On November 28-30, 2023, the III Congress of Young Scientists took place in Sirius (Sochi). Senior researcher Ruslan Sayfutdinov took part in the congress as part of the joint delegation of the Council of Young Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences. As part of the busy business program of the congress, he was able to attend a number of interesting and useful sessions, including those dedicated to the development of youth science at RAS institutes, as well as take part in the RSF school and discussions of young researchers. The topics of digitalization of scientific activity, including the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, as well as the need to achieve the technological and research sovereignty of the country deserve special attention. In addition, preliminary agreements were made to expand cooperation with the youth activists of the RAS institutes. This will allow us to adopt the valuable experience of colleagues in improving scientific work, improving social and living conditions and organizing leisure time for young scientists. Senior researcher Pavel Sorokin participated in the section “Environmental genetics: the gene pool of wild animals and challenges of modern times.” Photo: RosCongress Together with the leading specialists in environmental genetics of our country from the Federal State Budgetary Institution "VNII Ecology", the Federal State Budgetary Institution IOGEN RAS, Moscow State Law Academy, reports were presented on the general concept of environmental genetics, the use of genetic and genomic approaches for the protection, maintenance and restoration of the gene pool of rare and valuable animal species of the Russian Federation using the example various species of birds, mammals and fish. The legal aspects of environmental genetics are considered in relation to the identification, certification and management of biological resource collections of rare and protected species of animals, including for conducting molecular genetic examination in the framework of criminal cases of illegal extraction and trafficking of animal objects. These topics aroused great interest among visitors to this section.

On October 14-17, 2023, the 5th International Conference on B chromosomes (5th B-chromosome Conference, https://5thbcc.com/) was held in Serbia. Senior Researcher, Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph.D. S.V. Pavlova led the section “Dynamics of B chromosomes in populations”, at which she also made an oral presentation “Supernumerary chromosomes contribute to karyotypic diversity within cryptic species of the subgenus Stenocranius (Cricetidae, Rodentia)”. The report presented the results of a molecular cytogenetic analysis of mitosis and meiosis in populations of two cryptic species of narrow-skulled voles of the genus Lasiopodomys, obtained by an interinstitutional team of the Russian Science Foundation project 22-24-00513. The conference materials were published in the journal BMC Proceedings. The conference took place at the biological research station Petnica (University of Belgrade), near the famous Petnica cave, which is home to many European bat species. The conference program included a master class on taking biopsies from bats for intravital karyotyping. Conference venue – Biological Research Station Petnica Research Station. Fig: Petnica Cave (vault height 17 m) Conference participants from Serbia, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, UK, USA, Brazil, China, South Korea and Russia.Великобритании, США, Бразилии, Китая, Южной Кореи и России.

Five projects of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences will receive grant support from the Russian Science Foundation in the priority area of activity of the Russian Science Foundation “Conducting fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research by small individual scientific groups.” 1. Assessment of the influence of biotic factors on the manifestations of inequality of individuals in populations of small passerine birds. A.S. Opaev 2. Diversity of evolutionary scenarios for speciation in mammals using the example of modern pikas Ochotona. A.A. Lisovsky 3. Distribution of meiotic recombination patterns in closely related species with different structural features of genomes (using the example of short-cycle fish of the genus Nothobranchius). S.A. Simanovsky 4. Biomechanics of the vertebrate musculoskeletal system as the morphofunctional basis of their adaptation to life in various environments. R.I. Belyaev 5. Diversity, evolution and parasite-host relationships of gregarine centipedes of the classes Symphyla, Chilopoda, Diplopoda. T.S. Mirolyubova Congratulations to the winners! We wish you success in implementing your projects!

