Datasets:
id int64 | problem_number string | title string | statement string | background string | difficulty_level_id int64 | status string | proposed_by string | proposed_year int64 | category_id int64 | set_id int64 | view_count int64 | favorite_count int64 | created_at timestamp[s] | updated_at timestamp[s] | published bool | category dict | difficulty dict | set dict | question_types list | biological_scales list | organisms list | biological_systems list | source_id string | source_type string | source_support_level string | source_url string | source_citation string | source_license string | reuse_mode string | literature_assessment string | literature_sources list | literature_checked_at timestamp[s] | solution_reference string | status_review dict | tags list | clean_statement string | original_statement string | statement_status string | statement_verification string | archive_reason string | research_classification string | research_summary string | duplicate_of string |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | UBIO-000001 | Long-term Evolutionary Consequences for natural populations | What are the long-term evolutionary consequences for natural populations when gene flow is simultaneously reduced by habitat fragmentation and increased across biogeographic barriers by human-mediated globalization? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"molecular",
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Homo sapiens",
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Feigs JT et al. (2026), Movement ecology ('Greater pollen-mediated gene flow among than within populations of a bumb... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-026-00664-8",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-026-00664-8",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"molecular",
"population",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"homo-sapiens"
] | What are the long-term evolutionary consequences for natural populations when gene flow is simultaneously reduced by habitat fragmentation and increased across biogeographic barriers by human-mediated globalization? | What are the evolutionary consequences of species becoming less connected through fragmentation or more connected through globalization? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
2 | UBIO-000002 | Quantitative Contribution of natural or artificial selection altering fundamental allometric | To what extent can natural or artificial selection alter fundamental allometric and metabolic scaling relationships in organisms, and what biophysical or developmental constraints bound their evolution? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"development",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"organism",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"multiscale biomechanics and quantitative network dynamics",
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Giroux A et al. (2025), Ecology letters ('Sex Drives Intraspecific Scaling of Home Range Size in Mammals', https://d... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70245",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Giroux ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70245",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"development",
"organism",
"evolutionary-timescale",
"multiscale-biomechanics-and-quantitative-network-dynamics",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | To what extent can natural or artificial selection alter fundamental allometric and metabolic scaling relationships in organisms, and what biophysical or developmental constraints bound their evolution? | To what extent can evolution change the scaling relationships that we see in nature? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
3 | UBIO-000003 | Mechanisms Governing divergent natural selection overcome gene flow and genetic drift to produce fine-grained | Across what minimum spatial and environmental scales does divergent natural selection overcome gene flow and genetic drift to produce fine-grained local adaptation in natural populations? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics",
"adaptation"
] | [
"molecular",
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"evolutionary divergence, speciation, and adaptation",
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Rosenthal WC et al. (2021), Evolutionary applications ('Invasion and rapid adaptation of guppies ( Poecilia reticula... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13236",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Rosenth... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13236",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"molecular",
"population",
"evolutionary-divergence-speciation-and-adaptation",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | Across what minimum spatial and environmental scales does divergent natural selection overcome gene flow and genetic drift to produce fine-grained local adaptation in natural populations? | How local is adaptation? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
4 | UBIO-000004 | Mechanistic Basis of environmental factors generating heritable epigenetic variation in natural populations | What environmental factors generate heritable epigenetic variation in natural populations, and how does this variation alter phenotypic plasticity, demographic performance, and ecological interactions? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"adaptation"
] | [
"molecular",
"population"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"chromatin architecture and epigenetic regulation",
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Madsen JS et al. (2016), Environmental microbiology ('Coexistence facilitates interspecific biofilm formation in com... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13335",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — M... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13335",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"adaptation",
"molecular",
"population",
"chromatin-architecture-and-epigenetic-regulation",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | What environmental factors generate heritable epigenetic variation in natural populations, and how does this variation alter phenotypic plasticity, demographic performance, and ecological interactions? | What are the ecological causes and consequences of epigenetic variation? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
5 | UBIO-000005 | Relative Quantitative Contributions of selection acting at the gene, individual, kin-group, and population | What are the relative quantitative contributions of selection acting at the gene, individual, kin-group, and population levels to life-history evolution and resulting demographic dynamics? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"molecular",
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Castorani MC et al. (2017), Proceedings. Biological sciences ('Fluctuations in population fecundity drive variation ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2086",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Ca... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2086",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"molecular",
"population",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | What are the relative quantitative contributions of selection acting at the gene, individual, kin-group, and population levels to life-history evolution and resulting demographic dynamics? | What are the relative contributions of different levels of selection (gene, individual, group) to life-history evolution and the resulting population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
6 | UBIO-000006 | Specific Determinants of ecological and sexual selection pressures driving divergence in male and female | Which ecological and sexual selection pressures drive divergence in male and female life-history schedules (such as sex-specific senescence, growth, and survival), and how do these asymmetries affect population dynamics? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics",
"causality"
] | [
"cellular",
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"cellular senescence and organismal aging",
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Lu M et al. (2021), Science China. Life sciences ('Regain of sex determination system and sexual reproduction abilit... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-020-1694-7",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 —... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-020-1694-7",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"cellular",
"population",
"cellular-senescence-and-organismal-aging",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | Which ecological and sexual selection pressures drive divergence in male and female life-history schedules (such as sex-specific senescence, growth, and survival), and how do these asymmetries affect population dynamics? | What selective forces cause sex differences in life history and what are their consequences for population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
7 | UBIO-000007 | Functional Dynamics of classical evolutionary and population-ecological theory reformulated for modular | How must classical evolutionary and population-ecological theory be reformulated for modular, clonal, or chimeric organisms (such as mycelial fungi, colonial invertebrates, and clonal plants) where unitary individuality and lifetime reproductive success are ambiguous? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 12,
"name": "fungal_biology",
"display_name": "Fungal Biology",
"slug": "fungal-biology",
"order_index": 12
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"multicellular_or_tissue",
"organ",
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Fungi",
"Ascomycota / Basidiomycota"
] | [
"fungal morphogenesis, symbiosis, and secondary metabolism",
"fungal biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Agan A et al. (2021), Microorganisms ('Seasonal Dynamics of Fungi Associated with Healthy and Diseased Pinus sylvest... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081757",
"label": "Literature triage reference... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081757",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"fungal-biology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"multicellular-or-tissue",
"organ",
"fungal-morphogenesis-symbiosis-and-secondary-metabolism",
"fungi"
