Institute of Biological Problems of the North

How and when the Americas were populated remains contentious. Using ancient and modern genome-wide data, we found that the ancestors of all present-day Native Americans, including Athabascans and Amerindians, entered the Americas as a single migration wave from Siberia no earlier than 23 thousand years ago (ka) and after no more than an 8000-year isolation period in Beringia. After their arrival to the Americas, ancestral Native Americans diversified into two basal genetic branches around 13 ka, one that is now dispersed across North and South America and the other restricted to North America. Subsequent gene flow resulted in some Native Americans sharing ancestry with present-day East Asians (including Siberians) and, more distantly, Australo-Melanesians. Putative "Paleoamerican" relict populations, including the historical Mexican Pericúes and South American Fuego-Patagonians, are not directly related to modern Australo-Melanesians as suggested by the Paleoamerican Model.

It is commonly thought that human genetic diversity in non-African populations was shaped primarily by an out-of-Africa dispersal 50-100 thousand yr ago (kya). Here, we present a study of 456 geographically diverse high-coverage Y chromosome sequences, including 299 newly reported samples. Applying ancient DNA calibration, we date the Y-chromosomal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) in Africa at 254 (95% CI 192-307) kya and detect a cluster of major non-African founder haplogroups in a narrow time interval at 47-52 kya, consistent with a rapid initial colonization model of Eurasia and Oceania after the out-of-Africa bottleneck. In contrast to demographic reconstructions based on mtDNA, we infer a second strong bottleneck in Y-chromosome lineages dating to the last 10 ky. We hypothesize that this bottleneck is caused by cultural changes affecting variance of reproductive success among males.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are a globally distributed group of soil organisms that play critical roles in ecosystem function. However, the ecological niches of individual AM fungal taxa are poorly understood. We collected > 300 soil samples from natural ecosystems worldwide and modelled the realised niches of AM fungal virtual taxa (VT; approximately species-level phylogroups). We found that environmental and spatial variables jointly explained VT distribution worldwide, with temperature and pH being the most important abiotic drivers, and spatial effects generally occurring at local to regional scales. While dispersal limitation could explain some variation in VT distribution, VT relative abundance was almost exclusively driven by environmental variables. Several environmental and spatial effects on VT distribution and relative abundance were correlated with phylogeny, indicating that closely related VT exhibit similar niche optima and widths. Major clades within the Glomeraceae exhibited distinct niche optima, Acaulosporaceae generally had niche optima in low pH and low temperature conditions, and Gigasporaceae generally had niche optima in high precipitation conditions. Identification of the realised niche space occupied by individual and phylogenetic groups of soil microbial taxa provides a basis for building detailed hypotheses about how soil communities respond to gradients and manipulation in ecosystems worldwide.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia , Chaetomella pseudocircinoseta and Coniella pseudodiospyri on Eucalyptus microcorys leaves, Cladophialophora eucalypti , Teratosphaeria dunnii and Vermiculariopsiella dunnii on Eucalyptus dunnii leaves, Cylindrium grande and Hypsotheca eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus grandis leaves, Elsinoe salignae on Eucalyptus saligna leaves, Marasmius lebeliae on litter of regenerating subtropical rainforest, Phialoseptomonium eucalypti (incl. Phialoseptomonium gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus grandis × camaldulensis leaves, Phlogicylindrium pawpawense on Eucalyptus tereticornis leaves, Phyllosticta longicauda as an endophyte from healthy Eustrephus latifolius leaves, Pseudosydowia eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus sp. leaves, Saitozyma wallum on Banksia aemula leaves, Teratosphaeria henryi on Corymbia henryi leaves. Brazil , Aspergillus bezerrae , Backusella azygospora , Mariannaea terricola and Talaromyces pernambucoensis from soil, Calonectria matogrossensis on Eucalyptus urophylla leaves, Calvatia brasiliensis on soil, Carcinomyces nordestinensis on Bromelia antiacantha leaves, Dendryphiella stromaticola on small branches of an unidentified plant, Nigrospora brasiliensis on Nopalea cochenillifera leaves, Penicillium alagoense as a leaf endophyte on a Miconia sp., Podosordaria nigrobrunnea on dung, Spegazzinia bromeliacearum as a leaf endophyte on Tilandsia catimbauensis , Xylobolus brasiliensis on decaying wood. Bulgaria , Kazachstania molopis from the gut of the beetle Molops piceus . Croatia , Mollisia endocrystallina from a fallen decorticated Picea abies tree trunk. Ecuador , Hygrocybe rodomaculata on soil. Hungary , Alfoldia vorosii (incl. Alfoldia gen. nov.) from Juniperus communis roots, Kiskunsagia ubrizsyi (incl. Kiskunsagia gen. nov.) from Fumana procumbens roots. India , Aureobasidium tremulum as laboratory contaminant, Leucosporidium himalayensis and Naganishia indica from windblown dust on glaciers. Italy , Neodevriesia cycadicola on Cycas sp. leaves, Pseudocercospora pseudomyrticola on Myrtus communis leaves, Ramularia pistaciae on Pistacia lentiscus leaves, Neognomoniopsis quercina (incl. Neognomoniopsis gen. nov.) on Quercus ilex leaves. Japan , Diaporthe fructicola on Passiflora edulis × P . edulis f. flavicarpa fruit, Entoloma nipponicum on leaf litter in a mixed Cryptomeria japonica and Acer spp. forest. Macedonia , Astraeus macedonicus on soil. Malaysia , Fusicladium eucalyptigenum on Eucalyptus sp. twigs, Neoacrodontiella eucalypti (incl. Neoacrodontiella gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus urophylla leaves. Mozambique , Meliola gorongosensis on dead Philenoptera violacea leaflets. Nepal , Coniochaeta dendrobiicola from Dendriobium lognicornu roots. New Zealand , Neodevriesia sexualis and Thozetella neonivea on Archontophoenix cunninghamiana leaves. Norway , Calophoma sandfjordenica from a piece of board on a rocky shoreline, Clavaria parvispora on soil, Didymella finnmarkica from a piece of Pinus sylvestris driftwood. Poland , Sugiyamaella trypani from soil. Portugal , Colletotrichum feijoicola from Acca sellowiana. Russia , Crepidotus tobolensis on Populus tremula debris, Entoloma ekaterinae , Entoloma erhardii and Suillus gastroflavus on soil, Nakazawaea ambrosiae from the galleries of Ips typographus under the bark of Picea abies. Slovenia , Pluteus ludwigii on twigs of broadleaved trees. South Africa , Anungitiomyces stellenboschiensis (incl. Anungitiomyces gen. nov.) and Niesslia stellenboschiana on Eucalyptus sp. leaves, Beltraniella pseudoportoricensis on Podocarpus falcatus leaf litter, Corynespora encephalarti on Encephalartos sp. leaves, Cytospora pavettae on Pavetta revoluta leaves, Helminthosporium erythrinicola on Erythrina humeana leaves, Helminthosporium syzygii on a Syzygium sp. barkcanker, Libertasomyces aloeticus on Aloe sp. leaves, Penicillium lunae from Musa sp. fruit, Phyllosticta lauridiae on Lauridia tetragona leaves, Pseudotruncatella bolusanthi (incl. Pseudotruncatellaceae fam. nov.) and Dactylella bolusanthi on Bolusanthus speciosus leaves. Spain , Apenidiella foetida on submerged plant debris, Inocybe grammatoides on Quercus ilex subsp. ilex forest humus, Ossicaulis salomii on soil, Phialemonium guarroi from soil. Thailand , Pantospora chromolaenae on Chromolaena odorata leaves. Ukraine , Cadophora helianthi from Helianthus annuus stems. USA , Boletus pseudopinophilus on soil under slash pine, Botryotrichum foricae , Penicillium americanum and Penicillium minnesotense from air. Vietnam , Lycoperdon vietnamense on soil. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.

