Several millennia of human-mediated translocation of non-native pig species (genus Sus) to the islands of Wallacea and Oceania have considerably altered local ecosystems. To investigate the timing and trajectory of these introductions, we conducted both genomic analyses of 576 pig nuclear genomes and a geometric morphometric analysis of 708 modern and ancient dental remains. Our analyses demonstrate that free-living and domestic pigs in Wallacea and Oceania have diverse ancestries resulting from the introduction of multiple sequential pig populations followed by gene flow. Despite the variability in their genomic ancestry, these pigs all have a distinct tooth morphology as well as a genetic link to the Chinese domestic pig populations that accompanied the dispersal of Austronesian language speakers ~4000 to 3000 years ago via Taiwan and the Philippines.

ABSTRACT Isolated populations of Australian freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) in few elevated, rocky escarpment areas of the Northern Territory of Australia reach sexual maturity earlier and generally have an adult size half that of their downstream counterparts. There is debate over whether these “pygmy” or “dwarf” crocodile populations are the result of extreme phenotypic plasticity or the origins of a unique species through peripatric speciation. This debate is of conservation concern as these populations face immediate threats from invasive species and climate change, and species classification can affect conservation management strategies. We used mitochondrial DNA control region and cytochrome b sequences to investigate whether mtDNA haplotype variation supports any evidence of speciation between the pygmy and standard‐size freshwater crocodiles. Additionally, we used genotyping by sequencing (dd‐RADseq) to examine genetic clustering. Separated and concatenated control region and cytochrome b haplotypes were shared between pygmy and standard‐size crocodile populations. Principle Component Analysis and STRUCTURE analyses on dd‐RADseq data showed pygmy and standard‐size crocodiles cluster by geographic location as much as by phenotype. We found no clear and objective genetic evidence to suggest that the pygmy freshwater crocodiles should be considered a separate species from any other population of the standard‐size crocodiles. However, the isolation and environmental adaptability of these unique pygmy freshwater crocodile populations make them ecologically unique and valuable for conservation, and worth safeguarding against potential threats.

Cultural competence in professional and research practice is important to effectively deliver animal and One Health services and programs. Veterinarians work with culturally and linguistically diverse teams, clients, and communities. Cultural perspectives on the significance and perceptions of animals and differences in consultation and engagement protocols and strategies can influence client-practitioner and researcher-community relationships, impacting animal health, welfare, and/or research outcomes. Curricula have been proposed to build cultural capacity in graduates, but these have not been reported in veterinary programs, and early attempts to integrate cultural competency into the University of Sydney veterinary curriculum lacked a formal structure and were ad hoc with respect to implementation. To address this, the authors introduced a broad curriculum framework into the University of Sydney veterinary program, which defines cultural competence, perceptions of animals, effective communication, and community engagement in a range of contexts. Cultural competency learning outcomes were described for units of study. These were contextually relevant and aligned to course learning outcomes and University of Sydney graduate qualities. Constructive alignment was achieved by linking learning outcomes to teaching and learning activities and assessment. The continuum of cultural competency underpinned mapping of cultural competency across the curriculum with staged, vertical integration of key principles. Additionally, action to engage staff, students, and stakeholders in a cultural competence agenda assisted in sustaining curriculum change. The result was integration of cultural competency across the curriculum aligning with recommendations from accrediting bodies and with best practice models in medicine, nursing, and allied health programs.

The evolutionarily unique platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus ) has experienced major declines and extinctions from a range of historical and recent interacting human-mediated threats. Although spending most of their time in the water, platypuses can move over land. Nevertheless, uncertainties remain whether dams are barriers to movement, thus limiting gene flow and dispersal, essential to evolution and ecology. Here we examined disruption of gene flow between platypus groups below and above five major dams, matched to four adjacent rivers without major dams. Genetic differentiation ( F ST ) across dams was 4- to 20-fold higher than along similar stretches of adjacent undammed rivers; F ST across dams was similar to differentiation between adjacent river systems. This indicates that major dams represent major barriers for platypus movements. Furthermore, F ST between groups was correlated with the year in which the dam was built, increasing by 0.011 every generation, reflecting the effects of these barriers on platypus genetics. This study provides evidence of gene flow restriction, which jeopardises the long-term viability of platypus populations when groups are fragmented by major dams. Mitigation strategies, such as building of by-pass structures and translocation between upstream and downstream of the dam, should be considered in conservation and management planning.

