Integrative Organismal Biology最新文献

{"title":"The Peculiar Necks of Herons and Anhingas: A Study of Cervical Morphology in Pelecanimorph Birds.","authors":"R C Fleming, C R Black","doi":"10.1093/iob/obag004","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obag004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The remarkable diversity in avian neck morphology likely influences neck movement in behaviors such as preening and prey capture. Ardeids (herons, egrets, and bitterns) and anhingas are thought to have evolved specialized mid-neck vertebrae to facilitate their ambush predation motion, which involves a rapid straightening of the neck to propel the head toward prey. Although prior studies have suggested that both groups possess distinctive cervical vertebral morphology, a broader comparative framework incorporating extensive taxonomic sampling, information-rich shape data, and phylogenetic context is needed to evaluate the uniqueness of their neck organization relative to close relatives. Here, we examined cervical vertebral morphology in 24 species across the Pelecanimorphae, with a focus on Ardeidae and Anhingidae. Using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods, we quantified vertebral shape variation and cervical regionalization across the five morphologically distinct regions of the avian neck. We assessed patterns of cervical regionalization across pelecanimorph lineages and tested for vertebral shape differentiation in ardeids, while including anhingas descriptively in morphospace comparisons due to limited sampling. We hypothesized that ardeids are morphologically distinct in one or more cervical regions and that both ardeids and anhingas exhibit unique patterns of cervical regionalization relative to other pelecanimorphs. Our results indicate that (1) ardeids and several lineages within Suliformes, including anhingas, exhibit distinctive patterns of cervical regionalization, and (2) ardeids evolved uniquely shaped vertebrae across cervical regions 1-4 relative to other pelecanimorphs. Anhingas exhibit cervical regionalization patterns similar to those of ardeids, consistent with convergent evolution of neck organization. Additionally, substantial morphological diversity within ardeids may reflect ecological differences in neck use and foraging strategies, highlighting the need for future studies linking cervical form and function. Overall, this study underscores the evolutionary lability of the avian neck and its potential role in facilitating ecological diversification across avian lineages.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":"obag004"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13014071/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147521110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testing the Limits: Functional Strengths and Weaknesses of Poacher (Agonidae) Armor.","authors":"L E Martinez, M L Vandenberg, K E Cohen, A P Summers, C M Donatelli","doi":"10.1093/iob/obag003","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obag003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dermal armor serves a variety of functions across animal lineages including defense, offense, display, and prehension. Small differences in armor structure, plate size, or overlap may complement large differences in behavior or ecology. We characterized damage to an armored fish-the gray starsnout poacher (<i>Bathyagonus alascanus</i>) to probe whether there are differences in plate function within a single species. We quantified damage to poacher armor and skeleton under different force modes, including crushing, puncture, abrasion, and blunt impact, using micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, and material testing. Armor in the posterior region of the fish can withstand higher stress during crushing, suggesting they are well protected while fleeing from a crushing predator. It takes more work to puncture the anterior armor, perhaps poachers tend to face an animal threatening a puncturing attack. The dorsal plate spines are often eroded away from abrasion and/or blunt impact; we posit that the spineless ventral plates are smooth because strong sub-tidal currents cause collisions with a rocky substrate that would quickly destroy ventral spines if the plates were so equipped. The imbricated armor of <i>B. alascanus</i> has a diversity of performance against different threats, and this varies with location.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":"obag003"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12910315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146219671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Myliobatid Ray Gliding Dynamics: Experimental Tests of Body Shape and Tail Length on Stability.","authors":"S B Cooper, C F White, G V Lauder, J Chaumel","doi":"10.1093/iob/obag002","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obag002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Myliobatid stingrays (eagle, cownose, and manta rays) swim using oscillatory locomotion, flapping their pectoral fins for propulsion while relying on their elongated tails for stability. During swimming, myliobatids often exhibit gliding behavior, a passive locomotion mode when active flapping ceases and the pectoral fins are maintained in a static position. We hypothesized that different pectoral fin conformations influence body stability and that the tail plays a critical role in stabilizing the models during gliding. To test this, we designed and 3D-printed four myliobatid-inspired models with different pectoral fin conformations: three with increasing dihedral angles and one model with an anhedral configuration. Each model was tested with three tail lengths: twice the disc width, equal to disc width, and no tail. Models were tested in a flow tank at increasing flow velocities. Stability, determined by pitch, roll, sway, and