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Molecular ecology is the use of molecular genetic tools to study ecological questions. Techniques such as microarrays and DNA markers are used to study the interactions and diversity of natural populations.
A study combining microscopy, metabarcoding and metabolomics, along with predicted functions, to investigate the relationships between sponge microbiomes and metabolomics, characterizing four sponges and their distinctive bio-ecological traits.
An epigenetic study on free-ranging spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) suggests that genes are differentially methylated between high-ranking and low-ranking females (cubs and adults) which may reflect rank-specific differences in access to resources.
Data that span 15 generations reveal how gene flow and selection in a subordinate mesopredator are affected by pathogen-driven declines in the population density of a top predator. This work highlights the evolutionary impacts of interspecific competition and elucidates landscape-scale effects of an indirect interaction between a pathogen and nonhost species.
An article in Molecular Ecology describes the factors shaping microbial eukaryotic populations and their role in the carbon cycle at deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
The combination of highly resolved climatic and genomic data allows assessment of putative maladaptation of populations to climate change and can identify high-risk populations. Now, a study that accounts for migration and dispersal shows high maladaptation of a North American tree species in the northern and eastern distribution range.
The quantity of UVA/deep violet light varies seasonally and affects locomotor activity in a marine annelid, providing cues for phenology in addition to those provided by change in photoperiod.
Pathogens are wreaking havoc on bee populations. A study in Science describes how bacteria in the guts of bees can be engineered to protect their hosts from two particular pests, deformed wing virus and Varroa mites.