The Arabian oryx was the first species to be rescued from extinction in the wild by the concerted efforts of captive programmes in zoos and private collections around the world. Reintroduction efforts have used two main sources: the ‘World Herd’, established at the Phoenix Zoo, and private collections in Saudi Arabia. The breeding programme at the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve (WWR) in Oman has played a central role in the rescue of the oryx. Individuals from the ‘World Herd’ and the United Arab Emirates have been the main source for the WWR programme. However, no breeding strategies accounting for genetic diversity have been implemented. To address this, we investigated the diversity of the WWR population and historical samples using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found individuals at WWR contain 58% of the total mtDNA diversity observed globally. Inference of ancestry and spatial patterns of SNP variation shows the presence of three ancestral sources and three different groups of individuals. Similar levels of diversity and low inbreeding were observed between groups. We identified individuals and groups that could most effectively contribute to maximizing genetic diversity. Our results will be valuable to guide breeding and reintroduction programmes at WWR.

Aim:Comprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. Expert range maps often represent a species' only available distributional information and play an increasing role in conservation assessments and macroecology. We provide global range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species harmonised to the taxonomy of the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) and the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World (CMW). Location:Global. Taxon:All extant mammal species. Methods:Range maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species). Results:Range maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use. Main conclusion:Expert maps of species' global distributions are limited in their spatial detail and temporal specificity, but form a useful basis for broad-scale characterizations and model-based integration with other data. We provide georeferenced range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species as shapefiles, with species-level metadata and source information packaged together in geodatabase format. Across the three taxonomic sources our maps entail, there are 1784 taxonomic name differences compared to the maps currently available on the IUCN Red List website. The expert maps provided here are harmonised to the MDD taxonomic authority and linked to a community of online tools that will enable transparent future updates and version control.

In the last decade, the Australian higher education sector has championed the inclusion of cultural competence (CC) as a key graduate quality. Diverse disciplinary learning and teaching approaches requiring careful consideration about how best to achieve the end goal of supporting graduates on their individual, life-long pathways to engage with CC. Science can be viewed as an inflexible and immovable discipline. This perception seems particularly prevalent with respect to scientists acknowledging epistemes outside of a western cultural frame. It follows that eliciting curriculum reform with respect to CC broadly, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives more specifically, was perceived to be a significant challenge. Through interviews with eleven non-Indigenous academics across the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney, we uncovered several strategies for including multiple knowledges in science, with academics traversing these new horizons by building on the work of and collaborating with Indigenous Elders and academics to create enriched learning spaces. Alongside these strategies are staff reflections on their CC journey, which indicate that this endeavour entails necessary and vital discomforts that ultimately enable transformation. This process while guided by CC, led to experiences of cultural humility and a conviction in the role of cultural accountability.

The Australian freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) is endemic to the northern mainland tropics of Australia and is widespread across the Kimberley region in the northwest Australia. Currently, there is limited understanding of the genetic structure and diversity of these populations, which impacts on our ability to evaluate the conservation status of the species. Population genetic analyses of 173 freshwater crocodiles from the Ord River, Fitzroy River, and Lennard River basins were conducted using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). After filtering, 1185 SNPs were retained for downstream population genetic analysis. STRUCTURE and principal component analyses identified three clusters consistent with the three river basins. Population differentiation gave an FST of 0.15 between western and eastern Kimberley and the pairwise FST range was 0.06–0.18 among the three river basins. Assignment tests identified three migration events between the adjacent Fitzroy River and Lennard River basins, which may be explained by possible overland movement across these river basins. The population structure found here indicates that delimitation of management units should be based on river basins with the proximity of adjacent river basins taken into consideration when gene flow exists. Estimates of effective population size showing a low ratio of effective population size to census size in Lake Argyle may raise the concern of future monitoring in this area. Further population genetic studies across the species’ full range are required to better understand the extent of river basins acting as discrete population units, gene flow, population dynamics, and demographic history.

The Sydney School of Veterinary Science (SSVS), University of Sydney, recognises the ever-increasing importance of cultural competence (CC) and cultural capacity in professional and research practice and has been working since 2012 on the embedding of CC into the pre-veterinary programmes: Bachelor of Veterinary Biology (BVB) and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). During both their professional lives and while studying, veterinarians work in culturally and linguistically diverse teams and environments. Cultural perspectives can impact animal health, welfare and/or research outcomes and also relationships with communities. It is therefore important to build cultural capacity in graduates and prepare them with relevant skills such as the ability to reflect on cultural belief systems and worldviews present in themselves and in those with whom they interact. To address this, we introduced a broad framework (graduate qualities, learning outcomes and a rubric) that defines CC beyond the context of cultural and linguistic diversity and includes other self-defined cultural groups, and incorporates cultural awareness and competency for working across cultures. We embedded CC vertically into seven units of study within the pre-veterinary BVB and postgraduate DVM programmes. The major areas that were embedded include: Indigenous perceptions and knowledge about animals; principles of cultural competence; effective communication across cultures; and the impact of CC on professional practice, animal management and research. This initiative constitutes a crucial milestone for students and outcomes indicate that students have been inspired to develop core knowledge and skills in this critical area, skills which they will carry with them when approaching extramural rotations in remote communities and overseas, as well as in their future veterinary and animal science careers, including in their places of work. To date, one DVM class has graduated with an increased awareness of the importance of CC and ways to apply it, and many students have expressed that they see the relevance of CC in the curriculum and to their future careers.

