Background Satellite telemetry studies provide information that is critical to the conservation and management of species affected by ecological change. Here we report on the performance and retention of ...

The extensive spatial and temporal coverage of many citizen science datasets (CSD) makes them appealing for use in species distribution modeling and forecasting. However, a frequent limitation is the inability to validate ...

Background Thousands of flowering plant species attract pollinators without offering rewards, but the evolution of this deceit is poorly understood. Rewardless flowers of the orchid Erycina pusilla have an ...

Background To date, mitochondrial genomes of more than one hundred flatworms (Platyhelminthes) have been sequenced. They show a high degree of similarity and a strong taxonomic bias towards parasitic lineages. ...

The scattered eastern African high mountains harbor a renowned and highly endemic flora, but the taxonomy and phylogeographic history of many plant groups are still insufficiently known. The high-alpine populations of the ...

Herein we describe the new species, Psora taurensis, from two localities in the Taurus Mountains in Turkey at ca. 1000 m altitude. Investigations of anatomy, secondary chemistry and DNA sequences (ITS and mtSSU) of P. ...

Background Postzygotic isolation in the form of reduced viability and/or fertility of hybrids may help maintain species boundaries in the face of interspecific gene flow. Past hybridization events between ...

Background The population size of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) is depleted relative to historical abundance levels. In Svalbard, centuries of over-exploitation brought the walrus herds to ...

Human wellbeing and food security in a changing climate depend on productive and sustainable agriculture. For this, policies based on analyses and research results are vital to establish conservation priorities of natural ...

The easier access to increasingly powerful computational approaches and tools in the field of distribution modelling, has contributed to a proliferation of data, applications, practitioners, guidelines, and novel theoretical ...

Shrub expansion in high latitudes is a widely observed response to climate change. Extensive evidence has shown that shrub expansion can lead to positive feedbacks to the regional climate. In this study we evaluate the ...

Background One of the biggest challenges in avian taxonomy is the delimitation of allopatric species because their reproductive incompatibility cannot be directly studied in the wild. Instead, reproductive ...

A plethora of studies published over the last two decades produced numerous contradictory phylogenies leading to the lack of consensus on phylogenetic history in dung beetles. Thus, due to those contradictions, the community ...

Divergent sexual selection within allopatric populations may result in divergent sexual phenotypes, which can act as reproductive barriers between populations upon secondary contact. This hypothesis has been most tested ...

Hybridization is frequent in the large and ecologically significant genus Carex (Cyperaceae). In four important sections of the northern regions (Ceratocystis, Glareosae, Phacocystis and Vesicariae), the frequent occurrence ...

Changing climate is expected to alter precipitation patterns in the Arctic, with consequences for subsurface temperature and moisture conditions, community structure, and nutrient mobilization through microbial belowground ...

The main aim of this paper is to address consequences of climate warming on loss of habitat and genetic diversity in the enigmatic tropical alpine giant rosette plants using the Ethiopian endemic Lobelia rhynchopetalum as ...

Background The rather species-poor oviparous gyrodactylids are restricted to South America. It was suggested that they have a basal position within the otherwise viviparous Gyrodactylidae. Accordingly, it ...

In the present study, we describe the new species, Psora altotibetica, from nine localities in China (Tibetan area) and Nepal. The study includes analyses of anatomy, secondary chemistry, and DNA sequence data of P. ...

The cumulative effects of climate warming on herbivore vital rates and population dynamics are hard to predict, given that the expected effects differ between seasons. In the Arctic, warmer summers enhance plant growth ...

Human population expansion and associated degradation of the habitat of many wildlife species cause loss of biodiversity and species extinctions. The small Simen Mountains National Park in Ethiopia is one of the last ...

The study of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo continues. Sixteen species are reported for the first time from Norway in this revision, bringing the total number of Norwegian encyrtids up to 123. ...

The typically repetitive nature of the sex-limited chromosome means that it is often excluded from or poorly covered in genome assemblies, hindering studies of evolutionary and population genomic processes in non-recombining ...

Sympatric species are expected to minimize competition by partitioning resources, especially when these are limited. Herbivores inhabiting the High Arctic in winter are a prime example of a situation where food availability ...

The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method has gained widespread use for distribution modelling, mostly because of the practical simplicity offered by the maxent.jar software. Whilst MaxEnt was originally described as a machine ...

