American Museum of Natural History

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Abstract Once nearly eradicated from Europe, grey wolves ( Canis lupus ) have recently undergone a remarkable demographic recovery, but their long-term survival remains precarious. By analyzing 1,001 genomes, we uncover a mosaic of distinct evolutionary lineages, not a single recovering population. Northern populations exhibit Asian wolf ancestry, while southern populations preserve ancient Holocene lineages, with dog introgression varying by region. Isolated wolves from the Scandinavian, Italian, and Iberian peninsulas harbored particularly high levels of inbreeding and fixed deleterious mutations. Signatures of genome erosion were widespread across Europe, with many populations falling well short of the minimum size recommended for long-term survival. Our study reveals the complex tapestry of wolf ancestry and variation across Europe, which calls for nuanced, regional conservation plans founded in genetic monitoring.

Ordered leaf attachment, Phylo2Vec, and HOP are three recently introduced vector representations for rooted phylogenetic trees where the representation is determined by an ordering of the underlying leaf set X. Comparing the vectors of two rooted phylogenetic X-trees T and for a fixed ordering on X leads to polynomial-time computable measure for the dissimilarity of T and , albeit dependent on the choice of the leaf ordering. For each of ordered leaf attachment, Phylo2Vec, and HOP, we compare this measure with the rooted subtree prune and regraft distance (rSPR), the hybrid number, and the temporal tree-child hybrid number of T and . Although there is no direct relationship between rSPR and any of the three vector-based measures, we show that, when minimized over all orderings, the hybrid number is equal to HOP and is an upper bound on the other two. Moreover, when minimized over all orderings induced by common cherry-picking sequences of T and , the temporal tree-child hybrid number of T and is equal to each of the three vector-based measures.

Background: The mountain communities of the Pakistani Himalayas possess rich ethnobotanical traditions centered around high-value medicinal plants such as Trillium govanianum Wall. ex D. Don, Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo, Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle, and Podophyllum hexandrum Royle. These species play vital roles in local health care, livelihoods, and cultural identity. Despite this significance, systematic documentation is limited, posing risks to both traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and biodiversity conservation. Methods: From May 2024 to June 2025, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted across 24 mountain villages in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Neelum, Leepa, and Hattian) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Kaghan, Siran, and Galliat), at altitudes of 2,000–3,300 m. Using purposive and snowball sampling, A total of 120 respondents were engaged, including 98 household respondents and 22 key informants (10 forestry officers and 12 herbal traders) interviews were completed. Field observations and gender-segregated focus groups provided complementary insights into plant use, harvesting practices, and trade. Voucher specimens were authenticated at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History. Data were analyzed thematically for TEK, gender, and governance dynamics, alongside quantitative summaries of market dependence. Results: Community governance structures revealed extensive reliance on TEK for species identification, collection timing, and sustainable use. However, weak institutional enforcement and rising market demand threaten traditional management systems. Conclusions: Integrating indigenous knowledge and women’s participation into formal conservation and livelihood policies is essential for safeguarding both cultural resilience and Himalayan biodiversity. Keywords: Ethnobotany; Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK); Trillium govanianum; Dactylorhiza hatagirea; Aconitum heterophyllum; Podophyllum hexandrum; Gender roles; Community governance; Biocultural conservation; Pakistani Himalayas

The scorpion genus Hemiscorpius Peters, 1861 is renowned for its medically important species, particularly Hemiscorpius lepturus Peters, 1861, the type species of the genus and only species previously recorded in Iraq. However, the scorpion diversity of the rugged, arid landscapes of the Kurdistan Region, especially Erbil Governorate, in northern Iraq, remains largely unknown. Extensive fieldwork in Erbil Province in 2024 resulted in the discovery of a previously unknown species, described herein as Hemiscorpius kurdistanus sp. n. The Halgurd-Sakran Mountains in the Bradost Region, to which it appears to be endemic, probably played a role in its speciation, providing a barrier that contributed to geographical isolation. The new discovery supports the hypothesis that Kurdistan represents an area of endemism for arthropods due to its isolation and unique environmental conditions. The addition of a new, potentially medically important scorpion species to the Iraqi fauna emphasizes the need for continued studies on the systematics of Hemiscorpius and other scorpion taxa as well as updated public health awareness and envenomation management strategies across the Middle East.

Abstract The complex history of Oniscorum squilliformium , Onischi squilliformi , Oniscus squilliformis , and Entoniscus cavolinii is reviewed. Oniscus squilliformis Zimmerman in Cavolini, 1792 is shown to be the senior synonym of Entoniscus cavolinii Giard, 1878, which is the type species of both Entione , Kossmann, 1881 and its junior synonym Grapsion Giard & Bonnier, 1886.

