Scythian animal style, ceramic vessels, jewelry and other items. Figure 3. Horse tooth (sample #17) from burial mound #9 Novozavedenny-III, M1. A) Polished section of the tooth. The area of ​​the tooth under study is marked with a red rectangle. B) Micrograph of growth layers in dental cementum on the lateral surface of the tooth. Enamel-cementum junction is the boundary between enamel and cementum. LAGs are growth arrest lines, marked with arrows. Growth zones are located between LAGs. The micrograph demonstrates the season of death. On the outer edge of the cementum, a new growth zone is forming (although not its very beginning), which has not yet fully formed. Thus, the season of death falls on a later period of the warm season, namely, from May to October. In total, the remains of approximately forty horses were found in the Novozavedenny-III burial mound: 12-14 individuals were located in burial chambers, 10 in embankments, and 16-17 in ditches. The remains of horses in the form of whole carcasses and, possibly, sacrificial "skins" (with severed skulls and distal parts of limbs) were placed in burial pits together with people (Fig. 2). Fragments of horse skeletons in embankments and ditches are interpreted by archaeologists as traces of various memorial events - sacrifices, feasts, etc. To determine the season of death of the horses, the researchers used the method of analyzing the recording structures in the teeth of mammals. The season of death was determined for 20 teeth belonging to 11 horses from different places of the burial mound. The teeth were selected from more than half of the Novozavedenny-III burial mounds. The results of the analysis of growth layers in dental cement showed that the studied horses, regardless of their location in Novozavedenny-III, died between May and October (Fig. 3). This shows that the Scythians buried their dead and held memorial events during some part of the warm season. The reasons for holding burials and memorial events in the Ciscaucasia during the warm season could have been both the cold winter, which made excavation work difficult, and certain religious beliefs of the Scythians. The results obtained indicate that the Scythians were present in the foothills of the Central Ciscaucasia during the warm season. Further studies of other burial grounds in the Ciscaucasia will clarify the findings and better understand the features of the life of the Scythians in this area. The work was published in the Journal of Field Archaeology: Natalya E. Prilepskaya, Olga P. Bachura, Andrei G. Bush, Anatoliy R. Kantorovich, Vladimir E. Maslov, Natalya N. Spasskaya. 2024. Horse Teeth Shed Light on Seasonality in Scythian Mound Burials in Southern Russia, Journal of Field Archaeology.

Attention young employees of the institute! The Directorate announces the competition "Future Director" to form a team of potential managers within the institute who could gain experience in administrative work by implementing a project that is important for the life of the institute. In an environment where the situation influencing the institute from the outside is unpredictable, we, as a friendly team, need to be prepared for possible changes. Therefore, the Directorate sees such a competition not only as an incentive for the development of interested young scientists, but also as an opportunity for people who connect their future with the institute to feel a certain responsibility for the fate of the institute. See the competition regulations at the link. Any questions about participation in the competition can and should be asked to the Directorate. Applications are due before January 15.

Fig.1: Ontogenetic and phenotypic consequences of thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism induced at different stages of early ontogenesis of Danio rerio. The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPTA) in the individual development and life of vertebrates is difficult to overestimate. The end product of this neurohumoral cascade are thyroid hormones (TH), which, by binding to specific transcription factors (TH receptors), affect the expression of target genes, i.e. are signals by which the nervous system regulates the activity of the nuclear and non-nuclear genome of various cells. The pleiotropic action of TH makes it possible to maintain homeostasis of the body, as well as adaptively adjust its metabolism and ontogenesis in accordance with changes in external and internal environmental factors. Any, even minor deviations from the normal activity of this endocrine axis can lead to serious phenotypic consequences, which in most cases are negative (pathological) and reduce the adaptability of the organism, but sometimes become evolutionarily significant and ensure its rapid adaptation to new living conditions. These qualities make the HPTA one of the most interesting endocrine cascades from the point of view of both medicine and modern evolutionary developmental biology (EvoDevo). However, most experimental studies of the role of HPTA in development, vital activity and evolution are carried out on organisms for which altered thyroid status: hyper- or hypothyroidism is a constant characteristic. In such experiments, ontogenetic and phenotypic consequences are cumulative, which greatly limits knowledge of the processes regulated by TG. In this regard, we conducted a series of experimental studies on the ontogenetic and phenotypic consequences of short-term thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism at different stages of early ontogenesis of the model carp species Danio rerio. The main attention during the experiments was paid to the development and morphology of the fish skeletal system (Fig. 1). Fig. 2. Phenotypic consequences of thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism induced during the critical ontogenetic window stage of Danio rerio. The main result of the work was the discovery of a critical ontogenetic window - the stage of fish development that is most sensitive to changes in the thyroid status. It was shown that fluctuations in the TH level during this relatively short period lead to coordinated ontogenetic changes and phenotypic consequences comparable to those in fish with constant hyper- and hypothyroidism (Fig. 2). It is noteworthy that the discovered ontogenetic window coincides with the developmental stage at which heterochronies arise, leading to the formation of ecological and morphological diversity during the adaptive radiation of carp fish. The results are published in: Borisov, V., & Shkil, F. (2024). Effects and phenotypic consequences of transient thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism at different stages of zebrafish Danio rerio (Teleostei; Cyprinidae) skeleton development. The Anatomical Record, 1–25.

