Figure 1. Northern three-toed jerboa (Dipus sagitta) is a reservoir of previously unknown hepeviruses. Hepatitis E diseases cause the death of more than 40,000 people annually. Both ungulates and rats can be reservoirs of this pathogen, which indicates the zoonotic potential of rodent hepeviruses. To assess this potential, an international team of researchers, including the head of the laboratory of mammalian microevolution of the IPEE RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences L.A. Lavrenchenko, conducted a large-scale study of small mammals (2565 specimens of 108 species of rodents and shrews) in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 24 new complete genomes were described, all of them had a typical organization for hepeviruses with three partially overlapping open reading frames (ORF1, ORF2 and ORF3), as well as with characteristic functional domains and motifs. Two dwarf fat-tailed jerboas (Pygeretmus pumilio) of the family Dipodidae were coinfected with two different, deeply diverged hepeviruses that differed by more than 20% in amino acid sequences. Rodent hepeviruses were found to be much more diverse than bat and bird hepeviruses, which form monophyletic clades. Rodent hepeviruses are grouped into nine clades that occupy basal positions relative to human (HEV, clades 1-5) and rat (RHEV, clades a-d) hepatitis E viruses. Figure 2. Phylogenetic tree of hepeviruses. Yellow lines represent the genomes described in this study. Parsimony analysis and co-phylogenetic correspondence methods showed that rodents were the main source of the “transition” of hepatitis viruses between different orders of mammals. “Reconstruction of the ancestral state, carried out using Bayesian analysis methods, showed a recent direct origin of the human hepatitis E virus from the hepatitis viruses of artiodactyls (pigs and camels) and an older one – from the hepatitis viruses of rodents,” said L.A. Lavrenchenko, Doctor of Biological Sciences. The authors of the study showed the potential of using some rodent species as new models for studying the pathogenesis of the hepatitis E virus and developing its preclinical therapy, and substantiated the need for genomic epidemiological surveillance of hepatitis viruses associated with rodents. The work was published in the journal: Jo W.K., Cassiano M.H.A., de Oliveira-Filho E.F., Brünink S., Yansanjav A., Yihune M., Koshkina A.I., Lukashev A.N., Lavrenchenko L.A., Lebedev V.S., Olayemi A., Bangura U., Salas-Rojas M., Aguilar-Setién Á., Fichet-Calvet E., Drexler J.F., 2024. Ancient evolutionary origins of hepatitis E virus in rodents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(51): e2413665121.

Figure 1. Adults carrying eggs. Daphnia magna – left, Daphnia longispina ––right Cladocera occupy an intermediate link in the trophic web between primary producers (algae) and consumers (planktivorous fish). Cladocera include such a favorite food for fish as daphnia, a filter feeder. In addition to the fact that they purify water from organic suspensions and serve as valuable food for fish, they participate in the transfer of physiologically important substances and energy from algae to fish. Daphnia are able to transform the biochemical composition of algae, unsuitable for fish food, into a composition that is easily absorbed by animals. One of the most important elements that is transferred from algae up the trophic web is phosphorus. Phosphorus is a vital element for animals. It is responsible for the synthesis of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. A lack of phosphorus leads to a decrease in the rates of individual growth, reproduction and survival. The aim of the work was to establish how the lack of phosphorus in algae changes the ratio between large and small representatives of daphnia in competition for food. Large and small species of daphnia differ not only in their survival strategies, but also in the phosphorus content in their bodies, namely, a higher phosphorus content is observed in large daphnia. Therefore, the quality of potential food for fish depends on the ratio between small and large species in cladoceran communities, based on the fact that the higher the phosphorus content per unit of carbon in the body of crustaceans, the higher the quality of food for higher trophic levels. “We conducted a series of experiments on competition between small Daphnia longispina and large Daphnia magna, which confirmed that the phosphorus content in the green alga Chlamydomonas klinobasis changes the outcome of competition. “Algae enriched in phosphorus had a carbon to phosphorus ratio (C:P) of ≈100, while the same species of algae depleted in phosphorus had a C:P of ≈800. Thus, an 8-fold difference in phosphorus content can change the outcome of competition and ensure the transition of dominance from one species to another,” said I.Yu. Feneva, Doctor of Biological Sciences and leading researcher at the Laboratory of Lower Vertebrate Behavior at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS). Figure 2b. Dynamics of the population of small Daphnia longispina (red) and large Daphnia magna (blue). Experimental variant with algae enriched with phosphorus. Figure 2 shows that at low phosphorus levels the large Daphnia magna dominates, while at high levels the small Daphnia longispina dominates. The different outcomes of competition are explained by the change in the competitive ability of the species when the phosphorus content in the algae decreases. The competitive ability is determined by the threshold concentration of the resource, i.e. it is equal to the concentration of the resource at which the mortality rate is equal to the birth rate of crustaceans. Figure 2a. Dynamics of the numbers of small Daphnia longispina (red) and large Daphnia magna (blue). A variant of the experiment with algae depleted in phosphorus. The results of this work are an important step forward in biomanipulation. By changing the phosphorus content in algae, which is done by changing the concentration of inorganic phosphorus forms in the environment, it is possible to change the ratio between cladoceran species in order to improve the quality of biological resources for fish. In particular, such a method can be applied in aquaculture to grow higher quality fish. The work can be found at the link: Feniova, I., Dzialowski, A.R., Bednarska, A., Brzeziński T., Zilitinkevicz N., Dawidowicz P., 2025. Shifts in competition outcomes between two Daphnia species in response to algal phosphorus content. Oecologia 207, 32.

