INSIDE JEB
OUTSIDE JEB
COMMENTARY
- Thermal robustness of biomechanical processes
Summary: Mechanical processes that replace chemical processes in organismal movement can result in performance that is robust to changing temperature.
REVIEW
- The gut–brain axis in vertebrates: implications for food intake regulation
Summary: This Review summarises information on the gut–brain axis in non-mammalian vertebrates, highlighting an important lack of knowledge compared with mammals. We identify gaps for future research for a better understanding of the mechanisms governing food intake in vertebrates.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- The visual ecology of Holocentridae, a nocturnal coral reef fish family with a deep-sea-like multibank retina
Highlighted Article: Compared with other reef fishes, holocentrids have a well-developed multibank retina, an adaptation mostly found in deep-sea fishes, which may allow colour vision in dim-light settings.
- Blood as fuel: the metabolic cost of pedestrian locomotion in Rhodnius prolixus
Summary: Locomotion generates an increase in the metabolic rate of haematophagous bugs and changes the respiratory pattern. The energetic cost of pedestrian locomotion allows estimation of maximal walking dispersion in Chagas vectors.
- Climate change and invasive species: a physiological performance comparison of invasive and endemic bees in Fiji
Highlighted Article: Invasive bees in Fiji have greater thermal tolerance and are more desiccation resistant than the only native bee in lowland Fiji. Plant–pollinator relationships might shift with continued climate warming.
- Complex sensory environments alter mate choice outcomes
Summary: Audio-visual perception and cognitive processing, related to mate choice decisions, are dependent on the complexity of the sensory scene.
- Oxygen limitation fails to explain upper chronic thermal limits and the temperature size rule in mayflies
Highlighted Article: Chronic (whole-life) studies do not support a causative role for oxygen limitation in setting upper chronic thermal limits or temperature-size patterns in mayflies.
- Rightward shift of optimal fascicle length with decreasing voluntary activity level in the soleus and lateral gastrocnemius muscles
Summary: Decreasing voluntary muscle activity levels in the human triceps surae shift the plantar flexion force–angle and force–length relationships toward more dorsiflexed ankle angles and longer fascicle lengths.
- Effects of temperature on physiological performance and behavioral thermoregulation in an invasive fish, the round goby
Summary: Phenotypic buffering of physiology and behavior, coupled with large thermal safety margins, may be competitively advantageous for the invasive fish round goby, and enhance its invasive potential with climate change.
- Low incubation temperature slows the development of cold tolerance in a precocial bird
Highlighted Article: Precocial birds incubated at low temperature take longer to develop cold tolerance, with possible costs for energy acquisition in early life.
- Metabolic cost of freeze–thaw and source of CO2 production in the freeze-tolerant cricket Gryllus veletis
Summary: In crickets, freezing does not induce metabolic responses but may liberate buffered CO2 from hemolymph. Recovery from freeze–thaw is metabolically costly, and this cost persists for several days after thaw.
- Cervical air sac oxygen profiles in diving emperor penguins: parabronchial ventilation and the respiratory oxygen store
Summary: Air sac oxygen profiles of emperor penguins demonstrate that air flow between the air sacs and through the lungs maintains gas exchange during dives as well as on the surface.
- Are acute and acclimated thermal effects on metabolic rate modulated by cell size? A comparison between diploid and triploid zebrafish larvae
Summary: Metabolic consequences of cell size and ploidy vary with temperature: the small cell size of diploids appears beneficial in the warm, while triploids performed better in the cold.
- Lung function assessment in the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) while resting on land and submerged in water
Summary: Measured respiratory flow, tidal volume and lung compliance in Pacific walruses were inside reported ranges for marine mammals, confirming highly flexible lungs and reinforced conducting airways that allow them to preserve high respiratory flows over all lung volumes.
- Life-long exposure to hypoxia affects metabolism and respiratory physiology across life stages in high-altitude deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)
Summary: Life-long exposure to hypoxia alters hypoxic metabolic depression throughout life with age-specific effects on breathing.
- Task-dependent vocal adjustments to optimize biosonar-based information acquisition
Summary: Having the right information for a specific job is crucial. Echolocating bats flexibly and independently adjust different call parameters to match the sensory-motor challenges of four different tasks.
- Respiratory sinus arrhythmia and submersion bradycardia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Summary: Heart rates measured in bottlenose dolphins associated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia were comparable to bradycardia measured during submerged breath-holds.
- Monoterpenes alter TAR1-driven physiology in Drosophila species
Summary: In Drosophila, monoterpenes not only act as biopesticides but also cause complex tyramine receptor 1 (TAR1)-dependent changes in behaviour and metabolism.
- The influence of sagittal trunk lean on uneven running mechanics
Summary: Trunk posture- and step-specific adjustments in global and local running mechanics are influenced by the anticipation of changes to running pattern, probably reflecting the utilization of task-dependent strategies during perturbed running.
- Interplays between pre- and post-natal environments affect early-life mortality, body mass and telomere dynamics in the wild
Summary: Hatching order manipulation in a wild bird reveals interacting effects of pre- and post-natal developing conditions on early-life phenotype and potential future performance.
- The human foot functions like a spring of adjustable stiffness during running
Summary: Humans are capable of dynamically adjusting the stiffness of the longitudinal arch of the foot in conjunction with other joints in the leg during running.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
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.
The Big Biology podcast
JEB author Christine Cooper talks to Big Biology about her research. In this fascinating JEB sponsored podcast she tells us how tough zebra finches adjust their physiology to cope with extreme climate events.
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.