{"title":"Integrating social learning, social networks, and non-parental transgenerational plasticity.","authors":"Jennifer K Hellmann, Andrew Sih","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) has largely focused on how parental exposure to ecological conditions shapes the phenotypes of future generations. However, organisms acquire information about their ecological environment via social learning, which can also shape TGP in profound ways. We demonstrate that non-parents alter how parents detect and respond to environmental cues in ways that spillover to affect offspring, non-parents influence offspring even without direct physical interactions, and parental cues received by offspring can alter the phenotypes of other juveniles. Because parents can draw on the experiences of a network of non-parents, these socially acquired cues may increase parents' ability to accurately detect environmental shifts and may explain why TGP is surprisingly ubiquitous despite theory predicting that it should be relatively rare.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142928469","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}
Michael Griesser, Nigel C Bennett, Judith M Burkart, Daniel W Hart, Natalie Uomini, Miyako H Warrington
{"title":"The power of caring touch: from survival to prosocial cooperation.","authors":"Michael Griesser, Nigel C Bennett, Judith M Burkart, Daniel W Hart, Natalie Uomini, Miyako H Warrington","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cooperation is a pivotal biological phenomenon that occurs in diverse forms. In species that engage in helping, individuals vary in the time they spend together and the degree of their physical proximity, which affects the extent of physical touch between individuals. Here, we propose that touch activates a hormonal feedback loop that supports bond formation and maintenance in mating, parenting, and social contexts. Notably, extended parenting is essential for the emergence of enduring bonds and the development of the prosocial mindset that fosters forms of cooperation with delayed benefits. We incorporate these ideas into the caring-touch hypothesis (CT-H), which emphasizes the role of oxytocin-vasotocin hormones, touch, and enduring bonds in the evolution of different forms of cooperation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142967058","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":"Keystone niche individuals: some are more unequal than others.","authors":"Federico Garrido-de León, Valentina Franco-Trecu, Raul Costa-Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conspecific individuals often diverge in their foraging decisions. Indeed, across diverse taxa, generalist populations contain both generalist and specialist individuals. This intraspecific niche variation allows some individuals to contribute disproportionately to their population's niche. Here, we present the concept of keystone niche individuals and why it matters for ecologists.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"14-17"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142771982","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 biological relevance of 'me': body awareness in animals.","authors":"Petra Dobos, Péter Pongrácz","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Applying human concepts of self-awareness to animals often lacks anchoring in biologically meaningful contexts. We advocate a new, modular framework of self-representation, including body-awareness, which helps an individual to negotiate physical obstacles. We emphasize the importance of ecologically valid approaches that allow adaptivity-based hypotheses and discussion about self-representation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"11-13"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142547666","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}
Alexis L Beaurepaire, Katja Hogendoorn, David Kleijn, Gard W Otis, Simon G Potts, Theresa L Singer, Samuel Boff, Christian Pirk, Josef Settele, Robert J Paxton, Nigel E Raine, Simone Tosi, Neal Williams, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Yves Le Conte, Joshua W Campbell, Geoffrey R Williams, Lorenzo Marini, Axel Brockmann, Fabio Sgolastra, Natalie Boyle, Markus Neuditschko, Lars Straub, Peter Neumann, Jean-Daniel Charrière, Matthias Albrecht, Vincent Dietemann
{"title":"Avenues towards reconciling wild and managed bee proponents.","authors":"Alexis L Beaurepaire, Katja Hogendoorn, David Kleijn, Gard W Otis, Simon G Potts, Theresa L Singer, Samuel Boff, Christian Pirk, Josef Settele, Robert J Paxton, Nigel E Raine, Simone Tosi, Neal Williams, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Yves Le Conte, Joshua W Campbell, Geoffrey R Williams, Lorenzo Marini, Axel Brockmann, Fabio Sgolastra, Natalie Boyle, Markus Neuditschko, Lars Straub, Peter Neumann, Jean-Daniel Charrière, Matthias Albrecht, Vincent Dietemann","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bees are crucial for food security and biodiversity. However, managed bees are increasingly considered drivers of wild bee declines, leading to stakeholder conflicts and restrictive policies. We propose avenues to reconcile wild and managed bee proponents and point out knowledge gaps that hinder the development of evidence-based policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"7-10"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142792582","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}
William J Sutherland, Peter N M Brotherton, Holly M Butterworth, Stewart J Clarke, Tammy E Davies, Nigel Doar, Nafeesa Esmail, Erica Fleishman, Kevin J Gaston, James E Herbert-Read, Alice C Hughes, Jonathan Hughes, Hermanni Kaartokallio, Lian Pin Koh, Ritesh Kumar, Fiona A Lickorish, Hannah Littler, James E Palardy, James W Pearce-Higgins, Lloyd S Peck, Nathalie Pettorelli, Jules Pretty, Irene R Schloss, Mark D Spalding, Dirk Ten Brink, Eleanor R Tew, Anastasiya Timoshyna, Nicolas Tubbs, James E M Watson, Jonathan Wentworth, Jeremy D Wilson, Ann Thornton
