Biological Reviews最新文献

{"title":"Individual variation in animal communication: from species averages to unique voices.","authors":"Angèle Lombrey, Marlen Fröhlich","doi":"10.1111/brv.70061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The comparative study of communicative behaviour in non-human animals, especially primates, has yielded crucial insights into the evolution of human language. This research, mostly focused on the species and population level, has improved our understanding of the various socio-ecological factors that shape communication systems. However, despite the inherent flexibility of human communication, the impact of individual variation on non-human communication systems has often been overlooked, along with its potential to shed light on the roots of human language. While the eco-evolutionary relevance of genetic and phenotypic differences between individuals is well established, animal communication studies have traditionally focused on group averages and treated outliers as noise. In this review, we address this gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the sources of individual variation in animal communicative behaviour (e.g. physiological, sociodemographic, or personality traits), across parameters such as signal forms, repertoires, and usage strategies. In particular, recent evidence from comparative work underscores the potential evolutionary significance of individual plasticity in communicative behaviour. We argue for an explicit focus on within-individual variation and propose advancing the study of animal communication through multi-level approaches that integrate intrinsic and environmental factors, as well as between- and within-individual variation. Such approaches not only refine our view of complexity in animal communication systems and their implications for social evolution, but also help trace the evolutionary trajectory of human language through comparative studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144751924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibitory control tests in non-human animals: validity, reliability, and perspectives.","authors":"Louise Loyant, Luke Collins, Marine Joly","doi":"10.1111/brv.70055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inhibitory control, the ability to control impulsive or pre-learned behaviour in order to reach a more rewarding goal, is essential in many aspects of normal life. In non-human animals, better inhibitory control performances have been associated with a larger brain, better problem-solving skills, and fitness benefits. This crucial cognitive ability has been studied in a wide range of fields (psychology, neurosciences, animal cognition) and has been tested in several animal classes from insects to mammals. Unfortunately, unlike in human test psychology, the common paradigms designed to measure inhibitory control in non-human animals often suffer from a lack of validity and reliability and have yielded mixed results. Therefore, the nature of inhibitory control, either defined as a common ability or a suite of distinct processes, is still debated. Besides, the evolutionary processes shaping the variation in inhibitory control, often tested using a single task, are still poorly understood and the relative influences of ecological, anatomical or social factors as evolutionary drivers of this ability remain unclear. Finally, it is only recently that researchers have focused efforts on the factors necessary for the evolution of inhibitory control, that is individual variation in inhibitory control performance, heritability of this trait and fitness benefits. Hence, our main objective herein is to conduct a review of the existing literature to discuss conceptual and methodological challenges faced by researchers wanting to study inhibitory control in animals. We then suggest tools to tackle these challenges and propose a framework to build a valid and reliable measure of inhibitory processes. Next, we describe the requirements to study the selective pressures involved in this cognitive process in order to have a better understanding of its evolutionary underpinnings. We finally consider the future of interspecies comparative studies of inhibitory control.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Animal medical systems from Apis to apes: history, recent advances and future perspectives.","authors":"Michelina Pusceddu, Michael A Huffman, Stephane Knoll, Ana Helena Dias Francesconi, Ignazio Floris, Alberto Satta","doi":"10.1111/brv.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animal medical systems encompass a wide range of behaviours aimed at maintaining or improving health. It has become clear that these behaviours are not limited to animals treating themselves (self-medication) but also include the treatment of group members, resulting in the adoption of the more inclusive term \"animal medication\". Behaviour with the intent to avoid, reduce the impact, or otherwise treat disease transmission, rather than the use of medicinal substances, can be described as medical behaviours. However, most behaviours described here involve the ingestion or application of items with medicinal properties to oneself or the application of items to others or their temporary or permanent communal living spaces like nests or burrows, hereto named medicinal or medication behaviours. This review begins with a historical overview of the field, showcasing an increasing awareness of the wide diversity of taxa exhibiting animal medication and elucidating the development of criteria used to define and categorise such behaviours across the animal kingdom. A thorough synthesis of recent research is presented, by providing critical reflection that challenges conventional notions and emphasises the significance of sociality and ecological context. To this end, medical systems are explored by using numerous examples, thus highlighting the diverse strategies animals employ to maintain health and improve fitness, ranging from honey bees foraging on antimicrobial resin to control hive disease to apes ingesting small amounts of toxic secondary compounds to control parasite infection. The understanding of how animals maintain their health through medical strategies offers valuable insights into the evolutionary origin and complexity of the drivers behind these behaviours. Evidence suggests that advanced cognition is not necessarily a prerequisite because innate mechanisms are likely involved in the expression of these behaviours across the animal kingdom. By highlighting the importance of life-history traits and ecological context in predicting animal medical systems, we reassess the presumed primary drivers of these adaptations. Finally, this review raises important questions about animal medical systems, including the universality of the mechanisms involved, the evolutionary significance of parasite pressure, and the ecological implications of this suite of behaviours. By addressing these complexities, this review provides a nuanced understanding of animal medical systems and highlights avenues for future research in this field.