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Journal article
Phylogenomics and biogeography of the world's thrushes (Aves, Turdus): new evidence for a more parsimonious evolutionary history
To elucidate the relationships and spatial range evolution across the world of the bird genus Turdus (Aves), we produced a large genomic dataset comprising ca 2 million nucleotides for ca 100 samples representing 53 species, including over 2000 loci. We estimated time-calibrated maximum-likelihood and multispecies coalescent phylogenies and carried out...Batista, Romina ; Olsson, Urban ; Andermann, Tobias ; Aleixo, Alexandre ; Ribas, Camila Cherem …
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Journal article
New island record and conservation status of Puerto Rican Bank endemic plant species, Ruehssia woodburyana (Acev.-Rodr.) Goyder, comb. nov., formally transferred from Marsdenia
Thought to be endemic to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Ruehssia woodburyana (Apocynaceae) was recently discovered at a single location on Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands. Despite an increase in the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, this species meta-population is very limited with a total of...Bárrios, Sara ; Sustache, José ; Goyder, David ; Hamilton, Martin
nomenclature, conservation, endemism, Apocynaceae, red list, new combination, and Caribbean flora
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Journal article
Rapid Least Concern: towards automating Red List assessments
The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM (hereafter the Red List) is an important global resource for conservation that supports conservation planning, safeguarding critical habitat and monitoring biodiversity change (Rodrigues et al. 2006). However, a major shortcoming of the Red List is that most of the world's described species have...Bachman, Steven ; Walker, Barnaby ; Barrios, Sara ; Copeland, Alison ; Moat, Justin
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Journal article
Three new species and some nomenclatural changes in Senecio (Compositae/Asteraceae: Senecioneae) in the Flora Zambesiaca area
Three new Senecio species are described, S. fanshawei from Zambia, S. ngandae from Malawi and S. nyangani from Zimbabwe. A new combination is made under S. brachypodus and a taxon is added to the synonymy of this species; single taxa are added for the first time to the synonymy of...Beentje, Henk
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Journal article
Knowledge gaps among smallholder farmers hinder adoption of conservation biological control
Conservation biological control uses habitat management to enhance the survival and impact of arthropod natural enemies for pest control. Its advantages are that it relies on native or established invertebrate populations that are adapted to local agricultural ecosystems and conditions. We surveyed 300 farmers in three agro-ecological zones of Kilimanjaro... -
Journal article
Extracts of Common Pesticidal Plants Increase Plant Growth and Yield in Common Bean Plants
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an important food and cash crop in many countries. Bean crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa are on average 50% lower than the global average, which is largely due to severe problems with pests and diseases as well as poor soil fertility exacerbated by low-input smallholder...Mkindi, Angela G. ; Tembo, Yolice L.B. ; Mbega, Ernest R. ; Kendal-Smith, Amy ; Farrell, Iain W. …
tryptophan, phenylalanine, rutin, botanicals, induced systemic response, and foliar fertiliser
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Journal article
Characterization of sequence variability hotspots in Cranichideae plastomes (Orchidaceae, Orchidoideae)
This study reports complete plastome sequences for six species of Neotropical Cranichideae and focuses on identification of the most variable regions (hotspots) in this group of orchids. These structure of these six plastomes is relatively conserved, exhibiting lengths ranging between 142,599 to 154,562 bp with 36.7% GC on average and...Smidt, Eric de Camargo ; Páez, Michelle Zavala ; Vieira, Leila do Nascimento ; Viruel, Juan ; de Baura, Valter Antônio …
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Journal article
Evolutionary diversity in tropical tree communities peaks at intermediate precipitation
Global patterns of species and evolutionary diversity in plants are primarily determined by a temperature gradient, but precipitation gradients may be more important within the tropics, where plant species richness is positively associated with the amount of rainfall. The impact of precipitation on the distribution of evolutionary diversity, however, is...Neves, Danilo M. ; Dexter, Kyle G. ; Baker, Timothy R. ; Coelho de Souza, Fernanda ; Oliveira-Filho, Ary T. …
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Journal article
The Global Museum: natural history collections and the future of evolutionary science and public education
Natural history museums are unique spaces for interdisciplinary research and educational innovation. Through extensive exhibits and public programming and by hosting rich communities of amateurs, students, and researchers at all stages of their careers, they can provide a place-based window to focus on integration of science and discovery, as well... -
Journal article
A taxonomic monograph of Ipomoea integrated across phylogenetic scales