{"title":"A horizon scan of biological conservation issues for 2025.","authors":"William J Sutherland, Peter N M Brotherton, Holly M Butterworth, Stewart J Clarke, Tammy E Davies, Nigel Doar, Nafeesa Esmail, Erica Fleishman, Kevin J Gaston, James E Herbert-Read, Alice C Hughes, Jonathan Hughes, Hermanni Kaartokallio, Lian Pin Koh, Ritesh Kumar, Fiona A Lickorish, Hannah Littler, James E Palardy, James W Pearce-Higgins, Lloyd S Peck, Nathalie Pettorelli, Jules Pretty, Irene R Schloss, Mark D Spalding, Dirk Ten Brink, Eleanor R Tew, Anastasiya Timoshyna, Nicolas Tubbs, James E M Watson, Jonathan Wentworth, Jeremy D Wilson, Ann Thornton","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We discuss the outcomes of our 16th horizon scan of issues that are novel or represent a considerable step-change and have the potential to substantially affect conservation of biological diversity in the coming decade. From an initial 96 topics, our international panel of 32 scientists and practitioners prioritised 15 issues. Technological advances are prominent, including metal and non-metal organic frameworks, deriving rare earth elements from macroalgae, synthetic gene drives in plants, and low-emission cement. We include new insights into accelerated impacts of changes to Antarctic ice masses and air and water quality. We hope that anticipating and mitigating negative impacts, and making best use of new opportunities related to these issues, will contribute to better outcomes for biological diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"80-89"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142787101","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}
Anne M McLeod, Shawn Leroux, Chelsea L Little, François Massol, Eric Vander Wal, Yolanda F Wiersma, Isabelle Gounand, Nicolas Loeuille, Eric Harvey
{"title":"Quantifying elemental diversity to study landscape ecosystem function.","authors":"Anne M McLeod, Shawn Leroux, Chelsea L Little, François Massol, Eric Vander Wal, Yolanda F Wiersma, Isabelle Gounand, Nicolas Loeuille, Eric Harvey","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The movement, distribution, and relative proportions of essential elements across the landscape should influence the structure and functioning of biological communities. Yet, our basic understanding of the spatial distribution of elements, particularly bioavailable elements, across landscapes is limited. Here, we propose a quantitative framework to study the causes and consequences of spatial patterns of elements. Specifically, we integrate distribution models, dissimilarity metrics, and spatial smoothing to predict how the distribution of bioavailable elements changes with spatial extent. Our community and landscape ecology perspective on elemental diversity highlights the characteristic relationships that emerge among elements in landscapes and that can be measured empirically to help us pinpoint ecosystem control points. This step forward provides a mechanistic link between community and ecosystem processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"57-66"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142475706","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":"Disability in ecology and evolution.","authors":"John R Hutchinson, Daniel L Rabosky","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.010","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"3-6"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142872850","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}
Lorena M Benitez, Catherine L Parr, Mahesh Sankaran, Casey M Ryan
{"title":"Fragmentation in patchy ecosystems: a call for a functional approach.","authors":"Lorena M Benitez, Catherine L Parr, Mahesh Sankaran, Casey M Ryan","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to biodiversity, but existing literature largely ignores naturally patchy ecosystems in favor of forests, where deforestation creates spatially distinct fragments. Here, we use savannas to highlight the problems with applying forest fragmentation principles to spatially patchy ecosystems. Identifying fragmentation using landscape functionality, specifically connectivity, enables better understanding of ecosystem dynamics. Tools and concepts from connectivity research are well suited to identifying barriers other than vegetation structure contributing to fragmentation. Opportunities exist to improve fragmentation mapping by combining remote-sensing data with field measurements related to connectivity to empirically test whether landscapes are functionally fragmented. Advancements in deep learning and increasingly accessible data open many possibilities for comprehensive maps of fragmentation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"27-36"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142606266","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}
Roxanne S Beltran, A Marm Kilpatrick, Simona Picardi, Briana Abrahms, Gabriel M Barrile, William K Oestreich, Justine A Smith, Max F Czapanskiy, Arina B Favilla, Ryan R Reisinger, Jessica M Kendall-Bar, Allison R Payne, Matthew S Savoca, Danial G Palance, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Daphne M Shen, Taiki Adachi, Daniel P Costa, Natalie A Storm, Conner M Hale, Patrick W Robinson
{"title":"Maximizing biological insights from instruments attached to animals.","authors":"Roxanne S Beltran, A Marm Kilpatrick, Simona Picardi, Briana Abrahms, Gabriel M Barrile, William K Oestreich, Justine A Smith, Max F Czapanskiy, Arina B Favilla, Ryan R Reisinger, Jessica M Kendall-Bar, Allison R Payne, Matthew S Savoca, Danial G Palance, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Daphne M Shen, Taiki Adachi, Daniel P Costa, Natalie A Storm, Conner M Hale, Patrick W Robinson","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.09.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2024.09.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Instruments attached to animals ('biologgers') have facilitated extensive discoveries about the patterns, causes, and consequences of animal behavior. Here, we present examples of how biologging can deepen our fundamental understanding of ecosystems and our applied understanding of global change impacts by enabling tests of ecological theory. Applying the iterative process of science to biologging has enabled a diverse set of insights, including social and experiential learning in long-distance migrants, state-dependent risk aversion in foraging predators, and resource abundance driving movement across taxa. Now, biologging is poised to tackle questions and refine ecological theories at increasing levels of complexity by integrating measurements from numerous individuals, merging datasets from multiple species and their environments, and spanning disciplines, including physiology, behavior and demography.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"37-46"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142547665","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}