Reproduction is a core feature of life, which makes understanding the reproductive diversity of organisms a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. It is still unclear why sex determination systems are faithfully conserved for hundreds of millions of years in some taxa but repeatedly turn over in others. A prime example is the true bugs, Hemiptera. The vast majority of families employ a conserved X sex chromosomal system, but in scale insects (Coccomorpha), sex determination systems are far more varied. Different families may retain X chromosomes, employ a rare form of haplodiploidy known as paternal genome elimination (PGE), or forgo sexual reproduction in favor of simultaneous hermaphroditism. While these systems have been known for decades, only recently has non-model genomics enabled their study with modern bioinformatic methods. We collected and sequenced representatives of rare, early-diverging scale insects to study genomic changes that coincide with transitions between sex determination systems. Using ancillary expression data, we also explored sex-biased gene expression in a subset of scale insects on both sides of one transition. In a newly updated molecular phylogeny, we recovered two independent losses of X chromosomal sex determination, once in the family Monophlebidae and a second time at the base of the families that employ PGE. In the former, genomic rearrangements begin before the X is lost and any previously X-linked orthologs have been absorbed into one of two massive, shuffled autosomes in the hermaphrodites. In the latter, the X chromosome itself is faithfully preserved in early diverging PGE taxa; it appears to have merely lost its sex determination function. We analyze ortholog conservation across these transitions and find few genes lost, with only one orthogroup lost in both transitions, and a number of orthogroups gained, suggesting these large transitions did not require large changes to the gene content of the X chromosome. Expression data suggests that extreme sexual dimorphism of gene expression predates sex determination turnover and may have helped enable it. Together these new observations illustrate the multiple routes to sex determination turnover, help refine hypotheses for its causes, and provide a wealth of new resources for the modern genomic study of scale insects.

Abstract We present a new analysis of the spectroscopic variability of WISE J104915.57−531906.1AB (WISE 1049AB, L7.5+T0.5), observed using the NIRSpec instrument on board the James Webb Space Telescope (GO 2965; PI: Biller). We explore the variability of the dominant molecular bands present in their 0.6–5.3 μ m spectra (H 2 O, CH 4 , and CO), finding that the B component exhibits a higher maximum deviation than the A component in all the wavelength ranges tested. The light curves reveal wavelength-dependent (atmospheric depth) and possibly chemistry-dependent variability. In particular, for the A component, the variability in the light curves at the wavelengths traced by the CH 4 and CO molecular absorption features is higher than that for of H 2 O, even when both trace similar pressure levels. We conclude that clouds alone are unlikely to explain the increased variability of CO and CH 4 with respect to H 2 O, suggesting that an additional physical mechanism is needed to explain the observed variability. This mechanism is probably due to thermochemical instabilities. Finally, we provide visual representations of the 3D atmospheric maps reconstructed for both components using the molecular band contributions at different pressure levels and the fits of planetary-scale waves.

KNM-ER 64061 is a partial skeleton from the upper Burgi Member of the Koobi Fora Formation (2.02-2.06 Ma) associated taphonomically and geochemically with a nearly complete mandibular dentition (KNM-ER 64060) attributed to Homo habilis. The skeleton comprises the clavicle, scapular fragments, both humeri, both ulnae, both radii, and a fragmentary sacrum and os coxae, making this the most complete H. habilis skeleton recovered thus far. The upper limb elements are similar to those of other early Homo specimens. Notably, the humerus is slender with a weakly-projecting lateral epicondyle, a relatively wide capitulum and a narrow trochlea, and the ulna has a relatively large radial notch. Although KNM-ER 64061 does not preserve a lower limb, limited features of the ischium suggest lower limb mechanics more similar to Homo than to australopiths. Brachial index estimates support previous conclusions that H. habilis had a relatively long forearm compared to Homo erectus. All upper limb elements possess strikingly thick cortices, resembling the condition in australopiths and other early Homo fossils. The stature estimate of 160 cm based on humeral length is intermediate between those for H. habilis (OH 62, KNM-ER 3735) and H. erectus (KNM-ER 1808, KNM-WT 15000). The body mass estimate of 30.7-32.7 kg is slightly lower than other H. habilis specimens and noticeably lower than estimates for H. erectus. KNM-ER 64061 indicates that H. habilis retained more primitive proportions and was smaller in stature and mass than H. erectus.