@article{StieglerKiemelEccardetal.2021, author = {Stiegler, Jonas and Kiemel, Katrin and Eccard, Jana and Fischer, Christina and Hering, Robert and Ortmann, Sylvia and Strigl, Lea and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Seed traits matter}, series = {Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {11}, journal = {Ecology and Evolution}, number = {24}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.8440}, pages = {18477 -- 18491}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51\%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes.}, language = {en} } @article{CahsanKiemelWestburyetal.2021, author = {Cahsan, Binia De and Kiemel, Katrin and Westbury, Michael V. and Lauritsen, Maike and Autenrieth, Marijke and Gollmann, G{\"u}nter and Schweiger, Silke and Stenberg, Marika and Nystr{\"o}m, Per and Drews, Hauke and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Southern introgression increases adaptive immune gene variability in northern range margin populations of Fire-bellied toad}, series = {Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {11}, journal = {Ecology and Evolution}, number = {14}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, address = {New Jersey}, issn = {2045-7758}, pages = {15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Northern range margin populations of the European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Sk{\aa}ne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome-wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.}, language = {en} } @misc{CahsanKiemelWestburyetal.2021, author = {Cahsan, Binia De and Kiemel, Katrin and Westbury, Michael V. and Lauritsen, Maike and Autenrieth, Marijke and Gollmann, G{\"u}nter and Schweiger, Silke and Stenberg, Marika and Nystr{\"o}m, Per and Drews, Hauke and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Southern introgression increases adaptive immune gene variability in northern range margin populations of Fire-bellied toad}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {14}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-52388}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-523883}, pages = {17}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Northern range margin populations of the European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Sk{\aa}ne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome-wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.}, language = {en} } @article{RomeroMujalliRochowKahletal.2021, author = {Romero-Mujalli, Daniel and Rochow, Markus and Kahl, Sandra M. and Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Folkertsma, Remco and Jeltsch, Florian and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Adaptive and nonadaptive plasticity in changing environments: Implications for sexual species with different life history strategies}, series = {Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {11}, journal = {Ecology and Evolution}, number = {11}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, address = {New Jersey}, issn = {2045-7758}, pages = {17}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Populations adapt to novel environmental conditions by genetic changes or phenotypic plasticity. Plastic responses are generally faster and can buffer fitness losses under variable conditions. Plasticity is typically modeled as random noise and linear reaction norms that assume simple one-to- one genotype-phenotype maps and no limits to the phenotypic response. Most studies on plasticity have focused on its effect on population viability. However, it is not clear, whether the advantage of plasticity depends solely on environmental fluctuations or also on the genetic and demographic properties (life histories) of populations. Here we present an individual-based model and study the relative importance of adaptive and nonadaptive plasticity for populations of sexual species with different life histories experiencing directional stochastic climate change. Environmental fluctuations were simulated using differentially autocorrelated climatic stochasticity or noise color, and scenarios of directiona climate change. Nonadaptive plasticity was simulated as a random environmental effect on trait development, while adaptive plasticity as a linear, saturating, or sinusoidal reaction norm. The last two imposed limits to the plastic response and emphasized flexible interactions of the genotype with the environment. Interestingly, this assumption led to (a) smaller phenotypic than genotypic variance in the population (many-to- one genotype-phenotype map) and the coexistence of polymorphisms, and (b) the maintenance of higher genetic variation—compared to linear reaction norms and genetic determinism—even when the population was exposed to a constant environment for several generations. Limits to plasticity led to genetic accommodation, when costs were negligible, and to the appearance of cryptic variation when limits were exceeded. We found that adaptive plasticity promoted population persistence under red environmental noise and was particularly important for life histories with low fecundity. Populations produing more offspring could cope with environmental fluctuations solely by genetic changes or random plasticity, unless environmental change was too fast.