A highly anomalous Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) song

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a highly vocal species with a repertoire of similar, yet acoustically distinct songs. These songs may be altered drastically if, as a nestling, the male goes deaf or becomes acoustically isolated. In deaf Red-winged Blackbirds, these dramatic song alterations may present as songs bearing slight resemblance to the introductory phrase of their normal song. Here, we present a Red-winged Blackbird song observed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that is far outside any normal variation in Red-winged Blackbird songs. Given the individual’s age and the consistency of the anomalous song, it is possible that this is a deaf bird

A Dynamic Landscape for Antibody Binding Modulates Antibody-Mediated Neutralization of West Nile Virus

Neutralizing antibodies are a significant component of the host's protective response against flavivirus infection. Neutralization of flaviviruses occurs when individual virions are engaged by antibodies with a stoichiometry that exceeds a required threshold. From this “multiple-hit” perspective, the neutralizing activity of antibodies is governed by the affinity with which it binds its epitope and the number of times this determinant is displayed on the surface of the virion. In this study, we investigated time-dependent changes in the fate of West Nile virus (WNV) decorated with antibody in solution. Experiments with the well-characterized neutralizing monoclonal antibody (MAb) E16 revealed a significant increase in neutralization activity over time that could not be explained by the kinetics of antibody binding, virion aggregation, or the action of complement. Additional kinetic experiments using the fusion-loop specific MAb E53, which has limited neutralizing activity because it recognizes a relatively inaccessible epitope on mature virions, identified a role of virus “breathing” in regulating neutralization activity. Remarkably, MAb E53 neutralized mature WNV in a time- and temperature-dependent manner. This phenomenon was confirmed in studies with a large panel of MAbs specific for epitopes in each domain of the WNV envelope protein, with sera from recipients of a live attenuated WNV vaccine, and in experiments with dengue virus. Given enough time, significant inhibition of infection was observed even for antibodies with very limited, or no neutralizing activity in standard neutralization assays. Together, our data suggests that the structural dynamics of flaviviruses impacts antibody-mediated neutralization via exposure of otherwise inaccessible epitopes, allowing for antibodies to dock on the virion with a stoichiometry sufficient for neutralization

The data double standard

Abstract Conservation planning requires extensive amounts of data, yet data collection is expensive, and there is often a trade‐off between the quantity and quality of data that can be collected. Researchers are increasingly turning to community science programs to meet their biodiversity data needs, yet the reliability of such data sources is still a common source of debate. Here, we argue that professionally collected data are subject to many of the limitations and biases present in community science datasets. We explore four common criticisms of community science data, and comparable issues that exist in data collected by experts: spatial biases, observer variability, taxonomic biases and the misapplication of data. We then outline solutions to these problems that have been developed to make better use of community science data, but can (and should) be equally applied to both kinds of data. We highlight four main solutions based on research using community science data that can be applied across all biodiversity data collection and research. Statistical techniques that have been developed for processing community science data can equally help account for spatial biases and observer variation in professional datasets. Benchmarking or vetting one dataset against another can strengthen evidence and uncover unknown sources of biases. Professional and community science datasets can be used together to fill knowledge gaps that are unique to each. Careful study design that accounts for the collection of relevant and important covariate data can help statistically account for sources of bias. Currently, a double standard exists in how researchers view data collected by professionals versus those collected by community scientists. Our aim is to ensure that valuable community science data are given the prominent place they deserve, and that data collected by experts are appropriately vetted and biases accounted for using all the tools at our disposal

Relative costs of conserving threatened species across taxonomic groups

Bias towards legally protecting and prioritizing charismatic taxonomic groups such as mammals and birds, and against others such as insects and plants, has been well-documented. However, the relative costs of conserving various taxonomic groups, and the potential of these costs to interact with existing biases, have been much less explored. Here, we analyze conservation programs across more than 2,000 species in 3 countries, to investigate the costs of conserving species within taxonomic groups, and how these costs might affect conservation planning. Although the costs for individual species vary widely, there are strong international consistencies. For example, mammals cost 8-26 times more on average to conserve than plants, and 13-19 times more to conserve than aquatic invertebrates. On average, bird species cost 5-30 times more to conserve than plants, and 6-14 times more to conserve than aquatic invertebrates. These cost differences could exacerbate unequal resource allocation among taxonomic groups, such that more charismatic groups both receive more attention and require more resources, leading to neglect of other taxonomic groups

Threats, costs, and probability of success: informing conservation choices

Threat classifications allow conservationists to categorize threatening processes faced by species of conservation concern, but lack of information on threat severity hampers efforts to establish the cost-effectiveness of conservation management actions. Actions and funds are often prioritized according to the prevalence of a threat; however, probability of success of threat management is little considered. Using data from three countries, New Zealand (NZ), Australia, and the United States, we identified which threats are more prevalent, more expensive to manage, and more likely to be successfully managed. In two of the countries, NZ and Australia, invasive species is the most prevalent, and costly threat, and actions to address it have the lowest probability of success. Thus, prioritizing actions based on prevalence rather than severity of threat may reduce efficiency. These findings provide general guidelines to agencies attempting to carry out cost-effective conservation of threatened species with limited resources