Six species of burrowing pikas (lagomorphs) inhabit the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas. The species are very similar in appearance, but each of them occupies a special ecological niche. The landscapes preferred by the species are distributed in such a way that one of the species, the black-lipped pika, inhabits the entire plateau itself, while the remaining species have small habitats adjacent to it on different sides. Currently, the ranges of the species almost do not overlap. In a work published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution by an international Chinese-Russian team of authors, including senior researcher at the Laboratory of Mammalian Microevolution, Ph.D. Lisovsky A.A., analyzed how the ranges of all six species could change during the climatic fluctuations of the Pleistocene. It turned out that these pikas are very sensitive to climate changes, and different phases of cooling and warming should have noticeably changed their ranges. Genomic studies showed that all six species were involved in a process of interspecific hybridization, with different species interbreeding at different times. The process of hybridization is still underway in the southwest of the Tibetan plateau. Analysis of demographic curves and hybridization times suggested that for three species, gene transfer was beneficial and interrupted population declines caused by habitat restructuring as a result of climate change. It is curious that the black-lipped pika, which has always maintained a central position in its range, was the main source of transferred genes. The very fact of interspecific hybridization was discovered in previous studies, based on the detection of foreign mitochondrial DNA in populations of several species. However, genomic studies have expanded the list of hybridizing species. Three more pairs of cases were found in which nuclear gene transfer was not accompanied by replacement of mitochondrial DNA. It is assumed that hybridization had adaptive significance for the species involved. For example, the Daurian pika, mainly distributed on the low Mongolian plateau, as a result of hybridization was able to populate significantly higher territories adjacent to northeastern Tibet. Ge D., Wen Z., Feijó A., Lissovsky A., Zhang W., Cheng J., Yan C., She H., Zhang D., Cheng Y., Lu L., Wu X., Mu D., Zhang Y., Xia L., Qu Y., Vogler A.P. & Yang Q. 2022. Genomic Consequences of and Demographic Response to Pervasive Hybridization over Time in Climate-sensitive Pikas // Molecular Biology and Evolution. Vol.40. No.1. P.msac274. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac274

Longhorned beetles Batocera horsfieldi (Hope, 1839) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are an important pest of woody plants in China. This beetle is mainly distributed in China, Vietnam, Japan and India, where its larvae infect almost 100 species of trees, including walnut (Juglons) and other important walnut trees, but it is thought to have the potential to become an invasive species because its larvae feed secretly under the bark and are easily transported in wood materials. Fig.1. The last author of the article, Jacob Wickham, a researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, holding an adult longhorned beetle Batocera horsfieldi These beetles have a sensitive olfactory system, which is necessary for finding a host tree and breeding pair. The development of specialized and complex olfactory systems has allowed these insects to become significantly more aware of their environment, as they are able to detect and distinguish volatile substances that play a key role in behaviors such as searching for food, finding a host, mating and laying eggs. In connection with this feature, special effective attractants are used to catch these insects, detect them in nature and study them. The availability of effective attractants for their mass collection may also reduce the use of insecticides to control this and other species. Fig.2. Batocera horsfieldi beetle larva inside wood The aim of our study was to investigate attractive compounds in plant hosts for the longhorned beetle Batocera horsfieldi. In a paper published in the journal Insects, we uncovered a potential olfactory mechanism underlying host selection in the Chinese pistachio (Pistacia chinensis). Using Chinese pistachio trees, we performed two bioassays using 10 adult pairs (indoor, darkroom, and cage) on adult feeding-damaged plants and intact control plants. Volatiles from these plants were then collected and identified, and the antennal responses of adult insects to these compounds were tested using electroantennography (EAG). Finally, the behavioral responses of B. horsfieldi to these compounds were assessed using a Y-tube olfactometer (maze). Fig.3. This graph shows that male and female longhorned beetles Batocera horsfieldi prefer to feed on damaged trees Electroantennography, a method that uses the antennae of living insects as a living detector, identified 15 electrophysiologically active compounds, many of which were also produced in abundance in the study of damaged plants. Host choice tests showed that B. horsfieldi prefers feed-damaged P. chinensis to healthy trees. Damaged plants release a lot of these volatiles, so beetles can use such emissions from damaged food plants to find them, as well as to find mates who are also attracted to these substances. We identified several terpenes, namely (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, β-ocimene, 3-carene and α-phellandrene, that attract already mated females, and two compounds, (Z)-3-hexen-1- ol and α-phellandrene, which attract males in olfactometric assays using the Y-maze. At the same time, the D-compound limonene-1, also produced by the plant, repelled both males and females, and adults of both sexes avoided its consumption. The response to volatile compounds increased in a dose-dependent manner. Biological feeding assays showed that (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and β-ocimene can promote feeding in B. horsfieldi and that D-limonene inhibits this response. These results could provide a theoretical basis for the development of attractants or repellents for B. horsfieldi. Fan, J.; Zheng, K.; Xie, P.; Dong, Y.; Gu, Y.;Wickham, J.D. Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Batocera horsfieldi Hope to Volatiles from Pistacia chinensis Bunge. Insects 2023, 14, 911. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14120911