Background The genus Aloe is renowned for its medicinal and cosmetic properties and long history of use. Sixty-three Aloe species occur in Kenya, of which around 50 % are endemic. Several species of aloes ...

Scarabaeine dung beetles are the dominant dung feeding group of insects and are widely used as model organisms in conservation, ecology and developmental biology. Due to the conflicts among 13 recently published phylogenies ...

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) processes influence the founder effect on islands.We use genetic data for 25 Atlantic species and similarities among regional floras to analyse colonization, and test whether the genetic founder ...

Background Evolutionary biology endeavours to explain biological diversity, and as such it is critical to develop an understanding of the adaptive and functional significance of trait variation. Spermatozoa ...

Fourteen species of lichenized or lichenicolous fungi are reported new to either Norway or Sweden or both countries. Several of these are rare and almost unknown. The reported species are: Acarospora insignis (new to ...

The present faunistic survey gives distributional records for 72 species of the family Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera), which recently have been collected in Norway. 14 of these have previously not been reported from Scandinavia, ...

The study of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo continues. 13 species are reported for the first time from Norway in this revision, bringing the total number of Norwegian encyrtids up to 136. ...

Systasis edlandi n. sp. is described from Norway, representing a new species of Systasis Walker, 1834. Discrimination from the closest species is discussed briefly. The material is a result of an extensive hatching project ...

Restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) has recently become an important method to generate genome-wide molecular data for species delimitation, phylogeography, and population genetic studies. However, very ...

Data from large sampling programmes for the mapping of marine invertebrates in the Oslofjord, Norway, and the Skagerrak, spanning more than six decades, are compiled and digitized to provide easy access in modern data ...

The European Landscape Convention emphasises the human perception of landscapes in its definition of the landscape, and promotes citizen participation in landscape management processes. On the other hand, landscape definitions ...

Background Gyrodactylus salaris is a directly transmitted ectoparasite that reproduces in situ on its fish host. Wild Norwegian (East Atlantic) salmon stocks are thought to be ...

The material of the family Aphelinidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo is revised. Twelve species not previously recorded from Norway have been found. One species Aphelinus quercus n. sp. is described and illustrated. ...

Background Several life history and ecological variables have been reported to affect the likelihood of species becoming urbanized. Recently, studies have also focused on the role of brain size in explaining ...

Increased human activity and climate change are expected to increase the numbers and impact of alien species in the Arctic, but knowledge of alien species is poor in most Arctic regions. Through field investigations over ...

Background Aloe vera supports a substantial global trade yet its wild origins, and explanations for its popularity over 500 related Aloe species in one of the world’s largest succulent ...

The amazon ant Polyergus rufescens (Latreille, 1798) is recorded in Norway. Two cohorts were observed at Skåtøy, Kragerø municipality (TEY, EIS 11), 9 July 1995, raiding pupae of Formica fusca Linnaeus, 1758, which is one ...

The two aphid species Panaphis juglandis (Goeze, 1778) and Chromaphis juglandicola (Kaltenbach, 1843) were recorded on leaves of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in June and July 2014 in the Botanical garden at Tøyen, Oslo. ...

Predictive characterizationPredictive characterization methods use ecogeographical and climatic data derived from the specific location of a collecting or observation site, to predict characteristics of accessions and ...

Background: Heligmosomoides polygyrus is a widespread gastro-intestinal nematode infecting wild Apodemus (wood mice) throughout Europe. Using molecular and morphological evidence, we review the status of Heligmosomoides ...

Abundant new ichthyosaur material has recently been documented in the Slottsmøya Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation from the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. Here we describe a partial skeleton of a new taxon, Janusaurus ...

New records and barcodes are given for three species of Psychodidae not previously recorded from Norway; Telmatoscopus advena (Eaton, 1893), Parajungiella pseudolongicornis (Wagner, 1975) and Psychoda erminea Eaton, 1898. ...

The present PhD thesis, entitled “Gyrodactylids on European salmonids hosts: genomics, phylogeography and speciation”, presents a number of significant contributions to the field of evolutionary biology. It offers novel ...

The study of biodiversity spans many disciplines and includes data pertaining to species distributions and abundances, genetic sequences, trait measurements, and ecological niches, complemented by information on collection ...

