INSIDE JEB
OUTSIDE JEB
REVIEW
- Pain in aquatic animals
Summary: This review discusses how aquatic animals may differ in their neurobiological and behavioural responses to injurious stimuli compared with terrestrial animals, which has interesting implications for the evolution of pain.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Effect of temperature on leg kinematics in sprinting tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi): high speed may limit hydraulic joint actuation
Highlighted Article: Tarantulas extend their leg joints hydraulically. The coupling between in-series, hydraulically actuated joints was lowest at the highest temperature when the animals ran the fastest with the highest stride frequencies. The coordination of multiple, in-series hydraulically actuated joints may be limited by operating speed.
- Identification and characterization of the NMDA receptor and its role in regulating reproduction in the cockroach Diploptera punctata
Summary: The NMDA receptor in cockroaches does not appear to be involved in the regulation of JH biosynthesis and has no effect on female reproduction.
- Functional morphology of the Alligator mississippiensis larynx with implications for vocal production
Summary: Morphology and laryngeal biomechanics are used to model the boundaries of the alligator's available acoustic space.
- Conditioned frequency-dependent hearing sensitivity reduction in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Summary: Conditioned dolphin hearing dampening, caused by pairing warning and loud sounds, was found to differ with frequency of the warning stimulus, suggesting that the hearing dampening was not due to a simple stapedial reflex.
- Effects of signal features and background noise on distance cue discrimination by a songbird
Summary: Experiments with trained animals help understanding of how song birds perceive signals in their natural environment. We tested how background noise affects the perception of acoustic cues that aid assessing the distance of a sound source.
- Cheating on the mutualistic contract: nutritional gain through seed predation in the frugivorous bat Chiroderma villosum (Phyllostomidae)
Highlighted Article: The frugivorous bat Chiroderma villosum obtains extra protein and fat by not only eating fruit pulp but also chewing seeds instead of dispersing them.
- The role of the cerebral ganglia in the venom-induced behavioral manipulation of cockroaches stung by the parasitoid jewel wasp
Summary: We show that venom injection by the jewel wasp to either the subesophageal ganglion or the central complex in the brain is, by itself, sufficient to induce a long-term hypokinetic state in its cockroach prey.
- Intraspecific scaling of the minimum metabolic cost of transport in leghorn chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus): links with limb kinematics, morphometrics and posture
Summary: Chickens with differing body size and posture but similar skeletal shape show no difference in the cost of transport.
- Divergent physiological responses in laboratory rats and mice raised at high altitude
Summary: Rats and mice that have been raised for a similar period of time under conditions of chronic hypoxia at high altitude display divergent physiological responses.
- Magnetic navigation behavior and the oceanic ecology of young loggerhead sea turtles
Highlighted Article: Lab-based experiments and simulations of observed behavior in an ocean circulation model give new insight into how magnetic navigation shapes the ecology of small sea turtles.
- Bumblebees measure optic flow for position and speed control flexibly within the frontal visual field
Summary: Bumblebees control their flight using motion cues generated by the nearest obstacles in the frontal visual field, a strategy that enables them to fly safely in cluttered environments.
- Transcriptional responses to fluctuating thermal regimes underpinning differences in survival in the solitary bee Megachile rotundata
Summary: Transcripts associated with chill injury, neurological development and longevity are up-regulated in bees exposed to fluctuating temperatures during post-diapause quiescence.
- Octopus arm movements under constrained conditions: adaptation, modification and plasticity of motor primitives
Summary: The ability of the motor system to adapt and modify motor primitives is shown by introducing a physical constraint to the octopus arm.
- Natural selection constrains personality and brain gene expression differences in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Summary: In Atlantic salmon, time of emergence from the nest is a trait linked to boldness, brain gene expression and monoaminergic function. This suggests divergent stress coping strategies of early and late emerging fish.
- Ocean acidification impacts on sperm mitochondrial membrane potential bring sperm swimming behaviour near its tipping point
Highlighted Article: Sea urchin sperm motility under acidified conditions is shown to be related to reduced mitochondrial potential. Future forecasts of ocean acidification could place sea urchin sperm at their tolerance threshold.
- Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant
Summary: Dominant Diacamma ants have higher brain dopamine levels than subordinates and the fat body is the potential target of dopamine that mediates reproduction.
- Mechanical challenges to freshwater residency in sharks and rays
Summary: The high negative buoyancy of elasmobranchs increases the cost of locomotion and may be responsible for the scarcity of sharks in fresh water.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
The Company of Biologists commits to the Transformative Journal approach
The Company of Biologists is the first not-for-profit publisher to commit to this approach. The Company's three hybrid journals - Development, Journal of Cell Science and Journal of Experimental Biology - have chosen the 'transformative' route towards Open Access. Find out more in this interview with Claire Moulton, Publisher at The Company of Biologists and on our dedicated Transformative Journals page.
Handing over the reins
The start of August signals a change for Journal of Experimental Biology as we say a fond farewell to Editor-in-Chief of 25 years Hans Hoppeler and extend a warm welcome to his successor, Craig Franklin.
Minute mecysmaucheniid spider triggers fastest trap-jaws
Research by Hannah Wood shows that Zearchaea spiders use a spring loaded catapult mechanism to slam closed the fastest spider jaws on the planet, at an astonishing speed of 18.2 m s−1.
In the field: an interview with Sandra Binning and Dominique Roche
Together, Sandra Binning and Dominique Roche investigate how animals respond to environmental stress. In an interview, they talk about taking their children into the field and keeping safe while working in marine locations.
Surviving anoxia: the maintenance of energy production and tissue integrity during anoxia and reoxygenation
In their Review, Georgina Cox and Todd Gillis use knowledge gained from studies of anoxia-tolerant species to identify common strategies and novel solutions for the challenges of anoxia exposure.