Understanding the drivers of ecosystem collapse is critical for resource management, particularly for protected areas mandated to preserve biodiversity. In Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, tall willows ( Salix spp.) dominated riparian vegetation, and a beaver–willow state was the natural ecosystem type in the Colorado River headwaters. However, willows comprise a portion of elk diets and are a preferred food for recentl...

Known risk loci for endometrial cancer explain approximately one third of familial endometrial cancer. However, the association of germline copy number variants (CNVs) with endometrial cancer risk remains relatively unknown. We conducted a genome-wide analysis of rare CNVs overlapping gene regions in 4115 endometrial cancer cases and 17,818 controls to identify functionally relevant variants associated with disease. We identif...

The emerging alien cactus Cylindropuntia pallida (Rose) F.M. Knuth originates from northern Mexico and introduced into South Africa in 1940s as an ornamental plant. Multiple populations of C. pallida have been detected in various areas of South Africa. C. pallida has effective propagule dispersal and rapid recruitment making it a likely key future invader, and thus, is a target for eradication in South Africa. To eradicate C....

An evidence-based approach to the conservation management of a species requires knowledge of that species’ status, distribution, ecology, and threats. Coupled with budgets for specific conservation strategies, this knowledge allows prioritisation of funding toward activities that maximise benefit for the species. However, many threatened species are poorly known, and determining which conservation strategies will achieve this...

Healthy metabolic measures in humans are associated with longevity. Dysregulation leads to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and negative health outcomes. Recent exceptional longevity (EL) genome wide association studies have facilitated estimation of an individual’s polygenic risk score (PRS) for EL. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with high ELPRS have a low prevalence of MetS. Participants were from five cohorts of middle-...

Changes in habitat availability and prey abundance are predicted to adversely influence survival and reproduction of wildlife in the Southern Ocean. Some populations of southern right whale (SRW; Eubalaena australis ) are showing dramatic changes in habitat use. Surveys were undertaken in the austral winters of 2020 and 2021 at the key nursery and socialising ground for New Zealand SRWs: Port Ross, Auckland Islands, with 548 e...

A new species of lepocreadiid, Opechonoides opisthoporus n. sp. , is described infecting 12 pomacentrid fish species from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with Abudefduf whitleyi Allen & Robertson as the type-host. This taxon differs from the only other known member of the genus, Opechonoides gure Yamaguti, 1940, in the sucker width ratio, cirrus-sac length, position of the testes, position of the pore of Laurer’s canal, and...

Aim The primary drivers of species and population extirpations have been habitat loss, overexploitation and invasive species, but human‐mediated climate change is expected to be a major driver in future. To minimise biodiversity loss, conservation managers should identify species vulnerable to climate change and prioritise their protection. Here, we estimate climatic suitability for two species‐rich taxonomic groups, then use...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens is an important cause of lung cancer. One of these substances is chromium, which is found ubiquitously across the planet. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified chromium(VI) as a human carcinogen. The aim of this study was to assess whether serum chromium levels, as well as DNA vari...

Population genomic approaches can characterize dispersal across a single generation through to many generations in the past, bridging the gap between individual movement and intergenerational gene flow. These approaches are particularly useful when investigating dispersal in recently altered systems, where they provide a way of inferring long‐distance dispersal between newly established populations and their interactions with...

A major duty of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), created in 1955, was the development a program of eradication or management of sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes for the protection of the Great Lakes fishery. Beginning in the 1980s the GLFC shifted sea lamprey control to an integrated pest management model seeking to deploy control measures which target multiple life stages. Currently control efforts focus o...