Laura Bertola
@lauradbertola.bsky.social
Scientist👩🔬/Biologist🦁/Conservationist🌍
Formerly @UniLeiden, @CUNY #hickerlab, @uni_copenhagen, currently @NCBS_Bangalore;
Chair #LeoFoundation;
she/her
Formerly @UniLeiden, @CUNY #hickerlab, @uni_copenhagen, currently @NCBS_Bangalore;
Chair #LeoFoundation;
she/her
Intertwined threats of nationalized nature and privatized ecological research for global biodiversity conservation
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Intertwined threats of nationalized nature and privatized ecological research for global biodiversity conservation
The delineation of nature by political borders and the restricted accessibility of ecological research data present intertwined challenges to global biodiversity conservation. We examined how the nat...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Intertwined threats of nationalized nature and privatized ecological research for global biodiversity conservation
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Limited Dispersal Drives Strong Genetic Structure in the Commercially Harvested Gastropod Buccinum undatum in the Western North Atlantic
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Limited Dispersal Drives Strong Genetic Structure in the Commercially Harvested Gastropod Buccinum undatum in the Western North Atlantic
Direct-developing species lack the pelagic larval phase which facilitates connectivity in most marine species. Consequently, they tend to exhibit spatially restricted dispersal and increased populati...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Limited Dispersal Drives Strong Genetic Structure in the Commercially Harvested Gastropod Buccinum undatum in the Western North Atlantic
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Climate, ecological dynamics, and the seasonal distribution of birds in mountains
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Climate, ecological dynamics, and the seasonal distribution of birds in mountains
Ecological dynamics related to energy use and competition drives the seasonal distribution of birds in mountains across the world.
www.science.org
February 8, 2026 at 8:45 AM
Climate, ecological dynamics, and the seasonal distribution of birds in mountains
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Genetic monitoring of an endangered arable weed reveals local maintenance of genetic variation in times of land use and climate change
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genetic monitoring of an endangered arable weed reveals local maintenance of genetic variation in times of land use and climate change - Scientific Reports
Genetic monitoring is a powerful tool to reveal human impact on genetic diversity and genetic differentiation in times of land use and climate change. Unfortunately, it is not yet frequently applied i...
www.nature.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Genetic monitoring of an endangered arable weed reveals local maintenance of genetic variation in times of land use and climate change
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An ancient genome duplication event drives the development and evolution of spinnerets in spiders
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
An ancient genome duplication event drives the development and evolution of spinnerets in spiders
A genome duplication event during the Silurian played a crucial role in the evolutionary emergence of spinnerets in spiders.
www.science.org
January 31, 2026 at 10:03 PM
An ancient genome duplication event drives the development and evolution of spinnerets in spiders
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Pesticide residues alter taxonomic and functional biodiversity in soils
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Pesticide residues alter taxonomic and functional biodiversity in soils - Nature
A wide survey of pesticide effects on soil biodiversity across 373 sites in Europe reveals that pesticide residues occur in 70% of sites and have major effects on soil biodiversity and functional...
www.nature.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Pesticide residues alter taxonomic and functional biodiversity in soils
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genome wide data recover hierarchical genetic structure and help define conservation units for the threatened Asian Houbara
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genome wide data recover hierarchical genetic structure and help define conservation units for the threatened Asian Houbara - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Genome wide data recover hierarchical genetic structure and help define conservation units for the threatened Asian Houbara
www.nature.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Genome wide data recover hierarchical genetic structure and help define conservation units for the threatened Asian Houbara
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genetic consequences of rapid demographic collapses suggested by population genomics of the black-necked crane
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
Genetic consequences of rapid demographic collapses suggested by population genomics of the black-necked crane
Abstract. Many plant and animal species face rapid demographic declines, requiring an examination of the genetic consequences. The small population paradig
royalsocietypublishing.org
January 29, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Genetic consequences of rapid demographic collapses suggested by population genomics of the black-necked crane
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 28, 2026 at 1:44 PM
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Who knows poo? Inaccuracy of scat identifications in the field necessitates genetic confirmation of scat donors
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Who knows poo? Inaccuracy of scat identifications in the field necessitates genetic confirmation of scat donors - Mammalian Biology
Mammalian Biology - Non-invasive sampling using faeces can provide valuable ecological information on rare and elusive species, for example histological diet analyses. However, inaccurate field...
link.springer.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Who knows poo? Inaccuracy of scat identifications in the field necessitates genetic confirmation of scat donors
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Museums and zoos: a formula for rapid genetic identification of elusive species and practical applications for conservation and systematics in the Global South
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/a...