From 3 to 5 February, the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) held an educational module of the Floating University Winter School. It was attended by 34 students — undergraduates, graduate students and young scientists from different regions of Russia. Over the course of three days, lectures and practical classes were held in the IEE RAS laboratories as part of the educational track "Marine Biodiversity: Methods and Directions of Study". The participants listened to lectures on the study of marine mammals and birds, as well as on methods of collecting and processing data. During the practical classes, the students learned about the operation of electron microscopes, learned about collecting and studying bone remains, and examined in detail the methods of photogrammetry for cetaceans. They also studied the features of benthic surveys of sea urchins as a food source for sea otters and tested in practice the use of GIS technologies for analyzing tracks, ice, and aerial surveys. IEE RAS has for the first time participated in the Floating University as a platform with its own program. We thank the IEE RAS staff who organized the educational track and acted as lecturers. The Floating University Winter School is the first stage of the annual cycle of the program. The scientific supervisors of the tracks select students based on a motivation letter and certain skills. Students who complete the school can take part in the next stage of the Floating University, which operates on the principle of "learning through research". The Floating University program is implemented within the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences, is part of the Science of Winning initiative of the Decade of Science and Technology of the Russian Federation and is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The organization is carried out by the Floating University Coordination Center based at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. The pictures from the event can be viewed in our VKontakte group: part 1, part 2, part 3.

February 19, 2025 is Ornithologist Day in Russia. It was on this day in 1983 that the All-Union Ornithological Society was founded at the USSR Academy of Sciences, later receiving the name Menzbier Ornithological Society. This professional holiday is dedicated, first of all, to specialists whose activities are related to the study of birds, their behavior and migration. We congratulate all researchers who study birds, as well as scientific volunteers and hobbyists!