Taxonomic monographs have the potential to make a unique contribution to the understanding of global biodiversity. However, such studies, now rare, are often considered too daunting to undertake within a realistic time frame, especially as the world’s collections have doubled in size in recent times. Here, we report a global-scale...Muñoz-Rodríguez, Pablo ; Carruthers, Tom ; Wood, John R. I. ; Williams, Bethany R. M. ; Weitemier, Kevin …
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Journal article
Lepiniopsis ternatensis sap stimulates fibroblast proliferation and down regulates macrophage TNF-α secretion
The sap of the tree Lepiniopsis ternatensis is used as a topical treatment for cutaneous leg ulcers in Papua New Guinea. This study, which is the first investigation of this medicinal plant, examines the effect of the sap on wound healing biology using human-derived primary cell lines. NMR spectra from...Moses, Rachael L. ; Dally, Jordanna ; Lundy, Fionnuala T. ; Langat, Moses K. ; Kiapranis, Robert …
fibroblast, Lepiniopsis ternatensis, trifucol, TNF-α, Papua New Guinea, and wound healing
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Journal article
Additive Effect of Botanical Insecticide and Entomopathogenic Fungi on Pest Mortality and the Behavioral Response of Its Natural Enemy
Sustainable agricultural intensification employs alternatives to synthetic insecticides for pest management, but these are not always a direct replacement. Botanical insecticides, for example, have rapid knockdown but are highly labile and while biological pesticides are more persistent, they are slow acting. To mitigate these shortcomings, we combined the entomopathogenic fungus... -
Journal article
High-quality genome sequence of white lupin provides insight into soil exploration and seed quality
White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is an annual crop cultivated for its protein-rich seeds. It is adapted to poor soils due to the production of cluster roots, which are made of dozens of determinate lateral roots that drastically improve soil exploration and nutrient acquisition (mostly phosphate). Using long-read sequencing technologies,...Hufnagel, Bárbara ; Marques, André ; Soriano, Alexandre ; Marquès, Laurence ; Divol, Fanchon …
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Journal article
Next-Generation Dactylorchids
Bateman, Richard M.
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Journal article
Opportunities and Scope for Botanical Extracts and Products for the Management of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) for Smallholders in Africa.
Fall Armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a polyphagous and highly destructive pest of many crops. It was recently introduced into Africa and now represents a serious threat to food security, particularly because of yield losses in maize, which is the staple food for the majority of small-scale farmers in Africa....Rioba, Naomi B. ; Stevenson, Philip C.
Biopesticides, Botanicals, Fall Armyworm, Prospects, Zea mays, Corn, Pests, Africa, Spodoptera frugiperda, and Insects
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Journal article
The British species of Otidea (3): taxa present in Britain
An account of British species and taxa of Otidea is presented based on morphology and molecular data obtained from the fungarium collections, at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K) and elsewhere. Based on a phylogenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of the fungal nuclear rDNA, sixteen named and...Parslow, Mariko ; Suz, Laura M. ; Spooner, Brian
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Journal article
A new genus and species of foliicolous lichen in a new family of Strigulales (Ascomycota: Dothideomycetes) reveals remarkable class-level homoplasy
Phylogenetic analysis of some foliicolous lichens collected in Hainan Province, China, revealed a new lineage morphologically similar to Porina but phylogenetically related to Strigulaceae (Dothideomycetes), differing from the latter in ascus type. The monospecific genus Tenuitholiascus gen. nov. is introduced for the single species, T. porinoides sp. nov., which is...Jiang, Shu Hua ; Hawksworth, David L. ; Lücking, Robert ; Wei, Jiang Chun
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Master's dissertation
The impact of genomic structural variation on meiotic pairing and segregation in Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima
A method of ND FISH was employed to identify structural variation in Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima and to evaluate the impact of this variation on meiotic behaviours, specifically synapsis and segregation of chromosomes. An intercalary region (pEV1) on the chromosome IV arm exhibited asymmetry in signals, allowing individual homologues to...Mian, Sahr
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Master's dissertation
DNA barcoding of Pinanga (Arecaceae) of Borneo
The successful application of DNA barcoding as a tool for species discrimination and identification depends on the adequacy of barcode reference libraries of well identified species. Next generation sequencing (NGS) methods have proven to be more promising especially for herbarium specimen containing degraded DNA than conventional barcoding. To make a...Odufuwa, Phebian
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Master's dissertation
Can a change in taxonomy help protect species?
