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1. Diversification and post-glacial range expansion of giant North American camel spiders in genus Eremocosta (Solifugae: Eremobatidae)

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01555-1  

   Santibáñez-López, Carlos E.; Cushing, Paula E.; Powell, Alexsis M.; Graham, Matthew R. (December 2021, Scientific Reports)

   Abstract Species of camel spiders in the family Eremobatidae are an important component of arthropod communities in arid ecosystems throughout North America. Recently, research demonstrated that the evolutionary history and biogeography of the family are poorly understood. Herein we explore the biogeographic history of this group of arachnids using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, morphology, and distribution modelling to study the eremobatid genus Eremocosta , which contains exceptionally large species distributed throughout North American deserts. Relationships among sampled species were resolved with strong support and they appear to have diversified within distinct desert regions along an east-to-west progression beginning in the Chihuahuan Desert. The unexpected phylogenetic position of some samples suggests that the genus may contain additional, morphologically cryptic species. Geometric morphometric analyses reveal a largely conserved cheliceral morphology among Eremocosta spp. Phylogeographic analyses indicate that the distribution of E. titania was substantially reduced during the last glacial maximum and the species only recently colonized much of the Mojave Desert. Results from this study underscore the power of genome-wide data for unlocking the genetic potential of museum specimens, which is especially promising for organisms like camel spiders that are notoriously difficult to collect. 

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2. Gaps and biases in vertebrate wildlife genetics from a global biodiversity hotspot

   https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892925000141  

   Pitogo, Kier_Mitchel E (July 2025, Environmental Conservation)

   Summary Biodiversity knowledge gaps and biases persist across low-income tropical regions. Genetic data are essential for addressing these issues, supporting biodiversity research and conservation planning. To assess progress in wildlife genetic sampling within the Philippines, I evaluated the scope, representativeness, and growth of publicly available genetic data and research on endemic vertebrates from the 1990s through 2024. Results showed that 82.3% of the Philippines’ 769 endemic vertebrates have genetic data, although major disparities remain. Reptiles had the least complete coverage but exhibited the highest growth, with birds, mammals, and amphibians following in that order. Species confined to smaller biogeographic subregions, with narrow geographic ranges, or classified as threatened or lacking threat assessments were disproportionately underrepresented. Research output on reptiles increased markedly, while amphibian research lagged behind. Although the number of non-unique authors in wildlife genetics studies involving Philippine specimens has grown steeply, Filipino involvement remains low. These results highlight the uneven and non-random distribution of wildlife genetic knowledge within this global biodiversity hotspot. Moreover, the limited participation of Global South researchers underscores broader inequities in wildlife genomics. Closing these gaps and addressing biases creates a more equitable and representative genetic knowledge base and supports its integration into national conservation efforts aligned with global biodiversity commitments. 

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3. Buzzing towards Resilience: Investigating the Spatial Alignment of the Desert Pallid Bee, Centris pallida, and Its Host Plants in Response to Climate Change

   https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15100793  

   Cruz, Terese_Maxine P; Buchmann, Stephen L; Prudic, Kathleen L (October 2024, Insects)

   Wild bees are vital for the pollination of native plants and crops, providing essential ecosystem services. Climate change is known to impact biodiversity and species distributions, but insects adapted to desert ecosystems may exhibit unique physiological, behavioral, and evolutionary responses. The desert pallid bee (C. pallida), a solitary bee native to the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico, primarily forages on yellow palo verde (P. microphylla), blue palo verde (P. florida), and desert ironwood (O. tesota). This study used MaxEnt to estimate the current and projected geographical overlap of suitable habitats for C. pallida and its host plants. Here, we used MaxEnt to estimate the current and forecasted overlapping geographically suitable habitat of C. pallida with all three host plants. We forecasted potential environmentally suitable areas for each species to the year 2040 using the current distribution model and climate projections with moderate CO2 levels. We found a continued spatial alignment in the suitable area of the bee and its host plants with a 70% increase in the range overlap area, though shifted to higher average altitudes and a slight northern expansion. These findings may provide insight to stakeholders on the conservation needs of desert-dwelling pollinators. 

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4. A New, Flightless Species of Medon (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from High Appalachia, with Intraspecific Phylogeographic Analysis and Description of its Associated Larva

   https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-77.4.507  

   Caterino, Michael S. (December 2023, The Coleopterists Bulletin)

   Medon icarus Caterino, new species (Staphylinidae: Paederinae) is described, restricted largely to the highest elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. This flightless species occurs across several high ranges in the region, and analysis of COI sequences from known populations reveals deep genetic divergences among them. Insufficient morphological differentiation has been observed to subdivide them, but the possibility remains that this represents a cryptic species complex, with from 5–12 genetically but otherwise indistinguishable members. This is the only member of this mainly western Nearctic and Palearctic genus in the southeastern US, though it appears to be closely related to the northeastern winged species Medon americanus Casey. Description of DNA-associated larval specimens, along with adult morphological and molecular information, will help determine its position among global Medonina diversity. 

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5. Deep biogeographic barriers explain divergent global vertebrate communities

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46757-z  

   Williams, Peter J.; Zipkin, Elise F.; Brodie, Jedediah F. (March 2024, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Biogeographic history can lead to variation in biodiversity across regions, but it remains unclear how the degree of biogeographic isolation among communities may lead to differences in biodiversity. Biogeographic analyses generally treat regions as discrete units, but species assemblages differ in how much biogeographic history they share, just as species differ in how much evolutionary history they share. Here, we use a continuous measure of biogeographic distance, phylobetadiversity, to analyze the influence of biogeographic isolation on the taxonomic and functional diversity of global mammal and bird assemblages. On average, biodiversity is better predicted by environment than by isolation, especially for birds. However, mammals in deeply isolated regions are strongly influenced by isolation; mammal assemblages in Australia and Madagascar, for example, are much less diverse than predicted by environment alone and contain unique combinations of functional traits compared to other regions. Neotropical bat assemblages are far more functionally diverse than Paleotropical assemblages, reflecting the different trajectories of bat communities that have developed in isolation over tens of millions of years. Our results elucidate how long-lasting biogeographic barriers can lead to divergent diversity patterns, against the backdrop of environmental determinism that predominantly structures diversity across most of the world. 

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