Redfish species of the genus Sebastes are ecologically and commercially valuable components of North Atlantic and Arctic ecosystems. Accurate species identification within this group has long been controversial due to overlapping morphological traits, compounded by widespread interspecific hybridization. Methodological difficulties in distinguishing between Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) and beaked redfish (S. mentella), which occur sympatrically, have led to these species being managed as a single commercial stock in the Northwest Atlantic for decades. Additional challenges arise when differentiating catches of golden redfish (S. norvegicus) and S. mentella on the eastern Greenland slopes. Significant difficulties also occur in identifying juvenile Sebastes spp. in the Arctic Ocean. In recent years, efforts to develop genetic markers for redfish species identification have intensified. This work describes a haplotype-specific PCR assay based on mitochondrial control region (D-loop) polymorphisms for identifying North Atlantic redfish species.

In the Kherota River (Russian Black Sea coast), freshwater mussels not previously known in the area were discovered and morphologically identified as Unio gontierii Bourguignat, 1856 (Bivalvia: Unionidae). The mussel species identity was verified by analysis of the mitochondrial gene sequence encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). The diversity of the eight studied microsatellite loci in the studied sample was rather high (the average number of alleles per locus was 4.75, the observed heterozygosity was 0.50±0.08). The aforementioned facts, in conjunction with the substantial distribution of the bitterling Rhodeus colchicus Bogutskaya et Komlev, 2001 along the Russian Black Sea coast, whose larvae develop in the bivalves, indicate that Unio gontierii is an indigenous inhabitant of the Russian part of the Caucasian coast and not a recently human-introduced species.

On the example of the Novo-Ursk tailing dump (Salair Ridge), the typomorphic characteristics of barite are considered. It was found that in the dumps, in addition to residual barite from pyrite-polymetallic ores, there are its authigenic varieties. Ore barite grains are found in the form of fragments of irregular shapes, less often grains of a tabular habit, have a dimension of 50–400 microns, Sr up to 1.41 wt.%. Newly formed barite occurs as single grains or clusters of round and elongated shapes or acicular crystals, ranging in size from 1–2 µm to larger aggregates that form veinlets or clusters in the siliceous matrix in association with jarosite and/or anhydrite. Among the impurities, Pb up to 6.33 wt.% was noted, less often Fe up to 0.73 wt.%, Sr up to 0.94 wt.%. It was shown by using thermodynamic modeling that the concentrations of Ba, SO4, Fe and Ca in solution vary within several orders of magnitude when the mineral composition of the tailings mound zones changes depending on the Eh–pH conditions of their formation. It has been suggested that the formation of barite along with pyrite may occur as a result of the action of a reductive biogeochemical barrier or a sulfate concentration barrier in the deeper parts of the section where supersaturation is achieved.The most informative typomorphic feature proving that barite was formed under tailings conditions is particle morphology, mineral association and chemical composition.

Проблема различий в скоростях эволюции между разными видами животных и растений обсуждается в последние годы очень интенсивно, и в связи с этим остро встает вопрос о том, насколько справедлива так называемая гипотеза молекулярных часов. Мы провели поиск научных публикаций, содержащих медианные сети, включающие гаплотипы митохондриальных генов для близкородственных бореальных и арктических (или расселявшихся через Арктику) видов рыб. Во всех семи случаях, проанализированных нами, у арктических таксонов или таксонов, прошедших через Арктику в ходе филогенеза, скорость нуклеотидных замен была выше, причем данная закономерность, как оказалось, подтверждается статистически. Таким образом, формирование новых таксонов рыб в полярных широтах сопровождается быстрой эволюцией митохондриальной ДНК, что, по-видимому, отражает проявление их адаптации к новой среде обитания. Помимо этого видообразование у рыб в Арктике сопровождается, как правило, множественными слияниями хромосом. Таким образом, и наши, и литературные данные дают веские основания сомневаться в справедливости гипотезы молекулярных часов. The problem of differences in the rates of evolution among different species of animals and plants has been discussed very intensively in recent years, and, in connection with this, the question of whether the so-called molecular clock hypothesis is valid is acutely raised. We conducted a search for scientific papers providing median networks that include mitochondrial gene haplotypes for closely related boreal and Arctic (or dispersed through the Arctic) fish species. In all seven cases analyzed by us, in Arctic taxa or taxa that passed through the Arctic during their phylogeny, the rate of nucleotide substitutions was higher, and this difference, as it turned out, is statistically significant. Thus, the formation of new fish taxa in polar latitudes is accompanied by rapid evolution of mitochondrial DNA, which, apparently, is the manifestation of their adaptation to a new habitat. In addition, speciation in fish in the Arctic is usually accompanied by multiple chromosome fusions. Thus, both our and the literature data give new strong reasons to doubt the validity of the molecular clock hypothesis.