The Turkic peoples represent a diverse collection of ethnic groups defined by the Turkic languages. These groups have dispersed across a vast area, including Siberia, Northwest China, Central Asia, East Europe, the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. The origin and early dispersal history of the Turkic peoples is disputed, with candidates for their ancient homeland ranging from the Transcaspian steppe to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. Previous genetic studies have not identified a clear-cut unifying genetic signal for the Turkic peoples, which lends support for language replacement rather than demic diffusion as the model for the Turkic language's expansion. We addressed the genetic origin of 373 individuals from 22 Turkic-speaking populations, representing their current geographic range, by analyzing genome-wide high-density genotype data. In agreement with the elite dominance model of language expansion most of the Turkic peoples studied genetically resemble their geographic neighbors. However, western Turkic peoples sampled across West Eurasia shared an excess of long chromosomal tracts that are identical by descent (IBD) with populations from present-day South Siberia and Mongolia (SSM), an area where historians center a series of early Turkic and non-Turkic steppe polities. While SSM matching IBD tracts (> 1cM) are also observed in non-Turkic populations, Turkic peoples demonstrate a higher percentage of such tracts (p-values ≤ 0.01) compared to their non-Turkic neighbors. Finally, we used the ALDER method and inferred admixture dates (~9th-17th centuries) that overlap with the Turkic migrations of the 5th-16th centuries. Thus, our results indicate historical admixture among Turkic peoples, and the recent shared ancestry with modern populations in SSM supports one of the hypothesized homelands for their nomadic Turkic and related Mongolic ancestors.

