An international team of scientists has studied the consequences of global warming in the Arctic, combining a large pool of long-term data on 12 populations of 9 bird species. The work was attended by an employee of the Bird Ringing Center of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), senior researcher, PhD in biology Sergey Valerievich Volkov. Global climate change is most clearly manifested in the Arctic, the increase in average annual temperatures is more than twice as high as in temperate regions. Earlier snowmelt and ecosystem development affect the established connections in communities, disrupting traditional interactions. To compensate for the negative consequences of desynchronization between different phenomena, migrating birds have to optimize their migration strategies, including shifting wintering areas closer to nesting sites, starting from wintering grounds earlier, increasing the speed of migration, and reducing the duration of intermediate stops. However, the question remains whether such changes lead to earlier arrival to nesting areas or earlier reproduction. The publication demonstrates patterns of earlier migration and reproduction as a response to warming. However, against the background of warming, the unpredictability of conditions in each specific season limits the fine-tuning of Arctic bird migration to annually changing conditions. The study "Migratory birds advance spring arrival and egg-laying in the Arctic, mostly by travelling faster" was published in the prestigious international journal Global Change Biology.

Senior researcher at the Laboratory of Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals, PhD in Biology Anastasia Antonevich took part in the Naukogradostno festival, which was held in Chernogolovka on May 17-18. Anastasia Antonevich spoke at the round table "Science and Art: Creating Worlds." She spoke to the participants about how studying animal behavior and possible evolutionary origins of art help to understand the origins of creativity. You can watch the recording of the round table at the link.

The atlas contains the first full account of information on all 202 species of animals belonging to 37 families from 7 orders living in the western part of our country. This is the first edition that includes maps of all species of land-dwelling, water-dwelling and flying mammals at the same time. All maps are provided with a QR code, by clicking on which you can see all the encounter locations of a particular species. For each species, the map provides data for the entire period of zoological observations. The maps are accompanied by species essays that allow you to get an idea of ​​the animal's appearance, its ecology, variability, the place of the Russian population in the world range, as well as its practical significance and conservation status. The atlas is illustrated with drawings by the famous animal artist V.M. Smirin. The authors of the species essays were 89 leading theriologists of Russia, representing scientific organizations, universities, and nature reserves of our country. "The Atlas of the Distribution of Mammals in the European Part of Russia" was published by the well-known scientific publishing house - "KMK Scientific Publishing Partnership". The atlas is intended for a wide range of readers. It is useful for anyone whose work includes studies of mammals: teachers, nature lovers, professional zoologists and ecologists, specialists working in the field of nature conservation, hunting, epizootology and agriculture. The publication was prepared over the course of seven years by the Academician V.E. Sokolov Working Group of the Theriological Society at the Russian Academy of Sciences, which included specialists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Research Zoological Museum of the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Professor B.M. Zhitkov All-Russian Research Institute of Hunting and Fur Farming, Penza State University and the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The data included in the "Atlas of the Distribution of Mammals of the European Part of Russia" was collected using the "Mammals of Russia" information system. The data entered into this system was divided into several categories: museum collections, observations of zoologists and naturalists, data from literature and reports, and information from the Internet. Volunteers made a significant contribution to the study of the distribution of individual species by adding their findings to the "Mammals of Russia" portal database. Work on studying the distribution of Russian mammals will continue. In the future, it is planned to publish "The Atlas of Distribution of Mammals of the Asian Part of Russia" and "The Atlas of Distribution of Mammals of Russia". We invite all caring people to contribute to the knowledge of the animals of our country and add their findings to the "Mammals of Russia" information system. Link to the book https://avtor-kmk.ru/pages/showitem.php?id=987

