https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/11732 2026-11-15T15:36:18Z 2026-11-15T15:36:18Z Lee, Sang-im Fu, Minjie Yoon, Yeojoo Cho, Haeun Jablonski, Piotr Grzegorz Choe, Jae Chun https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/61126 2026-11-09T05:40:15Z 2025-12-31T15:00:00Z

Title: Significant impact of threshold adjustments on microbiome characterization following Nanopore sequencing Author(s): Lee, Sang-im; Fu, Minjie; Yoon, Yeojoo; Cho, Haeun; Jablonski, Piotr Grzegorz; Choe, Jae Chun Abstract: Sequencing the full-length 16S rRNA gene is essential for improving the taxonomic resolution of bacterial identification. Long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing, coupled with its real-time analysis platform EPI2ME, has become increasingly competitive in microbial community profiling studies. However, the impact of threshold settings in EPI2ME Agent on the alignment-based confidence (hereafter “Alignment accuracy”) and the proportion of reads successfully assigned to a taxon (hereafter “Classification success”) has not yet been systematically evaluated. In this study, we performed ONT-based full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing on samples collected from eggshells of wild Oriental Tits (Parus minor). By adjusting different threshold settings in the EPI2ME Agent, we examined how filtering conditions affect Alignment accuracy, Classification success, and downstream microbiome diversity analysis. Our results revealed that filtering thresholds had substantial effects on these outputs. These findings highlight the importance of carefully selecting filtering parameters in the EPI2ME Agent to balance alignment accuracy and classification success, and to improve the interpretability and consistency of taxonomic profiles generated from ONT sequencing data.

2025-12-31T15:00:00Z Park, Jinseok Kim, Woojoo Lee, Keesan Ha, Jungmoon Lee, Sangim Jablonski, Piotr G. https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/61061 2026-11-05T09:10:18Z 2025-12-31T15:00:00Z

Title: Unusually Long Incubation Including Interactions with the Mate by a Female Japanese Tit Parus cinereus minor in the Absence of Eggs Author(s): Park, Jinseok; Kim, Woojoo; Lee, Keesan; Ha, Jungmoon; Lee, Sangim; Jablonski, Piotr G. Abstract: Breeding birds exhibit behaviours such as incubation and food provisioning, but proximate cues affecting the timing and duration of these behaviours remain poorly understood. In the Japanese Tit Parus cinereus minor, females incubate eggs and are provisioned by their mate. We report an unusual case of a female Japanese Tit incubating for at least 20 days without eggs, during which the female continuously interacted with its mate and was likely provisioned by him. We suggest that terminating incubation may require signals from chicks, and male provisioning may be triggered by female behaviours, such as incubation, begging displays or begging calls, rather than eggs. The development of a brood patch and nest building behaviours suggest elevated oestrogen levels in the female. Future research should explore proximate cues and hormonal regulation for these behaviours during breeding.

2025-12-31T15:00:00Z Ha, Jungmoon Hwang, Injae Kim, Woojoo Lee, Keesan Park, Jinseok Park, Chan-Ryul Park, Sung-Jin Song, Jihyun Lee, Sunghyun Jablonski, Piotr G. Lee, Sang-im https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/60963 2026-10-30T04:40:14Z 2026-07-31T15:00:00Z

Title: Climate and habitat influence nest predation by snakes on cavity-nesting birds Author(s): Ha, Jungmoon; Hwang, Injae; Kim, Woojoo; Lee, Keesan; Park, Jinseok; Park, Chan-Ryul; Park, Sung-Jin; Song, Jihyun; Lee, Sunghyun; Jablonski, Piotr G.; Lee, Sang-im Abstract: Snake predation is a major cause of avian breeding failure, particularly for cavity breeders, for which snakes may be the primary predators. We analysed 141 inferred snake predation events from 846 breeding events over 8 years in nest boxes used by the oriental tit (Parus minor) and the varied tit (Sittiparus varius). Using principal component analysis and Cox proportional hazard models, we identified factors affecting snake predation risk. Predation on eggs increased during the late, warmer part of the breeding season, with an interactive weather effect: risk increased on sunnier days early in the cool season, but on rainier days late in the warm season. For oriental tit nestlings, predation risk was affected primarily by temperature and breeding date, whereas varied tit nestling predation was driven by habitat and nestling age, with the highest risk being for younger nestlings in natural forests. These interspecific differences might be linked to breeding phenology and species-specific habitat associations. The effect of nestling age might relate to snake gape-size limitation. Our findings suggest that under climate change, snake predation risk might vary regionally, depending on temperature-rainfall interactions, whereas habitat characteristics and breeding ecology might more strongly shape species-specific predation patterns.

2026-07-31T15:00:00Z Park, Jinseok Lee, Sang-im Jablonski, Piotr G. https://scholar.dgist.ac.kr/handle/20.500.11750/60901 2026-10-28T04:40:13Z 2026-06-30T15:00:00Z

Title: Convergent acquisition of a specialized feeding strategy: flush-pursue foraging in birds Author(s): Park, Jinseok; Lee, Sang-im; Jablonski, Piotr G. Abstract: Birds exhibit diverse foraging strategies shaped jointly by the morphology and behaviour of predators and prey, as well as by habitat conditions. Some foraging tactics may result from convergent evolution when similar patterns among these factors are found across different lineages. Flush-pursue foraging, where birds use conspicuous wing and tail displays to startle hidden prey and pursue it, is known to drive plumage evolution among birds. However, the diversity and evolutionary relationship of the species using this strategy and associated traits remain poorly documented. For the first time, we compiled a global list of flush-pursuing species and conducted a family-level phylogenetic analysis. We found that flush-pursue foraging has independently evolved in four avian orders, and at least 17 families within Passeriformes, illustrating convergent adaptations to a specialized foraging niche. Flush-pursuers were more likely to be found in families with traits related to pursuit ability, such as smaller body size and longer tarsus length relative to body mass. This foraging strategy was also associated with denser habitats, likely providing various substrates and hiding spots for prey, and thus flushing prey makes foraging more efficient. Similarly, families with broader latitudinal ranges that cover more diverse habitats and prey types were also associated with a higher likelihood of flush-pursue behaviour. Family-level invertivorous diet predicted the presence of flush-pursuers, as expected from the susceptibility of arthropod sensory systems to startle displays. These findings illustrate how convergent acquisition of this unique foraging strategy of birds is shaped by the combination of morphology and ecology.

2026-06-30T15:00:00Z