It is difficult to overestimate the importance of museum collections as a repository of hidden information about biodiversity. Over the past decade, “historical” DNA has been actively used for evolutionary and taxonomic studies. Genetic data from museum specimens is especially important for obtaining new information about rare or little-studied species. This group includes, for example, the Tien Shan birch mouse Sicista tianschanica, the last revision of which was carried out more than 30 years ago. A team of researchers, including an employee of the Laboratory of Microevolution of Mammals, IEE RAS, Ph.D. Zemmerov E.D., for the first time on the basis of samples from museum collections, including type specimens, carried out a comprehensive complex molecular genetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear genes of representatives of the Tien Shan birch mouse species. The data obtained as a result of this study were compared with the available information on previously identified karyomorphs of this group. It has been shown that this complex of species includes several clades of the species level. Based on genetic and karyotypic data, two new species have been described: Sicista terskeica and S. talgarica. Original publication: Lebedev V.S., Kovalskaya Y., Solovyeva E.N., Zemlemerova E.D., Bannikova A.A., Rusin M.Y., Matrosova V.A., 2021. Molecular systematics of the Sicista tianschanica species complex: a contribution from historical DNA analysis. PeerJ., 9: e10759. https://peerj.com/articles/10759/  

The Ethiopian Highlands are a vast mountain range with many potential ecological niches, characterized by a high level of endemism among small mammals. Ethiopian endemics include 12 species of shrews of the genus Crocidura, represented exclusively by forest or alpine forms. This number of endemic species clearly demonstrates that the Ethiopian Highlands is an important center of species diversity and adaptive radiation for this genus. However, the currently available molecular genetic data on the relation of endemic Ethiopian species to each other, as well as with a similar endemic group from Tanzania, are limited by a small number of studied species, small sample sizes, and the lack of studies based on nuclear gene sequences. The staff of the Laboratory of Microevolution of Mammals of the A.N.Severtsov IEE RAS together with colleagues from the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University have carried out a phylogenetic analysis of an extended set of species of this genus and an assessment of the times of divergence between the main clades. The obtained phylogenetic patterns made it possible to propose an evolutionary scenario according to which the Ethiopian Highlands is the primary center of diversification for the Ethiopian-Tanzanian shrew clade. The territories south of the Ethiopian Highlands were probably settled by members of this group as a result of a single colonization event (1.3–0.7 Ma). The modern distribution of C. macmillani can be explained by the secondary re-colonization of the Ethiopian highlands. The results of the analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear markers made it possible to confirm the previously put forward assumption that the features of the divergence process between the sister taxa C. thalia and C. glassi correspond to the predictions of the gradient (ecological) speciation model based on the possibility of diversification of forms (without interrupting the gene flow between them) until they reach species status due to different directions of selection on a pronounced gradient of natural conditions. Original publication: Bannikova A.A., Zemlemerova E.D., Lebedev V.S., Lavrenchenko L.A., 2021. The phylogenetic relationships within the Eastern Afromontane clade of Crocidura based on mitochondrial and nuclear data. Mammalian Biology, 101(6): 1005–1018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-021-00120-7 Link to article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs42991-021-00120-7  

