Three new species and a new look at an entire beetle genus. Researchers revised the Neotropical rove beetle genus Lypeticus, describing three species new to science & considerably expanding its known distribution. #LIBresearch
© Guzman Sarmiento & Żyła, CC BY
© Guzman Sarmiento & Żyła, CC BY
October 1, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Three new species and a new look at an entire beetle genus. Researchers revised the Neotropical rove beetle genus Lypeticus, describing three species new to science & considerably expanding its known distribution. #LIBresearch
© Guzman Sarmiento & Żyła, CC BY
© Guzman Sarmiento & Żyła, CC BY
What do biodiversity, environmental & human biobanks have in common? More than you might think. A new perspective from the joint GGBN–ISBER conference explores how these communities can learn from each other to tackle global challenges. #LIBresearch
©Astrin et al., CC BY
@ggbnoutreach.bsky.social
©Astrin et al., CC BY
@ggbnoutreach.bsky.social
September 30, 2026 at 10:04 AM
What do biodiversity, environmental & human biobanks have in common? More than you might think. A new perspective from the joint GGBN–ISBER conference explores how these communities can learn from each other to tackle global challenges. #LIBresearch
©Astrin et al., CC BY
@ggbnoutreach.bsky.social
©Astrin et al., CC BY
@ggbnoutreach.bsky.social
What lives more than 5 km beneath the ocean surface?Nephasoma constricticervix is a peanut worm adapted to life in the deep sea. New records like these help fill the many gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity at some of Earth’s least explored habitats. #LIBresearch
🔬 Six specimens of the deep-sea organism Nephasoma constricticervix have been collected from the Guinea Basin at depths exceeding 5,000 metres, confirming this species' presence in the region. Learn more here: doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.10.210468
@leibnizlib.bsky.social
@leibnizlib.bsky.social
September 30, 2026 at 8:16 AM
What lives more than 5 km beneath the ocean surface?Nephasoma constricticervix is a peanut worm adapted to life in the deep sea. New records like these help fill the many gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity at some of Earth’s least explored habitats. #LIBresearch
Oyster genomes are anything but static. Researchers found that transposable elements (pieces of DNA able to move within the genome) help generate remarkable genetic variation both within individual oysters & between populations. #LIBresearch
© Martelossi et al., CC BY 4.0
© Martelossi et al., CC BY 4.0
September 29, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Oyster genomes are anything but static. Researchers found that transposable elements (pieces of DNA able to move within the genome) help generate remarkable genetic variation both within individual oysters & between populations. #LIBresearch
© Martelossi et al., CC BY 4.0
© Martelossi et al., CC BY 4.0
Every museum specimen can hold more information than we first imagined.: New methods are making even challenging, decades-old material accessible to genetic research, adding another layer of value to natural history collections. #LIBresearch
🧬 It has been revealed that high-quality DNA can be recovered from arthropod specimens preserved in formalin for decades, opening new possibilities for evolutionary research using natural history collections.
➡️ Read the full study: doi.org/10.3897/nhcm.3.200681
@uni-kiel.de @leibnizlib.bsky.social
➡️ Read the full study: doi.org/10.3897/nhcm.3.200681
@uni-kiel.de @leibnizlib.bsky.social
September 29, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Every museum specimen can hold more information than we first imagined.: New methods are making even challenging, decades-old material accessible to genetic research, adding another layer of value to natural history collections. #LIBresearch
What makes a species worth protecting? For Harwood’s Francolin, an endemic Ethiopian bird, the answer goes far beyond biology. A study reveals how local knowledge, cultural significance & everyday interactions shape attitudes toward its conservation. #LIBresearch
© Mathieu Bally, CC BY 4.0
© Mathieu Bally, CC BY 4.0
September 28, 2026 at 9:58 AM
What makes a species worth protecting? For Harwood’s Francolin, an endemic Ethiopian bird, the answer goes far beyond biology. A study reveals how local knowledge, cultural significance & everyday interactions shape attitudes toward its conservation. #LIBresearch
© Mathieu Bally, CC BY 4.0
© Mathieu Bally, CC BY 4.0
Tiny organisms, big ecological clues: Larger benthic foraminifera are single-celled organisms that help build carbonate sediments in tropical seas. Understanding what controls their distribution can reveal how these important reef inhabitants may respond to changing ocean conditions. #LIBresearch
Just published @leibnizlib.bsky.social ! Our global study of 74 LBF species & 4,760+ records shows how temperature, nutrients, light, salinity & currents shape distributions. Temperature was a key driver (8.5–34.4°C), while symbionts influenced responses to light & nutrients.
doi.org/10.1127/njgp...
doi.org/10.1127/njgp...
