@article{RadchukReedTeplitskyetal.2019, author = {Radchuk, Viktoriia and Reed, Thomas and Teplitsky, Celine and van de Pol, Martijn and Charmantier, Anne and Hassall, Christopher and Adamik, Peter and Adriaensen, Frank and Ahola, Markus P. and Arcese, Peter and Miguel Aviles, Jesus and Balbontin, Javier and Berg, Karl S. and Borras, Antoni and Burthe, Sarah and Clobert, Jean and Dehnhard, Nina and de Lope, Florentino and Dhondt, Andre A. and Dingemanse, Niels J. and Doi, Hideyuki and Eeva, Tapio and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Filella, Iolanda and Fossoy, Frode and Goodenough, Anne E. and Hall, Stephen J. G. and Hansson, Bengt and Harris, Michael and Hasselquist, Dennis and Hickler, Thomas and Jasmin Radha, Jasmin and Kharouba, Heather and Gabriel Martinez, Juan and Mihoub, Jean-Baptiste and Mills, James A. and Molina-Morales, Mercedes and Moksnes, Arne and Ozgul, Arpat and Parejo, Deseada and Pilard, Philippe and Poisbleau, Maud and Rousset, Francois and R{\"o}del, Mark-Oliver and Scott, David and Carlos Senar, Juan and Stefanescu, Constanti and Stokke, Bard G. and Kusano, Tamotsu and Tarka, Maja and Tarwater, Corey E. and Thonicke, Kirsten and Thorley, Jack and Wilting, Andreas and Tryjanowski, Piotr and Merila, Juha and Sheldon, Ben C. and Moller, Anders Pape and Matthysen, Erik and Janzen, Fredric and Dobson, F. Stephen and Visser, Marcel E. and Beissinger, Steven R. and Courtiol, Alexandre and Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie}, title = {Adaptive responses of animals to climate change are most likely insufficient}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-10924-4}, pages = {14}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Biological responses to climate change have been widely documented across taxa and regions, but it remains unclear whether species are maintaining a good match between phenotype and environment, i.e. whether observed trait changes are adaptive. Here we reviewed 10,090 abstracts and extracted data from 71 studies reported in 58 relevant publications, to assess quantitatively whether phenotypic trait changes associated with climate change are adaptive in animals. A meta-analysis focussing on birds, the taxon best represented in our dataset, suggests that global warming has not systematically affected morphological traits, but has advanced phenological traits. We demonstrate that these advances are adaptive for some species, but imperfect as evidenced by the observed consistent selection for earlier timing. Application of a theoretical model indicates that the evolutionary load imposed by incomplete adaptive responses to ongoing climate change may already be threatening the persistence of species.}, language = {en} } @misc{AmbarlıMenguellueoğluFickeletal.2018, author = {Ambarl{\i}, H{\"u}seyin and Meng{\"u}ll{\"u}oğlu, Deniz and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and F{\"o}rster, Daniel W.}, title = {Population genetics of the main population of brown bears in southwest Asia}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {937}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-45912}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-459124}, pages = {20}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Genetic studies of the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) have so far focused on populations from Europe and North America, although the largest distribution area of brown bears is in Asia. In this study, we reveal population genetic parameters for the brown bear population inhabiting the Grand Ka{\c{c}}kar Mountains (GKM) in the north east of Turkey, western Lesser Caucasus. Using both hair (N = 147) and tissue samples (N = 7) collected between 2008 and 2014, we found substantial levels of genetic variation (10 microsatellite loci). Bear samples (hair) taken from rubbing trees worked better for genotyping than those from power poles, regardless of the year collected. Genotyping also revealed that bears moved between habitat patches, despite ongoing massive habitat alterations and the creation of large water reservoirs. This population has the potential to serve as a genetic reserve for future reintroductions in the Middle East. Due to the importance of the GKM population for on-going and future conservation actions, the impacts of habitat alterations in the region ought to be minimized; e.g., by establishing green bridges or corridors over reservoirs and major roads to maintain habitat connectivity and gene flow among populations in the Lesser Caucasus.}, language = {en} } @misc{DrygalaKorablevAnsorgeetal.2016, author = {Drygala, Frank and Korablev, Nikolay and Ansorge, Hermann and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Isomursu, Marja and Elmeros, Morten and Kowalczyk, Rafał and Baltrunaite, Laima and Balciauskas, Linas and Saarma, Urmas and Schulze, Christoph and Borkenhagen, Peter and Frantz, Alain C.}, title = {Homogenous population genetic structure of the non-native raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Europe as a result of rapid population expansion}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {540}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-41092}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-410921}, pages = {17}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The extent of gene flow during the range expansion of non-native species influences the amount of genetic diversity retained in expanding populations. Here, we analyse the population genetic structure of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in north-eastern and central Europe. This invasive species is of management concern because it is highly susceptible to fox rabies and an important secondary host of the virus. We hypothesized that the large number of introduced animals