Article
Biology
Marcel M. Lambrechts, Samuel P. Caro
Summary: Birds have developed adaptive responses to changes in ambient temperature, and the thickness of the nest and the surrounding wall play a role in regulating egg cooling, ensuring successful incubation.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Ana Miller-ter Kuile, Kiona Ogle, Cheran Cavanaugh, Jonathan Dudley, Amy Markus, Victoria Saab, Marilyn Wright, Jamie Sanderlin
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of forest management, forest vegetation, and climate on nest development and nestling survival of the white-headed woodpecker. The study finds that tree removal and prescribed burning have different impacts on nest development and nestling survival, while attributes of the nest cavity only affect nestling survival. Additionally, temperature and precipitation also influence nest development and nestling survival.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Karatassiou, Panagiota Karaiskou, Eleni Verykouki, Sophia Rhizopoulou
Summary: This study compared the leaf hydraulic functionality of co-occurring evergreen and deciduous shrubs grown on Olympus Mountain. The results demonstrated different hydraulic tactics between the deciduous and evergreen shrubs, with higher hydraulic conductance and lower stomatal conductance observed in the deciduous plants. Positive correlations were also found between water potential and transpiration in the deciduous shrubs.
Article
Ornithology
Canchao Yang, Anders Pape Moller, Wei Liang
Summary: This study examines the influence of nest luminance on the egg discrimination ability of Green-backed Tits under dim light conditions. The results show that Green-backed Tits can discriminate against non-mimetic foreign eggs at lower nest luminance, but lose this ability when the nest luminance approaches darkness.
Article
Plant Sciences
David Eyland, Clara Gambart, Rony Swennen, Sebastien Carpentier
Summary: The rise in global temperature is causing both direct effects on plant functioning and an increase in air vapour pressure deficit (VPD). A study evaluated the stomatal and transpiration responses of 8 wild banana subspecies under increasing VPD, and identified three phenotypic groups with significant differences in stomatal reactivity. Some subspecies, such as M. acuminata ssp. zebrina and M. balbisiana, showed higher transpiration rate limitations and increased water use efficiency under high VPD levels, making them potential parent material for breeding drought-resistant bananas.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Valeriy G. Narushin, Michael N. Romanov, Darren K. Griffin
Summary: This study developed a mathematical method to compute the volume of the shell and interior of a chicken egg based on its external geometric dimensions and shell thickness, as well as derived theoretical formulae for calculating the air cell volume inside the egg. The research provides valuable insights into the properties of table eggs and how to measure them accurately.
JOURNAL OF FOOD ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert J. Fletcher, Ellen P. Robertson, Caroline Poli, Sarah Dudek, Alfredo Gonzalez, Brian Jeffery
Summary: This study used Bayesian change-point models to estimate thresholds of environmental effects on nest survival of wetland-dependent birds, finding that both low water, high water, and high rates of change have negative, threshold effects on nest survival. The form, extent, and magnitude of thresholds varied across the breeding range, emphasizing the importance of water management benchmarks.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yating Lv, Feifei Xu, Fei Liu, Maoshen Chen
Summary: Through a structural analysis of soluble and insoluble fractions, the possible solubility properties and water-holding capacity mechanism of edible bird nest (EBN) were investigated. The protein solubility and the water-holding swelling multiple increased with the heat temperature increase. The increased crystallinity of the insoluble fraction also contributed to the higher solubility and stronger water-holding capacity. Hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bonds were analyzed and found to play a crucial role in the solubility properties and water-holding capacity of EBN.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gustavo Linan Cembrano, Macarena Castro, Juan A. Amat, Alejandro Perez, Miguel Angel Rendon, Cristina Ramo
Summary: Quail eggs exposed to sunlight fade in color rapidly after three days, affecting the camouflage of the eggs and potentially impacting the results of nest predation studies. Researchers should assess changes in coloration of eggs exposed to environmental conditions to ensure the validity of their experiments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dalong Zhang, Qingjie Du, Po Sun, Jie Lou, Xiaotian Li, Qingming Li, Min Wei
Summary: The rate-limiting step for photosynthetic CO2 utilization in tomato plants varied with VPD elevation, with increasing VPD leading to more pronounced plant water stress and rapid ABA biosynthesis. Stomatal and mesophyll conductance for CO2 diffusion were negatively correlated with foliar ABA content, indicating a potential role of ABA in mediating water transport and photosynthetic CO2 uptake in response to VPD variation. The study provided new insights into the mechanism of photosynthetic depression under high VPD stress.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristen C. Harmon, Nathaniel H. Wehr, Melissa R. Price
Summary: Nest survival in birds is influenced by breeding site selection and timing. The Hawaiian Stilt's nest survival is impacted by the day of breeding season and nest-site characteristics. Seasonal patterns in nest survival may result from changes in parental behavior or predator activity.