September 28, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Tiny organisms, big ecological clues: Larger benthic foraminifera are single-celled organisms that help build carbonate sediments in tropical seas. Understanding what controls their distribution can reveal how these important reef inhabitants may respond to changing ocean conditions. #LIBresearch
What can thousands of unidentifiable bone fragments tell us about the past? Researchers developed a new palaeoproteomic approach that identifies species from collagen - even in complex mixtures or when genetic reference data are incomplete. #LIBresearch
© Engels et al., CC BY
© Engels et al., CC BY
September 24, 2026 at 7:56 AM
What can thousands of unidentifiable bone fragments tell us about the past? Researchers developed a new palaeoproteomic approach that identifies species from collagen - even in complex mixtures or when genetic reference data are incomplete. #LIBresearch
© Engels et al., CC BY
© Engels et al., CC BY
Connecting biodiversity collections worldwide. 🌍🧬 With more than 7 million biological material records shared through its portal, GGBN is building bridges between biobanks and the global research community. LIB is proud to host the network’s Secretariat Office in Bonn. #LIBresearch
Our fantastic paper is finally out! If you want to learn more about GGBN and our work, don't miss your chance to read it.
doi.org/10.1093/bios...
doi.org/10.1093/bios...
Connecting biodiversity biobanks in the global infrastructure landscape
Abstract. The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) is an international consortium of biodiversity biobanks and collections that strives to standardize
doi.org
September 23, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Connecting biodiversity collections worldwide. 🌍🧬 With more than 7 million biological material records shared through its portal, GGBN is building bridges between biobanks and the global research community. LIB is proud to host the network’s Secretariat Office in Bonn. #LIBresearch
Ice ages separated them, warmer periods brought them back together Genetic data reveal that common toad lineages repeatedly diverged in glacial refuges, then met & hybridized again as they expanded across Europe & Western Asia. #LIBresearch
© Dufresnes et al., CC BY
© Dufresnes et al., CC BY
September 22, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Ice ages separated them, warmer periods brought them back together Genetic data reveal that common toad lineages repeatedly diverged in glacial refuges, then met & hybridized again as they expanded across Europe & Western Asia. #LIBresearch
© Dufresnes et al., CC BY
© Dufresnes et al., CC BY
A new skink species hiding in plain sight. Populations from the Hindu Kush foothills in Afghanistan & Pakistan had puzzled taxonomists for decades. Now, DNA & morphology reveal they represent a distinct species: Heremites afghanicus. #LIBresearch
© Jablonski et al., CC BY 4.0
© Jablonski et al., CC BY 4.0
September 21, 2026 at 7:38 AM
A new skink species hiding in plain sight. Populations from the Hindu Kush foothills in Afghanistan & Pakistan had puzzled taxonomists for decades. Now, DNA & morphology reveal they represent a distinct species: Heremites afghanicus. #LIBresearch
© Jablonski et al., CC BY 4.0
© Jablonski et al., CC BY 4.0
How can museums communicate problems that have no simple solutions? A study explores how natural history museums address “wicked” sustainability problems such as biodiversity loss - balancing complexity, uncertainty, controversy & urgency. #LIBresearch
© Theiler & Rödder, CC BY
© Theiler & Rödder, CC BY
September 18, 2026 at 8:04 AM
How can museums communicate problems that have no simple solutions? A study explores how natural history museums address “wicked” sustainability problems such as biodiversity loss - balancing complexity, uncertainty, controversy & urgency. #LIBresearch
© Theiler & Rödder, CC BY
© Theiler & Rödder, CC BY
Do all cells in an organism carry the same DNA? Not always. Some organisms deliberately eliminate parts of their genome or even entire chromosomes from specific cells during development. A new review explores this remarkable phenomenon across the Tree of Life. #LIBresearch
The mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of programmed DNA elimination - Nature Reviews Genetics
Programmed DNA elimination is a developmentally regulated process in which specific DNA sequences are reproducibly removed from particular cell lineages. Here, the authors review the mechanistic diver...
