On November 25, 2025, celebrations were held to mark the 55th anniversary of the Yenisei Mirnoye Station of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS). The station is located on the banks of the Yenisei River in its middle reaches and is surrounded by middle-taiga dark coniferous forests of Siberian cedar, spruce, pine, and larch. The Yenisei Valley features a complex system of dark coniferous taiga, shrub (willow) communities, and several types of meadows. The station is located within the biosphere reserve of the Central Siberian Biosphere Reserve. The station's organizers set the goal of studying the zonal natural features of Central Siberia along the Yenisei meridional transect. Therefore, while the station's primary objective was to study taiga ecosystems, it served as a base for broader research and generalizations concerning not only taiga territories but also tundra and arctic landscapes, including Taimyr to the north, as well as the southern Yenisei Siberia region, all the way to the steppes and semi-deserts of Khakassia and Tyva. As part of the ceremonial events, a scientific council meeting was held, attended by IEE RAS staff and station guests. The presentations discussed the station's past and current research in various areas, as well as its future development prospects.

Photo: Brandt's vole often makes alarm calls without fully emerging from its burrow. The Brandt's vole is one of the few vole species in the subfamily Arvicolinae that emits loud alarm calls within the human hearing range when confronted with terrestrial and avian predators. They also perceive humans as potential predators and begin calling out in alarm from a distance of several dozen meters. Researchers from Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Cryology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INREC SB RAS), and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) studied the individual characteristics of the alarm calls of Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) in a natural population of these steppe rodents in the buffer zone of the Daursky Nature Reserve in the Zabaikalsky Krai. Brandt's voles live in family colonies consisting of a breeding pair and several successive litters. During the peak population period, when this study was conducted, the distance from one colony to another could be no more than 100 meters. Typically, when a human appeared near a colony, one rodent would emerge from its burrow and emit a long sequence of alarm calls, then the first member would fall silent and another would begin calling. In Brandt's vole family colonies, the researchers recorded long sequences of alarm calls from one animal per colony. From these recordings, they selected those that included at least 50 calls. These sequences were recorded in 50 colonies, for a total of 2,500 alarm calls included in the analysis. The acoustic parameters of the calls were then measured and their variability was assessed within long individual sequences and between voles from different colonies. Figure 1: The spectrogram shows the intra- and inter-individual variability of alarm calls in eight Brandt's voles. Each panel shows a two-second portion of a single vole's call sequence. While some voles have nearly identical calls within a sequence, others have ones that vary greatly in contour shape: a low-frequency baseline, a mid-peak extension, and a high-peak extension. The alarm vocalizations of Brandt's voles are very long (up to several hundred) series of short alarm calls, uttered at short intervals. The production of alarm calls in long sequences may help listeners identify the caller even when some of the calls are masked by noise or disrupted by wind, which is common in the open habitats of Brandt's voles. Listeners may experience an illusion of auditory continuity (first demonstrated by Canadian researchers in Richardson's ground squirrels) based on the call duration of repeated calls, even when some of them are obscured by noise. Although the alarm calls of Brandt's voles could have up to four different contour shapes even within a call sequence in the same individual, all individuals were recognizable by their calls with a probability 15 times greater than chance. The study demonstrates that the alarm calls of Brandt's voles maintain a balance between individualization and diversity of acoustic structure, which may have important biological implications. Individualized calls within a sequence form the basis for reliable recognition by colony members. However, diversity in alarm calls within a sequence of a single individual helps prevent monotony and family members from becoming accustomed to the same calls. Thus, a variety of calls within a sequence will maintain the vigilance of other family members until the dangerous predator leaves the colony.

