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News coverage

Five new species of furry hedgehogs from Malaysia

IFL Science, Newsweek. December 2023

Referred paper:
An integrative taxonomic revision of lesser gymnures (Eulipotyphla: Hylomys) reveals five new species and emerging patterns of local endemism in Tropical East Asia

Hinckley A et al. (2023) Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlad177, online Link


Hylomys peguensis
Image credit: Charoenchai Tothaisong (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Iberian wolves are losing genetic diversity despite an increasing population

Several Spanish newspapers spreaded the main findings that Isabel Salado and colleagues about the poor genetic diversity of the Iberian wolf population despite its population increase. For example:

CSIC Press release. January 2023

ABC, La Vanguardia, El Diario, Europa Press. January 2023

Referred paper:
Loss of mitochondrial genetic diversity despite population growth: the legacy of past wolf population declines

Salado I et al. (2023) Genes 14(1), 75 Link


From Salado I et al. (2023) Genes 14(1), 75

A big chromosomal inversion creates two quail lineages that differ in morphology, pigmentation and migratory behaviour

Dispatch paper in Current Biology by Ishigohoka J & Liedvogel M. January 2022

The Scientist. December 2021

Estación Biológica de Doñana website. November 2021

Referred paper:
Massive genome inversion drives coexistence of divergent morphs in common quails

Sanchez-Donoso I et al. (2020) Current Biology 32, 462-469


Illustration by Corinna Langebrake

Non-invasive genetic monitoring of a wolf population

Isabel Salado tells us about the non-invasive genetic monitoring of a wolf population that she and her colleages performed during autumn of 2020.
This field work was funded by an Heredity Fieldwork Grant from the Genetics Society.

The role of habitat selection and local adaptation in the population structure of an apex predator. Salado I (2021) Genetics Society News 85, 55-56.

Wolf conservation

El Pais [Spanish newspaper] February 2021

Carles Vilà talks about the causes that lead to the extinction of the Wolf in the South of the Iberian Peninsula

Wolf conservation

El Periódico [Spanish newspaper] February 2021

Carles Vilà is asked about the recent steps to ban wolf hunting throughout Spain

Two new species of Sundaland tree squirrels

Europapress 2020, La Razón 2020, La Vanguardia 2020

Referred paper:
Ancient divergence driven by geographic isolation and ecological adaptation in forest dependent Sundaland tree squirrels

Hinckley A et al. (2020) Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8, 208. Link

Wolf conservation

National Geographic Italia 2017

Carles Vilà's opinion about the controversial Italian Wolf action plan, which implies a much discussed culling of some individuals to a maximum of 5% of the actual population.

Photo by Silvano Paiola

Black Hawaiian feral pigs: Polynesian ancestry and hybridisation patterns

Nature World News 2016, New Historian 2016, Science Daily 2016

Referred paper:
A novel MC1R allele for black coat colour reveals the Polynesian ancestry and hybridisation patterns of Hawaiian feral pigs

Linderholm A et al. (2016) Royal Society Open Science 3, 160304. Link

Photo by Denis Doyle

Origin of North America's wolves

BBC 2016

Referred paper:
Whole mitochondrial genomes illuminate ancient intercontinental dispersals of grey wolves (Canis lupus)

Koblmüller et al. (2016) Journal of Biogeography 43, 1728–1738.

Photo by Mark Miller/Alamy

Brain size and vulnerability to extinction

BBC 2016

Referred paper:
Larger brain size indirectly increases vulnerability to extinction in mammals

Gonzalez-Voyer et al. (2016) Evolution 70(6), 1364-1375.

Photo by Jabruson/Naturepl.com

Early history of dogs

NBC News 2014

Referred paper:
Genome sequencing highlights the dynamic early history of dogs

Freedman et al. (2013) PLoS Genetics 10, e1004016. Link

Parental care and sexual selection in Tanganyikan cichlid fishes

Roadside Science 2014

Referred paper:
Evolution of egg-dummies in Tanganyikan cichlid fishes: the roles of parental care and sexual selection

Amcoff et al. (2013) Journal of Evolutionary Biology 26, 2369-82.

Photo by Maha Dinesh/Creative Commons

European origin of domestic dogs

Science 2013, Nature 2013, International Bussiness Times 2013,
Richard Dawkins Foundation (Facebook) 2013, El Mundo (Spanish newspaper) 2013

Referred paper:
Complete mitochondrial genomes of ancient canids suggest a European origin of domestic dogs

Thalmann et al. (2013) Science 342, 871-874.

Photo by Del Baston/Center for American Archaeology

Dogs, not wolves, eating sheep

The Economist 2009, La Buvette des Alpages (French newspaper) 2009,
RTVE (Spanish National Radio) 2010, RTVE (Spanish National Radio) - potcast 2010,
Ecología verde (Spanish blog) 2010, El Correo (Spanish newspaper) - Interview 2009,
El Correo (Spanish newspaper) 2010, El Correo (Spanish newspaper) (2nd article) 2010,
El Correo (Spanish newspaper) blog 2010, rtvcyl (Spanish newspaper) 2010,
20 minutos (Spanish newspaper) 2010, Agrodigital (Spanish web) 2010,
Basqueresearch (Spanish web) 2010

Referred paper:
Noninvasive monitoring of wolves at the edge of their distribution and the cost of their conservation

Echegaray & Vilà (2009) Animal Conservation 13, 157-161.

Black Gene in Wolves

Science 2009 Los Angeles Times 2009, New York Times 2009, NBC News 2009,
El Mundo (Spanish newspaper) 2009, UCLA's news blog 2009, Science Daily 2009,
Phys Org 2009, Science 2.0 (blog) 2009, Popular Science (blog) 2009,
Evolutionary Novelties (blog) 2009

Referred paper:
Molecular and evolutionary history of melanism in North American gray wolves

Anderson et al. (2009) Science 323, 1339-1343.

Monty Sloan