Evolutionary Determinants of Genetic Variation in Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases in Humans

Although genetic variation among humans in their susceptibility to infectious diseases has long been appreciated, little focus has been devoted to identifying patterns in levels of variation in susceptibility to different diseases. Levels of genetic variation in susceptibility associated with 40 human infectious diseases were assessed by a survey of studies on both pedigree-based quantitative variation, as well as studies on different classes of marker alleles. These estimates were correlated with pathogen traits, epidemiological characteristics, and effectiveness of the human immune response. The strongest predictors of levels of genetic variation in susceptibility were disease characteristics negatively associated with immune effectiveness. High levels of genetic variation were associated with diseases with long infectious periods and for which vaccine development attempts have been unsuccessful. These findings are consistent with predictions based on theoretical models incorporating fitness costs associated with the different types of resistance mechanisms. An appreciation of these observed patterns will be a valuable tool in directing future research given that genetic variation in disease susceptibility has large implications for vaccine development and epidemiology

Local Competition Between Foraging Relatives: Growth and Survival of Bruchid Beetle Larvae

Kin selection theory states that when resources are limited and all else is equal, individuals will direct competition away from kin. However, when competition between relatives is completely local, as is the case in granivorous insects whose larval stages spend their lives within a single seed, this can reduce or even negate the kin-selected benefits. Instead, an increase in competition may have the same detrimental effects on individuals that forage with kin as those that forage with non-kin. In a factorial experiment we assessed the effects of relatedness and competition over food on the survival and on fitness-related traits of the bruchid beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. Relatedness of competitors did not affect the survival of larvae. Larval survival substantially decreased with increasing larval density, and we found evidence that beetles maturing at a larger size were more adversely affected by competition, resulting in lower survival rates. Furthermore, females showed a reduction in their growth rate with increasing larval density, emerging smaller after the same development time. Males increased their growth rate, emerging earlier but at a similar size when food was more limited. Our results add to the growing number of studies that fail to show a relationship between relatedness and a reduction in competition between relatives in closed systems, and emphasize the importance of the scale at which competition between relatives occurs

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover.

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale

An updated taxonomy of primates in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and China

The present publication summarises and updates information on the taxonomy of primates in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and China based on a new multi-author synthesis. For each species is included taxonomic authorities, species’ type localities, subspecies, current distribution and conservation status. In total, the primate fauna in these countries comprises 41 species and 47 taxa. A breakdown of species is given by country, endemic species per country and the IUCN Red List conservation status category for each species.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

An updated taxonomy and conservation status review of Asian primates

The present paper summarises and updates information on the taxonomy and status of Asian non-human primates from a new multi-author synthesis. For each species we include taxonomic authority, species type locality, subspecies, current distribution and conservation status. Including taxa described since the synthesis was published, the Asian non-human primate fauna comprises 119 species and 183 taxa, in 22 Asian countries. We give a breakdown of species by country, by conservation status category, and the number of species per status category in each family and genus. Of the 113 Asian primate species that have been assessed, 17 (15%) are Critically Endangered, 45 (40%) are Endangered and 25 (22%) are Vulnerable. The most endangered genera are Rhinopithecus, Pygathrix, Nasalis, Simias, Hylobates, Nomascus, Symphalangus and Pongo.link_to_OA_fulltex

Assessment of fitness costs of resistance against the parasitoid Leptopilina victoriae in Drosophila bipectinata

How insects evolve resistance or counter-resistance against antagonists is a basic issue in the study of host-parasitoid coevolution. One of the factors that affect their coevolution is fitness costs of resistance and counter-resistance. Here, we assess fitness costs of resistance against the parasitoid Leptopilina victoriae in Drosophila bipectinata on the basis of selection experiments. We made a base population by mixing three geographic fly populations that differed in resistance. The established base population was divided into four populations, two for selection of resistance against a L. victoriae population and two for control. Resistance increased rapidly in response to selection and reached a very high level within four generations in the selected populations, while resistance of the control populations remained low during 20 generations. High resistance of the selected populations was maintained at least for 10 generations after selection was stopped. Both selected populations had lower female longevity than the control populations, and at least one of the selected populations had shorter thorax length, lower female desiccation tolerance and adult heat tolerance than both or either of the control populations. On the other hand, the selected populations had higher male starvation tolerance and longevity than the control populations. There were no significant differences in resistance against another population of L. victoriae and two other parasitoid species between the selected and control populations. These results suggest that the resistance against the L. victoriae population in D. bipectinata may incur some but not so high costs and act parasitoid-species-and/or parasitoid-population-specifically