Ralph Kuehn

Technische Universität München | TUM · Chair of Zoology

Supportive breeding programmes are becoming increasingly crucial for the conservation of many declining freshwater fishes such as the European common nase, Chondrostoma nasus. However, small relict populations are genetically highly vulnerable, and supportive breeding can have a detrimental impact on the genetic composition of the cultured offsprin...

Securing genetic integrity is of key importance in conservation-oriented captive breeding programs releasing juveniles into the wild. This is particularly true for species such as the endangered freshwater pearl mussel ( Margaritifera margaritifera ) for which a number of captive breeding facilities has been established in Europe. The core objectiv...

We investigated winter selection of resting sites by wolves in a commercial pine forest to test if roads, settlements , and type of forest influenced the resting behaviour of wolves during the day and at night. At the landscape scale, wolves selected resting sites that were farther from settlements, public roads and high-traffic forest roads than r...

Management of biological invasions strongly depends on early and accurate detection of non-native species, yet species identification is often complicated for various reasons. One prominent example relates to the controversy about the genetic specimen assignment of Asian and Oriental weatherfish species introduced into Europe. Weatherfishes, compri...

• Fish larval drift is an essential step in the life cycle of riverine fish species as it determines dispersal and colonisation. Anthropogenic flow alterations and interruption of longitudinal and lateral connectivity by river damming and straightening can severely affect larval drift patterns. In this study, we characterised spatio-temporal drift...

The observation of rare behaviours can provide unexpected insights into the biology of a species. Here, we report new observations of unusual or rare behaviours by the Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus of New Caledonia, a flightless bird already known for many curious traits. We observed the broken-wing display, adoption of a chick by a neighbouring family...

Human dimensions are a critical part of large carnivore conservation. We investigated how the historical presence of wolves (Canis lupus) influences public attitudes toward the carnivore and its management in rural areas of Poland. From March 2016 to March 2017, we used a self-administered questionnaire to assess attitudes of rural residents (n = 2...

Zusammenfassung de Im Kontext Honigbiene lässt sich eine nahezu unüberschaubare Bandbreite an Fragestellungen aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven synergistisch vereinen. Für die Lehre an Schule und Hochschule im Fach Biologie eröffnet das Modellsystem Honigbiene damit einen inhaltlichen Rahmen zur Vernetzung fachlicher Inhalte sowie zur Abstimmung f...

The freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) is an endangered bivalve with an obligate parasitic stage on salmonids. Host suitability studies have shown that glochidial growth and load vary significantly between host strains as well as among individuals of a suitable strain. Variation in host suitability has been linked to environmenta...

Asian weather loach species of the genus Paramisgurnus and Misgurnus can have a great invasive potential. In Europe, several feral populations of Asian weather loach have been reported, many of them within the distribution range of the native European weather loach Misgurnus fossilis, a declining species of high conservation concern. Distinguishing...

Apart from a few well-studied examples, there is little information regarding the life history and ecological requirements of brood parasites and their hosts in most cuckoo–host systems, particularly in tropical areas. In New Caledonia, the Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis, is the exclusive host of the Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Chalcites lu...

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to determine the presence and distribution of aquatic organisms has become an important tool to monitor and investigate freshwater communities. The successful application of this method in the field, however, is dependent on the effectiveness of positive DNA verification, which is influenced by site-specific envi...

The proliferative darkening syndrome (PDS) is an annually recurring disease that causes species-specific die-off of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) with a mortality rate of near 100% in pre-alpine rivers of central Europe. So far the etiology and causation of this disease is still unclear. The objective of this study was to identify the cause of P...