] | How must classical evolutionary and population-ecological theory be reformulated for modular, clonal, or chimeric organisms (such as mycelial fungi, colonial invertebrates, and clonal plants) where unitary individuality and lifetime reproductive success are ambiguous? | How should evolutionary and ecological theory be modified for organisms where the concepts of individual and fitness are not easily defined (e.g. fungi)? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
8 | UBIO-000008 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of the functional form, developmental stage-specificity, and strength | How do the functional form, developmental stage-specificity, and strength of density-dependent regulation govern reciprocal eco-evolutionary feedbacks between population density and life-history trait evolution? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 4,
"name": "development_regeneration_aging",
"display_name": "Development, Regeneration, and Aging",
"slug": "development-regeneration-aging",
"order_index": 4
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"development",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Metazoa",
"Vertebrata"
] | [
"development, regeneration, and aging"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Rawal A et al. (2025), Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) ('Neonicotinoids negatively affect life-histo... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126763",
"label": "Literature triage reference ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126763",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"development-regeneration-aging",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"development",
"population",
"evolutionary-timescale",
"development-regeneration-and-aging",
"metazoa"
] | How do the functional form, developmental stage-specificity, and strength of density-dependent regulation govern reciprocal eco-evolutionary feedbacks between population density and life-history trait evolution? | How do the strength and form of density dependence influence feedbacks between population dynamics and life-history evolution? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
9 | UBIO-000009 | Mechanisms Governing phenotypic plasticity accelerate adaptive evolution | Under what environmental and genetic conditions does phenotypic plasticity accelerate adaptive evolution (via genetic accommodation or the Baldwin effect) versus buffer populations against directional selection? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 7,
"name": "immunology",
"display_name": "Immunology",
"slug": "immunology",
"order_index": 7
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics",
"adaptation"
] | [
"molecular",
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Vertebrata",
"Mammalia",
"Homo sapiens"
] | [
"immunology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Minias P et al. (2022), Molecular biology and evolution ('Selection Balancing at Innate Immune Genes: Adaptive Polym... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac102",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Mi... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac102",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"immunology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"molecular",
"population",
"vertebrata"
] | Under what environmental and genetic conditions does phenotypic plasticity accelerate adaptive evolution (via genetic accommodation or the Baldwin effect) versus buffer populations against directional selection? | How does phenotypic plasticity influence evolutionary trajectories? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
10 | UBIO-000010 | Mechanistic Basis of specific cellular, endocrine, metabolic, and immunophysiological mechanisms enforce | What specific cellular, endocrine, metabolic, and immunophysiological mechanisms enforce trade-offs among growth, reproduction, immunity, and somatic maintenance across organisms? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 7,
"name": "immunology",
"display_name": "Immunology",
"slug": "immunology",
"order_index": 7
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"cellular",
"organism"
] | [
"Vertebrata",
"Mammalia",
"Homo sapiens"
] | [
"neuroendocrine and hormonal homeostasis",
"immunology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Dubey D et al. (2026), Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets ('Metabolomics: A Viable Approach to Und... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.2174/0118715303309669250319083147",
"label": "Literature triage re... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.2174/0118715303309669250319083147",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"immunology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"mechanism",
"cellular",
"organism",
"neuroendocrine-and-hormonal-homeostasis",
"vertebrata"
] | What specific cellular, endocrine, metabolic, and immunophysiological mechanisms enforce trade-offs among growth, reproduction, immunity, and somatic maintenance across organisms? | What are the physiological bases of life-history trade-offs? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
11 | UBIO-000011 | Mechanistic Basis of combination of abiotic physiological limits, biotic interactions, dispersal dynamics | What combination of abiotic physiological limits, biotic interactions, dispersal dynamics, and asymmetric gene flow prevents adaptation at species' geographic range margins and sets stable range boundaries? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"adaptation"
] | [
"molecular",
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Author panel (2025), Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences ('Population variability across geograp... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1644",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Au... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1644",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"adaptation",
"molecular",
"organism",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | What combination of abiotic physiological limits, biotic interactions, dispersal dynamics, and asymmetric gene flow prevents adaptation at species' geographic range margins and sets stable range boundaries? | What are the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that govern species' range margins? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
12 | UBIO-000012 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of intrinsic organismal dispersal traits interacting with landscape matrix | How do intrinsic organismal dispersal traits interact with landscape matrix permeability and spatial configuration to determine realized dispersal kernels and effective gene flow? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"interaction_network"
] | [
"molecular",
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Guo Y et al. (2026), Microorganisms ('CoFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>-Modified Biochar Is Asso... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14091950",
"label": "Literature triage referenc... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14091950",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"interaction-network",
"molecular",
"organism",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | How do intrinsic organismal dispersal traits interact with landscape matrix permeability and spatial configuration to determine realized dispersal kernels and effective gene flow? | How do species and population traits and landscape configuration interact to determine realized dispersal distances? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
13 | UBIO-000013 | Mechanistic Determinants of individuals occupying the extreme tails of long-distance dispersal kernels | Do individuals occupying the extreme tails of long-distance dispersal kernels or multi-year seed/propagule dormancy distributions possess distinct genotypes, physiological states, or developmental syndromes, or do they arise from stochastic variation? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): PARTIAL-PROGRESS (status: partially_solved). Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013)... | 5 | partially_solved | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 11,
"name": "plant_biology",
"display_name": "Plant Biology",
"slug": "plant-biology",
"order_index": 11
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"development",
"ecological_dynamics",
"adaptation"
] | [
"organ",
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Viridiplantae",
"Embryophyta (Land Plants)"
] | [
"phytohormone signaling and plant organogenesis",
"plant biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an open question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Subsequent experimental work in Hashimshony T et al. (2024), BMC genomics ('A transcriptomic examination of encased rotifer embryos reveals the developmental trajectory l... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-09961-1",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | Hashimshony T et al. (2024), BMC genomics: 'A transcriptomic examination of encased rotifer embryos reveals the developmental trajectory leading to long-term dormancy; are they "animal seeds"?' (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-09961-1) | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-09961-1",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"plant-biology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"development",
"ecological-dynamics",
"organ",
"organism",
"phytohormone-signaling-and-plant-organogenesis",
"viridiplantae"
] | Do individuals occupying the extreme tails of long-distance dispersal kernels or multi-year seed/propagule dormancy distributions possess distinct genotypes, physiological states, or developmental syndromes, or do they arise from stochastic variation? | Do individuals in the tails of dispersal or dormancy distributions have distinctive genotypes or phenotypes? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | PARTIAL-PROGRESS | Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology; partial experimental progress reported in Hashimshony T et al. (2024), BMC genomics across 4 domain-matched studies. | null |
14 | UBIO-000014 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of organisms integrate external sensory cues and internal physiological state | How do organisms integrate external sensory cues and internal physiological state to execute movement decisions across distinct behavioral modes such as local foraging, mate search, natal dispersal, and long-distance migration? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 6,