}, language = {en} } @misc{RomeroMujalliRochowKahletal.2021, author = {Romero-Mujalli, Daniel and Rochow, Markus and Kahl, Sandra M. and Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Folkertsma, Remco and Jeltsch, Florian and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Adaptive and nonadaptive plasticity in changing environments: Implications for sexual species with different life history strategies}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1170}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-52320}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-523201}, pages = {19}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Populations adapt to novel environmental conditions by genetic changes or phenotypic plasticity. Plastic responses are generally faster and can buffer fitness losses under variable conditions. Plasticity is typically modeled as random noise and linear reaction norms that assume simple one-to- one genotype-phenotype maps and no limits to the phenotypic response. Most studies on plasticity have focused on its effect on population viability. However, it is not clear, whether the advantage of plasticity depends solely on environmental fluctuations or also on the genetic and demographic properties (life histories) of populations. Here we present an individual-based model and study the relative importance of adaptive and nonadaptive plasticity for populations of sexual species with different life histories experiencing directional stochastic climate change. Environmental fluctuations were simulated using differentially autocorrelated climatic stochasticity or noise color, and scenarios of directiona climate change. Nonadaptive plasticity was simulated as a random environmental effect on trait development, while adaptive plasticity as a linear, saturating, or sinusoidal reaction norm. The last two imposed limits to the plastic response and emphasized flexible interactions of the genotype with the environment. Interestingly, this assumption led to (a) smaller phenotypic than genotypic variance in the population (many-to- one genotype-phenotype map) and the coexistence of polymorphisms, and (b) the maintenance of higher genetic variation—compared to linear reaction norms and genetic determinism—even when the population was exposed to a constant environment for several generations. Limits to plasticity led to genetic accommodation, when costs were negligible, and to the appearance of cryptic variation when limits were exceeded. We found that adaptive plasticity promoted population persistence under red environmental noise and was particularly important for life histories with low fecundity. Populations produing more offspring could cope with environmental fluctuations solely by genetic changes or random plasticity, unless environmental change was too fast.}, language = {en} } @article{CahsanWestburyParaskevopoulouetal.2021, author = {Cahsan, Binia De and Westbury, Michael V. and Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Drews, Hauke and Ott, Moritz and Gollmann, G{\"u}nter and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Genomic consequences of human-mediated translocations in margin populations of an endangered amphibian}, series = {Evolutionary Applications}, volume = {14}, journal = {Evolutionary Applications}, number = {6}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, address = {New Jersey}, issn = {1752-4563}, pages = {12}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Due to their isolated and often fragmented nature, range margin populations are especially vulnerable to rapid environmental change. To maintain genetic diversity and adaptive potential, gene flow from disjunct populations might therefore be crucial to their survival. Translocations are often proposed as a mitigation strategy to increase genetic diversity in threatened populations. However, this also includes the risk of losing locally adapted alleles through genetic swamping. Human-mediated translocations of southern lineage specimens into northern German populations of the endangered European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) provide an unexpected experimental set-up to test the genetic consequences of an intraspecific introgression from central population individuals into populations at the species range margin. Here, we utilize complete mitochondrial genomes and transcriptome nuclear data to reveal the full genetic extent of this translocation and the consequences it may have for these populations. We uncover signs of introgression in four out of the five northern populations investigated, including a number of introgressed alleles ubiquitous in all recipient populations, suggesting a possible adaptive advantage. Introgressed alleles dominate at the MTCH2 locus, associated with obesity/fat tissue in humans, and the DSP locus, essential for the proper development of epidermal skin in amphibians. Furthermore, we found loci where local alleles were retained in the introgressed populations, suggesting their relevance for local adaptation. Finally, comparisons of genetic diversity between introgressed and nonintrogressed northern German populations revealed an increase in genetic diversity in all German individuals belonging to introgressed populations, supporting the idea of a beneficial transfer of genetic variation from Austria into North Germany.