Fig. 1. The book by G.V. Nikolsky “Fish of Tajikistan”, published in 1938. "Fish of Tajikistan" was the title of the monograph by Georgy Vasilyevich Nikolsky, the founder of the Moscow School of Ichthyology and the Laboratory of Ecology of Lower Vertebrates at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS). Nikolsky's solid summary was published in 1938 and became a reference book for ichthyologists studying fish in Central Asia for a long time. Since then, much has changed in the fish fauna of Tajikistan's water bodies, but there has been no proper review of the current state of the fauna. Fig. 2. Examples of biotopes in some watercourses and reservoirs of Tajikistan, where samples were collected: A) the Syr Darya River near Khujand; B) the Kafirinigan River, about 12 km from the confluence with the Amu Darya; C) the Shirkent River; D) the Vakhsh River; E) the Muksu River; F) the Pamir River; G) the Akbaital River; H) Lake Karakul. Photographs by O.N. Artaev. An international team of scientists led by B.A. Levin, an employee of the Laboratory of Ecology of Lower Vertebrates at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has revised the modern ichthyofauna of Tajikistan and analyzed the changes that have occurred over the past century. The basis for the information on the modern fish fauna was provided by two ichthyological expeditions carried out in 2017 and 2019 with the support of grants from the Russian Science Foundation (15-14-10020 and 19-14-00218). During the expeditions, 52 stations in the Amu Darya, Syr Darya basins and endorheic basins at altitudes from 330 to 4050 m above sea level were fished. In particular, the high-mountain lakes of the Pamirs were studied - Lake Yashilkul (altitude 3734 m) and Lake Karakul (altitude 3914 m). The result of field, laboratory and analytical work was a large 55-page article published in the Q1 Scopus journal. Fig. 3. Lifetime photographs of some salmon and carp fish species in Tajikistan: A) Amu-Darya trout Salmo oxianus (Aguyurma River); B) scaly-sided trout Capoetobrama kuschakewitschi (Kafirnigan River); C) Kholchik's minnow Alburnoides holciki (Vakhsh River); D) Aral roach Ritilus ritilus aralensis (Syr Darya River); D) striped bystranka Alburnus taeniatus (Zerafshan River). Scale: 10 mm. Author of the photographs: O.N. Artaev. Scientists have found that the ichthyofauna of Tajikistan is represented by 60 fish species, of which 44 are native and 15 are alien. At the same time, one species is represented by both native and alien populations. The modern fish fauna is represented by eight orders (Acipenseriformes, Cypriniformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Gobiiformes, Perciformes, Salmoniformes, Siluriformes, and Synbranchiformes) and 18 families (Acipenseridae, Acheilognathidae, Channidae, Cobitidae, Cottidae, Cyprinidae, Esocidae, Gobiidae, Gobionidae, Leuciscidae, Nemacheilidae, Odontobutidae, Percidae, Poeciliidae, Salmonidae, Siluridae, Sisoridae, and Xenocyprididae). Of which the most represented are the families Leuciscidae (14 species), Nemacheilidae (13 species), and Cyprinidae (9 species). Significant changes in the fauna have occurred over the past century due to anthropogenic and climatic changes in Central Asia. Water withdrawal for irrigation, the creation of a network of canals and reservoirs have led to changes in the hydrological regime of natural water bodies. These factors, along with overfishing and poaching, have led to a significant reduction in the number of at least eight species and the disappearance of two sturgeon species (the sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris and the Syr Darya shovelnose sturgeon Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi). A significant change in the fish fauna was caused by the mass introduction of commercially valuable fish species in the 20th century, which led to the naturalization of 16 alien species, most of which are not commercially valuable, but accidentally introduced. Fig. 4. Lifetime photographs of some species of catfish and char fishes from Tajikistan: A) Turkestan catfish Glyptosternon cf. akhtari (Vakhsh River); B) spotted thicklip loach Triplophysa strauchi (Zerafshan River); C) comb char Paracobitis longicauda (Varzob River); D) Aral spined loach Sabanejewia aralensis (Kafrinigan River); E) Sokh stone roach Triplophysa cf. daryoae (Dehmay Creek near Khojent); F) Tibetan stone loach Triplophysa stolickai s. lato (Pamir River). Scale: 10 mm. Author of photographs – O.N. Artaev. The article is published in open access: Artaev, O., Thoni, R., Mirzoev, N., & Levin, B. (2025). Ichthyofauna of Tajikistan: Diversity and Changes Over the Past Century. American Museum Novitates, 2025(4032), 1-55. Fig. 5. Taxonomic diagram of orders, families and genera of fishes noted in Tajikistan.

On February 6, research fellow, Doctor of Biological Sciences L. A. Limantseva and postgraduate students of the Laboratory of Phytoparasitology of the IEE RAS conducted an excursion for participants of the Competition of specialized classes. During the excursion, the children learned about the laboratory’s activities and also received materials for studying in their schools to prepare a scientific project on the topic “Determining the fertility of the sugar beet nematode Heterodera scachtii in the conditions of the Moscow region.” The children received cysts (eggs and larvae in a dense shell) fixed in alcohol. The task for independent work is to destroy each cyst separately and count the contents. It is necessary to determine the arithmetic mean of this indicator - fecundity. It is also interesting to note the minimum and maximum numbers and the range of fluctuation. After practical independent work, schoolchildren will write projects that they will defend at the final part of the Competition in April in front of experts. It is also planned to discuss the results obtained with the staff of phytoparasitology of the IEE RAS.

Fig.1. Appearance of the Alaskan sculpin Triglops metopias: A – male (photo by I.N. Mukhametov). Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the N.I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography have obtained for the first time data on a rare fish species - the Alaskan sculpin Triglops metopias (Cottidae) from the Russian waters of the Kuril Islands. Fig.2. Appearance of the Alaskan sculpin Triglops metopias: B - female (photo by I.N. Mukhametov). The Alaskan sculpin is a rare and poorly studied species with a limited range in the northern Pacific Ocean. Previously, this species was thought to be distributed in the waters of the Aleutian Islands and the western Gulf of Alaska; information on its presence in Russian waters was extremely contradictory, and reliable finds were absent. The results of the study confirmed the occurrence of T. metopias in the northwestern Pacific Ocean along the Kuril Islands. Forty-one specimens were subjected to morphological and genetic studies, including principal component analysis (PCA) and DNA barcoding. The latter, based on the sequences of the mitochondrial Cyt b gene, did not reveal any differences between the studied species and the closely related T. pingelii, although they can be distinguished by external morphology, including the use of PCA. Despite the morphological similarity of T. metopias and T. pingelii, both species are clearly distinguished by a combination of countable and visual characteristics. Fig. 2. Locations of catches of the Alaskan sculpin Triglops metopias in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean: A – in the waters of Alaska, B – in the waters of the Kuril Islands (1 – published data, 2 – unpublished data). The species under consideration has a fragmented range in the northern Pacific Ocean, inhabiting only the waters of the Kuril and Aleutian Islands, as well as the western part of the Gulf of Alaska. Similar ranges were previously described for a number of fish species, such as the scaled sculpin Archistes biseriatus, the longfin Irish lord Hemilepidotus zapus, the spineless sculpin Phallocottus obtusus, the papillose lumpsucker Eumicrotremus barbatus, the cherry snailfish Allocareproctus jordani, the black-clawed snailfish Careproctus zachirus, the bigeye snailfish Temnocora candida and some others, which were singled out into a special group of "island" species. They probably colonized the waters of their habitats by transferring pelagic eggs, larvae, and early juveniles by the waters of the Western Subarctic Gyre. Published data of the article: Prokofiev, A.M., Mukhametov, I.N., Emelianova, O.R., Orlova, S.Y., Orlov, A.M. 2025. Identity and distribution of Triglops metopias (Teleostei, Cottidae) in the Northwestern Pacific // Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. V. 13. Art. 182.

