Anti-PARVA monoclonal antibody, clone 2I3

Facilitated by the intensification of global trading, the introduction and dispersal of species to areas in which they are historically non-native is nowadays common. From an evolutionary standpoint, invasions are paradoxical: not only non-native environments could be different from native ones for which introduced individuals would be ill-adapted, but also small founding population size should be associated with reduced adaptive potential. As such, biological invasions are considered valuable real-time evolutionary experiments. Here, we investigated the population structure and adaptive potential of the highly invasive topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) across Europe and East Asia. We RAD-sequenced 301 specimens from sixteen populations and three distinct within-catchment invaded regions as well as two locations in the native range. With 13,785 single nucleotide polymorphisms, we provide conclusive evidence for a genome-wide signature of two distinct invasion events, in Slovakia and Turkey, each originating from a specific area in the native range. A third invaded area, in France, appears to be the result of dispersal within the invasive range. Few loci showed signs of selection, the vast majority of which being identified in the Slovakian region. Functional annotation suggests that faster early stage development, resistance to pollution and immunocompetence contribute to the invasion success of the local habitats. By showing that populations in the invasive range have different evolutionary histories, our study reinforces the idea that populations, rather than species, are the units to consider in invasion biology.

In 1965, N. Elias and J. Scotson carried out a research about the English town of Winston Parva, which has slowly become classical. In that study, they examine figurations on the social borders between those who lived in a territory and those who arrived later, focusing on the insecurity caused by the most recent neighbors. From that situation, they seek to isolate a configuration that could be translate into a model to be used to analyze similar situations. With this aim in view, in this research two other case studies are triangulated, involving the towns of Magdalena, Manaos (Brazil), and Valderas, Montevideo (Uruguay). Both present similarities and certain differences with Winston Parva, which acknowledges the paradigmatic character and the actuality of Elias' work. But the cases analyzed in this research, present an additional element: organized neighbors build a material division between the groups - a wall, a gate-. This radicalization regarding Winston Parva takes the issue to the edge inviting us to deepen into two ethical and political discussions: the moments where talking becomes impossible and the mystical foundation of authority in those decisions. That shows that segregation between new "marginalized" and "established" more prosperous is a dispute that only causes victims, of different types.