The genus Pterocarpus contains some of the world’s most heavily traded rosewood species. Presently, three Asian and two African Pterocarpus species are listed as threatened on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Pterocarpus rohrii Vahl is a highly variable species, distributed throughout Central and South America. A recent taxonomic...Moore, Paloma
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Master's dissertation
Unravelling the secrets of fern spore germination: what are their thermal thresholds and how will they cope with climate change
Ferns are an important and diverse group of plants. Recruitment from spore to gametophyte represents the first crucial stage in a fern’s development and is responsible for the regeneration of natural populations. However, research into the thermal thresholds for spore germination is deficient and quantitative predictions about how germination may...Steed-Mundin, Olivia
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Master's dissertation
The determinants of geographic variation in within-population genetic diversity: a global meta-analysis
Research has demonstrated that differing levels of genetic diversity within a species can affect how populations respond to disturbance, interact with other species and expand into new ecological niches. The geographic variation in within-population genetic diversity is therefore an important factor in explaining species co-existence, speciation, extinction and ultimately, species...Franz, Madeline
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Master's dissertation
Novel insight into genome size and succulent trait evolution in Aloe (Asphodelaceae)
Through the evaluation of genomic, anatomical, and physiological characters against the most taxa rich phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus Aloe, this research elucidated succulent trait evolution and relationships governing the ‘succulence syndrome’ within this iconic group. Genome size estimates for 110 species produced 2.7-fold 1C variation and range of 13.49-36.42...Elliott, Kelda
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Master's dissertation
Does climate influence genome size diversity? A study of genome size-environment associations across the Madagascar grass flora
Repetitive DNA accumulation and whole genome duplication are common across angiosperm lineages, resulting in some of the largest ever-recorded genomes, yet the majority of angiosperm species have small genomes. This suggests selection may be acting to reduce genome size (GS), and there is growing evidence of environmental factors influencing GS...Morton, Joseph
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Master's dissertation
The relationship between antibiotic compounds in wild plant extracts and environmental growing conditions – factors affecting the antimicrobial activity of Allium Ursinum L.
In order to investigate how environmental factors affect plant antibiotic compounds, a literature review of plants with known antibiotic plant activity was carried out, and wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) chosen as the model organism for the study. 168 individuals were collected from 7 sites across London and its suburban...Burton, George
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Master's dissertation
Medicinal and aromatic plants of Pakistan – well documented, effectively conserved and sustainably used
Medicinal and aromatic plants are fundamental to the lives of many people in Pakistan, and numerous species are declining in the wild. In this study, a framework to understand opportunities for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in Pakistan was trialed using eight species as case studies. This framework...Roland, Carlin
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Master's dissertation
Contributions towards the consistent ID of powdery mildew (Erysiphales, Ascomycota) species
Powdery mildews (Erysiphales, Ascomycota) are an order of plant pathogenic fungi that infect 10,000 different angiosperm species, including important crop species. Traditional morphological methods of identifying powdery mildews can be difficult and time consuming, as different character states can be hard to distinguish. Molecular techniques using the ITS region fail...Shaw, Brandon
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Master's dissertation
Metabolomic and quality discrimination of Stemona tuberosa radix extracts using LC-MSn
Stemona tuberosa has been used as an antitussive medicine and insecticidal agent since the 6th century A.D. With the understanding of alkaloids as the active compounds, previous studies showed that profiles of alkaloids varied significantly, which raised the issue of quality control. Our study firstly demonstrated a considerable intraspecific chemical...Li, Bingyu
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Master's dissertation
Estimating Boyacá’s macrofungal diversity
Colombia is among the world’s most biodiverse countries, but despite being listed as the country with the second-highest number of flowering plants under the Convention on Biological Diversity, there is little information about the country’s fungal diversity. The area of study for this project, Boyacá, is particularly data-poor for fungi....Colson, Isobel
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Master's dissertation
Are orchid pollens recalcitrant?
