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Contemporary relevance of Anne Moody, Black studies and imprisoned Black intellectual thought
(Queen's University, 2025-12-31) Norris, Adele N.; Conley, Glen; Cooper, Garrick; Martin, Jessica
Anne Moody’s 1968 autobiographical text, Coming of Age in Mississippi, is receiving increased interest during this current moment of legislated anti-Blackness, most observable in the removal/outlawing of Black history and thought. Moody’s early life in the Deep South during the 1940s-1950s and as a foot soldier in the Civil Rights Movement inform how we understand the continuity of anti-blackness and racial terror. Glen Conley, an imprisoned citizen, examines and teaches Anne Moody within a Mississippi prison context. While her book is used across several academic disciplines, the study of Moody within the prison context is not well known. Conley’s political poetry explores Moody’s life and text, bringing renewed attention to themes of Black mental health, survival, and resistance under a harsh U.S. Southern regime. Using a prison-praxis framework, this paper centers the knowledge production from the civically dead (imprisoned population), which allows for broader insights into themes of racialized confinement, criminalization and surveillance. Thus, this essay situates Conley’s scholarship within the lineage of Black imprisoned radical tradition where he draws attention to Moody’s prescient voice during a political climate of overt forms of legislated anti-Blackness and systemic erasure.
Fitness consequences of population bottlenecks in an invasive blowfly
(Wiley, 2024) Croft, Lillian; Matheson, Paige; Butterworth, Nathan J.; McGaughran, Angela
Invasive species often undergo demographic bottlenecks that cause a decrease in genetic diversity and associated reductions in population fitness. Despite this, they manage to thrive in novel environments. Investigating the effects of inbreeding and genetic bottlenecks on population fitness for invasive species is, therefore, key to understanding how they may survive in new environments. We used the blowfly Calliphora vicina (Sciences, Mathématiques et Physique, 1830, 2, 1), which is native to Europe and was introduced to Australia and New Zealand, to examine the effects of genetic diversity on population fitness. We first collected 59 samples from 15 populations across New Zealand and one in Australia, and used 20,501 biallelic SNPs to investigate population genomic diversity, structure and admixture. We then explored the impacts of repeated experimental bottlenecks on population fitness by creating inbred and outbred lines of C. vicina and measuring a variety of fitness traits. In wild-caught samples, we found low overall genetic diversity, signals of genetic admixture and limited (<3%) genetic differentiation between North and South Island populations, with genetic links between the South Island and Australia. Following experimental bottlenecks, we found significant reductions in fitness for inbred lines. However, fitness effects were not felt equally across all phenotypic traits. Moreover, they were not enough to cause population collapse in any experimental line, suggesting that C. vicina (when under relaxed selection, as in laboratory settings) may be able to compensate for population bottlenecks even when highly inbred. Our results demonstrate the value of a tractable experimental system for investigating processes that may facilitate or hamper biological invasion.
Fake webs, real results: Artificial spiderwebs for eDNA collection
(Wiley, 2025-11) McGaughran, Angela; Bird, Starsha; Dhami, Manpreet K.
Environmental DNA (eDNA)-based detection is a valuable biomonitoring tool that is well-developed for water, soil, and scat substrates. Emergent research is focusing on air as a new substrate, including opportunistically collected natural spiderwebs which may have negative impacts on local spider diversity. Here, we design novel artificial spiderwebs and compare their effectiveness with natural spiderwebs and aquatic eDNA approaches for biomonitoring of terrestrial taxa. A total of 33 eDNA samples (18 water, 6 natural spiderwebs, 9 artificial spiderwebs) were collected from a rural property in Palmerston North (Aotearoa New Zealand). Three amplicons (COI, 16S, and ITS) were sequenced for each sample to evaluate the performance of each collection method for detecting invertebrates, vertebrates, and plant/algal taxa. The 16S amplicon performed best in terms of sequencing output and consistency, as well as species accumulation curves, with the COI dataset performing worst for all eDNA collection methods. Alpha diversity varied by amplicon and collection method in both value and consistency among samples, with 16S and ITS retrieving higher diversity for water samples and both artificial and natural webs outperforming water in fungal COI diversity recovery. Ordination plots showed clear differences in sample similarity across biomes, with all three amplicons showing differentiation between water and either web type. However, specialist species were recovered by each of the two web types, with artificial webs consistently recovering more unique diversity than natural webs. Our results suggest that artificial spiderwebs could be a promising new method in the eDNA biomonitoring toolbox, providing biodiversity data that complements water-based collections and, depending on the research question, may serve as a sufficient proxy for natural spiderweb studies.
