Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 19952

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558, Australia
Interests: microbial ecology and diversity; microbial systematics; biodiscovery; microbial biotechnology applied; environmental and industrial microbiology; marine microbiology; biological control; actinomycetology; bacteriophages
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Guest Editor
1. Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
2. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
Interests: vertebrate palaeontology; systematics, phylogeny and evolution of turtles; paleoecology, paleogeography, K/T extinction event

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Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St, South Hadley, MA 01027, USA
Interests: invasion ecology and dynamics; conservation biology; the role of landscapes and spatial configurations in species interactions; research species are generally plants and insects

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In order to embrace gender equality, recognize the career progression of women, and to celebrate the achievements of women in the field of ecology and biodiversity conservation, our journal Diversity will launch a Special Issue on “Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity”.

This Special Issue will include high-quality papers (research articles and short communications) and comprehensive review articles in all areas of diversity researches. The scope of Special Issue is to cover all range of topics, including: biodiversity, ecology, natural history, evolution, palaeontology, phylogeny, biogeography, conservation.

Dr. Ipek Kurtboke
Dr. Haiyan Tong
Prof. Dr. Martha F Hoopes
Guest Editors

Women’s Special Issue Series

This Special Issue is part of Diversity's Women’s Special Issue Series, hosted by women editors for women researchers. The Series advocates the advancement of women in science. We invite contributions to the Special Issue whose lead authors identify as women. The submission of articles with all-women authorship is especially encouraged. However, we do welcome articles from all authors, irrespective of gender.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • ecology
  • natural history
  • evolution
  • palaeontology
  • systematics
  • population genetics
  • phylogeny
  • biogeography
  • conservation