Following the dispersal out of Africa, where hominins evolved in warm environments for millions of years, our species has colonised different climate zones of the world, including high latitudes and cold environments. The extent to which human habitation in (sub-)Arctic regions has been enabled by cultural buffering, short-term acclimatization and genetic adaptations is not clearly understood. Present day indigenous populations of Siberia show a number of phenotypic features, such as increased basal metabolic rate, low serum lipid levels and increased blood pressure that have been attributed to adaptation to the extreme cold climate. In this study we introduce a dataset of 200 individuals from ten indigenous Siberian populations that were genotyped for 730,525 SNPs across the genome to identify genes and non-coding regions that have undergone unusually rapid allele frequency and long-range haplotype homozygosity change in the recent past. At least three distinct population clusters could be identified among the Siberians, each of which showed a number of unique signals of selection. A region on chromosome 11 (chr11:66-69 Mb) contained the largest amount of clustering of significant signals and also the strongest signals in all the different selection tests performed. We present a list of candidate cold adaption genes that showed significant signals of positive selection with our strongest signals associated with genes involved in energy regulation and metabolism (CPT1A, LRP5, THADA) and vascular smooth muscle contraction (PRKG1). By employing a new method that paints phased chromosome chunks by their ancestry we distinguish local Siberian-specific long-range haplotype signals from those introduced by admixture.

Summary 1. Eight years of observations on seabird reproductive success and oceanographic change in Tauyskaya Bay (Okhotsk Sea, north‐western Pacific) were used to evaluate the hypothesis that interannual climate change causes opposite trends in reproductive performances of planktivorous auklets ( Aethia cristatella and Cyclorhinchus psittacula ) vs. piscivorous puffins ( Lunda cirrhata and Fratercula corniculata ). 2. The climate change was assessed by examining changes in sea‐surface temperature (SST), time of permanent ice disappearance (ID), wind (WV) and current vectors (CV). Changes in the distribution of zooplankton biomass in the study region were used to assess changes in prey communities. Bird reproductive success was determined as the number of chicks fledged per nest occupied. 3. There were two distinct sets of oceanographic conditions in the study region, as reflected in the SST, ID, WV and CV. Strong northerly winds in the spring produced a late ice disappearance in the study region, whereas easterly winds determined an early ice disappearance. The patterns in ice disappearance were significantly correlated with SST anomalies during the summer. A negative SST anomaly (– 1·2 °C) defined a ‘cold’ regime, whereas a positive SST anomaly ( + 1·2 °C) defined a ‘warm’ regime. 4. Reproductive success of planktivorous auklets was negatively correlated with the SST in the western part of Tauyskaya Bay, whereas reproductive success of piscivorous puffins was positively correlated with the SST. The ‘cold’ season in 1988 was characterized by a strong in‐flow of water masses into the bay area. The ‘warm’ season in 1989 was characterized by well‐mixed warm water inside the bay that were separated from colder water masses outside the bay. Macro‐zooplankton, which were the main prey of planktivorous auklets, were more abundant during the ‘cold’ regime of the ecosystem. Meso‐zooplankton, a potential prey of juvenile pelagic fish, were more abundant during the ‘warm’ regime of the ecosystem. 5. Interannual oceanographic change probably impacts alcid reproductive performances by affecting food accessibility to planktivorous auklets and piscivorous puffins in opposite ways.

Phylogenetic relationships between the extinct woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), and the Asian (Elephas maximus) and African savanna (Loxodonta africana) elephants remain unresolved. Here, we report the sequence of the complete mitochondrial genome (16,842 base pairs) of a woolly mammoth extracted from permafrost-preserved remains from the Pleistocene epoch--the oldest mitochondrial genome sequence determined to date. We demonstrate that well-preserved mitochondrial genome fragments, as long as approximately 1,600-1700 base pairs, can be retrieved from pre-Holocene remains of an extinct species. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the Elephantinae clade suggests that M. primigenius and E. maximus are sister species that diverged soon after their common ancestor split from the L. africana lineage. Low nucleotide diversity found between independently determined mitochondrial genomic sequences of woolly mammoths separated geographically and in time suggests that north-eastern Siberia was occupied by a relatively homogeneous population of M. primigenius throughout the late Pleistocene.

