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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

World map highlighting countries with participants in the 2025 Joint Biobanks Conference, emphasising South Africa as the host country and showing logos of participating biobank organisations.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 17h

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Ahead of #COP17 in Armenia, research museums are calling on policymakers: international biodiversity targets must lead to measurable progress. This requires strong science, reliable funding and effective protection. → leibniz-lib.de/en/news/rese...

Large partially wilted leaf on damp forest floor surrounded by green foliage and yellow rubber boots

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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

Phylogenetic tree of five species with HiFi and CLR sequencing technologies, stars indicate analyses of within- and between-individual structural variants, alongside a map showing collection localities in China color-coded.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

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

Map of the study area in Ethiopia showing elevation, rivers, roads, and district boundaries alongside a close-up of a Harwood's Francolin with gray plumage and red beak perched on a branch.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

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

Circular phylogenetic tree of collagen sequences from various animal species and a chart showing mutation profiles across multiple taxonomic groups.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

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

On the left, a phylogenetic tree with four colour-coded groups and two individual species, on the right a map of Europe with colour-coded dots and a toad image in the foreground.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

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

Phylogenetic tree of the genus Heremites with time calibration and geographic distribution map of species, including colour-coded distribution areas and a photo of a Heremites afghanicus lizard.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

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

Table with two columns: communication model and communication goals related to WSPs, with three rows for dissemination, dialogue, and participation, each containing explanatory text about complexity, controversy, and uncertainty.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

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

nature.com

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...

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

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

Phylogenetic tree of Haplochromini showing sex-linked regions on LG5 and LG7 highlighted in blue and black with additional chromosome information on the right

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

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)

Close-up of a hoverfly with yellow and black markings on white flowers

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

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

Four charts show: (A) bar chart of number of NHCs in Europe where Diptera families account for at least 10% of Diptera specimens, (B) world map with NHC locations and number of institutions with active sampling projects in biogeographic realms, (C) bar chart of NHC research topics with species diversity as scale, (D) bar chart of number of NHCs by project geographic scale.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

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 1/3

Four dead geckos lie on a green circuit board and four more dead geckos lie on a gray surface.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Biodiversität schützen & Lebensräume zugleich gerecht & klimasicher gestalten? Dafür braucht es unterschiedliche Perspektiven & den Austausch zwischen Wissenschaft & Praxis. Als Mitglied im Leibniz-Forschungsnetzwerk Biodiversität freuen wir uns auf Ideen & Perspektiven aus der Zukunftswerkstatt.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

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

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

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

Diagram illustrating the relationship between beauty and rarity in butterflies with two examples: a blue colourful butterfly representing beauty and a brown patterned butterfly representing rarity, connected by arrows to various conservation measures and research efforts.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

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

3D renderings of the ontogenetic development of the right shoulder joint and forearm muscles in Rhinella marina, showing anterolateral and posterior views at developmental stages 32-33, 35, and 37, with colour-coded muscles and labeled bone structures.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

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

Map showing regional and national marine protected areas in polar waters with Arctic OSPAR sites on the left and Antarctic CCAMLR sites on the right, including marked protected zones and ice shelves

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

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 1/3

Close-up of a Xenopus laevis with smooth brown skin and visible webbing on the hind legs

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

You can't monitor biodiversity if you can't identify species. Yet taxonomic expertise is declining. The KennArt project develops standardised training and certification to strengthen species identification skills in Germany. #LIBresearch © Scherber 1/3

Bee sitting on a purple flower with blurred yellow and green background

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Can a century-old pinned beetle still reveal its DNA? Yes! Researchers recovered genomic data from historic specimens up to 118 years old and found that DNA yield mattered more for sequencing quality than specimen age. #LIBresearch © Lukic et al., CC BY 1/3

Three pairs of dry-preserved insect specimens of species Trichodes ephippiger, T. penicillatus, and T. ornatus shown before (left) and after (right) DNA extraction with scale bars 0.5 cm

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Built for the bite? Praying mantises tackle very different prey and their jaws may be adapted accordingly. Researchers compared two species and found striking differences in the material properties of their mandibles. #LIBresearch © Roze et al., CC BY-NC 4.0 1/3

Four close-up views of praying mantises: (a) female Sphodromantis lineola with light brown body on black surface, (b) male Sphodromantis lineola with darker body holding prey, (c) female Gongylus gongylodes with slender body and leaf-like appendages on light wood, (d) male Gongylus gongylodes in similar posture to (c).