Common roach (Rutilus rutilus) from the Baltic Sea basin. Photo by O.N. Artayev An international team of researchers led by Boris Levin, a PhD candidate in biology, ichthyologist and leading researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), studied the taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolutionary history and established the extensive role of hybridization in the evolution of one of the most common and widespread fish species in Northern Eurasia — the common roach. The genus's range extends from the British Isles in the west to Yakutia in the east, and from Scandinavia in the north to the southern parts of the Caspian and Aral Sea basins in the south. "Thanks to scientific collaboration and extensive expeditions, we were able to collect representative material from all species of the genus throughout its entire range. Roach taxonomy was highly complex and controversial, perhaps because roach readily hybridize with other fish species. Furthermore, roach are extremely flexible phenotypically and ecologically, and species boundaries defined by standard phenotypes are not always valid," explained B.A. Levin, PhD in Biology. Genetic markers of maternally transmitted mitochondrial DNA used in previous studies yielded results that contradicted the generally accepted taxonomy of this group. For this reason, the scientists decided to employ a more technologically advanced method of genome analysis - ddRAD-seq - using high-throughput second-generation sequencing (Illumina). Extensive bioinformatic processing of the genomic data allowed them to resolve a number of issues that seemed intractable using classical methods. Firstly, hidden evolutionary and species diversity was discovered — three "old" species that had been unjustifiably synonymized with other species were recovered, and three new evolutionary lineages — candidates for new species — were also discovered. "It is noteworthy that these new evolutionary lineages were discovered in Europe, one of the most studied regions." "In particular, one lineage was discovered on the Balkan Peninsula, one in the Danube basin, and another in the Dnieper," reported the article's lead author, B.A. Levin. Ultimately, the species diversity of the genus Rutilus can be reduced to 22 species, divided into three subgenera. Fig.1. Map of the collection of material with marking of the distribution of the main three clades. Secondly, the extensive role of introgressive interspecific and intergeneric hybridization in the evolutionary history of the genus has been revealed, often manifested in discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies. For example, in the Caspian Basin, frequent hybridization between the kutum (Black Sea roach) and the Caspian roach — both historical and modern — has been discovered. Here, kutum often possesses the mitogenome of the Caspian roach, and vice versa. Extensive mitochondrial "masking" has also been observed in other species. Throughout most of the genus's range, extending up to 5,000 km longitudinally — from Eastern Siberia to the Balkan Peninsula—and approximately 3,700 km latitudinally — from Scandinavia to Iran—mitochondrial genes of the Ponto-Caspian lineage of roach are found in many species inhabiting this vast swath of Eurasia. The species in question are the Siberian roach R. lacustris, the Aral roach R. aralensis, the Armenian roach R. shelkovnikovi, and the common roach R. rutilus, which are genetically isolated species according to nuclear genome data. This pattern (mitonuclear dissonance) is a consequence of historical hybridization. The authors of the article believe that the global expansion of the Caspian-Black Sea roach lineage into northern ecosystems occurred as a result of pluvial epochs of the Pleistocene postglacial periods. These expansions were accompanied by secondary contact and hybridization with local species. The most complex hybridization situation between different closely related roach lineages was observed in the Volga River basin, where three species converged to form a vast hybrid zone: the common roach R. ruiltus, which originated from the Baltic basin; the Siberian roach R. lacustris, which originated from the Ob River basin; and the Caspian roach R. caspicus, which originated from the Caspian Sea. Thirdly, the unusually frequent intraspecific hybridization of roach, as well as hybridization with other fish genera, has led to the development of a heterogeneous genome, which facilitates high phenotypic and ecological plasticity in roach, which quickly develops different ecological forms. However, this study also revealed the negative impact of hybridization on species with limited ranges and small populations, using the example of the Transcaucasian species, the Shirvan roach. Although called a roach, this study found that it belongs to a separate genus, Orthroleucos. The Shirvan roach genome consists of up to 15-20% of the genome of the roach native to the Transcaucasus, and its mitochondrial genome has been completely replaced by that of the common roach. The population of this species is declining, which could lead to negative consequences of hybridization. If hybridization continues, a more numerous species could "dissolve" the small population of the Transcaucasian endemic. This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 24-44-20019. AI-Novosti: "Scientists conducted a large-scale genomic study of the roach genus (order Cypriniformes)"