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental DNA as a tool for hydropower impact assessments: current status, special considerations, and future integration.","authors":"Kristine N Moody, Steven T Gardner, Line E Sundt-Hansen, Frode Fossøy, Dana N McCoskey, Katherine J Morrice, Brenda M Pracheil","doi":"10.1111/brv.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Globally there is an urgent need to find sustainable solutions to balance energy production with the protection of vulnerable species and conservation of biodiversity. This is particularly critical for freshwater ecosystems, habitats, and species that may be impacted by hydropower development and operations needed to meet energy grid demands. Reliable and accurate environmental impact assessments (EIAs) that identify the biological, physical, or social impacts of hydropower are key to ensure biodiversity, ecosystem, and societal sustainability. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to transform hydropower EIAs, management and mitigation planning, and decision-making procedures. Further, the incorporation of eDNA surveys into EIAs during both hydropower planning and continued operations may streamline regulatory processes by improving our understanding of potentially impacted biota and habitats and evaluating environmental impacts mitigation. Here, we: (i) highlight current understanding and use of eDNA in freshwater environments; (ii) examine critical considerations for eDNA integration into hydropower EIAs and biological monitoring; (iii) identify knowledge gaps in eDNA analysis and applications unique to hydropower-regulated systems; and (iv) discuss future opportunities to bolster the incorporation of eDNA into hydropower research including regulatory acceptance and public engagement. While we acknowledge that there are several factors that may complicate the broad adoption of eDNA as a tool for assessing the impacts of hydropower, we anticipate that growing confidence in eDNA through hydropower-specific protocols, calibrations, and validations will overcome these inherent uncertainties.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The intricate relationship between stress and animal welfare: from historical perspective to new avenues.","authors":"Feifan Wu, Alan Tilbrook, Shane K Maloney, Dominique Blache","doi":"10.1111/brv.70057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We discuss the intricate relationship between the evolution of the concept of stress and the development of the concept of animal welfare. After a brief review of the main concepts of animal welfare, we analyse important steps in the evolution of the concept of stress, starting from the mechanistic approach of the General Adaptation Syndrome to the recent integrative allostatic theory. We show how, over time, each concept of stress has informed the development of the concept of animal welfare. We discuss the role of emotions and affective states in the response of animals to challenges and how psychological stress is integral to the welfare of animals. Lastly, we discuss briefly the potential role of the gut-brain axis in both the concept of stress and the concept of welfare.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing flexibility in meaning and context in non-human communication.","authors":"Marlen Fröhlich, Juliette Aychet, Peter R Clark, Catherine Crockford, Guillaume Dezecache, Nancy Rebout, Carel P van Schaik, Kirsty E Graham","doi":"10.1111/brv.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The concept of flexibility in communication is central to reconstructing the evolutionary history of language, and grappling with \"contextual flexibility\" in particular is pivotal to address implications for pragmatics-first accounts of language evolution. Despite significant advances in the field, research is hindered by definitional inconsistencies and methodological gaps across modalities. We build on recent frameworks to propose further, detailed methods for studying contextual and functional variability, incorporating modality-agnostic and standardised terminology to facilitate cross-species comparisons. Our approach includes a detailed classification of communicative contexts and outcomes, offering practical methods to disentangle context from function and meaning. By integrating insights across behavioural ecology and comparative psychology, we aim to enhance the comparability of findings and provide a robust foundation for exploring the evolutionary trajectory of communicative flexibility and pragmatics.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plasticity in climate change responses.","authors":"Angelika Stollewerk, Pavel Kratina, Arnaud Sentis, Catalina Chaparro-Pedraza, Ellen Decaestecker, Luc De Meester, Ozge Eyice, Lynn Govaert, John Iwan Jones, Christian Laforsch, Carolina Madeira, Anita Narwani, Vicencio Oostra, Joost A M Raeymaekers, Axel G Rossberg, Matthias Schott, Robby Stoks, Ellen van Velzen, David Boukal","doi":"10.1111/brv.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent research has shown that climate change can both induce and modulate the expression of plastic traits but our understanding of the role of phenotypic plasticity as an adaptive response to climate change is limited. In this review, we dissect the mechanisms and impact of phenotypic plasticity as a response to accumulating climatic pressures on the individual, species and community levels. (i) We discuss how plasticity can affect individuals, populations and community dynamics and how climate change can alter the role of plasticity. We hypothesise that some pathways to phenotypic plasticity such as irreversible and anticipatory organismal responses will be reduced under increasing climate change. (ii) We then propose an integrated conceptual framework for studying phenotypic plasticity to advance our understanding of the feedbacks between the different levels of biological organisation. (iii) By formulating as yet unaddressed research questions within and across levels of biological organisation, we aim to instigate new research on phenotypic plasticity and its role in climate change responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144688458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Review of the tetrapod skull-neck boundary: implications for the evolution of the atlas-axis complex.","authors":"Dana E Korneisel, Hillary C Maddin","doi":"10.1111/brv.