1. Taxonomy, phylogeny, and size evolution in the spider genus Megaraneus Lawrence, 1968 (Araneae: Araneidae)Klemen Čandek, Eva Turk, Pedro de Souza Castanheira, Kuang-Ping Yu, Matjaž Gregorič, Volker W. Framenau, Ingi Agnarsson, Matjaž Kuntner, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Among terrestrial animals, spiders exhibit the most striking examples of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) but better understanding of its evolution requires improved taxonomy and phylogeny. Many sexually dimorphic spiders lack adequate description, phylogenetic placement, and natural history observations. In South Africa, we documented the natural history of a poorly known spider, Megaraneus gabonensis (Lucas, 1858), with extreme, female-biased SSD (eSSD, female:male approximately 4:1). Here, we redescribe M. gabonensis, place Megaraneus Lawrence, 1968 phylogenetically for the first time, assess whether the observed eSSD represents an independent evolutionary origin, and test whether the macroevolutionary pattern is better explained by male dwarfism or female gigantism. The recovered phylogenetic placement of Megaraneus in the araneid ‘backobourkiines’, a clade previously considered as restricted to East Asia and Australasia, extends the range of this clade to the Afrotropics. We find that eSSD was present in the common ancestor of the ‘backobourkiines’, with further increases in female body length occurring independently in Megaraneus, Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010, and the currently misplaced Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859). We conclude that the evolution of eSSD reflects a complex pattern of sex-specific size changes across spider phylogeny, but that in Megaraneus it results from female gigantism.
Keywords: sexual size dimorphism, backobourkiines, trait evolution, South Africa
Published in DiRROS: 30.09.2025; Views: 459; Downloads: 201
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2. A Systematic Scoping Review of Female Teachers Working in Risky Areas in South AfricaOnoriode Collins Potokri, Sulaimon Adewale, Tunji Onakoya, Trevor Zwane, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: South Africa is a highly ranked country with regard to violence against women. Similar to their male counterparts, female teachers in South Africa must navigate the complexities of teaching in environments characterised by social unrest, crime, and instability. This systematic review was conducted to determine how safe female teachers are in their workplaces, specifically by analysing the challenges experienced by female teachers in these volatile areas and their impacts on well-being and productivity. The systematic literature review method was adopted, and the PRISMA flow chart was used to conduct an extensive search on four databases, namely Google Scholar (n = 52), Scopus (n = 11), Teacher Reference Center (n = 55), and Taylor and Francis (n = 123), for data generation and analysis. A total of 241 articles were identified before applying exclusion and inclusion criteria. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 18 was used for quality assessments. Subsequently, 17 studies were included, and the findings showed that female teachers working in risky areas in the South Africa face substantial challenges, including limited resources and constant exposure to violence, which impact their professional growth and job satisfaction. Despite this, teachers still show unwavering commitment to their students and profession. These findings highlight the need for government support and interventions that can ensure the safety of not only female teachers but also students and other members of the school community
Keywords: female teachers, risky environment, South Africa, education
Published in DiRROS: 30.07.2025; Views: 530; Downloads: 259
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