Fig.1. After the rally at the monument to M.V. Lomonosov, installed in front of Northern (Arctic) Federal University Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.V. Rozhnov, at the invitation of the Lomonosov Foundation, made a report “Arctic territories: how to avoid conflicts of interests between humans and the existence of living nature” at the LII Lomonosov Readings dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Fig.2. Monument to the young Lomonosov in Kholmogory, erected on the 310th anniversary of his birth in 2021 Fig.3. Monument to the young Lomonosov in Kholmogory, erected on the 310th anniversary of his birth in 2021 Lomonosov readings are dedicated to the birthday of M.V. Lomonosov, have a long academic tradition and are regularly held in Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory. In addition to the reports, the program of readings included a visit to the Federal Research Center for Integrated Study of the Arctic named after Academician N.P. Laverov Ural Branch of RAS, Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU), an excursion to the homeland of the great Russian scientist in Kholmogory, as well as to Severodvinsk to the Sevmash plant. To the monuments of M.V. Flowers were laid on Lomonosov in Arkhangelsk, Kholmogory and Severodvinsk and rallies were held with the participation of representatives of schoolchildren, students, teachers and administration representatives. Wonderful concerts were given in honor of the Lomonosov readings at the Arkhangelsk Drama Theater and at the Kholmogory Palace of Culture. Fig.4. At the monument to M.V. Lomonosov in Severodvinsk Fig.5. At the monument to M.V. Lomonosov in Severodvinsk

Narrow-skulled voles now inhabit the arid steppes and tundras of northern Eurasia. Recently, they settled in periglacial zones, expanding their range from the European tundra to northern China. Most of this vast region is inhabited by a single genetic form, while in the southern mountain steppes the genetic diversity is much higher. To date, four genetic forms are known, distributed from Altai to Transbaikal. The first to separate from the other narrow-skulled voles was the so-called Radde's vole, although this happened only in the Middle Pleistocene. Now this vole has a tiny range in eastern Transbaikal and eastern Mongolia. Its habitat is surrounded on all sides by narrow-skulled voles of another genetic group. The question arises: what prevents these voles from interbreeding and how was it possible to maintain such a small range in the unstable conditions of the Palaearctic? A new study published in the journal Diversity examines hybridization between Radde's voles and narrow-skulled voles, and examines the differences in the ecological niches of these forms. The study was carried out by a team of Russian authors, including A.A. Lisovsky, senior scientist at the laboratory of microevolution of mammals. The study of microsatellite loci revealed weak gene flow in populations of both species living along the interspecies “border.” However, it was not possible to detect a single case of foreign mitochondrial DNA. No mixed populations were found: only one species lived in all studied locations. A study of ecological niches using modeling (SDM) showed that the same environmental factors (snow depth, humidity) are important for both forms, but there is a significant difference in the preferred values of these factors. Thus, the preferred areas for these species of vole do not intersect. Although ecological differences have been discovered between species, they cannot in any way explain the presence of a pronounced boundary between them, because all climatic factors are distributed continuously, without sharp changes in values. Perhaps the decisive role in the absence of mixed populations is played by the interspecific behavior of voles. This will have to be clarified in future experiments. "The work was carried out with financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 22-24-00513, https://rscf.ru/project/22-24-00513). Petrova T.V., Dvoyashov I.A., Bazhenov Y.A., Obolenskaya E.V. & Lissovsky A.A. 2023. An Invisible Boundary between Geographic Ranges of Cryptic Species of Narrow-Headed Voles (Stenocranius, Lasiopodomys, Cricetidae) in Transbaikalia // Diversity. Vol.15. No.3. P.439. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/439.

