Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Cryptic anatomical adaptive peak shifts and transitions along the body elongation continuum in zoarcoid fishes","authors":"Summer E. Duba,&nbsp;David C. Collar","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126280","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126280","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Body elongation is a major feature of ray-finned fish evolution. Elongate body shapes have arisen repeatedly across lineages and led to a phylogenetically diverse array of eel-like fishes. Despite apparent convergence in overall shape, independent elongation events have occurred through a diversity of skeletal anatomical changes, suggesting variability in underlying developmental, functional, and ecological shifts. It is less clear, however, whether such diversity characterizes evolution in lineages following elongation. In this study, we show that, even within a predominantly elongate radiation of teleost fishes, the Zoarcoidei (eelpouts, pricklebacks, and others), a variety of anatomical shifts have occurred, and they exhibit a complex relationship with body shape. We measured dimensions of the cranial and axial skeleton as well as overall body shape from 71 species representing 12 of 14 recognized zoarcoid families, and we fit multi-optimum adaptive evolutionary (Ornstein-Uhlenbeck) models to these data. We estimated a moderately elongate ancestral optimum for Zoarcoidei that was retained in most lineages. Still, we identified three peak shifts to highly elongate body shapes, which differed in associated anatomical changes. In addition, we detected multiple cryptic anatomical peak shifts in which transitions in cranial and axial skeletal anatomy occurred in lineages that retained the ancestral body shape optimum. Altogether, our results reveal a hidden level of morphological evolution in elongate fishes, suggesting that similarity in body shape belies diverse ecological demands and varied functional capacities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 126280"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307058","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":"Jaw muscle architecture in the greater rhea (Rhea americana): Morphological patterns and postnatal ontogeny in an herbivorous bird","authors":"Mariana B.J. Picasso ,&nbsp;María Clelia Mosto ,&nbsp;Alejandro M. Tudisca ,&nbsp;Laura M. Biondi","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126283","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126283","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The jaw muscle architecture is crucial for understanding how muscle morphology influences diet and feeding behavior in birds, yet ontogenetic scaling patterns and their characteristics in herbivorous species remain understudied. This study examines the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) and fiber length of the jaw muscles in <em>Rhea americana</em>, an herbivorous bird whose chicks are insectivorous during early stages. The main jaw muscles of 19 <em>Rhea americana</em> specimens across four ontogenetic stages were analyzed, including the depressor mandibulae (a jaw depressor) and the adductor mandibulae externus, pseudotemporalis, and pterygoideus lateralis (primarily jaw adductors). Both architectural parameters showed a negative allometric scaling and only significant differences in PCSA were found between immature ages and between these and adulthood in certain adductor muscles. These variations suggest increasing force demands in adductor muscles as chicks transition from an insectivorous to an herbivorous diet. The lower PCSA in early-staged chicks reflects the reduced force required for insectivory, while the increasing PCSA with age enables force generation needed for detaching plants in adults. In comparison to other avian diets, the herbivory of greater rhea seems to be linked to a lower force-generating capacity in the adductor muscle group. This study contributes to expanding the knowledge on avian jaw musculature by exploring postnatal ontogenetic changes and their potential relationship with dietary shifts while providing morphological data that can serve as a comparative basis for understanding the link between diet and morphology in birds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 126283"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306973","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":"Variations of larval ommatidia in four species of Bittacidae (Insecta: Mecoptera)","authors":"Wan-Ruo Ma,&nbsp;Jia-Li Bai,&nbsp;Bao-Zhen Hua","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126279","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126279","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The larvae of Bittacidae normally bear a pair of compound eyes on the lateral sides of the head. The compound eyes each are reported to consist of seven ommatidia. However, whether the eyes have variations in number among species and individuals remain unclear to date. Here, ommatidial variations of compound eyes were investigated in four species of Bittacidae larvae using light microscopy. The results show that the number of ommatidia remains constant for a larval eye across instars of the same larva, but numerical variations of ommatidia were found for different individuals and different species of Bittacidae. The compound eyes of larvae each consist of six to ten ommatidia in the most widely distributed <em>Bittacus cirratus</em> Tjeder, but are composed of seven to nine ommatidia in <em>B. planus</em> Cheng and <em>B. lii</em> Zhou, and seven to eight ommatidia in <em>Terrobittacus longisetus</em> Tan &amp; Hua. Seven ommatidia are the most common number, likely representing the ground plan of larval compound eyes in Bittacidae. The distribution patterns of ommatidia can be categorized into five types. The significance of larval ommatidial variation of Bittacidae is briefly discussed with behavior of larvae and evolution of visual organs of holometabolous larvae.