Dibamus tropcentr / © Zootaxa Employees of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Center (Tropical Center), a branch of the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, discovered a new species of lizards. It was named Dibamus tropcentr, or "blind skink of Ninh Thuan." Ninh Thuan blind skinks have a worm-like body that can reach 11.5 centimeters in length. Their eyes are vestigial and completely covered in scales. Dibamus tropcentr are limbless, and only males possess vestigial hindlimbs that form patchwork structures near their tails. This species has a pinkish-brown body, lighter near the head and darker near the tail. The skink is very similar to an earthworm, but has a smooth, scaly texture. The study was published in the journal Zootaxa. Related materials: CryptoZoo: "A new species of lizards that look like worms were discovered"

The visit of the Corresponding Member of RAS Professor A.A. Kotov to China as part of the Foreign Expert Project 2023 program has ended. The inviting organization was Shanghai Ocean University, the oldest university in China. During the visit A.A. Kotov gave a series of public lectures on various aspects of hydrobiology, as well as a series of lectures for master's and undergraduate students at Shanghai Ocean University. A series of practical exercises were conducted to identify freshwater zooplankton, including those collected during a three-day field trip across the provinces of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. A program of co-supervision by two Chinese master's degree students was initiated. This visit is the beginning of a cooperation program between the Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Communities and Invasions of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Ocean University. In addition to the latter, A.A. Kotov also gave lectures at Fudan University in Shanghai and Nanjin University in Nanjing, with which it is also planned to establish cooperation in subsequent years in the field of studying the phylogeography of freshwater invertebrates and environmental DNA (eDNA).

The family relationships of mammals have been studied in great detail. Of course, there are still species that have not been studied using modern phylogenetic methods, but the relationships of all modern families of mammals have long been known. However, there is a small Mediterranean group of lagomorphs: the prolagus, which became extinct only recently, the relationships of which remained unclear. Prolagus are small animals, similar either to a small rabbit or to a large pika. There are legends that the Prolagus survived until the time of the Hellenes and, even moreover, live to this day on one of the Italian islands. So far these are just legends, but for a long time it was not clear exactly how deep the family ties between modern pikas and prolagus are. Some scientists believed that prolagus were one of the pikas, others that they were an independent family that had long diverged from the pikas. To a large international team, including a senior researcher at the Laboratory of Microevolution of Mammals, Ph.D. Lisovsky A.A., using next-generation sequencing methods, it was possible to study part of the mitogenome of a fossil prolagus from Sardinia. The results of the analysis confirmed the correctness of the unpopular point of view of Russian paleontologists about the rank of prolagus as an independent family. Thus, prolagids became a “new” family of mammals. Utzeri V.J., Cilli E., Fontani F., Zoboli D., Orsini M., Ribani A., Latorre A., Lissovsky A.A., Pillola G.L., Bovo S., Gruppioni G., Luiselli D., Fontanesi L., 2023. Ancient DNA re-opens the question of the phylogenetic position of the Sardinian pika Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), an extinct lagomorph. Scientific Reports, 13(1): 13635. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-40746-w