and the species' dispersal capabilities led to high population connectivity and maintenance of genetic diversity throughout the invaded range. We genotyped 332 tissue samples from seven European countries using 16 microsatellite loci. Different algorithms identified three genetic clusters corresponding to Finland, Denmark and a large 'central' population that reached from introduction areas in western Russia to northern Germany. Cluster assignments provided evidence of long-distance dispersal. The results of an Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis supported a scenario of equal effective population sizes among different pre-defined populations in the large central cluster. Our results are in line with strong gene flow and secondary admixture between neighbouring demes leading to reduced genetic structuring, probably a result of its fairly rapid population expansion after introduction. The results presented here are remarkable in the sense that we identified a homogenous genetic cluster inhabiting an area stretching over more than 1500km. They are also relevant for disease management, as in the event of a significant rabies outbreak, there is a great risk of a rapid virus spread among raccoon dog populations.}, language = {en} } @article{GaubertPatelVeronetal.2016, author = {Gaubert, Philippe and Patel, Riddhi P. and Veron, Geraldine and Goodman, Steven M. and Willsch, Maraike and Vasconcelos, Raquel and Lourenco, Andre and Sigaud, Marie and Justy, Fabienne and Joshi, Bheem Dutt and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Wilting, Andreas}, title = {Phylogeography of the Small Indian Civet and Origin of Introductions to Western Indian Ocean Islands}, series = {The journal of heredity : official journal of the American Genetic Association}, volume = {108}, journal = {The journal of heredity : official journal of the American Genetic Association}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Cary}, issn = {0022-1503}, doi = {10.1093/jhered/esw085}, pages = {270 -- 279}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The biogeographic dynamics affecting the Indian subcontinent, East and Southeast Asia during the Plio-Pleistocene has generated complex biodiversity patterns. We assessed the molecular biogeography of the small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) through mitogenome and cytochrome b + control region sequencing of 89 historical and modern samples to (1) establish a time-calibrated phylogeography across the species' native range and (2) test introduction scenarios to western Indian Ocean islands. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses identified 3 geographic lineages (East Asia, sister-group to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent + northern Indochina) diverging 3.2-2.3 million years ago (Mya), with no clear signature of past demographic expansion. Within Southeast Asia, Balinese populations separated from the rest 2.6-1.3 Mya. Western Indian Ocean populations were assigned to the Indian subcontinent + northern Indochina lineage and had the lowest mitochondrial diversity. Approximate Bayesian computation did not distinguish between single versus multiple introduction scenarios. The early diversification of the small Indian civet was likely shaped by humid periods in the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene that created evergreen rainforest barriers, generating areas of intra-specific endemism in the Indian subcontinent, East, and Southeast Asia. Later, Pleistocene dispersals through drier conditions in South and Southeast Asia were likely, giving rise to the species' current natural distribution. Our molecular data supported the delineation of only 4 subspecies in V. indica, including an endemic Balinese lineage. Our study also highlighted the influence of prefirst millennium AD introductions to western Indian Ocean islands, with Indian and/or Arab traders probably introducing the species for its civet oil.}, language = {en} } @article{NorgaardMikkelsenElmerosetal.2017, author = {Norgaard, Louise Solveig and Mikkelsen, Dorthe Marlene Gotz and Elmeros, Morten and Chriel, Mariann and Madsen, Aksel Bo and Nielsen, Jeppe Lund and Pertoldi, Cino and Randi, Ettore and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Slaska, Brygida and Ruiz-Gonzalez, Aritz}, title = {Population genomics of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Denmark: insights into invasion history and population development}, series = {Biological invasions : unique international journal uniting scientists in the broad field of biological invasions}, volume = {19}, journal = {Biological invasions : unique international journal uniting scientists in the broad field of biological invasions}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {1387-3547}, doi = {10.1007/s10530-017-1385-5}, pages = {1637 -- 1652}, year = {2017}, abstract = {The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) has a wide distribution in Europe and is a prominent example of a highly adaptable alien species. It has been recorded sporadically in Denmark since 1980 but observations since 2008 suggested that the species had established a free-ranging, self-sustaining population. To elucidate the origin and genetic patterns of Danish raccoon dogs, we studied the population genomics of 190 individuals collected in Denmark (n = 141) together with reference captive individuals from Poland (n = 21) and feral individuals from different European localities (Germany, Poland, Estonia and Finland, n = 28). We used a novel genotyping-by-sequencing approach simultaneously identifying and genotyping a large panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms (n = 4526). Overall, there was significant indication for contemporary genetic structuring of the analysed raccoon dog populations, into at least four different clusters, in spite of the existence of long distance gene flow and secondary admixture from different population sources. The Danish population was characterized by a high level of genetic admixture with neighbouring feral European ancestries and the presence of private clusters, non-retrieved in any other feral or captive populations sampled. These results suggested that the raccoon dog population in Denmark was founded by escapees from genetically unidentified Danish captive stocks, followed by a recent admixture with individuals migrating from neighbouring Germany.