The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a grand établissement of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is located in Paris, France, within the Jardin des Plantes on the left bank of the River Seine. It was formally founded in 1793 during the French Revolution, but was begun even earlier in 1635 as the royal garden of medicinal plants. The museum now has 14 sites throughout France..
Bioavailable strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) have broad applications for geolocation and movement reconstructions in ecology, paleontology, archaeology, forensics, and environmental and food sciences. These applications require a comprehensive 87Sr/86Sr reference dataset to identify isotopically distinct areas. Bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr reference datasets have been created for many regions world-wide and are based on a large range of different sample materials including soil, water, flora, and fauna. Here we compiled and harmonized 28,347 published bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr data from over 150 countries representing decades of work by hundreds of researchers to provide a global dataset as a basis for reference and isoscape development. These data provide researchers across many different disciplines with a common reference dataset to use as a foundation for their research projects. Metadata and method details are provided to allow for the individual assessment of the data. The dataset is available at two community data repositories dedicated to stable isotope data, IsoArcH and IsoBank.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the invasive terrestrial nemertean Geonemertes pelaensis Semper, 1863 (Nemertea: Prosorhochmidae) was sequenced from two specimens collected in geographically distant French overseas territories—Martinique in the Caribbean and New Caledonia in the South-West Pacific. In both specimens, the mitogenome contained 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 21 tRNA genes, and was unusually large, approaching 32 kb. The two genomes differed by only four single nucleotide polymorphisms and one indel. A comparison with 22 cox1 sequences available in GenBank confirmed this high level of genetic conservation, suggesting a recent introduction from related source populations. The extraordinary length of the mitogenome was largely attributable to two extended regions comprising only tRNA genes and long intergenic sequences. These results were contrasted with data from an unpublished SRA sequencing project (SRS20559370) of an unlocalized specimen identified as G. pelaensis; its reconstructed mitogenome was only 18 kb in length (14 kb shorter) and showed extensive sequence divergence. Phylogenetic analyses placed this specimen as the sister lineage to G. pelaensis, highlighting the need for further investigation of this taxon. In the Martinique specimen, several NUMTs (nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes) were also detected, which could complicate future studies relying solely on Sanger sequencing. Sequencing additionally revealed prey DNA from the gut contents of both worms: the New Caledonian specimen had consumed an unidentified noctuid moth, while the Martinique specimen had likely fed on the invasive cockroach Periplaneta australasiae (Fabricius, 1775), itself an introduced species.
With the growing demand for international maritime trade, there is an urgent need to improve our knowledge of the impact of shipping on marine organisms to develop effective mitigation strategies. Bivalves are important organisms in intertidal ecosystems where maritime harbors are situated. In this work, we evaluated the response of mussel larvae exposed to chemical contaminants associated with maritime traffic. We focused on embryogenesis because the initial ontogenic stages are particularly susceptible to stressful events that are crucial for maintaining community structure. Thus, embryos of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis (Linnaeus, 1758), from two spawning events following natural gonad maturation, were exposed to a cocktail of contaminants (copper, mercury, lead and hydrocarbons) representative of a port environment until the end of embryogenesis. Our results show a different metabolomic response of D-larvae to contamination depending on the embryogenic success. Contaminated larvae had greater energy requirements and appeared to successfully employ a variety of mechanisms involving antioxidant biosynthesis and energy metabolism restructuring to mitigate toxic effects on cells and developing tissues. This work demonstrates the vulnerability of mussel larvae to an environment with high maritime traffic, even though exposure to contaminants did not ultimately affect the success of embryogenesis.
The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a rare species in Croatia, yet data on its vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) have been entirely lacking. This study provides the first molecular survey of VBPs in twelve Croatian wildcats collected between 2018 and 2025. Using broad-range PCR assays and sequencing, we found pathogen DNA in all analyzed animals (12/12). The most common pathogen was Hepatozoon felis (10/12), followed by Cytauxzoon europaeus (4/12), Mycoplasma spp. (2/12), and Hepatozoon silvestris (1/12). Dual infections were identified in 5/12 animals. Notably, phylogenetic analysis of hemotropic mycoplasmas revealed a Mycoplasma suis-like genotype, typically associated with swine, suggesting potential cross-species transmission at the sylvatic-domestic interface. The high prevalence of pathogens highlights a potential health risk for this protected population as well as to domestic cats (Felis catus) in the region. These findings fill a critical knowledge gap in the studied region and emphasize the need for integrated conservation strategies that consider the domestic-sylvatic interface in pathogen dynamics.
Record of the scarce swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius (Linnaeus, 1758) in Luxembourg after 33 years. After an absence of 33 years, the scarce swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius (Linnaeus, 1758) has been recorded in southern Luxembourg (Perchesbierg, Minette region). The former opencast mining areas in the Minette region are remarkably rich in biodiversity and stand out as the last refuges for many rare and endangered butterfly species and other invertebrates. These areas’ relatively good state of conservation also offers excellent opportunities for other thermophilic species to settle and establish stable populations, hopefully also of I. podalirius in the near future.