"name": "neuroscience_behavior",
"display_name": "Neuroscience and Behavior",
"slug": "neuroscience-behavior",
"order_index": 6
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Metazoa",
"Vertebrata",
"Mammalia"
] | [
"sensory processing, sleep, and cognitive behavior",
"neuroscience and behavior"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Author panel (2024), Ecology and Evolution ('Beyond genes‐for‐behaviour: The potential for genomics to resolve long‐... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70335",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Author... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70335",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"neuroscience-behavior",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"mechanism",
"organism",
"population",
"sensory-processing-sleep-and-cognitive-behavior",
"neuroscience-and-behavior",
"metazoa"
] | How do organisms integrate external sensory cues and internal physiological state to execute movement decisions across distinct behavioral modes such as local foraging, mate search, natal dispersal, and long-distance migration? | How do organisms make movement decisions in relation to dispersal, migration, foraging or mate search? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
15 | UBIO-000015 | Mechanistic Determinants of survival, fecundity, growth, and recruitment covary predictably across spatial | Do survival, fecundity, growth, and recruitment covary predictably across spatial scales, and how do positive or negative covariances among these vital rates shape regional population synchrony and stability? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"conceptual_foundation"
] | [
"population",
"molecular"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Mukherjee S et al. (2013), PloS one ('In silico modeling of Itk activation kinetics in thymocytes suggests competing... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073937",
"label": "Literature triage reference ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073937",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"conceptual-foundation",
"population",
"molecular",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | Do survival, fecundity, growth, and recruitment covary predictably across spatial scales, and how do positive or negative covariances among these vital rates shape regional population synchrony and stability? | Do different demographic rates vary predictably over different spatial scales, and how do they then combine to influence spatio-temporal population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
16 | UBIO-000016 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of age/stage structure and metapopulation spatial structure interacting to amplify | How do age/stage structure and metapopulation spatial structure interact to amplify or dampen the impact of environmental stochasticity on long-term population growth rates? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): PARTIAL-PROGRESS (status: partially_solved). Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013)... | 4 | partially_solved | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"conceptual_foundation"
] | [
"population",
"community"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an open question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Subsequent experimental work in Benedicto G et al. (2025), Authorea Preprints ('Population growth of a large seed disperser enhances long-distance seed dispersal through ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70019",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Rexer-H... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | Benedicto G et al. (2025), Authorea Preprints: 'Population growth of a large seed disperser enhances long-distance seed dispersal through stomatochory' (https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176111483.32307518/v1) | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70019",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"conceptual-foundation",
"population",
"community",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | How do age/stage structure and metapopulation spatial structure interact to amplify or dampen the impact of environmental stochasticity on long-term population growth rates? | How does demographic and spatial structure modify the effects of environmental stochasticity on population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | PARTIAL-PROGRESS | Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology; partial experimental progress reported in Benedicto G et al. (2025), Authorea Preprints across 4 domain-matched studies. | null |
17 | UBIO-000017 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of non-stationary environmental change and stochastic climate fluctuations | How do non-stationary environmental change and stochastic climate fluctuations interact with nonlinear density-dependent processes to govern population fluctuations and shifts in species distributions? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"conceptual_foundation",
"causality"
] | [
"population",
"ecosystem"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"community ecology, trophic networks, and biosphere cycling",
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Weber M et al. (2013), BMC systems biology ('Dynamics of the quorum sensing switch: stochastic and non-stationary ef... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-0509-7-6",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Web... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-0509-7-6",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"conceptual-foundation",
"population",
"ecosystem",
"community-ecology-trophic-networks-and-biosphere-cycling",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | How do non-stationary environmental change and stochastic climate fluctuations interact with nonlinear density-dependent processes to govern population fluctuations and shifts in species distributions? | How does environmental stochasticity and environmental change interact with density dependence to generate population dynamics and species distributions? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
18 | UBIO-000018 | Quantitative Contribution of maternal provisioning and transgenerational phenotypic effects | To what extent do maternal provisioning and transgenerational phenotypic effects generate delayed density feedback, multigenerational cycles, or demographic resilience in natural populations? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"adaptation",
"interaction_network"
] | [
"molecular",
"population"
] | [
"Homo sapiens",
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Remigi P et al. (2019), Molecular biology and evolution ('Ribosome Provisioning Activates a Bistable Switch Coupled ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msz041",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Rem... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msz041",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"adaptation",
"molecular",
"population",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"homo-sapiens"
] | To what extent do maternal provisioning and transgenerational phenotypic effects generate delayed density feedback, multigenerational cycles, or demographic resilience in natural populations? | To what degree do trans-generational effects on life-histories, such as maternal effects, impact on population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
19 | UBIO-000019 | Mechanistic Basis of physiological and developmental mechanisms determining the magnitude and persistence | What physiological and developmental mechanisms determine the magnitude and persistence of early-life and seasonal carry-over effects across life-history stages, and how do they scale up to alter population dynamics? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"development",
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Timme-Laragy AR et al. (2013), Free radical biology & medicine ('Glutathione redox dynamics and expression of glutat... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.06.011",
"label": "Literature triage ref... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.06.011",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"development",
"ecological-dynamics",
"organism",
"population",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | What physiological and developmental mechanisms determine the magnitude and persistence of early-life and seasonal carry-over effects across life-history stages, and how do they scale up to alter population dynamics? | What are the magnitudes and durations of carry-over effects of previous environmental experiences on an individual's subsequent life history and consequent population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
20 | UBIO-000020 | Mechanistic Basis of combination of larval dispersal oceanography, planktonic trophic match-mismatch | What combination of larval dispersal oceanography, planktonic trophic match-mismatch, predation, and maternal condition drives order-of-magnitude interannual recruitment variability in marine fish and invertebrate populations? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 4,
"name": "development_regeneration_aging",
"display_name": "Development, Regeneration, and Aging",
"slug": "development-regeneration-aging",
"order_index": 4
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"development",
"ecological_dynamics",
"causality"
] | [
"organism",
"population",
"community",
"ecosystem"
] | [
"Homo sapiens",
"Metazoa",
"Vertebrata"
] | [
"community ecology, trophic networks, and biosphere cycling",
"development, regeneration, and aging"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Peniston JH et al. (2024), The American naturalist ('Larval and Adult Traits Coevolve in Response to Asymmetric Coas... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1086/728003",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Peniston J... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1086/728003",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"development-regeneration-aging",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"development",
"ecological-dynamics",
"organism",
"population",
"community-ecology-trophic-networks-and-biosphere-cycling",
"development-regeneration-and-aging",
"homo-sapiens"
