Article
Behavioral Sciences
Devin C. Fraleigh, Jackson Barratt Heitmann, Bruce A. Robertson
Summary: When animals are misled by evolved behavioral cues and preferentially make mistakes, they can become trapped in an evolutionary trap. Aquatic insects rely on polarized light cues for habitat selection, but UV polarized light may also create evolutionary traps. Research suggests that UV polarized light is an important cue in guiding habitat selection behavior for aquatic insects.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily M. Duncan, Annette C. Broderick, Kay Critchell, Tamara S. Galloway, Mark Hamann, Colin J. Limpus, Penelope K. Lindeque, David Santillo, Anton D. Tucker, Scott Whiting, Erina J. Young, Brendan J. Godley
Summary: The ingestion of plastic by marine turtles is widespread, with small juvenile turtles being most at risk. Studying stranded and bycaught specimens from Australia, Pacific Ocean, and Western Australia, Indian Ocean, it was found that plastic ingestion is prevalent in all species, with a higher incidence in the Pacific Ocean compared to the Indian Ocean.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gregor F. F. Fussmann, Michael Kopp
Summary: In rapidly changing environments, populations and species may face difficulties in adapting and avoiding extinction or replacement. Reciprocal transplant experiments are commonly used to assess the fitness of different populations in their respective environments. However, this study shows that the inference from reciprocal transplants can be misleading when applied to populations that are adapting to environmental change, leading to the conclusion of maladaptation even when the populations are following an evolutionary trajectory of fitness increase over time.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Zhihang Xiong, Hongjian Wang, Jiajin Li, Ran Liao, Haoji Mai, Caizhong Guan, Zhiming Guo, Shangpan Yang, Yan Chen, Biwang Liu, Tong Liu, Hongyi Li, Wenzheng Ding, Yaguang Zeng, Hui Ma
Summary: The study introduces a novel method to probe suspended particles in aquatic systems by simultaneously measuring polarized light scattering and fluorescence. Results show that the classification accuracy of this method is significantly higher than traditional methods, and it can successfully measure submicron particles and discriminate different species of cyanobacteria. The study demonstrates the feasibility and promising capability of this new method for further aquatic environmental monitoring.
Article
Ecology
Aude E. Caizergues, Arnaud Gregoire, Remi Choquet, Samuel Perret, Anne Charmantier
Summary: Urbanisation presents significant challenges for wildlife, with studies on behavioural and stress response phenotypes associated with urbanisation often suggesting adaptations without demonstrating it. This study found that shifts in exploratory behaviour, aggressiveness, and breath rate in urban birds were not adaptive and could even be maladaptive. The authors propose that these phenotypic divergences may result from the filtering of individuals settling in cities, and encourage further exploration of the adaptive potential of behavioural traits measured in urban habitats.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Robert Poulin
Summary: This article discusses the impact of anthropogenic light on aquatic parasites. It highlights the direct effects of light on the physiology and behavior of parasite infective stages and their hosts, and how night-time lights can change the spatiotemporal dynamics of infection risk and drive the rapid evolution of parasites. The article also emphasizes the knowledge gaps and the importance of incorporating impacts on parasitic diseases into measures designed to mitigate the impact of anthropogenic light on wildlife.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Ivan M. De-la-Cruz, Femke Batsleer, Dries Bonte, Carolina Diller, Timo Hytonen, Anne Muola, Sonia Osorio, David Pose, Martijn L. Vandegehuchte, Johan A. Stenberg
Summary: Aboveground plant-arthropod interactions play a crucial role in the evolution of plants and the sustainability of ecosystems. Advancements in technology have enabled us to study these interactions more comprehensively and address current environmental challenges.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Hongsheng Pan, Gemei Liang, Yanhui Lu
Summary: Insects in the same taxonomic group generally have similar responses to light at various wavelengths in laboratory experiments, but lack direct evidence of between-group differences in field conditions. Evaluating the attractiveness of LEDs with different single wavelengths to pests and natural predators in cotton fields revealed significant differences in responses based on wavelength. The results provide insights for further studies on insect phototaxis and guidance for long-term monitoring of insects in different groups.
Article
Ecology
John P. DeLong, Clayton E. Cressler
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of stochastic processes such as genetic drift on adaptation and finds that stochasticity can alter population dynamics and lead to evolutionary outcomes that are not predicted by classic eco-evolutionary modeling approaches. However, these outcomes are governed by nonequilibrium evolutionary attractors, which are maxima in lifetime reproductive success when stochasticity keeps the ecological system away from the deterministic equilibrium. These NEEAs alter the path of evolution but are not visible through the equilibrium lens of much evolutionary theory. The results reveal the importance of considering population processes during transient periods for a better understanding of the path and pace of evolution.