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/a...
Museums and zoos: a formula for rapid genetic identification of elusive species and practical applications for conservation and systematics in the Global South
Abstract. Obtaining genetic information from elusive species is challenging for scientists, but it is crucial for understanding animal evolutionary history
academic.oup.com
January 25, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Museums and zoos: a formula for rapid genetic identification of elusive species and practical applications for conservation and systematics in the Global South
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/a...
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/a...
To further strengthen our network in West Africa, #LeoFoundation started a new collaboration with West Africa Conservation Network (WACN) 🦁
Read more about this new partnership here:
leofoundation.org/en/a-new-col...
Read more about this new partnership here:
leofoundation.org/en/a-new-col...
leofoundation.org
January 25, 2026 at 2:24 PM
To further strengthen our network in West Africa, #LeoFoundation started a new collaboration with West Africa Conservation Network (WACN) 🦁
Read more about this new partnership here:
leofoundation.org/en/a-new-col...
Read more about this new partnership here:
leofoundation.org/en/a-new-col...
Targeted Airborne eDNA of an Invasive Wallaby: Effects of Sampler Type, Distance, and Environmental Conditions
dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Targeted Airborne eDNA of an Invasive Wallaby: Effects of Sampler Type, Distance, and Environmental Conditions
Airborne eDNA detection of terrestrial vertebrates is influenced by sampler design, distance, and environmental conditions. Using a targeted qPCR assay, we show that active sampling and coarse-partic....
dx.doi.org
January 25, 2026 at 7:39 AM
Targeted Airborne eDNA of an Invasive Wallaby: Effects of Sampler Type, Distance, and Environmental Conditions
dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Aging populations threaten conservation goals of zoos
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Aging populations threaten conservation goals of zoos | PNAS
Improvements in wildlife husbandry mean that many zoo animals are living longer. This
has put pressure on the finite holding capacity of zoos, whic...
www.pnas.org
January 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Aging populations threaten conservation goals of zoos
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Negative global-scale association between genetic diversity and speciation rates in mammals
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Negative global-scale association between genetic diversity and speciation rates in mammals - Nature Communications
Genetic diversity and speciation rate support adaptability and species richness patterns, respectively. Here, the authors find a negative association between mitochondrial genetic diversity and specia...
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Negative global-scale association between genetic diversity and speciation rates in mammals
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Laura Bertola
New paper!🖥️
Tracking terrestrial wildlife with environmental DNA: Methods designed by and for Indigenous organizations🧬 🏔️
This research provides a robust and unique comparison of eDNA sampling methods for the detection of terrestrial species 🦌
Read more: buff.ly/D7iwFqJ
Tracking terrestrial wildlife with environmental DNA: Methods designed by and for Indigenous organizations🧬 🏔️
This research provides a robust and unique comparison of eDNA sampling methods for the detection of terrestrial species 🦌
Read more: buff.ly/D7iwFqJ
January 21, 2026 at 8:15 AM
New paper!🖥️
Tracking terrestrial wildlife with environmental DNA: Methods designed by and for Indigenous organizations🧬 🏔️
This research provides a robust and unique comparison of eDNA sampling methods for the detection of terrestrial species 🦌
Read more: buff.ly/D7iwFqJ
Tracking terrestrial wildlife with environmental DNA: Methods designed by and for Indigenous organizations🧬 🏔️
This research provides a robust and unique comparison of eDNA sampling methods for the detection of terrestrial species 🦌
Read more: buff.ly/D7iwFqJ
📢 New 🐂🧬 paper!
Population structure and domestication history of the Javan banteng
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We discuss soft domestication, post-divergence gene flow, and contrasting genetic load, highlighting the dual conservation and agricultural relevance of the banteng.
Population structure and domestication history of the Javan banteng
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We discuss soft domestication, post-divergence gene flow, and contrasting genetic load, highlighting the dual conservation and agricultural relevance of the banteng.
January 22, 2026 at 4:59 PM
📢 New 🐂🧬 paper!
Population structure and domestication history of the Javan banteng
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We discuss soft domestication, post-divergence gene flow, and contrasting genetic load, highlighting the dual conservation and agricultural relevance of the banteng.