The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection of more than 200 standardized terrestrial and marine animal tracking studies from 1991 to the present. The AAMA supports public data discovery, preserves fundamental baseline data for the future, and facilitates efficient, collaborative data analysis. With AAMA-based case studies, we document climatic influences on the migration phenology of eagles, geographic differences in the adaptive response of caribou reproductive phenology to climate change, and species-specific changes in terrestrial mammal movement rates in response to increasing temperature.

More than a half of the northern Asian pool of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is fragmented into a number of subclades of haplogroups C and D, two of the most frequent haplogroups throughout northern, eastern, central Asia and America. While there has been considerable recent progress in studying mitochondrial variation in eastern Asia and America at the complete genome resolution, little comparable data is available for regions such as southern Siberia--the area where most of northern Asian haplogroups, including C and D, likely diversified. This gap in our knowledge causes a serious barrier for progress in understanding the demographic pre-history of northern Eurasia in general. Here we describe the phylogeography of haplogroups C and D in the populations of northern and eastern Asia. We have analyzed 770 samples from haplogroups C and D (174 and 596, respectively) at high resolution, including 182 novel complete mtDNA sequences representing haplogroups C and D (83 and 99, respectively). The present-day variation of haplogroups C and D suggests that these mtDNA clades expanded before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), with their oldest lineages being present in the eastern Asia. Unlike in eastern Asia, most of the northern Asian variants of haplogroups C and D began the expansion after the LGM, thus pointing to post-glacial re-colonization of northern Asia. Our results show that both haplogroups were involved in migrations, from eastern Asia and southern Siberia to eastern and northeastern Europe, likely during the middle Holocene.

Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmental change. Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmental change. In September 2020, a tag on the back of a Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) tagged in Belarus, that had migrated to its wintering grounds in Albania, switched on its transmitter as the International Space Station (ISS) passed 410 km above. The tag sent global positioning system (GPS) location data on the bird´s recent whereabouts as well as onboard sensor data, which the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS) receiver aboard the Russian Zvezda Module of the ISS picked up and returned to scientists back on Earth [1.Belyaev M. et al.Development of technology for monitoring animal migration on Earth using scientific equipment on the ISS RS.in: Proceedings of the 27th Saint Petersburg International Conference on Integrated Navigation Systems (ICINS), St. Petersburg, Russia. 2020Crossref Scopus (6) Google Scholar] (Figure 1). While only 223 bytes in size, this transmission rang in a new epoch for space-based Earth observations and biological sensing. The new system, based on digital Internet of Things (IoT) technology, will allow the relay of position and behavior from myriad low-cost, miniaturized tracking tags (now 4g, soon 3g, optionally solar powered) at almost global scale and in near-real time. A connected global system of thousands of mobile ‘animal sensors’ has the potential to provide a quantum leap for the biological understanding and monitoring of our planet. The environmental associations of animals that drive their movements, finely tuned by evolution, offer an unrivalled biological lens into these habitats themselves. This concept flips the traditional satellite-based Earth observation paradigm: rather than globe-orbiting sensors capturing images of the planet’s surface for subsequent interpretation, animals, through countless individual movement decisions, seek out their preferred conditions, sensing the quality and health of ecosystems in real time (Figure 2). Realizing this capability, however, requires engagement from agencies and scientists worldwide to support decentralized coordinated data collection and, to catalyze this engagement, a global demonstration campaign. The blackbird’s data transmission was a long-anticipated milestone (https://www.icarus.mpg.de) [1.Belyaev M. et al.Development of technology for monitoring animal migration on Earth using scientific equipment on the ISS RS.in: Proceedings of the 27th Saint Petersburg International Conference on Integrated Navigation Systems (ICINS), St. Petersburg, Russia. 2020Crossref Scopus (6) Google Scholar]. With a new transmission scheme, two-way communication, and mass-produced hardware, ICARUS has not only reduced the size and cost of tracking tags but also increased the number that can be monitored concurrently. Through the ability to simultaneously return data from millions of ‘wearables for wildlife’, ICARUS complements existing satellite (Argos, Iridium) and ground-based (e.g., GSM, IoT) networks to dramatically expand the number and diversity of animals that can be tracked. The initial drive for animal tracking has come from animal behavior and migration research. Earlier generations of GPS tags revealed previously unknown migration paths and seasonal gatherings, identified vital corridors and refugia in conservation, and documented important epidemiological links [2.Kays R. et al.Terrestrial animal tracking as an eye on life and planet.Science. 2015; 348: eaaa2478Crossref Scopus (721) Google Scholar,3.Hussey N.E. et al.Aquatic animal telemetry: a panoramic window into the underwater world.Science. 2015; 348: 1255642Crossref PubMed Scopus (715) Google Scholar,10.Tian H. et al.Avian influenza H5N1 viral and bird migration networks in Asia.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2015; 112: 172-177Crossref PubMed Scopus (123) Google Scholar]. Data growth and collaboration have enabled some of the first comparative studies discovering behavioral adjustments to human land use [4.Tucker M.A. et al.Moving in the Anthropocene: global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements.Science. 2018; 359: 466-469Crossref PubMed Scopus (487) Google Scholar] and changes of movements across the Arctic due to climate change [5.Davidson S.C. et al.Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic.Science. 2020; 370: 712-715Crossref PubMed Scopus (35) Google Scholar]. In addition, they have stimulated excitement about the emergence of an entirely new type of animal sentinel-based evidence supporting biodiversity conservation in a rapidly changing world [6.Rutz C. et al.COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife.Nat. Ecol. Evol. 2020; 4: 1156-1159Crossref PubMed Scopus (219) Google Scholar,7.Jetz W. et al.Essential biodiversity variables for mapping and monitoring species populations.Nat. Ecol. Evol. 2019; 3: 539-551Crossref PubMed Scopus (150) Google Scholar,11.Turner W. Sensing biodiversity.Science. 2014; 346: 301-302Crossref PubMed Scopus (148) Google Scholar]. Unlike the caged canary in the coal mine, free-ranging animals pick their own paths and are thus naturally intelligent sensors, fine-tuned by evolution. They actively seek out, or avoid, a set of environmental conditions and show distinct reactions to unusual weather, storms, and some natural disasters [8.Wikelski M. Tertitski G. Living sentinels for climate change effects.Science. 2016; 352: 775-776Crossref PubMed Scopus (23) Google Scholar]. When linked to concurrently remotely sensed data from satellites, and through sensors’ onboard tags, their movement tracks record individually encountered environmental conditions. This enables an unprecedented quantification of the habitat use, environmental niches and ecological boundaries of animals and, with baseline data in place, real-time monitoring of change. Thereby, tracked animals can add essential biological meaning to the vast, ongoing remote-sensing data collection and act as canaries in the coal mine set free: signalers and sentinels of environmental conditions through their selection, avoidance, or death. The satellite–animal interlink could extend to active digital handholding: satellites could be tasked with following particular individuals for extra information or, in real time, tune into those showing abnormal behavior or sudden avoidance of places expected to be suitable. Agencies or conservation groups could receive alerts if typically used habitats or conservation areas are suddenly avoided or cause death (e.g., due to illegal encroachment or hunting). Such a system would substantially enhance ecological-change detection from remotely sensed signals, complementing existing data and approaches, for example, for remotely sensed deforestation alerts or spatially fixed conservation technology, such as camera traps. Imagine a representative set of 100 000 animals from 500 species equipped with space-based GPS tracking tags that deliver half-hourly data. At a 3g tag size, such a system is able to address around 40% of birds and over 50% of mammals (i.e., a total of ca 7000 potential species) and hundreds of species of crocodiles, turtles, and large lizards (for a 5% weight limit). This expanded hyper-speciose taxonomic (and geographic) scope opens an entirely new phase of animal-based Earth observation. Deploying this many tags is certainly a challenge, but remember, the ISS-tracked blackbird was preceded by tens of thousands of blackbirds equipped with leg bands instead. Thanks to a vast international network of volunteers, ca 3.5 million individual birds have been captured and marked every year since 1960, globally [9.Kestenholz M. et al.Bird Ringing for Science and Conservation. EURING, 2011Google Scholar] (with <1% ever resighted or recovered to provide a second data point), and probably hundreds of thousands of mammals. While not all species will be straightforward or justifiable targets for GPS tags, the potential set is large enough to enable ecologically representative and global coverage. Past experience and initial ICARUS interest suggest that wildlife agencies, non-governmental organizations, scientists, and bird banders would carry the large majority of deployments, with coordination and targeted campaigns needed to ensure coverage. The International Bio-Logging Society (https://www.bio-logging.net) could play a role in supporting such a global coordination. With a receiver in place, tag hardware cost at scale decreasing to US$100 or less each, and a yearly redeployment of 50 000 new tags, this results in a US$10–15 million annual cost, tremendous value added to environmental satellite missions at a small fraction of their typical cost. We expect that, combined with other data on traits and behaviors, space–time–environment information from thousands of species will enable a more functional interpretation of the ecosystem consequences of biodiversity. Across scales of organismal organization, but also across space and time, these measurements will allow pinning down of the plasticity and adaptive potential around realized change in animal niches and space use. The detailed capture of individual lifetime tracks, when linked with environmental and individual phenotypic and genomic data, provides an unprecedented tool for evolutionary study and offers new life-history, geospatial, and environmental niche dimensions for specimens archived or exhibited in museums. For potential animal reservoirs of infectious diseases, Earth observation with animal sensors can help to identify potential hotspots of disease transmission and map and monitor the potential for long-distance and cross-border transmissions [10.Tian H. et al.Avian influenza H5N1 viral and bird migration networks in Asia.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2015; 112: 172-177Crossref PubMed Scopus (123) Google Scholar]. Tracking of individuals with antibodies offers epidemiologists the potential to pinpoint the location of the true hosts of zoonotics such as Ebola and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). With so many animals tracked, many intriguing stories will emerge about individual animals that will have the potential to capture the imagination of people worldwide. The tracked animals provide the daily drama that can be part of digitally-rich media campaigns around tagged individuals that support education and discovery, and can engage citizen scientists to collect ancillary observations, enriching the data record even further. The potential to adopt and follow single individuals and their fates can connect people to biodiversity issues, both at their doorstep and far away, and support educational uses and conservation funding. Realizing these opportunities will require the engagement of and contributions from government agencies, the science community, and beyond. At agency level, a shift in traditional perceptions and approaches to Earth observation and monitoring will be required, together with interagency collaboration among and within nations. The ICARUS ground-to-space IoT is designed to be an open system for any organization to join and augment the global readout capacity or leverage for an improved system. The success of the presented vision will also rely on global collaboration and coordination of biodiversity monitoring among sovereign territories. With the GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (https://geobon.org) and its associated research community, international platforms and scientific principles for globally coordinated and integrated biodiversity monitoring are in place. Through model-based integration with other biodiversity data in platforms such as Map of Life (https://mol.org), the envisioned animal-based Earth observation can inform Essential Biodiversity Variables and indicators for the tracking of progress toward international goals on maintaining ecological integrity and connectivity or provide management-relevant short-term forecasting [7.Jetz W. et al.Essential biodiversity variables for mapping and monitoring species populations.Nat. Ecol. Evol. 2019; 3: 539-551Crossref PubMed Scopus (150) Google Scholar]. As tag deployments will rely on individual scientist’s participation, a willingness to follow agreed data standards and share data is vital. Effective Earth observation via animals will thus require development and openness around new data-sharing and -use models, including the near-immediate sharing of limited anonymized information that near-real time monitoring and model-based short-term forecasting depend on. Community engagement is needed to develop effective approaches for the citation of tracking data to support appropriate attribution and recognition. As one scales this vision to a truly global endeavor, challenges certainly remain, including sufficient capacity to support best scientific practice, benefit sharing, and the engagement of regional and local stakeholders. With the ICARUS system now online, a globally coordinated ‘100 000 animal sentinels’ campaign is possible and would establish an unrivalled bioenvironmental baseline record. With the larger community engaged, it would be the start of ongoing real-time sensing of living conditions on Earth by animals themselves. Akin to hyperspectral remote sensing systems [12.Schimel D. et al.Prospects and pitfalls for spectroscopic remote sensing of biodiversity at the global scale.in: Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity. Springer, 2020: 503-518Crossref Scopus (9) Google Scholar], it would realize hyper-speciose, and thus multifaceted, in situ biological Earth observation. No interests are declared. Biological Earth observation with animal sensors: (Trends in Ecology and Evolution , 293–298; 2022)Jetz et al.Trends in Ecology & EvolutionMay 21, 2022In BriefSix supporting authors were omitted from the article ‘ Biological Earth observation with animal sensors ´ when it was published. The corrected supporting author list appears below. We apologise for this oversight. Full-Text PDF Open Access