www.nature.com
September 17, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Do all cells in an organism carry the same DNA? Not always. Some organisms deliberately eliminate parts of their genome or even entire chromosomes from specific cells during development. A new review explores this remarkable phenomenon across the Tree of Life. #LIBresearch
Same chromosome, different evolutionary story. In Lake Tanganyika cichlids, researchers found that the same chromosomes repeatedly became sex chromosomes, but evolved independently rather than being inherited from a common ancestor. #LIBresearch
© Smith et al., CC BY
© Smith et al., CC BY
September 16, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Same chromosome, different evolutionary story. In Lake Tanganyika cichlids, researchers found that the same chromosomes repeatedly became sex chromosomes, but evolved independently rather than being inherited from a common ancestor. #LIBresearch
© Smith et al., CC BY
© Smith et al., CC BY
How can we keep genetic data open and still share the benefits fairly? A new White Paper proposes an interoperable approach to DSI governance across different UN frameworks - while keeping Digital Sequence Information free, open & unrestricted. #LIBresearch
→ doi.org/10.7479/s11w...
→ doi.org/10.7479/s11w...
A pragmatic conceptual approach for one, interoperable DSI ecosystem that is applicable across different UN fora and preserves the strength of free, open and unrestricted DSI data
Scientists, representatives from German national ministries, patent lawyers and legal experts came together to support the ongoing negotiations by offering constructive conceptual input and helping fo...
doi.org
September 15, 2026 at 1:50 PM
How can we keep genetic data open and still share the benefits fairly? A new White Paper proposes an interoperable approach to DSI governance across different UN frameworks - while keeping Digital Sequence Information free, open & unrestricted. #LIBresearch
→ doi.org/10.7479/s11w...
→ doi.org/10.7479/s11w...
Biodiversity can tell us something about landscapes that disappeared millions of years ago. By tracing the evolutionary history of Gloydius pitvipers, researchers uncover how ancient climate & geography shaped life across High Asia. #LIBresearch
Just published @leibnizlib.bsky.social ! New research on Gloydius pitvipers shows they didn't migrate along the Himalayan arc. Instead, they expanded westward across Paleo-Tibet ~14.5 Ma via warm-temperate corridors before colonizing the Western Himalaya!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Tracing Ancient Migration Routes: Did <fi>Gloydius</fi> Pitvipers Disperse Across Paleo‐Tibet Through Temperate and Subtropical Corridors?
We investigated the evolutionary and biogeographic history of Himalayan and Hindu Kush Gloydius pitvipers by integrating time-calibrated phylogenetic analyses with paleoclimatic reconstructions and s...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 15, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Biodiversity can tell us something about landscapes that disappeared millions of years ago. By tracing the evolutionary history of Gloydius pitvipers, researchers uncover how ancient climate & geography shaped life across High Asia. #LIBresearch
A new genus hiding among Europe’s hoverflies! Researchers discovered Unigaster, a previously unknown genus of hoverflies, & described its 1st species, U. mixta, from Türkiye & Greece, using both morphology & DNA to place it on the tree of life. #LIBresearch
© Bruno Bartscher, CC BY (symbolic pic)
© Bruno Bartscher, CC BY (symbolic pic)
September 14, 2026 at 2:27 PM
A new genus hiding among Europe’s hoverflies! Researchers discovered Unigaster, a previously unknown genus of hoverflies, & described its 1st species, U. mixta, from Türkiye & Greece, using both morphology & DNA to place it on the tree of life. #LIBresearch
© Bruno Bartscher, CC BY (symbolic pic)
© Bruno Bartscher, CC BY (symbolic pic)
Millions of flies, millions of untapped stories: A survey of 16 major European natural history collections estimates they hold 26–35 million Diptera specimens - an enormous resource for understanding biodiversity, past & present. #LIBresearch
© Nania et al., CC BY
1/3
© Nania et al., CC BY
1/3
September 10, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Millions of flies, millions of untapped stories: A survey of 16 major European natural history collections estimates they hold 26–35 million Diptera specimens - an enormous resource for understanding biodiversity, past & present. #LIBresearch
© Nania et al., CC BY
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© Nania et al., CC BY
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A future for the Danube Dragon: From restoring wetlands to improving monitoring, effective conservation requires science, practice & international cooperation. Great to see LIB expertise contributing to this coordinated approach. #LIBresearch
New article featuring integrative conservation work together with @leibnizlib.bsky.social!