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review describes variation in modern and fossil occiput-atlas-axis complex anatomy of total group Tetrapoda with the aim of documenting the range of structural variation throughout their evolutionary history to establish grounds for comparison of the complex between tetrapod clades. This review reveals that every modern tetrapod has an atlas with morphology unique to its vertebral column that articulates to the skull, composed, typically, of paired neural arch halves and an intercentrum. Maximally complex tetrapod atlantes articulate to paired proatlas halves and are composed of paired neural arch halves, an intercentrum, and a pleurocentrum. The centra may occur as left and right halves but are most often singular elements in adults. Lissamphibians often have an interglenoid tubercle extending anteriorly from their atlas centrum. Stem tetrapods develop a specialised second cervical vertebra, the axis, most often distinguished from its posterior neighbours by an anteriorly oriented odontoid process contributing to the skull-neck joint. An axis is retained in nearly all subsequently diverging tetrapod clades, except for lissamphibians and their closest relatives. Exemplar fossil taxa reveal patterns of atlas-axis evolution throughout the tetrapod lineage. Here, synthesis of osteological data from extinct and extant taxa provides a basis for hypotheses of skull-neck boundary evolution in tetrapods. For example, convergent trends towards fewer separate components in adult tetrapod atlas-axis complexes, except in crocodylians and rhyncocephalians, are illuminated. Further insights into the development of the atlas and axis may help support or refute these hypotheses and will contribute to a more complete understanding of the origin of observed variation.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144688459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pollination ecology in the tropical Andes: moving towards a cross-scale approach.","authors":"Cristina Rueda-Uribe, Alexander Chautá, Tamsin L Woodman, Eloisa Lasso, Roxibell C Pelayo, Laura Milena Manrique-Garzón, Marcia C Muñoz, Rebekka Allgayer, Tia-Lynn Ashman, Greta Bocedi, David F R P Burslem, Pedro A Camargo-Martínez, María Ángela Echeverry-Galvis, Catalina González-Arango, Cecile Gubry-Rangin, Lesley T Lancaster, Kara K S Layton, Fabio Manfredini, Carlos Martel, Lia Montti, Alexander S T Papadopulos, Robert A Raguso, Jonathan Ready, Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Camila Rocabado, Justin M J Travis","doi":"10.1111/brv.70049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant-pollinator interactions structure ecological communities and represent a key component of ecosystem functioning. Pollination networks are expected to be more diverse and specialised in the tropics, but pollination ecology in these regions has been understudied in comparison to other areas. We reviewed research on pollination in the tropical Andes, one of the major biodiversity hotspots on Earth, where the uplift of mountains and past climate have resulted in spatiotemporally distinct species interactions. We found 1010 scientific articles on pollination in the Andes, of which 473 included or were carried out in tropical regions. The number of publications on pollination ecology in the tropical Andes has increased exponentially, with Colombia having the most articles, followed by Ecuador and Peru, and with Bolivia and Venezuela having notably fewer studies. More research has been carried out in humid montane forests and agricultural landscapes, and it has predominantly focused on describing diversity of species and interactions while neglecting analyses on the resilience and adaptability of pollinating systems, even though the Andean region is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change and continues to undergo land conversion and degradation. Remarkably few studies have incorporated local knowledge, thus ignoring connections to human livelihoods and communities. A phytocentric perspective has been predominant, with fewer studies focusing directly on pollinators and a notable lack of articles with a holistic approach to the study of pollination across taxonomic groups at the community or ecosystem level. We propose that future research adopts a cross-scale approach that considers the complexity of the ecological contexts in which plant-pollinator interactions occur, and incorporates long-term monitoring with broader multilayer networks and molecular tools, experiments focused on ecophysiology and behaviour, animal telemetry, process-modelling approaches and participatory science. A stronger field driven by interdisciplinary collaborations will contribute to knowledge about pollination at a global scale, as well as increase our understanding of the diversity and resilience of pollination interactions in this region, thus improving our capacity to predict and avoid ecosystem collapses.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144641320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nuclear destabilisation - a possible genesis of cancer?","authors":"Daniel D Scott, Francesco Bettariga, Marco Ventin, Chris Bishop, Britta Stordal","doi":"10.1111/brv.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review examines the increasingly prominent role of mechanics within cancer formation and progression. The extremely varied and contradictory genetic landscape of cancer is in stark contrast to the seemingly universal mechanical characteristics of cancer cells and their tumour microenvironment, and mechanics may be a principal unifying trait of this disease. The tight regulation of innate cell mechanical properties raises the possibility that destabilisation of the cell drives tumour formation in an attempt to restore cell mechanical homeostasis. With losses in cell stiffness more pronounced at the cell nucleus, we hypothesise that destabilisation occurs within the nucleus, likely within the nucleosome. Beyond the mechanical properties of the cell, this compromise to the chromatin structure holds significant repercussions for both genetic and epigenetic regulation, providing scope for significant genetic dysregulation and mutation. However, the nature of such genetic events will be dependent upon the region of mechanical destabilisation; thus, introducing greater variability and heterogeneity to genetic changes. We conclude with the hypothesis that cancer has a mechanical genesis, in which cell nuclear destabilisation functions as the enabling hallmark of cancer. It is theorised that both genetic and structural dysfunction stem from this nuclear destabilisation, driving disease pathology and progression.</p>","PeriodicalId":133,"journal":{"name":"Biological Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144635791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}