At the end of 2021, the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), which played a major role in popularizing the concept of sustainable development, including the creation of optimal relations between society and nature, which is largely facilitated by the international network of biosphere reserves - areas representing important ecosystems of the planet, celebrates its half-century anniversary. To date, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves includes 727 protected areas (including 22 transboundary ones) in 131 countries. The network of biosphere reserves of Russia is represented by 48 protected areas of various levels, illustrated information about which is contained in a special issue of the Bulletin of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO (ComUNESCO), prepared in Russian and English with the support of PJSC "Phosagro" and published in December 2021 by Oleg Pakhmutov Publishing House for distribution in 193 UNESCO Member States and posted here. The 50th anniversary of the MAB Program and the development of the network of biosphere reserves were also discussed on December 17 of 2021, - on the final day of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Reserve Science", organized on the initiative of the Roszapovedtsentr (Росзаповедцентр) of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia and the Russian Academy of Sciences (A.N. Severtsov IEE RAS) in an online format, in which more than 300 people took part - employees in protected areas, research institutes and universities, as well as a number of industrial and public organizations. Chairman of the Russian MAB Committee (RK MAB) Academician Yu.Yu. Dgebuadze in his report titled “50 years of the MAB Program and protected science in biosphere reserves of Russia” spoke in detail about the formation and development of both the MAB Program itself and the long-term activities of the MAB RK, as well as the role played by the results of scientific research obtained in the territory biosphere reserves, to preserve biodiversity and ensure the harmony of man and nature. The full version of the report and other materials of the Conference can be found on the website of Roszapovedtsentr. December 22 of 2021 at the GlavUpDK Cultural Center under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov hosted the General Meeting of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the entry into force of the UNESCO Charter. In his report, S.V. Lavrov, addressing those present, also noted the importance of implementing one of the oldest UNESCO programs - "Man and the Biosphere", emphasizing the role that Russia plays in the formation and development of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. During the anniversary celebrations, the Executive Secretary of the ComUNESCO G.E. V.M. Ordzhonikidze passed a letter to Neronov, in which was noted the great merit of the members and leadership of the Russian MAB Committee, which, from the first days of its creation in 1976, has been working on the basis of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in defending the interests of our country at the UNESCO site, high professionalism in the development of a network of biosphere reserves, and the achievement of sustainable development goals formulated by the MAB Program. See also: http://www.sev-in.ru/ru/rossiiskii-komitet-po-programme-unesko-celovek-i-biosfera

It has long been assumed that interspecific hybridization and introgression (the transfer of genes from one species to the gene pool of another by backcrossing), in other words, reticular processes, play a very limited role in evolution and the acquisition of adaptations in mammals. Using the example of rodents endemic and inhabiting various mountainous habitats of the Ethiopian Highlands, the staff of the Laboratory of Mammal Microevolution of the IEE RAS, together with colleagues from the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, managed to obtain evidence that interspecific hybridization and introgression between closely related mammalian species can lead to significant evolutionary consequences. Phylogenetic relationships of all nine Ethiopian species of speckled rough-haired mice Lophuromys flavopunctatus s.l. from geographic localities covering most of their distribution areas were studied using genomic methods. The results of the study revealed a significant discrepancy between mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies resulting from ancient and recent interspecific hybridization events. Based on the data obtained, a scenario of the evolutionary history of this group is proposed, according to which modern species and their genetic diversity were formed as a result of a complex combination of divergent and reticular processes. It has been suggested that the introgression of the mitochondrial genome of a species inhabiting low altitudes (L. menageshae), pre-adapted to successful functioning in the harsh conditions of high mountains, was important in the development of high-mountain habitats (Afro-Alpine zone) by two other species (L. simensis and L. melanonyx ). The authors believe that further studies using high-throughput sequencing methods will provide a unique opportunity to study both the possible adaptive nature of the observed introgression and the mechanisms of co-evolution of mitochondrial and nuclear genes encoding proteins of the cellular respiration apparatus. The work was carried out within the framework of the joint Russian-Czech project (RFBR no. 19-54-26003, Czech Scientific Foundation no. 20-07091J) Original publication: Komarova V.A., Kostin D.S., Bryja J., Mikula O., Bryjová A., Čížková D., Šumbera R., Meheretu Y., Lavrenchenko L.A., 2021. Complex reticulate evolution of speckled brush‐furred rats (Lophuromys) in the Ethiopian centre of endemism. Molecular Ecology, 30(10): 2349-2365.   Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15891