Fig.1. Russian and Philippine sides of the project participants During the implementation of the project “Development of technologies for the control of parasitic organisms in tropical ecosystems based on Omics approaches”, supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, a trip to the Philippines was carried out in November-December 2023. 6 people took part in the expedition - parasitologists, zoologists and soil biologists: project leader Dr. Spiridonov S.E., Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences; A.V. Tiunov, Head of the Laboratory of Phytoparasitology, Institute of Ecological Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences; Ph.D. Pridannikov M.V.; junior researcher Efeikin B.D.; leading engineer Krapivin V.A. and graduate student Sotnikov I.V. Fig.2. Collection of soil samples by employees of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences On the first day of the team's stay at the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), a brief meeting was held with representatives of the Philippine side - Dr. Joey Martinez (J.J. Martinez) and Hopi Dr. Nanette Sumaya (H.N. Sumaya), about the rough plan for research in the area Iligan. It was decided to distribute the days available to the Russian group in such a way as to give all participants the opportunity to collect the material that interests them. Fig.3. While working at Iligan Technological University as project manager S.E. Spiridonov gave a series of lectures. When planning the first trip, the Russian participants asked the host party to take them to a point near the city of Iligan (Lanao del Norte province), where in the relatively recent past there had been a severe flood with a significant amount of sand and sandy soil being carried ashore and sediments forming on the shores. Moreover, this place of flooding should have been covered with herbaceous and shrubby vegetation. Philippine colleagues proposed such a place near the city of Iligan - the Abuno district on the banks of the Tabod River (Abuno Iligan City Lanao-del-Norte, Philippines, coordinates 8.182 N, 124.258 E). At this point, on both sides of the bridge over the river, 38 soil samples were collected, each weighing from one to two kilograms. The soil surface was covered with herbaceous vegetation, with small bushes in some places. On the other side of the bridge, samples were collected under the canopy of palm trees, with almost no herbaceous vegetation due to the very low illumination of the ground surface (almost complete closure of the palm canopy). A total of 8 samples turned out to be positive, of which three were selected for further study. Nematodes from all these samples were identified by morphological characteristics as representatives of the genus Heterorhabditis. Fig.4. Collection of marine mollusks by employees of the IEE RAS In the following days, two trips were made to the area of ​​the Mandulog River. The main points for collecting material were in the area of ​​the Dodiongan Bridge (8.258 N, 124.302 E). This part of the province of Lanao del Norte is quite densely populated and used for agricultural purposes. More than 30 soil and water samples were collected from the beds of small streams flowing into the Mandulog River. The infestation of endoparasites in Philippine bovids (family Bovidae) was studied. The material for the work was freshly excreted excrement of goats, dairy cows, beef bulls and buffaloes collected during the expedition. Samples were collected wet and stored frozen. As a result, endoparasites from two large taxonomic groups were discovered: helminths and protists. Among the first to be identified were the eggs of nematodes of the order Strongylida, which parasitize the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the so-called small strongylids, as well as representatives of the genus Nematodirus. In addition, trematode eggs were discovered, presumably from the genus Paramphistomum. The isolated protists are represented by coccidia oocysts from the genus Eimeria. Strongylids and Eimeria parasitize in the small intestine of bovids, and the detected trematodes live in the rumen (forestomach). Next, a trip was made to the island of Tawi-Tawi with the aim of searching for and collecting marine mollusks - intermediate hosts of various parasites, including those dangerous to humans. As part of the study of marine molluscs around the island, samples were collected from a variety of locations, including intertidal zones and coral reef areas. The study aimed to examine the composition, diversity and abundance of shellfish, and their relation to environmental environmental parameters such as water quality, total organic matter and calcium carbonate content. During the study, 43 species of mollusks were identified, of which 41 species belonged to the class of gastropods (Gastropoda), represented by 18 families, and 2 species belonged to the class of bivalve mollusks (Bivalvia) from 2 families. Diversity analysis showed high values ​​of diversity and evenness in the two study stations. One of the stations turned out to be dominant in the number of gastropods Cerithium stercusmuscarum, which accounted for almost a third of the total population. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that total organic matter and calcium carbonate in sediment may have influenced the abundance of the mollusk community at this station. During the opening of the collected mollusks, flukes were discovered, which, apparently, represent new species. This discovery makes an important contribution to the understanding of the biodiversity and ecology of Mindanao's marine molluscs, and expands knowledge of parasitic relationships in marine ecosystems.

In September 2023, the results of a competition among graduate students to receive a scholarship from the President of the Russian Federation to study abroad were announced. From the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this prestigious scholarship was won by Margarita Danilova, a graduate student in the laboratory for studying the ecological functions of soils. During the winter semester of 2023, Margarita will undergo a scientific internship in the city of Changchun (China), at the Northeast Normal University and the Key Laboratory of Ecology of Humid Ecosystems and the Environment of the Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the guidance of Professor Donghui Wu. During her stay in China, Margarita plans to establish partnerships with young Chinese colleagues - soil ecologists, and also give a series of lectures for Chinese undergraduate and graduate students on the diversity and ecology of soil-dwelling protozoa. She will conduct a master class on methods for isolating and identifying soil ciliates using modern laboratory equipment. In addition, Margarita continues to work on her PhD thesis and, as part of her internship, is mastering advanced methods of molecular genetic analysis of soil ecosystems. “This internship is the first step towards establishing a long-term strategic partnership between IEE RAS, the Institute of Geography and Agroecology and the North-Eastern Pedagogical University in the field of studying soil ecology,” Margarita Danilova’s scientific advisor at IEE RAS, leading researcher A.S. Zaitsev, shares her plans. In 2024, Russian and Chinese specialists plan to expand scientific cooperation, and Margarita’s internship is an important part of the planned joint research program.