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 126279"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144289184","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 energetics of bats of the family Vespertilionidae: An evolutionary approach","authors":"Jorge Ayala-Berdon ,&nbsp;Kevin I. Medina-Bello ,&nbsp;Jorge D. Carballo-Morales ,&nbsp;Romeo A. Saldaña-Vázquez ,&nbsp;Federico Villalobos","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermal energetics define the way animals spend energy for thermoregulation. In this regard, numerous studies have determined that body mass (<em>M</em>_<em>b</em>) is the most influential morphological trait affecting the thermal traits in different species of birds and mammals. However, most of the studies have been focused on the basal metabolic rate (<em>BMR</em>), while other thermal traits have been less studied. We addressed this gap by examining thermal variables on bats of the family Vespertilionidae. Using open-flow respirometry, we measured <em>BMR</em>, absolute thermal conductance (<em>C</em>’), lower and upper critical temperatures (<em>T</em>_<em>LC</em> and <em>T</em>_<em>UC</em>), and breadth of the thermoneutral zone (<em>TNZ</em>_<em>b</em>) of 16 bat species ranging in <em>M</em>_<em>b</em> from ∼ 4.0–21.0 g from central Mexico. We: 1) combined our empirical data with information gathered from the literature and conducted phylogenetic analyses to investigate the relationship between <em>M</em>_<em>b</em> and thermal traits, 2) tested the relationship between mass independent <em>C</em>’ and mass independent <em>BMR</em> with <em>T</em>_<em>LC</em> and <em>T</em>_<em>UC</em> of bats, and the relationship between critical temperatures and <em>TNZ</em>_<em>b</em>, and 3) mapped the thermal energetic traits along the phylogeny to explore their evolutionary trends. We found a positive relationship between <em>M</em>_<em>b</em> and <em>BMR</em> and absolute <em>C’</em> but not to <em>T</em>_<em>LC</em>, <em>T</em>_<em>UC</em> and <em>TNZ</em>_<em>b</em> of bats. Mass independent <em>BMR</em> and mass independent <em>C</em>’ were positively related to <em>T</em>_<em>LC</em> and <em>T</em>_<em>UC</em>. Finally, <em>T</em>_<em>LC</em> showed a negative relationship with <em>TNZ</em>_<em>b</em> while <em>T</em>_<em>UC</em> exhibited a positive relationship with this thermal trait. The phylogenetic approach indicates that over the evolutionary history, <em>BMR</em> and <em>C´</em> have decreased while <em>T</em>_<em>LC</em>, <em>T</em>_<em>UC</em> and <em>TNZ</em>_<em>b</em> have increased. Our results suggest that: 1) differences in the limits of the <em>TNZ</em> and <em>C’</em> may have helped bats to avoid the constraints on heat dissipation imposed by ambient temperatures, and 2) adaptive changes in <em>M</em>_<em>b</em> and thermal traits may have influenced the geographical distribution and energy-saving strategies of bats. These findings contribute to an understanding of how small endotherms cope with thermal challenges, shedding light on the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms that shape species’ ecological niches and biogeographic patterns across diverse environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 126271"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143935840","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":"Cytogenetic insights into Sosippinae (Araneae, Lycosidae) reveal pronounced diploid number reduction in Aglaoctenus and elevated number of rDNA loci in two unrelated species","authors":"Mariana Bessa Sanches ,&nbsp;Lucas Henrique Bonfim Souza ,&nbsp;Bruno Cansanção Silva ,&nbsp;Conrado Mario da Rosa ,&nbsp;Antonio Domingos Brescovit ,&nbsp;Luciana Bolsoni Lourenço ,&nbsp;Douglas Araujo","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spiders represent a fascinating group for studying chromosomal evolution due to their dynamic karyotypes, which reveal significant differences even between closely related taxa. Lycosidae, one of the most species-rich families of spiders, has its major relationships well stablished, though minor interspecific relationships remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed chromosomal data from four species belonging to <em>Aglaoctenus</em> and <em>Diapontia</em>, two genera within the subfamily Sosippinae, to discuss the evolution of chromosomal traits within this lineage. For karyological analysis, we employed Giemsa staining, C-banding, Ag-NOR staining, and 28S rDNA FISH to identify key chromosomal characteristics and the distribution of repetitive elements. Both <em>A. oblongus</em> and <em>D. uruguayensis</em> exhibited 2n♂=28, X₁X₂, with acro/telocentric morphology, hypothesized to represent the ancestral condition for Lycosoidea. However, regarding the 28S rDNA chromosome mapping, these species revealed an unusually high number of loci with eight chromosome clusters in <em>A. oblongus</em> and a polymorphic condition in <em>D. uruguayensis</em> (10–14 signals), underscoring the utility of additional techniques for detecting specific chromosomal regions. Interestingly, <em>A. castaneus</em> and <em>A. lagotis</em> displayed a more derived karyotype, characterized by 2 n♂= 14, X₁X₂ and acro/telocentric morphology, with the sex chromosomes (X₁ and X₂) smaller than the autosomes. Taken together, these data suggest that, following the diversification of <em>Aglaoctenus</em>, a significant reduction in diploid number occurred, affecting only the autosomes. These findings encourage further cytogenetic research within Sosippinae and support the use of these data in future phylogenetic studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 126269"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860384","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":"Back to the water II: Variation in eye and cranial morphology in Telmatobius frogs with different lifestyles","authors":"J. Sebastián Barrionuevo","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126267","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126267","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several tetrapod lineages have independently evolved an aquatic lifestyle, driving structural and functional modifications. Changes in eye size and position are key trends in this transition. While most