}, language = {en} } @misc{CahsanWestburyParaskevopoulouetal.2021, author = {Cahsan, Binia De and Westbury, Michael V. and Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Drews, Hauke and Ott, Moritz and Gollmann, G{\"u}nter and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Genomic consequences of human-mediated translocations in margin populations of an endangered amphibian}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {6}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-52314}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-523140}, pages = {14}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Due to their isolated and often fragmented nature, range margin populations are especially vulnerable to rapid environmental change. To maintain genetic diversity and adaptive potential, gene flow from disjunct populations might therefore be crucial to their survival. Translocations are often proposed as a mitigation strategy to increase genetic diversity in threatened populations. However, this also includes the risk of losing locally adapted alleles through genetic swamping. Human-mediated translocations of southern lineage specimens into northern German populations of the endangered European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) provide an unexpected experimental set-up to test the genetic consequences of an intraspecific introgression from central population individuals into populations at the species range margin. Here, we utilize complete mitochondrial genomes and transcriptome nuclear data to reveal the full genetic extent of this translocation and the consequences it may have for these populations. We uncover signs of introgression in four out of the five northern populations investigated, including a number of introgressed alleles ubiquitous in all recipient populations, suggesting a possible adaptive advantage. Introgressed alleles dominate at the MTCH2 locus, associated with obesity/fat tissue in humans, and the DSP locus, essential for the proper development of epidermal skin in amphibians. Furthermore, we found loci where local alleles were retained in the introgressed populations, suggesting their relevance for local adaptation. Finally, comparisons of genetic diversity between introgressed and nonintrogressed northern German populations revealed an increase in genetic diversity in all German individuals belonging to introgressed populations, supporting the idea of a beneficial transfer of genetic variation from Austria into North Germany.}, language = {en} } @article{ReckendorfLudesWehrmeisterWohlseinetal.2018, author = {Reckendorf, Anja and Ludes-Wehrmeister, Eva and Wohlsein, Peter and Tiedemann, Ralph and Siebert, U. and Lehnert, Kristina}, title = {First record of Halocercus sp (Pseudaliidae) lungworm infections in two stranded neonatal orcas (Orcinus orca)}, series = {Parasitology}, volume = {145}, journal = {Parasitology}, number = {12}, publisher = {Cambridge Univ. Press}, address = {New York}, issn = {0031-1820}, doi = {10.1017/S0031182018000586}, pages = {1553 -- 1557}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Orca (Orcinus orca) strandings are rare and post-mortem examinations on fresh individuals are scarce. Thus, little is known about their parasitological fauna, prevalence of infections, associated pathology and the impact on their health. During post-mortem examinations of two male neonatal orcas stranded in Germany and Norway, lungworm infections were found within the bronchi of both individuals. The nematodes were identified as Halocercus sp. (Pseudaliidae), which have been described in the respiratory tract of multiple odontocete species, but not yet in orcas. The life cycle and transmission pathways of some pseudaliid nematodes are incompletely understood. Lungworm infections in neonatal cetaceans are an unusual finding and thus seem to be an indicator for direct mother-to-calf transmission (transplacental or transmammary) of Halocercus sp. nematodes in orcas.}, language = {en} } @article{SenczukHavensteinMilanaetal.2018, author = {Senczuk, Gabriele and Havenstein, Katja and Milana, Valentina and Ripa, Chiara and De Simone, Emanuela and Tiedemann, Ralph and Castiglia, Riccardo}, title = {Spotlight on islands}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-33326-w}, pages = {12}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Groups of proximate continental islands may conceal more tangled phylogeographic patterns than oceanic archipelagos as a consequence of repeated sea level changes, which allow populations to experience gene flow during periods of low sea level stands and isolation by vicariant mechanisms during periods of high sea level stands. Here, we describe for the first time an ancient and diverging lineage of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus from the western Pontine Islands. We used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences of 156 individuals