Fig. 1. Holotype of Scincella balluca sp. nov. (ZMMU Re-18292) in life (Photo: A.M. Bragin). During fieldwork by the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Center of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), specimens of small skinks were discovered in the high-mountain forests of the Lang Bian Plateau in southern Vietnam. Based on morphological and molecular data, a new species belonging to the genus Scincella was described. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that the species Scincella balluca (Bragin, Zenin, Le, Nguyen, Nguyen, Bobrov et Poyarkov, 2025) (Fig. 1) is a distinct lineage, with significant mitochondrial differences from all other studied species of the genus Scincella. This discovery brings the number of recognized species of the genus Scincella to 47 in the global fauna. Fig. 2. Distribution map of representatives of the genus Scincella in Vietnam. The Lang Bian Plateau is located at the southern end of the Annamite Mountains (the Truong Son Range) and is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot in Vietnam and Indochina as a whole. It is characterized by high diversity and endemism of its herpetofauna (Poyarkov et al., 2021, 2023), much of which has only recently been discovered. Despite many years of herpetological research conducted by the Tropical Research Center in this region, some areas of the Lang Bian Plateau remain poorly studied, and many herpetofauna species have not yet been thoroughly investigated. Among the poorly studied taxa are members of the skink family (Scincidae), particularly the genus Scincella. Meanwhile, Vietnam is a center of diversity for this genus, accounting for more than a third of its known species richness: 20 species have currently been recorded in the country. According to current understanding of their distribution, most species of the genus Scincella in Vietnam are associated with mountainous habitats (Fig. 2). Until now, scincellas on the Lang Bian Plateau were represented by only two species: S. doriae and S. melanosticta. Given the high diversity of these skinks on the plateaus of northern and central Vietnam, additional fieldwork in this region, as well as a reassessment of existing collections, is needed. The specific epithet of the new species is derived from the Latin noun "ballux," meaning "grain of gold." The name refers to the golden coloration of the flanks and ventral surface of the new species, as well as the shiny surface of the scales, which sometimes shimmer in the sun. The authors of the description propose the following common names for this species: "Golden ground skink" in English, "Thằn lằn ánh vàng" in Vietnamese, and "Золотистый малый сцинк" in Russian. Fig. 3. Habitats of Scincella balluca sp. nov. in Southern Vietnam (Photo: A.M. Bragin.) The new species is currently known from three high-altitude habitats in southern Vietnam (Fig. 3): Ta Dung Mountain in Ta Dung National Park (Dak Nong Province), Chu Yang Sin Mountain in Chu Yang Sin National Park (Dak Lak Province), and Bidup Mountain in Bi Duup-Nui Ba National Park (Lam Dong Province). "Its habitats range from 1,600 m to 2,200 m above sea level. Given the ecological similarities of adjacent mountain regions, it is likely that the new species' distribution extends further, potentially encompassing other high-altitude ranges across the Lang Bian Plateau at similar altitudes," said Vladimir Bobrov, PhD, senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Related materials: Science.Mail: "Russian scientists have described a new lizard species"