It has been suggested that Orchidaceae species may have recalcitrant (desiccation sensitive) pollen. We explored drying responses in 23 species from the subfamily Epidendroideae by sampling the Kew living collection and drying the pollen to two conditions (70% RH, control for drying time) and 33% RH. Drying was for 3...Zhu, Yan
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Master's dissertation
Biogeography and conservation status of the endangered species Varronia bellonis
Varronia bellonis (Boraginaceae) is a threatened (Critically Endangered) species, endemic to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico where it’s restricted to the island’s western and central-north regions. Ongoing international collaboration is researching key aspects of the species phylogenetic placement, biogeography and conservation status to inform its conservation. Desk and field-based...Maldonado Castro, Anthony
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Master's dissertation
Revisiting generic concepts in the Teloschistaceae (lichenforming Ascomycota) using molecular phylogenetics, algorithmic taxa delimitation and molecular networks
In systematics, genera delimitation is constantly changing as taxonomic units above species level are not standardised. The Teloschistaceae, a diverse family of lichenised fungi, represents an extreme example of this where the number of genera has increased tenfold in the last decade. Many of these genera are based solely on...Llewellyn, Theo
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Master's dissertation
Revision of Chassalia (Rubiaceae) in Borneo
The genus Chassalia in Borneo is revised based on a morphological survey of herbarium specimens using classical taxonomic methods. The tribal placement and probable paraphyly of Chassaliaas currently delimited is reviewed. Previously four described species of Chassalia were known from Borneo with only one endemic species Chassalia psychotrioides . 12...Yu, Tianyi
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Master's dissertation
Explaining barkcloth properties through plant anatomy
Barkcloth, a material derived from the beaten inner bark of plants, is an ancient textile of widespread origins, recorded in Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, especially the Polynesian Islands. An antiquated craft, the practice of making barkcloth is kept alive by the cultural and spiritual significance it retains...Saad, Roberto
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Master's dissertation
Genome size in the UK Fabaceae flora and how this relates to their nitrogen and water tolerance
Genome size (GS) is defined as the total DNA amount in the unreplicated nucleus of an organism, often used synonymously with ‘1C value’. GS varies greatly in flowering plants. Nitrogen (N) and water are considered major limiting factors for plant growth, and their availability could correlate with plants’ GS. Nitrogen...Pollitt, Lauren
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Technical report
Reflora
Reflora is an initiative which aims to increase access to and use of Brazilian plant diversity information deposited in institutions within and outside Brazil. The scoping phase was initiated by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) in 2008/9. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Kew) and the...Nic Lughadha, E. ; Canteiro, C. ; Filardi, F. ; Leitman, P. ; Accardo Filho, M. …
digitisation, Brazil, and herbarium
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Journal article
Comparative Seed Morphology of Tropical and Temperate Orchid Species with Different Growth Habits
Seed morphology underpins many critical biological and ecological processes, such as seed dormancy and germination, dispersal, and persistence. It is also a valuable taxonomic trait that can provide information about plant evolution and adaptations to different ecological niches. This study characterised and compared various seed morphological traits, i.e., seed and...Diantina, Surya ; McGill, Craig ; Millner, James ; Nadarajan, Jayanthi ; Pritchard, Hugh W. …
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Journal article
Lack of adequate seed supply is a major bottleneck for effective ecosystem restoration in Chile: friendly amendment to Bannister et al. (2018)