The new issue of the journal "Problems of Ichthyology" is available for reading and downloading (Volume 65, Issue 2, 2025). Contents Fishes of the Melamphaidae family over the seamounts of the central part of the Atlantic Ocean A. N. Kotlyar Reliable detection of Pleurogrammus azonus (Hexagrammidae) off the coast of Kamchatka with comments on the constancy of its habitat in the north of its range Yu. K. Kurbanov, R. N. Novikov, S. A. Veselov, R. T. Ovcherenko, O. V. Novikova On the captures of the redfin Pseudaspius leptocephalus (Leuciscidae), blowfish Takifugu xanthopterus (Tetraodontidae) and the common dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus (Coryphaenidae) in the Sakhalin Gulf (Sea of ​​Okhotsk) and off Southwest Sakhalin (Tatar Strait, Sea of ​​Japan) Yu. N. Poltev, V. G. Samara Comparison of the results of age determination by scales and otoliths in the small-eyed rattail Coryphaenoides pectoralis (Macrouridae) from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk O. Z. Badaev, A. I. Alferov, I. S. Chernienko, A. O. Erulina Development of the larvae of gunnel Pholis crassispina (Pholidae) from the waters of Peter the Great Bay, Sea of ​​Japan A. A. Balanov, M. O. Rostovtseva Changes in the age, size and growth rate of the Anadyr chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta (Salmonidae) under global warming A. V. Shestakov, S. I. Grunin Dynamics of the abundance and biological parameters of the European grayling Thymallus thymallus (Salmonidae: Thymallinae) of the Timan watercourse based on long-term data observations E. I. Boznak, A. B. Zakharov Infection of Nothern pike Esox lucius (Esocidae) with macroparasites in different parts of the river continuum A. E. Zhokhov, V. N. Mikheev Taste responses of carp fish (Cyprinidae) to carboxylic acids. 1. Taste preferences A. O. Kasumyan, E. S. Mikhailova Lampreys (Petromyzonti) and ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) in the editions of the Red Book of Russia 1983–2021 D. S. Pavlov, N. I. Shilin Short messages On the discovery of a new species of Stichaeidae fishes (for the fauna of Russia) — the mosshead warbonnet Chirolophis nugator — in the intertidal zone of Bering Island (Commander Islands) A. M. Tokranov, M. S. Vakurov The issue is available at the link.

From April 11 to 16, 2025, the final round of the All-Russian Olympiad in Ecology was held for high school students from all over Russia at the Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University (named after I.N. Ulyanov), in which 294 schoolchildren from 86 constituent entities of the Russian Federation took part. There were 24 winners, and 111 schoolchildren became prize winners. The best results were shown by students from Moscow, the Republic of Tatarstan, Moscow Region, St. Petersburg and the Chuvash Republic. For the first time, the winners included representatives of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. A joint meeting of the Moscow Sustainable Development Club and the Youth Ecological Intellectual Club was held as part of the Olympiad.В рамках работы олимпиады прошло совместное заседание Московского клуба устойчивого развития и Молодежного экологического интеллектуального клуба. The jury included the following employees of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE RAS): Alexey Vasilievich Surov, Konstantin Bronislavovich Gongalsky and Natalya Yuryevna Feoktistova.

Congratulations to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War and colleagues on Victory Day! 80 years have passed since the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The generation of people who defended our right to life and freedom, who rebuilt the country destroyed by the war is inexorably passing away. It is our duty to remember the feat of these people and preserve the memory of them. By May 9, the IEE RAS opened the exhibition "Scientific Regiment. 80 Years of Victory". It presents information about the activities of the Institute during the Great Patriotic War: about the employees of the Institute who did not return from the war, as well as those who fought at the front, worked in the rear, and conducted scientific research in evacuation. The exhibition includes biographies of individual employees and tells about the national economic, defense and medical work that was carried out during these years, about the contribution of scientists to bringing the end of the Great Patriotic War closer. And also about the continuation of fundamental scientific research, which did not stop, despite the severity of wartime. The exhibition is open in the Institute building on Leninsky Prospekt 33 on the first floor (near the library). We have a section on our website where we tell about the Institute employees who took part in the Great Patriotic War. This year we updated the memory album about the Institute employees who took part in military operations, home front workers, all those who brought Victory closer. We have also organised a subsection with stories of the Institute employees who took part in the Great Patriotic War. We have published these stories in the news over the past three weeks. You can see them in one place by following the link. We wish you good health, well-being and fruitful work!

