Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Maternal and social status affect hair cortisol concentrations in brown bears","authors":"Marcello Franchini ,&nbsp;Ashlee J. Mikkelsen ,&nbsp;Agnieszka Sergiel ,&nbsp;Nuria Selva ,&nbsp;David M. Janz ,&nbsp;Jonas Kindberg ,&nbsp;Andreas Zedrosser","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hair cortisol concentration is affected by different biological factors, including age, sex, and reproductive status, and can provide important insights into fitness. Using cortisol concentrations of wild Scandinavian brown bears, <em>Ursus arctos</em>, the purpose of this study was to investigate cortisol variations among individuals in relation to age, sex, and reproductive status (solitary individuals vs individuals in a family group). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 448 hair samples of 303 brown bears (162 males and 141 females, from one to nine years of age) captured from 1990 to 2016. We found that members of family groups, i.e., mothers as well as their dependent offspring, had significantly higher cortisol concentrations compared to solitary individuals (males or females). Higher energetic costs in family groups are likely linked to growth of the offspring as well as maternal costs incurred by the rearing of offspring. Our findings provide valuable insights into the physiological effects of maternal care and reproductive status in mammals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 126257"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619663","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":"To the roots: reconstruction of the ancestral state of the dorid feeding apparatus","authors":"Anna L. Mikhlina ,&nbsp;Irina A. Ekimova ,&nbsp;Dimitry M. Schepetov ,&nbsp;Ángel Valdés ,&nbsp;Elena V. Vortsepneva","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126256","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126256","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diet-driven ecological radiation has been proposed as a key factor in the diversification of Nudibranchia. Members of Doridina, one of the two major clades of nudibranchs, have a remarkably wide range of dietary preferences. The morphology of the feeding apparatus is related to prey preferences and feeding mechanisms. Therefore, the investigation of the evolutionary changes in the morphology of the feeding apparatus can provide valuable insights into the evolution of Doridina. Recent significant changes in our understanding of the phylogeny of Doridina have highlighted the need to re-evaluate current hypotheses on the evolution of the buccal armature morphology and correlated dietary shifts in this group. To address this, we compiled and analysed a comprehensive dataset that combined phylogenetic and morphological data to reconstruct the evolution of the buccal armature in Doridina. We also review the feeding biology of various groups of dorids to provide a deeper view of the evolution of the morphology of the feeding apparatus. We hypothesised the plesiomorphic conditions of the buccal armature for each large clade of Doridina and for the entire group. Within Doridina, there is a strong phylogenetic correlation with prey preference as major changes in the diet preferences of several clades led to significant transformations in radular morphology. We also discovered several cases of retention of plesiomorphic radular morphology and feeding mechanisms in different phylogenetic lineages of Doridina.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 126256"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143636556","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":"Altitude correlates with dorsal −but not ventral− scale number and dimension in a lacertid lizard","authors":"Marco Sannolo ,&nbsp;Raquel Ponti","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The primary function of the keratinised skin of squamates is modulating heat load, reducing water loss rates and protecting from abrasion. Furthermore, reptilian scale size and shape variation have also been observed depending on the habitat and associated environmental conditions. However, how climate can modulate intraspecific scale characteristics of reptile species in temperate regions is still a subject of debate. Here, we investigate the potential correlation between climate and lizard scalation for a European lacertid lizard. From 221 museum collection specimens of <em>Podarcis muralis</em>, we recorded body measurements and sex information and counted the number and size of dorsal scales and the number of ventral scales per individual. We obtained each specimens’ capture location information from which we extracted environmental data like temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and altitude. We found that individuals that inhabited higher elevations tended to have fewer and larger dorsal scales than those from lowlands, as a potential adaptation to decrease water loss in arid and windy environments. We did not find a correlation between the number of ventral scales and environmental conditions, except for wind speed. This study uncovers an