Winds of change: Charting a pathway to ecosystem monitoring using airborne environmental DNA
(Wiley, 2025) Tulloch, Rachel L.; Adams, Clare I. M.; Barnes, Matthew A.; Clare, Elizabeth L.; van de Ven, Henrik C.; Cridge, Andrew; Encinas-Viso, Francisco; Fernandes, Kristen; Gleeson, Dianne M.; Hill, Erin; Hopkins, Anna J. M.; Kearns, Anna M.; Kroos, Gracie C.; MacDonald, Anna J.; Martoni, Francesco; McGaughran, Angela; McLay, Todd G. B.; Neaves, Linda E.; Nevill, Paul; Pugh, Andrew; Robinson, Kye J.; Roger, Fabian; Steinrucken, Tracey V.; van der Heyde, Mieke; Villacorta-Rath, Cecilia; Vivian, Jenny; Hahn, Erin E.
Airborne environmental DNA (airborne eDNA) analysis leverages the globally ubiquitous medium of air to deliver broad species distribution data and support ecosystem monitoring across diverse environments. As this emerging technology matures, addressing critical challenges and seizing key opportunities will be essential to fully realize its potentially transformative impact. In June 2024, the Southern eDNA Society convened over 100 researchers, industry leaders, and biodiversity management stakeholders in a landmark workshop to evaluate the current state of airborne eDNA research and chart a course for future development. Participants explored opportunities for integrating airborne eDNA into existing monitoring systems, but they unanimously agreed that research must first be applied to improving understanding of airborne eDNA ecology. The workshop emphasized the importance of collaborative engagement with stakeholders—including government agencies, Indigenous communities, and citizen scientists—to ensure practical and ethical implementation. This summary highlights current challenges and actionable recommendations, including improving our understanding of airborne eDNA ecology, harmonizing sampling methodology (e.g., devices, materials, sampling density, duration), identifying and mitigating sources of error, and fostering early, sustained stakeholder collaboration. By addressing these challenges, airborne eDNA analysis can become a transformative tool for biodiversity, biosecurity, and conservation monitoring on a global scale. Its ability to detect diverse taxonomic groups—including fungi, plants, arthropods, microbes, and vertebrates—positions airborne eDNA as a pivotal technology for holistic terrestrial biodiversity assessments that transcend traditional, species-focused monitoring approaches.
Revisiting genetic data stewardship practices in Aotearoa New Zealand: A call to action on integrating Māori data sovereignty
(Wiley, 2025) Dhami, Manpreet K.; Matheson, Paige; Bird, Starsha; Walker, Leilani; Hohaia, Holden; McGaughran, Angela
Genetic data, including environmental DNA (eDNA), are regularly used to monitor escalating biodiversity concerns globally. In Aotearoa New Zealand, biodiversity is unique and cherished—many species are taonga (treasured) and cared for by kaitiaki (guardians with customary responsibilities), specifically mana whenua with custodial rights (Māori; the Indigenous people of New Zealand). Discussions are currently underway regarding the development of a reference DNA barcode database for biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand to improve outcomes for biosecurity surveillance and biodiversity assessment. A priority of these discussions is that the database development and eventual implementation accords with Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi). Here, we evaluate current practices for storing genetic data from samples collected in Aotearoa New Zealand by examining two major public data repositories—the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). We find that current database practices limit opportunities for Māori data sovereignty, with DNA from many taonga species uploaded to public repositories with no associated restrictions or guidelines over use. This is an important finding that will help shape the development of a future DNA reference database for Aotearoa New Zealand that integrates the rights and interests of Indigenous communities.