Additional or B-chromosomes are "mysterious" hereditary elements found in the genomes of many species of fungi, plants and animals. Previously thought to be genomic "junk", their genetic makeup is now known to include ribosomal genes, telomeric and centromeric repeats and even autosomal genes responsible for a range of functions from cell division to the role in evolution and speciation. The complex of narrow-skulled voles of the subgenus Stenocranius is represented by several taxa of different evolutionary ages: the relict Lasiopodomys raddei and L. gregalis, which includes three genetic lines A, B and C, probably of independent taxonomic rank. In the Altai-Sayan region and in Transbaikalia, their ranges coexist without signs of sympatry. Large-scale cytogenetic analysis of karyotypes of representatives of the subgenus revealed significant B-chromosomal polymorphism (1-5 additional chromosomes), mainly in samples from secondary contact zones of the ranges of these taxa in the Altai-Sayan region (Tuva). For the first time, it was established that the frequency of B chromosomes is significantly higher in karyotypes of evolutionarily younger lines B and C of L. gregalis, and the karyotypes of all studied L. raddei were “clean of debris” (did not contain additional chromosomes). Molecular cytogenetic analysis using fluorescently labeled probes (FISH) showed that all B chromosomes contain telomeric repeats, and only some contain ribosomal genes. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed similarities in the structure of B chromosomes and sex chromosomes in meiotic cells and their co-location in one chromatin domain, which may indirectly indicate homology between them. Possibly, such localization of B chromosomes allows them to overcome meiotic checkpoints and, thus, to persist in the genome. Further research is aimed at finding answers to the questions "Why are they needed?" and "How did they arise?". The work was carried out by a team of authors from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) (PhD S.V. Pavlova and Yu.M. Kovalskaya, postgraduate I.A. Dvoyashov), the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the N.I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Tuva Institute for Integrated Development of Natural Resources of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences as part of the RSF project (grant No. 22-24-00513). The details of the study were published in the journal JEZ Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution (Q1) and presented at a conference on B chromosomes.