The Praomyini tribe is one of the most numerous and diverse groups of African rodents. The species of this group are reservoirs of many pathogenic microorganisms, as well as agricultural pests. An international team of researchers, including the head of the laboratory of microevolution of mammals, IEE RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences Lavrenchenko L.A., carried out the phylogenomic analysis of Praomyini. For the first time, a fully resolved phylogenetic tree of this tribe has been obtained. Numerous taxonomic changes have been proposed, and four new genera have been identified (Montemys, Congomys, Ochromyscus, Serengetimys). A deeply divergent lineage found in southwestern Ethiopia is described from the only known specimen as a new genus and species, Chingawaemys rarus (Lavrenchenko, Mikula & Bryja, 2021). Divergence dating results suggest that the radiation of the Praomyini tribe began during the Messinian Crisis salinity (~ 7 million years ago) and was probably associated with the fragmentation of African forests in the Miocene. It is shown that some of its lines, like their common ancestor, continued to live in evergreen rainforests, while many others adapted to open and mountainous habitats that arose at the beginning of the Pliocene. Figure 1. Chingawa forest (southwestern Ethiopia) - type locality of Chingawaemys rarus. Figure 2. Holotype (skin and skull) of the new genus and species Chingawaemys rarus Lavrenchenko, Mikula & Bryja, 2021. Figure 3. Reconstruction of ancestral habitats of individual evolutionary lineages of Praomyini.   The work was carried out within the framework of the joint Russian-Czech project (RFBR no. 19-54-26003, Czech Scientific Foundation no. 20-07091J). Original publication: Nicolas V., Mikula O., Lavrenchenko L.A., Šumbera R., Bartáková V., Bryjová A., Meheretu Y., Verheyen E., Missoup A.D., Lemmon A.R., Moriarty Lemmon E., Bryja J., 2021. Phylogenomics of African radiation of Praomyini (Muridae: Murinae) rodents: First fully resolved phylogeny, evolutionary history and delimitation of extant genera. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 163(1): 107263.   Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107263

In the first half of January 2022, the work of a complex expedition continued on the territory of RNO-Alania and Kabardino-Balkaria, which included employees of IEE RAS, IEGT RAS, the North Ossetian State Reserve and the Elbrus National Park. The next (winter) stage of the expedition was devoted to the search for leopards and traces of their activity in this region. Even though the collars stopped transmitting GPS coordinates in 2021, the VHF transmitters on them are still operational. Therefore, specialists held a session of trips along the passes in order to find the location of animals released in 2020 by radio signal. Unfortunately, at this stage, the search has not yielded any results. However, in the Central Caucasus active collection of information coming from the population is being undertaken. The project participants have already appealed to the inhabitants of the Caucasus and reminded them once again: if you find a footprint of a large cat, and you assume that this is a footprint of a leopard, then it must be photographed from above with a scale (a box of matches, a lighter, a ballpoint pen, a telephone), as well as a footprint (as in the photo example) and send us these photos for examination. This is very important for the project.         The members of the expedition also made planned exits to check camera traps on the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria with the assistance of inspectors from the Elbrus National Park. During the inspection of camera traps, they discovered new photos of a wild leopard. Judging by the images from our database, this is the same male that was found here in December 2021. According to previous information from this area about the tracks of a large cat, which were recorded in the same area a few years ago, it can be assumed that they belonged to this individual, but until December 2021 there was no documentary evidence that this was a leopard. This part of the territory of the Elbrus National Park, apparently, is included in the habitat of this leopard on a permanent basis (at least in the winter season). In the near future, it is planned to expand the network of camera traps here, more detailed studies of the living space of this leopard, potentially capable of becoming a father for kittens from females released in North Ossetia in 2018 and 2020 and remaining in the Central Caucasus, are being discussed.   The program for the restoration of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus is being implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasus Reserve, the North Ossetian Reserve, the Alania National Park, the Elbrus National Park, the World Fund for Nature, the A.N. Severtsov Institute for Ecology and Evolution RAS (IEE RAS), A.K. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS (IEMT RAS), Moscow Zoo, with the assistance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Financial support for the monitoring of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus is provided by VTB Bank. In North Ossetia, RusHydro is providing financial support for the population recovery program.  

