| 1. |
- Bakker, F. T., et al.
(author)
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The Global Museum: natural history collections and the future of evolutionary science and public education
- 2020
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In: PeerJ. - : PeerJ. - 2167-8359. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 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 as a locus for community engagement. At the same time, like a synthesis radio telescope, when joined together through emerging digital resources, the global community of museums (the 'Global Museum') is more than the sum of its parts, allowing insights and answers to diverse biological, environmental, and societal questions at the global scale, across eons of time, and spanning vast diversity across the Tree of Life. We argue that, whereas natural history collections and museums began with a focus on describing the diversity and peculiarities of species on Earth, they are now increasingly leveraged in new ways that significantly expand their impact and relevance. These new directions include the possibility to ask new, often interdisciplinary questions in basic and applied science, such as in biomimetic design, and by contributing to solutions to climate change, global health and food security challenges. As institutions, they have long been incubators for cutting-edge research in biology while simultaneously providing core infrastructure for research on present and future societal needs. Here we explore how the intersection between pressing issues in environmental and human health and rapid technological innovation have reinforced the relevance of museum collections. We do this by providing examples as food for thought for both the broader academic community and museum scientists on the evolving role of museums. We also identify challenges to the realization of the full potential of natural history collections and the Global Museum to science and society and discuss the critical need to grow these collections. We then focus on mapping and modelling of museum data (including place-based approaches and discovery), and explore the main projects, platforms and databases enabling this growth. Finally, we aim to improve relevant protocols for the long-term storage of specimens and tissues, ensuring proper connection with tomorrow's technologies and hence further increasing the relevance of natural history museums.
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| 2. |
- Allen, Craig R., et al.
(author)
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Quantifying spatial resilience
- 2016
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In: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 53:3, s. 625-635
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 1. Anthropogenic stressors affect the ecosystems upon which humanity relies. In some cases when resilience is exceeded, relatively small linear changes in stressors can cause relatively abrupt and nonlinear changes in ecosystems. 2. Ecological regime shifts occur when resilience is exceeded and ecosystems enter a new local equilibrium that differs in its structure and function from the previous state. Ecological resilience, the amount of disturbance that a system can withstand before it shifts into an alternative stability domain, is an important framework for understanding and managing ecological systems subject to collapse and reorganization. 3. Recently, interest in the influence of spatial characteristics of landscapes on resilience has increased. Understanding how spatial structure and variation in relevant variables in landscapes affects resilience to disturbance will assist with resilience quantification, and with local and regional management. 4. Synthesis and applications. We review the history and current status of spatial resilience in the research literature, expand upon existing literature to develop a more operational definition of spatial resilience, introduce additional elements of a spatial analytical approach to understanding resilience, present a framework for resilience operationalization and provide an overview of critical knowledge and technology gaps that should be addressed for the advancement of spatial resilience theory and its applications to management and conservation.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Claes, 1973, et al.
(author)
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Zooming out the microscope on cumulative cultural evolution: ‘Trajectory B’ from animal to human culture
- 2023
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In: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. - 2662-9992. ; 10, s. 1-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is widely believed that human culture originated in the appearance of Oldowan stone-tool production (circa 2.9 Mya) and a primitive but effective ability to copy detailed know-how. Cumulative cultural evolution is then believed to have led to modern humans and human culture via self-reinforcing gene-culture co-evolution. This outline evolutionary trajectory has come to be seen as all but self-evident, but dilemmas have appeared as it has been explored in increasing detail. Can we attribute even a minimally effective know-how copying capability to Oldowan hominins? Do Oldowan tools really demand know-how copying? Is there any other evidence that know-how copying was present? We here argue that this account, which we refer to as “Trajectory A”, may be a red herring, and formulate an alternative “Trajectory B” that resolves these dilemmas. Trajectory B invokes an overlooked group-level channel of cultural inheritance (the Social Protocell) whereby networks of cultural traits can be faithfully inherited and potentially undergo cumulative evolution, also when the underpinning cultural traits are apelike in not being transmitted via know-how copying (Latent Solutions). Since most preconditions of Trajectory B are present in modern-day Pan, Trajectory B may even have its roots considerably before Oldowan toolmaking. The cumulative build-up of networks of non-cumulative cultural traits is then argued to have produced conditions that both called for and afforded a gradual appearance of the ability to copy know-how, but considerably later than the Oldowan.
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| 4. |
- Anikin, Andrey, et al.