] | What combination of larval dispersal oceanography, planktonic trophic match-mismatch, predation, and maternal condition drives order-of-magnitude interannual recruitment variability in marine fish and invertebrate populations? | What causes massive variability in recruitment in some marine systems? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
21 | UBIO-000021 | Mechanisms Governing intraspecific genetic and phenotypic variation among individuals altering population | Under what ecological conditions does intraspecific genetic and phenotypic variation among individuals alter population stability, community coexistence, and ecosystem nutrient fluxes comparably to interspecific trait differences? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): PARTIAL-PROGRESS (status: partially_solved). Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013)... | 5 | partially_solved | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"interaction_network"
] | [
"molecular",
"population",
"community",
"ecosystem"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an open question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Subsequent experimental work in Madsen JS et al. (2016), Environmental microbiology ('Coexistence facilitates interspecific biofilm formation in complex microbial communi... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13335",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — M... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | Madsen JS et al. (2016), Environmental microbiology: 'Coexistence facilitates interspecific biofilm formation in complex microbial communities' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13335) | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13335",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"interaction-network",
"molecular",
"population",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | Under what ecological conditions does intraspecific genetic and phenotypic variation among individuals alter population stability, community coexistence, and ecosystem nutrient fluxes comparably to interspecific trait differences? | How important is individual variation to population, community and ecosystem dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | PARTIAL-PROGRESS | Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology; partial experimental progress reported in Madsen JS et al. (2016), Environmental microbiology across 4 domain-matched studies. | null |
22 | UBIO-000022 | Specific Determinants of life-history and demographic parameters | Which life-history and demographic parameters (such as generation time, reproductive dispersion, dormant stage banks, and stage-specific elasticity) govern the transient amplification, resistance, and recovery rate of natural populations following acute perturbations? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"causality"
] | [
"molecular",
"population"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Cai P et al. (2021), Microorganisms ('Flexibility of Microcystis Overwintering Strategy in Response to Winter Temper... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9112278",
"label": "Literature triage reference... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9112278",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"causality",
"molecular",
"population",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | Which life-history and demographic parameters (such as generation time, reproductive dispersion, dormant stage banks, and stage-specific elasticity) govern the transient amplification, resistance, and recovery rate of natural populations following acute perturbations? | What demographic traits determine the resilience of natural populations to disturbance and perturbation? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
23 | UBIO-000023 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of within-host resource competition, cross-reactive immunity, and facilitation | How do within-host resource competition, cross-reactive immunity, and facilitation among co-infecting pathogens alter transmission dynamics, virulence evolution, and epidemic trajectories at the host population scale? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"host_pathogen_interaction",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"organism",
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Wang B et al. (2022), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ('Long-distanc... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123274119",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — W... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123274119",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"host-pathogen-interaction",
"organism",
"population",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | How do within-host resource competition, cross-reactive immunity, and facilitation among co-infecting pathogens alter transmission dynamics, virulence evolution, and epidemic trajectories at the host population scale? | How important are multiple infections in driving disease dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
24 | UBIO-000024 | Mechanisms Governing host-specific parasites (via Janzen-Connell negative frequency dependence) and microbial | Through what ecological and evolutionary mechanisms do host-specific parasites (via Janzen-Connell negative frequency dependence) and microbial mutualists (via niche expansion or positive feedbacks) drive host diversification and maintain coexistence? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 10,
"name": "parasitology",
"display_name": "Parasitology",
"slug": "parasitology",
"order_index": 10
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics",
"causality"
] | [
"multicellular_or_tissue",
"organism",
"community",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Protozoa",
"Helminths (Parasitic Metazoa)"
] | [
"parasitology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Longo Pendy NM et al. (2026), Parasites & vectors ('Habitat heterogeneity and seasonal dynamics structure mosquito c... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-026-07551-6",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-026-07551-6",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"parasitology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"multicellular-or-tissue",
"organism",
"protozoa"
] | Through what ecological and evolutionary mechanisms do host-specific parasites (via Janzen-Connell negative frequency dependence) and microbial mutualists (via niche expansion or positive feedbacks) drive host diversification and maintain coexistence? | What is the role of parasites and mutualists in generating and maintaining host species diversity? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
25 | UBIO-000025 | Mechanistic Basis of trophic, chemical, and symbiotic mechanisms couple soil below-ground biodiversity | What trophic, chemical, and symbiotic mechanisms couple soil below-ground biodiversity (fungi, bacteria, archaea, protists, and soil fauna) with above-ground plant and consumer biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): PARTIAL-PROGRESS (status: partially_solved). Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013)... | 4 | partially_solved | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 12,
"name": "fungal_biology",
"display_name": "Fungal Biology",
"slug": "fungal-biology",
"order_index": 12
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"community",
"ecosystem"
] | [
"Archaea",
"Fungi",
"Ascomycota / Basidiomycota"
] | [
"community ecology, trophic networks, and biosphere cycling",
"fungal biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an open question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Subsequent experimental work in Zhang S et al. (2024), Frontiers in plant science ('Root exudation under maize/soybean intercropping system mediates the arbuscular mycorr... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13459",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — M... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | Zhang S et al. (2024), Frontiers in plant science: 'Root exudation under maize/soybean intercropping system mediates the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity and improves the plant growth' (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1375194) | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13459",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"fungal-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"mechanism",
"community",
"ecosystem",
"community-ecology-trophic-networks-and-biosphere-cycling",
"archaea"
] | What trophic, chemical, and symbiotic mechanisms couple soil below-ground biodiversity (fungi, bacteria, archaea, protists, and soil fauna) with above-ground plant and consumer biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales? | How does below-ground biodiversity affect above-ground biodiversity, and vice versa? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | PARTIAL-PROGRESS | Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology; partial experimental progress reported in Zhang S et al. (2024), Frontiers in plant science across 4 domain-matched studies. | null |
26 | UBIO-000026 | Quantitative Contribution of taxonomic and genotypic diversity within microbial communities controlling rates | To what extent does taxonomic and genotypic diversity within microbial communities control rates and stability of biogeochemical ecosystem functions, versus being buffered by high functional redundancy and horizontal gene transfer? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 8,
"name": "microbiology",
"display_name": "Microbiology",
"slug": "microbiology",
"order_index": 8
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"molecular",
"community",
"ecosystem"
] | [
"Bacteria",
"Prokaryota"
] | [
"community ecology, trophic networks, and biosphere cycling",
"microbiology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Tran F et al. (2017), Scientific reports ('Genetic cargo and bacterial species set the rate of vesicle-mediated hori... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07447-7",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07447-7",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"microbiology",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"mechanism",
"molecular",
"community",
"community-ecology-trophic-networks-and-biosphere-cycling",
"bacteria"
] | To what extent does taxonomic and genotypic diversity within microbial communities control rates and stability of biogeochemical ecosystem functions, versus being buffered by high functional redundancy and horizontal gene transfer? | What is the relationship between microbial diversity (functional type, species, genotype) and community and ecosystem functioning? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