To investigate the origin and evolution of aboriginal populations of South Siberia, a comprehensive mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis (HVR1 sequencing combined with RFLP typing) of 480 individuals, representing seven Altaic-speaking populations (Altaians, Khakassians, Buryats, Sojots, Tuvinians, Todjins and Tofalars), was performed. Additionally, HVR2 sequence information was obtained for 110 Altaians, providing, in particular, some novel details of the East Asian mtDNA phylogeny. The total sample revealed 81% East Asian (M*, M7, M8, M9, M10, C, D, G, Z, A, B, F, N9a, Y) and 17% West Eurasian (H, U, J, T, I, N1a, X) matrilineal genetic contribution, but with regional differences within South Siberia. The highest influx of West Eurasian mtDNAs was observed in populations from the East Sayan and Altai regions (from 12.5% to 34.5%), whereas in populations from the Baikal region this contribution was markedly lower (less than 10%). The considerable substructure within South Siberian haplogroups B, F, and G, together with the high degree of haplogroup C and D diversity revealed there, allows us to conclude that South Siberians carry the genetic imprint of early-colonization phase of Eurasia. Statistical analyses revealed that South Siberian populations contain high levels of mtDNA diversity and high heterogeneity of mtDNA sequences among populations (Fst = 5.05%) that might be due to geography but not due to language and anthropological features.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation was examined in Poles (from the Pomerania-Kujawy region; n = 436) and Russians (from three different regions of the European part of Russia; n = 201), for which the two hypervariable segments (HVS I and HVS II) and haplogroup-specific coding region sites were analyzed. The use of mtDNA coding region RFLP analysis made it possible to distinguish parallel mutations that occurred at particular sites in the HVS I and II regions during mtDNA evolution. In total, parallel mutations were identified at 73 nucleotide sites in HVS I (17.8%) and 31 sites in HVS II (7.73%). The classification of mitochondrial haplotypes revealed the presence of all major European haplogroups, which were characterized by similar patterns of distribution in Poles and Russians. An analysis of the distribution of the control region haplotypes did not reveal any specific combinations of unique mtDNA haplotypes and their subclusters that clearly distinguish both Poles and Russians from the neighbouring European populations. The only exception is a novel subcluster U4a within subhaplogroup U4, defined by a diagnostic mutation at nucleotide position 310 in HVS II. This subcluster was found in common predominantly between Poles and Russians (at a frequency of 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively) and may therefore have a central-eastern European origin.