Fig.1 In an article by Institute employee Alexei Tsessarsky, published this year in the Journal of Anatomy, a hypothesis is proposed to explain the mechanism for the emergence of the unusual structure of the jaw apparatus and the head of sturgeons in general. Unlike all other ray-finned fish, and bony fish in general, in sturgeons, the upper jaw does not articulate with the front of the skull, but instead, the branches of the upper jaw are turned inward with their anterior ends and close with each other, forming the so-called maxillary symphysis (Fig. 1). The maxillary symphysis is considered a key synapomorphy of sturgeons, distinguishing them from other actinopterygians, but this is only half the story. If in all “normal” fish the ventral side of the anterior part of the skull serves as a skeletal support for the roof of the oral cavity (Fig. 2A), then in sturgeons this entire section is located in front of the mouth and is in no way connected with the oral cavity (Fig. 2B). Fig.2 Thus, the design of the head of sturgeons is a striking example of a deep evolutionary transformation (novelty), which we would like to explain in terms of phylogeny and evolution. However, this is far from a trivial task, since even the most basal Mesozoic representatives of the group show the same general jaw pattern as modern sturgeons, which makes the transition from the putative ancestral (paleoniscoid) pattern to the state characteristic of sturgeons completely incomprehensible. For more than 150 years, since the times of Karl Gegenbauer and Thomas Huxley, in all textbooks and reports on the morphology of vertebrates, special sections have been devoted to sturgeons and their close relatives, polyodontids, but no explanation has been offered for the unusual design of the head of these fish. Paradoxically, the sturgeon skull is a classic and, at the same time, completely mysterious object in the comparative anatomy of vertebrates. The solution to this riddle was made possible by analysis of the earliest stages of head development, when the skeletal components are still represented by barely formed mesenchymal accumulations. For this purpose, the method of constructing 3D models from serial histological sections was used (Fig. 3). Fig.3 A thorough analysis of the development of the jaw arch of sturgeons made it possible to establish well-founded homologies of the components of the upper jaw and, in particular, to show that the anterior ends of the branches of the upper jaw, which in other fish articulate with the axial skull, in sturgeons separated from the jaw arch and turned into supporting cartilages of specialized sensory organ - antennae (Fig. 4). Рис.4 This process was most likely triggered by paedomorphic underdevelopment of the lower jaw in the ancestors of sturgeons, which led to exposure of the anterior part of the palate and opened the possibility for the transformation of this area into an organ of taste and tactile sensitivity. The remaining parts of the maxilla rotated medially and restored occlusion with a shortened mandible. This is how the maxillary symphysis was formed. The article was published in the Journal of Anatomy: Alexey Tsessarsky, What is missing from the sturgeon jaw: Developmental morphology of the upper jaw in Acipenser, Journal of Anatomy. 2023; 00:1–21, DOI: 10.1111/joa.13953

The international journal DATA, under the leadership of Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.A. Kotov, published the work of Russian and Chinese researchers summarizing the results of 20 years of monitoring of the ichthyofauna of the Volga and Kama rivers. The purpose of the study is to describe the diversity of alien and native fish of the Volga and Kama rivers (the largest water system in Europe). For the observation period from 2001 to 2021. a database of almost two thousand records (more than 36 thousand individual observations) was compiled for coastal and pelagic habitats of 143 locations, covering 52 species from 42 genera of 22 families of bony fishes. The dataset is in the standardized DarwinCore format and is publicly available on the International Biodiversity Database GBIF. As a result of the work, data on new findings are provided and the distribution of alien fish species in the Volga-Kama basin is clarified. For all alien species, genetic diversity data (DNA barcoding) is provided, which will allow our data to be used as a comparison material for the accurate identification of alien fish species in order to control their spread. The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project 23-14-00178). Related materials:RAS: "The results of 20-year monitoring of the ichthyofauna of the Volga and Kama rivers are summarized"

The National Agrarian University of Armenia has approved a scholarship for the most successful students. The scholarship will be named after Sergei Oganesovich Movsesyan. Sergey Oganesovich is Russian zoologist, parasitologist, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Doctor of Biological Sciences, scientific director of the joint Russian-Armenian scientific and experimental center of zoology and parasitology. He has received a large number of awards and prizes, including the K. I. Scriabin Prize (2002) - for a series of works “Study of species diversity, taxonometry and systematics of cestodes of the suborder Davaineata Skrjbin, 1940.” Sergey Oganesovich is also an Honored Scientist of the Republic of Armenia (2013). Congratulations to Sergei Oganesovich and our Institute on such an important event!