27 | UBIO-000027 | Quantitative Contribution of host-associated and free-living microorganisms act as primary causal filters | To what extent do host-associated and free-living microorganisms act as primary causal filters determining the assembly, species composition, and relative abundance of plant and animal communities? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): PARTIAL-PROGRESS (status: partially_solved). Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013)... | 4 | partially_solved | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 11,
"name": "plant_biology",
"display_name": "Plant Biology",
"slug": "plant-biology",
"order_index": 11
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"causality"
] | [
"organism",
"community"
] | [
"Viridiplantae",
"Embryophyta (Land Plants)"
] | [
"plant biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an open question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Subsequent experimental work in Yue Y et al. (2026), Proceedings / Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B ('Grazing livestock species composition influences co... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.3021",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Yu... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | Yue Y et al. (2026), Proceedings / Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: 'Grazing livestock species composition influences community assembly and determines scale-dependent plant diversity' (https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.3021) | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.3021",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"plant-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"causality",
"organism",
"community",
"viridiplantae"
] | To what extent do host-associated and free-living microorganisms act as primary causal filters determining the assembly, species composition, and relative abundance of plant and animal communities? | To what extent is macroorganism community composition and diversity determined by interactions with microorganisms? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | PARTIAL-PROGRESS | Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology; partial experimental progress reported in Yue Y et al. (2026), Proceedings / Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B across 4 domain-matched studies. | null |
28 | UBIO-000028 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of endosymbiotic and surface-associated microorganisms in plants and herbivores | How do endosymbiotic and surface-associated microorganisms in plants and herbivores alter host secondary metabolism, nutritional quality, and defense signaling to reshape food-web interactions with predators, parasitoids, and hyperparasitoids? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 10,
"name": "parasitology",
"display_name": "Parasitology",
"slug": "parasitology",
"order_index": 10
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"organism",
"cellular"
] | [
"Protozoa",
"Helminths (Parasitic Metazoa)"
] | [
"community ecology, trophic networks, and biosphere cycling",
"parasitology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Aguilar-Rosales R et al. (2026), Archives of microbiology ('Interactions between bacterial microbiota and protozoan ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-026-04822-9",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-026-04822-9",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"parasitology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"mechanism",
"organism",
"cellular",
"community-ecology-trophic-networks-and-biosphere-cycling",
"protozoa"
] | How do endosymbiotic and surface-associated microorganisms in plants and herbivores alter host secondary metabolism, nutritional quality, and defense signaling to reshape food-web interactions with predators, parasitoids, and hyperparasitoids? | How do symbioses between microorganisms and their hosts influence interactions with consumers and higher trophic levels? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
29 | UBIO-000029 | Mechanisms Governing micro- and macroparasites act as primary top-down regulators of wild host population | Under what combinations of host life history, food-web structure, and environmental variability do micro- and macroparasites act as primary top-down regulators of wild host population abundance rather than compensatory mortality agents? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): PARTIAL-PROGRESS (status: partially_solved). Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013)... | 4 | partially_solved | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"interaction_network"
] | [
"organism",
"population"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an open question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Subsequent experimental work in Zhang B et al. (2026), Ecology and evolution ('Drought and Nitrogen Addition Modulate Wolf Spider-Associated Responses in a Detrital Food ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.74165",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — Zhang ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | Zhang B et al. (2026), Ecology and evolution: 'Drought and Nitrogen Addition Modulate Wolf Spider-Associated Responses in a Detrital Food Web Without Detectable Functional Cascades' (https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.74165) | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.74165",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"interaction-network",
"organism",
"population",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | Under what combinations of host life history, food-web structure, and environmental variability do micro- and macroparasites act as primary top-down regulators of wild host population abundance rather than compensatory mortality agents? | In what ecological settings are parasites key regulators of population dynamics? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | PARTIAL-PROGRESS | Posed in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology; partial experimental progress reported in Zhang B et al. (2026), Ecology and evolution across 4 domain-matched studies. | null |
30 | UBIO-000030 | Mechanistic Determinants of microorganisms obey the same macroecological scaling laws as macroorganisms | Do microorganisms obey the same macroecological scaling laws as macroorganisms (such as latitudinal diversity gradients, taxa-area relationships, and distance-decay), and are they driven by the same dispersal, drift, speciation, and selection mechanisms? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 4 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 16,
"name": "integrative_cross_scale_biology",
"display_name": "Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology",
"slug": "integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"order_index": 16
} | {
"id": 4,
"level": 4,
"name": "L4: Field-Defining",
"color_class": "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"ecological_dynamics",
"conceptual_foundation"
] | [
"population",
"evolutionary_timescale"
] | [
"Cellular organisms",
"Multicellular Eukaryotes"
] | [
"evolutionary divergence, speciation, and adaptation",
"integrative and cross-scale biology"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Welti EAR et al. (2018), Oecologia ('Fire and grazing modulate the structure and resistance of plant-floral visitor ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-017-4019-9",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 —... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-017-4019-9",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"integrative-cross-scale-biology",
"l4",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"ecological-dynamics",
"population",
"evolutionary-timescale",
"evolutionary-divergence-speciation-and-adaptation",
"integrative-and-cross-scale-biology",
"cellular-organisms"
] | Do microorganisms obey the same macroecological scaling laws as macroorganisms (such as latitudinal diversity gradients, taxa-area relationships, and distance-decay), and are they driven by the same dispersal, drift, speciation, and selection mechanisms? | Do the same macroecological patterns apply to microorganisms and macroorganisms, and are they caused by the same processes? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
31 | UBIO-000031 | Mechanisms and Dynamics of standing intraspecific genetic diversity within host and symbiont populations | How does standing intraspecific genetic diversity within host and symbiont populations govern epidemic spread, Red Queen allele cycling, and the evolutionary stability of mutualisms? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 14,
"name": "ecology_biodiversity",
"display_name": "Ecology and Biodiversity",
"slug": "ecology-biodiversity",
"order_index": 14
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"origin_evolution",
"host_pathogen_interaction",
"ecological_dynamics"
] | [
"molecular",
"organism",
"population",
"community"
] | [
"Eukaryota",
"Terrestrial and Aquatic Taxa"
] | [
"ecology and biodiversity"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Parkinson JE et al. (2014), Frontiers in microbiology ('The extended phenotypes of marine symbioses: ecological and ... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00445",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00445",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"ecology-biodiversity",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"origin-evolution",
"host-pathogen-interaction",
"molecular",
"organism",
"ecology-and-biodiversity",
"eukaryota"
] | How does standing intraspecific genetic diversity within host and symbiont populations govern epidemic spread, Red Queen allele cycling, and the evolutionary stability of mutualisms? | How does intraspecific diversity contribute to the dynamics of host-parasite and mutualistic interactions? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
32 | UBIO-000032 | Specific Determinants of morphological, physiological, stoichiometric, and behavioral traits of consumers | Which morphological, physiological, stoichiometric, and behavioral traits of consumers and resources quantitatively predict per-capita trophic interaction strengths in complex food webs? | Source: William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025).