Studying the routes of invasion of the threespine stickleback is important both because it serves as a model species in evolutionary research and because it may play a substantial role in ecosystems. The goal of this study was to determine the recent pathways of threespine stickleback invasion into the Black and Caspian Sea basins. The partial COI and cyt b mitochondrial gene sequences and the mtDNA region between them (a total of 9926 bp) have been analyzed in a priori separate phylogenetic lineages, Black Sea and American ones. The results indicate that similar sequences of the COI gene may result from parallel evolution in different lineages. The basins of the Volga and Dnieper, the largest rivers of the Ponto-Caspian basin, are currently inhabited only by carriers of the European lineage haplotypes; this agrees with the data on the disappearance of aboriginal stickleback populations from these river basins in the first half of the twentieth century. Only Black Sea lineage haplotypes have been found in stickleback from the recently formed populations of the Caspian Sea coast. The results show that alien conspecifics may substantially affect the genetic structure of threespine stickleback populations in the native species range.

People strove for creating productive soils to increase the yield of cultivated crops since prehistoric times. Currently, restoration of soil properties is relevant for areas affected by mining. In Siberia, long-term coal mining has led to significant destruction of the soil cover, accumulation of overburden and host rocks on the daytime surface. This initiated the search for resource-saving technologies to compensate for soil losses, including methods of formation of artificial soil-like bodies with a deposited fertile layer for subsequent agricultural use. This article presents the results of a study of physicochemical and microbiological properties of the humus-accumulative layer after 40 years of man-made wasteland soiling in three natural zones (sub-taiga, forest-steppe, dry-steppe) in order to characterize the ecosystem functions that ensure fertility. It was established that the humus layer of perennial technogenic soils (technozems) has ecosystem functions of background soils, however, in the forest-steppe and dry-steppe zones it shows signs of decreased resistance to elevated pH, increased ecotoxicants, reduced organic carbon reserves and a pool of metabolic active nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In arid conditions, the greatest biogenic depletion of technozems is diagnosed, the manifestation of an inertial mutation of bacterial populations, ensuring their dissociation and preservation in extreme habitats. The information can be used to characterize ecosystem functions and ecosystem services of long-term technozems, in forecasts of the effectiveness of man-made wasteland management in different natural zones, and taken into account in the development of nature-like technologies.

The problem of differences in the rate of evolution among different animal or plant species has been intensely discussed in recent years, so the question of the validity of a so-called molecular clock hypothesis is very relevant. We have performed a search for publications describing median networks, which include haplotypes of mitochondrial genes for closely related boreal and arctic fish species (or those who settled through the Arctic). In all seven cases included into our analysis, the rate of nucleotide substitutions in Arctic taxa or taxa that settled through the Arctic during their evolutionary history was higher, and this difference was statistically significant. Therefore, the formation of new fish taxa in polar latitudes is accompanied by a rapid evolution of mitochondrial DNA that apparently reflects their adaptation to the new environment. In addition, speciation in Arctic fishes is usually accompanied by multiple chromosome fusions. Therefore, both our data and the data of other researchers provide solid reasons to doubt in the validity of the molecular clock hypothesis.