Screenshot of a video from the State Budgetary Institution of the Astrakhan Region “Stepnoy Wildlife Sanctuary” In December, the relict antelope goes through its rut (breeding period). Now in the reproduction zone, which occupies more than 54 thousand hectares of the territory of the Stepnoy nature reserve in the Limansky district, male saiga antelopes are actively forming harems, reports the environmental management service of the Astrakhan region. Last week, the reserve was visited by Vyacheslav Rozhnov, academician, scientific director of environmental and environmental projects and international programs of the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. For several years, employees of the institute, under his leadership, have been studying the behavioral ecology of saigas in the reserve. In their research, scientists use remote monitoring data. Vyacheslav Rozhnov assessed the conditions of the rutting season positively and noted that thanks to the efforts of the reserve management team, restoration of the saiga population of the North-Western Caspian region has began. The number of artiodactyls in Stepnoye has grown from a minimum of 2.5 thousand to 20 thousand individuals. The total population size is estimated at 26 thousand individuals. Related materials: Komsomolskaya Pravda: “Restoration of the saiga population has begun in the Astrakhan region” EcoTourismExpert: "The saiga population of the North-Western Caspian region has begun to recover" Southern Wave: “In the Astrakhan Stepnoy Nature Reserve, the number of saigas has increased to 20 thousand individuals” Zen. Southern Wave: “In the Astrakhan Stepnoy Nature Reserve, the number of saigas has increased to 20 thousand individuals” ArbuzToday: "The rarest animals risk their lives in the Astrakhan region" News from Astrakhan: “The breeding season of relict antelopes is underway in the Astrakhan nature reserve”

Fig.1. Processing of the material in the laboratory of the University of Deri Dawa together with Ethiopian specialists. November 2023 During the implementation of the project “Pathogens and helminths of mammals of Ethiopia: epidemiological and epizootic significance in anthropogenically disturbed and native ecosystems”, supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in November-December 2023, specialists in large mammals and their pathogens  Volobueva K.A. and Kim M.D., led by the project leader, Director of the Institute of Economics and Ecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Naidenko S.V., specialists in small mammals and their viruses Kostin D.S. and Martynov A.A. and an employee of the Center for Parasitology of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Efeikin B.D. The work was carried out in accordance with a pre-approved plan in the central (Addis Ababa) and eastern (Deri Dawa, Aisha, Kebri Dehar) parts of the country. Expeditionary work to study the seropositivity and immune status of mammals in Ethiopia included trapping and collecting blood from rodents of various species, and capturing large mammals (hyenas). Fig.2. Capture of small mammals by employees of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences A total of 768 specimens of small mammals were captured, including representatives of rodents (Nikolaus’s mouse Megadendromus nikolausi, Ethiopian striped mouse Muriculus imberbis, Abyssinian grass rat Arvicanthis abyssinicus, Cairo spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus, Mount Chercher brush-furred rat Lophuromys chercherensis, Ethiopian white-footed mouse Stenocephalemys albipes, Brockman's rock mouse Ochromyscus brockmani, Natal multimammate mouse Mastomys natalensis, black rat Rattus rattus, lesser Egyptian gerbil Gerbillus gerbillus, Somali gerbil Ammodillus imbelis, naked mole rat Heterocephalus glaber), insectivores (Glass’s shrew Crocidura glassi, Thalia’s shrew C. thalia, Bale shrew C. bottegoides), Afro therium (elephant shrews Galegeeska revoilii and G. rufescens) and bats (yellow-winged bat Lavia frons, hairy slit-faced bat Nycteris hispida, Rüppell's horseshoe bat Rhinolphus fumigatus). Of particular interest within the framework of this project are the black rats that live exclusively in human buildings and disperse with them, polymammated rats of the genus Mastomys, for the Ethiopian representatives of which a new species of non-pathogenic for humans mammarenavirus Dhati-Welel (closely related, however, to the causative agent of such a disease, like Lassa fever), has been described, as well as the naked mole rat, which is the most important model object for a number of areas of evolutionary and medical biology. Based on helminthological material collected in Ethiopia, a new species of nematode, Syphacia ethiopiana, was documented and described. The nucleotide sequences of the ITS rDNA and LSU rDNA of the newly described Ethiopian species were analyzed. The data obtained were compared with data on other species of the genus, including Syphacia obvelata - a closely related species, which is also the type species of the genus parasitizing of the genus Mus, including the common house mouse Mus musculus. A complete description of the fine structure of the cuticle surface is given based on the results of scanning electron microscope studies; it is shown that there is significant similarity between the new Ethiopian and the type species of the genus, although there are also morphological characters that distinguish the new species from previously described ones. Article by project participants: A.R. Gromova, L.A. Lavrenchenko and S.E. Spiridonov “Syphacia ethiopiana sp. n. (Nematoda: Oxyurida: Syphaciinae) from the endemic Ethiopian rodent Stenocephalemys albipes Rüppell, 1842” was published in the Russian Journal of Nematology. Among the foreign participants, Mohammed Kasso, Mengistu Vale and Mesele Yikhune took part in the research. To carry out the work on the project, primarily related to the collection of biological material, they organized logistics, as well as the purchase of consumables necessary both for field research and for subsequent processing of the material in the laboratories of the University of Deri Dava.

