Biology subjects

Gorman, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Gorman, G..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Environmental features or interspecific relations: What determines distribution of Syrian and Great Spotted woodpeckers hybrids?

Urban and rural woodlands have become important habitats for wildlife, providing opportunities for ecological and ethological adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Due to limited tree resources in anthropogenic woodlands, different species are often forced to interact more closely, and one possible outcome of such interactions is hybridisation. Recent studies have shown that hybrids between the uncommon Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and the often common Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus) are relatively widespread, yet rare, in sympatric populations (Bakai et al. 2026). To understand the factors determining their occurrence in rural and urban landscapes, we conducted an intensive survey across Europe. We examined the effects of environmental factors, particularly woodland characteristics, as well as the co-occurrence of hybrids with the parental species and European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) (hereafter Starling). Spatial analyses revealed that the parental species generally have allotopic distributions, with Syrian Woodpeckers (hereafter SW) being more common in scattered woodlands in both rural and urban landscapes, while Great Spotted Woodpeckers (hereafter GW) are more commonly associated with denser woodlands and forests. Although in some areas the two species can co-occur, which provides opportunities for interspecific hybridisation, hybrid offspring showed no clear preference for any particular woodland type. However, they tended to occur in proximity to one of the parental species, usually the species that was locally rarer. Starlings were not identified as a factor influencing hybrid distribution. These results suggest that hybrids have a relatively broad ecological tolerance, potentially facilitated by heterosis. These findings contribute to our understanding of the factors influencing interspecific hybridisation and may have implications for the management of urban and rural woodlands to preserve habitats for the SW, an uncommon and strictly protected species in the west of the European Union.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Citizen science and detailed searches reveal widespread occurrence of hybrid-like Syrian x Great-spotted woodpeckers

The Syrian Woodpecker (hereafter SW) expansion into Europe since the end of the 19th century has enabled its hybridisation with the Great spotted Woodpecker (hereafter GW). This phenomenon, however, has generally been considered sporadic. Here, we examined the occurrence of mixed pairs and hybrids based on our own field observations and citizen science data. Interspecific pairs and individuals of SW and GW were found to be generally scarce but occurred in all parts of the area investigated, not only at the edges of the SWs range. The proportion of hybrid occurrence in woodpecker populations was found to be similar across the whole SWs range in Europe and in both urban and rural populations. However, on a local level, hybrids seemed to be more abundant in certain regions, for example, E Austria, Moravia, SE Poland, W Russia, S Ukraine, Bulgaria, E Greece and W Turkey. Generally, females were 1.4 times more frequent among hybrids. Three major phenotypical hybrid forms were identified: GW-like, SW-like, and intermediate, with first two forms being more frequent in the central and south of Europe respectively. Whereas proportion of the intermediate form was relatively constant across the whole range of hybrid occurrence. The results indicate that hybrids of the two species have become significant part of woodpecker populations and thus should be considered in research and nature conservation projects.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2025

To hybridise or not to hybridise? Systematic review and meta-analysis of woodpeckers

Hybridisation is a common phenomenon among birds in general. Woodpeckers (Picidae) are no exception, as approximately 20% of species are known to hybridise and for many others interspecific mating is suspected. However, the mechanisms and consequences (phenotypic and genetic) of hybridisation are known for only a fraction of woodpecker species. Here, we conduct a systematic review on the literature that deals with hybridisation in woodpeckers and use a meta-analytical approach to examine the available geographical and genetic data. According to available published data, the majority of woodpeckers that hybridise inhabit the Neotropics, followed by the Nearctic and the Palearctic. Hybridisation appears to be less common in the Afrotropic and Oriental regions. As expected, genetic distances are substantially lower between hybridising species pairs than between non hybridising congenerics. This implies that hybridisation is typical for "young" (sister) pairs of species, that typically have similarities in their respective reproductive biology, ecology and ethology, and thus had less time for genetic incompatibilities to build up. These similarities also explain the difficulties experienced in studies on hybrid woodpeckers, but these could be overcome by the use of modern techniques (remote sensing and/or citizen science combining with AI identification and genomic identification). As hybridisation plays a role in woodpecker evolution and ecology it should be considered when conservation policies for rare species are drafted.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

ADT-1004: A First-in-Class, Orally Bioavailable Selective pan-RAS Inhibitor for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Here, we evaluated in vivo antitumor activity, target engagement, selectivity, and tumor specificity of ADT-1004, an orally bioavailable prodrug of ADT-007 having highly potent and selective pan-RAS inhibitory activity. ADT-1004 strongly blocked tumor growth and RAS activation in mouse PDAC models without discernable toxicity. As evidence of target engagement and tumor specificity, ADT-1004 inhibited activated RAS and ERK phosphorylation in PDAC tumors at dosages approximately 10-fold below the maximum tolerated dose and without discernable toxicity. ADT-1004 inhibited ERK phosphorylation in PDAC tumors. In addition, ADT-1004 blocked tumor growth and ERK phosphorylation in PDX PDAC models with KRASG12D, KRASG12V, KRASG12C, or KRASG13Q mutations. ADT-1004 treatment increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the TME consistent with exhaustion and increased MHCII+ M1 macrophage and dendritic cells. ADT-1004 demonstrated superior efficacy over sotorasib and adagrasib in tumor models involving human PDAC cells resistant to these KRASG12C inhibitors. As evidence of selectivity for tumors from PDAC cells with mutant KRAS, ADT-1004 did not impact the growth of tumors from RASWT PDAC cells. Displaying broad antitumor activity in multiple mouse models of PDAC, along with target engagement and selectivity at dosages that were well tolerated, ADT-1004 warrants further development. SignificanceADT-1004 displayed robust antitumor activity in aggressive and clinically relevant PDAC models with unique tumor specificity to block RAS activation and MAPK signaling in RAS mutant cells. As a pan-RAS inhibitor, ADT-1004 has broad activity and potential efficacy advantages over allele-specific KRAS inhibitors by averting resistance. These findings support clinical trials of ADT-1004 for KRAS mutant PDAC.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

A review of co-occurrence and hybridization as neglected factors in studies of Syrianwoodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus and great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Some species of woodpecker (Picidae), such as in the genus Dendrocopos, are known to occasionally hybridize. The distribution, biology and ecology of the Syrian Woodpecker (D. syriacus) and the Great Spotted Woodpecker (D. major) are fairly well-known (less so in the case of Syrian), but these closely related species are seldom treated together in studies. This review summarizes the published data on these species in order to evaluate the omissions and inaccuracies in research and surveys on their sympatric populations. As research that deals with both species together is scant, the need to examine interactions, both antagonistic and hybridization, is advisable in order to properly understanding their ecology, ethology, breeding biology and demography.

zoology↗