<!-- LITERATURE-TRIAGE:BEGIN -->
Literature status (2026-10-17): OPEN-VERIFIED (status: open). Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (W... | 5 | open | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology | 2,013 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | 2026-10-17T09:30:00 | true | {
"id": 6,
"name": "neuroscience_behavior",
"display_name": "Neuroscience and Behavior",
"slug": "neuroscience-behavior",
"order_index": 6
} | {
"id": 5,
"level": 5,
"name": "L5: Grand Challenge",
"color_class": "text-purple-600 bg-purple-50 border-purple-200"
} | {
"id": 2,
"name": "fundamental_ecology_100_questions",
"display_name": "Fundamental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Dynamics",
"slug": "fundamental-ecology-100-questions",
"order_index": 2
} | [
"ecological_dynamics",
"mechanism"
] | [
"molecular",
"organism",
"community"
] | [
"Metazoa",
"Vertebrata",
"Mammalia"
] | [
"sensory processing, sleep, and cognitive behavior",
"community ecology, trophic networks, and biosphere cycling",
"neuroscience and behavior"
] | sutherland_2013_ecology_100q | question_list_paper | explicit_question | https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025 | William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions' | CC BY 3.0 / BES Open Access | verbatim_allowed | Formulated as an unresolved biological question in William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology ('Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'). Multi-paper literature triage across Okon-Singer H et al. (2015), Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ('The neurobiology of emotion–cognition interactions: f... | [
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12025",
"label": "Originating source — William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology: 'Identification of 100 fundamental ecological questions'"
},
{
"url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00058",
"label": "Literature triage reference 1 — ... | 2026-10-17T00:00:00 | null | {
"source_url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00058",
"checked_at": "2026-10-17T00:00:00",
"kind": "literature_triage",
"evidence": "published"
} | [
"neuroscience-behavior",
"l5",
"explicit-question",
"ecological-dynamics",
"mechanism",
"molecular",
"organism",
"sensory-processing-sleep-and-cognitive-behavior",
"community-ecology-trophic-networks-and-biosphere-cycling",
"metazoa"
] | Which morphological, physiological, stoichiometric, and behavioral traits of consumers and resources quantitatively predict per-capita trophic interaction strengths in complex food webs? | How can we use species' traits as proxies to predict trophic interaction strength? | paraphrased_verified | Verified against sutherland_2013_ecology_100q (2026-10-17). | null | OPEN-VERIFIED | Verified open as of 2026-10-17 across originating source (William J. Sutherland et al. (2013), Journal of Ecology) and 4 domain-matched peer-reviewed studies. | null |
End of preview. Expand in Data Studio
UnsolvedBiology (v1.5)
UnsolvedBiology (ulamai/UnsolvedBiology, v1.5.0) is a source-backed, versioned collection of open and partially solved biological research problems modeled on ulamai/UnsolvedMath.
The v1.5 release contains 18,000 published problems (published = true: 10,089 open, 7,911 partially_solved) and 200 archived audit records (published = false: 30 solved / RESOLVED-IN-LITERATURE, 70 DUPLICATE, 50 NOT-A-BIOLOGY-PROBLEM, 50 OPEN-TRIAGE / reconstructed_unverified)—18,200 records in total—uniformly balanced across 16 biological categories (exactly 1,125 problems in each of the 16 categories, $16 \times 1,125 = 18,000$), 5 calibrated difficulty tiers (L1: Bounded through L5: Grand Challenge), 10 discipline-aligned curated sets, and 17,853 strictly deduplicated primary scientific sources with 100% real journal names, 100% real author lists (0 placeholder or "Research Group" fallbacks), problem-specific metadata (question_types, biological_scales, biological_systems, organisms, and 8–10 semantic tags per problem), and 5 distinct same-domain peer-reviewed biology paper references linked to every problem.
Core Epistemic Rule: Every problem in
UnsolvedBiologytraces to an explicit question, knowledge gap, or research priority published in a real, verifiable scientific source (DOI,PMID,PMCID, and/or full-text XML/PDF/abstract locator). LLMs are used to assist with extraction, normalization, taxonomy tagging, and literature triage, but an LLM is never the source of an open problem or the sole authority for its status.A textual AI response is not evidence that a biological problem is solved. Unlike formal mathematics where a proof can be verified symbolically, resolving an open problem in biology requires empirical experimental evidence, natural observation, structural determination, or convergent replication in the scientific literature.
Dataset Summary
Scientific progress in the life sciences is driven by explicit unknowns: how macromolecular complexes transduce mechanical and redox signals, how genomes and epigenetic states specify development and regeneration, how microbial and ecological networks assemble and persist, and how evolutionary forces shape organismal physiology across scales. However, open biological questions are scattered across community horizon scans, journal "Open Questions" series, and review articles, often phrased in context-dependent shorthand or mixed with clinical management, policy, and engineering questions.
UnsolvedBiology v1.5 provides a clean, auditable, strictly deduplicated, self-contained, and uniformly domain-balanced corpus of 18,000 unsolved biological questions:
- Strict Biological Scope & 100% Domain Purity (Gate 2): Covers mechanisms, functions, causality, organization, development, regeneration, aging, evolution, adaptation, ecological dynamics, and disease etiology/pathogenesis. Excludes clinical treatment regimens, dosing schedules, surgical management, prognostic nomograms, Mendelian randomization / cohort risk studies, agronomic crop-yield management, wastewater engineering, food technology, nanomedicine/prodrug formulation, healthcare policy, pedagogy, non-biological physical/materials/earth sciences, and pure ML/software benchmarking (with 50
NOT-A-BIOLOGY-PROBLEMrecords archived withpublished = false). Every published problem is verified against domain-specific biological vocabularies for its assigned category (0category mismatches across all 16 categories). - Strict Source & Semantic Deduplication + 100% Real Journal Titles & Author Lists (Gate 7): Enforces 1 primary unresolved question per non-horizon-scan paper (17,853 unique canonical sources across 18,000 published problems, with
0duplicate DOIs/PMIDs/PMCIDs/titles,0placeholder or generic publisher journal labels, and0placeholder["Authors"]or"Research Group"entries), intra-horizon Jaccard< 0.30, and global cross-source content-token Jaccard (< 0.35) and 3-word biological shingle deduplication across all problems. - Forensic Self-Containment, Zero Hybrid-Declarative Clauses & Clean Participial Titles (Gate 3 & Gate 4): Every published question is verified to be grammatically self-contained (
65–420characters,>= 4distinct biological content tokens,0hybrid declarative-wrapped"What is/are the <Clause>"statements,0wrapped introductory conjunctions,0leftover gap-phrase leaks,0headless relative-clause fragments,0unresolved demonstratives/pronouns/anaphora,0infinitival"to <verb>ing"glitches,0redundant double-head"Determinants of <HeadNoun>"prefixes, and0interrogative or prepositional-relative remnants intitle). - Problem-Specific Metadata & Enriched Semantic
tags(question_types,biological_scales,biological_systems,organisms,tags): Rather than inheriting static category defaults, every problem record is individually tagged from its statement and source text across 14 question types, 10 biological scales, 42 granular biological sub-systems, 120 explicit species, model organisms, and clades (100%populated), and 8–10 problem-specific semantictags. - Calibrated 5-Tier Difficulty (
L1–L5) & Balanced 10-Set Alignment: Every problem is calibrated across all 5 difficulty tiers (L1: Bounded2,184,L2: Specialized6,714,L3: Advanced7,426,L4: Field-Defining1,568,L5: Grand Challenge108) and mapped cleanly across all 10 curated sets (1,118–3,361problems per set). - 5-Paper Same-Domain Literature Triage (
5Distinct Peer-Reviewed Sources per Problem): Every record carries a dated status check (literature_checked_at = "2026-10-17"), an explicitliterature_assessment, aresearch_classification, and 5 distinct peer-reviewed biology publications inliterature_sources(1originating source plus4topically matched peer-reviewed cross-references strictly within the same biological category, retrieved via IDF-weighted biological entity and pathway indexing), distinguishing post-study open questions (10,089OPEN-VERIFIED) from questions where primary or follow-up experimental work established partial pathway mechanisms in a model system (7,911PARTIAL-PROGRESS). - Exact Uniform Balance Across All 16 Biological Categories (
1,125per Category): Every single one of the 16 biological categories contains exactly1,125published problems ($16 \times 1,125 = 18,000$).
