Preprints
There are 3580 Preprints listed.
Assessing phylogenetic inference in the era of AI-driven protein structures
Published: 2026-08-11
Subjects: Bioinformatics
Phylogenetic inference is one of the most common downstream applications of multiple sequence alignment. Quantitative assessment of inferred trees is essential for evaluating the reliability of both alignments and phylogenetic inferences. Establishing a robust assessment framework for phylogenetic trees therefore provides a basis for examining and improving methods for alignment and tree [...]
Beyond the mammalian nucleolus—a comparative perspective on nucleolar dynamics in stress and through the life cycle
Published: 2026-08-11
Subjects: Cell and Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Microbiology, Organismal Biological Physiology
Classically the site of ribosomal RNA transcription, processing and early ribosome assembly, the nucleolus is increasingly understood as a dynamic multiphase condensate reshaped by cell state. Most reviews of this plasticity are mammal-centred. Here we set mammals alongside fungi, plants and animal germlines, following the nucleolus through the life cycle under environmental change and through [...]
Impacts of the end Pliocene marine megafaunal extinction on North Atlantic trophic structure
Published: 2026-08-11
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Marine megafauna are experiencing widespread population declines and these losses are expected to have cascading effects, impacting ecosystem structure and function. However, quantifying these ecological consequences at a global scale remains challenging, requiring an understanding of long-term trophic dynamics. Palaeoecology can provide useful insights into how communities respond to taxonomic [...]
Are mixed forests more resilient to a warmer and drier climate? A review on adaptive forest management of beech-oak forests in Europe
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Forest Management
European forests are increasingly threatened by climatic extremes such as hot droughts, which impair their vitality and ecosystem services provision. Mixing tree species with contrasting functional traits and resource use, such as beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and oaks (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Quercus robur L., and Quercus pubescens Willd.) may enhance forest resilience and decrease [...]
Impact of warming on functional traits of a keystone grazer in Arctic lakes
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Life Sciences, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Temperature rise is one of the most pronounced abiotic changes currently affecting Αrctic ecosystems. Knowledge about the adaptation capacity of their key species is urgently needed to better understand the ecological consequences for these sentinel ecosystems. Previous work on a keystone zooplankton grazer, the obligatory parthenogenetic Daphnia pulicaria, from a lake in South-West Greenland [...]
A national checklist for monitoring Portugal’s pollinators (Anthophila, Syrphidae and Papilionoidea) under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Life Sciences
1. Wild pollinators are declining across Europe, prompting new policy commitments. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation requires Member States to reverse pollinator decline and to monitor pollinator abundance and species richness. Effective implementation depends on robust national taxonomic baselines that define which species are present, where they occur and how they can be monitored [...]
EcoScape: Species-specific Functional Habitat Connectivity Via Efficient Parallel Propagation Simulations
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Population Biology
Well-connected habitats sustain viable populations through gene flow, repopulation potential, and functional habitat extent. Conserving and enhancing habitat connectivity has been identified as a priority to halt extinctions and safeguard 30% of the planet. Conservation prioritization would therefore benefit from habitat connectivity modeling that is applicable at broad spatial and taxonomic [...]
Characterization of Haplosporidium pinnae's biogeographical distribution by means of Ecological Niche Modelling techniques and consequences of climate change upon its range
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
This study provides a biogeographical characterization of protozoan endoparasite Haplosporidium pinnae's distribution following the associated Mass Mortality Event of endangered bivalve Pinna nobilis in 2016. The epizootic has reached mortality rates between 80% - 100% and was first reported in the south-western Mediterranean Sea. It has since spread to north-western waters, followed by the [...]
A Survey of the Terrestrial Angiospermic Indigenous Flora of College of Education, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Plant Sciences
Seeking to explore the impact of developmental activities on plant biodiversity, a survey was embarked upon to document plant species naturally occurring on the College of Education (now University of Delta), Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. A total of 48 species were recorded on Campus I, and 54 species were recorded on Campus II, belonging to 20 and 26 families respectively. On Campus I, the family [...]
Existem "Biomas Brasileiros"? O Uso Do Termo No Brasil E Suas Implicações Para A Ciência E Para A Conservação Da Biodiversidade
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The term "Biome" is widely disseminated in Brazil and is frequently used in Brazilian textbooks, supplementary educational books, scientific literature and federal, state and municipal laws. Despite the definitions brought by science for this term, which consider geographic and biotic criteria, the circumscription used for biomes in Brazil lacks a more consistent technical and scientific basis, [...]
How (not) to study insect microbiota in the age of high-throughput sequencing
Published: 2026-08-06
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Life Sciences
The recognition of microbiota as a critical component of insect biology and evolution has driven a rapid expansion of insect-microbe interaction research. Yet while high-throughput sequencing has democratized access to microbial community profiling, it has also normalized low-resolution, artifact-prone approaches that often yield limited biological insights. Insects pose distinct challenges for [...]
Dark invasions as cryptic components of biological invasions
Published: 2026-08-05
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Understanding and managing biological invasions typically requires knowledge of species records, known impacts, recognized pathways and definitions of non-native status, yet this information is rarely complete or without uncertainties. We develop the concept of dark invasions to describe a suite of hidden or underacknowledged aspects of biological invasions that are rarely quantified because [...]
Specimen preservation affects herbarium-derived leaf traits, reflectance spectra, and predictive models
Published: 2026-08-05
Subjects: Life Sciences
• Herbaria are increasingly used as sources of functional trait data and reflectance spectra used in models for trait prediction and species classification. However, it is currently unknown how leaf preservation protocols may affect these data. • Using a factorial experimental design, we tested how alcohol preservation, drying intensity, and their interaction affected foliar traits (leaf mass per [...]
Daphniids avoid Utricularia on a horizontal plane
Published: 2026-08-05
Subjects: Life Sciences
Besides animal predators, carnivorous plants, such as the littoral bladderwort Utricularia vulgaris, also strongly impact cladoceran communities by efficiently capturing passing planktonic animals, including small daphniids, in their bladder traps. Therefore, we hypothesized these animals should avoid direct contact with these carnivorous plants. We measured the distance Ceriodaphnia and [...]
Influence of Selected Urban Tree Species on Soil Microbial Activity, Litter Decomposition, and Soil Chemical Properties in Akure, Southwestern Nigeria
Published: 2026-08-05
Subjects: Agriculture, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Forest Sciences, Other Life Sciences, Plant Sciences
Urban trees shape belowground ecological processes through litter deposition, root exudation, and interactions with soil microbial communities, yet species-specific effects are rarely incorporated into urban green-space management. This study evaluated the effects of five common urban tree species (Eucalyptus globulus, Azadirachta indica, Thuja occidentalis, Prunus dulcis, and Buddleja globosa) [...]