One new order, one new family, and one new combination are presented, as the result of molecular phylogenetic analyses. The new order Stereopsidales and the new family Stereopsidaceae are described incorporating Stereopsis ...

The main goal of the present report is to outline the possibilities for an enhanced cooperation between the Nordic countries within eScience and biodiversity. LifeWatch is one of several ESFRI projects which aim to establish ...

Posted here with permission from the journal. http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/

The study of the collection of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo continues. Eighteen species are reported for the first time from Norway in this revision, bringing the total number of Norwegian ...

The present faunistic survey gives distributional records for 125 species of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) from several subfamilies (Agathidinae, Alysiinae, Aphidiinae, Brachistinae, Braconinae, Cheloninae, Doryctinae, ...

Crossing experiments indicate that hybrid sterility barriers frequently have developed within diploid, circumpolar plant species of the genus Draba. To gain insight into the rapid evolution of postzygotic reproductive ...

This dissertation is about female promiscuity in passerine birds. By using comparative analytical approaches, I have tried to determine why there is such variation in the frequency of this behaviour. I have found that ...

The main objectives of this thesis are to study patterns and processes of plant speciation in arctic and alpine diploid plants. Cryptic species are here referred to as morphologically similar individuals belonging to the ...

Several eukaryotic symbioses have shown to host a rich diversity of prokaryotes that interact with their hosts. Here, we study bacterial communities associated with ectomycorrhizal root systems of Bistorta vivipara compared ...

The tribe Meteorini comprises the two genera Meteorus Haliday, 1835 and Zele Curtis, 1832, and materials of these genera has been examined in the collections of the Natural History Museum in Oslo. Nine species not previously ...

Females of the autumn crane fly Tipula (Platytipula) moiwana (Matsumura, 1916) were collected along the river Ljanselva in Oslo. This species was hitherto only known from the easternmost Palaearctic and from the Moscow and ...

The collection of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo is revised, and this study focuses on the ethanol-preserved material in particular. Sixteen species are reported for the first time from Norway, ...

Eleven specimens of Camilla flavicauda Duda 1922 were accidentally reared indoors in Oslo, and a twelfth one was later found free living. In addition, four old specimens of Camilla glabra (Fallén, 1823) were found in the ...

The collection of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo is revised, and this study focuses on the ethanol preserved material in particular. Eighteen species are reported for the first time from Norway, ...

The terrestrial environment of the High Arctic consists of a mosaic of habitat types. In addition to the natural habitat diversity, various human-influenced types may occur. For the resident invertebrate fauna, these ...

Background The granivorous house sparrow Passer domesticus is thought to have developed its commensal relationship with humans with the rise of agriculture in the Middle East some 10,000 years ago, and to ...

The workshop-hackathon was convened by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) at its secretariat in Copenhagen over 22-24 May 2013 with additional support from several projects (RCN4GSC, EAGER, VertNet, BiSciCol, ...

The present survey gives distributional records for 49 species of the family Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) previously not recorded from Norway. Eight of these have hitherto not been reported from Scandinavia, namely Adelognathus ...

The present distribution of the invasive slug Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon was studied in Norway. This important pest species has spread to many parts of Europe during the last decades, inflicting damage to agriculture and ...

The family Ichneumonidae represents a very species-rich family of parasitoid Hymenoptera. In Norway, 1583 different Ichneumonid species have been reported so far. The present survey gives distributional records for 98 ...

The agromyzid fly Phytomyza arnicae Hering, 1925 is reported from Norway for the first time. This species is exclusively associated with Arnica montana L., where the larvae are leaf-miners. Mining larvae were collected in ...

The ichneumonid wasp Neorhacodes enslini (Ruschka, 1922) is recorded for the first time in Norway. A single female was caught in a Malaise-trap at Abildsø, Østensjøvannet, Oslo municipality (AK; EIS 28), July 1996. This ...

The material of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo is revised. A total of 22 species is reported for the first time from Norway. Thus, the total number of Norwegian encyrtid species is now 42. ...

The process of speciation is the splitting of single populations into two or more distinct, reproductively isolated taxa. Common modes of speciation are sympatric, allopatric and parapatric speciation, with speciation in ...

Background The fungal genus Serpula (Serpulaceae, Boletales) comprises several saprotrophic (brown rot) taxa, including the aggressive house-infecting dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans. Recent phylogenetic ...