(author)
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Human Non-linguistic Vocal Repertoire : Call Types and Their Meaning
- 2018
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In: Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-3653 .- 0191-5886. ; 42:1, s. 53-80
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent research on human nonverbal vocalizations has led to considerable progress in our understanding of vocal communication of emotion. However, in contrast to studies of animal vocalizations, this research has focused mainly on the emotional interpretation of such signals. The repertoire of human nonverbal vocalizations as acoustic types, and the mapping between acoustic and emotional categories, thus remain underexplored. In a cross-linguistic naming task (Experiment 1), verbal categorization of 132 authentic (non-acted) human vocalizations by English-, Swedish- and Russian-speaking participants revealed the same major acoustic types: laugh, cry, scream, moan, and possibly roar and sigh. The association between call type and perceived emotion was systematic but non-redundant: listeners associated every call type with a limited, but in some cases relatively wide, range of emotions. The speed and consistency of naming the call type predicted the speed and consistency of inferring the caller's emotion, suggesting that acoustic and emotional categorizations are closely related. However, participants preferred to name the call type before naming the emotion. Furthermore, nonverbal categorization of the same stimuli in a triad classification task (Experiment 2) was more compatible with classification by call type than by emotion, indicating the former's greater perceptual salience. These results suggest that acoustic categorization may precede attribution of emotion, highlighting the need to distinguish between the overt form of nonverbal signals and their interpretation by the perceiver. Both within- and between-call acoustic variation can then be modeled explicitly, bringing research on human nonverbal vocalizations more in line with the work on animal communication.
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| 5. |
- Baird, Emily, et al.
(author)
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X-ray micro computed-tomography
- 2017
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In: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9822. ; 27:8, s. 289-291
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Emily Baird and Gavin Taylor describe how you can make three-dimensional models of biological samples using x-ray micro-computed tomography
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| 6. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Implementing collaborative planning in the swedish mountains : The case of Vilhelmina
- 2018
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In: WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. - Southampto : WIT Press. - 9781784662912 ; , s. 781-796, s. 781-795
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Critical appraisals have stressed the need for participation and social learning in spatial planning, and planning is now seen as a process of innovative collaboration by multiple actors. During such ‘collaborative planning’, various parties try to develop new inclusive strategies through dialog. Collaborative planning is a major strand of current planning theory and highlights the need for new methods that involve citizen participation. In Sweden, the realization of collaborative planning in practice remains elusive, and research on the subject is limited, so further studies are needed. Thus, in the project “Green planning: Vilhelmina as a testbed for innovative land use planning in the mountain region”, we tested and implemented methods for involving citizens and other land-use stakeholders in the process of developing Vilhelmina municipality’s comprehensive plan (MCP). This paper presents lessons learned from that process and data obtained from a set of focus groups, a workshop, surveys, and personal communication. From these activities in the Swedish mountain region, we learned that collaborative practices have both pros and cons that must be addressed for practical realization of the widely embraced ideal of collaborative planning.
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| 7. |
- Brijs, Jeroen, et al.
(author)
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Exposure to seawater increases intestinal motility in euryhaline rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
- 2017
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In: The Journal of experimental biology. - : The Company of Biologists. - 1477-9145 .- 0022-0949. ; 220, s. 2397-2408
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Upon exposure to seawater, euryhaline teleosts need to imbibe and desalinate seawater to allow for intestinal ion and water absorption, as this is essential for maintaining osmotic homeostasis. Despite the potential benefits of increased mixing and transport of imbibed water for increasing the efficiency of absorptive processes, the effect of water salinity on intestinal motility in teleosts remains unexplored. By qualitatively and quantitatively describing in vivo intestinal motility of euryhaline rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), this study demonstrates that in freshwater, the most common motility pattern consisted of clusters of rhythmic, posteriorly propagating contractions that lasted ∼1-2 minutes followed by a period of quiescence lasting ∼4-5 minutes. This pattern closely resembles mammalian migrating motor complexes (MMCs). Following a transition to seawater, imbibed seawater resulted in a significant distension of the intestine and the frequency of MMCs increased two to three-fold with a concomitant reduction in the periods of quiescence. The increased frequency of MMCs was also accompanied by ripple-type contractions occuring every 12 to 60 seconds. These findings demonstrate that intestinal contractile activity of euryhaline teleosts is dramatically increased upon exposure to seawater, which is likely part of the overall response for maintaining osmotic homeostasis as increased drinking and mechanical perturbation of fluids is necessary to optimize intestinal ion and water absorption. Finally, the temporal response of intestinal motility in rainbow trout transitioning from freshwater to seawater coincides with previously documented physiological modifications associated with osmoregulation and may provide further insight on the underlying reasons shaping the migration patterns of salmonids.
