N-mixture models provide informative crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) abundance estimates in dynamic environments (2022)
Journal Article
Nobrega, J., González-Jaurégui, M., & Jehle, R. (2022). N-mixture models provide informative crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) abundance estimates in dynamic environments. PeerJ, 10, e12906

Estimates of animal abundance provide essential information for population ecological studies. However, the recording of individuals in the field can be challenging, and accurate estimates require analytical techniques which account for imperfect... Read More about N-mixture models provide informative crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) abundance estimates in dynamic environments.

Challenging a host–pathogen paradigm: Susceptibility to chytridiomycosis is decoupled from genetic erosion (2022)
Journal Article
Smith, D., O'Brien, C., Hall, J., Sergeant, C., Brookes, L. M., Harrison, X. A., …Jehle, R. (2022). Challenging a host–pathogen paradigm: Susceptibility to chytridiomycosis is decoupled from genetic erosion. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 35(4), 589-598. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13987

The putatively positive association between host genetic diversity and the ability to defend against pathogens has long attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists. Chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dend... Read More about Challenging a host–pathogen paradigm: Susceptibility to chytridiomycosis is decoupled from genetic erosion.

Sex‐related differences in aging rate are associated with sex chromosome system in amphibians (2021)
Journal Article
Cayuela, H., Lemaitre, J., Lena, J., Ronget, V., Martinez-Solano, I., Muths, E., …Miller, D. (2022). Sex‐related differences in aging rate are associated with sex chromosome system in amphibians. Evolution, 76(2), 346-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.14410

Sex-related differences in mortality are widespread in the animal kingdom. Although studies have shown that sex determination systems might drive lifespan evolution, sex chromosome influences on aging rates have not been investigated so far, likely d... Read More about Sex‐related differences in aging rate are associated with sex chromosome system in amphibians.

Genetic and morphological data demonstrate hybridization and backcrossing in a pair of salamanders at the far end of the speciation continuum (2021)
Journal Article
Arntzen, J., Jehle, R., & Wielstra, B. (2021). Genetic and morphological data demonstrate hybridization and backcrossing in a pair of salamanders at the far end of the speciation continuum. Evolutionary Applications, 14(12), 2784-2793. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13312

Deeply diverged yet hybridizing species provide a system to investigate the final stages of the speciation process. We study a hybridizing pair of salamander species — the morphologically and genetically drastically different newts Triturus cristat... Read More about Genetic and morphological data demonstrate hybridization and backcrossing in a pair of salamanders at the far end of the speciation continuum.

Reversing a downward trend in threatened peripheral amphibian (Triturus cristatus) populations through interventions combining species, habitat and genetic information (2021)
Journal Article
O'Brien, D., Hall, J., Miro, A., O'Brien, K., Falaschi, M., & Jehle, R. (2021). Reversing a downward trend in threatened peripheral amphibian (Triturus cristatus) populations through interventions combining species, habitat and genetic information. Journal for Nature Conservation, 64, 126077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126077

Conserving genetic diversity in wild species is vital for preserving adaptations to local environmental conditions. We conducted a habitat creation project for a flagship European Protected Species of amphibian (northern great crested newt Triturus c... Read More about Reversing a downward trend in threatened peripheral amphibian (Triturus cristatus) populations through interventions combining species, habitat and genetic information.

How did the toad get over the sea to Skye? Tracing the colonisation of Scottish inshore islands by common toads (Bufo bufo) (2021)
Journal Article
(Bufo bufo). Herpetological journal, 31, 204-213. https://doi.org/10.33256/31.4.204213

Processes of island colonisation have long been of interest to biologists. Colonisation events themselves are rarely observed, but the processes involved may be inferred using genetic approaches. We investigated possible means of island colonisation... Read More about How did the toad get over the sea to Skye? Tracing the colonisation of Scottish inshore islands by common toads (Bufo bufo).

Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome (2021)
Journal Article
Harrison, X., McDevitt, A., Dunn, J., Grifftihs, S., Benvenuto, C., Birtles, R., …Antwis, R. (2021). Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1957), 20210552. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0552

Interactions between hosts and their resident microbial communities are a fundamental component of fitness for both agents. Though recent research has highlighted the importance of interactions between animals and their bacterial communities, compara... Read More about Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome.

A co‐development approach to conservation leads to informed habitat design and rapid establishment of amphibian communities (2021)
Journal Article
O'Brien, D., Hall, J. E., Miro, A., O'Brien, K., & Jehle, R. (2021). A co‐development approach to conservation leads to informed habitat design and rapid establishment of amphibian communities. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2(1), e12038. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12038

Abstract1. Effective wildlife restoration is a critical requirement of many conservation actions. The outcome of conservation interventions can be optimized through knowledge of species’ habitat requirements, but few studies consider the impact of us... Read More about A co‐development approach to conservation leads to informed habitat design and rapid establishment of amphibian communities.

The influence of environmental variation on the genetic structure of a poison frog distributed across continuous Amazonian rainforest (2020)
Journal Article
Ferreira, A., Lima, A., Jehle, R., Ferrao, M., & Stow, A. (2020). The influence of environmental variation on the genetic structure of a poison frog distributed across continuous Amazonian rainforest. Journal of Heredity, 111(5), 457-470. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esaa034

Biogeographic barriers such as rivers have been shown to shape spatial patterns of biodiversity in the Amazon basin, yet relatively little is known about the distribution of genetic variation across continuous rainforest. Here, we characterize the ge... Read More about The influence of environmental variation on the genetic structure of a poison frog distributed across continuous Amazonian rainforest.

Elucidating cryptic diversity in East African frogs : the case of Arthroleptis francei Loveridge, 1953 (2020)
Thesis
Woest, N. Elucidating cryptic diversity in East African frogs : the case of Arthroleptis francei Loveridge, 1953. (Dissertation). University of Salford

Detailed information on the diversity of species and their distributions is crucial for the implementation of useful conservation measures. Here, I focus on the Afromontane region of Malawi and Mozambique, and use molecular techniques, environmental... Read More about Elucidating cryptic diversity in East African frogs : the case of Arthroleptis francei Loveridge, 1953.

Disease reservoirs threaten the recently rediscovered Podocarpus Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus podocarpus) (2020)
Journal Article
Podocarpus Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus podocarpus). Amphibian & reptile conservation, 14(2), 157-164

The Andes have experienced an unprecedented wave of amphibian declines and extinctions that are linked to a combination of habitat reduction and the spread of the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In the present study, a range o... Read More about Disease reservoirs threaten the recently rediscovered Podocarpus Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus podocarpus).

Stable species boundaries despite ten million years of hybridisation in tropical eels (2020)
Journal Article
Barth, J., Gubili, C., Matschiner, M., Torresen, O., Watanabe, S., Egger, B., …Schabetsberger, R. (2020). Stable species boundaries despite ten million years of hybridisation in tropical eels. Nature communications, 11, 1433. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15099-x

Genomic evidence is increasingly underpinning that hybridization between taxa is commonplace, challenging our views on the mechanisms that maintain their boundaries. Here, we focus on seven catadromous eel species (genus Anguilla) and use genome-wide... Read More about Stable species boundaries despite ten million years of hybridisation in tropical eels.

Linking effective population size dynamics to phenotypic traits in the common toad (Bufo bufo) (2019)
Journal Article
in the common toad (Bufo bufo). Conservation Genetics, 20, 987-995. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-019-01185-1

The effective size of a population (Ne) determines the retention of neutral genetic variation in isolated populations, and is therefore a key parameter in conservation genetics. However, while our knowledge on the genetic properties of endangered pop... Read More about Linking effective population size dynamics to phenotypic traits in the common toad (Bufo bufo).

Age and growth in a European flagship amphibian : equal performance at agricultural ponds and favourably managed aquatic sites (2019)
Journal Article
aquatic sites. Aquatic Ecology, 53(1), 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-018-09671-3

In human-modified landscapes, little is known about the influence of aquatic habitat types on the demographic structure of residing amphibian populations. In the present paper, we focus on a European flagship urodele species (the great crested newt T... Read More about Age and growth in a European flagship amphibian : equal performance at agricultural ponds and favourably managed aquatic sites.