with the aim of unraveling their phylogenetic position, while microsatellite loci were used to test several a priori insular biogeographic models of migration with empirical data. Our results suggest that the western Pontine populations colonized the islands early during their Pliocene volcanic formation, while populations from the eastern Pontine Islands seem to have been introduced recently. The inter-island genetic makeup indicates an important role of historical migration, probably due to glacial land bridges connecting islands followed by a recent vicariant mechanism of isolation. Moreover, the most supported migration model predicted higher gene flow among islands which are geographically arranged in parallel. Considering the threatened status of small insular endemic populations, we suggest this new evolutionarily independent unit be given priority in conservation efforts.}, language = {en} } @article{AutenriethHartmannLahetal.2018, author = {Autenrieth, Marijke and Hartmann, Stefanie and Lah, Ljerka and Roos, Anna and Dennis, Alice B. and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {High-quality whole-genome sequence of an abundant Holarctic odontocete, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)}, series = {Molecular ecology resources}, volume = {18}, journal = {Molecular ecology resources}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1755-098X}, doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.12932}, pages = {1469 -- 1481}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is a highly mobile cetacean found across the Northern hemisphere. It occurs in coastal waters and inhabits basins that vary broadly in salinity, temperature and food availability. These diverse habitats could drive subtle differentiation among populations, but examination of this would be best conducted with a robust reference genome. Here, we report the first harbour porpoise genome, assembled de novo from an individual originating in the Kattegat Sea (Sweden). The genome is one of the most complete cetacean genomes currently available, with a total size of 2.39 Gb and 50\% of the total length found in just 34 scaffolds. Using 122 of the longest scaffolds, we were able to show high levels of synteny with the genome of the domestic cattle (Bos taurus). Our draft annotation comprises 22,154 predicted genes, which we further annotated through matches to the NCBI nucleotide database, GO categorization and motif prediction. Within the predicted genes, we have confirmed the presence of >20 genes or gene families that have been associated with adaptive evolution in other cetaceans. Overall, this genome assembly and draft annotation represent a crucial addition to the genomic resources currently available for the study of porpoises and Phocoenidae evolution, phylogeny and conservation.}, language = {en} } @article{ParaskevopoulouTiedemannWeithoff2018, author = {Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Tiedemann, Ralph and Weithoff, Guntram}, title = {Differential response to heat stress among evolutionary lineages of an aquatic invertebrate species complex}, series = {Biology letters}, volume = {14}, journal = {Biology letters}, number = {11}, publisher = {Royal Society}, address = {London}, issn = {1744-9561}, doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2018.0498}, pages = {5}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Under global warming scenarios, rising temperatures can constitute heat stress to which species may respond differentially. Within a described species, knowledge on cryptic diversity is of further relevance, as different lineages/cryptic species may respond differentially to environmental change. The Brachionus calyciflorus species complex (Rotifera), which was recently described using integrative taxonomy, is an essential component of aquatic ecosystems. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these (formerly cryptic) species differ in their heat tolerance. We assigned 47 clones with nuclear ITS1 (nuITS1) and mitochondrial COI (mtCOI) markers to evolutionary lineages, now named B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (s.s.) and B. fernandoi. We selected 15 representative clones and assessed their heat tolerance as a bi-dimensional phenotypic trait affected by both the intensity and duration of heat stress. We found two distinct groups, with B. calyciflorus s.s. clones having higher heat tolerance than the novel species B. fernandoi. This apparent temperature specialization among former cryptic species underscores the necessity of a sound species delimitation and assignment, when organismal responses to environmental changes are investigated.