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Climate change is reshaping where species can survive. For forest specialists with limited options to move elsewhere, identifying future refuges is crucial. This research helps pinpoint where conservation efforts for forest-specialist frogs like Quasipaa acanthophora may matter most.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Tiny scratches on teeth can reveal what animals ate, but different microscopes may tell slightly different stories. Researchers developed correction equations that make dental microwear data from different instruments more comparable. #LIBresearch © Kubo et al., CC BY 1/3

Comparison of 3D surface images and line profiles of the same tooth sample area (Alligator tooth, spot 2) from six different microscopes, shown for TempA and TempB

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Most fish lay their eggs, but some carry them around. Females of the Sulawesi ricefish Oryzias eversi keep their eggs attached to their body until they hatch. Researchers reveal the specialised anatomy that makes this unusual form of parental care possible. #LIBresearch © Iwamatsu et al., CC BY 1/3

A female and a male Oryzias eversi side by side with the female carrying a cluster of developing embryos attached to her abdomen by a tuft of filaments.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

What does it take to read an entire bird genome without missing pieces? Researchers have assembled the first complete diploid genome of a songbird, the zebra finch: Revealing ~90 million base pairs that were missing from previous references. #LIBresearch © Formenti et al., CC BY 1/3

Circular diagram showing genomic features and gene types of the zebra finch including chromosomes, genes, repeats, centromeres, telomeres, methylation, and GC content represented by coloured rings and connecting lines.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

How did freshwater fishes cross between continents? A new phylogenomic study of perch relatives suggests their ancestors could tolerate brackish water; helping explain how they dispersed from Eurasia to North America. #LIBresearch © AdobeStock | 306334225, Goran 1/3

Two perch fish swimming with raised dorsal fins in water

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

What makes the tiny teeth of an Antarctic sea slug so special? Researchers detected vanadium in the radular teeth of Aegires albus, adding an unusual element to the remarkable variety of materials animals use to build their feeding tools. #LIBresearch 1/3

doi.org

Vanadium in the radular teeth of the Antarctic Aegires albus (Nudibranchia)

Radular teeth are increasingly recognized as functionally graded composite structures, yet such structure-property relationships remain poorly understood, espec

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

When different parts of the genome tell different stories, where do species boundaries lie? Genome-wide data from Cyprinion fishes reveal conflicts between mitochondrial & nuclear DNA, shedding new light on their evolutionary relationships. #LIBresearch © Hashemzadeh Segherloo wt al., CC BY 1/3

Two fish side by side, the top one silvery with an orange head area, the bottom one yellowish-brown with dark spots on the head.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Turning biological big data into new insights requires expertise across disciplines. As part of the consortium, LIB is contributing its biodiversity perspective to this new AI infrastructure initiative within the Leibniz Association.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Sometimes one unusual feature is just the beginning. What started with tiny parasitoid wasps bearing a distinctive double row of spines has revealed a much greater diversity, including five newly described species. #LIBresearch

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Reposted by LIB

Tom Near @tjnear.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

🧵1/6 New paper from #NearLab dropped! Wood et al. (2026) tackle a long-standing mystery: how did freshwater perches, walleyes, and darters (Percidae) end up on BOTH sides of the Atlantic? Spoiler: they may have swum there. 🐟🌊 #Ichthyology #Evolution #Systematics