Fig. 1. The first edition of Schmalhausen’s book in 1946. The history of the Great Patriotic War is shocking not only because of the colossal destruction in the places of military operations and the death of a huge number of people. The manifestations of courage, fortitude and creativity in literally all spheres of the country's life, which played their own roles in achieving victory, are amazing. Time reveals new sides of the nation's feat not only in the military archives made public in recent years, but also in open, exclusively "civilian" sources of information such as Wikipedia. In connection with the celebration of Victory Day and the publication on the website of our Institute of frontline and everyday stories from the lives of wartime employees, such facts of the past as state awards to rear scientists deserve attention. In June 1945, literally a month after the victory, the work of the director of our Institute, Academician I.I. Schmalhausen, who was evacuated from Moscow at the beginning of the war along with other leading academic scientists, was highly rewarded for his work during the war. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Шмальгаузь,_Иван_Иванович). And in 1946, Schmalhausen's outstanding work, the book "Factors of Evolution" (Fig. 1), was published. The book is considered a milestone in the development of the synthetic theory of evolution. This work integrated the achievements of the period of genetics, which Schmalhausen himself characterized as "dizzying successes" (https://arran.ru/exposition8_10?ysclid=lrgyy6d8pq550159945), into the discussion of evolutionary problems. The publication of the book in 1946 coincided with another state award being received: an employee of the institute, geneticist Raisa Lvovna Berg, was awarded the medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." 6 works by R. L. Berg, during her doctoral studies as the only geneticist at the Institute of Evolutionary Direction, published in 1941-1943, are included in the bibliographic list of the aforementioned monograph by her scientific advisor I. I. Shmalgauzen. Fig. 2. Raisa Lvovna Berg in 1940. Paradoxically, during the period of the defeat of Soviet genetics, inspired by T. D. Lysenko and his supporters at the 1948 session of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Berg, like most geneticists, was fired from her job (she remained practically unemployed for six years). The same fate befell Academician Shmalgauzen. Both, however, were able to overcome trials that did not exist even during the war, without tearing their lives away from science. The list of publications by R.L. Berg in the book “Factors of Evolution” (Schmalhausen, 1946) is given according to the library copy of the original edition: 1941 - Genetic analysis of two natural populations. Zhurn. Obshch. Biol. 2, No. 1. 1942 - Preservation of different mutability by populations of Drosophila melanogaster when they are transferred to the same conditions. DAN. Vol. 34, No. 7. 1942 - Relationship between mutability and the degree of isolation of populations of Drosophila melanogaster. DAN. Vol. 36, No. 2. 1942 - The significance of isolation for the evolution of dominance in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. DAN. Vol. 36, No. 9. 1943 – Correlation between mutability and regulatory capacity of the organism and its evolutionary significance. DAN. 1943 – Different frequency of occurrence of the yellow mutation in different populations of Drosophila melanogaster. DAN. Compiled by PhD Bulatova N.Sh.

From April 24 to 30, 2025, the final stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad in Biology was held on the federal territory of Sirius at the sites of the Scientific and Technological University and on the campus of the Sirius Educational Center, in which about 500 schoolchildren from 87 regions of the country took part. The jury included employees of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) Anastasia Mikhailovna Khrushchova, Varvara Ivanovna Krolenko and Lyudmila Andreevna Vakalyuk. The chronicle of the Olympiad is available on the official website bio.siriusolymp.ru

Today we will share another story of an employee of the IEE RAS who participated in the Great Patriotic War. Bogoyavlensky Yuri Konstantinovich was born on May 8, 1925 in Moscow. When he was three years old, his mother died. In 1935, his father was invited to work at the newly created Kursk Medical Institute, and before the war, Yuri lived and studied in Kursk. Together with the employees of the institute, he was evacuated to Alma-Ata, from where he was drafted into the Red Army on February 14, 1943. First, he studied at the infantry school, then was transferred to the Serpukhov Aviation School (Kyzyl-Orda) from where he graduated with honors, having received the specialty of aircraft mechanic. From 1944 to 1946, he served as an aircraft mechanic at the 164th Central Air Base in Koenigsberg. Demobilized in April 1947. Received the military rank of senior lieutenant. He was awarded the medal "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War". After demobilization, Yuri Konstantinovich followed in the footsteps of his father, a doctor of biological sciences. From 1947 to 1952, Yuri studied at the Faculty of Biology and Soil Science of Moscow State University, and from 1952 to 1955, he was a postgraduate student at the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology of Animals of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and was a student of Academician K.I. Skryabin. His main scientific works are devoted to the problems of helminthiasis and its treatment, as well as the functional micromorphology and histochemistry of helminths. He is the founder of a scientific school in the field of helminthology. Using histological, electron microscopic and histochemical methods, he studied the structure and functions of various tissues and organs in representatives of more than 60 species of parasitic nematodes and some species of cestodes and trematodes. He discovered the osmotic pathway of nutrition of intestinal nematodes through the system of canals in the cuticle. He discovered and described the supporting fibrils that ensure the attachment of muscle cells of parasitic nematodes to the cuticle. He studied the structure and functions of the neurosecretory apparatus in helminths of different classes, and showed that the intensity of neurosecretion depends on the physiological state of the parasites. He studied the problems of phylogenesis and taxonomy of parasitic worms. He made a significant contribution to the development of new chemotherapeutic drugs with anthelmintic action. He was active in expeditionary work as the head of helminthological and parasitological expeditions.