SuDS and amphibians - are constructed wetlands really benefitting nature and people? (2018)
Journal Article
O'Brien, D., Hall, J., Miro, A., Rae, M., & Jehle, R. (2018). SuDS and amphibians - are constructed wetlands really benefitting nature and people?. Glasgow Naturalist, 27(Supl.),

While urbanisation is a major threat to global biodiversity, it also brings opportunities for some species. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) have been installed in all Scottish cities to reduce flood and pollution risk and they can also offer... Read More about SuDS and amphibians - are constructed wetlands really benefitting nature and people?.

Vanishing refuge? Testing the forest refuge hypothesis in coastal East Africa using genome-wide sequence data for seven amphibians (2018)
Journal Article
Barratt, C., Bwong, B., Jehle, R., Liedtke, H., Nagel, P., Onstein, R., …Loader, S. (2018). Vanishing refuge? Testing the forest refuge hypothesis in coastal East Africa using genome-wide sequence data for seven amphibians. Molecular Ecology, 27(21), 4289-4308. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14862

High‐throughput sequencing data have greatly improved our ability to understand the processes that contribute to current biodiversity patterns. The “vanishing refuge” diversification model is speculated for the coastal forests of eastern Africa, wher... Read More about Vanishing refuge? Testing the forest refuge hypothesis in coastal East Africa using genome-wide sequence data for seven amphibians.

Soil and forest structure predicts large-scale patterns of occurrence and local abundance of a widespread Amazonian frog (2018)
Journal Article
Ferreira, A., Jehle, R., Stow, A., & Lima, A. (2018). Soil and forest structure predicts large-scale patterns of occurrence and local abundance of a widespread Amazonian frog. PeerJ, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5424

The distribution of biodiversity within the Amazon basin is often structured by sharp environmental boundaries, such as large rivers. The Amazon region is also characterized by subtle environmental clines, but how they might affect the distributions... Read More about Soil and forest structure predicts large-scale patterns of occurrence and local abundance of a widespread Amazonian frog.

Genetic diversity of common toads (Bufo bufo) along the Norwegian coast : disjunct distribution of locally dominant haplotypes (2018)
Journal Article
haplotypes. Herpetological journal, 28(3), 127-133

Little is known about the phylogeographic history of amphibian populations along the western Fennoscandinavian coast. In the present study, we focus on the common toad (Bufo bufo) and document the spatial distribution of mitochondrial DNA (cytb) ha... Read More about Genetic diversity of common toads (Bufo bufo) along the Norwegian coast : disjunct distribution of locally dominant haplotypes.

High genetic diversity and lack of pronounced population structure in five species of sympatric Pacific eels (2018)
Journal Article
Gubili, C., Schabetsberger, R., Poellabauer, C., Bates, B., Wagstaff, R., Woodward, L., …Jehle, R. (2018). High genetic diversity and lack of pronounced population structure in five species of sympatric Pacific eels. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 26(1), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12287

Understanding the population structure of tropical anguillids residing in the Pacific is vital for their conservation management. Here, the population genetic structure of five sympatric freshwater eels (Anguilla marmorata Quoy & Gaimard, A. me... Read More about High genetic diversity and lack of pronounced population structure in five species of sympatric Pacific eels.

Skin swabs with FTA® cards as a dry storage source for amphibian DNA (2018)
Journal Article
Ward, A., Hide, G., & Jehle, R. (2019). Skin swabs with FTA® cards as a dry storage source for amphibian DNA. Conservation Genetics Resources, 11, 309-311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-018-1018-z

Amphibians are the most endangered group of vertebrates, and conservation measures increasingly rely on information drawn from genetic markers. The present study explores skin swabs with Whatman FTA® cards as a method to retrieve PCR-amplifiable amph... Read More about Skin swabs with FTA® cards as a dry storage source for amphibian DNA.