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| 8. |
- Bundschuh, Mirco
(author)
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Acute Toxicity and Environmental Risks of Five Veterinary Pharmaceuticals for Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
- 2016
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In: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0007-4861 .- 1432-0800. ; 96, s. 139-143
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to the high use of antibiotics and antiparasitics for the treatment of livestock, there is concern about the potential impacts of the release of these compounds into freshwater ecosystems. In this context, the present study quantified the acute toxicity of two antibiotics (sulfadiazine and sulfadimidine), and three antiparasitic agents (flubendazole, fenbendazole, ivermectin) for nine freshwater invertebrate species. These experiments revealed a low degree of toxicity for the sulfonamide antibiotics, with limited implications in the survival of all test species at the highest test concentrations (50 and 100 mg/L). In contrast, all three antiparasitic agents indicated on the basis of their acute toxicity risks for the aquatic environment. Moreover, chronic toxicity data from the literature for antiparasitics, including effects on reproduction in daphnids, support the concern about the integrity of aquatic ecosystems posed by releases of these compounds. Thus, these pharmaceuticals warrant further careful consideration by environmental risk managers.
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| 9. |
- Bundschuh, Mirco, et al.
(author)
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An ecological and ecotoxicological perspective on fine particulate organic matter in streams
- 2016
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In: Freshwater Biology. - : Wiley. - 0046-5070 .- 1365-2427. ; 61, s. 2063-2074
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) provides a key longitudinal link within stream networks, and is the predominant food source for filter- and deposit-feeding invertebrates, collectively classified as collectors'. Organisms involved in producing and using FPOM are sensitive to chemical and other anthropogenic stressors, but information on such impacts, and on FPOM dynamics in general, is limited. Here, we review information on the ecological role of FPOM in streams, and discuss potential impacts on FPOM dynamics of organic and inorganic chemical stressors, including metals and pesticides. Emphasis is placed on faecal particles produced within the leaf-litter processing chain. Key biological factors controlling the resource quality of FPOM for collectors include the identity of the invertebrates producing FPOM, and the nutritional quality of their food resources. FPOM nutrient content is also strongly influenced by microbial colonisation and activity, and FPOM processing rates are thus likely to be sensitive to the impacts of stressors affecting microbes, including nutrients and antimicrobial chemicals. The potential for FPOM to bind and subsequently transport chemical stressors is high, particularly for hydrophobic compounds, but the extent of such effects and impacts on collectors consuming contaminated particles has attracted only limited attention. Combining concepts and research approaches from ecotoxicology and basic stream ecology would facilitate development of a common integrated framework for understanding the role of FPOM, and assessing anthropogenic impacts on FPOM dynamics in stream networks.
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| 10. |
- Bundschuh, Mirco
(author)
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Do titanium dioxide nanoparticles induce food depletion for filter feeding organisms? A case study with Daphnia magna
- 2016
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In: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 214, s. 840-846
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although nanoparticles are increasingly investigated, their impact on the availability of food (i.e., algae) at the bottom of food chains remains unclear. It is, however, assumed that algae, which form heteroagglomerates with nanoparticles, sediment quickly limiting the availability of food for primary consumers such as Daphnia magna. As a consequence, it may be hypothesized that this scenario in case of fundamental importance for the nanoparticles impact on primary consumers induces a similar pattern in the life history strategy of daphnids relative to situations of food depletion. To test this hypothesis, the present study compared the life-history strategy of D. magna experiencing different degrees of food limitation as a consequence of variable algal density with daphnids fed with heteroagglomerates composed of algae and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO(2)). In contrast to the hypothesis, daphnids' body length, weight, and reproduction increased when fed with these heteroagglomerates, while the opposite pattern was observed under food limitation scenarios. Moreover, juvenile body mass, and partly length, was affected negatively irrespective of the scenarios. This suggests that daphnids experienced besides a limitation in the food availability additional stress when fed with heteroagglomerates composed of algae and nTiO(2), Potential explanations include modifications in the nutritious quality of algae but also an early exposure of juveniles to nTiO(2). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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