Alien versus alien: spatiotemporal overlaps among introduced ungulates in a Mediterranean island ecosystem

Alien Invasions and Gut “Island Biogeography”

Animals harbor gut microbiota characteristic of the host and diet of origin. Whether bacteria from diverse nonindigenous origins successfully invade foreign gut habitats is not well known. Now, Seedorf et al. show that microbiota from a variety of disparate habitats can successfully colonize and compete in the mammalian gut environment.

Introduced Alien Plant Species in the Neotropics: the Panama Case

Non-insular tropical biomes appear relatively resistant to invasive alien species (IAS). While some argue fewer IAS in continental tropical communities is the result of the complexity of species-rich communities (e.g., Elton’s biological resistance hypothesis), others suggest lack of IAS might reflect fewer invasion opportunities, which could change with time. In effect, deforestation may lead ...

The alien hand syndrome: What makes the alien hand alien?

The alien hand syndrome is a deeply puzzling phenomenon in which brain-damaged patients experience their limb performing seemingly purposeful acts without their intention. Furthermore, the limb may interfere with the actions of their normal limb. We report a case of alien hand syndrome following a left medial frontal and corpus callosum ischemic lesion. From our clinical observations and the pa...

A place for alien species in ecosystem restoration

www.frontiersinecology.org © The Ecological Society of America M ecologists and engaged environmentalists justifiably regard invasive, non-native species as a leading threat to conservation values. In the US, for example, they are reportedly the second greatest threat to native species, outranked only by habitat loss (Wilcove et al. 1998). Increasingly large, though still inadequate, financial ...

Alien hand sign or alien hand syndrome?