Hierarchical clustering analysis of microarray analysis results. (DOCX)

GenBank accession numbers of PRV reference sequences and of PRV sequences (Germany; host: Salmo trutta) found in this study. (DOCX)

Designed primers for PRV genome segments detected in this study. (DOCX)

Gene expression of selected IRGs measured individually for 30 livers sampled between 78 d.p.e. and 89 d.p.e. (DOCX)

RT-qPCRs results of pooled liver samples at 15 sampling time points (d.p.e.) for seven immune relevant genes. (DOCX)

Loss of genetic diversity due to drift and inbreeding reduces a population’s ability to respond to environmental change and may result in inbreeding depression. The Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), regionally also known as Gobi khulan, Turkmen kulan, or Persian onager, has become confined to less than 3% of its historic distribution range. Remain...

Mimicry by avian brood parasites favours uniformity over variation within a breeding attempt as host defence against parasitism. In a cuckoo-host system from New Caledonia, the arms race resulted in both host (Gerygone flavolateralis) and parasite (Chalcites lucidus) having nestlings of two discrete skin colour phenotypes, bright and dark. In our s...

Targeted capture coupled with high throughput sequencing can be used to gain information about nuclear sequence variation at hundreds to thousands of loci. Divergent reference capture makes use of molecular data of one species to enrich target loci in other (related) species. This is particularly valuable for non‐model organisms, for which often no...

• European freshwater pearl mussels are among the most critically threatened bivalve molluscs. Margaritifera margaritifera and Margaritifera durrovensis are endangered, and both occur in Ireland and are currently listed separately in Annex II of the European Habitats Directive. This study had the objective of guiding the conservation of freshwater...

Polyandry has been studied in many species, especially birds [1]. Exclusively fraternal polyandry (several full or half-brothers with one unrelated female) is only known in human societies [2, 3], in which it is an important mechanism for limiting reproductive output [3] in association with scarce environmental resources [2]. However, the social or...

Information on the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of imperiled species is important for guiding management decisions. Margaritifera margaritifera (Freshwater Pearl Mussel) occurs across western Russia, north and central Europe, and Atlantic drainages of northeastern North America (NA). European populations M. margaritifera are c...

Extra-pair copulation can increase genetic diversity and offspring fitness. However, it may also increase intra-nest variability in avian hosts of brood parasites, which can decrease the discrimination ability of host parents towards the parasite. In New Caledonia, the Fan-tailed Gerygone (Gerygone flavolateralis), which is parasitized by the Shini...

Information on 141 samples of 127 Fan-tailed Gerygones (29 breeding pairs and their 69 offspring, 36 breeding attempts) in New Caledonia. ID: ID of individual, nest: nest number, breeding attempt: number of breeding attempt, status: parent or nestling, sex: F = female, M = male, habitat: type of habitat surrounding the nest, brood polymorphism: 0 =...

The thick-shelled river mussel, Unio crassus Philipsson 1788, was formerly one of the most abundant and widely spread freshwater bivalves among the order of Unionida in Europe, but there is still a lack of information on its genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure. We characterised the genetic constitution of 18 U. crassus populations in Ge...

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to determine the presence and distribution of aquatic organisms has become an important tool to monitor and investigate freshwater communities. The successful application of this method in the field, however, is dependent on the effectiveness of positive DNA verification, which is influenced by site-specific envi...

Biodiversity has suffered a dramatic global decline during the past decades and monitoring tools are urgently needed providing data for the development and evaluation of conservation efforts both on a species and a genetic level. However, in wild species the assessment of genetic diversity is often hampered by the lack of suitable genetic markers....

The Oriental Weatherfish is considered a globally invasive fish species. In Europe, several reported feral populations of Oriental Weatherfish display an overlapping distribution range with native weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis, a declining species of international conservation and aquatic management concern. Morphologically distinguishing the diff...

Hybridization capture coupled with high-throughput sequencing can be used to gain information about nuclear sequence variation at hundreds to thousands of loci. A cross-species approach makes use of molecular data of one species to enrich target loci in other (related) species. This is particularly valuable for non-model organisms, for which often...

Taxonomic over-splitting of extinct or endangered taxa, due to an incomplete knowledge of both skeletal morphological variability and the geographical ranges of past populations, continues to confuse the link between isolated extant populations and their ancestors. This is particularly problematic with the genus Equus. To more reliably determine th...

