Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution最新文献

{"title":"In the Spotlight-Established Researcher.","authors":"Jennifer A Brisson","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23331","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23331","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecomorphology of Anurans: The Challenge of Ecological Categories and Locomotor Modes.","authors":"María Laura Ponssa, Carolina Lobo Terán, Henrique Folly, Jessica Fratani, Virginia Abdala","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23330","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23330","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ecomorphology examines how species' morphology adapt to their environments, providing insights into biodiversity and evolution. This field relies on three main components: a morphological matrix, an ecological matrix, and phylogeny. A major challenge in contemporary anuran ecomorphology is constructing the ecological matrix, as categorizing species' ecological roles lacks a standardized methodology, leading to inconsistencies across studies and complicating comparisons. In this study, we discuss the challenges of systematizing criteria for constructing the ecological matrix in anurans. To this end, we conducted a literature search, focusing on studies that consider microhabitats as ecological categories and locomotor abilities, using relevant keywords to the topic. A total of 31 studies from the last 46 years were selected for analysis, and information was extracted on the following aspects: analyzed species; microhabitat and locomotor mode categories; and whether or not own criteria for assigning ecological categories (i.e., microhabitat and locomotor modes) were specified. The analyzed studies reveal a high degree of consistency in the assignment of ecological categories for microhabitat classification but not for locomotor modes designation. The main discrepancies occur in the burrowing and/or fossorial categories, as well as climbing. Interestingly, these categories appear both as microhabitats and as locomotor modes. Key criteria include direct field observations and assignments based on primary literature sources. The variability in category assignments and data collection criteria underscores the need to develop more standardized protocols for ecological categorization to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of ecomorphological studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145040121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomechanical Properties of Long Bones and Degrees of Morphological Integration Between the Fore and Hindlimbs in Anuran Species With Different Habitat Uses.","authors":"Miriam Corina Vera, Jessica Fratani, Gustavo Roberto Cointry, Virginia Abdala","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23329","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23329","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The mechanical loads from muscle contraction and gravity affect the biomechanical properties of long-bone limbs, varying according to the functional demands of each limb. In anurans, both limbs are used for locomotion, but the hindlimbs generate higher energy for jumping or swimming, and the forelimbs serve additional purposes (e.g., landing, amplexus, feeding, etc). This study examines the bone architecture of the forelimb bones (humerus and radioulna) and the hindlimb bones (femur, tibiafibula, tibiale, and fibulare) of 24 anuran species with different habitat uses within a phylogenetic context. Also, because of functional divergence among limbs, we investigate possible divergence in morphological integration among long bones depending on habitat use. Across all species, forelimb bones show significantly higher bone biomechanical properties values than hindlimbs, with aquatic and semiaquatic species exhibiting the most resistant bones to bending and fracture. The femur and tibiafibula of aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial species showed similar and higher values, while arboreal species had the lowest values. The tibiale and fibulare bones show a unique stratified pattern across habitats, and in most species, these bones have higher values than the femur and tibiafibula. Although morphological integration varies across habitats-with terrestrial species showing the highest and aquatic and arboreal species the lowest, reflecting differences in limb specialization-the tibiale and fibulare uniquely exhibit significant covariation across all species. While phylogenetic factors may contribute to the observed variability, ecological factors play a crucial role in shaping bone geometry, highlighting the evolutionary adaptations of long bone resistance across ecological niches.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145000716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Interplay of Ontogeny and Phylogeny at the Transcriptome Level of the Tetrapod Heart.","authors":"G A Cordero, A K Holloway, T Friedrich, J Eme, W Eckalbar, K Kusumi, F J Janzen, J W Hicks, F L Conlon, B G Bruneau, K S Pollard","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23312","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jez.b.23312","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The tetrapod heart is characterized by three chambers in amphibians and non-avian reptiles, as opposed to four in birds, crocodilians and mammals. We explored this diversity via the most phylogenetically comprehensive comparison of heart transcriptomes undertaken to date. Transcriptomes representing the ontogeny of heart compartmentalization (septation) in alligator, chicken, frog, mouse, lizard and turtle embryos exhibited a clear species-specific signal, which was driven by genes involved in heart contraction. During the stage dominated by septation-related tissue transformations, the most highly expressed genes shared by species originated before the tetrapods diversified and were related to septum morphogenesis, ventricular development, and chamber formation. The expression of septation-related genes did not adhere to phylogeny or heart chamber number, and genes differentially expressed across developmental stages within species varied in their evolutionary ages and predicted functions. We discuss how the acquisition of novel structures in some lineages, convergent evolution of four heart chambers, embryonic metabolism, microstructural variation, and ontogenetic shifts (heterochronies), collectively, provide insight into evolved and conserved patterns of transcriptome-level variation. These data serve as a resource to further stimulate evo-devo research on complex organ systems, such as the heart.