}, language = {en} } @article{MossbruckerApriyanaFickeletal.2015, author = {Mossbrucker, Alexander Markus and Apriyana, Isabella and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Imron, Muhammad Ali and Pudyatmoko, Satyawan and Sumardi, and Suryadi, Helena}, title = {Non-invasive genotyping of Sumatran elephants: implications for conservation}, series = {Tropical conservation science}, volume = {8}, journal = {Tropical conservation science}, number = {3}, publisher = {Mongabay.com}, address = {Menlo Park}, issn = {1940-0829}, pages = {745 -- 759}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Reliable baseline information necessary for the monitoring and conservation of Sumatran elephants is scarce. We here combine non-invasive molecular genetics methods and capture-recapture modeling to estimate elephant population size, distribution, sex ratio, and age structure for the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape in Sumatra, Indonesia. Two separate subpopulations were found, for which we estimated a population size of 99 (95\% CI = [86, 125], PCCL = 38.59\%) and 44 elephants (95\% CI = [37, 56], PCCL = 43.18\%), respectively. Low elephant densities are likely the result of patchy habitat usage and anthropogenically increased mortality, the latter assumption being supported by strong skews in both sex ratio and age structure as well as direct evidence of elephant killing. Still, the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape currently holds the largest known population of elephants in central Sumatra, representing one of the most important areas for their conservation in Indonesia. Conservation of both the elephant population and their habitat in this region should thus be of high priority. We identified several threats to the population, including (i) the risk of inbreeding and subsequent loss of genetic diversity, (ii) illegal elephant killing, and (iii) the lack of protected habitat. In order to overcome these challenges we suggest: (i) the implementation of a meta-population management program, (ii) monitoring and safeguarding elephants and improving law enforcement, and (iii) providing sufficient safe habitat to mitigate human-elephant-conflict (HEC) and ensure elephant survival.}, language = {en} } @article{DrygalaKorablevAnsorgeetal.2016, author = {Drygala, Frank and Korablev, Nikolay and Ansorge, Hermann and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Isomursu, Marja and Elmeros, Morten and Kowalczyk, Rafal and Baltrunaite, Laima and Balciauskas, Linas and Saarma, Urmas and Schulze, Christoph and Borkenhagen, Peter and Frantz, Alain C.}, title = {Homogenous Population Genetic Structure of the Non-Native Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Europe as a Result of Rapid Population Expansion}, series = {PLoS one}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS one}, publisher = {PLoS}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0153098}, pages = {933 -- 938}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The extent of gene flow during the range expansion of non-native species influences the amount of genetic diversity retained in expanding populations. Here, we analyse the population genetic structure of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in north-eastern and central Europe. This invasive species is of management concern because it is highly susceptible to fox rabies and an important secondary host of the virus. We hypothesized that the large number of introduced animals and the species' dispersal capabilities led to high population connectivity and maintenance of genetic diversity throughout the invaded range. We genotyped 332 tissue samples from seven European countries using 16 microsatellite loci. Different algorithms identified three genetic clusters corresponding to Finland, Denmark and a large 'central' population that reached from introduction areas in western Russia to northern Germany. Cluster assignments provided evidence of long-distance dispersal. The results of an Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis supported a scenario of equal effective population sizes among different pre-defined populations in the large central cluster. Our results are in line with strong gene flow and secondary admixture between neighbouring demes leading to reduced genetic structuring, probably a result of its fairly rapid population expansion after introduction. The results presented here are remarkable in the sense that we identified a homogenous genetic cluster inhabiting an area stretching over more than 1500km. They are also relevant for disease management, as in the event of a significant rabies outbreak, there is a great risk of a rapid virus spread among raccoon dog populations.