Fig.1: Antarctozetes behanpelletierae Ermilov sp. nov. (Punctoribatidae, Oribatida) – a new species of oribatid mites from the highlands of Ethiopia. SEM micrographs: 1 – dorsal view, 2 – lateral view, 3 – ventral view. Source: Ermilov and Rybalov / International Journal of Acarology, 2024. DOI: 10.1080/01647954.2024.2360974 Oribatid mites are small soil arthropods, representatives of the Acariformes family. Despite their microscopic size (rarely more than 1 mm in length), oribatids are one of the numerous and most important groups of soil microfauna. They are found all over the world, living in the upper soil horizons, plant litter, leaf litter, mosses and lichens. Currently, there are more than 10 thousand species of oribatid mites from almost 200 families, but it is clear that there are still a large number of species unknown to science, which scientists have yet to discover and describe. In 2024, a series of papers was published that expanded our knowledge of the diversity of the fauna of oribatid mites in Ethiopia. Based on the results of studying forest litter and plant litter samples, 16 new species of oribatid mites (Oribatida) from 7 families were described. The material was collected in different years during the Joint Russian-Ethiopian Biological Expedition. The faunistic data of oribatid mites for different regions of Ethiopia (Bale, Arsi, Gambela, Amhara) are presented, and lists of species for these territories are given. The works provide detailed descriptions and drawings of new species. The identification keys for some genera have been updated. For many species, both newly described and previously known, previously unknown juvenile stages - larvae and nymphs of different ages - are described. Publications: Ermilov S.G., Kolesnikov V.B., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New Damaeidae (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia // Systematic and Applied Acarology. V. 29. Is. 8. P. 1174-1189. DOI: 10.11158/saa.29.8.9 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. Faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Central Ethiopia // Acarina. V.32. Is. 1. P. 3-11. DOI: 10.21684/0132-8077-2024-32-1-3-11 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Ethiopia: results of the joint Russian-Ethiopian biological expedition in Arsi Mountains National Park // International Journal of Acarology. V. 50. Is. 5. P. 463-471. DOI: 10.1080/01647954.2024.2360974 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Gambela region, Western Ethiopia // Persian Journal of Acarology. V. 13. Is. 3. P. 395-407. DOI: 10.22073/pja.v13i3.85548 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia: results of the Joint Russian-Ethiopian Biological Expedition in Bale Mountains National Park (2023) // Acarologia. V. 64. Is. 3. P. 891-906. DOI: 10.24349/9pxq-zt3r Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. New afroalpine Oppiidae (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia // Systematic and Applied Acarology. V. 29. Is. 8. P. 1106-1115. DOI: 10.11158/saa.29.8.5 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. New species and record of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from highlands bamboo location in Ethiopia // Systematic and Applied Acarology. Vol. 29. Is. 9 (2024). P. 1297–1309. DOI: 10.11158/saa.29.9.7 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. First record of Malgachebates (Acari, Oribatida, Plasmobatidae) from Ethiopia, with description of a new species based on adult and nymphs // International Journal of Acarology. V. 50. Is. 6. P. 522-529. DOI: 10.1080/01647954.2024.2380292 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. New Scheloribates (Acari, Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) from Ethiopia // Zootaxa. V. 5492. Is. 2. P. 176-190. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5492.2.2 Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Sharapov D.V. 2024. Ontogenetic instars of Ethiovertex africanus (Evans, 1953) (Acari, Oribatida, Scutoverticidae) // Acarologia. V. 64. Is. 2. P. 525-541. DOI: 10.24349/85g3-w1c8

Mole voles live in large groups underground and rarely come to the surface. Scientists from the St. Petersburg and Moscow universities and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) were able to experimentally model the interactions of animals in underground tunnels, where vision is useless, and discovered that peaceful communication between these rodents during burrowing occurs using ultrasound and sound signals. This study began with a failure: the first field season to study the acoustic communication of mole voles in the Saratov region did not yield the expected results. The original design of the experiments on the interaction of two captured animals included a rectangular container divided in half by a partition with a slit at the bottom, through which, as expected, the mole voles would communicate with each other using sounds and ultrasound. However, the animals refused to communicate and either hid in the corner of their section of the container or tried to escape by jumping on the walls of the container. It became clear that this experimental setup was not suitable and that another one had to be devised that would better take into account the biological characteristics of these underground burrowing rodents. The new idea turned out to be surprisingly simple and effective. Since mole voles are burrowing animals, it was necessary to simulate a meeting of two animals digging the earth in an underground tunnel. Thus, an experimental test was devised to release two mole voles into a circular hole filled with earth. Fig.2: Scheme of experimental circular burrow made of two buckets Two mole voles dig soil poured into a gap between a small bucket inserted upside down into a larger