Published in Biology letters
Adaptive evolution relies on both heritable variation and selection. Variation is the raw material upon which selection acts, so any mechanism that limits or prevents the generation of heritable variation reduces the power of selection to lead to adaptation. Such limitations are termed evolutionary constraints. While it is widely accepted that cons...
Published in Biology letters
Learning where to find nutrients while at the same time avoiding toxic food is essential for survival of any animal. Using Drosophila melanogaster larvae as a study case, we investigate the role of gustatory sensory neurons expressing IR76b for associative learning of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. We found surprising complexity in t...
Published in Biology letters
In nature, organisms are faced with constant nutritional options which fuel key life-history traits. Studies have shown that species can actively make nutritional decisions based on internal and external cues. Metabolism itself is underpinned by complex genomic interactions involving components from both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Products ...
Published in Biology letters
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viruses infect numerous non-human species. Spillover of SARS-CoV-2 into novel animal reservoirs may present a danger to host individuals of these species, particularly worrisome in populations already endangered or threatened by extinction. In addition, emergence in new reservoirs could p...
Published in Biology letters
Many seabirds are attracted to anthropogenic light, and the risk is greater for recent fledglings. Moon phase predicts the probability of stranding (fewer birds strand on the full moon), but it remains uncertain whether moon phase is associated with when young seabirds fledge. Fledging behaviour of nocturnal, burrowing seabirds can be difficult to ...
Published in Biology letters
Salpa thompsoni is an important grazer in the Southern Ocean and most abundant in the Antarctic Polar Front (APF) region. During recent decades, their distribution expanded southwards. However, it is unclear whether salps can maintain their populations in the high Antarctic regions throughout the year owing to a poor understanding of their physiolo...
Published in Biology letters
The modulation of nutritional intake by animals to combat pathogens is a behaviour that is receiving increasing attention. Ant studies using isolated compounds or nutrients in artificial diets have revealed a lot of the dynamics of the behaviour, but natural sources of medicine are yet to be confirmed. Here we explored whether Formica fusca ants ex...
Published in Biology letters
Endotherms use their appendages-such as legs, tails, ears and bills-for thermoregulation by controlling blood flow to near-surface blood vessels, conserving heat when it is cold, and dissipating heat in hot conditions. Larger appendages allow greater heat dissipation, and appendage sizes vary latitudinally according to Allen's rule. However, little...
Published in Biology letters
Daytime migrants are known to orientate using the position of the sun, compensating for its changing position throughout the day with a 'time-compensated sun compass'. This compass has been demonstrated in many migratory species, with various degrees of accuracy for the actual movement of the sun. Here, we present a model for differing levels of co...
Published in Biology letters
Sperm ageing after ejaculation can generate paternal environment effects that impact offspring fitness. In many species, female reproductive fluids (FRFs), i.e. ancillary fluids released by eggs or within the female reproductive tract, may protect sperm from ageing and can additionally interact with sperm to influence offspring viability. This rais...
