Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Predators can trigger different body shapes in Rana pirica tadpoles. The shapes improve swimming efficiency, but the swollen body that helps protect tadpoles from being swallowed also creates drag and reduces escape performance compared with a deeper tail alone.
A study of Galápagos tree finches has identified a highly differentiated stretch of DNA associated with differences in beak and body size. The result suggests that one genomic region may have helped the finches expand into different ecological roles despite hybridization between species.
A study of threespine sticklebacks found that genes with different activity in freshwater fish were enriched for genetic variants previously linked to rapid adaptation. The variants were associated with tissue-specific processes including ion regulation in the gills and fatty acid metabolism in the brain.
The dry-season shrub Wigandia urens can produce seeds through autonomous self-pollination when pollinators are less active. Researchers found that animal pollinators still contributed substantially to seed production, giving the plant both reproductive backup and opportunities for cross-pollination.
A study tracking eight male crickets across their adult lives found that calling changed with age and declined as sleep-like behavior increased. Movement also varied across life stages and times of day, rather than showing a simple overall decline.
Alpine marmots played less as temperatures rose, while grooming, greetings and aggressive interactions remained comparatively stable. The researchers suggest that declining play could be an early sign of heat stress, although its long-term effects were not measured.