The University of Sydney has identified the embedding of cultural competence into academic programs as one of its core Graduate Qualities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). This knowledge, surrounding animals, plants and the environment, is embedded in stories and paintings used to pass on knowledge and cultural practices. Despite the challenges posed in embedding IKS into science curricula due to the perceived conflict of different of ways of doing and knowing things in relation to Western science, this has been achieved in several units of study across the Faculty of Science. Here we present presential and online approaches in which science students, from 1st to 3rd year, engaged with aspects of ecological and biocultural Indigenous knowledge, embedded in the stories of life and paintings by the Ngaanyatjarra People through the Warburton Arts and Knowledge Portal (https://indigenous-knowledges.sydney.edu.au/). Students were asked to reflect on: ways that western science and IKS package information; diverse views about classification of plants/animals; consideration of culture and spirituality in IKS; the relevance of IKS for mainstream societies when solving modern day problems related to conservation of biodiversity; and how the activity helps to improve students’ cultural competence.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 18-24 nucleotide regulatory RNAs. They are involved in the regulation of genetic and biological pathways through post transcriptional gene silencing and/or translational repression. Data suggests a slow evolutionary rate for the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) over the past several million years when compared to birds, the closest extant relatives of crocodilians. Understanding gene regulation in the saltwater crocodile in the context of relatively slow genomic change thus holds potential for the investigation of genomics, evolution, and adaptation. Utilizing eleven tissue types and sixteen small RNA libraries, we report 644 miRNAs in the saltwater crocodile with > 78% of miRNAs being novel to crocodilians. We also identified potential targets for the miRNAs and analyzed the relationship of the miRNA repertoire to transposable elements (TEs). Results suggest an increased association of DNA transposons with miRNAs when compared to retrotransposons. This work reports the first comprehensive analysis of miRNAs in Crocodylus porosus and addresses the potential impacts of miRNAs in regulating the genome in the saltwater crocodile. In addition, the data suggests a supporting role of TEs as a source for miRNAs, adding to the increasing evidence that TEs play a significant role in the evolution of gene regulation.

The island of Madagascar, situated off the southeast coast of Africa, shows the first evidence of human presence ~ 10,000 years ago; however, other archaeological data indicates a settlement of the modern peoples of the island distinctly more recent, perhaps > 1500 years ago. Bushpigs of the genus Potamochoerus (family Suidae), are today widely distributed in Madagascar and presumed to have been introduced from Africa at some stage by human immigrants to the island. However, disparities about their origins in Madagascar have been presented in the literature, including the possibility of endemic subspecies, and few empirical data are available. Furthermore, the separation of bushpigs in Madagascar from their mainland relatives may have favoured the evolution of a different repertoire of immune genes first due to a founder effect and then as a response to distinct pathogens compared to their ancestors. Molecular analysis confirmed the species status of the bushpig in Madagascar as P. larvatus, likely introduced from the central region of southern Africa, with no genetic evidence for the recognition of eastern and western subspecies as suggested from previous cranial morphology examination. Investigation of the immunologically important SLA-DQB1 peptide-binding region showed a different immune repertoire of bushpigs in Madagascar compared to those on the African mainland, with seventeen exon-2 haplotypes unique to bushpigs in Madagascar (2/28 haplotypes shared). This suggests that the MHC diversity of the Madagascar populations may have enabled Malagasy bushpigs to adapt to new environments.

Crocodilians are an economically, culturally, and biologically important group. To improve researchers’ ability to study genome structure, evolution, and gene regulation in the clade, we generated a high-quality de novo genome assembly of the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus , from Illumina short read data from genomic libraries and in vitro proximity-ligation libraries. The assembled genome is 2,123.5 Mb, with N50 scaffold size of 17.7 Mb and N90 scaffold size of 3.8 Mb. We then annotated this new assembly, increasing the number of annotated genes by 74%. In total, 96% of 23,242 annotated genes were associated with a functional protein domain. Furthermore, multiple non-coding functional regions and mappable genetic markers were identified. Upon analysis and overlapping the results of branch length estimation and site selection tests for detecting potential selection, we found 16 putative genes under positive selection in crocodilians, ten in C. porosus and six in A. mississippiensis . The annotated C. porosus genome will serve as an important platform for osmoregulatory, physiological and sex determination studies, as well as an important reference in investigating the phylogenetic relationships of crocodilians, birds, and other tetrapods.

Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) from the Americas have long been recognized as descendants of European chickens, transported by early Europeans since the fifteenth century. However, in recent years, a possible pre-Columbian introduction of chickens to South America by Polynesian seafarers has also been suggested. Here, we characterize the mitochondrial control region genetic diversity of modern chicken populations from South America and compare this to a worldwide dataset in order to investigate the potential maternal genetic origin of modern-day chicken populations in South America. The genetic analysis of newly generated chicken mitochondrial control region sequences from South America showed that the majority of chickens from the continent belong to mitochondrial haplogroup E. The rest belongs to haplogroups A, B and C, albeit at very low levels. Haplogroup D, a ubiquitous mitochondrial lineage in Island Southeast Asia and on Pacific Islands is not observed in continental South America. Modern-day mainland South American chickens are, therefore, closely allied with European and Asian chickens. Furthermore, we find high levels of genetic contributions from South Asian chickens to those in Europe and South America. Our findings demonstrate that modern-day genetic diversity of mainland South American chickens appear to have clear European and Asian contributions, and less so from Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Furthermore, there is also some indication that South Asia has more genetic contribution to European chickens than any other Asian chicken populations.

AbstractEffectively incorporating cultural competence into tertiary institutions is paramount to the creation of cross-cultural settings where undergraduates and academics can develop understandings of how culture and belief systems influence professional decision making. Processes that incorporate cultural competence are viewed as particularly challenging in science disciplines, particularly non-vocational science disciplines where “western” or reductivist ways of teaching and “doing” science remain dominant.

Use of Citizen Science approaches provide an opportunity for enhancing understanding in biodiversity. Citizen Science contribute to develop skills in students to conduct and develop participatory inventories of biodiversity. Here we present the use of the application iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) in two undergraduate units of study in the Faculty of Science at The University of Sydney, in which learning outcomes focus on students being able to identify the major components of biodiversity and how this could be assessed through various methodologies. An introduction to Citizen Science was embedded in the junior unit Concepts of Animal Management (Year 1), in which veterinary biology, animal science and agricultural programs participate. Students were engaged with learning how to make observations and calculating measurements of biodiversity (eg, species richness) within the main campus of the University (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/biodiversity-richness-usyd-camperdown-campus). Since 2017, more than 120 observations have been made by students. Under COVID-19 conditions, the Wildlife Research (Year 3) unit was taught remotely with students focussed on joining, contributing to and evaluating one of the current Citizen Science projects available in iNaturalist, promoting critical thinking of strategies that engage the public. So far activities have been well received by students, including the unconventional teaching and self-learning outside of the classroom.

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of the world's most evolutionarily distinct mammals, one of five extant species of egg-laying mammals, and the only living species within the family Ornithorhynchidae. Modern platypuses are endemic to eastern mainland Australia, Tasmania, and adjacent King Island, with a small introduced population on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, and are widely distributed in permanent river systems from tropical to alpine environments. Accumulating knowledge and technological advancements have provided insights into many aspects of its evolutionary history and biology but have also raised concern about significant knowledge gaps surrounding distribution, population sizes, and trends. The platypus' distribution coincides with many of Australia's major threatening processes, including highly regulated and disrupted rivers, intensive habitat destruction, and fragmentation, and they were extensively hunted for their fur until the early 20th century. Emerging evidence of local population declines and extinctions identifies that ecological thresholds have been crossed in some populations and, if threats are not addressed, the species will continue to decline. In 2016, the IUCN Red Listing for the platypus was elevated to "Near Threatened," but the platypus remains unlisted on threatened species schedules of any Australian state, apart from South Australia, or nationally. In this synthesis, we review the evolutionary history, genetics, biology, and ecology of this extraordinary mammal and highlight prevailing threats. We also outline future research directions and challenges that need to be met to help conserve the species.

BACKGROUND Embedding cultural competence (CC) into science curricula is key to the University of Sydney’s commitment to producing students with skills and knowledge to work in cross-cultural settings. Within the Faculty of Science, there are eight disciplinary schools who have, to some extent, endeavoured to introduce CC into their delivery and content to ensure students achieve this graduate outcome. Cultural competence inclusion was initiated by the Wingara Mura-Bunga Barrabugu program, with a focus on integration of Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into non-Indigenous science. PLAN In 2018, we initiated a CC compendium to act as a bridging space between academics, to share content and explore collaborations laterally across the faculty. ACTIONS This paper documents the process of interviewing academic staff and collating the compendium by gathering teaching materials and CC teaching approaches, highlighting the points of highest resonance within each discipline. Academics are using creative and innovative ways to extend their disciplinary boundaries, are embracing personal and professional growth by taking on this challenge and are carving out new pathways in science. REFLECTION These boundary-pushing efforts are however, marginal, and are largely being introduced by non-Indigenous academics, which raises questions about IKS inclusion as a pathway for generating CC. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the Wingara Mura-Bunga Barrabugu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Services for funds for this project.