Over the past month (the second half of October - the first half of November), the male Persian leopard named Chilmas, released in July 2023 on the territory of the Turmon Nature Reserve, explored and developed further territory, up to 568 km2. All this time he preferred to stay in the depths of the forest of the Ardon-Urukh interfluve; only in the last month has he become actively interested in the stone outcrops of the rocky ridge and rock massifs. These locations impress our field zoologists every time they examine the ground where Chilmas has hunted. According to data confirmed by them, he successfully feeds by catching deer and roe deer. His prey list also includes badgers and raccoon dogs. During the entire period after his release, Chilmas never crossed the borders of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania; and he is now staying close to the North Ossetian Nature Reserve. During this time, Chilmas traveled a distance of 479 km, of which 183 km in the last month. The maximum distance he has traveled from the release site to date is about 26 km. Compared to Baksan and Leo (leopards we released earlier, in 2020 and 2022), Chilmas’s spatial activity is on par with that of Leo, but less than that of Baksan. So, in approximately the same geographical area Chilmas now travels, over a similar time period Leo developed an area of 512 km2, and Baksan - 828 km2. The nature of the choice of routes by these males in the first 4 months after release also differs significantly. Moreover, during the entire period following the release, there were never any encounters between the released leopards. Chilmas is characterized by greater diversity in the choice of landscapes and greater efficiency when hunting large prey. Since his release, a total of 11 clusters of confirmed locations - places where he hunted successfully (of which 9 were verified on the spot). According to the information we have related to the monitoring of leopards released in 2022, females Laura and Khosta are doing well. Laura settled down on the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, near the border region with Ossetia. Khosta has now returned from Chechnya to Ossetia and is actively preparing for winter, intensively fattening up before the cold weather. We know nothing about the female Achipsa, released on July 15, 2023 in the Bolshoy Thach Natural Park, adjacent to the Caucasian Nature Reserve, whose collar had a Canadian-made transmitter on it - the transmitter stopped working 6 days after release. We want to believe that Achipse is in the reserve and is settling well, but unfortunately, at the moment we have no way of verifying this. The program for the restoration of the Central Asian leopard in the Caucasus is being implemented by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasus Nature Reserve, the North Ossetian Nature Reserve, the Alania National Park, and the Moscow Zoo with the assistance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Scientific support of the Program is provided by the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) in collaboration with the A.K. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS (IEMT RAS), the Caspian Institute of Biological Resources of the Dagestan Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and zoologists of protected areas. In North Ossetia, financial support for the scientific efforts towards the population restoration program is provided by the RusHydro company.

Nordgold film “Soil”, created with the assistance of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, received first place in the category “Best Popular Science Film” at the V International Festival of Short Documentary Films about the Mining Industry MineMovie-2023, organized by the MINEX Mining Forum and the First Geological Channel. “Soil” is a short popular science film dedicated to protecting nature. The film tells about the thinnest, but most fertile layer of the earth - soil. Scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Ecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences popularly explain why we owe the abundance of food to underground inhabitants, whether a mushroom can grow the size of a small country, why it is extremely important for people to take care of the soil and its inhabitants, how fragile this ecosystem is and how easy it is to disturb it. “If we compare the total mass of all vertebrate animals that live on one hectare of land, then they will be approximately 100 times less than the total mass of soil animals that live on the same hectare,” says Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Deputy Director in the film in science from the IEE RAS Konstantin Gongalsky. Candidate of Biological Sciences Daniil Korobushkin participated in the preparation and implementation of the film script. He talks about how 93% of our potential food comes from the soil. Therefore, if we pollute the soil, it directly affects our nutrition. At the same time, restoring the soil to 100% is very difficult, and sometimes even impossible. Nordgold places a high priority on environmental issues, striving to minimize the impact of production on surrounding ecosystems. The company is continuously improving its environmental management system (EMS), which implements a consistent and holistic approach to ensuring environmental safety in all areas where it operates. In particular, Nordgold actively and fruitfully cooperates with IEE RAS in the field of protection and conservation of biological diversity.