Caspian seal puppy. International expedition. Northern Caspian, Kazakhstan, 2019 Photo by Shumeiko N. Endangered Caspian Seal Habitat Identified in Three Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) Status. Caspian seals (Pusa caspica) live only in the Caspian Sea — located at the junction of Europe and Asia, the largest landlocked waterbody in the world. Caspian seals have been listed as Endangered since 2008 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), having declined by more than 70 % in the 20th Century, primarily as a result of unsustainable hunting for their fur and blubber. Caspian seal puppy. International expedition. Northern Caspian, Kazakhstan, 2019 Photo by Shumeiko N. The female of the Caspian seal. International expedition. Northern Caspian, Kazakhstan, 2019 Photo by Shumeiko N. Today, the IUCN Task Force on Marine Mammal Protected Areas, a joint task force of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the World Commission on Protected Areas, announces that Caspian seals have been awarded three Important Marine Mammal Areas, or IMMAs, as part of a tranche of 14 new IMMAs for the marine mammals of the Black Sea, Turkish Straits and Caspian Sea. “This is welcome news,” says Dr. Simon Goodman, an ecologist based at the University of Leeds UK, and member of IUCN’s specialist group that focuses on seals and other pinnipeds. “Currently the main threats for Caspian seals stem from human activities, including very high rates of seal mortality in fishing gear set for sturgeon poaching, and habitat degradation arising from coastal development. Additional concerns for the coming decades are reductions in the winter sea ice the seals use for breeding, and a decline in the Caspian Sea level, which are predicted to occur due to climate heating.”   Caspian seals affected by fishing gear. Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, Russia, 2012. Photo by V. Slodkevich and M. Khrisanova. Caspian seals affected by fishing gear. Kendirli Bay, Kazakhstan, 2017 Photo by M. Baimukanov The newly identified Caspian Sea IMMAs are not protected areas, but they represent what experts say are essential habitat for the future of the Caspian seal. At present, there are no special protected areas for the conservation of Caspian seals that prohibit all forms of economic or industrial activity. It is hoped that the IMMA initiative will stimulate the development of stronger protection for key Caspian seal habitat, including the winter breeding ice, migration routes and foraging areas, and sites used by animals to haul out on land for resting and moulting. Increasing levels of disturbance have caused Caspian seals to abandon most of their traditional haul out sites, while offshore habitats are sensitive to industrial development. Now, large aggregations of the animals are rarely seen. The Caspian seal was added to the Red Book of Russia and the List of Rare and Endangered Species of Plants and Animals of Kazakhstan in 2020, making it Red Listed in all five Caspian countries. Following a proposal initiated by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Caspian seal was added to Appendices I and II of the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in 2017. Nataliya Shumeyko, from A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, and IMMA Regional Coordinator for the Caspian Sea commented: “While the legislative protections are welcome, investment is still needed to fund active conservation measures to reduce seal mortality and protect these habitats. We all have to do more for this endangered species.” Background and Notes • On September 30, 2021, The Plan of Joint Actions of Russia and Kazakhstan for 2021–2026 to Protect the Caspian Seal Population as Part of the Implementation Agreement Between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection was signed at XVII Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia. President of Kazkhstan. The importance of protecting this animal was noted by President Vladimir Putin and President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev. Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev suggested creating state nature reserves for the Caspian seal in the Northern Caspian (learn more). • The Caspian Sea, with a surface area of 143,000 sq. miles (371,000 sq. km), is the largest landlocked waterbody in the world (slightly larger than the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park). It is bordered by 5 countries: the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. • Caspian seals (Pusa capsica) measure up to 4 feet 7 inches long (140 cm). Pups are born in mid-January to late February on the ice and weigh about 11 pounds (5 kg). They nurse for 4-5 weeks before entering the water. Caspian seals feed on a variety of fish, especially the Common kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris caspia).   Photo 7. Caspian seal in molting haul-out. Durnev Island, Komsomolets Bay, Kazakhstan, 2011 Photo by S. Goodman • The three Caspian Sea IMMAs are: (1) Caspian Seal Breeding Area IMMA (learn more); (2) Caspian Seal Moulting and Haul Out Areas IMMA (learn more); and (3) Caspian Seal Transitory Migration and Feeding Area IMMA (learn more). In total, the Black Sea, Turkish Straits System and Caspian Sea IMMA regional workshop resulted in 14 IMMAs, one candidate IMMA (cIMMA) and 11 areas of interest (AoI). Photo 8. Three areas of the Caspian Sea that are significant for marine mammals • IMMAs are not protected areas but they are intended to assist with national and global programmes to help countries select high biodiversity areas to fulfil the targets of 30 percent protection by 2030 (“30 by 30”) as supported by many international bodies and more than 100 countries around the world. • The Final report of the Seventh IMMA Workshop: Important Marine Mammal Area Regional Workshop for the Black Sea, Turkish Straits System and Caspian Sea from the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force is available for download from the IMMA website, along with maps and IMMA background data here. • The IMMA e-Atlas showing the global network of IMMAs and a searchable database can be found here. Source: The IUCN Joint SSC-WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force. Kaspika site: http://kaspika.org/ru/2021/12/06/caspian-seal-habitat-awarded-imma-status-1/