bucket. Sooner or later the animals meet and almost always greet each other with a series of ultrasounds. Peaceful ultrasound communication occurs not only between members of the same family, but also between unfamiliar animals, even adult males caught several hundred meters from each other. Aggressive interactions with loud vocal cries were extremely rare (in 2-3% of placements), and in these cases the test was immediately stopped and the animals were separated. Fig.3: The released mole vole begins to dig the ground and move in a circle Fig.4: The release of the second mole vole results in contact between the animals with the emission of ultrasounds In addition to the experimental test simulating a meeting of two mole voles in an underground tunnel, ultrasounds were also recorded during measurements of the two upper incisors, which the animals use to gnaw the soil when digging. The incisors of rodents grow throughout their lives and their size reflects the age of the animals. During the measurements, which were carried out using an electronic caliper, the animals were held up by hand. The mole voles did not like either the holding or the measurement of the incisors, so this was considered a discomfort test. At the end of the day, all the animals of one family were simultaneously released into their home burrow and the sounds and ultrasounds emitted during this were also recorded (return test). A total of 145 tests were carried out in three situations, of which 2,370 calls were identified and analyzed, which were classified into 8 different types. Three types of calls were audible to humans, three were ultrasonic, and two covered both audible and inaudible frequency ranges for humans. Six types of calls were first described for mole voles. Fig.5: The spectrograms illustrate eight different types of calls of the northern mole vole. The audio file with the sounds is available as Supplementary material to the article on the journal website. Не было обнаружено связи между акустическими параметрами типов криков слепушонок и показателями размеров животных (веса тела и ширины двух верхних резцов). Между самцами и самками, различий в структуре типов криков также обнаружено не было. Дискриминантный анализ, проведенный отдельно для звуковых и ультразвуковых типов криков, подтвердил сделанную классификацию всего массива криков на типы. Fig.6: The figure illustrates the differences between the sound and ultrasonic call types of the northern mole vole based on the results of discriminant analysis based on measurements of acoustic parameters. Different types of calls were predominant in different experiments: sonic warbles and ultrasonic rising calls occurred during peaceful interactions between animals; sharp sonic squeaks and screams and high-frequency ultrasounds were associated with discomfort during dental measurements; and hisses were emitted only when the animals were released into the burrow, when the mole voles were diligently burying the dug tunnel. One type of ultrasonic calls, variable, was not associated with a specific situation and could occur in any of the three tests. Based on the presence and absence of certain types of calls in the tests, it was possible to assess their potential communicative role. The results of the study were published in Q1 of the Journal of Mammalogy: Dymskaya M.M., Volodin I.A., Smorkatcheva A.V., Rudyk A., Volodina E.V., 2024. Field tests reveal acoustic variation of call types in a subterranean rodent, the Northern Mole Vole Ellobius talpinus. Journal of Mammalogy, gyae123.

Photo: the Russian Science Foundation The Russian Science Foundation has summed up the results of the priority area of ​​activity "Conducting fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research by small individual scientific groups". Based on the results of the expert assessment, 1,206 projects received support. The following projects from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS received support from the support of the Fund: "Patterns of Origin of the Fauna of Groundwater in the Caucasus Region on the Example of Microgastropods of the Hydrobiidae Family", Palatov D. M."Non-invasive Visualization of Electrical Activity of Catfish and Other Aquatic Animals in Behavioral Experiments", Zlenko D. V."Chronic Effect of Polydisperse Nanosized Particles of Secondary Plastics on the Fish Organism", Krysanov E. Yu."Features of Ecology and Habitat Condition of Deep-Sea Fish Species from Various Marine and Freshwater Biotopes Based on Data on the Chemical Composition of Otoliths", Orlov A. M."Bioconversion of Polystyrene with the Help of Insects in Laboratory Conditions", Bastrakov A. I."Embryonization of Ontogenesis and Formation of Direct Development in Lower Vertebrates: Ontogenetic and Morphological Changes and Their Evolutionary Significance", Shkil' F. N."Reconstruction of outbreaks of oak-damaging insects over the past 1500 years", Khasanov B.F."Assessment of genetic resistance to chronic wasting disease (CWD) in representatives of the Cervidae family of the boreal zone of Russia: polymorphism of the prion protein gene Prnp and its relationship with the phylogeographic structure of species", Kholodova M.V."Veterinary antibiotics in soil-plant systems: environmental consequences of migration in the soil and accumulation in agricultural crops", Kiryushina A.P."The role of soil biota in the biodegradation of tobacco waste", Korobushkin D.I. You can see the list of winners at the link. The competition is aimed at supporting and developing research teams that occupy leading positions in certain fields of science. Grants under the competition of small individual research groups are allocated for the implementation of fundamental and exploratory scientific research in 2025-2026 in all fields of knowledge of the RSF classifier.