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":"325-340"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12328841/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144553649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contribution of Learning in the Origin of New Niches. How Learning Can Compensate for Climbing Skills in a Non-Specialized Amphibian.","authors":"Rubén N Muzio, Virginia Abdala, Adriana Manzano, Aldo I Vassallo","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23328","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23328","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the origin of new niches, animals face novel situations and must adapt to access new resources. Innovative individuals may develop strategies and behaviors to take advantage of these resources, although these individuals often lack striking adaptations for the new niche. In these individuals, adequate performance must be achieved, even in cases where behaviors are not typical or usual, which does not necessarily imply optimal performance in terms of energy or speed, but rather the flexibility to choose a different scenario to pursue a biological purpose. Through experience, animals can improve their ability to perform complex movements and adapt to new conditions. We evaluated the existence of additional locomotor skills in a widespread anuran amphibian, Rhinella arenarum. This toad has a terrestrial niche, probably the ancestral condition within the genus. Therefore, it allows us to know the limits of these capacities to execute novel behaviors. Specifically, we analyzed whether the climbing abilities demonstrated by this terrestrial toad can be improved through learning. Adult male and female toads were tested in a climbing device during eight daily sessions. After training, animals improved climbing performance, measured by climbing latency, climbing speed, and stride frequency. The improvement by learning the ability to climb could thus represent an adaptation that allows the exploitation of arboreal niches. Our results indicate that it is possible that innovative individuals who manage to acquire and perfect the ability to climb could expand their range of available niches and, potentially, give rise to new evolutionary lines.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144956527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Automated Behavioral Profiling Using Neural Networks Reveals Differences in Stress-Like Behavior Between Cave and Surface-Dwelling Astyanax mexicanus.","authors":"Naresh Padmanaban, Rianna Ambosie, Stefan Choy, Shoshanah Marcus, Simon R O Nilsson, Alex C Keene, Johanna E Kowalko, Erik R Duboué","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23311","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jez.b.23311","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Behavioral stress responses allow animals to quickly adapt to local environments and are critical for survival. Stress responses provide an ideal model for investigating the evolution of complex behaviors due to their conservation across species, critical role in survival, and integration of behavioral and physiological components. The Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) has evolved dramatically different stress responses compared to river-dwelling surface fish morphs, providing a model to investigate the neural and evolutionary basis of stress-like responses. Surface morphs inhabit predator-rich environments, whereas cave-dwelling morphs occupy predator-free habitats. While these key ecological variables may underlie differences in stress responses, the complexity of the behavioral differences has not been thoroughly examined. By leveraging automated pose-tracking and machine learning tools, we quantified a range of behaviors associated with stress, including freezing, bottom-dwelling, and hyperactivity, during a novel tank assay. Surface fish exhibited heightened stress responses characterized by prolonged bottom-dwelling and frequent freezing, while cavefish demonstrated reduced stress behaviors, marked by greater exploration and minimal freezing. Analysis of F2 hybrids revealed that a subset of behaviors, freezing and bottom-dwelling, co-segregated, suggesting shared genetic or physiological underpinnings. Our findings illustrate the power of computational tools for high-throughput behavioral phenotyping, enabling precise quantification of complex traits and revealing the genetic and ecological factors driving their evolution. This study provides a framework for understanding how integrated behavioral and physiological traits evolve, offering broader insights into the mechanisms underlying the diversification of animal behavior in natural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":"352-362"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12328843/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144731586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Whole-Mount Acetylcholinesterase Staining Reveals Unique Motor Innervation of the Lamprey Oral Region: With Special Reference to the Evolutionary Origin of the Vertebrate Jaw.","authors":"Motoki Tamura, Daichi G Suzuki","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23316","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jez.b.23316","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The evolutionary change of the trigeminal nerve-innervation pattern is essential to reveal the mechanism underlying jaw acquisition. However, the homology of the branches between gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) and cyclostomes (living jawless vertebrates) remains unclear. In