The Danube Dragon Action Plan was developed following IUCN´s One Plan Approach:
Halpern et al. (2026): From plans to ponds: building a future for the Danube Dragon. AmphiBios 3:
amphibios.app/articles/fro...
The Danube Dragon Action Plan was developed following IUCN´s One Plan Approach:
Halpern et al. (2026): From plans to ponds: building a future for the Danube Dragon. AmphiBios 3:
amphibios.app/articles/fro...
AmphiBios - Amphibian Survival Alliance
The Amphibian Survival Alliance's digital magazine - connecting the global community working to protect amphibians.
amphibios.app
September 9, 2026 at 9:28 PM
A future for the Danube Dragon: From restoring wetlands to improving monitoring, effective conservation requires science, practice & international cooperation. Great to see LIB expertise contributing to this coordinated approach. #LIBresearch
Air conditioners can be death traps - for geckos. On Saipan, an island in the western Pacific, introduced Common House Geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) entered AC units, were electrocuted on circuit boards & caused repeated equipment failures. #LIBresearch
© Kaiser & Zdunek, CC BY 4.0
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© Kaiser & Zdunek, CC BY 4.0
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September 7, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Air conditioners can be death traps - for geckos. On Saipan, an island in the western Pacific, introduced Common House Geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) entered AC units, were electrocuted on circuit boards & caused repeated equipment failures. #LIBresearch
© Kaiser & Zdunek, CC BY 4.0
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© Kaiser & Zdunek, CC BY 4.0
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Natural history collections are more than biodiversity archives, they can help shape the future of genomics. By connecting specimens, expertise & genomic data, they enable comparisons across the tree of life. Great to see LIB researchers contributing to this perspective. #LIBresearch
Happy to see our Comment out in @natrevgenet.nature.com ! Species-dense genomics can unlock much richer biological inference, but requires a systematic approach. NHCs hold the material and expertise to play a catalytic role in that direction. #BiodiversityGenomics #NaturalHistoryCollections
New online! Species-dense genomics through natural history collections
September 4, 2026 at 7:27 AM
Natural history collections are more than biodiversity archives, they can help shape the future of genomics. By connecting specimens, expertise & genomic data, they enable comparisons across the tree of life. Great to see LIB researchers contributing to this perspective. #LIBresearch
Does beauty influence which species we study and protect? Researchers found that visually attractive European butterflies receive more public attention and research and are overrepresented in key conservation frameworks. #LIBresearch
© Dapporto et al., CC BY
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© Dapporto et al., CC BY
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September 2, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Does beauty influence which species we study and protect? Researchers found that visually attractive European butterflies receive more public attention and research and are overrepresented in key conservation frameworks. #LIBresearch
© Dapporto et al., CC BY
1/3
© Dapporto et al., CC BY
1/3
Same muscle, different frog? Researchers traced how shoulder & forelimb muscles develop in 11 frog and toad species, revealing a largely shared developmental pattern despite differences in adult anatomy. #LIBresearch
© Saulnier Masson & Engelkes, CC BY
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© Saulnier Masson & Engelkes, CC BY
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August 31, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Same muscle, different frog? Researchers traced how shoulder & forelimb muscles develop in 11 frog and toad species, revealing a largely shared developmental pattern despite differences in adult anatomy. #LIBresearch
© Saulnier Masson & Engelkes, CC BY
1/3
© Saulnier Masson & Engelkes, CC BY
1/3
Where do sharks & rays find refuge in rapidly changing polar seas? Researchers identified 35 critical areas across the Arctic & Antarctic, but found that fishing overlaps with most of these important habitats. #LIBresearch
© Bettcher et al., CC BY
1/3
© Bettcher et al., CC BY
1/3
August 27, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Where do sharks & rays find refuge in rapidly changing polar seas? Researchers identified 35 critical areas across the Arctic & Antarctic, but found that fishing overlaps with most of these important habitats. #LIBresearch
© Bettcher et al., CC BY
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© Bettcher et al., CC BY
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Can an established invasive species still be eradicated? In Portugal, the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis has gone from a widespread invader to only isolated refugia, showing the progress of long-term control efforts. #LIBresearch
© Brian Gratwicke / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
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© Brian Gratwicke / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
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August 25, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Can an established invasive species still be eradicated? In Portugal, the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis has gone from a widespread invader to only isolated refugia, showing the progress of long-term control efforts. #LIBresearch
© Brian Gratwicke / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
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© Brian Gratwicke / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
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