The Journal of Wildlife Management has published an article by an international team of authors, examining the success of the rehabilitation and release of orphaned Amur tiger cubs to restore the species in the northwest of its historical range in Russia – in the Amur region. Over the past 30 years, two major projects have been carried out in the Russian Far East to study the Amur tiger. One, the Siberian Tiger Project (a joint project between the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve and the Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS), was launched in 1992, and the second, the Russian Far East Amur Tiger Study Program (a project that is still being carried out with the support of the Russian Geographical Society), was launched in 2008. The leaders of both projects, Dale Mikell and Vyacheslav Rozhnov, decided to combine the data they had obtained during their research on the diet of wild tigers in the Northern Sikhote-Alin and the tiger cubs that had been forcibly removed from the wild and released in the Amur region after their rehabilitation and special training in a center built for this purpose. During the monitoring of the tiger cubs reintroduced to the Amur region, zoologists were able to not only track their movements with the help of satellite collars placed on the animals, but also pinpoint the locations of their successful hunts based on the location of “clusters” (places where a large number of tiger locations are concentrated). In these "clusters", scientists examined and identified 132 prey killed by tigers, as a result of which they were able to study the diet and amount of food consumed by the tigers returned to the wild. These results were compared with the results of studies of 37 wild tigers radio-tagged in 1992-2013 in the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve. The results of the comparison showed that the diet and food consumption levels of reintroduced tigers in the Amur region and wild tigers in the Sikhote-Alin region were remarkably similar: ungulates made up 88% of the prey of the Sikhote-Alin tigers and 86% of the prey of the Amur tigers. Although the size of the prey killed by the Sikhote-Alin tigers was somewhat larger, the Amur tigers killed it more often, as a result of which the amount of food consumed over time was almost the same. In both the Sikhote-Alin and Amur regions, tigers rarely attacked and killed domestic animals, and did so only in forested areas, i.e. the tigers did not enter villages in search of prey and did not create conflict situations. However, there was an exception: one of the released tigers swam across the Amur and ended up in China, where wild prey was scarce, and killed a large number of domestic animals in one night, including 13 goats in a barn. When this tiger returned to Russia, it was captured, removed from the wild, and sent to a zoo. The other five tigers released as part of the Russian project, as well as eight other adults translocated by the Amur Tiger NGO to the Amur region from other parts of the range, but whose diet was not studied, are thriving in the wild and have produced at least six litters of at least 12 cubs, which has led to the restoration of the Amur tiger population in this part of the range, as previously reported in an article (Rozhnov et al., 2021). Thus, the results of the Russian project to restore the Amur tiger population by raising orphaned tiger cubs forcibly removed from the wild, and the study conducted, open up opportunities for the restoration of tigers throughout Asia. Article imprint: Article imprint: Miquelle D.G., Mukhacheva A.S., Bragina E.V., Waller S.J., Petrunenko Y.K., Naidenko S.V, Hernandez-Blanco J.A., Kastrikin V.A., Rybin A.N., Rybin N.N., Seryodkin I.V., Blidchenko E.Yu., Yachmennikova A.A., Chistopolova M.D., Soutyrina S.V., Rozhnov V.V. Rehabilitating tigers for range expansion: lessons from the Russian Far East // Journal of Wildlife Management. 2024. e22691. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22691

In the period from October 20 to November 2, 2024, the scientific work of the international Russian-Chinese laboratory for the study of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard was launched. It was created in March 2024 on the basis of cooperation between the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and the North-East Forest University Harbin (NEFU). The head of the Laboratory from the Russian side is Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Researcher of the IEE RAS V.V. Rozhnov. All IEE RAS employees who arrived in Harbin took part in the working meeting with their own reports. The meeting was implemented in the form of daily sessions devoted to modern studies of the Amur tiger, Amur and North Chinese leopard, conducted in Russia and China over the past 20 years. Current topics, promising areas for further work were discussed, a work plan for the laboratory for the next six months was jointly developed and compiled. Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.V. Rozhnov presented a report in the form of a lecture for postgraduate students and research associates of the Center for the Study of Cats of the SVULH and a message about the current work of the joint Russian-Chinese laboratory for the study of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard for discussion with the staff. The report-lecture for all postgraduate students and research associates of the Center for the Study of Cats of the SVULH was devoted to the topic “Zoogeography and ecological security: barriers and corridors in the ecology of large mammals in the Russian Far East”. The second message “Current work of the Joint Sino-Russia Research Laboratory for Amur Tiger Conservation and Restoration” concerned the current work of the laboratory. During the reports, V.V. Rozhnov reflected the environmental challenges that are relevant for both countries, requiring close interaction between government agencies and scientists presenting scientifically based recommendations prepared by them. Such interactions and competent recommendations are necessary for the implementation of transboundary political decisions aimed at minimizing the degree of fragmentation of tiger habitats. Rozhnov V.V. also proposed a project for joint work of the laboratory from the Russian side. Professor Guanshun Jiang and a number of his employees made corresponding proposals from the Chinese side. Senior researcher, PhD in Biology Anna Yachmennikova presented two reports on the topic of studying the behavior of tigers and leopards in captivity and in the wild: “Research Process on Field Population and Habitat of Amur Tigers and Leopards in Russia” and “Development of Amur Leopard cubs (P.p. orientalis) during the first year of their life and an ontogeny scale: based on observations in captivity”. The reports highlighted the importance of this type of research (based on the positive experience of the Russian side in this area) for the conservation of these species of large cats on Earth through the development of methods for the rehabilitation and preparation of animals in captivity for release into the wild, and the restoration of endangered populations. Senior researcher, PhD in Biology Zvycheynaya E.Yu. gave a review report during the meeting, “Possibilities for comparative analysis of previously accumulated and new molecular genetic data; Prospective directions for research”, dedicated to the work carried out by IEE RAS to address the main issues in the framework of studies of the molecular genetic diversity of mammals. Zvycheynaya E.Yu. also presented specific proposals of the Russian team on possible prospects for international cooperation between Russia and China in a joint study of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard, taking into account the already accumulated data and the use of modern methods of whole-genome sequencing. Senior researcher, PhD in Biology Sorokin P.A. made a report on the topic “Review of population genetic studies of Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard carried out by Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 2009 to 2023”. The presentation reviewed the results of work carried out by employees of the IEE RAS on the topic of population genetic studies of the Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard and presented proposals for joint work in this area. The issue of creating a common database on mammals living in Russia and China was discussed, and corresponding proposals were made. Senior researcher, PhD in Biology Sokolov S.G. presented a report on the prospects of parasitological research of the Amur tiger: "Parasites of Amur Tiger: promising research directions". The report considered current research tasks and optimal ways to solve them. During the discussion, the Chinese side supported the need to develop the parasitological direction and expand it, covering other groups of animals that serve as actual or potential food for the tiger, as well as other food chain systems associated with the tiger. Following the results of all the days of the meetings, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.V. Rozhnov presented a plan of joint work of the Russian-Chinese laboratory for the study of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard for the next six months, agreed upon by both parties, in four main areas: genetic research, research into the formation of tiger behavior during ontogenesis, research into the parasite fauna of the Amur tiger and ecologically related species, and the development of scientifically sound solutions to minimize and prevent the consequences of the Amur tiger-human conflict. The developed plan of joint work is attached to the report. The IEE RAS staff also met with the team of the Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Sciences. Joint work on studying the state of tiger habitats in China within the framework of a previously concluded agreement with this Institute (2016) has been successfully carried out since 2017. During the meeting, areas for further cooperation in 2025 were discussed with the new director of the Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology: the possibility of developing joint research devoted to the study of the parasite fauna of fish within the framework of work on the tasks of the Institute of the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Sciences; other previously agreed areas of interaction aimed at studying the territory of the Greater Khingan for its suitability for tiger restoration and joint research into ecosystem processes remain in force. Discussions were conducted in English. During the trip, a meeting was held and an additional conference was organized with the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Wildlife Letters (Wiley). This journal was created on the basis of NEFU two years ago, specializing in the publication of research carried out on the basis of biological stations, zoos, protected areas, etc.: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/loi/28325869. The meeting was devoted to the implementation of a series of annual special issues of the journal on topics related to research of the Amur tiger. We invite you to publish your work, at the moment the journal has the right to assign DOI to articles and has applied for inclusion in the Scopus database of peer-reviewed scientific literature.