Intermediate habitat associations by hybrids may facilitate genetic introgression in a songbird

Hybridization or the interbreeding of genetically discrete populations or species can occur where ranges of genetically distinct units overlap. Golden‐winged warblers Vermivora chrysoptera, a species that has been in steady decline for decades, highlight the potential population‐level consequences of hybridization. A major factor implicated in their decline is hybridization with their sister species, the blue‐winged warbler Vermivora cyanoptera, which has likely been exacerbated by historic and current land‐use practices. We examined habitat associations of golden‐winged and blue‐winged warblers, phenotypic hybrids, and cryptic hybrids (i.e. mismatch between plumage phenotype and genotype as identified by mitochondrial DNA) in an area of relatively recent range overlap and hybridization in northern New York, USA. To explore the robustness of these results, we then compared the patterns from New York with habitat associations from the central Pennsylvanian Appalachian Mountains where blue‐winged warblers either do not occur or are in very low abundance, yet cryptic golden‐winged warbler hybrids are present. From 2008 to 2011, we captured 122 birds in New York and 28 in Pennsylvania and collected blood samples, which we used to determine maternal ancestry. For each bird captured, we measured territory‐level (50‐m radius circles) habitat, and later used remote‐sensing data to quantify habitat on the territories and in surrounding areas (100‐, 250‐, and 500‐m radius circles). In New York, golden‐winged warblers occupied structurally heterogeneous territories surrounded by homogeneously structured, contiguous deciduous forest, far from urban areas. Blue‐winged warblers showed opposite associations, and hybrids’ habitat associations were typically intermediate. In Pennsylvania, the habitat associations of golden‐winged warblers and their cryptic hybrids were remarkably similar to those in New York. These findings suggest that patterns of habitat occupancy by hybrids may promote contact with golden‐winged warblers and thus likely facilitate genetic introgression, even in areas where the parental species are not sympatric.     

A global review and meta-analysis of applications of the freshwater Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries - The freshwater Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) has been applied in 35 risk assessment areas in 45 countries across the six inhabited continents (11...     

Dynamic measurements of black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) predation on mussels (Mytilus californianus)

Intertidal zone mussels can face threats from a variety of predatory species during high and low tides, and they must balance the threat of predation against other needs such as feeding and aerobic respiration. Black oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) on the Pacific coast of North America can depend on the mussel Mytilus californianus for a substantial portion of their diet. Observations suggest that oystercatchers tend to focus on mussels beginning to gape their valves during rising tides, following periods of aerial emersion. We present detailed, autonomous field measurements of the dynamics of three such predation events in the rocky intertidal zone. We measured accelerations of up to 4 g imposed on mussels, with handling times of 115–290 s required to open the shell and remove the majority of tissue. In each case a single oystercatcher attacked a mussel that had gaped the shell valves slightly wider than its neighbors as the rising tide began to splash the mussel bed, but no other obvious characteristic of the mussels, such as body temperature or orientation, could be linked to the oystercatcher's individual prey choice.     

Role of the acquisition of a type 3 secretion system in the emergence of novel pathogenic strains of Xanthomonas

Cases of emergence of novel plant-pathogenic strains are regularly reported that reduce the yields of crops and trees. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying such emergence are still poorly understood. The acquisition by environmental non-pathogenic strains of novel virulence genes by horizontal gene transfer has been suggested as a driver for the emergence of novel pathogenic strains. In this study, we tested such an hypothesis by transferring a plasmid encoding the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and four associated type 3 secreted proteins (T3SPs) to the non-pathogenic strains of Xanthomonas CFBP 7698 and CFBP 7700, which lack genes encoding T3SS and any previously known T3SPs. The resulting strains were phenotyped on Nicotiana benthamiana using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and image analysis. Wild-type, non-pathogenic strains induced a hypersensitive response (HR)-like necrosis, whereas strains complemented with T3SS and T3SPs suppressed this response. Such suppression depends on a functional T3SS. Amongst the T3SPs encoded on the plasmid, Hpa2, Hpa1 and, to a lesser extent, XopF1 collectively participate in suppression. Monitoring of the population sizes in planta showed that the sole acquisition of a functional T3SS by non-pathogenic strains impairs growth inside leaf tissues. These results provide functional evidence that the acquisition via horizontal gene transfer of a T3SS and four T3SPs by environmental non-pathogenic strains is not sufficient to make strains pathogenic. In the absence of a canonical effector, the sole acquisition of a T3SS seems to be counter-selective, and further acquisition of type 3 effectors is probably needed to allow the emergence of novel pathogenic strains.