Article
Ecology
Joshua M. Miller, Dany Garant, Charles Perrier, Tristan Juette, Joel W. Jameson, Eric Normandeau, Louis Bernatchez, Denis Reale
Summary: The island syndrome hypothesis predicts that island populations should differ from mainland populations, with individuals on islands being larger, less aggressive, more sociable, and investing more in their offspring. Using genome-wide SNP markers, this study found clear genomic differentiation between island and mainland populations, with moderate to high marker-based heritability estimates for traits thought to underlie the ISH. Further analysis identified 12 loci associated with differentiation between mainland and island populations, suggesting independent evolutionary trajectories and a genetic basis for the traits considered.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily R. Hager, Olivia S. Harringmeyer, T. Brock Wooldridge, Shunn Theingi, Jacob T. Gable, Sade McFadden, Beverly Neugeboren, Kyle M. Turner, Jeffrey D. Jensen, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: This study characterized the genetic basis of trait variation in different ecotypes of deer mice and identified a chromosomal inversion linked to tail length and coat color. The frequency of the inversion was high in the forest ecotype, decreased across a habitat transition, and was absent in the prairie ecotype. Divergent selection was implicated in maintaining the inversion at observed frequencies despite high levels of gene flow, and the study explored the fitness benefits arising from suppressed recombination within the inversion.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mehdi Khadraoui, Jennifer R. Merritt, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Andres Bendesky
Summary: Parental behaviors vary among species in terms of magnitude, onset relative to reproduction, and sexual dimorphism. In deer mice, promiscuous species show low paternal care, while monogamous species exhibit biparental care. The timing of parental behaviors also differs, with some species showing behaviors before mating and others only after giving birth. These patterns align with the socioecology of the species.
Article
Zoology
William G. Ryerson, Tate Van Valkenburg
Summary: The study found that the teeth of Boa constrictor varied in shape along the jaw, with upper jaw teeth being more curved than lower jaw teeth, and anterior teeth being more linear or recurved than posterior teeth. During feeding, boas primarily contacted prey with the anterior third of the mandible, and the strike caused the upper jaw teeth to slide over the prey until the snake began to close its jaws. In some strikes, boas made simultaneous contact with the posterior third of both jaws, quickly ensnaring the prey using the curved teeth.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicholas Jourjine, Maya L. Woolfolk, Juan I. Sanguinetti-Scheck, John E. Sabatini, Sade McFadden, Anna K. Lindholm, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: It has been found that cries play an important role in parental care during the early stages of neonatal development in deer mice, while ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) play a role in later stages. By comparing the vocalization characteristics of different species and laboratory mice, it was found that even within the same species, there are differences in vocalization features among different populations. Through genetic cross experiments, it was found that vocalization features are genetically controlled, with different degrees of genetic dominance for different features.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Giulia Giubertoni, Michiel Hilbers, Federico Caporaletti, Peter Laity, Hajo Groen, Anne Van der Weide, Daniel Bonn, Sander Woutersen
Summary: Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy on polymer films reveals the relationship between hydrogen-bond structure and viscoelastic response. The increase in hydrogen bond number during deformation is largely reversible, however, the 2DIR spectrum shows that the distribution of hydrogen bond strengths becomes slightly narrower after a deformation cycle, possibly explaining the strain-cycle induced softening of polyurethane. These results demonstrate the ability of rheo-2DIR spectroscopy to bridge the gap between molecular structure and macroscopic elastic properties of (bio)polymers.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Min Wang, Jingmai K. O'Connor, Tao Zhao, Yanhong Pan, Xiaoting Zheng, Xiaoli Wang, Zhonghe Zhou
Summary: Enantiornithes, the most successful group of Mesozoic birds, may have evolved their extravagant tail plumage through sexual selection, resembling those in neornithines. The contrasting tail morphotypes between Enantiornithes and early Ornithuromorpha suggest unique pressures from sexual and natural selections. Early avialans repeatedly evolved extravagant structures, showcasing the importance of sexual selection in shaping feathered dinosaurs' plumage early in their evolutionary history.