The article considers the viability of man-made waste from long-term tailings and bulk waste from the enrichment of gold-bearing ores in the early stages of soil formation for oats and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, in order to justify their use in environmentally safe surface conservation. It has been established that many metals and metalloids are present in mobile form in soil-like environments, forming secondary sulfates, the main of which is gypsum. New data on the translocation of chemical elements in the roots and sprouts of oats, on the development of colonizing photo- and heterotrophic microorganisms in technogenic conditions are presented. It is reported that habitats with waste matter turned out to be the most viable for plants and microorganisms at neutral acidity values, the dry weight of seedlings in these samples was significantly higher than against the background of acidic ones. The facts of fossilization of vital cyanobacteria and algae have been established using electron microscopy. The information obtained can be used to characterize primary soil formation and modern mechanisms of biogenic concentration of metals in conditions of technogenesis, taken into account in the justification and development of nature-like technologies for the environmentally safe conservation of sulfide-containing waste from ore agglomeration.

Data reported from Northern Canada were until recently the only available data on the genetic characteristics of the oribatid mite Ameronothrus nigrofemoratus, which has a circumpolar distribution on the coasts of Arctic seas. A partial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) mtDNA sequence was examined in mites morphologically assigned to this species from the Kolguev Island. Two highly divergent phylogenetic lineages of A. nigrofemoratus (7% divergence) were revealed, neither of which was found on the Canadian coast. Four COI amino acid substitutions distinguished one of the lineages from North American A. nigrofemoratus, corresponding to the degree of difference between A. nigrofemoratus and its sister species A. lineatus.

. В работе подведены итоги многолетних производственных экспериментов по использованию генетических методов для повышения эффективности форелеводства. На первом этапе работы были получены жизнеспособные триплоидные гибриды радужной форели породы адлерская янтарная и кумжи, которые нашли применение в качестве декоративных рыб. На втором этапе велись эксперименты по получению триплоидов радужной форели; в результате найден режим воздействия высоким давлением на икру, при котором доля триплоидных особей составила 100 %. На третьем этапе работы отработана методика получения групп рыб, состоящих только из самок; в сочетании с триплоидизацией этот метод позволяет получить рыб с неразвитыми гонадами, которые не «лошают» и не замедляют рост из-за созревания.

The diversity of biota in different parts of the planet has demonstrated dramatic changes within the last several decades due to the extinction of native taxa and the appearance of invasive taxa. The correct taxonomic identification of non-native species is important for understanding their dispersal abilities, especially when potential invaders may be of closely related species. Information on the species identity of ricefish (Oryzias spp.), which have formed self-sustainable populations in some parts of Eurasia, is contradictory. In this paper, we studied samples from non-native populations of Oryzias from several Eurasian regions. The results of our mtDNA COI partial sequence study confirm that the individuals we studied belong to the species Chinese ricefish, O. sinensis. Analyses of the literature and our own data suggest that all known alien populations of Oryzias in continental Eurasia belong to the same species, O. sinensis. A recent finding of O. sinensis in the Don delta suggests that one of the species’ secondary dispersal pathways could run from the Kuban region through the lower part of the Don basin to the Cis-Azov area.

The evolutionary history of North Atlantic Sebastes redfishes was reconstructed as a result of studying the mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences of Sebastes redfishes inhabiting the North Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans. It was shown that speciation of these redfishes occurred in several stages. During the first stage, the ancestor of the Norway redfish ( S. viviparus ) diverged from the common ancestor species in the process of allopatric speciation. The ancestor of Acadian redfish ( S. fasciatus ) diverged from the common ancestor as it evolved. Budding speciation in the species that would later evolve into golden redfish ( S. norvegicus ) resulted in the emergence of the beaked redfish ( S. mentella ). Paleoclimatic events seem to have played the key role in species divergence as they caused habitat fragmentation allowing isolated groups to become genetically distinct in the meantime. The conducted analysis of the speciation of Sebastes redfishes brings into question the generality of widely accepted views on fish sympatric speciation. It also serves as an argument against the molecular clock hypothesis.