All tables are presented as separate spreadsheets consolidated into a single Excel file. Table A Description of all samples analyzed Table B Primers used to amplify mitochondrial sequences Table C Description of published sequences used Table D Sample location and results of sPCA analysis Table E Summary statistics for the kiangs and dziggetais of...

Supplementary figures of the phylogenetic analyses followed by the detailed description of the archeological sites and the samples analyzed grouped in a single supporting document. Figure A: Global alignment of all sequences obtained and used for the various analyses Figure B: Diagnostic SNPs of the various clades Figure C: sPCA, distribution of th...

To assess the effects of naturally occurring heavy metals on wild birds, we compared reproductive success and heavy metal contents in feathers of Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus living on ultramafic (rich in heavy metals) soils with those of Kagu living on non-ultramafic soils. From 2003 to 2016, we monitored breeding of 19 Kagu families by radio-tracking...

Genetic diversity of European freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera (L.), appears exceptional with highest genetic variability found in the northernmost European populations of Scandinavia and lower genetic variability in central and southern Europe. The objective of this study was to investigate genetic diversity and differentiation...

The East Balkan pig (EBP) is a traditional domestic pig breed in Bulgaria managed in semi-wild conditions and well-adapted to the continental climate and rearing on pastures. From the genetical and historical point of view it is important to preserve this ancient breed. However, over the last several years, a dramatic decline of EBP herds has been...

Taxonomic over-splitting of extinct or endangered taxa, due to an incomplete knowledge of both skeletal morphological variability and the geographical ranges of past populations, continues to confuse the link between isolated extant populations and their ancestors. This is particularly problematic with the genus Equus. To more reliably determine th...

We analysed more than 600 red deer (Cervus elaphus) from large parts of its European distribution range at 13 microsatellite loci, presenting the first continent-wide study of this species using nuclear markers. Populations were clearly differentiated (overall FST = 0.166, Jost’s Dest = 0.385), and the BAPS clustering algorithm yielded mainly geogr...

Virulence of avian brood parasites can trigger a coevolutionary arms race, which favours rejection of parasitic eggs or chicks by host parents, and in turn leads to mimicry in parasite eggs or chicks [1-7]. The appearance of host offspring is critical to enable host parents to detect parasites. Thus, increasing accuracy of parasites’ mimicry can fa...

We developed a set of microsatellite markers for the fan-tailed gerygone (Gerygone flavolateralis), host of a brood parasite, the shining bronze-cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus). We used 454 pyro-sequencing to establish 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 18, the expected heterozygosity from 0.328 to 0....

Traffic infrastructure such as fenced motorways may reduce functional connectivity by impeding the movement of wildlife and thus reduce gene flow across landscapes. This may result in increased genetic differentiation, eventually leading to decreasing genetic diversity in wildlife populations owing to genetic drift. Landscape managers and conservat...

Many sedentary species with specific habitat demands occur in isolated populations and thus show strong intraspecific genetic differentiation, shaped either by geographical isolation or by local ecological adaptation to specific environmental conditions. The water-lily leaf beetle Galerucella nymphaeae has two ecotypes: one only found feeding as a...

Invasive species usually go through a period of reduced genetic variability due to a bottleneck. The genetic constitution of an invading population should therefore reflect the time since invasion and the number of introduction events. We studied genetic population structure of three rat species occurring sympatrically on the island of Futuna (46 k...

Stocking of fish into streams is a common practice in fisheries management to increase the yield for anglers and support fish populations. European otter (Lutra lutra) predation on fish stocks of both economical and recreational value causes conflicts in many European countries. However, these stocking activities may also attract additional predato...

We assessed heavy metal concentrations in feathers of 38 Kagus Rhynochetos jubatus living on ultramafic soils in New Caledonia. Concentrations of heavy metals in down feathers were similar to concentrations in shafts of primary or secondary feathers, whereas the concentrations in vanes were much higher, indicating that concentrations in down feathe...