Background Cyanobacteria belong to an ancient group of photosynthetic prokaryotes with pronounced variations in their cellular differentiation strategies, physiological capacities and choice of habitat. ...

Background Describing and evaluating miRNA inventories with Next Generation Sequencing is a goal of scientists from a wide range of fields. It requires high purity, high quality, and high yield RNA extractions ...

Genetic variation is a prerequisite for evolution. The present thesis examines how genetic diversity arises and is maintained. The thesis can be divided into two subprojects, addressing neutral and functional genetic ...

This thesis addresses the spatial distribution and dynamics of vascular plant species in modern agricultural landscapes in SE Norway. This is done by analysing several data sets for species composition and environmental ...

The cynipoid family Ibaliidae is revised for Norway. Eight specimens where traced, all belonging to Ibalia rufipes Cresson, 1879. Records are present from Rollag municipality in Buskerud, Ullensaker, Sørum, and Skedsmo in ...

Crustose lichen communities on rocks exhibit fascinating spatial mosaics resembling political maps of nations or municipalities. Although the establishment and development of biological populations are important themes in ...

Background The temporal origin and diversification of orchids (family Orchidaceae) has been subject to intense debate in the last decade. The description of the first reliable fossil in 2007 enabled a direct ...

Background Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) has drawn the attention of evolutionary biologists due to its importance in crucial biological processes, such as sexual selection and immune response in ...

Background The great variety in sequence, length, complexity, and abundance of satellite DNA has made it difficult to ascribe any function to this genome component. Recent studies have shown that satellite ...

Background During the last 15 years the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear DNA has been used as a target for analyzing fungal diversity in environmental samples, and has recently been selected as ...

The conspicuous icneumonid fly Stauropoctonus bombycivorus (Gravenhorst, 1829) is recorded for the first time in Norway. Four specimens have been captured in light-traps at three different localities in 2007: Hvaler in ...

The present survey reports 58 species of wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae hitherto not reported from Norway. The subfamilies Cryptinae, Ctenopelmatinae, Ichneumoninae, Microleptinae, Orthocentrinae, Pimplinae ...

Sperm cells are the most variable animal cells, and a tremendous variation in sperm phenotypes exists among species, from minute amoeboid sperm to giant sperm in some species of fruit flies. Much effort has been devoted ...

This thesis presents a study of vegetation and plant population dynamics in a local vegetation–environment context, and examines the importance of management regimes for the maintenance of grassland species. In the modern, ...

We describe an incomplete postcranial skeleton of Catopsbaatar catopsaloides from the ?late Campanian red beds of Hermiin Tsav I, in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. The skeleton is fragmentary and the preservation of bone surface ...

The Gardnos structure in Hallingdal, Norway is an eroded impact crater, presently consisting of impactites and crater infill sediments exposed within a roughly circular area of about five km diameter. Investigations in ...

Background Non-coding satellite DNA (satDNA) usually has a high turn-over rate frequently leading to species specific patterns. However, some satDNA families evolve more slowly and can be found in several ...

Large herbivores such as sheep affect plants directly and indirectly through selective foraging, trampling, urination and defecation, thereby modifying intra- and interspecific interactions and altering resource availability ...

As a starting point GIS (geographical information systems) seem intuitively to be a practical tool for biologists performing ecological research. GIS conveniently stores, explores, analyses and visualizes biological/ecol ...

The principal aim of this study was to investigate vegetation-environment relationships and examine patterns of changes in forest understorey vegetation in five Chinese subtropical forests. Furthermore, an Ecological Field ...

Background Microsatellites are frequently used genetic markers in a wide range of applications, primarily due to their high length polymorphism levels that can easily be genotyped by fragment length analysis. ...

Background In the present pilot study we applied recently published protocols for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human remains. We screened long bones from an 18th century cemetery and skulls from ...

The two monogenean species G. salaris and G. thymalli, are almost identical at the nuclear molecular level. There is also no support from mtDNA (cox1) sequences for monophyly of all G. salaris or G. thymalli haplotypes. ...

The mapping of genealogical relationships between individuals, populations, subspecies and species is important for studies of evolutionary processes and biodiversity, and for conservation decisions. In this thesis, I have ...