Nest predation in Blackbirds (Turdus merula) and the influence of nest characteristics

Various studies have shown that predation rates depend on several factors, such as nest site and nest characteristics, nest defense and clutch size. However, the relative contribution of each factor in determining the observed patterns of nest predation remains an important question. We studied nest predation in a population of Blackbirds (Turdus merula) in an urban park located in Dijon (Eastern France) over two consecutive years. We used both natural and artificial nests (filled with dummy eggs). Overall, predation rate did not differ between natural (50%) and artificial nests (53%). Few species of predators were identified in the study site, and the red squirrel was the main predator (88% of the predation cases). Blackbirds used a large number of plant species as nest sites, but predation was not associated with this characteristic. A significant effect of nest characteristics (nest height, nest external diameter) on nest predation was detected for artificial nests but not for natural ones. These two factors may influence nest visibility, and may be important characteristics of nest exposure. Our results are consistent with those of previous studies and underline the importance of nest charcteristics on nest predation rate

Refining the biogeographical scenario of the land snail Cornu aspersum aspersum: Natural spatial expansion and human-mediated dispersal in the Mediterranean basin

International audienceThe land snail Cornu aspersum aspersum, native to the Mediterranean region, has been the subject of several anatomical and molecular studies leading to recognize two divergent lineages, named “East” and “West” according to their geographical distribution in North Africa. The first biogeographical scenario proposed the role of Oligocene paleogeographic events and Quaternary glacial refugia to explain spatial patterns of genetic variation. The aim of this study was to refine this scenario using molecular and morphometric data from 169 populations sampled across Mediterranean islands and continents. The two previously described lineages no longer correspond to distinct biogeographical entities. Phylogenetic relationships reveal the existence of seven clades, do not support the Tyrrhenian vicariance hypothesis, and suggest that C. a. aspersum most likely originates from North Africa. We found two contrasted patterns with the seven clades defining spatially well-structured populations in the southern Mediterranean whereas one clade is distributed across the basin. High genetic diversities and rates of endemism in North Africa support the role of this region for the diversification of C. a. aspersum. In referring to divergence times previously estimated, we suggest allopatric differentiation due to geological changes of the Atlas system and multiple refugial areas during Pleistocene glaciations. The new biogeographical scenario implies an initial range expansion from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula and the peri-Tyrrhenian regions through land bridges connections during the Messinian Salinity Crisis and Pleistocene glaciations. Historical events appear to have also structured morphometric variation but recent dispersal events favored the emergence of secondary contacts between clades. Southern Mediterranean clades are limited to their initial distribution and populations of the recent clade would have rapidly recolonized the whole Mediterranean in the Holocene due to greater adaptive potential and the influence of human transportations. © 2017 Elsevier Inc

Correction to: Objective understanding of the Nutri-score front-of-pack label by European consumers and its effect on food choices: an online experimental study

Following the publication of the original article [1], the authors identified an error in Fig. 3. The correct figure is given below. The original article [1] has been corrected

Effectiveness of different front-of-pack nutrition labels among italian consumers: Results from an online randomized controlled trial

In Italy, discussions are currently ongoing to implement a front-of-pack nutrition label (FoPL) while a growing number of European countries are adopting the Nutri-Score. The effectiveness of the Nutri-Score among Italian consumers requires further investigation. This study compared five FoPLs among Italian participants (Health Star Rating system, multiple traffic lights, Nutri-Score, reference intakes, warning symbol) in terms of food choices and understanding of the labels by consumers. In 2019, 1032 Italian consumers completed an online survey in which they were asked to select one product they would likely purchase from a set of three foods with different nutrient profiles and then classify the products within the set according to their nutritional quality, first with no label and then with one of the five FoPLs on the pack. While no significant difference across labels was observed for food choices, the Nutri-Score demonstrated the highest overall performance in helping consumers to correctly rank the products according to their nutritional quality compared to the reference intakes (OR = 2.18 (1.50–3.17), p-value < 0.0001). Our results provide new insights on the effectiveness of the Nutri-Score, which would be a relevant tool to inform Italian consumers on the nutritional quality of food products

Landscape Evolution and Human Settlement in the Iroise Sea (Brittany, France) during the Neolithic and Bronze Age

International audienceThe Molène archipelago appears to be particularly rich in Neolithic and Bronze Age remains and an exceptional concentration of megaliths has been brought to light. Several settlements are confirmed by dry-stone structures or by shell middens. These data give precious indications on the occupation chronology of the area. Moreover they allow us, for the first time in Brittany, to reconstruct everyday life during the late Prehistoric period.A prerequisite to this reconstruction was a better understanding of the evolution of the environment during this period, which locally implies a better knowledge of paleogeographic changes related to Holocene sea-level rise as well as on floral and faunal resources. The results obtained through paleogeographic reconstructions show that the archipelago since 4500 BC was already disconnected from the mainland. The megalithic monuments must therefore have been erected and used by islanders present on the archipelago from the middle of the 5th to the 2nd millennium BC. The distribution of the megalithic tombs reveals landscape occupation strategies which respond to both cultural choices and natural constraints. Throughout the entire period, geographic isolation has continued to increase, although it did not imply strong cultural specificities. Nevertheless, the increasing remoteness of the islands has fostered the search for livelihoods based on the intense exploitation of coastal resources. Despite their focus on the sea, these people did not neglect what inland areas could offer as evidenced by the early agro-pastoral practices in the archipelago

Facilitating genome navigation: survey sequencing and dense radiation-hybrid gene mapping

International audienc

Facilitating genome navigation: survey sequencing and dense radiation-hybrid gene mapping

International audienc

The genome sequence of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

We have sequenced and annotated the genome of fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), which contains the smallest number of protein-coding genes yet recorded for a eukaryote: 4,824. The centromeres are between 35 and 110 kilobases (kb) and contain related repeats including a highly conserved 1.8-kb element. Regions upstream of genes are longer than in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), possibly reflecting more-extended control regions. Some 43% of the genes contain introns, of which there are 4,730. Fifty genes have significant similarity with human disease genes; half of these are cancer related. We identify highly conserved genes important for eukaryotic cell organization including those required for the cytoskeleton, compartmentation, cell-cycle control, proteolysis, protein phosphorylation and RNA splicing. These genes may have originated with the appearance of eukaryotic life. Few similarly conserved genes that are important for multicellular organization were identified, suggesting that the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes required more new genes than did the transition from unicellular to multicellular organization