Fatty acid (FA) composition and contents of fillets of seven strains of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, reared in the same farm and sampled at the same time were studied. Three strains were compared with those from another farm as well as with outbreed and wild fish of the same fish species. In general, FA composition of farmed fish reflected their diet composition. Nevertheless, a genetics factor (belonging to a certain strain), also was found to contribute to fish FA composition. Rainbow trout of strain Steelhead appeared to have comparatively higher ability to regulate their FA composition, in particular, to retain high contents of physiologically important eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3, DHA) acids in biomass despite variations of their diet contents. Differences in contents of the EPA + DHA of different strains, found in this study, likely provided evidence for a potential of selective breeding of rainbow trout strains with a high EPA and DHA, which are of key importance for humans' diet. Besides, FA markers, which allow differentiating wild and farmed rainbow trout, were revealed.

A total of 205 COI sequences and 310 cyt b sequences of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from basins of all seas throughout the vast range of this species were analyzed. Median networks of haplotypes constructed in this study, combined with the results of reconstruction of paleogeographic conditions, led to the conclusion that the threespine stickleback emerged as a species in the Pacific Ocean basin and spread to Europe from the south, populating the system of water bodies that existed in the Oligocene. The main water body was the Paratethys Ocean (Sea), which existed 5–34 Mya. In the area of the modern North Sea, stickleback populations, part of which later migrated to the eastern and western coasts of North America, gave rise to the group of haplotypes that has the widest distribution in northern Europe. The stickleback populations belonging to the lineage that dispersed along the Arctic and western coasts of North America displaced the carriers of the haplotypes of the ancient phylogenetic lineage that inhabited the Pacific coast. The ancestors of G. wheatlandi dispersed from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean via the Arctic to meet G. aculeatus, which circled the globe from east to west.

The introduction of the work substantiates the relevance of studying the biogeochemistry of the root layer of herbaceous plants growing on man-made waste from coal mining and iron ore enrichment after 40 years of reclamation. The main part of the report is devoted to the results of determining the gross content of heavy metals and metalloids, Sorg., residual toxicity, occurrence and growth characteristics of the bacterium Azotobacter chroococcum in embryos and background soil under similar plants. It is shown that during the long-term development of embryosems on waste of different origin, a high pool of heavy metals and metals is preserved in them, and Sorghum accumulates. In the area of coal mining around the roots of the clover, the maximum concentrations of Pb are detected, while cereals - Br. On the forested tails of the iron ore agglomeration, the trend is different: Ca, Ni, Cu, Mn, Zn are concentrated around the roots of cereals, and As is near the roots of the clover. However, the residual toxicity is manifested only on the tailings of the iron ore agglomeration. It has been established that the occurrence of azotobacter in the root layer of different plants is ubiquitous, but in the embryos of the forested tailings pond, the bacterial populations are heterogeneous, they contain donkey strains showing luminescence, rhizoid growth type and antagonism. Around the roots of the clover, conditions were formed that were less favorable for reproduction than under cereals. The data obtained expand knowledge about the role of phytobiomes in the migration of chemical elements at man-made facilities, can be taken into account when developing toxicity neutralization and in predicting the effectiveness of biological reclamation.

Until recently, cold-water species were believed to have appeared in Europe during the Quaternary glaciations. However, ample molecular genetic and zoogeographic data obtained in recent years allow us to state confidently that the formation of the cold-water fauna of Europe was a long process with several distinct steps. Species whose ancestors migrated westwards from the Far East through the Paratethys invaded southern and then central Europe as early as the Miocene. The first wave of invaders from Siberia found its way into central Europe later, in the Pliocene. The second wave of Siberian species entered Europe in an interglacial period (possibly through a strait that connected the future White Sea to the future Baltic Sea). The third wave of invaders from Siberia entered northeastern Europe during the last deglaciation (approximately 10 000 years ago), along with small groups of migrants from North America and the Pacific basin. The cross distribution of cold-water species (from Europe to Siberia) was extremely rare. Apparently, such a high evolutionary and adaptive plasticity of many Siberian aquatic organisms is apparently related to their origin from the giant Siberian sea lake water body that existed east of the Urals over several millions of years and experienced many fluctuations in water level, temperature, and salinity.