Article
Biology
Gregory M. Eckhartt, Graeme D. Ruxton
Summary: Artificial light at night may have detrimental effects on terrestrial insect populations, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This study found that artificial light may contribute to insect declines by increasing predation, although greater levels of artificial light after dusk actually reduced predation.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Iraklis I. Rigakis, Kiki N. Varikou, Antonis E. Nikolakakis, Zacharias D. Skarakis, Nikolaos A. Tatlas, Ilyas G. Potamitis
Summary: The study introduced an electronic funnel trap system for monitoring Lepidoptera species with known pheromones. By comparing the trapping efficacy and specificity of electronic traps with traditional traps, the research demonstrated their reliability and accuracy in population dynamics studies.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Review
Development Studies
Jenny E. Goldstein, Benjamin Neimark, Brian Garvey, Jacob Phelps
Summary: The concept of carbon lock-in, widely adopted in various fields, has played a crucial role in energy policy, transitions, and transportation. Expanding its application to broader socio-environmental challenges enhances our ability to address structural environmental and societal lock-ins.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhengsheng Qin, Tianyu Wang, Haikuo Gao, Yang Li, Huanli Dong, Wenping Hu
Summary: Organic polarized light-emitting transistors (OPLETs) integrate the functions of organic field-effect transistors, organic light-emitting diodes, and polarizers. They can be used for high-contrast optical imaging and anti-counterfeiting security.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ry Crocker, William H. Blake, Thomas H. Hutchinson, Sean Comber
Summary: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient but also a threat to surface water biodiversity due to eutrophication. This study assesses the phosphorus concentration and biomass abundance in the ditch systems at West Sedgemoor in the UK. It finds high phosphorus concentrations in the surface water, particularly during the summer and autumn seasons when duckweed growth is dominant, suggesting that around 39 kg of phosphorus could be removed through duckweed biomass harvesting.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Angelica S. Ensaldo-Cardenas, Maya Rocha-Ortega, David Schneider, Bruce A. Robertson, Alex Cordoba-Aguilar
Summary: Artificial objects can polarize ultraviolet light sources more effectively than natural objects, attracting insects for reproduction. Different aquatic insect species show preferences for ultraviolet and visible range polarized light, which may be related to individual condition.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
James A. Klarevas-Irby, Damien R. Farine
Summary: Little is known about how animals overcome temporal constraints on movement during dispersal. This study used GPS tracking of vulturine guineafowl and found that dispersers showed the greatest increase in movement at the same times of day when they moved the most prior to dispersal. These findings suggest that individuals face the same ecological constraints during dispersal as they do in daily life and achieve large displacements by maximizing movement when conditions are most favorable.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Simone Ciaralli, Martina Esposito, Stefano Francesconi, Daniela Muzzicato, Marco Gamba, Matteo Dal Zotto, Daniela Campobello
Summary: Male cuckoos may transfer nest location information to females as a nonmaterial nuptial gift through specific postures and behaviors, potentially influencing mating choices of female cuckoos.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anne E. Aulsebrook, Rowan Jacques-Hamilton, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: Accelerometry and machine learning have been used to quantify mating behaviors of captive male ruffs. Different machine learning methods were compared and evaluated for their classification performance. The study highlights the challenges and potential pitfalls in classifying mating behaviors using accelerometry and provides recommendations and considerations for future research.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Maria G. Smith, Joshua B. LaPergola, Christina Riehl
Summary: This study analyzed individual contributions to parental care in the greater ani bird and found that workload inequality varied between groups of two and three pairs. However, there was no clear evidence of division of labour within the groups, suggesting individual differences in overall work performed.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Noah M. T. Smith, Reuven Dukas
Summary: Winner and loser effects are observed in many animals, and recent experiments suggest that they may also occur in humans. In two experiments involving video games and reading comprehension, participants who won in the first phase performed significantly better in the second phase compared to those who lost. The effect size was larger in the video game experiment, and men and women showed similar magnitudes of winner and loser effects.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bianca J. L. Marcellino, Peri Yee, Shannon J. Mccauley, Rosalind L. Murray
Summary: This study examines the trade-off between mating effort and thermoregulatory behavior in dragonflies in response to temperature changes, and investigates the effect of wing melanin on these behaviors. The results indicate that as temperature increases, dragonflies reduce their mating effort and increase their thermoregulatory behavior.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Rios Moura, Paulo Inacio Prado, Joao Vasconcellos-Neto
Summary: This study examined the escape behavior and decision-making of Aglaoctenus castaneus spiders on different substrates. It was found that spiders inhabiting injurious substrates displayed shorter flight initiation distances and lower sensitivity to predators.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Luigi Baciadonna, Cwyn Solvi, Francesca Terranova, Camilla Godi, Cristina Pilenga, Livio Favaro
Summary: In this study, it was found that African penguins could use ventral dot patterns to recognize their lifelong partner and nonpartner colonymates. This challenges the previous assumption of limited visual involvement in penguin communication, highlighting the complex and flexible recognition process in birds.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nick A. R. Jones, Jade Newton-Youens, Joachim G. Frommen
Summary: Environmental conditions, particularly temperature, have a significant impact on animal behavior. This study focused on aggression in Neolamprologus pulcher fish and found that aggression rates increased with temperature at lower levels, but decreased after reaching a peak. Additionally, the influence of high temperatures on aggression changed over time during the trials. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the short-term effects of temperature on aggression and highlight the importance of considering non-linear changes in thermal performance.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bruno Herlander Martins, Andrea Soriano-Redondo, Aldina M. A. Franco, Ines Carry
Summary: Human activities have affected the availability of resources for wildlife, particularly through the provision of anthropogenic food subsidies at landfill sites. This study explores the influence of age on landfill attendance and foraging behavior in white storks. Adult storks visit landfills more frequently and show dominance over juveniles in food acquisition. Juveniles have limited access to landfill resources and are forced to use lower quality areas.