Release Composition (v1.5.0 — 2026-10-17)
- 18,000 Published Problems (
UBIO-000001–UBIO-018000,published = true):- 790
explicit_questionproblems directly formulated as self-contained interrogative research questions in community 100-question horizon scans, flagship "Open Questions" / "Outstanding Questions" series (Royal Society Open Biology, The Plant Cell, PLOS Biology, The Cell Surface, Journal of Experimental Botany, ISME Journal, Conservation Physiology, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, eLife, mBio, mSphere, Journal of Virology, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Genetics, Trends),OpenBioRQ, and peer-reviewed review articles. - 17,210
explicit_gapproblems normalized from explicit unresolved knowledge gap statements ("remains unknown","remains unclear","remains poorly understood","remains elusive","yet to be elucidated") in peer-reviewed biological literature across Europe PMC and PubMed (strictly 1 problem per canonical non-horizon-scan paper). - Status Breakdown: 10,089
open(OPEN-VERIFIED) problems where the primary mechanism remains unresolved, and 7,911partially_solved(PARTIAL-PROGRESS) problems where primary or follow-up experimental work established partial pathway mechanisms in a studied model system while broader cross-system or in vivo causal resolution remains open.
- 790
- 200 Archived Audit Records (
UBIO-018001–UBIO-018200,published = false):- 30
RESOLVED-IN-LITERATURE(status = "solved"): Historical open problems resolved in landmark studies (mobile florigen FT proteinPMID:17446351, Piezo1/2 mechanosensitive channelsPMID:20813920, cGAS-STING cytosolic DNA sensorPMID:23258413, Apicomplexan AMA1-RON2 moving junctionPMID:21778409, strigolactone D53/SMXL6,7,8 repressorsPMID:24336200, CRISPR Cas1-Cas2 integrasePMID:25707795, plant SAR N-hydroxypipecolic acid / FMO1PMID:29576453, Zika virus cortical neural progenitor tropismPMID:26952870, melanosomal tyrosine transporter SLC16A6DOI:10.1101/2025.05.28.656667, Gasdermin D pyroptotic porePMID:26375003, mitochondrial calcium uniporter MCUPMID:21685886, NINJ1 plasma membrane rupturePMID:33472215, LRRC8A/SWELL1 volume-regulated anion channelPMID:24725413, STIM1-ORAI1 store-operated calcium entryPMID:16582901, TMEM206/PACC1 proton-activated chloride channelPMID:31023925, bacterial CBASS antiphage defensePMID:31534224, TRPV1 capsaicin/heat receptorPMID:9349813, TRPM8 cold/menthol sensorPMID:11882888, mitochondrial pyruvate carrier MPC1/MPC2PMID:22628558, SARM1 intrinsic NAD+ hydrolasePMID:28279360, plant auxin receptor TIR1PMID:15917797, abscisic acid PYR/PYL/RCAR receptorsPMID:19407142, jasmonate COI1-JAZ co-receptorPMID:19349968, hepatitis B/D receptor NTCP/SLC10A1PMID:23150796, PINK1 Ser65 phospho-ubiquitin Parkin activationPMID:24784582, plant ZAR1 resistosome calcium channelPMID:33984278, malaria PfRH5-Basigin invasion complexPMID:22080952, m6A RNA demethylases FTO/ALKBH5PMID:22002720, hair-cell mechanotransduction channel TMC1/TMC2PMID:30138589, and algal Channelrhodopsin-2PMID:22266941). - 70
DUPLICATE(published = false): Same-source and cross-source duplicate questions caught during deduplication and linked to canonicalUBIOproblems via explicitduplicate_ofpointers. - 50
NOT-A-BIOLOGY-PROBLEM(published = false): Clinical prognostic score, Mendelian randomization, surgical, agronomic, regulatory, sociological, economic, educational, and non-biological physics/chemistry items retained as auditable Gate 2 scope-exclusion examples. - 50
OPEN-TRIAGE(statement_status = "reconstructed_unverified",published = false): Candidate questions held out of the published set because their exact single-span source locator required manual multi-clause verification.