Article
Ecology
Rita Fortuna, Matthieu Paquet, Andre C. Ferreira, Liliana R. Silva, Franck Theron, Claire Doutrelant, Rita Covas
Summary: The study on sociable weavers suggests that females can adjust clutch size but show high individual consistency in egg mass. While breeding in different ecological conditions, females may alter clutch size but do not necessarily adjust egg mass based on the number of helpers.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carlos Tardio, Vuppu Vinay Pradeep, Raul Martin, Ana M. Rodriguez, Antonio Hoz, Ravi Jada, Mari Annadhasan, Pilar Prieto, Rajadurai Chandrasekar
Summary: This study successfully synthesized ultrapure needle-shaped crystals via ambient pressure chemical vapour deposition, revealing their supramolecular structure and optical waveguiding tendency due to anisotropic molecular arrangements.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Virginia Hernandez-Santana, Celia M. Rodriguez-Dominguez, Jaime Sebastian-Azcona, Luis Felipe Perez-Romero, Antonio Diaz-Espejo
Summary: This study aimed to establish the causal relationship between water consumption and its regulation using a hydraulic trait-based approach. The results showed a negative and significant relationship between Huber value (H-v) and the ratio between maximum J(s) and g(s) (J(smax)/g(smax)), which indicates a compensatory mechanism to maintain hydraulic supply to the leaves. The H-v was also significantly related to the slope of the relationship between g(s) and J(s) response to vapour pressure deficit, emphasizing the importance of H-v in plant water relations.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Jian Zhang, Peng Cheng, Fang Wang, Wenxian Tang, Xilu Zhao
Summary: This paper presents an experimental and numerical study on the hydroforming and buckling of an egg-shaped shell using a petal-shaped preform. The study shows that the internal pressure and weld seams play a significant role in the buckling behavior of the shell.
Article
Ornithology
Kevin B. Briggs, Lucia E. Biddle, D. Charles Deeming
Article
Zoology
L. E. Biddle, A. M. Dickinson, R. E. Broughton, L. A. Gray, S. L. Bennett, A. M. Goodman, D. C. Deeming
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Zoology
R. Vasudeva, D. C. Deeming, P. E. Eady
Summary: In an era of global warming, research found that temperature stress can impact the sperm length and testes size of Callosobruchus maculatus beetles. The study showed that sensitivity to high and low temperature stress varies across different stages of development, suggesting that age-related developmental heterogeneity may mitigate the effects of heat stress on fertility. Individuals at less-sensitive stages of development could potentially compensate for the loss of fertility experienced by those at more sensitive stages.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Kevin B. Briggs, D. Charles Deeming
Summary: The construction of Common Redstart nests is influenced by localized habitat, with preferences for certain types of nesting material but flexibility to use different types based on availability. Leaves, moss, grass, bark, feathers, hair, and wool were commonly used materials in the nests.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Amy M. Dickinson, Emily Locke, Liberty A. Gray, Sophie L. Bennett, Lucia E. Biddle, Adrian M. Goodman, Denis Charles Deeming
Summary: This paper provides size and composition data for nests from different species of birds and tests three hypotheses related to nest dimensions, composition, and construction. The results show that nest size and composition vary among species with differing degrees of intra-specific variation, and it is possible to distinguish among species based on nest construction and materials used. Additionally, it is possible to distinguish between the cup lining and outer nest wall based on at least one of the component materials.