Population structure and domestication history of the Javan banteng
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We discuss soft domestication, post-divergence gene flow, and contrasting genetic load, highlighting the dual conservation and agricultural relevance of the banteng.
Reposted by Laura Bertola
NEW PAPER in #ornithology compares the responses of 200 vertebrate populations to climate change, and finds that increasing temperatures affect population growth via changes in phenology, but not morphology: buff.ly/IT66GOK
January 21, 2026 at 7:37 AM
NEW PAPER in #ornithology compares the responses of 200 vertebrate populations to climate change, and finds that increasing temperatures affect population growth via changes in phenology, but not morphology: buff.ly/IT66GOK
Environmental DNA metabarcoding enriches the conventional survey of a high diverse fish community in the Dongsha atoll
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
Frontiers | Environmental DNA metabarcoding enriches the conventional survey of a high diverse fish community in the Dongsha atoll
To effectively conserve coral reef ecosystems, it is essential to monitor changes in fish fauna using minimally invasive methods. In this study, we conducted...
www.frontiersin.org
January 22, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Environmental DNA metabarcoding enriches the conventional survey of a high diverse fish community in the Dongsha atoll
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
Genomic identification of direct seeding and evolutionary lineages by combining heterogeneous genomic resources
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Genomic identification of direct seeding and evolutionary lineages by combining heterogeneous genomic resources - BMC Biology
Background Human-induced habitat changes threaten biodiversity, prompting large-scale restoration initiatives. Revegetation through direct seeding is common in agricultural and infrastructure construc...
link.springer.com
January 21, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Genomic identification of direct seeding and evolutionary lineages by combining heterogeneous genomic resources
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Laura Bertola
NEW EDITORIAL! 💡
Using data to construct tripartite networks & models 📊, we found that editorial diversification helps make peer review more inclusive & better aligned with the global distribution of ecological research 🌐
Find out more 👇
doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Using data to construct tripartite networks & models 📊, we found that editorial diversification helps make peer review more inclusive & better aligned with the global distribution of ecological research 🌐
Find out more 👇
doi.org/10.1111/1365...
January 19, 2026 at 1:59 PM
NEW EDITORIAL! 💡
Using data to construct tripartite networks & models 📊, we found that editorial diversification helps make peer review more inclusive & better aligned with the global distribution of ecological research 🌐
Find out more 👇
doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Using data to construct tripartite networks & models 📊, we found that editorial diversification helps make peer review more inclusive & better aligned with the global distribution of ecological research 🌐
Find out more 👇
doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia - Communications Earth & Environment
Naturally mummified cheetah remains in a Saudi Arabian cave system with radiocarbon-calibrated ages between about 4,200 and 100 years cluster with Asian as well as West-African sub-species, with impli...
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 7:59 AM
Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Congratulations Dr. Chege on completing a crucially all-round, relevant PhD study, covering genetics, environmental factors and anthropogenic pressures for lion conservation in Kenya. 🦁🌍
It was an honour to be on the supervisory team!
More info here: www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026...
It was an honour to be on the supervisory team!
More info here: www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026...
January 19, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Congratulations Dr. Chege on completing a crucially all-round, relevant PhD study, covering genetics, environmental factors and anthropogenic pressures for lion conservation in Kenya. 🦁🌍
It was an honour to be on the supervisory team!
More info here: www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026...
It was an honour to be on the supervisory team!
More info here: www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026...
The Importance of Effective Population Size in Conservation and Biodiversity Monitoring
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The Importance of Effective Population Size in Conservation and Biodiversity Monitoring
Effective population size (Ne) is a key concept in biology and conservation. Stripped to its bare essentials, it reflects how much genetic drift a population experiences, expressed as a number of ind...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 19, 2026 at 2:04 PM
The Importance of Effective Population Size in Conservation and Biodiversity Monitoring
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Genome Shows no Recent Inbreeding in Near-Extinction Woolly Rhinoceros Sample Found in Ancient Wolf's Stomach
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
Genome Shows no Recent Inbreeding in Near-Extinction Woolly Rhinoceros Sample Found in Ancient Wolf's Stomach
Abstract. Using temporarily spaced high-coverage ancient genomes, we can assess population decline prior to extinction. However, finding suitable ancient r
academic.oup.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Genome Shows no Recent Inbreeding in Near-Extinction Woolly Rhinoceros Sample Found in Ancient Wolf's Stomach
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...