}, language = {en} } @article{EppKruseKathetal.2018, author = {Epp, Laura Saskia and Kruse, Stefan and Kath, Nadja J. and Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen Rosemarie and Tiedemann, Ralph and Pestryakova, Luidmila Agafyevna and Herzschuh, Ulrike}, title = {Temporal and spatial patterns of mitochondrial haplotype and species distributions in Siberian larches inferred from ancient environmental DNA and modeling}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-35550-w}, pages = {9}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Changes in species' distributions are classically projected based on their climate envelopes. For Siberian forests, which have a tremendous significance for vegetation-climate feedbacks, this implies future shifts of each of the forest-forming larch (Larix) species to the north-east. However, in addition to abiotic factors, reliable projections must assess the role of historical biogeography and biotic interactions. Here, we use sedimentary ancient DNA and individual-based modelling to investigate the distribution of larch species and mitochondrial haplotypes through space and time across the treeline ecotone on the southern Taymyr peninsula, which at the same time presents a boundary area of two larch species. We find spatial and temporal patterns, which suggest that forest density is the most influential driver determining the precise distribution of species and mitochondrial haplotypes. This suggests a strong influence of competition on the species' range shifts. These findings imply possible climate change outcomes that are directly opposed to projections based purely on climate envelopes. Investigations of such fine-scale processes of biodiversity change through time are possible using paleoenvironmental DNA, which is available much more readily than visible fossils and can provide information at a level of resolution that is not reached in classical palaeoecology.}, language = {en} } @article{SchnitzlerReckendorfPinzoneetal.2018, author = {Schnitzler, Joseph G. and Reckendorf, Anja and Pinzone, Marianna and Autenrieth, Marijke and Tiedemann, Ralph and Covaci, Adrian and Malarvannan, Govindan and Ruser, Andreas and Das, Krishna and Siebert, Ursula}, title = {Supporting evidence for PCB pollution threatening global killer whale population}, series = {Aquatic Toxicology}, volume = {206}, journal = {Aquatic Toxicology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0166-445X}, doi = {10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.11.008}, pages = {102 -- 104}, year = {2018}, abstract = {A recent Science report predicted the global killer whale population to collapse due to PCB pollution. Here we present empirical evidence, which supports and extends the reports' statement. In 2016, a neonate male killer whale stranded on the German island of Sylt. Neonatal attributes indicated an age of at least 3 days. The stomach contained ∼20 mL milk residue and no pathologies explaining the cause of death could be detected. Blubber samples presenting low lipid concentrations were analysed for persistent organic pollutants. Skin samples were collected for genotyping of the mitochondrial control region. The blubber PCB concentrations were very high [SPCBs, 225 mg/kg lipid weight (lw)], largely exceeding the PCB toxicity thresholds reported for the onset of immunosuppression [9 mg/kg lw ∑PCB] and for severe reproductive impairment [41 mg/kg lw ∑PCB] reported for marine mammals. Additionally, this individual showed equally high concentrations in p,p'-DDE [226 mg/kg lw], PBDEs [5 mg/kg lw] and liver mercury levels [1.1 μg/g dry weight dw]. These results suggest a high placental transfer of pollutants from mother to foetus. Consequently, blubber and plasma PCB concentrations and calf mortality rates are both high in primiparous females. With such high pollutant levels, this neonate had poor prerequisites for survival. The neonate belonged to Ecotype I (generalist feeder) and carried the mitochondrial haplotype 35 present in about 16\% of the North Atlantic killer whale from or close to the North Sea. The relevance of this data becomes apparent in the UK West Coast Community, the UK's only residentorca population, which is currently composed of only eight individuals (each four males and females) and no calves have been reported over the last 19 years.Despite worldwide regulations, PCBs persist in the environment and remain a severe concern for killer whale populations, placing calves at high risk due to the mother-offspring PCB-transfer resulting in a high toxicological burden of the neonates.}, language = {en} } @misc{RomeroMujalliJeltschTiedemann2018, author = {Romero-Mujalli, Daniel and Jeltsch, Florian and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Individual-based modeling of eco-evolutionary dynamics}, series = {Regional environmental change}, volume = {19}, journal = {Regional environmental change}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1436-3798}, doi = {10.1007/s10113-018-1406-7}, pages = {1 -- 12}, year = {2018}, abstract = {A challenge for eco-evolutionary research is to better understand the effect of climate and landscape changes on species and their distribution. Populations of species can respond to changes in their environment through local genetic adaptation or plasticity, dispersal, or local extinction. The individual-based modeling (IBM) approach has been repeatedly applied to assess organismic responses to environmental changes. IBMs simulate emerging adaptive behaviors from the basic entities upon which both ecological and evolutionary mechanisms act. The objective of this review is to summarize the state of the art of eco-evolutionary IBMs and to explore to what degree they already