The relevance. The increase in concentrations of metals and metalloids in terrestrial ecosystems as a result of the activities of the mining and metallurgical industries is a serious problem for the environment - it leads to the accumulation of elements in soils, wild and agricultural plants and accompanies the pollution of food chains. The main aim of this study is to determine and evaluate the phytoremediation ability of oats Avena sativa to accumulate metals and metalloids from tailings with different physicochemical parameters. Objects of the study are the material of tailings (Dyukov Log, Talmovskiy Sands, Khovu-Aksy) and waste heaps (Ursk, Beloklyuch, Berikul). Methods. Root and shoot samples were analyzed for the content of a wide range of elements by ICP-MS on a NexION 300D mass spectrometer (PerkinElmer, USA) (PNL "Voda" GGC ISHPR TPU). The selection of solid samples was carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods. The solid samples were analyzed for the content of oxides of the silicate group by XRF on an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer ARL-9900-XP (Thermo Electron Corporation) at the Laboratory of X-ray Spectral Analysis Methods of the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; analysis of trace elements concentration was carried out by ICP-MS on an ELAN-9000 DRC-e instrument, Perkin Elmer, USA (HAC Plasma). Results. Experiments were carried out with the germination of seeds of a monocotyledonous plant - oats (Avena sativa) on the substrates of tailings located in Western Siberia and the Republic of Tuva. This plant belongs to the list of hosted tests of phytotoxicity and green manure, but its development on the presented technogenic objects has not been studied before. It is shown for the first time that on average, the concentration of metals and metalloids in oat seedlings exceeded the concentration of these elements in all samples compared to the control. The effect of acidity/alkalinity of tailings on the extraction of elements by plants was evaluated. It was shown that oat seeds did not germinate in samples with the addition of a substance that gives an acidic environment (pH<2) or high mineralization of the liquid phase. In the tailings with a pH range of 2-5 (acidic and slightly acidic environments), the seeds germinated, but the mass of seedlings was significantly less than in the material with a neutral-subalkaline environment (pH 6-8). Germination is not affected by the ratio of aluminosilicates minerals/pyrite, the main is the presence of carbonates and the degree of oxidation. In an acidic medium, at relatively high concentrations of metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) in the liquid phase, their proportion absorbed by plants was significantly lower than in a neutral subalkaline medium. The acidity of the environment did not affect the accumulation of most elements, their accumulation in the underground and aboveground parts depended on the content of their soluble forms. For arsenic and Bi, there is an increase in their content in oat seedlings with an increase in the pH of the aqueous extract. The influence of high concentrations of elements in the plant nutrition environment is ambiguous. For example, for a substance with a high content of mobile forms of Cd, Pb, Zn, the biomass and root length of oat seedlings were higher than for oats grown on another substance. The translocation index indicates that the accumulation of most metals and metalloids is higher in the roots than in the aerial parts of oats.

Studies of speciation and intraspecific differentiation in salmonid fishes are traditionally based on analysis of osteological traits. In the current study the variation of osteological traits was compared between two Atlantic salmon forms: anadromous and landlocked. Each form was represented by three samples: one from a wild population, and two from hatcheries; i.e., we studied six samples in total. In total, 45 osteological characters were analyzed. Differences between the forms were found to be genetically determined to a substantial extent. The factor "origin" explained 48% of the total morphological difference between the fish samples; the factor "habitat", 32%; and their interaction, 14%. Phenotypic plasticity of the anadromous form was observed to be lower than that of the landlocked form. We consider that the higher phenotypic plasticity may compensate for a decrease in genetic diversity which is observed in landlocked forms of the species.

Genetic markers (sex-specific loci of Ga1 and Ga2) have been used to analyze the sex ratio of the threespine stickleback at different stages of ontogenesis. The progeny of all individually tested females includes both males and females, and no significant departures from a 1 : 1 sex ratio has been found in embryos from the natural nests. Juveniles did not demonstrate a sex bias up to one-and-a-half or two months of age, but in older juveniles, females prevailed (this fact has been reported for the first time). Females prevail among spawners, which mostly results from the predominant elimination of males during the spawning and post-spawning periods. The possible causes of this predominance are discussed.