intraspecific adaptive mechanism in an environment gradient that is key to understanding species' potential adaptation to future climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 126249"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143479344","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":"Ontogenetic trajectories and sexual dimorphism of a neotropical ground snake genus Erythrolamprus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)","authors":"Daniel Silva Fernandes ,&nbsp;Cristiane Barros Régis","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Allometry and sexual dimorphism are potential sources of intraspecific morphological variation. Advances in the methodological framework of geometric morphometrics allow in-depth analysis of these issues, enabling the descriptions and comparisons between groups of multivariate phenotypic attributes and the visualization of allometric trajectories. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of secondary sexual dimorphism in <em>Erythrolamprus miliaris merremi</em>, a semi-aquatic snake occurring in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. We assessed linear body measurements and digitized landmarks in the dorsal view of the head of 107 specimens grouped into four categories combining ontogenetic stages and sex. We performed linear models and principal component analyses to estimate and visualize head shape variation and the allometric trajectories of these categories. Adults from both sexes and immature females showed significant static allometry, while immature males showed isometric growth. Although we recovered no sexual dimorphism for head shape, ontogenetic trajectories of both sexes are distinct, with females showing head shape variation throughout ontogenetic development, while males exhibited more conspicuous changes only after sexual maturity. Comparisons with literature data suggest a high degree of variation in ontogenetic allometry of snakes, depending on the phylogenetic group or structure (head/skull) analyzed, while the results for static allometry are more similar between the studied taxa. Only the collection of data on distinct groups of snakes will provide more clues as to whether there is any allometric pattern to these structures, and which factors (evolutionary, ecological or both) are prevalent over it, especially for ontogenetic allometry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 126248"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419507","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":"Comparative display behaviour of the native Iguana delicatissima with the non-native Iguana in the Guadeloupe Archipelago (Lesser Antilles)","authors":"Vincent L. Bels ,&nbsp;Clément Brousse ,&nbsp;Eric Pelle ,&nbsp;Jérôme Guerlotté ,&nbsp;Marie-Ange Pierre ,&nbsp;Florence Kirchhoff ,&nbsp;Peter A. Biro","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Territorial and mating displays are a key mechanism affecting sexual selection, species recognition, and may affect success of non-native species in the presence of closely related ones. The green Iguana (<em>Iguana iguana</em>) has invaded Caribbean islands from their mainland range, affecting and possibly inter-breeding with native <em>Iguana</em>. However, important display behaviours have not been studied, even though it may be a rare opportunity to study adaptation and evolutionary change. Here, we describe the display-action-patterns (DAP) characterising the head-bob display of the two <em>Iguana</em> species of the Caribbean islands <em>Iguana delicatissima</em> (endemic Lesser Antillean <em>Iguana</em>) and non-native <em>Iguana</em> (closely related non-native species) in the Guadeloupe Archipelago. First, the DAP sequence of non-native <em>Iguana</em> is completely different from mainland animals, with reversed positions of the long and short head bobs. In the non-native <em>Iguana</em>, two long head-bobs (&gt;1.0 s) separated by a highly variable pause (0.1 – 2.8 s) are followed by a series of 3–7 (up to 9) rapid head bobs (&lt;0.5 s), is followed by one phase always with two longer. In native <em>I. delicatissima,</em> the DAP is always initiated with a vibratory gular movement of the extended dewlap in <em>I. delicatissima</em>, but not in the non-native <em>Iguana</em>. Duration of the DAP sequence is significantly shorter in non-native <em>Iguana,</em> always beginning with one singular long head bob (&gt;1.5 s) followed by 3–6 more rapid head bobs. In addition, we observed significant among individual variation in all aspects of the DAP studied, indicating the potential for natural selection to further act on head-bob displays in the non-native and native species. This study now sets the stage to for future studies to determine if behaviour is a cause or consequence of invasion success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 126239"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419506","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":"Thermal biology of Indian rock pythons in tropical India","authors":"C.S. Vishnu ,&nbsp;Chinnasamy Ramesh ,&nbsp;Merin Jacob,&nbsp;Vedagiri Thirumurugan ,&nbsp;Gautam Talukdar","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126241","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Temperature plays a crucial role in the physiology of snakes. However, only very limited studies on python thermal biology have been carried out in tropical regions. Here we recorded body temperature (BT) changes of the celomic cavity with respect to atmospheric temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) of five Indian Rock pythons <em>Python molurus</em> in the field. The monitoring of the pythons’ thermal ecology lasted throughout 2019 and 2020 and included all seasons i.e., monsoon, post-monsoon and summer. We tagged 13 Pythons with iButtons, but we were only able to retrieve data from five individuals. The AT and RH contributed significantly to the maintenance of the pythons’ BT. Generally, python BT positively related to the AT and negatively to RH i.e., an increasing AT led to an increasing python BT, while an increasing RH led to a decreasing BT. RH played a crucial role in python body temperature regulation; this could be attributed to the high humidity during the rainfall. Python BT varied inter-seasonally and individually, indicating that python BT varied according to the surrounding AT. However, BT differed between the sexes. Our study provides baseline information for further studies on how environmental factors affect the physiology of large -bodied snakes in tropical climates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 126241"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143152802","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 scent of habitat shift: Olfactory receptor evolution is associated with environmental transitions in turtles","authors":"Alejandro Ibáñez ,&nbsp;Joan Garcia-Porta","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition between aquatic and terrestrial habitats leads to extreme structural changes in sensorial systems. Olfactory receptors (OR) are involved in the detection of odorant molecules both in water and on land. Therefore, ORs are affected by evolutionary habitat transitions experienced by organisms. In this study, we used turtles, a group of vertebrates which inhabit many distinct environments, to explore whether functional olfactory gene receptor repertoires are correlated to habitat. We found that the proportion of class I vs class II functional olfactory receptor genes (used for waterborne odorant detection and volatile odorant detection, respectively) was closely linked to habitat. Fully terrestrial turtles had the largest proportion of class II functional receptor genes while marine turtles had a larger proportion of class I receptor genes. Freshwater turtles had more balanced numbers of class I and class II functional receptor genes, but showed a gradient of OR type proportions likely reflecting species-specific amphibious preferences. Interestingly, freshwater turtles had by far the largest number of functional OR genes compared to those in other habitats, challenging the hypothesis that secondary adaptions to water may have reduced OR repertoires in amniotes. Our study provides novel results which shed new light on the relationship between chemical communication and habitat.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 126236"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142879302","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 role of intraspecific mechanical and chemical signaling for mate and sexual recognition in male Tityus pusillus (Scorpiones, Buthidae)","authors":"Hugo R. Barbosa-da-Silva ,&nbsp;Wendel J.T. Pontes ,&nbsp;André F.A. Lira ,&nbsp;Daniela M.A.F. Navarro ,&nbsp;Renato P. Salomão ,&nbsp;Artur C.D. Maia","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrophobic compounds present in the cuticular wax layer (CWL) of terrestrial arthropods protect them from dehydration and are also involved in chemical communication. However, the role of CWL compounds in the behavioral ecology of scorpions has been studied less often, with most investigations focusing on their responses to mechanical stimuli. In this study, we aimed to characterize the CWL composition of <em>Tityus pusillus</em> (Scorpiones, Buthidae) and examine the influence of CWL solvent extracts and movement on intraspecific mate and sexual recognition by males of this species. We analyzed CWL hexane extracts of adult female and male <em>T. pusillus</em> by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In paired behavioral tests inside an experimental arena, we exposed adult males to i) live and intact dead conspecific females; ii) intact dead females and females without the CWL (removed with solvent washes); and iii) intact dead males with and without the CWL. Our results showed that CWL extracts of both female and male <em>T. pusillus</em> contained a series of linear alkanes (C21 – C34; &gt; 54 % relative composition), as well as fatty acyls (&gt; 9.5 %) and methyl-branched alkanes (&gt; 9.1 %). Two unassigned C31 monomethyl-branched alkanes were exclusively identified in male CWL extracts (∼ 4.7 %), while female samples contained high relative concentrations (&gt; 22.5 %) of sterol derivatives, present only as minor constituents in male samples. Male <em>T. pusillus</em> performed sexually-oriented behavioral acts when paired with both live and dead conspecific females, intact or without the CWL. However, they ignored conspecific dead males. Our results show that CWL compounds have a role in intraspecific sexual recognition by male <em>T. pusillus</em> but only the CWL compounds does not explain mate recognition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 126235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142857491","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":"Parasitism in coral reefs: Trophic ecology of crustacean ascothoracidan parasites and their coral hosts from Malaysia","authors":"Anna K. Zalota ,&nbsp;Alexandra S. Savchenko ,&nbsp;Aleksei A. Miroliubov ,&nbsp;Khor Waiho ,&nbsp;Hanafiah Fazhan ,&nbsp;Benny K.K. Chan ,&nbsp;Gregory A. Kolbasov","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coral reefs house a great variety of symbiotic associations, including parasitism. One of the crucial issues in the host-symbiont interactions is the parasites’ feeding mode. Does the parasite/symbiont use the host’s tissues for nutrition, steal food from the host’s digestive system, or take food directly from the environment? However, most of the parasitism in corals is endosymbiotic (endoparasitic). Their trophic interactions are difficult to identify since they only occur in intact associations. This work uses stable isotope analysis (SIA) of carbon and nitrogen and morphological analysis to study the trophic relationship between the crustacean endoparasites, the Ascothoracida (genera <em>Baccalaureus, Sessilogoga</em>, and <em>Zibrowia</em>) and their various coral hosts ranging from Zoantharia (<em>Palythoa</em>) to Antipatharia (<em>Antipathes</em>), and Scleractinia (<em>Dendrophyllia</em>). The hosts belong to different coral taxa and obtain food from different sources, reflected in their stable isotope values. The SIA, supported by the morphological analysis, suggests that the <em>Zibrowia</em> parasite feeds directly on its <em>Dendrophyllia</em> host. <em>Sessilogoga</em> retains vagility within and around the black coral colony. It has typical generalized piercing mouth parts with numerous teeth and denticles. <em>Sessilogoga</em> may use antipatharian tissues for food directly as well as sucks food fluids from the host’s gastrovascular system. There is no clear trophic shift trend between <em>Palythoa</em> and its parasite <em>Baccalaureus</em>. Such differences exclude the possibility of the parasite feeding predominantly on its host’s tissues and suggest a broad spectrum of food sources. Thus, SIA reveals that endosymbiotic ascothoracidans may not always be true parasitic but also opportunistic feeders, which steal food directly from the host gastric cavity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 126234"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142776177","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":"Integrating a novel algorithm in assessing the impact of floods on the genetic diversity of a high commercial value fish (Cyprinidae: Spinibarbus sp.) in Lang Son province of Vietnam","authors":"Tuan Anh Trieu ,&nbsp;Hau Duc Tran ,&nbsp;Anh Ngoc Thi Do","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Floods, which occur when the amount of precipitation surpasses the capacity of an area to drain it adequately, have detrimental consequences on the survival and future generations of fishes. However, few works have reported the prediction of this natural phenomenon in a relation to certain fish species, especially in fast-flowing rivers. In the specific context of the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam, where the <em>Spinibarbus</em> sp. fish species resides, it has been observed through the current study that the fish population in Lang Son exhibits the lowest genetic diversity and genetic distance. Consequently, the population of <em>Spinibarbus</em> sp<em>.</em> in Lang Son shows a heightened susceptibility to floods, resulting in reduction in population size and compromised population resilience. In order to provide decision support information for managers, conservationists, and researchers, we have employed a genetic algorithm-support vector machine regression (GA-SVR) predictive model to map flood vulnerability using thirteen dependent variables. The study findings have unveiled a significant negative correlation between flood-sensitive regions and genetic diversity. These discoveries emphasize the significance of considering the impact of floods on the genetic diversity of <em>Spinibarbus</em> sp. in Lang Son through flood vulnerability mapping. This underscores the value of establishing a comprehensive framework based on the GA-SVR algorithm for early flood detection, thereby facilitating the implementation of effective measures to minimize damages and conserve this commercial fish species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 126240"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143049293","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}