address the key responses of organisms to environmental change. In this, we identify promising approaches and potential knowledge gaps in the implementation of eco-evolutionary mechanisms to motivate future research. Using mainly the ISI Web of Science, we reveal that most of the progress in eco-evolutionary IBMs in the last decades was achieved for genetic adaptation to novel local environmental conditions. There is, however, not a single eco-evolutionary IBM addressing the three potential adaptive responses simultaneously. Additionally, IBMs implementing adaptive phenotypic plasticity are rare. Most commonly, plasticity was implemented as random noise or reaction norms. Our review further identifies a current lack of models where plasticity is an evolving trait. Future eco-evolutionary models should consider dispersal and plasticity as evolving traits with their associated costs and benefits. Such an integrated approach could help to identify conditions promoting population persistence depending on the life history strategy of organisms and the environment they experience.}, language = {en} } @misc{EppKruseKathetal.2018, author = {Epp, Laura Saskia and Kruse, Stefan and Kath, Nadja J. and Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen Rosemarie and Tiedemann, Ralph and Pestryakova, Luidmila Agafyevna and Herzschuh, Ulrike}, title = {Temporal and spatial patterns of mitochondrial haplotype and species distributions in Siberian larches inferred from ancient environmental DNA and modeling}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1052}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-46835}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-468352}, pages = {11}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Changes in species' distributions are classically projected based on their climate envelopes. For Siberian forests, which have a tremendous significance for vegetation-climate feedbacks, this implies future shifts of each of the forest-forming larch (Larix) species to the north-east. However, in addition to abiotic factors, reliable projections must assess the role of historical biogeography and biotic interactions. Here, we use sedimentary ancient DNA and individual-based modelling to investigate the distribution of larch species and mitochondrial haplotypes through space and time across the treeline ecotone on the southern Taymyr peninsula, which at the same time presents a boundary area of two larch species. We find spatial and temporal patterns, which suggest that forest density is the most influential driver determining the precise distribution of species and mitochondrial haplotypes. This suggests a strong influence of competition on the species' range shifts. These findings imply possible climate change outcomes that are directly opposed to projections based purely on climate envelopes. Investigations of such fine-scale processes of biodiversity change through time are possible using paleoenvironmental DNA, which is available much more readily than visible fossils and can provide information at a level of resolution that is not reached in classical palaeoecology.}, language = {en} } @misc{ParaskevopoulouDennisWeithoffetal.2020, author = {Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Dennis, Alice B. and Weithoff, Guntram and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Temperature-dependent life history and transcriptomic responses in heat-tolerant versus heat-sensitive Brachionus rotifers}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1012}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-48228}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-482280}, pages = {17}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Thermal stress response is an essential physiological trait that determines occurrence and temporal succession in nature, including response to climate change. We compared temperature-related demography in closely related heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive Brachionus rotifer species. We found significant differences in heat response, with the heat-sensitive species adopting a strategy of long survival and low population growth, while the heat-tolerant followed the opposite strategy. In both species, we examined the genetic basis of physiological variation by comparing gene expression across increasing temperatures. Comparative transcriptomic analyses identified shared and opposing responses to heat. Interestingly, expression of heat shock proteins (hsps) was strikingly different in the two species and mirrored differences in population growth rates, showing that hsp genes are likely a key component of a species' adaptation to different temperatures. Temperature induction caused opposing patterns of expression in further functional categories including energy, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and in genes related to ribosomal proteins. In the heat-sensitive species, elevated temperatures caused up-regulation of genes related to meiosis induction and post-translational histone modifications. This work demonstrates the sweeping reorganizations of biological functions that accompany temperature adaptation in these two species and reveals potential molecular mechanisms that might be activated for adaptation to global warming.