О.А. Крылович и А.Б. Савинецкий на отборе торфяника The Aleutian Islands constitute a region that attracts the attention of researchers of various specialties. In recent years, interest in the Aleutian Islands has increased further, a large number of articles have been published devoted to the study of the dynamics of climate, their flora and fauna and the history of human settlement of the islands. The article, recently published in the journal Water (MPDI), highlights the results of the work of scientists from three structural divisions of the IEE RAS (laboratory of ecology of aquatic communities and invasions, laboratory of historical ecology and laboratory of population ecology) on the study of the past ecosystems of this region. For the first time to analyze the peat deposits of one of the islands of the ridge, a new approach was applied, combining the results of classical diatom analysis and modern methods of statistical analysis. The purpose of this work was to describe the dynamics during the Holocene of the diatom community of a small reservoir located on Shemya Island and to identify the main global and local factors that determine these changes. Diatoms, whose silicon valves are perfectly preserved in millennial sediments, are good indicators of the environment and objects for paleoreconstruction. According to the results of radiocarbon dating, the formation of the deposit began at 9300 cal. years ago. The analysis of the main components made it possible to link the dynamics of the diatom community with certain ecological conditions and factors that influenced coastal ecosystems during the period of its formation. Створки диатомовых водорослей из торфяника с острова Шемья According to the results of this study, the change in ocean level was the main factor affecting the diatom community, having both direct (through changes in microclimate) and indirect effects on the studied reservoir (since the advancement of the seashore towards the reservoir led to an increase in the impact on it from bird colonies located on the coast of the island). Since 3000-2000 years ago, the anthropogenic factor (decrease in the number of bird colonies due to hunting by inhabitants) has also become significant for the dynamics of diatom communities. Interestingly, throughout the history of the reservoir, the diatom community was influenced by global factors (for example, sea level rise) gradually, by increments. On the contrary, the influence of local factors (the formation and destruction of bird colonies as a result of human activity) led to abrupt and transient changes. The relatively stable global ecological conditions in the late Holocene were a favorable background for seeing how dramatic the changes caused by zoogenic and anthropogenic factors were. The authors believe that further work with the material of peat deposits of other islands will make it possible to understand the general picture of changes in diatom communities in the Holocene and to interpret it in connection with climatic changes in the region.

Elsivier has published a fresh list of the world's most cited scientists, which was first presented two years ago. The rating is based on the analysis of the number of citations of articles (taking into account the order of authors and other indicators) by more than 8 million scientists on the basis of scientific publications SCOPUS. For each of the selected areas of knowledge (chemistry, economics, mathematics, biology, biomedicine, etc., 22 areas in total), 2% of the most cited scientists were included in the list of "top scientists in the world" (a total of about 190,000 thousand in all regions). One rating is presented by scientists with the highest citation rates of their articles in the last 25 years, from 1996 to 2020, the second - with indicators only for the last 2020. From Russia, the list (in all areas of knowledge) included 847 and 959 scientists, respectively, which is only 0.45% and 0.50% of the total number of "top scientists in the world." In the biology ranking for 25 years (1996-2020), there are only 9 Russians among the 7483 most cited scientists in the world (0.12%). Among them, the largest representation is by IEE RAS and M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University - three scientists, three more organizations are represented by one scientist each. In the rating for 2020, there are three times more Russian biologists (which indicates a positive trend), although still very few: 28 out of 7800 (0.36%). They are the leaders among scientific institutions: Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov (6 people), IEE RAS (5 people) and the Zoological Institute RAS (3 people). Link to the list  Baas, Jeroen; Boyack, Kevin; Ioannidis, John P.A. (2021) August 2021 data-update for "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators", Mendeley Data, V3, doi: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.3

At the UN International Conference on Climate Change, a film about the project for the conservation and restoration of Russian swamps and a virtual tour of the “Staroselsky moss” (Старосельский мох) bog, which is located in the Central Forest Biosphere Reserve (Nelidovsky District, Tver Region), was presented. Scientists have been closely observing the “Staroselsky moss” bog for several years: they study the emission and absorption of greenhouse gases, and simulate the dynamics under conditions of climatic changes. The photographs were presented In a virtual pavilion "Peatland", as well as videos and a 3D panorama of the Central Forest Reserve, made by a researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS Dmitry Ivanov. These materials were highly appreciated by foreign experts. Related materials: KP: "The ecology will be saved by the swamp: the reserved swamp in the Tver region was estimated by the experts of Europe"