AVIAN BIOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zachary Penman, D. Charles Deeming, Carl D. Soulsbury
Summary: This study investigates the influence of environmental factors, life history, and behavior on erythrocyte size in reptiles, and finds that erythrocyte size is driven by oxygen demand. Smaller erythrocytes are associated with higher delivery requirements, while larger erythrocytes are associated with species with greater oxygen demands.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
D. C. Deeming, S. L. Harrison, G. P. Sutton
Summary: Bite force provides insights into the feeding biomechanics and ecology of vertebrates. This study collected data on bite force and jaw musculature mass in birds and examined their relationships with body mass and each other. The results showed that the relationships varied among bird species, with different patterns for non-passerine and passerine species. Diet and morphological differences in jaw musculature may influence these relationships.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
D. C. Deeming
Summary: The study found different relationships between bite force and body mass for turtles compared to lizards and crocodilians. Squamates and crocodilians showed similar proportional relationships between snout-vent length and bite force, but different patterns for head length, indicating differences among reptile orders. The relationship between bite force and jaw muscle mass was isometric and consistent across different reptilian orders, suggesting a model system for understanding biomechanical principles of jaw muscles in generating bite force.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
D. Charles Deeming, Martin Kundrat
Summary: Well-preserved oviraptorosaur embryos have been wrongly interpreted as being close to hatching, when in fact they are only around 50%-60% developed. Misunderstanding their developmental stage hampers our understanding of dinosaur biology.
Article
Ornithology
Denis Charles Deeming
Summary: This paper proposes a hypothesis to explain the establishment and fixation of egg shape in the oviduct. The hypothesis suggests that egg shape is determined by the physical restriction of the isthmus and the size of the egg mass relative to female body mass. The degree of asymmetry in egg shape is influenced by the interaction of these factors.
Article
Zoology
D. C. Deeming
Summary: Avian flight is powered by the pectoralis muscle for downstroke force and the supracoracoideus muscle for upstroke force. Different taxa have different ratios of pectoralis to supracoracoideus muscle, with penguins and hummingbirds having low ratios and larger masses of the supracoracoideus muscle. This study analyzed muscle masses of over 600 bird species and found that the pectoralis muscle scaled isometrically with body mass, while the supracoracoideus muscle exhibited slight negative allometry. Taxonomic grouping had significant effects on both muscles, with supracoracoideus muscle showing a greater effect. Flight styles and size of the supracoracoideus muscle appear to be important factors in the variation of the pectoralis to supracoracoideus ratio.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Chloe K. Goode, Charlie Woodrow, Shannon L. Harrison, D. Charles Deeming, Gregory P. Sutton
Summary: This study compares the jumping kinematics of two different orthopteran species and finds that the ratio of translational and rotational kinetic energy formed during take-off is fixed, despite having different jump actuation mechanisms, and is independent of size.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biology
Mark C. Mainwaring, Mary Caswell Stoddard, Iain Barber, D. Charles Deeming, Mark E. Hauber
Summary: This article discusses the evolutionary ecology of nests and its importance. It includes different themes that examine the functions, evolution, use in harsh environments, and adaptive shifts in nest architecture. Research on different taxa is combined to advance our understanding of this field.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biology
D. Charles Deeming
Summary: This article provides a review of nesting behavior in mammals, highlighting the incidence and roles of nests. It is found that nest-building behavior is more common among small mammals weighing less than a kilogram. Mammal nests are typically constructed from fresh plant materials, with rare use of animal-derived materials and reported use of anthropogenic materials. The roles of different nest materials are not well-studied, but physically robust materials provide structural support. Mammal nests are used for various purposes, including maternity, resting, environmental protection, torpor, hibernation, refuge from predation, and anti-parasite properties.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
D. Charles Deeming, Fleur E. M. Morton, Kirsty L. Laverack