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Biodiversity is not only a conservation goal: it also shapes how ecosystems function. This global synthesis shows that plant diversity strengthens natural pest control in croplands and stabilises food webs in grasslands and forests. More: leibniz-lib.de/de/news/2307...

leibniz-lib.de

23.07.2026, Pflanzenvielfalt nützt dem Naturschutz und der Landwirtschaft: Weltweite Studie entschlüsselt die Wirkung von Biodiversität - LIB

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

How did past climate change shape today's biodiversity? Researchers found that populations of the Neotropical tree frog Boana crepitans were genetically separated by a geographical barrier that formed during the Pleistocene. #LIBresearch © Lucas Pousa, CC BY-NC (via iNaturalist) 1/3

Close-up of a Boana crepitans frog with visible skin texture and yellowish toes clinging to a tree trunk

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Researchers redescribed the copepod Enhydrosoma sarsi from the western Baltic Sea and clarified its relationship to other members of the genus, providing a more robust basis for future biodiversity research. #LIBresearch 1/3

doi.org

Redescription of Enhydrosoma sarsi (Scott, 1905) (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Cletodidae T. Scott) from the western Baltic Sea (Germany) and remarks on the systematics of Enhydrosoma Boeck, 1873 ...

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

What can the genome of a small migratory bird reveal about avian evolution? A new chromosome-level assembly of the sand martin provides a valuable resource for studying its population history, adaptation, and unusual chromosomes. #LIBresearch © AdobeStock | 403836232, AGAMI 1/3

Two sand martins (Riparia riparia) perched on a sandy cliff, one near a nest hole and the other on the ground beside it.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Even iconic animals can still surprise us. Five new tarantula species and an entirely new genus have been described from Ecuador, underscoring how much biodiversity remains undocumented. #LIBresearch © Dupérré et al., CC BY 1/3

Close-up of a live female Homoeomma josti sp. nov. spider with eight legs and a hairy body

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Knowing where species occur is the foundation of effective conservation. The new GfI Fish Atlas brings together fish distribution data across borders, creating an open resource for research, conservation, and education. #LIBresearch

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Looks can be deceiving, even in evolution. The small-eyed goby (Austrolethops wardi) looks like a typical predatory goby, yet its ecology tells a different story. The findings show how evolutionary history can mask ecological specialization. #LIBresearch © Mark Allen / Australian Museum, CC BY 1/3

Lateral view of the holotype specimen of a small fish named Austrolethops wardi showing fins and scale texture against a black background.

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Better lighting can mean better biodiversity. LIB researchers & colleagues found that amber 1800 K LED lighting at railway stations attracted far fewer nocturnal insects than conventional lighting, offering a practical way to reduce light pollution. #LIBresearch © Ludreschl et al., CC BY 1/3

Three different light sources, with images of insects in flight and spectral diagrams, superimposed on a silhouette of a platform featuring a train and a person

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Pandemievorsorge gelingt nur gemeinsam. Als Mitglied im Leibniz-Lab Pandemic Preparedness freuen wir uns, Teil dieses interdisziplinären Netzwerks zu sein und über diesen Einblick in seine Arbeit. 🎬

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Every genome helps tell a species' story. Researchers generated a reference genome for the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), providing a valuable resource to study its evolution, population structure, and conservation. #LIBresearch © Paul Cools (iNaturalist), CC BY-NC 4.0 1/3

Bird with long beak standing on grass among brown oak leaves

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LIB @leibnizlib.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Why is science communication so difficult? A new perspective argues it's a "wicked problem" shaped by different expectations, values, and societal roles, not something solved by simply fixing public "deficits." #LIBresearch © Roedder & Weingart, CC BY 1/3

Timeline illustrating the historical evolution of master discourses on science communication from 1985 to 2017 with phases of knowledge, trust, democracy, and (political) action alongside concepts like scientific literacy, dialog enhancement, participation, and societal transformation.

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