This monograph collects, systematizes, and presents extensive material on various aspects of the biology of predominantly synanthropic house mouse taxa of the Mus musculus sensu lato superspecies complex. The aim of the work is to summarize the data obtained by the authors over the past 20 years, including 2025, supplement it with the findings of other researchers, and outline their own theoretical and practical contributions to the study of the biology and population regulation of synanthropic house mouse species. The systematics, evolution, phylogeography, ecology, physiology, behavior, and communication of these rodents as synanthropes are analyzed. Emphasis is placed on species inhabiting Russia and adjacent territories. Recommendations for population regulation of house mice are included, based on the authors' research on resistance to anticoagulants. This book is aimed at a wide range of specialists: zoologists, ecologists, ethologists, physiologists, urban ecology researchers, as well as specialists directly involved in the regulation of synanthropic rodent populations. The monograph may also be useful for students majoring in biology. Publisher's Note: E.V. Kotenkova, A.V. Ambaryan, A.N. Mal'tsev. House Mice: Origin, Lifestyle, Synanthropy, Phylogeography, Taxonomy, and Behavior. KMK Scientific Publishing Society. 2025, 395 pages. ISBN 978-5-908015-21-9. Currently, this book is only available in print. For inquiries, please contact A.V. Maltsev by email at mus-musculus@yandex.ru

Photo: Harting's voles belong to a group of species with induced ovulation. The male's ultrasonic self-advertising songs help persuade an unfamiliar female to mate upon first encounter. When presented with the scent of a receptive female, male voles produce long, highly complex ultrasonic sequences—songs. The structure of ultrasonic courtship songs in male voles is used as indicators for assessing the effectiveness of drugs tested in biomedical research. Researchers from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ZIN RAS) have for the first time studied the acoustic characteristics of ultrasonic songs in voles and demonstrated how male Harting's voles (Microtus hartingi) use them during sexual interactions with females. Figure: Spectrographic analysis of the complex songs of male Harting's voles was carried out at the level of phrases, syllables and notes. Fifty-nine short-term paired encounters between unfamiliar, unrelated males and females were conducted in a territory neutral for both animals. Songs of male Harting's voles were recorded from 13 of the 59 males that courted females, while the rest were either afraid of the females or showed no interest in them. The scientists compared songs in interactions in which the male's courtship resulted in successful mating (five trials) with those in which the males only attempted but failed to mate with the females (eight trials). Since it is known in wild house mice and singing mice of the genus Scotinomys that females prefer males who invest more effort in their singing, the scientists hypothesized that male Harting's voles would sing more complex songs in cases of successful mating and less complex songs during mating attempts. Figure: Two song fragments, from two different males; each fragment contains seven phrases. Contrary to predictions, the songs of males who only attempted mating were more complex. These songs had longer phrases and contained more syllables, and the intervals between syllables within phrases were shorter for the same number of notes per syllable. Compared to the songs of male house mice, the songs of male Harting's voles were more complex. Since voles undergo induced ovulation, the songs of males likely provide stimuli that promote ovulation in females. Unlike voles, house mice undergo spontaneous, not induced, ovulation, which may be why male mice use simpler songs during courtship than male voles. Figure: In each song, frequency, energy and temporal acoustic parameters were measured. Harting's voles thrive and reproduce in captivity. Their complex ultrasonic song makes males of this rodent species a promising model for biomedical research, including for evaluating the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals on adults. Previously, the potential for using infant ultrasound for biomedical purposes has been demonstrated for this species. The results of the study were published in the Q2 journal Behavioural Processes: Volodin I.A., Rutovskaya M.V., Golenishchev F.N., Volodina E.V. "Acoustic traits of male ultrasonic courtship song in a rodent with induced ovulation, the Harting's vole (Microtus hartingi). Behavioural Processes, 2025, v. 232, pp. 105277.

The Russian Science Foundation has published a list of scientists who won the open public competition for grants under the Foundation's "Fundamental and Exploratory Research by International Research Teams" initiative. The open public competition was held jointly with the National Science Foundation of Iran (hereinafter referred to as INSF). S.E. Spiridonov, Head of the Laboratory of Parasite Taxonomy and Evolution at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, received a grant for the project "Study of Biological Control Agents from Western Asian Ecosystems for Greenhouse Pest Control." Grants are allocated for fundamental and exploratory research in 2026–2028. Projects from international research teams, each consisting of Russian and international researchers, participated in the competition.

