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Pollen metabarcoding of museum specimens and recently collected bumblebees (Bombus) indicates foraging shifts
(2023-07-05)
Landscape changes, over time, lead to changes of floral resources available to pollinators, which in turn may result in the disappearance of ecologically specialized species. Here, we use pollen metabarcoding to infer historic and recent interactions between plants and bumblebees (Bombus). Bumblebees from Cuxhaven (Germany) were sampled from historical museum collections (1968/69) and in the field (2019). Pollen attached to their bodies was barcoded using multiple plant markers (ITS1, ITS2 and trnL-P6 loop). Our ...
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The Internal Structure of the Velvet Worm Projectile Slime: A Small-Angle Scattering Study
(2023-02-24)
For prey capture and defense, velvet worms eject an adhesive slime which has been established as a model system for recyclable complex liquids. Triggered by mechanical agitation, the liquid bio-adhesive rapidly transitions into solid fibers. In order to understand this mechanoresponsive behavior, here, the nanostructural organization of slime components are studied using small-angle scattering with neutrons and X-rays. The scattering intensities are successfully described with a three-component model accounting for ...
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Human‑elephant conflict in the Sri Lankan dry zone: investigating social and geographical drivers through field‑based methods
(2023-07-02)
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka has escalated over the recent years, with, on average, 300 elephant deaths annually and human casualties of around 90 per year. Employing field-based qualitative methods, this contribution identifies causes and contexts of human-elephant conflict in those parts of the Sri Lankan dry zone most severely affected. We have used field observations as well as semi-structured interviews with experts and affected villagers as primary data collection techniques. The findings show ...
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A multiscale approach reveals elaborate circulatory system and intermittent heartbeat in velvet worms (Onychophora)
(2023-04-28)
An antagonistic hemolymph-muscular system is essential for soft-bodied invertebrates. Many ecdysozoans (molting animals) possess neither a heart nor a vascular or circulatory system, whereas most arthropods exhibit a well-developed circulatory system. How did this system evolve and how was it subsequently modified in panarthropod lineages? As the closest relatives of arthropods and tardigrades, onychophorans (velvet worms) represent a key group for addressing this question. We therefore analyzed the entire circulatory ...