Photo: Alexander Vedernikov, Kommersant The Baikal seal is the only seal in the world that has fully adapted to life in fresh water. This endemic is not only a key element of the Lake Baikal ecosystem, but also an indicator of its health. However, due to climate change, increased tourism and anthropogenic pressure, the seal population is facing new challenges. How do scientists study these animals? Why do they use drones to count seals? What are the most serious threats to the species and how can they be minimized? Kommersant-Nauka spoke about this with Maria Solovyova, head of research on Baikal seal research programs, senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and candidate of biological sciences. — Why is it important to observe Baikal seals? — The Baikal seal is a unique species of seal. It is the only species that has fully adapted to life in fresh water. The ringed seal, for example, has subspecies — the Ladoga and Saimaa seals, which are also freshwater, but this is only part of the species, not the entire species. Due to this adaptation, the seal's diet has changed, for example, because Baikal is home to completely different fish, behavior, and lifestyle. Baikal is currently a place of intensive tourism development, and understanding how the seal is affected by the intensification of Lake Baikal use will allow us to more competently approach the conservation of this unique endemic. The Baikal seal can act as an indicator of the health of the entire ecosystem. It is a consumer of the highest order in the lake and is at the top of the reservoir's food chains. Any changes at the lower levels of the lake pyramid inevitably affect it, and the seal itself affects the underlying components. In addition, there is such a thing as "fundamental science". Scientists are simply interested in everything. There are animals - Baikal seals. How do they behave? Why do they behave this way? Do they behave the same way throughout the year? This is an internal interest that pushes us to conduct research. — Why do scientists use drones to count seals, rather than traditional observation methods? What are the advantages and limitations of this approach? — We combine these methods in our work. On Tonky Island, where our camp is based and where the tourist trail to the seal haulout is located, we count them visually. But because of this, we cannot count those animals that are underwater at the time of the study. In addition, the Ushkany Islands archipelago consists of four islands, and seals haul out not only on Tonky Island. Therefore, to count animals on Tonky Island, as well as on two more islands - Dolgy and Krugly - we also use drones. It is difficult to conduct foot counts on Dolgy and Krugly Islands: the coast is not always passable, plus to conduct the counts it would be necessary to go there three times a day in a noisy boat, which would additionally frighten the hauled out seals. — How do on foot accounts on Tonkiy Island complement the data obtained from drones? Are there possible discrepancies in the counts? — They allow us to count animals more accurately, as well as note externally noticeable parameters: molting, scars or injuries on animals. We conduct such visual counts during field work three times a day, which allows us to also assess changes in the number of lying animals during the day in order to identify at what hours the seals prefer to rest and at what hours they prefer to swim. There are discrepancies in the data because during visual counts we do not count seals underwater, and when counting from a drone, we sometimes have a worse view of seals on rocks: in order not to scare the animals, we have to fly at a high altitude. But combining these methods gives us results that are closer to reality. — Why wasn't Bolshoy Ushkany Island included in the flyovers? How could this affect the overall estimate of the seal population? — We use small drones with a flight time of up to 30 minutes in light winds and high air temperatures. Bolshoy Ushkany Island is located at a distance from the three small Ushkany Islands, and our drone's operating time is not enough for a full flyover of this island. Yes, most likely, we are not taking into account the seals that are located near Bolshoy Ushkany Island. But, according to our observations from the vessel and information from the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Zapovednoye Podlemorye", not as many seals haul out there compared to the others. — How do scientists assess the health of seals (injuries, molting)? What conclusions can be drawn from this data? — We assess the presence of injuries and molting visually during foot counts. The molting fur of Baikal seals is reddish, as if faded, and it is very clearly visible against the background of molted gray animals. Injuries are also visible: most often, seals have injuries to the eyes, front flippers, and scars on the body are also common. According to our data, the proportion of both molting and injured animals on Tonky Island is small. Molting is a normal process, and for some animals it can drag on until June-July every year, there is nothing wrong with that. Injuries are also, unfortunately, a part of the seals' lives: they could have received them in fights with each other. We pay special attention to anthropogenic injuries - for example, noticeable scars from boat propellers. Fortunately, we hardly see them on the islands yet, but we need to monitor them so that their numbers do not increase. — What long-term consequences can periodic stress surges in seals have for the population? — If we talk about stress in the sense of "anxiety, tension in the body," then, of course, it does not pass without consequences for anyone, even for seals. But, if you dig deeper, stress occurs because of something. If a seal experiences stress from lack of food, then the consequences of such stress will also be the consequences of hunger. If stress consists of a lack of rest due to the lack of places to lie down, then there will be all the consequences of the lack of recovery of the body, including weakened immunity, improper production of hormones and enzymes, or, for example, a decrease in cognitive abilities. — How could the early melting of ice and the mass death of seals in the past affect their