On December 2, a long-awaited event took place at the Darwin Museum - a holiday dedicated to World Pet Day. This day included exciting master classes, quests, board games, meeting with pets, and meeting with specialists. The “True Friends” quest helped young participants find in the museum exhibition those animals that have been domesticated by humans for a very long time. The attention of visitors was attracted by the making of memorable jewelry - “dog” and “cat” brooches, folding paper bunnies, and cutting out paper bird beaks. The last action reminded us that among domesticated animals there are many not only animals, but also birds. Of course, pets have generated unprecedented interest. The animals of Valeria Parfenov, a great lover of pets, the French bulldog Motya and the gray parrot Sima, became the stars of the lecture programs. The Moscow public organization “Club of Decorative Rats Lovers” has already repeatedly taken part in museum events, and on this day they delighted visitors with their cute and well-mannered pets. President of the non-profit organization Union of Breeders and Breeders of Domestic Animals, author of the MINOR dwarf rabbit breed Alexander Gennadievich Shiryaev presented funny and tame rabbits. Cute and fluffy creatures from the Ferret Shelter also attracted the attention of visitors. There were also hamsters. Chief Researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS Feoktistova Natalya Yuryevna introduced the children and their parents to the animals of the vivarium. Lovers of man's long-time and devoted friends - dogs - could get acquainted with pets from the training center of the Sokolniki Cultural Center and from the Rehabilitation Center for stray dogs "СВОЯ СТАЯ" (“own pack”) under the leadership of Olga Orlova. A biologist, trainer, specialist in search disciplines and search and rescue services, an employee of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after. A.N. Severtsova RAS Ganitskaya Yulia Vladimirovna. She also spoke no less interestingly about the species diversity of parrots, their maintenance in captivity and taming. The celebration ended with positive emotions and good mood from meeting pets and participating in games and educational programs.

“Hidden hunger” occurs in humans and livestock and is caused by a deficiency of microelements, essential amino acids and vitamins. Provoked by an insufficient supply of microelements with food and feed, even with an excess of macronutrients, hidden hunger can lead to the development of serious diseases and pathological conditions. Finding enough micronutrients is often difficult because they are either obtained from limited external natural sources or are synthesized de novo. Soil-dwelling saprophages constitute a major part of the zoomass on Earth, but they are surprisingly overlooked as a potential source of microelements. To assess their nutritional value based on microelements, employees of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS with colleagues from M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and the V.A. Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology RAS, selected 30 species of invertebrates, obtained from natural ecosystems of European Russia or widely cultivated species originating mainly from tropical regions. They belong to the main taxa of soil saprophages: cockroaches (Blattodea), larvae and adults of beetles (Coleoptera), springtails (Collembola), centipedes (Diplopoda), larvae of flies, including the black soldier fly (Diptera), earthworms (Haplotaxida), woodlice (Isopoda), crickets (Orthoptera). Their proteinogenic amino acid, microelement and vitamin composition was assessed. Taxonomic differences in micronutrient composition and ratios were identified, and specific taxa naturally enriched in micronutrients were identified for further consideration as potential candidates for inclusion in food and feed additives to alleviate hidden hunger in livestock and humans. Head of the work, Doctor of Biological Sciences prof. RAS Konstantin Gongalsky says that soil invertebrates, which represent an almost unlimited resource due to the availability of food - dead organic matter - are important not only as a source of protein, which is already used in many countries, but also as a source of micronutrients. Obtaining large volumes of biomass from such animals can be used to feed farm animals as natural dietary supplements. The results were published in the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed: Gongalsky,K.B., D.I. Korobushkin, L.A. Baratova, A.I. Bastrakov, M.I. Degtyarev, A.Yu. Gorbunova, A.L. Ksenofontov, S.A. Lapa, I.M. Lebedev, A.S. Zaitsev. Soil saprophages as an emerging global source for micronutrients // Journal of Insects as Food and Feed. V.9. P. 1603-1613. doi.org/10.1163/23524588-20230001 Related materials: RAS: "Потенциал использования почвенных сапрофагов для получения ценных микронутриентов"

