EDITORIAL
INSIDE JEB
OUTSIDE JEB
REVIEW
- Broadening the functional and evolutionary understanding of postnatal neurogenesis using reptilian models
Summary: This Review highlights our understanding of postnatal neurogenesis in reptiles in comparison to mammals. Research in reptiles will help to address the mechanisms of postnatal neurogenesis and place it within a functional and evolutionary context.
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
- Disruption of thermogenic UCP1 predated the divergence of pigs and peccaries
Summary: Thermogenic UCP1 was pseudogenized much earlier than previously thought, in a common ancestor of peccaries and pigs, providing the molecular rationale for cold sensitivity and current tropical biogeography among extant peccaries.
- Use of temporal and colour cueing in a symbolic delayed matching task by honey bees
Summary: Honey bees can learn arbitrary relationships between shapes and colours, but not between shapes and durations of light, indicating a lower efficiency of temporal information as a cueing stimulus.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Does selection for behavioral and physiological performance traits alter glucocorticoid responsiveness in bank voles?
Summary: Bank voles from lines selected in distinct directions do not differ in corticosterone response to stress, but the maximum response and the rate of recovery differ to some extent.
- Adhesive plasticity among populations of purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
Summary: Intertidal sea urchins adhere to avoid dislodgement by intense hydrodynamic forces; this adhesion is plastic and varies as a function of rock type and native population.
- A field study of auditory sensitivity of the Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica
Highlighted Article: The threatened seabird the Atlantic puffin has a comparatively sensitive audiogram, indicating it has fully functioning aerial hearing despite the constraints of its deep-diving, amphibious lifestyle.
- Nitric oxide produced by periostial hemocytes modulates the bacterial infection-induced reduction of the mosquito heart rate
Summary: We unveil an exciting new facet of the integration between the immune and circulatory systems of insects, whereby hemocyte-produced nitric oxide drives the infection-induced reduction of mosquito heart rate.
- The influence of training-induced sarcomerogenesis on the history dependence of force
Summary: The addition and subtraction of serial sarcomeres induced by downhill and uphill running, respectively, does not influence the magnitude of lengthening-induced residual force enhancement and shortening-induced residual force depression.
- A novel cylindrical overlap-and-fling mechanism used by sea butterflies
Editor's choice: Enabled by its highly flexible wings, the swimming pteropod Cuvierina atlantica generates thrust by using a novel cylindrical ‘overlap-and-fling’ maneuver twice during each wingstroke.
- Carbon dioxide-induced bioluminescence increase in Arachnocampa larvae
Highlighted Article: CO2 was thought to act as an anaesthetic producing elevated bioluminescence in Arachnocampa; however, results show that it acts directly on the light organ and does not act as an anaesthetic.
- ABC transporters in gills of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Summary: The gills of rainbow trout as a key organ in solute exchange harbor a diversity of functional ABC transporters.
- How do Caenorhabditis elegans worms survive in highly viscous habitats?
Summary: Survival of Caenorhabditis elegans worms is associated with pharyngeal pump function that cannot be lost at high viscosity, which may contribute to their ability to survive in highly viscous environments.
- nkx3.2 mutant zebrafish accommodate jaw joint loss through a phenocopy of the head shapes of Paleozoic jawless fish
Summary: Jaw dysfunctions are generally deleterious, but zebrafish mutants lacking jaw joints survive and dramatically alter their skull shape and feeding, developing superficial resemblance to distantly related jawless vertebrates.
- Brain size does not predict learning strategies in a serial reversal learning test
Summary: Relative brain size affects differences in advanced learning ability in small- and large-brained female guppies; however, regardless of brain size, they do not learn a generalized rule from earlier experience.
- Stress before training alters memory retrieval of a non-declarative memory in Lymnaea
Summary: Counter to previous proposals, a block of memory retrieval does occur for a non-declarative memory in invertebrates and can be relieved through an injection of propranolol.
- Increased glucocorticoid concentrations in early life cause mitochondrial inefficiency and short telomeres
Summary: Experimental simulation of natural stressful developmental conditions reveals that glucocorticoid hormones induce telomere shortening by decreasing mitochondrial efficiency without altering oxidative stress, suggesting that telomeres are costly to maintain.
- Morphology, performance and fluid dynamics of the crayfish escape response
Highlighted Article: The crayfish tail creates a vortex during the escape response. Momentum is added by the ventral pleopod appendages.
- Greater agility increases probability of survival in the endangered northern quoll
Summary: High agility and body condition are advantageous for survival in female endangered northern quolls; development of predictive models that incorporate both predator and prey locomotor performance will give greater understanding on the vulnerability of native species to introduced predators.
- Fine sand particles enable antlions to build pitfall traps with advanced three-dimensional geometry
Summary: Antlions construct pitfall traps in fine sand to catch their prey. Three-dimensional laser scanning was used for the first time to analyse the shape of an unusual antlion pit.
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Meet the Editors at SICB Virtual 2021
Reserve your place to join some of the journal editors, including Editor-in-Chief Craig Franklin, at our Meet the Editor session on 17 February at 2pm (EST). Don’t forget to view our SICB Subject Collection, featuring relevant JEB papers relating to some of the symposia sessions.
2020 at The Company of Biologists
Despite 2020's challenges, we were able to bring a number of long-term projects and new ventures to fruition. As we enter a new year, join us as we reflect on the triumphs of the last 12 months.
Critical temperature window sends migratory black-headed buntings on their travels
The spring rise in temperature at black-headed bunting overwintering sites is essential for triggering the physical changes that they undergo before embarking on their spring migration – read more.
Developmental and reproductive physiology of small mammals at high altitude
Cayleih Robertson and Kathryn Wilsterman focus on high-altitude populations of the North American deer mouse in their review of the challenges and evolutionary innovations of pregnant and nursing small mammals at high altitude.
Read & Publish participation extends worldwide
“Being able to publish Open Access articles free of charge means that my article gets maximum exposure and has maximum impact, and that all my peers can read it regardless of the agreements that their universities have with publishers.”
Professor Roi Holzman (Tel Aviv University) shares his experience of publishing Open Access as part of our growing Read & Publish initiative. We now have over 60 institutions in 12 countries taking part – find out more and view our full list of participating institutions.