Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
R. He, E. Pagani-Nunez, E. Goodale, C. R. A. Barnett
Summary: This experiment demonstrates that taste rejection is related to the reliability of prey signals in a mimetic prey system, with taste rejection peaking at moderate mimic frequencies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Naoki Hiratani, Peter E. Latham
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between neural circuit structure and learning efficiency by analyzing the olfactory system. The results suggest that optimal neural architecture is influenced by the species' longevity and the genetic specification of the olfactory circuit.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Keith W. Whitaker, Marcos Alvarez, Thomas Preuss, Molly E. Cummings, Hans A. Hofmann
Summary: The study found that in African cichlid fish, yellow dominant males exhibit higher spectral contrast when signaling to predators and conspecifics compared to blue dominant males. Different male phenotypes show distinct anti-predatory responses, with subordinate males shoaling for protection, and the more conspicuous yellow dominant males executing more escape responses. This suggests a novel mechanism where enhanced conspicuousness in certain male phenotypes is balanced by plastic changes in behavior.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Reena Debray, Nina De Luna, Britt Koskella
Summary: Bacteria and lytic viruses (phages) have a coevolutionary relationship, and this study explores how phages shape the future evolutionary trajectories of their host populations. The researchers found that some bacteria populations re-evolved phage sensitivity over time, while others acquired compensatory mutations that reduced the costs of resistance. The genetic mechanisms of resistance and the initial evolution of resistance played a significant role in these outcomes. This study highlights the importance of phages in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of their host communities and provides insights into the genetic architecture of historical contingency.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Van Giap Do, Seonae Kim, Youngsuk Lee, Sangjin Yang, Jeong-Hee Kim, Nay Myo Win, Young-Soon Kwon, Juhyeon Park, Jong-Taek Park
Summary: Coloration is an important factor for apple quality and consumer attraction. This study investigated the regulation of color development in red-fleshed apples, focusing on the expression of genes in the anthocyanin and carotenoid biosynthesis pathways. The study found significant variations in transcript levels and pigment concentrations during different fruit development stages, and identified key transcription factors that regulate pigment accumulation. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying pigment biosynthesis and can contribute to breeding high-quality red-fleshed apple varieties.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Karin Kjernsmo, Anna M. Lim, Rox Middleton, Joanna R. Hall, Leah M. Costello, Heather M. Whitney, Nicholas E. Scott-Samuel, Innes C. Cuthill
Summary: Recent research has shown that iridescence can act as an effective form of camouflage by reducing the willingness of avian predators to attack. Both iridescence and surface gloss have independent effects on the likelihood of prey being attacked.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hillary A. Raab, Careen Foord, Romain Ligneul, Catherine A. Hartley
Summary: The accuracy of environmental controllability assessment improves with age, as older participants are more effective in utilizing task structure knowledge to make informative interventions compared to younger participants who rely on random exploration. Age-related improvements in working memory mediate this qualitative shift. Improved detection of environmental controllability may foster increasingly adaptive behavior over development.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stuart Oldham, Ben D. Fulcher, Kevin Aquino, Aurina Arnatkeviciute, Casey Paquola, Rosita Shishegar, Alex Fornito
Summary: The complex connectivity of nervous systems is influenced by competitive selection pressures, with the aim of minimizing wiring costs and supporting adaptive function. Recent modeling work suggests that stochastic processes, considering the trade-offs between the cost and value of each connection, can replicate many topological properties of human brain connectomes. However, these models struggle to capture spatial network properties. The findings highlight the significant role of genetics in shaping macroscopic brain connectivity and suggest that stochastic models can provide only a partial explanation of connectome organization.
Article
Ecology
Debora Goedert, Dale Clement, Ryan Calsbeek
Summary: Animal coloration is a complex trait influenced by various ecological selective pressures and related to developmental and physiological processes. In wood frogs, dorsal coloration shows continuous variation, unaffected by body size or condition but changing with age. Subtle sexual dichromatism may have a demographic rather than a role in sex recognition.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Cara A. Faillace, Rita L. Grunberg, Peter J. Morin
Summary: Historical contingency plays an important role in evolutionary biology and community ecology. This study found that initial differences in species abundances among communities persisted over time and were influenced by evolutionary history. Additionally, ecological drift may contribute to community change. These transient alternative states in community structure can have important functional consequences and deserve greater attention in understanding the role of evolution.
Article
Ecology
Jack H. Hatfield, Cristina Banks-Leite, Jos Barlow, Alexander C. Lees, Joseph A. Tobias
Summary: Seed dispersal is crucial for tropical forest resilience, but the extent of defaunation and its impact on restoring degraded areas remain poorly understood. Using field survey data from Brazil, we found that current bird assemblages have lower functional diversity compared to predictions, indicating the potential loss of seed-dispersing birds in tropical forest landscapes.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Marlize Kruger, Tertia van Eeden, Daniso Beswa
Summary: This paper discusses the health benefits, distribution of nutrients and potential side effects of cannabis edibles, as well as measures to reduce children's exposure to these products.
Article
Biology
Vasyl Alba, James E. Carthew, Richard W. Carthew, Madhav Mani
Summary: Organismal development is a complex process characterized by reproducibility and tolerance despite its complexity, implying hidden simplicities. By studying natural phenotypic variation in fruit fly wings, researchers identified a highly constrained set of wing phenotypes that could be described by a single integrated mode. This work demonstrates the presence of constraints that funnel environmental inputs and genetic variation into phenotypes along a single axis in morphological space, providing insights into the robustness of complex forms and potential for evolutionary variations.
Review
Physiology
Josele Flores-Santin, Warren W. Burggren
Summary: While the chicken is a widely used animal model in biomedical research, its high level of specialization may affect the generalizability of experimental results. Therefore, researchers should explore alternative bird models to expand developmental studies.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Vinodkumar Saranathan, Cedric Finet
Summary: Structural colors in birds are produced by integumentary photonic nanostructures in skin and feathers, assembled by physicochemical forces in cells. While little is known about the pathways supporting organismal structural coloration, there are promising avenues for future research to address current knowledge gaps. This research is also relevant for sustainable engineering of advanced bioinspired and biomimetic materials.
CURRENT OPINION IN GENETICS & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Geology
Klara K. Norden, Christopher J. Duffin, Michael J. Benton
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCIATION
(2015)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
D. Cary Woodruff, Thomas D. Carr, Glenn W. Storrs, Katja Waskow, John B. Scannella, Klara K. Norden, John P. Wilson
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Klara K. Norden, Jaeike W. Faber, Frane Babarovic, Thomas L. Stubbs, Tara Selly, James D. Schiffbauer, Petra Peharec Stefanic, Gerald Mayr, Fiann M. Smithwick, Jakob Vinther
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Klara K. Norden, Thomas L. Stubbs, Albert Prieto-Marquez, Michael J. Benton
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luke A. Parry, Fiann Smithwick, Klara K. Norden, Evan T. Saitta, Jesus Lozano-Fernandez, Alastair R. Tanner, Jean-Bernard Caron, Gregory D. Edgecombe, Derek E. G. Briggs, Jakob Vinther