Knowledge of species distribution is of utmost importance for conservation and management of endangered freshwater mussels. Conventional monitoring approaches are often time consuming and costly. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) is a relatively new approach and considered as an effective tool to detect the presence of target species in aquatic e...

We used 454 pyrosequencing to establish microsatellite markers for the montane gastropod Semilimax kotulae. Ten polymorphic loci were identified. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to five, the observed heterozygosity from 0.00 to 0.23, and the expected heterozygosity from 0.17 to 0.73. Half of the loci showed a significant heterozygot...

Non-invasive genetics based on microsatellite markers has become an indispensable tool for wildlife monitoring and conservation research over the past decades. However, microsatellites have several drawbacks, such as the lack of standardisation between laboratories and high error rates. Here we propose an alternative Single Nucleotide Polymorphism...

Crustaceans that initially colonize a freshwater temporary pond can strongly bias the subsequent genetic composition of the population, causing nearby populations to be genetically distinct. In addition, these crustaceans have various reproductive modes that can influence genetic differentiation and diversity within and between populations. We repo...

The distribution of the Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) in Europe shrank dramatically at the end of the nineteenth century, largely through direct persecution. No genetic information on this species is available that could provide a basis for ongoing conservation and breeding programs. Here, we genetically analyzed wild and captive populations of Europe...

We used 454 pyrosequencing to discover more than 3000 candidate microsatellite markers for three putative species of tadpole shrimp in the genus Triops. We selected 42 of these candidates, consisting of 12 systems identified in Triops longicaudatus "long," 16 identified in Triops longicaudatus "short," and 14 identified in Triops newberryi. Out of...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive tool in clinical diagnostics and therapy for physiological and psychological diseases and has an increased application in experimental neurophysiology. Despite this, the mechanisms of magnetic stimulation of the central nervous system remain still unclear. We applied sinus-shaped high frequency ma...

We used 454 pyro-sequencing to establish microsatellite markers for the endangered Kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus), a bird endemic to New Caledonia. We screened 52,583 reads to identify 60 microsatellites candidates and established 12 polymorphic loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 15, the observed heterozygosity from 0.046 to 0.818,...

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy allows us to image and quantify the distribution of NMR-active nuclei in living specimens. Using high-field NMR microscopy at a magnetic field strength of 14.1 T and strong gradients up to 3 T m(-1), we show that separation of fat and water nuclear resonances in living insects can be achieved. In contrast...

Freshwater mussels (order Unionoida) represent one of the most severely endangered groups of animals due to habitat destruction, introduction of nonnative species, and loss of host fishes, which their larvae (glochidia) are obligate parasites on. Conservation efforts such as habitat restoration or restocking of host populations are currently hamper...

Mango bark beetle, Hypocryphalus mangiferae Stebbing (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is frequently associated with mango quick decline disease in Pakistan, since it is also reported as a potential vector of quick decline disease. Hereby, we report the cross-amplification of five microsatellite markers in Hypocryphalus mangiferae, which were...

Long-distance migrations of wildlife have been identified as important biological phenomena, but their conservation remains a major challenge. The Mongolian Gobi is one of the last refuges for the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) and other threatened migratory mammals. Using historic and current distribution ranges, population genetics, and teleme...

Novel microsatellite markers for the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) are identified and characterized using next generation sequencing technology. 18 polymorphic loci were obtained by screening 10,684 reads and tested on 35 bark beetle samples from different locations in Bavaria, Germany. Allelic richness ranged from two to 38 alleles, obse...

ABSTRACT Noninvasive genetic monitoring of animal populations has become a widely used method in animal conservation and wildlife management due to its known advantages in sample availability of endangered or elusive species. A variety of methods have been suggested to overcome the difficulties of collecting reliable genetic data despite poor DNA q...