frogs and toads have aquatic larvae, the majority of adults are terrestrial. In contrast, <em>Telmatobius</em> frogs exhibit a unique spectrum from semiaquatic to strictly aquatic lifestyles, linked to the colonization of the Andean highlands. This study examines variation in eye size, position, and cranial proportions, in two species: the semi-aquatic <em>Telmatobius oxycephalus</em> and the strictly aquatic <em>T. rubigo</em>. Measurements across post-metamorphic stages were used to compare groups and assess allometric patterns. <em>Telmatobius rubigo</em>, which inhabits high altitudes, has smaller eyes and a more dorsal/frontal eye position than <em>T. oxycephalus</em>. Among <em>T. oxycephalus</em>, the forest population at lower elevations has larger eyes compared to valley counterparts at intermediate altitudes. Cranial analysis reveals that <em>T. rubigo</em> has smaller orbits and larger otic capsules, while <em>T. oxycephalus</em> shows the opposite pattern. These findings suggest that smaller eye size and more frontal/dorsal positioning evolved in response to the aquatic lifestyle at high elevations. This pattern parallels that of highly aquatic pipid frogs, which adapted to aquatic habitats during the Cretaceous. In contrast, <em>Telmatobius</em> specialization for aquatic environments is relatively recent and associated with Andean colonization, providing a unique opportunity to study an adaptive radiation within a modern evolutionary context.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 126267"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874563","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":"Impacts of competition on juveniles of two sympatric freshwater prawn species from Pampean ecosystems: Palaemon argentinus and Macrobrachium borellii","authors":"María Eugenia Scardamaglia,&nbsp;Karine Delevati Colpo","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126268","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126268","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Competition is an interaction between individuals, either of the same species (intraspecific) or different species (interspecific), involving the contest for limited resources. This interaction can influence individual growth, reproduction, and survival, playing a critical role in regulating population dynamics and modulating community structures. In this study, we assessed the impact of competition type (intraspecific and interspecific) and competition pressure (low and high) on the coexistence of juvenile individuals of two sympatric prawn species commonly found in freshwater environments of South America: <em>Palaemon argentinus</em> and <em>Macrobrachium borellii</em>. To this end, we developed an experimental design to assess how different competition types and pressures affect the survival and growth rates of juveniles of both species, their frequency of use of the provided substrates and shelters, and their priority in obtaining food. The results showed that both the competition type and pressure influenced how these species coexist in experimental aquaria. High-pressure competition affected the survival of both species, with interspecific competition mainly impacting on the survival of <em>P. argentinus</em> and intraspecific competition mainly impacting on the survival of <em>M. borellii</em>. <em>Macrobrachium borellii</em> proved to be the dominant prawn because, under interspecific competition, this species showed higher survival rate, displaced <em>P. argentinus</em> from the spaces and substrates previously used, and secured food before <em>P. argentinus</em> when competitive pressure was high<em>.</em> However, the growth rate of both species was unaffected by either the competition type or pressure. This study provides insights into how competition can influence the ecological dynamics of these sympatric prawn species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 126268"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848279","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":"Embryonic behavior and skeletogenesis in developing skate Okamejei kenojei","authors":"Guang Gao ,&nbsp;Bingxin Guan ,&nbsp;Guangbin Shao ,&nbsp;Jiawei Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhizhong Xiao ,&nbsp;Kun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2025.126270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates and chimaeras) exhibit diverse behavioral patterns and unique endoskeleton, which provide insights into their ecological adaptations and evolution. However, research on the development of cartilaginous fish is still limited. To evaluate the relationship between embryonic behavior and cartilage development in cartilaginous fishes, the developing <em>Okamejei kenojei</em> was analyzed through behavioral, anatomical, and histological approaches, with an atlas of embryonic behavior and skeletal morphology. The result shows that the behavior of skate embryos evolves from early rhythmic movements to vigilance behavior to external stimuli. Data from Alcian blue and Alizarin red staining and histology sections showed that the vertebrae are the earliest regions to mineralize, with the mineralization process starting at the neural arch area and expanding along the body axis. In the anterior area, mineralized structures spread along the synarcual and neurocranium towards the pectoral fins and fin rays. Interestingly, a novel branching pattern of fin rays was observed in the pectoral fins of embryonic <em>O. kenojei</em>, characterized by the inward growth of the perichondrium into the cartilage element, potentially linked to the morphogenesis of the skate's pectoral fins. Additionally, this study provides a set of open-source morphological data for <em>O. kenojei</em>, which will serve as a valuable reference for marine animal conservation and evolutionary developmental biology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 126270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143948390","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":"2025-03-01","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":"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}