Article
Biology
Renfei Wang, Dongyu Hu, Meisheng Zhang, Shiying Wang, Qi Zhao, Corwin Sullivan, Xing Xu
Summary: The confuciusornithids, the earliest known beaked birds, includes a new species discovered in northeastern China. This new species and a previously reported species both demonstrate stronger flight capabilities compared to other confuciusornithids, although their wing structures differ. Aerodynamic analyses indicate that the confuciusornithids showed varying modes of flight adaptation and suggest that their evolution underwent improved flight capabilities and changes in flight strategy.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Olivia S. Harringmeyer, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: This study identified 21 large inversion polymorphisms in populations of deer mice, which are widespread and important for patterns of recombination and likely to be involved in local adaptation.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Junki Yoshida, Yoshitsugu Kobayashi, Mark A. Norell
Summary: Researchers have discovered a fossilized larynx of a dinosaur called Pinacosaurus grangeri, suggesting that non-avian dinosaurs may have had bird-like vocalization. This is the first laryngeal fossil from the Cretaceous dinosaur, providing insights into the vocal evolution in non-avian dinosaurs towards birds.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Case Vincent Miller, Michael Pittman, Xiaoli Wang, Xiaoting Zheng, Jen A. Bright
Summary: The diet of Mesozoic birds has been poorly understood, but this study provides evidence suggesting that some of them were carnivorous and had adaptations for capturing and killing large prey. This challenges the prevailing view that Mesozoic birds mainly occupied low trophic levels and expands our understanding of their ecological niches.
Review
Ecology
Timothy E. Higham, Lara A. Ferry, Lars Schmitz, Duncan J. Irschick, Samuel Starko, Philip S. L. Anderson, Philip J. Bergmann, Heather A. Jamniczky, Leandro R. Monteiro, Dina Navon, Julie Messier, Emily Carrington, Stacy C. Farina, Kara L. Feilich, L. Patricia Hernandez, Michele A. Johnson, Sandy M. Kawano, Chris J. Law, Sarah J. Longo, Christopher H. Martin, Patrick T. Martone, Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Sharlene E. Santana, Karl J. Niklas
Summary: Physical principles and laws determine organismal phenotypes, while constraints from development, the environment, and evolutionary history shape integrated phenotypes. The 'ecomechanical approach' integrates organismal traits with ecological variables, aiding in predicting species shifts and understanding phenotypic diversity. Incorporating this approach can help build interdisciplinary bridges and improve data collection, analysis, and model dissemination.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Editorial Material
Rheumatology
Katja Lakota, John Varga
Summary: Short telomere length is associated with lung diseases and can be caused by mutations in telomere genes. Acquired autoimmunity against telomere system components has been reported in some patients with systemic sclerosis or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, offering a new explanation for short telomeres in these diseases.
NATURE REVIEWS RHEUMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Neal J. Dawson, Graham R. Scott
Summary: This study found that functional changes in subsarcolemmal mitochondria contribute to the improvement of aerobic performance in hypoxia in high-altitude deer mice. This suggests that physiological variation in specific mitochondrial fractions can help overcome the metabolic challenges of life at high altitude.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sheila Aikins-Wilson, Mehdi Bohlouli, Sven Koenig
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic parameters for tail characteristics and growth traits in pigs, focusing on the importance of tail length and tail lesions in triggering tail biting behavior. The results showed potential for genetic selection on short tails and highlighted the complexity of genetic relationships between tail characteristics and growth traits. Ongoing studies are exploring further genetic mechanisms and associations between tail length and tail lesions to better understand tail biting behavior.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olivia S. Harringmeyer, Maya L. Woolfolk, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: Timely migration is crucial for many species for survival and reproduction. A new study on salmon has identified a small genomic region associated with migration timing, which impacts other physiological traits, suggesting that a complex suite of migration traits is linked by one simple phenotype.
Review
Neurosciences
Nicholas Jourjine, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: Neuroscientists advocate for a complementary approach to model clade development, integrating evolutionary comparative methods with neurobiological and behavioral experiments to capitalize on natural behavioral variation in model clades and invest in experimental tools for the next generation of neuroscience discovery.
