The lipid composition of cell membranes exerts a crucial influence on cell physiology. Indeed, one double bond triggers membrane fluidity, essential for cell functionality, but additional double bonds increase the susceptibilty to peroxidation, which produces reactive compounds that impair the viability of cells. It has therefore been suggested that the composition of membrane fatty acids has been optimized during evolution. This study tested for stabilizing selection on fatty acid...

There are seasonal and hourly biases in bird tracking devices that combine GPS and solar batteries

One of the major goals for ecologists and evolutionary biologists is to understand how webs of species form, how they change in participants over time, and how they affect evolution. Describing the full pattern of connections within these webs is a daunting task. This study attempted to understand how species coevolve within large webs of mutualistic species.

The Osprey is an emblematic example of conservation. Currently, the species is progressively recovering in population size and range after dramatic reductions as a consequence of human persecution and the use of pesticides in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Here, the population trend and productivity were analysed in relation to the nesting substrate and the protection status of the nest location.

There is the tendency to assume that endangered species have been both genetically and demographically healthier in the past. The Iberian lynx suffered a dramatic and continuous decline during the 20th century. Ancient, historical, and contemporary samples with microsatellite and mitogenome data were analyzed to reconstruct the species' demography and investigate patterns of genetic variation across space and time.