}, language = {en} } @article{RadchukKramerSchadtFickeletal.2019, author = {Radchuk, Viktoriia and Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Wilting, Andreas}, title = {Distributions of mammals in Southeast Asia: The role of the legacy of climate and species body mass}, series = {Journal of biogeography}, volume = {46}, journal = {Journal of biogeography}, number = {10}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0305-0270}, doi = {10.1111/jbi.13675}, pages = {2350 -- 2362}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Aim Current species distributions are shaped by present and past biotic and abiotic factors. Here, we assessed whether abiotic factors (habitat availability) in combination with past connectivity and a biotic factor (body mass) can explain the unique distribution pattern of Southeast Asian mammals, which are separated by the enigmatic biogeographic transition zone, the Isthmus of Kra (IoK), for which no strong geophysical barrier exists. Location Southeast Asia. Taxon Mammals. Methods We projected habitat suitability for 125 mammal species using climate data for the present period and for two historic periods: mid-Holocene (6 ka) and last glacial maximum (LGM 21 ka). Next, we employed a phylogenetic linear model to assess how present species distributions were affected by the suitability of areas in these different periods, habitat connectivity during LGM and species body mass. Results Our results show that cooler climate during LGM provided suitable habitat south of IoK for species presently distributed north of IoK (in mainland Indochina). However, the potentially suitable habitat for these Indochinese species did not stretch very far southwards onto the exposed Sunda Shelf. Instead, we found that the emerged landmasses connecting Borneo and Sumatra provided suitable habitat for forest dependent Sundaic species. We show that for species whose current distribution ranges are mainly located in Indochina, the area of the distribution range that is located south of IoK is explained by the suitability of habitat in the past and present in combination with the species body mass. Main conclusions We demonstrate that a strong geophysical barrier may not be necessary for maintaining a biogeographic transition zone for mammals, but that instead a combination of abiotic and biotic factors may suffice.}, language = {en} } @article{FritzeCostantiniFickeletal.2019, author = {Fritze, Marcus and Costantini, David and Fickel, J{\"o}rns and Wehner, Dana and Czirjak, Gsbor A. and Voigt, Christian Claus}, title = {Immune response of hibernating European bats to a fungal challenge}, series = {Biology open}, volume = {8}, journal = {Biology open}, number = {10}, publisher = {Company biologists ltd}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {2046-6390}, doi = {10.1242/bio.046078}, pages = {10}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Immunological responses of hibernating mammals are suppressed at low body temperatures, a possible explanation for the devastating effect of the white-nose syndrome on hibernating North American bats. However, European bats seem to cope well with the fungal causative agent of the disease. To better understand the immune response of hibernating bats, especially against fungal pathogens, we challenged European greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) by inoculating the fungal antigen zymosan. We monitored torpor patterns, immune gene expressions, different aspects of the acute phase response and plasma oxidative status markers, and compared them with sham-injected control animals at 30 min, 48 h and 96 h after inoculation. Torpor patterns, body temperatures, body masses, white blood cell counts, expression of immune genes, reactive oxygen metabolites and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity did not differ between groups during the experiment. However, zymosan injected bats had significantly higher levels of haptoglobin than the control animals. Our results indicate that hibernating greater mouse-eared bats mount an inflammatory response to a fungal challenge, with only mild to negligible consequences for the energy budget of hibernation. Our study gives a first hint that hibernating European bats may have evolved a hibernation-adjusted immune response in order to balance the trade-off between competent pathogen elimination and a prudent energy-saving regime.}, language = {en} } @article{WeyrichLenzFickel2018, author = {Weyrich, Alexandra and Lenz, Dorina and Fickel, J{\"o}rns}, title = {Environmental Change-Dependent Inherited Epigenetic Response}, series = {GENES}, volume = {10}, journal = {GENES}, number = {1}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-4425}, doi = {10.3390/genes10010004}, pages = {15}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Epigenetic modifications are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. Research on epigenetic responses to environmental changes in wild mammals has been widely neglected, as well as studies that compare responses to changes in different environmental factors. Here, we focused on the transmission of DNA methylation changes to naive male offspring after paternal exposure to either diet (~40\% less protein) or temperature increase (10 °C increased temperature). Because both experiments focused on the liver as the main metabolic and thermoregulation organ, we were able to decipher if epigenetic changes differed in response to different environmental changes. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) revealed differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in annotated genomic regions in sons sired before (control) and after the fathers' treatments. We detected both a highly specific epigenetic response dependent on the environmental factor that had changed that was reflected in genes involved in specific metabolic pathways, and a more general response to changes in outer stimuli reflected by epigenetic modifications in a small subset of genes shared between both responses. Our results indicated that fathers prepared their offspring for specific environmental changes by paternally inherited epigenetic modifications, suggesting a strong paternal contribution to adaptive processes.}, language = {en} }