}, language = {en} } @article{ParaskevopoulouDennisWeithoffetal.2020, author = {Paraskevopoulou, Sofia and Dennis, Alice B. and Weithoff, Guntram and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Temperature-dependent life history and transcriptomic responses in heat-tolerant versus heat-sensitive Brachionus rotifers}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-70173-0}, pages = {15}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Thermal stress response is an essential physiological trait that determines occurrence and temporal succession in nature, including response to climate change. We compared temperature-related demography in closely related heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive Brachionus rotifer species. We found significant differences in heat response, with the heat-sensitive species adopting a strategy of long survival and low population growth, while the heat-tolerant followed the opposite strategy. In both species, we examined the genetic basis of physiological variation by comparing gene expression across increasing temperatures. Comparative transcriptomic analyses identified shared and opposing responses to heat. Interestingly, expression of heat shock proteins (hsps) was strikingly different in the two species and mirrored differences in population growth rates, showing that hsp genes are likely a key component of a species' adaptation to different temperatures. Temperature induction caused opposing patterns of expression in further functional categories including energy, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and in genes related to ribosomal proteins. In the heat-sensitive species, elevated temperatures caused up-regulation of genes related to meiosis induction and post-translational histone modifications. This work demonstrates the sweeping reorganizations of biological functions that accompany temperature adaptation in these two species and reveals potential molecular mechanisms that might be activated for adaptation to global warming.}, language = {en} } @article{ColangeliSchlaegelOberteggeretal.2019, author = {Colangeli, Pierluigi and Schl{\"a}gel, Ulrike E. and Obertegger, Ulrike and Petermann, Jana S. and Tiedemann, Ralph and Weithoff, Guntram}, title = {Negative phototactic response to UVR in three cosmopolitan rotifers: a video analysis approach}, series = {Hydrobiologia : acta hydrobiologica, hydrographica, limnologica et protistologica}, volume = {844}, journal = {Hydrobiologia : acta hydrobiologica, hydrographica, limnologica et protistologica}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {0018-8158}, doi = {10.1007/s10750-018-3801-y}, pages = {43 -- 54}, year = {2019}, language = {en} } @misc{SenczukHavensteinMilanaetal.2018, author = {Senczuk, Gabriele and Havenstein, Katja and Milana, Valentina and Ripa, Chiara and De Simone, Emanuela and Tiedemann, Ralph and Castiglia, Riccardo}, title = {Spotlight on islands}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {991}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-44636}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-446360}, pages = {14}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Groups of proximate continental islands may conceal more tangled phylogeographic patterns than oceanic archipelagos as a consequence of repeated sea level changes, which allow populations to experience gene flow during periods of low sea level stands and isolation by vicariant mechanisms during periods of high sea level stands. Here, we describe for the first time an ancient and diverging lineage of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus from the western Pontine Islands. We used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences of 156 individuals with the aim of unraveling their phylogenetic position, while microsatellite loci were used to test several a priori insular biogeographic models of migration with empirical data. Our results suggest that the western Pontine populations colonized the islands early during their Pliocene volcanic formation, while populations from the eastern Pontine Islands seem to have been introduced recently. The inter-island genetic makeup indicates an important role of historical migration, probably due to glacial land bridges connecting islands followed by a recent vicariant mechanism of isolation. Moreover, the most supported migration model predicted higher gene flow among islands which are geographically arranged in parallel. Considering the threatened status of small insular endemic populations, we suggest this new evolutionarily independent unit be given priority in conservation efforts.}, language = {en} } @misc{NeyeWallschlaegerTiedemann2006, author = {Neye, Gundula and Wallschl{\"a}ger, Hans-Dieter and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Song dialect boundaries in the Yellowhammer: Do they restrict gene flow?}, series = {Journal of ornithology}, volume = {147}, journal = {Journal of ornithology}, number = {Supplement 1}, publisher = {Blackwell}, address = {New York}, issn = {0021-8375}, pages = {219 -- 219}, year = {2006}, language = {en} }