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4616 KiB  
Article
A New Sinamiin Fish (Actinopterygii) from the Early Cretaceous of Thailand: Implications on the Evolutionary History of the Amiid Lineage
by Uthumporn Deesri, Wilailuck Naksri, Pratueng Jintasakul, Yoshikazu Noda, Hirokazu Yukawa, Tamara El Hossny and Lionel Cavin
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040491 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3185
Abstract
The Sinamiidae are a family of halecomorph fishes (Holostei) stratigraphically limited to the Lower Cretaceous and confined to East Asia. The first species of sinamiids were discovered in China, and then new occurrences were recorded in Thailand and Japan. The three recognized genera, [...] Read more.
The Sinamiidae are a family of halecomorph fishes (Holostei) stratigraphically limited to the Lower Cretaceous and confined to East Asia. The first species of sinamiids were discovered in China, and then new occurrences were recorded in Thailand and Japan. The three recognized genera, Sinamia, Siamamia and Ikechaoamia, are notably characterized by an unpaired parietal. Here, we describe a new genus and species of sinamiid based on material from the Aptian Khok Kruat Formation of Ban Krok Duean Ha, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. The new taxon known from preserved specimens in 3D is characterized by four pairs of extrascapular and tall cylindrical teeth with a conical enamel stalk topped by an arrowhead-shaped acrodine cap, among other characters. A phylogenetic analysis of the halecomorph fishes shows that the new taxon is the sister of the other Thai species, Siamamia naga, and that the two are grouped with two Chinese genera in a strongly supported clade, the Sinamiinae. This subfamily is here grouped with the Amiinae that contained the extant Amia. This new discovery is a clue that Southeast Asia may have been a center of diversification for this fish clade, and the phylogenetic analysis reveals that amiines may have originated somewhere in Asia during the Cretaceous before they spread throughout the northern hemisphere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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16 pages, 7140 KiB  
Article
Species Composition and Structure of Beetle Associations in Caves of the Częstochowa Upland, Poland
by Joanna Kocot-Zalewska and Barbara Lis
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030345 - 1 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1673
Abstract
This paper presents the study’s results on beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) inhabiting caves in the Częstochowa Upland, southern Poland. During two years of research, 2084 specimens, representing 105 species from 19 beetle families, were collected. The obtained results indicate that many beetle species choose [...] Read more.
This paper presents the study’s results on beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) inhabiting caves in the Częstochowa Upland, southern Poland. During two years of research, 2084 specimens, representing 105 species from 19 beetle families, were collected. The obtained results indicate that many beetle species choose to inhabit caves despite lacking specific adaptations for living in such environments. The cave entrance zone is the most attractive place for surface species to inhabit because its climatic conditions are more stable than outside the cave, some sunlight is present, and the availability of organic matter is high. In the deeper parts of the studied caves, the number of occurring species rapidly decreased. Three species were recognised as troglobionts, four as troglophiles and 32 as subtroglophiles. Speonomus normandi hydrophilus, Choleva lederiana gracilenta and Quedius mesomelinus mesomelinus were identified as the most frequent in the studied caves. Speonomus normandi hydrophilus is endemic to the Arize massif in the Central Pyrenees (France) and was experimentally introduced into the Dzwonnica cave (Poland) in 1982, while Ch. lederiana gracilenta is one of two troglobitic beetles native to Polish caves and Q. imesomelinus mesomelinus is a widespread, very common troglophile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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17 pages, 2484 KiB  
Article
Lipid Profile of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Margaritifera margaritifera Inhabiting Different Biotopes of the Lake-River System of the Kem River, White Sea Basin
by Svetlana N. Pekkoeva, Viktor P. Voronin, Evgeny P. Ieshko, Natalia N. Fokina, Denis A. Efremov and Svetlana A. Murzina
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020293 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2335
Abstract
The freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera is considered to be the most rapidly declining species of freshwater bivalve, whereas its colonies in rivers of the White Sea Basin remain the most numerous in the world. The lipid profiles of mantle, muscle (foot), and [...] Read more.
The freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera is considered to be the most rapidly declining species of freshwater bivalve, whereas its colonies in rivers of the White Sea Basin remain the most numerous in the world. The lipid profiles of mantle, muscle (foot), and digestive gland tissues of the freshwater pearl mussel from the Kem, Ukhta, and Vozhma Rivers in autumn (end of September, early October) were studied using high performance thin-layer chromatography. The highest total lipid [TL] content was found in the digestive gland. Cholesterol esters, non-esterified fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol were the dominant lipids in all studied tissues. The reduced triacylglycerol content in the mussels was associated with its utilization during the spawning period. The colony of the freshwater pearl mussel inhabiting the Vozhma River was distinguished by higher TL content in the mantle and digestive gland. Data on the size-age characteristics of mollusks from the Kem, Ukhta, and Vozhma Rivers and the relationship between the structural and storage lipid content and size-age parameters are discussed. The results are important for different conservation strategies of endangered species, such as the freshwater pearl mussel, especially in ecological monitoring based on evaluation of the physiological and biochemical state of mollusks and rare natural colonies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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18 pages, 1884 KiB  
Article
Prokaryotic Diversity and Dynamics during Dinoflagellate Bloom Decays in Coastal Tunisian Waters
by Rim Lajnef, Marianne Quéméneur, Moufida Abdennadher, Lamia Dammak Walha, Asma Hamza, Malika Belhassen and Amel Bellaaj Zouari
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020273 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2281
Abstract
