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Silent Extinction: Loss of Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity is crucial for the survival of species. It strengthens the adaptability, resilience, and long-term stability of populations. An international research team led by Senckenberg researcher Prof. Dr. Deborah Leigh and comprising other members of the Conservation Genetics Section of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed a new approach to identify genetically differentiated groups more reliably within a species. The method is intended to improve both the evaluation of extinction risks and the assessment of reintroduction potential in the future. It aims to reduce the loss of genetic diversity by ensuring that genetically unique populations are effectively protected. The study was published in the journal…
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More Life at Sea: Unexpectedly High Biodiversity in the Deep-Sea Marine Protected Area
An international research team has studied the genetic diversity of bottom-dwelling amphipods in the newly established “North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea Basin” marine protected area. A single sample collected from a depth of nearly 3,700 meters revealed 47 genetically distinct species. Extrapolations suggest there are over 120 species in this area, many of which have not yet been described. The results indicate that the biodiversity of the deep sea has been significantly underestimated. In light of the global goal to protect at least 30 percent of the total marine area by 2030, the new study, published in the journal “Frontiers in Marine Science,” emphasizes the critical importance as well…
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Blue Planet with a White Spot: More Than Half of the World’s Oceans Remain Insufficiently Explored
Large parts of the oceans – particularly the deep sea as well as tropical and polar regions – have only been poorly explored to date. In a study published today in the journal “Nature Communications,” Senckenberg researcher PD Dr Hanieh Saeedi analyzed approximately 48 million occurrence data records covering more than 184,000 marine species – the world’s first assessment of depth-explicit assessments of marine biodiversity patterns and their drivers at this resolution. The study shows that more than half of the world’s oceans have barely been recorded scientifically. For example, less than 2.5 percent of all biodiversity data originates from the central tropics. The results underscore the need for internationally…
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Digital Network of Knowledge: Senckenberg Joins the Biodiversity Heritage Library
The Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung has joined the international consortium of the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). As a result, the historical works and publications on biodiversity preserved in the Senckenberg libraries will be systematically digitized and integrated into the globally used open-access infrastructure for biodiversity-related literature. Until now, much of this knowledge – including elaborately illustrated natural history studies and rare scholarly publications spanning several centuries – has only been accessible on-site in specialized libraries. From detailed illustrations of insects to early descriptions of plants, historical literature remains a cornerstone of biodiversity research to this day. Researchers often have to rely on publications from past centuries to correctly classify or…
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A Bite at the Title: The Vampire Snail is the “International Mollusc of the Year 2026”
The Mediterranean vampire snail Cumia intertexta has been named the “International Mollusc of the Year 2026.” In a public online vote, the marine snail—which feeds on fish blood—received the most clicks, beating out two bivalves and two other snails that had also reached the final round. The joint initiative by the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research and Unitas Malacologica, the global society for mollusc research, took place for the sixth time this year. The genome of the blood-sucking winner will now be fully sequenced for the first time. The vampire snail Cumia intertexta received a total of 5,506 votes in the online poll for “Mollusc of the Year 2026,” securing…
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From the Pampas to Patagonia: DNA Reveals South America’s Human History
A new genetic study shows that cultural diversity in the so-called Southern Cone – the roughly triangular southernmost part of South America – was strongly influenced by extensive human migration. An international research team led by the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen and involving several institutions in South America analyzed the genetic material of 52 Indigenous individuals who lived in the Pampas, northwestern Patagonia, the Paraná Delta, and the eastern lowlands of Uruguay over the past 6,000 years. Among other findings, the results show that at least three genetically distinct population groups coexisted in the Pampas in the mid-Holocene. The study, now published…
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Vote Now: Who will be Mollusc of the Year 2026?
Three snails, two bivalves, one title. Starting today, all mollusc fans are invited to visit https://sgn.one/imoy2026 to help decide which of the five finalist species will receive the title of “International Mollusc of the Year 2026.” This is the sixth time that the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung and Unitas Malacologica – the international society for mollusc research – have organized this public online vote. The aim is to raise public awareness of the impressive diversity of this fascinating group of animals and to promote their protection. The winning species will also receive a special award: its genome will be fully sequenced for the first time. “By choosing the ‘Mollusc of the Year…
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Return to Nature: 27 Leopard Tortoises Released into the Wild in South Africa
A team of South African and German researchers led by Senckenberg scientist Dr. Melita Vamberger and Dr. Adrian J. Armstrong (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife) has used a genetic reference database to trace the origins of leopard tortoises that were confiscated and kept in rescue stations. Despite their IUCN status of “least concern (LC),” the tortoises face significant threats such as illegal trade, habitat loss, and human interference. The study, published in the journal “Conservation Genetics,” underlines the crucial importance of genetic data for responsible reintroductions: Following controlled preparation, 27 out of 50 genetically examined animals have already been successfully released back into the wild in South Africa. The researchers call for…
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Blueleg, Colourleg, and Cave Midget: Nine New Spider Species Discovered
The limestone caves of Laos are hotspots of biodiversity: Senckenberg arachnologist Dr. Peter Jäger and his colleague Liphone Nophaseud from the National University of Laos have discovered nine previously unknown spider species there. They belong to three genera and two families, including the first record of the family Ochyroceratidae for Laos. The new descriptions encompass tiny “cave midgets” that carry their eggs or young in their chelicerae, spiders with colorful, iridescent legs, and a completely eyeless species. The study, published in the specialist journal “Zootaxa,” illustrates the importance of karst caves for the protection of rare animal species – and hints at many future discoveries still waiting to be revealed…
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Tracing the Venom: Genetic Material of a Living Fossil Decoded
With the almost complete decoding of the genome of the rare earless monitor lizard, a Senckenberg team of taxonomists and genomicists is providing new, fundamental insights into the early evolutionary history of the scaled reptiles. The lizard, which is regarded as a “living fossil” and is found exclusively on Borneo, is considered a key genetic organism for understanding reptile evolution, and 93 percent of its genome of around 1.5 billion base pairs was reconstructed. In their study, published today in the journal “BMC Biology,” the researchers assign the earless monitor lizard to the Toxicofera family group, thus providing important milepost for understanding the early origins of venom systems in reptiles.…
