Snake venoms are complex secretions of bioactive molecules able to disrupt the physiological equilibrium of the organism in which they are injected, known to be used for both predatory and defensive purposes. Several studies have found evidence of adaptation in the composition of snake venoms to diet, reinforcing their role as targets for natural selection, and explaining their geographic variation with different prey preferences. However, other factors (e.g. phylogenetic relationships) might be relevant in shaping the composition of snake venoms, determining the presence of similarities or differences in quantity and/or type of venom components. Vipers (Family Viperidae) are one of the most diverse groups of venomous snakes worldwide, infamous for the generally high potency of their venoms. Leer más.

Wildlife diseases are contributing to the current Earth’s sixth mass extinction; one disease, chytridiomycosis, has caused mass amphibian die-offs. While global spread of a hypervirulent lineage of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (BdGPL) causes unprecedented loss of vertebrate diversity by decimating amphibian populations, its impact on amphibian communities is highly variable across regions. Here, we combine field data with in vitro and in vivo trials that demonstrate the presence of a markedly diverse variety of low virulence isolates of BdGPL in northern European amphibian communities. Leer más.

Many ectotherms modify their phenotype seasonally as a response to variation in abiotic factors. Given the potential of seasonal acclimation to reduce the impact of climate change on the dynamics of ectotherm populations, the adaptive evolution of this reversible plasticity has received much attention. Nevertheless, the key assumption of selection on the magnitude of seasonal acclimation, consistent among‐individual variation (repeatability), remains unexplored. Leer más.

Corría o mes de setembro de 2016 cando o grupo de estudo da sección galega da «Asociación Herpetológica Española» (AHE-Galicia) estaban a realizar unha nova mostraxe da herpetofauna da serra da Groba. O que podería ser un día máis de datos transformouse nun día memorable ao atopar un exemplar xuvenil de escáncer ibérico (Chalcides bedriagai), primeiro rexistro para a zona e realizado xusto onde hoxe queren plantar unha estación metereolóxica de 80 metros, xermolo do que será unha serie de muiños de producción eólica (até 44) que destrozarán os cumios da serra baixo o nome de Proxecto Albariño. Leer más.

En datas recentes vimos de ver como a Xunta de Galicia, en contra de calquera critero científico fiable, insiste no seu proxecto de enchela pontevedresa Serra da Groba de muíños de producción eólica. Lidos os paupérrimos informes de impacto ambiental, compre dicir que éstes non consideran que a instalación deste innecesario campo eólico afecte a nada que non sexa voador. Leer más.