We compared mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction fragment profiles from samples of 13 bird species that occur on both sides of Beringia. All but two species, Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) and Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), exhibited evidence of genetic differentiation, albeit at varying degrees. Several species exhibited mtDNA differentiation consistent with species-level distinctness: Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Mew Gull (Larus canus), Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica), American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), and Rosy Finch (Leucosticte arctoa). Other species exhibited levels of mtDNA differentiation intermediate between populations and species: Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), and Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus). Because of small sample sizes, we do not recommend formal taxonomic changes, although our data could be combined with other data to raise several taxa to species level. Our data do not indicate a consistent level of mtDNA differentiation between putatively conspecific populations on different sides of Beringia, suggesting different times of colonization or cessation of gene exchange. Most comparisons of birds within continents exhibit less mtDNA differentiation than our trans-Beringia comparisons, suggesting limited gene flow between continents.

Abstract Sediment cores from three lakes in the Upper Kolyma region, northeast Russia, provide the first well-dated continuous record of late Quaternary vegetation change from far southwestern Beringia. The oldest pollen zone, tentatively assigned to the Karginsk (mid-Wisconsinan) Interstade, indicates an Artemisia shrub tundra with Pinus pumila , Betula , and Alnus at mid- to low elevations. With the onset of the Sartan (late Wisconsinan) Stade, Pinus disappeared, probably indicating severely cold, dry winters and cool summers. As conditions deteriorated further, an Artemisia -Gramineae tundra developed. Selaginella rupestris and minor herb taxa indicate the presence of poor soils and disturbed ground. This herb tundra was replaced by a short-lived (&lt; 1000 yr) Betula-Alnus shrub tundra followed by the rapid establishment of a Larix dahurica forest with a Betula exilis -ericales-lichen understory. Populus suaveolens and Chosenia may have formed limited hardwood gallery forests at this time. Modern vegetation associations probably developed during the early Holocene with the arrival of Pinus pumila ca. 9000 yr B.P. This shrub became important in the forest understory and, with B. exilis , formed a belt of shrub tundra beyond altitudinal treeline. Comparison of the Upper Kolyma and Alaskan pollen records indicates that important differences in vegetation types and timing of vegetation change occurred across Beringia during the late Quaternary.

Data on the variation of 12 microsatellite loci of Y-chromosome haplogroup C3 were used to screen lineages included in the cluster of Genghis Khan's descendants in 18 northern Eurasian populations (Altaian Kazakhs, Altaians-Kizhi, Teleuts, Khakassians, Shorians, Tyvans, Todjins, Tofalars, Sojots, Buryats, Khamnigans, Evenks, Mongols, Kalmyks, Tajiks, Kurds, Persians, and Russians; the total sample size was 1437 people). The highest frequency of haplotypes from the cluster of the Genghis Khan's descendants was found in Mongols (34.8%). In Russia, this cluster was found in Altaian Kazakhs (8.3%), Altaians (3.4%), Buryats (2.3%), Tyvans (1.9%), and Kalmyks (1.7%).