stress resistance? — Here we need to clarify: what early melting of ice are we talking about, what mass death of seals? If we mean a less cold winter, which periodically happens on Baikal, then the consequences of such a winter will be the following. Seals need ice in winter for the birth and feeding of offspring, new mating, rest and the beginning of molting. If the ice lasts less time than usual, this can lead to incomplete feeding of the cubs and a lack of rest in animals. Weak ice can break more often, which leads to separation of the mother-cub pair. Small amount of ice forces seals to huddle more, that is, to unite in dense groups. This can lead to a wide spread of various diseases - like in humans during a pandemic, remember? It was important to keep your distance. Mass deaths of seals, which have occurred several times in the past, lead primarily to a local decline in the population. — Why are there fewer seals on Tonky Island than on other islands, contrary to previous data? What environmental or anthropogenic factors could have led to such a redistribution? — Most likely, there is no point in talking about a redistribution of seals. It is unlikely that there are fewer seals on Tonky Island: previously, regular observations were simply not carried out on other islands. — What measures could reduce the disturbance of seals by tourists and shipping? Are the existing restrictions effective? — Our observations on the islands show that the greatest disturbance to seals is caused by boats and vessels, which scare seals from their haulouts with their noise. Most often, these are people swimming by — not tourist groups that come to the archipelago in an organized manner. It is necessary to raise public awareness so that they reduce their speed and engine noise when moving near the islands. Tourist activities on the islands are strictly controlled by the staff of the "Zapovednoye Podlemorye" and, judging by our observations, do not cause much disturbance to the seals. On Tonkiy Island, a special wall has been installed, from behind which tourists can observe the seals, remaining unnoticed by the animals. — How do private foundations (for example, the Lake Baikal Foundation) contribute to the conservation of seals? — In order to preserve, we need to study. In 2018, the Lake Baikal Foundation initiated the creation of a program for research on the Baikal seal and its habitat and has since been a permanent partner of the program with the support of the World Around You Foundation of the Siberian Wellness company and other private donors. In addition, the foundation carries out huge educational work with the population: in 2019, it conducted a large campaign, “Year of the Baikal Seal,” with trips to schools and the creation of an online lesson on the seal. The foundation also works with an adult audience — with its support, publications appear on the careful treatment of the animal, and this year it was possible to shoot the first popular science film in Russia about the Baikal seal, “The Seal and Man,” where we acted as invited experts—the heroes of the film. But the main thing is that the foundation attracts the missing resources for the study of the seal and does this on a regular basis. — What other threats besides tourism can affect the Baikal seal population? — Climate change is the most significant. As I said above, ice is critical for the Baikal seal. And in recent years, we have seen a reduction in the duration of ice cover and the degree of ice development. This was especially noticeable in the winter of 2024–2025: the winter in many regions of Russia was warm and with little snow, and on Baikal, vehicles were allowed onto the ice for a record short time. Time will tell whether such changes are local or a trend. Water pollution also has a significant impact. The seal closes the food chains of Baikal and is a consumer of the highest order. Therefore, if pollutants enter the lake's ecosystem, they will accumulate as they move along the food chain, and the seal will accumulate the largest amount of them. — What new technologies besides drones could improve seal monitoring? — Currently, there are no deciphered maps of the ice cover of Lake Baikal in the public domain. Such maps exist for the Arctic and Antarctic, but they are not available for inland waters of Russia. There are satellite images, but in order to determine the characteristics of the ice, such as its type and density, we need highly specialized experts, which, unfortunately, we do not have on our team. It would be good to put more advanced satellite transmitters on the animals that measure the depth of dives, the percentage of time that the seal spends in and above the water. But they are not yet produced in Russia. — Why is the program designed specifically for 2020–2025? Will it be continued and what key issues will remain unresolved? — No program should be planned for an indefinite amount of time: specific deadlines are needed by which the results obtained will be assessed and further steps adjusted. Of course, we plan to continue work on the program and formulate a new one for 2026–2031, taking into account the issues that will remain unresolved after the 2025 expedition. — How can the data from this expedition influence environmental decisions at the state level? — Environmental protection agencies regularly contact scientists on specific issues. For example, in 2024, when the issue of the need for industrial seal hunting arose, a joint meeting of the RAS Scientific Council on the Problems of Ecology of Biological Systems and the Scientific Council of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the Problems of Lake Baikal was held at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where all Baikal seal experts expressed their opinion on this issue and formed a resolution recommending abandoning this idea. In 2025, we plan to continue studying the impact of tourism on Baikal seals. The result of the research should be the development of special rules for tourists - on how to observe the Baikal seal correctly and comfortably. We intend to implement this task together with experts from the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Zapovednoye Podlemorye" with the support of the Lake Baikal Foundation. Maria Gribova