2,655 research outputs found
New CP-violation and preferred-frame tests with polarized electrons
We used a torsion pendulum containing polarized
electrons to search for CP-violating interactions between the pendulum's
electrons and unpolarized matter in the laboratory's surroundings or the sun,
and to test for preferred-frame effects that would precess the electrons about
a direction fixed in inertial space. We find and for AU. Our preferred-frame constraints, interpreted in
the Kosteleck\'y framework, set an upper limit on the parameter eV that should be compared to the benchmark
value eV.Comment: 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Introgressive replacement of natives by invading Arion pest slugs.
Hybridization with invasive species is one of the major threats to the phenotypic and genetic persistence of native organisms worldwide. Arion vulgaris (syn. lusitanicus) is a major agricultural pest slug that successfully invaded many European countries in recent decades, but its impact on closely related native species remains unclear. Here, we hypothesized that the regional decline of native A. rufus is connected with the spread of invasive A. vulgaris, and tested whether this can be linked to hybridization between the two species by analyzing 625 Arion sp. along altitudinal transects in three regions in Switzerland. In each region, we observed clear evidence of different degrees of genetic admixture, suggesting recurrent hybridization beyond the first generation. We found spatial differences in admixture patterns that might reflect distinct invasion histories among the regions. Our analyses provide a landscape level perspective for the genetic interactions between invasive and native animals during the invasion. We predict that without specific management action, A. vulgaris will further expand its range, which might lead to local extinction of A. rufus and other native slugs in the near future. Similar processes are likely occurring in other regions currently invaded by A. vulgaris
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