Article
Cell Biology
Caroline K. Hu, Ryan A. York, Hillery C. Metz, Nicole L. Bedford, Hunter B. Fraser, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: This study reveals the regulatory divergence of gene expression in response to behavioral context, and how this dynamic regulatory divergence between species contributes to behavioral evolution. The findings show that burrowing behavior-induced cis-regulatory changes are associated with species-level differential expression and allele-specific expression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
T. Brock Wooldridge, Andreas F. Kautt, Jean-Marc Lassance, Sade McFadden, Vera S. Domingues, Ricardo Mallarino, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: By studying the oldfield mouse, researchers have identified the genetic basis of color variation in their dorsal coats. A specific region upstream of the Agouti signaling protein coding region was strongly associated with pigment variation. The study also found that the light allele of this region has been maintained in mainland populations and has spread to and been selected in independent beach mouse lineages, facilitating their rapid and parallel evolution.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nils Chr Stenseth, Leif Andersson, Hopi E. Hoekstra
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily R. Hager, Olivia S. Harringmeyer, T. Brock Wooldridge, Shunn Theingi, Jacob T. Gable, Sade McFadden, Beverly Neugeboren, Kyle M. Turner, Jeffrey D. Jensen, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: This study characterized the genetic basis of trait variation in different ecotypes of deer mice and identified a chromosomal inversion linked to tail length and coat color. The frequency of the inversion was high in the forest ecotype, decreased across a habitat transition, and was absent in the prairie ecotype. Divergent selection was implicated in maintaining the inversion at observed frequencies despite high levels of gene flow, and the study explored the fitness benefits arising from suppressed recombination within the inversion.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Nicole L. Bedford, Jesse N. Weber, Wenfei Tong, Felix Baier, Ariana Kam, Rebecca A. Greenberg, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: Animals vary in their behavioral flexibility depending on social context. By comparing three species of deer mice, researchers found that mice living in monogamous societies were more likely to cooperate in digging longer burrows. Additionally, opposite-sex pairs were more socially cohesive and efficient digging partners than same-sex pairs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mehdi Khadraoui, Jennifer R. Merritt, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Andres Bendesky
Summary: Parental behaviors vary among species in terms of magnitude, onset relative to reproduction, and sexual dimorphism. In deer mice, promiscuous species show low paternal care, while monogamous species exhibit biparental care. The timing of parental behaviors also differs, with some species showing behaviors before mating and others only after giving birth. These patterns align with the socioecology of the species.
Article
Ecology
Olivia S. Harringmeyer, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: This study identified 21 large inversion polymorphisms in populations of deer mice, which are widespread and important for patterns of recombination and likely to be involved in local adaptation.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicholas Jourjine, Maya L. Woolfolk, Juan I. Sanguinetti-Scheck, John E. Sabatini, Sade McFadden, Anna K. Lindholm, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: It has been found that cries play an important role in parental care during the early stages of neonatal development in deer mice, while ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) play a role in later stages. By comparing the vocalization characteristics of different species and laboratory mice, it was found that even within the same species, there are differences in vocalization features among different populations. Through genetic cross experiments, it was found that vocalization features are genetically controlled, with different degrees of genetic dominance for different features.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Landen Gozashti, Cedric Feschotte, Hopi E. Hoekstra
Summary: The genomic landscape of transposable elements in deer mice is different from that of other mammals, with long terminal repeat elements being more common than long interspersed nuclear element retrotransposons. Deer mouse endogenous retroviruses exhibit diverse origins and have impacted the evolutionary trajectory of LINEs. The expansion of Kruppel-associated box domain-containing zinc finger genes, likely controlled by ectopic recombination between ERVs, is also observed in the deer mouse genome.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xinwen E. Zhu, Chiara Ricci-Tam, Emily Hager, Allyson Sgro
Summary: The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum serves as a model for various biological processes and can be genetically manipulated using transgenes. However, using separate promoters and terminators for each gene can result in large plasmid sizes and possible interference. To address this issue, researchers have utilized polycistronic expression mediated by 2A viral peptides. In this study, the most commonly used 2A peptides were screened in D. discoideum, and it was found that all the screened sequences were effective. P2A was identified as the optimal sequence for polycistronic expression in D. discoideum, opening up new possibilities for genetic engineering in this model system.