Every year, thousands of tons of seaweed wash up on the coasts of the World Ocean. This potentially valuable resource is used by some farmers to fertilize poor soils, but until now it has been unclear how exactly the algae is broken down and nutrients are released into the soil. The staff of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences tried to shed light on this issue. Fig.1: Washed ashore algae in the supralittoral zones of the Arctic seas. The researchers conducted a laboratory experiment to introduce seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus and Cystoseira barbata) into the soil from discharges of the White and Black Seas, along with littoral enchytraeids living there, as well as composting earthworms Eisenia fetida. The main attention was paid to the possibility of accelerating the decomposition of algae - hard-to-reach organic matter and enriching the soil with mineral nutrition elements; assessment of the role of added soil organisms in regulating greenhouse gas emissions during the destruction of organic matter; studying the survival rate of earthworms in salty soil with algae and its effect on the rate of transformation of the organic substrate. The 45-day experiment measured the dynamics of CO2 emissions, algae biomass, nitrogen and carbon content in the soil, and carried out isotope analysis of soil and animal samples to assess the entry of marine organic matter into terrestrial food chains. The results showed a higher rate of decomposition of Cystoseira compared to Fucus - the loss of biomass reached 30%. The maximum effect was observed in the combined presence of enchytraeids and earthworms. In addition, Cystoseira increased the survival rate of enchytraeids by 5 times, while Fucus decreased it. The earthworms maintained 75% viability regardless of the type of algae. According to isotope analysis, carbon of “marine” origin in coprolites of earthworms, subsequently introduced into the soil, was found only in variants with the simultaneous introduction of enchytraeids. Enchytraeids also regulated the activity of soil microorganisms, which is confirmed by a twofold reduction in CO2 emissions. Thus, enchytraeids play a key role as an intermediary between hard-to-reach marine and terrestrial organic matter, ensuring its inclusion in the soil. Table: CO2 emissions under various options for introducing marine organic matter (without algae, with a predominance of Fucus and Cystoseira) and soil animals (without animals, only enchytraeids or earthworms, two groups together) into experimental microcosms. Different letters above the bars indicate statistically significant differences (Repeated measures ANOVA test, p < 0.05) between the means. The results of the study made it possible to reconstruct the most probable and fastest way of involving marine organic matter into soil detrital food webs: in the first stages, the decomposition of algae occurs mainly by microorganisms, which make up a significant part of the enchytraeid diet, which ensures the inclusion of marine carbon in the soil. Earthworms recycle the waste products of enchytraeids, enriching the soil with them. Thus, the combined application of earthworms and enchytraeids ensures the fastest possible transfer of marine organic matter into the soil to increase soil fertility when algae are used as fertilizer. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 21-14-00027. Link to publication: Korobushkin D.I., Zaitsev A.S., Degtyarev M.I., Danilova M.A., Filimonova Zh.V., Guseva P.A., Pelgunova L.A., Pronina N.A., Tsurikov S.M., Vecherskii M.V., Volkova E.M., Zuev A.G., Saifutdinov R.A. (2023) Littoral enchytraeids and Eiseniа fetida earthworms facilitate utilization of marine macroalgae as biofertilizers. Applied Soil Ecology 188: 104882.