About the Cover
Cover image
Cover: The marine mollusc Tritonia diomedea orients to the Earth's magnetic field and possesses a simple nervous system accessible to electrophysiology. Tritonia therefore represents a promising model system in which to investigate the neural circuitry that underlies magnetic orientation behaviour. On page 381-388, J. H. Wang, S. D. Cain and K. J. Lohmann report on identifiable neurons that respond electrically to changes in earth-strength magnetic fields and probably play an efferent role in the magnetic orientation circuitry. Whereas most research involving magnetic orientation has relied on behavioural approaches, the Tritonia system provides an opportunity to study directly how a simple nervous system detects magnetic cues, processes them, and generates appropriate motor responses. Photograph by Shaun D. Cain.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
Welcome to our new Editorial Advisory Board members
Shelley A. Adamo (Dalhousie University, Canada)
Michael Berenbrink (University of Liverpool, UK)
Suzanne Currie (Mount Allison University, Canada)
Martin Grosell (University of Miami, USA)
Alison Mercer (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Jeffrey Richards (University of British Columbia, Canada)
Sanjay Sane (National Center for Biological Sciences, India)
Holly Shiels (University of Manchester, UK)
Editors’ choice – Biochemical bases of growth variation during development
Photo credit: T.-C. Francis Pan
Some oyster larvae grow faster than others, but now Donal T. Manahan and colleagues reveal that the fastest growers are marked out by their high protein synthesis rates.
Conversation – Simon Sponberg
“One of the underappreciated benefits of fellowships is the act of applying for them, because you have to write and articulate your ideas.”
In our latest early-career interview, we chat to Simon Sponberg, Assistant Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. He shares the story of his career, beginning with how he combined a love of physics and biology by studying how geckos stick to walls.
Review – Why do mammals hop?
A new Review from Craig P. McGowan and Clint E. Collins looks at the ecology, biomechanics and evolution of bipedal hopping in mammals, with a focus on why bipedal hopping has arisen in multiple clades of mammals.
JEB in the news – Threatened whales and dolphins recognise predatory killer whales from their alarming calls
Photo credit: Ari Friedlaender
Not all orca species prey on aquatic mammals, so how do delphinids know when they are at risk? A new study shows that pilot whales and Risso’s dolphins flee from a subset of orca calls that share acoustic characteristics with other mammal alarm calls, including human screams. This article was featured in Science magazine.
preLights – Call for new preLighters
At the heart of preLights is the community of early-career researchers who select and highlight interesting preprints in various fields. We are now ready to grow our team of preLighters who are passionate about preprints and enjoy writing and communicating science. Find out more here and apply by the extended deadline, 20 July 2018.