ODBA (overall dynamic body acceleration), was measured using high speed video and an accelerometer embedded into each model. When the models were compared without tails, the position of the pectoral fins also affected stability. Among models with dihedral angles, stability decreased with increasing dihedral angle. The model with an anhedral conformation was the most unstable. However, all models significantly reduced pitch, roll, sway, and ODBA with the presence of the tail, indicating that the tail had a stabilizing effect in all models regardless of the pectoral fin conformation. These findings indicate that pectoral fin conformation has a substantial effect on body stability and, in combination with the tail, enables stable passive gliding. Understanding the effect of body and pectoral fin posture on stability during locomotion is important for future efforts to analyze the energetic cost of locomotion and to understand the principles of efficient underwater movement.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":"obag002"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12934353/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147305481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Material Approach to Endangered Species Conservation: Characterization and 3D Imaging of Ballistic Damage in the Casques of Helmeted Hornbill (<i>Rhinoplax vigil</i>).","authors":"T Y Chan, V Kamska, M Schindler, S Xie, T F Kong, R Hu, M N Dean","doi":"10.1093/iob/obag001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obag001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The helmeted hornbill (<i>Rhinoplax vigil</i>), a critically endangered bird prized for the distinctive helmet-like \"casque\" capping its beak, faces threats from poaching and habitat loss. This study applies biomaterials/imaging techniques to wildlife forensics, using micro-computed tomography to forensically analyse bullet-induced damage in a unique collection of helmeted hornbill skull specimens, confiscated by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of Hong Kong. The findings reveal diverse healing responses, bullet characteristics and indications of the poaching strategies used. For example, specimen scans-showing various bullets embedded in skull tissue-suggest that poachers may use the conspicuous casque as a target when shooting upward from the ground. Additionally, our observations of casque anatomy exhibit two different types of tissue repair, arguing that several of the individuals lived long after being shot. The study highlights the value of confiscated specimens for understanding life history factors and poaching impacts in rare species, vital for developing tailored conservation strategies and advancing knowledge of the biology of elusive wildlife.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":"obag001"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13100508/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147770609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Introducing a Novel Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Using Duckweed as a Model System.","authors":"J Daniels, M McCallum, N Neal, E Nkwocha, S R Machado, H Carter, E Lam, C Peng, A O'Brien, N Wei, M Frederickson, J Tan","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf049","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a scalable model for engaging students in authentic scientific inquiry, bridging core biological concepts with real-world environmental applications. We introduce a new CURE lab tailored for introductory biology students at the undergraduate level, utilizing duckweed as a model organism to investigate ecological interactions and environmental management. Our paper presents a curriculum that engages students in hands-on research with a focus on duckweed's role in ecosystem dynamics, pollutant remediation, and its potential as a bioresource, along with scientific results from student projects that serve as tangible examples of the curriculum's outcomes. Through experimentation, students explore how duckweed can be applied to address real-world environmental challenges, utilizing advanced laboratory techniques and data analysis tools. Successfully implemented with 192 students across three semesters at our institutions, this CURE lab has produced reliable duckweed growth data with high reproducibility. This curriculum addresses the gap between traditional laboratory exercises and authentic research experiences through introducing opportunities to conduct reproducible experiments, analyze real data, and communicate scientific findings in meaningful contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":"obaf049"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12802901/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145989066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"State-Dependent and Social Modulation of Circulating Glucocorticoids in a Nomadic Songbird, the Red Crossbill (<i>Loxia Curvirostra</i>).","authors":"B J Vernasco, I T Moore, J M Cornelius, H E Watts","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf047","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glucocorticoids facilitate the integration of environmental information and coordination of organismal responses to perturbations. Circulating glucocorticoids are hypothesized to depend on an individual's environment and condition (i.e., state) to facilitate surviving challenges while minimizing fitness costs. Studies specifically focused on sources of individual variation in circulating glucocorticoids are critical to understanding state-dependent modulation of glucocorticoids and integrated phenotypes more broadly. Such studies can also provide insight into the evolution and adaptive significance of circulating glucocorticoids. Here, we repeatedly sample individuals before and during food