The new issue of the journal "Problems of Ichthyology" is now available for reading and download: Volume 65, Issue 6, 2025. Contents: Histological structure of the occipito-synarcual joint in the juvenile silver chimaera Chimaera phantasma (Chimaeridae): hemidiarthrosis as an adaptation to high-amplitude head movements A. V. Romanov, V. V. Shakhparonov, D. V. Kapitanova, L. P. Korzun First record of the dwarf Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus complex (Salmonidae) in northeast Asia M. B. Skopets, E. V. Khamenkova Comparative analysis of otolith morphology, age, and growth in the southern Icelus cataphractus and northern I. spiniger thorny sculpin (Cottidae) V. A. Shelekhov V. V. Panchenko, P. A. Savelyev Dynamics of the beluga sturgeon Acipenser huso (Acipenseridae) Population in the Sea of ​​Azov V. A. Luzhnyak, A. V. Mirzoyan Monitoring the population status of the rainbow trout Parasalmo mykiss (Salmonidae), a Red Book Species of Russia, in the Rivers of Northwestern Kamchatka. Variability of genetic parameters over time K. V. Kuzishchin, A. V. Semenova, M. A. Gruzdeva Biological parameters, gonadal condition, and gamete ultrastructure of the japanese goatish Upeneus japonicus (Mullidae) in Nha Trang Bay (Central Vietnam) N. G. Yemelyanova, D. A. Pavlov, Y. H. T. Dinh Infection of the river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis (Petromyzontidae) with Digenea Diplostomum petromyzifluviatilis (Diplostomidae) in Some Rivers of the Leningrad Region D. A. Matach, N. V. Polyakova, A. D. Lyanguzova, D. Yu. Krupenko, V. A. Krapivin, A. A. Mirolyubov, A. S. Genelt-Yanovskaya, A. V. Kucheryavy Comparative analysis of biochemical and histopathological parameters of the liver of three Black Sea fish species T. B. Sigacheva, E. N. Skuratovskaya, T. V. Gavryuseva Brief reports: On the diet of the Chromis chromis (Pomacentridae) damselfish in the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea Yu. M. Korniychuk, I. V. Vdodovich The issue is available at this link.

It's no exaggeration to say that there are hundreds of millions of domestic cats worldwide, and perhaps just as many stray cats. It would seem that everything about their vocal behavior and physiology should already be known. However, if one tries to find such information, verified scientific data on these topics will prove scarce. Mating calls of male and female cats can continue throughout the spring and cause considerable anxiety for their owners. However, from a biological perspective, this is a necessary part of their reproductive behavior, which can significantly influence mate choice and subsequent reproduction. Meowing evolves into another type of sound, a cry, which is emitted in loud bursts when a female cat is ready to mate and males compete for her attention with their own series of cries. Scientists have hypothesized that the sounds of male and female cats during mating season may convey information about the individuality of the vocalizing animal, its hormonal status, blood immunoglobulins, body weight, and overall readiness for reproduction. Fig.1: On a spectrogram, a domestic cat's meow appears as a stack of stripes with equal frequency spacing between them. However, even in such a seemingly simple sound, quite a number of acoustic parameters can be measured. The points at which these parameters were measured are shown in the figure. Researchers from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and Lomonosov Moscow State University studied the vocal behavior of domestic cats during the spring mating season at the IEE RAS Chernogolovka Research and Experimental Base. They analyzed the acoustic signatures of 10 male and 17 female Felis catus cats throughout the mating season, which lasted from March to June. They also examined the differences between the vocal signatures of "meows" and "cries" and their relationships with individual characteristics, sex, age, sex hormones, blood immunoglobulins, and body weight. Fig.2: The sound spectrograms show the acoustic variability (A) in meows and (B) in howls. Figure (C) shows a portion of the natural series of howls produced by a female cat, ready for mating, calling for a male cat—a potential mate. "Compared to meows, cries were longer and had lower fundamental and peak frequencies and energy quartiles. Cries were emitted in series with regular intervals between sounds and were much more likely to contain the articulatory "wave" effect than meows. Male meows and cries had lower fundamental frequencies than female meows and cries. Duration, peak frequency, and quartiles did not differ between the sexes for either meows or howls. A comparison of the meows and howls of 11 animals, from whom both meows and cries were recorded, revealed that individual characteristics were more pronounced in cries than in meows. No significant correlations were found between vocal parameters and body weight, age, or plasma immunoglobulins," said Elena Volodina, PhD, senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Fig.3. Compared to meows, cries were much more likely to feature the articulatory phenomenon of a wave, which gave them a murmuring sound. Surprisingly, all parameters of the fundamental frequency of female cats' cries were identical to those of male cats' meows. These results suggest that during estrus, female domestic cats are able to lower the pitch of their long-distance cries, thereby mimicking the meows of males. It is possible that the low fundamental frequency of female cats' cries may attract stronger, higher-ranking males, who are willing to compete for females with other males, while at the same time repelling low-ranking males or those in poor physical condition. Fig.4. All parameters of the fundamental frequency of cat cries did not differ from the parameters of cat meows. The results of the study were published in the Q2 issue of the journal Ethology Ecology & Evolution: Volodin I.A., Erofeeva M.N., Alekseeva G.S., Naidenko S.V., Zhuravleva P.S., Volobueva K.A., Kim M.D., Volodina E.V. Spring calls of male and female domestic cats (Felis catus): when meow goes to cry. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 2025.