We argue that the need for a quality seed supply chain is a major bottleneck for the restoration of Chile's native ecosystems, thus supplementing the list of bottlenecks proposed by Bannister et al. in 2018. Specifically, there is a need for defining seed transfer zones, developing standards and capacities for...León‐Lobos, Pedro ; Bustamante‐Sánchez, Marcela A. ; Nelson, Cara R. ; Alarcón, Diego ; Hasbún, Rodrigo …
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Journal article
ddRAD analyses reveal a credible phylogenetic relationship of the four main genera of Bambusa-Dendrocalamus-Gigantochloa complex (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)
The Bambusa-Dendrocalamus-Gigantochloa complex (BDG complex) is the most diversified and phylogenetically recalcitrant group of the paleotropical woody bamboos. Species of this complex occur in tropical and subtropical Asia and most of them are of great economic, cultural and ecological value. The lack of resolution achieved through the analyses of previous...Liu, Jing-Xia ; Zhou, Meng-Yuan ; Yang, Guo-Qian ; Zhang, Yu-Xiao ; Ma, Peng-Fei …
ancient introgression, nDNA-plastid DNA associations, morphological evidence, genome-wide SNPs, and BDG complex
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The Bean Bag
User Collection -
Journal article
A Guide to Carrying Out a Phylogenomic Target Sequence Capture Project
High-throughput DNA sequencing techniques enable time- and cost-effective sequencing of large portions of the genome. Instead of sequencing and annotating whole genomes, many phylogenetic studies focus sequencing effort on large sets of pre-selected loci, which further reduces costs and bioinformatic challenges while increasing coverage. One common approach that enriches loci...Andermann, Tobias ; Torres Jiménez, Maria Fernanda ; Matos-Maraví, Pável ; Batista, Romina ; Blanco-Pastor, José L. …
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Journal article
Ninety-three new combinations in Euploca for species of Heliotropium section Orthostachys (Boraginaceae sensu APG)
Many new combinations are needed in Euploca, previously regarded as Heliotropium section Orthostachys, to correspond with results of our forthcoming, world-wide, molecular phylogenetic analysis. We also need these names for our many δ13C determinations that identify many Euploca species exhibiting C4 photosynthesis and show that other Euploca species are not...Frohlich, Michael W. ; Thulin, Mats ; Chase, Mark W.
carbon assimilation systems, Eudicots, Australia, and Heliotropiaceae
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Journal article
Repetitive DNA Restructuring Across Multiple Nicotiana Allopolyploidisation Events Shows a Lack of Strong Cytoplasmic Bias in Influencing Repeat Turnover
Allopolyploidy is acknowledged as an important force in plant evolution. Frequent allopolyploidy in Nicotiana across different timescales permits the evaluation of genome restructuring and repeat dynamics through time. Here we use a clustering approach on high-throughput sequence reads to identify the main classes of repetitive elements following three allotetraploid events,... -
Journal article
Drymaria veliziae (Caryophyllaceae), a new species from the Andes of Cajamarca (North Peru)
A new species from the Northern Peruvian Andes (Cajamarca department), Drymaria veliziaesp. nov., is proposed in the present paper. It grows in the high-elevation montane grasslands and it is morphologically similar to D. auriculipetala from which it differs in having elliptic-ovate leaves, blade margin bases glandular, large number of stipules...Montesinos-Tubée, Daniel B. ; Tovar, Carolina ; Iberico-Vela, Gustavo ; Montoya-Quino, Juan ; Sanchez-Vega, Isidoro
Cajamarca, Caryophyllaceae, new species, and Andes
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Journal article
Automated video monitoring of insect pollinators in the field.
Ecosystems are at increasing risk from the global pollination crisis. Gaining better knowledge about pollinators and their interactions with plants is an urgent need. However, conventional methods of manually recording pollinator activity in the field can be time- and cost-consuming in terms of labour. Field-deployable video recording systems have become...Pegoraro, Luca ; Hidalgo, Oriane ; Leitch, Ilia J. ; Pellicer, Jaume ; Barlow, Sarah E.
Pollinators, Video monitoring, Computer vision, Insect pollinators, and Pollination ecology