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation was examined in Poles (from the Pomerania‐Kujawy region; n = 436) and Russians (from three different regions of the European part of Russia; n = 201), for which the two hypervariable segments (HVS I and HVS II) and haplogroup‐specific coding region sites were analyzed. The use of mtDNA coding region RFLP analysis made it possible to distinguish parallel mutations that occurred at particular sites in the HVS I and II regions during mtDNA evolution. In total, parallel mutations were identified at 73 nucleotide sites in HVS I (17.8%) and 31 sites in HVS II (7.73%). The classification of mitochondrial haplotypes revealed the presence of all major European haplogroups, which were characterized by similar patterns of distribution in Poles and Russians. An analysis of the distribution of the control region haplotypes did not reveal any specific combinations of unique mtDNA haplotypes and their subclusters that clearly distinguish both Poles and Russians from the neighbouring European populations. The only exception is a novel subcluster U4a within subhaplogroup U4, defined by a diagnostic mutation at nucleotide position 310 in HVS II. This subcluster was found in common predominantly between Poles and Russians (at a frequency of 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively) and may therefore have a central‐eastern European origin.

It is generally accepted that the most ancient European mitochondrial haplogroup, U5, has evolved essentially in Europe. To resolve the phylogeny of this haplogroup, we completely sequenced 113 mitochondrial genomes (79 U5a and 34 U5b) of central and eastern Europeans (Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Russians and Belorussians), and reconstructed a detailed phylogenetic tree, that incorporates previously published data. Molecular dating suggests that the coalescence time estimate for the U5 is approximately 25-30 thousand years (ky), and approximately 16-20 and approximately 20-24 ky for its subhaplogroups U5a and U5b, respectively. Phylogeographic analysis reveals that expansions of U5 subclusters started earlier in central and southern Europe, than in eastern Europe. In addition, during the Last Glacial Maximum central Europe (probably, the Carpathian Basin) apparently represented the area of intermingling between human flows from refugial zones in the Balkans, the Mediterranean coastline and the Pyrenees. Age estimations amounting for many U5 subclusters in eastern Europeans to approximately 15 ky ago and less are consistent with the view that during the Ice Age eastern Europe was an inhospitable place for modern humans.

Intraspecific phylogeny and genetic variation were investigated based on nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in six soricine shrew species, Sorex unguiculatus, S. caecutiens, S. shinto, S. gracillimus, S. minutissimus and S. hosonoi, collected primarily from northeastern Asia. Maximum likelihood trees and a phylogenetic network were generated to estimate intraspecific phylogenies. S. minutissimus showed high congruence between phylogenetic position and geographical origin and S. gracillimus showed low congruence. In contrast, there was no congruence between phylogeny and geography in S. unguiculatus and the S. caecutiens from Sakhalin-Eurasia. Positive correlation between genetic and geographical distances was found in S. minutissimus and S. gracillimus, but not in the other species (or regional populations). The results of the phylogenetic and genetic analyses suggest that S. minutissimus and S. gracillimus have occupied their present ranges for a longer time than the other species if we assume a stepping-stone model of population structure. In addition, there was no contradiction between the present investigations and the hypotheses of multiple immigration by S. gracillimus and a single immigration by S. unguiculatus into Hokkaido Island. It is proposed that these six northeastern Asian species experienced different historical processes of range expansion and dispersal despite the fact that some of them currently show similar patterns of distribution.

In Russia, both alveolar and cystic echinococcoses are endemic. This study aimed to identify the aetiological agents of the diseases and to investigate the distribution of each Echinococcus species in Russia. A total of 75 Echinococcus specimens were collected from 14 host species from 2010 to 2012. Based on the mitochondrial DNA sequences, they were identified as Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), E. canadensis and E. multilocularis. E. granulosus s.s. was confirmed in the European Russia and the Altai region. Three genotypes, G6, G8 and G10 of E. canadensis were detected in Yakutia. G6 was also found in the Altai region. Four genotypes of E. multilocularis were confirmed; the Asian genotype in the western Siberia and the European Russia, the Mongolian genotype in an island of Baikal Lake and the Altai Republic, the European genotype from a captive monkey in Moscow Zoo and the North American genotype in Yakutia. The present distributional record will become a basis of public health to control echinococcoses in Russia. The rich genetic diversity demonstrates the importance of Russia in investigating the evolutionary history of the genus Echinococcus.