restriction to identify how and when food availability and intrinsic differences (i.e., body condition and telomere length), including those of social partners, covary with glucocorticoids in captive Red Crossbills (<i>Loxia curvirostra</i>), a nomadic songbird that specializes on foraging for conifer seeds. Conifer seeds are ephemeral resources produced during unpredictable, but locally synchronous, masting events. Fluctuating food availability and social cues, change the behavior and glucocorticoid physiology of Red Crossbills. Pairs consisting of an adult and juvenile were food restricted using an environmental manipulation known to induce socially mediated changes in glucocorticoid signaling. Baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoids were measured before and during food restriction. Amongst adults, stress-induced glucocorticoids declined following food restriction and positively covaried with telomere length, independent of food availability. These results support the hypothesis that the acute glucocorticoid response is adaptively modulated based on environmental conditions and individual differences in state as measured by telomere length. Under food restriction, juvenile baseline glucocorticoids negatively covaried with body condition and the telomere lengths of adult social partners. The covariation between adult telomere lengths and juvenile baseline glucocorticoids suggests that telomere lengths of adults may relate to adult phenotypes, a hypothesis supported by the covariation between adult telomeres and stress-induced glucocorticoids. Further, as patterns were absent before food restriction, our results demonstrate how environmental challenges can reveal the importance of intrinsic differences to organismal responses and social cues. This study leverages a non-model organism experiencing an ecologically relevant environmental challenge to exemplify how intrinsic differences, including those of social partners, can modulate an endocrine mediator of organismal responses to environmental perturbations.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":"obaf047"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12865310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146118851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of Nonconventional Sample Matrices for Endocrine Studies of Pit Vipers: Assay Validation and Applications.","authors":"E de Souza, D M D Mello, X Glaudas, E Hingst-Zaher, S M Almeida-Santos, C L Buck","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf048","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding a species' physiological state is important for advancing animal ecology and conservation. Endocrine responses to reproduction, stress, and nutritional status are commonly assessed through gonadal, adrenal, and thyroid hormones, respectively. Using nonconventional samples for endocrinological evaluation is an increasingly utilized method but remains uncommon for snakes. In this study, we assessed whether feces, urine, or shed skin from two Neotropical pit vipers (<i>Bothrops jararaca</i> and <i>B. jararacussu</i>) contain detectable testosterone (T), progesterone (P4), 17β-estradiol (E2), corticosterone (CORT), and triiodothyronine (T3) using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). We collected samples from 23 individuals, 10 <i>B. jararaca</i> and 13 <i>B. jararacussu</i>, and assessed detectability of hormones and/or immunoreactive hormone metabolites (IHM). We used tests of parallelism and accuracy to validate assays. Triiodothyronine was not detected in urine of either species; all other hormones were detected in all matrices. Testosterone and T3 showed good parallelism for all matrices tested. Parallelism tests for E2 (urine, both species), CORT (urine, <i>B. jararaca</i>, and shed skin, <i>B. jararacussu</i>), and P4 (urine, <i>B. jararaca</i>) showed marginally acceptable results. All accuracy validations were successful, except for T3 in shed skin extract (<i>B. jararacussu</i>) and P4 in urine extract (<i>B. jararaca</i>). This study demonstrates the applicability of nonconventional samples for hormone and IHM detection and quantification, offering valuable tools to monitor the endocrinological status of both free-ranging and confined snakes.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf048"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12741559/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145850056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Developmental Decline in HSP Expression Affects Subsequent Response to Transient Heat Exposure.","authors":"C R Warren, M B Wilken, J M Rollins, R T Paitz, R M Bowden","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf046","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding physiological responses to short-term changes in temperature is of growing interest considering the rising frequency and severity of transient temperatures such as heat waves. During the embryonic development of egg-laying vertebrates, inducible physiological responses to transient heat are likely critical to short-term survival but may also be energetically costly or disruptive to development. Inducible heat-shock proteins (HSPs) are conserved molecular chaperones which act to safeguard cellular protein homeostasis during transient stress. However, experiments in ectotherms have shown that overexpression of HSPs can increase embryonic mortality and reduce later thermotolerance. Yet, few studies have explored natural developmental patterns of <i>HSP</i> expression and heat inducibility in embryos of egg-laying ectothermic vertebrates. Using the red-eared slider turtle (<i>Trachemys scripta</i>), we characterized the response of five <i>HSP</i> genes in embryonic trunks following repeated 3-d transient heat wave exposures. Interestingly, we found that the expression of most <i>HSP</i>s naturally declined during early development and that warm temperatures amplified this decline, while also accelerating developmental rate. Only in a few instances did we observe induction of certain <i>HSP</i> genes during heat wave exposures, though this depended on the thermal history of the embryo. Specifically, induction of these genes during a particular heat wave was reduced in embryos that had already experienced two recent prior exposures relative to those experiencing it for the first or second time, suggesting repeated heat exposures can attenuate subsequent responses. The observed changes in <i>HSP</i> expression and inducibility may relate to an individual's need to balance thermotolerance alongside extensive cellular differentiation and proliferation during early development. The effects of incubation temperature on these changes could also have important implications for how turtle embryos deal with subsequent heat stress and may be similarly present in other ectothermic vertebrates. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering ontogenetic changes in physiological responses to temperature even across embryonic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf046"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12754417/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145889091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence for the Loss of Pneumatization and Pneumosteal Tissues in Secondarily Aquatic Archosaurs.","authors":"P J Byrne, N D Smith, E R Schachner, D J Bottjer, A K Huttenlocker","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf039","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The evolutionary origins of the avian air sac pulmonary system are enigmatic due to the rarity of soft-tissue preservation in fossils. Here, we test whether fine anchoring fibers on the endosteal bone of bird and non-avian dinosaur vertebrae-termed \"pneumosteum\"-are absent in taxa lacking pneumatic openings. We studied thin sections from the caudalmost cervical and cranial dorsal vertebrae of 21 extant amniotes to infer the presence or absence of invading diverticula through vertebral foramina. We also provide a differential diagnosis of the structural features of pneumosteum. We found that the secondarily aquatic Western grebe (<i>Aechmophorus occidentalis</i>) and Magellanic penguin (<i>Spheniscus magellanicus</i>) lack external pneumaticity and pneumosteum. In addition, the small passerine bird examined (<i>Estrildidae</i> spp.) exhibits invading diverticula but no pneumosteum. This suggests that ventilatory air sacs and associated diverticula can be present despite the absence of osteological and histologic correlates and that these features are lost when transitioning to an aquatic lifestyle or in small-bodied birds. In volant pneumatized birds, diverticula and pneumosteum are associated with pneumatic foramina. This suggests that, in fossil birds, pneumatic foramina are good indicators of the presence of pulmonary diverticula. Furthermore, the loss of invading respiratory diverticula and pneumatic osteological characters in the postcranial skeleton of pursuit diving birds serves as a reminder that adaptation to specific ecologies, such as an aquatic environment, may obscure our ability to reconstruct soft tissue systems accurately in fossil taxa when relying on osteological correlates.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf039"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12690268/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145742473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oil Droplet Capture by Tunicates.","authors":"K Beaudry, C B Cameron","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf045","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Species of filter-feeding invertebrates are exposed to natural oil droplets or petroleum oil droplets in water, and many species feed on these droplets. Here, we investigate oil droplet capture by benthic tunicates. We used videography, dissections, and tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC) fluorescence microscopy to study the capture of oil droplets by 10 different species of tunicate. Eight of nine species fed on waste motor oil demonstrating that it is a general phenomenon. The exception was <i>Clavelina huntsmani. Corella willmeriana</i> fed on light crude oil based on evidence of droplets in the branchial basket, gut, and feces. These results demonstrate that tunicates can provide an entry for oils into marine food webs. A further experiment found that <i>Styela gibbsii</i> fed on emulsions of fish, canola, marine 10W-30, semi-synthetic 2-cycle, and waste 5W-20 oil in filtered seawater and unfiltered seawater. It showed no selectivity despite differences in chemistry, density, viscosity, and interfacial tensions. Finally, the size distribution of oil droplets captured by <i>S. gibbsii</i> and <i>Ciona intestinalis</i> were compared to the feeding trial emulsions and found to be significantly narrower, and on the smaller end of the range. This study provides some general insights into oil droplet capture by tunicates, the mechanics of droplet capture, the absence of selection based on the type of oil, and oil droplet size capture. Tunicates are some of the most ubiquitous and abundant animals in the world's oceans and the pelagic species significantly alter global carbon cycles. Here, we show that benthic species, common on docks and wharves, ingest natural occurring and engine oils, offering a new puzzle piece in our knowledge on the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of oils in marine food networks.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf045"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12741560/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145850051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}