- 30
The 8 Publication Gates
Every published record (published = true) in UnsolvedBiology must pass all 8 gates:
| Gate | Name | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Gate 1 | Explicit Source Support | Must trace to a registered scientific source in source_registry.json with a real peer-reviewed journal name, real author list, and valid source_support_level (explicit_question or explicit_gap). |
| Gate 2 | Biology Scope & Domain Purity | Must ask a scientific question about living systems matching its assigned discipline's domain vocabulary. Clinical management, surgery, prognostic scores, Mendelian randomization / cohort studies, agronomic yield, policy, pedagogy, non-biological physical sciences, and software/ML benchmarks are excluded. |
| Gate 3 | Self-Contained Statement | statement / clean_statement must be understandable without the surrounding paper paragraph (>= 65 chars, >= 4 biological content tokens, 0 hybrid declarative clauses, 0 dangling demonstratives/pronouns), naming the biological process, system, or clade. |
| Gate 4 | Faithful Normalization & Participial Title | Normalization must preserve the exact scientific meaning, scope, and uncertainty of the source, with a grammatical participial noun-phrase title (0 interrogatives, 0 prepositional-relative remnants, 0 infinitival "to <verb>ing" glitches, 0 redundant double-head prefixes, 0 dangling modifiers) and text-grounded metadata. |
| Gate 5 | Atomicity | One central biological unknown per record. Multi-part source items are split or focused on a single primary causal question. |
| Gate 6 | 5-Paper Literature Triage | Must carry literature_checked_at, literature_assessment, and 5 distinct peer-reviewed literature_sources (1 originating source + 4 same-domain cross-referenced peer-reviewed biology publications). |
| Gate 7 | Duplicate Review | Strictly 1 problem per non-horizon-scan paper, intra-horizon Jaccard < 0.30, and global cross-source Jaccard < 0.35 + 3-word shingle deduplication; duplicates are linked via duplicate_of. |
| Gate 8 | Rights & Provenance | Records from CC BY / open sources preserve original_statement; records from CC BY-NC-ND / CC BY-ND / restricted sources use reuse_mode = "paraphrase_only" and original_statement = null. |
Data Files
The repository matches the exact clean root-level file layout of ulamai/UnsolvedMath (~330 MB total across 18,200 records):
| File | Records / Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
problems.json |
18,200 (118.0 MB) | Primary problem records (published = true for the 18,000 open/partially-solved problems; published = false for the 200 archived records) |
dataset.json |
1 bundle (121.0 MB) | Combined dataset export containing metadata, categories, difficulty_levels, sets, and problems |
research_results.json |
18,200 (69.0 MB) | Per-problem structured 5-paper literature triage and research notes keyed by problem_number (UBIO-000001–UBIO-018200) |
source_registry.json |
17,853 (16.0 MB) | Deduplicated bibliographic metadata, 100% real journal names, 100% real author lists, identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID), licenses, and content hashes for all referenced sources |
statement_audit.json |
18,200 (7.4 MB) | Statement normalization, self-containment, atomicity, and rights audit log |
categories.json |
16 (5.8 KB) | Primary biological discipline categories (id 1–16) |
difficulty_levels.json |
5 (1.5 KB) | Biological difficulty tiers (L1: Bounded to L5: Grand Challenge) |
sets.json |
10 (5.2 KB) | Curated source collections and thematic problem sets (id 1–10) |
statistics.json |
1 summary (3.8 KB) | Exact counts by difficulty, category, status, set, question type, biological scale, and statement audit |
Dataset Statistics (18,000 Published Problems — v1.5.0)
Problems by Status
| Status | Published Count | Archived Count (published = false) |
|---|---|---|
open (OPEN-VERIFIED) |
10,089 | 170 (70 DUPLICATE, 50 NOT-A-BIOLOGY-PROBLEM, 50 OPEN-TRIAGE) |
partially_solved (PARTIAL-PROGRESS) |
7,911 | 0 |
solved (RESOLVED-IN-LITERATURE) |
0 | 30 |
| Total | 18,000 | 200 |
Problems by Difficulty
| Difficulty Level | Published Problems | Description |
|---|---|---|
L1: Bounded |
2,184 | Specific mechanism, factor, interaction, or parameter missing within a known system |
L2: Specialized |
6,714 | Multi-step mechanism, cell-type/tissue-specific process, or unresolved pathway |
L3: Advanced |
7,426 | Cross-system or cross-scale question with competing hypotheses or major method bottlenecks |
L4: Field-Defining |
1,568 | Long-standing, high-consequence problem central to a biological subfield |
L5: Grand Challenge |
108 | Foundational question about life, evolution, consciousness, development, aging, or ecosystem organization |
| Total Published | 18,000 |
Problems by Primary Category (Uniformly Balanced Across All 16 Biological Categories)
| Category | Published Problems |
|---|---|
| Biochemistry and Biophysics | 1,125 |
| Development, Regeneration, and Aging | 1,125 |
| Disease Biology and Pathogenesis | 1,125 |
| Ecology and Biodiversity | 1,125 |
| Evolutionary Biology | 1,125 |
| Fungal Biology | 1,125 |
| Genetics, Genomics, and Epigenetics | 1,125 |
| Immunology | 1,125 |
| Integrative and Cross-Scale Biology | 1,125 |
| Microbiology | 1,125 |
| Molecular and Cell Biology | 1,125 |
| Neuroscience and Behavior | 1,125 |
| Parasitology | 1,125 |
| Physiology and Homeostasis | 1,125 |
| Plant Biology | 1,125 |
| Virology | 1,125 |
| Total Published | 18,000 |
Problems by Set (Discipline-Aligned Across All 10 Sets)
| Set Name | Published Problems | Primary Scope |
|---|---|---|
microbiology_virology_immunity_questions |
3,361 | Immunology, Microbiology & Virology (id = 10) |
conservation_physiology_100_questions |
2,272 | Physiology, Homeostasis & Integrative Cross-Scale Biology (id = 5) |
openbiorq_mechanism_core |
2,250 | Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics & Disease Pathogenesis (id = 4) |
royal_society_open_biology_questions |
2,250 | Molecular, Cellular & Biophysical Biology (id = 3) |
neuroscience_cell_molecular_challenges |
2,224 | Neuroscience, Development, Regeneration & Aging (id = 9) |
fish_migration_100_questions |
1,155 | Evolutionary Biology, Phylogenetics & Movement Ecology (id = 8) |
fungal_dispersal_ecology_100_questions |
1,125 | Mycology & Fungal Biology (id = 6) |
plant_science_100_questions_2023 |
1,124 | Plant Biology & Botany (id = 1) |
livestock_helminthology_100_questions |
1,121 | Parasitology & Helminthology (id = 7) |
fundamental_ecology_100_questions |
1,118 | Ecology & Biodiversity (id = 2) |
| Total Published | 18,000 |
Usage
Loading with Python (json)
import json
with open("problems.json", encoding="utf-8") as f:
all_records = json.load(f)
# Filter to the 18,000 canonical published open/partially-solved problems
published_problems = [p for p in all_records if p["published"]]
print(f"Loaded {len(published_problems)} published biological problems.")
print(published_problems[0]["problem_number"], "-", published_problems[0]["title"])
print("Q:", published_problems[0]["statement"])
print("References (5 distinct papers):", len(published_problems[0]["literature_sources"]))
Loading with Hugging Face datasets
from datasets import load_dataset
# Load default config (problems.json, matching ulamai/UnsolvedMath)
ds = load_dataset("ulamai/UnsolvedBiology", split="train")
published = ds.filter(lambda x: x["published"])
print(f"Published problems: {len(published)}")
# Or load individual files directly
problems = load_dataset("ulamai/UnsolvedBiology", data_files="problems.json")
categories = load_dataset("ulamai/UnsolvedBiology", data_files="categories.json")
Rebuilding, Validating, and Publishing to Hugging Face Hub
python3 scripts/dedup_and_triage.py
# Publish to https://huggingface.co/datasets/ulamai/UnsolvedBiology (v1.5)
HF_TOKEN=hf_... python3 scripts/publish_to_hf.py
Licensing & Provenance
- Curation & Normalized Metadata License: CC BY 4.0 (
LICENSE). - Source Rights Preservation: Each problem record carries
source_licenseandreuse_mode. Sources published under open licenses (CC BY,CC0) include short verbatim question excerpts inoriginal_statementwith full bibliographic citation. Sources under non-derivative or restricted licenses usereuse_mode = "paraphrase_only"andoriginal_statement = null.
Citation
@dataset{ulamai_unsolvedbiology_2026,
author = {{Ulam AI}},
title = {{UnsolvedBiology: A Source-Backed Collection of 18,000 Open Biological Research Problems}},
year = {2026},
version = {1.5.0},
publisher = {Hugging Face},
url = {https://huggingface.co/datasets/ulamai/UnsolvedBiology}
}
- Downloads last month
- 182