On February 8, the festival "Loud Voice of Russian Science" was held at the scientific and educational center "Zapovednoye Polostvo" in Zaryadye Park. This is a large-scale educational event for young researchers. The event was held as part of the Decade of Science and Technology program, combining lectures, master classes and interactive activities from leading Russian scientists. More than 4,300 guests took part in the festival. Deputy Director for Science, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.V. Surov and Scientific Secretary of the IEE RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences N.Yu. Feoktistova took part in the discussion "Gone Viral!" about how to distinguish real animals from those generated by neural networks. The scientists analyzed "viral" videos from social networks, explained the principles of their creation and gave advice on critically assessing online content. You can watch the video of the discussion at the link. Photos of the event can be viewed at the link in the VKontakte group.

The annual Readings in Memory of Academician Vladimir Evgenievich Sokolov were held at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The opening speech was given by Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Scientific Director of the IEE RAS Dmitry Sergeevich Pavlov. He spoke about the most important achievements of the Institute over the year and how the areas started by Vladimir Evgenievich are developing. Traditionally, the Sokolovsky Readings feature an accomplished leading scientist and young, but already distinguished researchers. This year, the following reports were presented: 1. Soil microfauna and industrial pollution: mechanisms of resistance - D.Sc. (Biology) E.L. Vorobeychik 2. What can the teeth of fossil mammals tell us about their lifestyle? - Ph.D. (Biology) R.I. Belyaev 3. Ecological models of Caucasian rock lizards: past, present and future - Ph.D. (Biology) F.A. Osipov Also, traditionally, the speakers of last year were awarded diplomas of Sokolovsky Readings laureates. You can see all the photos in our VKontakte group.

Fig.1. The supposed area of ​​origin (marked with a dotted line) of adult Sympetrum fonscolombii dragonflies arriving in European Russia. The dots indicate the collection sites of the dragonflies used in the analysis. Relatively recently it became clear that there are no fewer migratory insects than migratory birds – not only in the number of individuals (which would not be surprising), but also in biomass. Among migratory insects, butterflies and dragonflies are the most well-known, but their migration routes have been poorly studied so far. It is difficult to attach a radio transmitter to an insect, and ringing (or other marking) does not promise success, since many species have a migration cycle of several generations. Fig.2. Sympetrum fonscolombii, Wikipedia One of the migratory species of dragonflies, Sympetrum fonscolombii (Red-veined Darter dragonfly), cannot winter in European Russia and appears here only in spring or early summer. Where the adult individuals fly from remained unknown. To solve this issue, researchers from the Institute of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Zoo, All-Russian State Center for Quality and Standardization of Animal Medicines and Feed, and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) used an analysis of the isotopic composition of hydrogen in the wings of dragonflies. The isotopic composition of hydrogen (the δ2H value) in the wings corresponds to the δ2H of water in the habitat of the larvae. Fig.3. Sympetrum fonscolombii, Wikipedia “Based on the global geostatistical model of the δ2H value in atmospheric precipitation and taking into account the distribution of S. fonscolombii, the most probable area of ​​origin of immigrants arriving in the European part of Russia is in Southwest Asia, and the migration distance can reach 2000–4000 km,” said A.V. Tiunov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Director for Science at the IEE RAS. The work was published in the journal Ecological Entomology: Borisov A.S., Borisov S.N., Iakovlev I.K., Onishko V.V., Ganin M.Yu., Tsurikov S.M., Tiunov A.V. (2024) Origin of the Red-veined Darter dragonflies migrating into the European part of Russia revealed by stable isotopes of hydrogen. Ecological Entomology, 49: 974-978.