G. C. Sims results 30
· Newest (Page 1/2, per page 25)
Author: G. C. Sims ×Clear All Filters
Search Results
Demography and Localized Reservoirs of Diversity Underlie Global Divergence in the Giant Kelp Macrocystis pyriferaNARA Subscribed
Accurate assessments of genetic diversity are crucial for effective management of natural resources. Numerous evolutionary mechanisms and genetic constraints can shape lineage divergence, challenging our quantification of biodiversity. Here, using whole genome resequencing of globally distributed giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera (Order: Laminariales), we show clear separation of genetic groups across the Pacific based on 99 ge...
Unprecedented Burning in Tropical Peatlands During the 20th Century Compared to the Previous Two MillenniaNARA Subscribed
Tropical peatland wildfire incidence has risen in recent decades, driven by drainage for land use and intensified by severe droughts with global climate change. These disturbances have altered vegetation structure, disrupted ecosystem functioning, and increased carbon emissions, particularly in Southeast Asia. However, the long‐term history and characteristics of wildfires in tropical peatlands remain largely unknown. Here, we...
Marine megafauna species are affected by a wide range of anthropogenic threats. To evaluate the risk of such threats, species’ vulnerability to each threat must first be determined. We build on the existing threats classification scheme and ranking system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species by assessing the vulnerability of 256 marine megafauna species to 23 at‐sea threat...
Pelagic sharks target long‐lived, retentive anticyclonic eddies in the Northwest Atlantic OceanNARA Subscribed
Open ocean ecosystems represent the largest habitat on Earth and are highly dynamic in time and space. Mesoscale eddies are a primary driver of this variability and serve a key structural role in ocean ecosystems. Eddies modulate marine biodiversity beyond their impacts on plankton, influencing many ecologically and commercially important predators that may preferentially occupy anticyclonic eddies. However, how animal‐eddy in...
Genetic mixing in conservation translocations increases diversity of a keystone threatened species, Bettongia lesueurNARA Subscribed
Translocation programmes are increasingly being informed by genetic data to monitor and enhance conservation outcomes for both natural and established populations. These data provide a window into contemporary patterns of genetic diversity, structure and relatedness that can guide managers in how to best source animals for their translocation programmes. The inclusion of historical samples, where possible, strengthens monitori...
Common, low-frequency, rare, and ultra-rare coding variants contribute to COVID-19 severityNARA Subscribed
The combined impact of common and rare exonic variants in COVID-19 host genetics is currently insufficiently understood. Here, common and rare variants from whole-exome sequencing data of about 4000 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals were used to define an interpretable machine-learning model for predicting COVID-19 severity. First, variants were converted into separate sets of Boolean features, depending on the absence or the pr...
Plant volatiles induced by herbivore eggs prime defences and mediate shifts in the reproductive strategy of receiving plantsNARA Subscribed
Plants can detect cues associated with the risk of future herbivory and modify defence phenotypes accordingly; however, our current understanding is limited both with respect to the range of early warning cues to which plants respond and the nature of the responses. Here we report that exposure to volatile emissions from plant tissues infested with herbivore eggs promotes stronger defence responses to subsequent herbivory in t...
Ten years have passed since the last synopsis of whale shark Rhincodon typus biogeography. While a recent review of the species' biology and ecology summarized the vast data collected since then, it is clear that information on population geographic connectivity, migration and demography of R. typus is still limited and scattered. Understanding R. typus migratory behaviour is central to its conservation management considering...
A regime shift is a large, sudden, and long‐lasting change in the dynamics of an ecosystem, affecting multiple trophic levels. There are a growing number of papers that report regime shifts in marine ecosystems. However, the evidence for regime shifts is equivocal, because the methods used to detect them are not yet well developed. We have collated over 300 biological time series from seven marine regions around the UK, coveri...
Dispersal in the spiny damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus , a coral reef fish species without a larval pelagic stageNARA Subscribed
The spiny damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus , is widely distributed throughout the Indo‐Australian archipelago. However, this species lacks a larval dispersal stage and shows genetic differentiation between populations from closely spaced reefs. To investigate the dispersal strategy of this unique species, we used microsatellite markers to determine genetic relatedness at five dispersal scales: within broods of juveniles...
Effects of environment on electric field detection by small spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula (L.)NARA Subscribed
This study evaluated the influence of environment (substratum type and depth) on the electroreception capabilities of small spotted catsharks Scyliorhinus canicula in response to prey‐simulating electric fields. In experiments where electric fields (applied current 15 μA) were presented beneath different substrata (sand, pebbles, rocks and control) it was found that search effort was not different between substrata or S. canic...