(1) Background: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can negatively impact marine ecosystems, but few studies have evaluated the microbial diversity associated with HABs and its potential role in the fates of these proliferations. (2) Methods: Marine prokaryotic diversity was investigated using high-throughput sequencing of [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can negatively impact marine ecosystems, but few studies have evaluated the microbial diversity associated with HABs and its potential role in the fates of these proliferations. (2) Methods: Marine prokaryotic diversity was investigated using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene during the bloom declines of two dinoflagellates detected in the summer of 2019 along the northern and southern Tunisian coasts (South Mediterranean Sea). The species Gymnodinium impudicum (Carthage, Tunis Gulf) and Alexandrium minutum (Sfax, Gabes Gulf) were identified using microscopy and molecular methods and were related to physicochemical factors and prokaryotic compositions. (3) Results: The abundance of G. impudicum decreased over time with decreasing phosphate concentrations. During the G. impudicum bloom decay, prokaryotes were predominated by the archaeal MGII group (Thalassarchaeaceae), Pelagibacterales (SAR11), Rhodobacterales, and Flavobacteriales. At Sfax, the abundance of A. minutum declined with decreasing phosphate concentrations and increasing pH. At the A. minutum peak, prokaryotic communities were largely dominated by anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur-oxidizing Chromatiaceae (Gammaproteobacteria) before decreasing at the end of the survey. Both the ubiquitous archaeal MGII group and Pelagibacterales were found in low proportions during the A. minutum decay. Contrary to the photosynthetic Cyanobacteria, the photo-autotrophic and -heterotrophic Rhodobacterales and Flavobacteriales contents remained stable during the dinoflagellate bloom decays. (4) Conclusions: These results indicated changes in prokaryotic community diversity during dinoflagellate bloom decays, suggesting different bacterial adaptations to environmental conditions, with stable core populations that were potentially able to degrade HABs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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17 pages, 3930 KiB  
Article
A Solemys Skull from the Late Cretaceous of Southern France
by Haiyan Tong, Eric Buffetaut, Patrick Méchin, Annie Méchin-Salessy and Julien Claude
Diversity 2023, 15(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010058 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3176
Abstract
The first skull of Solemys (Testudines: Helochlydridae) is reported from the Late Cretaceous (Rognacian) Bastide Neuve locality, Fox Amphoux, Var, France. It is assigned to Solemys gaudryi (Matheron, 1869) on the basis of associated shell elements. Our study provides new insights regarding the [...] Read more.
The first skull of Solemys (Testudines: Helochlydridae) is reported from the Late Cretaceous (Rognacian) Bastide Neuve locality, Fox Amphoux, Var, France. It is assigned to Solemys gaudryi (Matheron, 1869) on the basis of associated shell elements. Our study provides new insights regarding the skull morphology of the family Helochelydridae and suggests that Helochelydra from England and Naomichelys from North America appear to be closer to each other than to Solemys. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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14 pages, 2843 KiB  
Article
The Diversity and Community Assembly Process of Wetland Plants from Lakeshores on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
by Shasha Cui, Jian Ouyang, Yu Lu, Wenzhi Liu, Wenyang Li, Guihua Liu and Wen Zhou
Diversity 2021, 13(12), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13120685 - 20 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3423
Abstract
Unravelling the patterns, potential processes and mechanisms underlying biodiversity has always been a crucial issue in community ecology. It is also a necessary first step for any conservation and restoration to better adapt fragile ecosystems to a changing climate. However, little is known [...] Read more.
Unravelling the patterns, potential processes and mechanisms underlying biodiversity has always been a crucial issue in community ecology. It is also a necessary first step for any conservation and restoration to better adapt fragile ecosystems to a changing climate. However, little is known regarding the structure and maintenance of plant communities in typical high-altitude wetlands. Here, we made a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and composition of wetland plant communities based on the distribution of plants near the shorelines of 19 lakes across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The latitude, mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP), along with the edaphic properties, were the dominant predictors affecting the taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversity. Besides diversification, ecological drift, mixing with weak dispersal and weak selection shaped the community composition of wetland plants in our study. The latitude and MAP predictors, although modest, showed an impact on the community structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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8 pages, 1363 KiB  
Opinion
Catalysis before Enzymes: Thiol-Rich Peptides as Molecular Diversity Providers on the Early Earth
by Ibrahim Shalayel, Naoual Leqraa, Veronique Blandin and Yannick Vallée
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020256 - 12 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1983
Abstract
The multiplicity of simple molecules available on the primitive Earth probably made possible the development of extremely diverse prebiotic chemistry. The importance of thiols is widely recognized in the community studying the origin of life. De Duve’s “thioester world” has been considered a [...] Read more.
The multiplicity of simple molecules available on the primitive Earth probably made possible the development of extremely diverse prebiotic chemistry. The importance of thiols is widely recognized in the community studying the origin of life. De Duve’s “thioester world” has been considered a major contribution in this regard, where thioester bonds have high energies and thus can contribute to several chemical reactions. Herein, we propose specific models of thiols that exhibit unique activities toward several chemical reactions. Thanks to aminothiol and aminonitrile behaviors, we were able to obtain thiol-rich peptides with interesting catalytic activities leading to the formation of structurally diverse molecules. In a broader context, such chemistry could be introduced into systems chemistry scenarios in which it would be associated with the chemistry of nucleic acids or their precursors, as well as that of fatty acids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Diversity)
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