Photo: Andrey Azovsky and Elena Chertoprud study crustaceans in the littoral zone; figure: interstitial, epibenthic, and phytal species of Harpacticoida (left to right). Research into the ecology of copepods of the order Harpacticoida in the intertidal zone of Gryaznaya Bay, Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea, began in the 1990s. A team of taxonomists and ecologists spent the summer in the village of Chernaya Rechka, at the research facility of the Department of Hydrobiology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, in the hospitable home of Andrei Igorevich Azovsky. Since then, many articles have been published and dissertations defended—legend has it that the pages of these scientific papers could cover the entire intertidal zone of Gryaznaya bay and the Chernorechensky estuary several times over. Recently, scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University, together with colleagues from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, published a review article devoted to a comparative analysis of various life forms of Harpacticoida. The appearance of these predominantly benthic crustaceans never ceases to amaze the researcher – some resemble worms, others sea urchins, or simply an inverted plate (Figure 1). It has been established that the life forms of Harpacticoida possess certain ecological characteristics that can be confirmed statistically. In particular, different life forms differ in the following: types of preferred biotopes; dispersal abilities, and consequently, the colonization of new habitats; and biogeographic patterns of faunal distribution. Thus, interstitial species that inhabit the sedimentary layer prefer coarse-grained sands and are reluctant to enter the water column. Consequently, they disperse slowly and, as a result, comprise the largest number of endemic taxa worldwide. In contrast, epibenthic and phytal species, which inhabit silty sediments and macrophyte thickets, actively swim in the water themselves or are carried by currents along with algal fragments. Among them, many species have a widespread distribution, although the true “cosmopolitans” are the planktonic representatives of the group. It has been noted that physiological differences in reproductive rates, feeding habits, and dietary preferences, as well as, likely, the rate of speciation, are also possible between representatives of different life forms. However, the available data are still insufficient to support sound judgments on this matter. "It's important to emphasize that all of the above-mentioned distinctive features of Harpacticoid life forms manifest themselves as statistical trends, not strict rules. The fact is that any life form system, like other biological classifications, is not strict. Many species exhibit transitional features and, therefore, cannot be unambiguously assigned to a specific category," explained Elena Chertoprud, PhD, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Thus, the diversity of Harpacticoid life forms cannot be represented by discrete classes but should be interpreted as a continuum in a multidimensional space of morphological and ecological traits. On the other hand, "typical representatives" of life forms form clusters within this space, each with a unique combination of traits. Thus, the composition of life forms is an informative characteristic and can be a promising tool for identifying patterns in community functioning and analyzing their connections with natural processes. This research was supported by grant No. 25-14-00030 from the Russian Science Foundation. This work was published in the journal Hydrobiologia: Azovsky A., Chertoprud E., Garlitska L., Kondar D., Rosinskaya A. 2025. Ecological properties of life forms of marine harpacticoid copepods // Hydrobiologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-025-06074-y. Online published.