this study, we focused on a subbranch called the ramus subpharyngeus, which belongs to the second branch of the lamprey trigeminal nerve and projects to the lower lip, investigating whether it contains motor components. To visualize motor fibers, we performed acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining, a histochemical method that visualizes intrinsic activities of the catabolic enzymes produced by motor neurons and muscle fibers. As a result, we found AChE staining signals that correspond to the innervation course of the ramus subpharyngeus. To confirm that these signals in this region do not mark the motoneuronal somata nor muscle fibers, we conducted gene expression analysis by in situ hybridization. The results support that the signals mark the motor fibers. Based on these results, we propose that the lamprey oral apparatus is chiefly controlled by the second (i.e., premandibular) branch of the trigeminal nerve and further suggest that a drastic reorganization of the anterior craniofacial region occurred during the acquisition of the vertebrate jaw.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":"341-351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12328844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144560265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In the Spotlight-Established Researcher.","authors":"Patrícia Beldade","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23320","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jez.b.23320","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":"323-324"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144690477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Skeletogenic Expression of Integrin Alpha, Talin and Npnt Genes and Npnt Role in Sea Urchin Skeletogenesis.","authors":"Shanduo Chen, Tsvia Gildor, Prashant Tewari, Smadar Ben-Tabou de-Leon","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23326","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23326","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biomineralization, the formation of mineralized tissues like skeletons and shells, is an essential developmental process in diverged phyla. Vertebrates' biomineralization involves the secretion of specialized extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and the formation of Integrin-based focal adhesions, yet less is known about the role of such factors in invertebrates. A recent study has shown that focal adhesions form around the calcite spicule of the sea urchin larva, however, the skeletogenic expression and role of adhesion related proteins in this system are understudied. Here, we identified a set of ECM and adhesion genes that show enriched expression in the sea urchin skeletogenic cells and studied the role of the ECM protein, Npnt, in Paracentrotus lividus. The integrin alpha proteins, Pl-Ahi, Pl-Aji, Pl-Api, and the Pl-Talin protein are highly conserved between sea urchin and humans and the expression of these genes is enriched in the skeletogenic cells during early skeletogenesis. Pl-npnt is expressed specifically in skeletogenic cells throughout skeletogenesis and requires Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) signaling for its maintenance. Genetic perturbations of Pl-npnt result in skeletal defects, including reduced length of skeletal rods, ectopic spicule formation and branching, while skeletogenic cell migration remained unaffected. The activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) around the spicules is independent of Pl-Npnt activity in agreement with the loss of Integrin binding site in the sea urchin Npnt protein. Our findings set the stage for further analyses of ECM and adhesion-mediated mechanisms that drive sea urchin biomineralization, and most likely participate in skeletal development across metazoans.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144956501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Provisional Structures of the Larva of Nipponomicrura sp. (Nemertea, Pilidiophora).","authors":"Timur Yu Magarlamov, Alexei V Chernyshev","doi":"10.1002/jez.b.23327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23327","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nemertea is a phylum of predominantly marine worms that exhibit various larval forms, including the iconic pilidium. Pelagic lecithotrophic pilidia are considered more derived than pelagic planktotrophic pilidia, but data on the structure of lecithotrophic larvae are limited to the light-optical level. Here, we study the lecithotrophic reversed Iwata's larvae of an undescribed heteronemertean, Nipponomicrura sp. Using transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy with F-actin, acetylated α-tubulin, and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) labeling, the provisional structures of the larva are described. The larval envelope of Nipponomicrura sp. consists of three layers: the epidermis, the circular musculature, and the epithelium of the amnion. The larval epidermis contains a considerable amount of yolk, only half of which is consumed by the end of metamorphosis. The apical plate consists of 5-hydroxytryptamine-negative cells, each bearing a cilium surrounded by a collar of eight to nine microvilli. Four monociliated 5-hydroxytryptamine-like-immunoreactivity sensory apical neurons are associated with the apical plate. For the first time, a pair of longitudinal muscles running along the body of the juvenile and joining the anterior and posterior parts of the provisional epithelium has been identified in nemertean larvae. These muscles serve as retractors of the apical plate and fix the position of the juvenile within the larva. The obtained data indicate a similar morphology of the apical organ in Pilidiophora larvae; however, in the Nipponomicrura sp. larva, there are more layers under the apical plate, and the muscle-retractor is derived from two longitudinal muscle cords that pass through the juvenile's body, and in posterior pole, attach at the base of the larval envelope.</p>","PeriodicalId":15682,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144956552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}