Left: Dolly Varden is a suitable host for the trematode D. pseudospathaceum. In the center: the lens of the eye of a fish infected with trematode metacercariae. Right: Metacercariae in all their splendor and awe-inspiring beauty. The phenomenon of parasitic manipulation—the ability of parasites to change the behavior of the host to their benefit—has long attracted the attention of scientists, science popularizers, and the general public. Unfortunately, despite the great interest in this phenomenon, little is known about the mechanisms of manipulation. The trematode Diplostomum pseudospathaceum, which lives in the lenses of fish eyes, suppresses their defensive behavior, making it more accessible prey for piscivorous birds—the definitive hosts of the parasite. This trematode makes the fish more active and forces the owner to stay closer to the water surface. For a long time it was believed that the reason for the change in the host's behavior was the deterioration of vision caused by the parasite. A group of researchers from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS and Timiryazev Academy questioned this hypothesis. They studied the behavior of Dolly Varden (a fish from the salmon family) infected with D. pseudospathaceum in the light and in the dark. The fish were raised and infected with trematodes under controlled laboratory conditions to minimize the influence of environmental factors on the parasite-host relationship. It was assumed that if the problem really was a deterioration in vision, then in the dark the differences in behavior between control and infected fish should disappear. The behavior of the fish was filmed using infrared-sensitive cameras and analyzed “blindly,” meaning the researchers did not know which fish, infected or control, they were testing or which fish’s behavior they were analyzing in the video recordings. Only the autopsy showed whether the fish was infected or not. It turned out that both in the dark and in the light, the infected fish were more active, swam closer to the surface of the water and were caught in the net earlier, i.e., manipulations of the host’s behavior persisted in all light conditions. The results of the study confirm the ability of the parasite to manipulate the behavior of fish, but call into question the assumption of deterioration of the host's vision as the main mechanism of manipulation and hint that the parasite uses more sophisticated mechanisms to control its “prey”. The work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education and Science No. 075-15-2022-1134. The article was published in the International Journal for Parasitology. Gopko M., Tkachenko D., Shpagina A., Maximenko D., Mironova E. (2023) Is vision deterioration responsible for changes in the host’s behavior caused by eye flukes? International Journal for Parasitology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.06.001. A detailed synopsis of the article can be found on the popular science portal “Elements”.

November 28, 2023 Sberbank and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence as part of the implementation of the national project “Ecology” at the III Annual Congress of Young Scientists. The document was signed by Vice President - Director of the Department for the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Maxim Eremenko and Deputy Director of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS Konstantin Gongalsky. The subject of the agreement is the creation, implementation, application, use and development of artificial intelligence models and technological solutions on the study and conservation of biodiversity, as well as joint educational and business events aimed at increasing environmental literacy of the population. Maxim Eremenko, Vice President - Director of the Department for the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Sberbank: “One of Sber’s priority areas of work in the ESG field is the development of new solutions based on artificial intelligence technology to regulate environmental risks. AI can be used to collect and analyze data on the state of ecosystems, predict climate change, study the population of rare species of animals and plants, and can make a significant contribution to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation projects.” Konstantin Gongalsky, Deputy Director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences: “Despite the fact that the main activity of the Institute is fundamental research, one of the priorities of our development is participation in applied environmental research and providing a high-quality scientific foundation for the research carried out by our corporate partners. We hope that the partnership with Sber in the field of artificial intelligence will take our joint work on assessing biodiversity and predicting the state of ecosystems to a new level.”

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