title: Whole genome resequencing reveals origins and global invasion pathways of the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica

authors: Funari, Rebecca

subjects: phylogeography

abstract: Invasive species are an increasing global threat given their ability to rapidly spread and adapt to novel environments. The adverse ecological and economic impacts of invasive species highlight the critical need to understand the mechanisms that underpin invasion processes and success. The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is an invasive pest of remarkable interest, as it feeds on hundreds of economically valuable plant species. It has been expanding outside of its native range in Japan since the first decades of the 20th century, colonising large areas of North America and, more recently, Europe. Here, we compared whole-genome resequencing data from individuals encompassing the entire species distribution to study the geographic differentiation of P. japonica populations and reconstruct expansion routes from Japan to the USA and Europe. We found six genomically distinguishable clusters, corresponding to the approximate colonisation areas at a continental scale. Our analysis supported an ancestral divergence between South and North/Central Japan, with the latter being the source of the initial invasion to the USA. Coalescent simulations supported independent bridgehead events from the USA to the Azores and Italy. We also investigated possible signals of selection to better understand the adaptive mechanisms that underlie the invasion success of P. japonica. However, the absence of strong selection signatures suggested that the beetle's adaptive ability might be embedded in pre-existing genomic features. Our comprehensive genome-wide dataset allowed a detailed inference of the invasion process and may be useful in determining the origin of P. japonica individuals in future invasion events.

text: Whole genome resequencing reveals origins and global invasion pathways of the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica Invasive species are an increasing global threat given their ability to rapidly spread and adapt to novel environments. The adverse ecological and economic impacts of invasive species highlight the critical need to understand the mechanisms that underpin invasion processes and success. The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is an invasive pest of remarkable interest, as it feeds on hundreds of economically valuable plant species. It has been expanding outside of its native range in Japan since the first decades of the 20th century, colonising large areas of North America and, more recently, Europe. Here, we compared whole-genome resequencing data from individuals encompassing the entire species distribution to study the geographic differentiation of P. japonica populations and reconstruct expansion routes from Japan to the USA and Europe. We found six genomically distinguishable clusters, corresponding to the approximate colonisation areas at a continental scale. Our analysis supported an ancestral divergence between South and North/Central Japan, with the latter being the source of the initial invasion to the USA. Coalescent simulations supported independent bridgehead events from the USA to the Azores and Italy. We also investigated possible signals of selection to better understand the adaptive mechanisms that underlie the invasion success of P. japonica. However, the absence of strong selection signatures suggested that the beetle's adaptive ability might be embedded in pre-existing genomic features. Our comprehensive genome-wide dataset allowed a detailed inference of the invasion process and may be useful in determining the origin of P. japonica individuals in future invasion events.

year: 2025

title: Social Class: Te Mātaiaho | the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’?

authors: Estellés, Marta

abstract: In this paper, we connect with Martin Thrupp’s calls for class-based analysis in education policy by problematising the absence of social class in the refreshed New Zealand curriculum, Te Mātaiaho (2023). To contextualise this absence, we locate this curriculum policy in a historical perspective and interpret its ‘identity turn’ as an expression of what philosopher Nancy Fraser calls ‘progressive neoliberalism’. We conclude our contribution with a reflection on the reactionary neoliberal response of the current National-led government and a call for educational researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand to more seriously consider social class in their analyses.

text: Social Class: Te Mātaiaho | the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’? In this paper, we connect with Martin Thrupp’s calls for class-based analysis in education policy by problematising the absence of social class in the refreshed New Zealand curriculum, Te Mātaiaho (2023). To contextualise this absence, we locate this curriculum policy in a historical perspective and interpret its ‘identity turn’ as an expression of what philosopher Nancy Fraser calls ‘progressive neoliberalism’. We conclude our contribution with a reflection on the reactionary neoliberal response of the current National-led government and a call for educational researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand to more seriously consider social class in their analyses.

year: 2024

title: The Māori Data Privacy Framework: How useful is it for hapū?

authors: Clark, Vanessa

abstract: This brief is a part of a series, produced for the Tikanga in Technology (TiNT) research programme, that provides a hapū perspective on data sovereignty, data governance, and data privacy. In this brief we focus on the Māori Data Privacy Framework developed by the TiNT team and assess how useful it is for hapū. To do so, we draw on a case study with Ngāti Tiipa, one of the 33 iwi and hapū of the Waikato confederation (Kukutai, Whitehead & Kani, 2022). This brief should be read in conjunction with TiNT Brief #2 Protecting hapū data privacy: A Ngāti Tiipa case study of technology considerations.

text: The Māori Data Privacy Framework: How useful is it for hapū? This brief is a part of a series, produced for the Tikanga in Technology (TiNT) research programme, that provides a hapū perspective on data sovereignty, data governance, and data privacy. In this brief we focus on the Māori Data Privacy Framework developed by the TiNT team and assess how useful it is for hapū. To do so, we draw on a case study with Ngāti Tiipa, one of the 33 iwi and hapū of the Waikato confederation (Kukutai, Whitehead & Kani, 2022). This brief should be read in conjunction with TiNT Brief #2 Protecting hapū data privacy: A Ngāti Tiipa case study of technology considerations.

year: 2025-02-11