Current Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Multidimensional analyses of reptile assemblages: insights from phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic diversity.","authors":"Nadia Vicenzi, Agustina Novillo, Jaiber J Solano-Iguaran, Leonardo D Bacigalupe","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf021","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multidimensional biodiversity approaches provide a framework for understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape communities through time and space. In this study, we assess the spatial variation in taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of reptile assemblages along Chile's latitudinal gradient to gain insight into the primary assembly processes structuring these communities. We compiled data on distribution, phylogeny, and functional traits and estimated alpha diversity indices of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions. We then assessed the assembly process under the stress dominance hypothesis (SDH), using null models to test whether the observed phylogenetic and functional diversity deviated from random patterns, suggesting the influence of habitat filtering or interspecific competition. We also examined environmental influences on diversity metrics. Our results show that phylogenetic diversity is a poor proxy for functional diversity, highlighting the importance of multidimensional approaches to understanding the drivers of assemblage composition and structure. In support of the SDH, habitat filtering influenced reptile assemblages in arid and cold environments, whereas interspecific competition influenced the assemblages in milder environments, such as the Mediterranean region and Valdivian forests. Furthermore, the spatial mismatch between diversity metrics allowed us to explore how assemblage composition and structure are influenced by local environmental heterogeneity, biogeographic history, and adaptive radiations of squamate reptiles. Environmental variables, particularly temperature, primary productivity, and topographic complexity, emerged as strong predictors of reptile diversity. Our study highlights the importance of integrating species' evolutionary history and ecological traits with taxonomic richness to improve our understanding of community composition, ecosystem functioning, history, and resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"41-53"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045830/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Yarkand hare epidermal growth factor receptor improves the survival and antioxidant capacity of HeLa cells under stress.","authors":"Yuge Cui, Mengqi Xu, Mingchang Duan, Jinshan Wu, Yanyu Zhou, Wenjuan Shan","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf020","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most important tyrosine kinase receptor families, which plays a pivotal role in cell signaling transduction and physiological processes. Studies on the <i>EGFR</i> gene in humans and other species have demonstrated its pivotal role in regulating the sodium ion balance and mediating sodium and water reabsorption in the kidney's proximal tubules. However, the impact of <i>EGFR</i> gene in how the Yarkand hare (<i>Lepus yarkandensis</i>) adapts to extreme environmental habitat remains unclear. The Yarkand hare is a desert-dwelling animal with multiple adaptations to cope with drought. Given the important physiological function of <i>EGFR</i> gene, we strived to understand its role in arid environment and explore the molecular mechanism of drought tolerance in the Yarkand hare. We first performed segmental cloning of the CDS of the Yarkand hare <i>EGFR</i> gene. Then, we constructed the phylogenetic tree of the Yarkand hare's <i>EGFR</i> gene and compared it with that of other species. The results showed that the Yarkand hare was most closely related to the Tolai hare (<i>Lepus tolai</i>). Through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we discovered that <i>EGFR</i> expression in the kidneys of the Yarkand hare was higher than in the allopatric Tolai hare from non-arid areas. Therefore, we hypothesized that <i>EGFR</i> gene overexpression in the kidney of the Yarkand hare may play a crucial role in drought adaptability. Subsequently, we inserted CDS of <i>EGFR</i> gene into a pcDNA3.1-EGFP expression vector to construct recombinant plasmid, which was transfected into HeLa cells and overexpressed. RT-qPCR demonstrated a notable and statistically significant increase in <i>EGFR</i> mRNA expression and western blot proved stable expression of this protein in HeLa cells. Through cell experiments, <i>EGFR</i> gene overexpression markedly enhanced the survival of Hela cells subjected to NaCl, H₂O₂, and heat stresses, increased superoxide dismutase activity, and decreased malondialdehyde content. In conclusion, these findings preliminarily suggest that EGFR might help the Yarkand hare adapt to extreme environmental conditions. EGFR manipulation <i>in vivo</i> could be a promising strategy to enhance the resilience of animals to extreme conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 3","pages":"404-407"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12227414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144576870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary drivers of gut microbiota diversity and function in wildlife of Wolong Nature Reserve: a metagenomic study.","authors":"Feiyun Huang, Xiaogang Shi, Peng Chen, Qiang Hu, Yongqi Zhao, Zhoulong Chen, Wen Ma, Qihao Tan, Xi Feng, Xiuyue Zhang","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf018","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While diet is known to regulate the composition, function, and diversity of the human gut microbiome, its effects on wildlife remain understudied. Here, noninvasive sampling methods were first used to conduct metagenomic analyses of the gut microbiomes of 10 protected wild animals in the Wolong Nature Reserve. There were significant differences in microbiota composition and function between herbivores and carnivores. Herbivores exhibited higher microbial diversity and evenness (Shannon and Pielou indices), with Bacillota and <i>Acinetobacter</i> predominating, whereas carnivores were enriched in Pseudomonadota and <i>Escherichia</i>. Cellulose-degrading bacterium <i>Ruminococcus champanellensis</i> was abundant in herbivores, while <i>Rhodococcus</i> and <i>Pediococcus</i>, which were associated with toxin degradation and pathogen inhibition, were more prevalent in carnivores. Carnivores showed higher lipid metabolism and protein degradation, as evidenced by the enrichment of leucyl aminopeptidase and oligopeptidase B, while herbivores demonstrated superior cellulose and starch digestion, characterized by the enrichment of cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase. Stochastic processes shaped gut microbiome assembly, especially in herbivores. Potential health risks from pathogens such as <i>Escherichia</i> and <i>Listeria</i> were identified, and <i>Escherichia</i> abundance was positively correlated with niche width. Furthermore, the findings suggest that high-altitude environments may promote the persistence and spread of pathogens. Overall, our findings underscore the intricate linkages between diet, gut microbiota composition, assembly processes, and host ecology in protected wildlife, address a key knowledge gap, and provide important theoretical and practical insights for ecological conservation, species restoration, and environmental management.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"14-29"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045829/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Are <i>Sepsis</i> flies Batesian mimics of ants?","authors":"Lenka Baranovičová, Stano Pekár","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf019","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Myrmecomorphy is the most prevalent type of Batesian mimicry among arthropods. Some species of the fly family Sepsidae also bear resemblance to ants. We examined whether the black scavenger fly, <i>Sepsis thoracica,</i> bears a phenotypic resemblance to the abundant ant <i>Lasius niger</i> (workers and males), and whether this resemblance protects it from predation by the syntopic wolf spider <i>Pardosa agrestis</i>. We compared the motion, body shape, size, and coloration traits of <i>S. thoracica</i> to <i>Lasius</i> workers and males, as well as to <i>Drosophila hydei</i>, a non-mimetic fly. Overall, <i>S. thoracica</i> resembled <i>Lasius</i> ant males in motion and body shape, <i>D. hydei</i> in size, and <i>Lasius</i> workers in coloration. Visual models of spider and avian predators revealed that in terms of luminance, <i>S. thoracica</i> was indistinguishable from ant males but different from <i>D. hydei</i>. In predation experiments, <i>S. thoracica</i> was preyed upon less frequently by spiders than <i>D. hydei</i>, and at a frequency similar to ant males. The low consumption frequency of <i>S. thoracica</i> was presumably in part due to the release of defensive chemicals. We conclude that it is an inaccurate Batesian mimic of several <i>Lasius</i> species. This paper brings the first empirical evidence of myrmecomorphy in flies.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":"30-40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045822/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of manipulative prolonged temperature increase on the greater long-tailed hamster (<i>Tscherskia triton</i>) in semi-natural enclosures.","authors":"Da Zhang, Xinru Wan, Xiaoming Xu, Yanan Gan, Liliang Han, Zhibin Zhang","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf017","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Global climate change has caused range shifts and population declines in various species. However, causal evidence from manipulative studies, particularly for vertebrates, remains scarce. Prolonged temperature increases, a direct consequence of climate change, pose significant challenges to species adaptation and survival. We examined the effects of prolonged temperature increases on reproduction, physiology, and behavior adaption in the greater long-tailed hamster using semi-natural enclosures where temperature was manipulated via plastic roofs and windows, creating a greenhouse effect without affecting rainfall. We analyzed data using grouped enclosures (low temperature, LT; high temperature, HT), which showed that prolonged temperature increases led to reduced reproductivity per capita during the breeding season. In addition, prolonged temperature increases reduced night-time activity in founder hamsters during overwintering, increased burrow depth during the breeding season, and raised testicular weights in founder males during the overwintering season. Our study provides experimental evidence that prolonged temperature increases negatively impact population growth of greater long-tailed hamsters by inducing temperature stress and impairing reproductive performance, highlighting the need to address heat stress in wildlife management under climate warming.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 6","pages":"788-800"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742388/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Functional reproductive morphology of the snapping shrimp genus <i>Synalpheus</i> Spence Bate, 1888 (Decapoda, Alpheidae).","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoaf013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoae053.].</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 3","pages":"408"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12227413/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144576865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamics of resting metabolic rate and innate immune response in malaria-infected Eurasian siskins.","authors":"Maria Erokhina, Andrey Bushuev, Elena Platonova, Vadim Khaitov, Alexander Davydov, Andrey Mukhin","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf015","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Avian malaria, caused by parasites of the genus <i>Plasmodium</i>, is prevalent among wild bird populations worldwide and can have significant impact on avian health and populations. With the rise in global temperatures due to climate change, concerns have arisen about the spread of southern malaria species, that potentially can affect previously unexposed bird populations. We studied juvenile siskins infected with two distinct malaria parasites: <i>Plasmodium relictum</i> (SGS1 lineage) and <i>P. ashfordi</i> (GRW2 lineage). While the former is common in the Northern Palearctic, the latter is primarily found in Central and Southern Africa. We assessed the impact of these infections on siskins' physiological well-being using resting metabolic rate (RMR) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Changes in RMR reflect the energetic cost of disease, while IL-6 serves as a one of the inflammatory cytokines in the innate immune system's response to infection. Our experimental findings reveal distinct outcomes during the acute phase of SGS1 and GRW2 infections. Infection with SGS1 was marked by reduced RMR and IL-6 levels in siskins. A similar IL-6 pattern was observed in the GRW2 group initially, though it was not sustained. Additionally, GRW2-infected siskins showed distinct RMR dynamics compared to SGS1-infected birds. Our study did not conclusively demonstrate that tropical malaria has more severe effects on siskins. However, similarities with previous studies with SGS1 infected birds and variations in disease progression between the two experimental groups underscore the complexity of host-parasite interactions in avian malaria infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 6","pages":"773-787"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742392/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human vocalizations impact skink risk assessment depending on human exposure.","authors":"Carla Bruebach, Lauren Harper, David Jen, Amanda Leyel, Sean O'Fallon, Daniel T Blumstein","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf014","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sounds, like screams, which contain acoustic nonlinearities can elicit fearful, emotional responses in animals. In humans, screams activate the amygdala and are perceived as less positive than spoken words. We conducted a playback experiment to see if two skink species (one of which is known to negatively respond to nonlinearities) responded differently to human spoken words and screams. We broadcast short phrases of humans screaming, humans speaking, or a control, a novel bird song. We studied the immediate response by quantifying the change in rates of vigilance and locomotion. We also studied a slightly delayed response in risk assessments by measuring skink flight initiation distance after the playback. Furthermore, we conducted experiments in nonresidential and residential areas to understand how human exposure may influence human discrimination and potentially valence perception (i.e., how sound is emotionally perceived). Blue-tailed skinks (<i>Emoia impar</i>) altered both immediate behavior and their delayed risk assessment when human screaming was broadcast, but only in residential areas. By contrast, white-bellied copper-striped skinks (<i>Emoia cyanura</i>) only altered their delayed risk assessment when human stimuli were broadcast in residential areas. These results indicate that skinks respond differently to human vocalizations depending on their exposure to humans and based on species-specific behaviors. Our results suggest the importance of considering many variables when studying cognition in nature. The amount of human exposure and the acoustic cues contained in auditory stimuli may affect an individual's risk assessment and behavioral responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 6","pages":"763-772"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742395/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145850913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How female treefrogs weigh unimodal and multimodal sexual displays in the absence and presence of noise.","authors":"Bicheng Zhu, Runhan Li, Jichao Wang, Jianguo Cui","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mate choice plays a pivotal role in wildlife reproduction and population sustainability. The assessment of sexual displays in noise poses a common challenge for wildlife. Multimodal signals are hypothesized to be favored since they improve the accuracy of signal detection and discrimination in noise. We verified whether female treefrogs exhibit a heightened reliance on visual cues when acoustic cues are drowned out by the noise and whether increased call complexity can compensate for the attractiveness differences between unimodal and multimodal signals. Our results demonstrated that female treefrogs prefer longer courtship signals in the absence of noise. Meanwhile, increasing call complexity effectively mitigated the attractiveness difference between acoustic and visual/multimodal signals. However, female treefrogs did not shift their reliance to visual signals when masked by noise. Noise prolonged the duration required for females to make a mate choice in most cases and reduced female preferences for attractive signals regardless of whether the mating scene was unimodal or multimodal, which lends further the hypothesis of cross-sensory interference. We examined how female treefrogs weigh unimodal and multimodal courtship cues in the absence and presence of noise and offered distinct perspectives on the interplay of multi-sensory sexual displays in noise. This study enhanced our comprehension of noise interference in mating choice and established a novel, comprehensive scientific foundation for the prevention and control of multimodal sensory pollution.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 6","pages":"683-691"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742384/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145850695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Cladocroce caelum</i> (Porifera) has a specialized growth region and a transcriptional regionalization across its body axis.","authors":"Bruno Cajado, Ana Riesgo, Rodrigo Nunes-da-Fonseca, Diego Guerra-Almeida, Bruno Rodrigues, Emilio Lanna","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoaf012","DOIUrl":"10.1093/cz/zoaf012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sponges (Porifera) are traditionally considered to lack defined body axes and regional specialization. Understanding whether sponges exhibit preferential growth regions and axial patterning is essential for elucidating the evolution of metazoan body plans. Here, we compared two body regions of the repent morph of <i>Cladocroce caelum</i> (Demospongiae): the proximal region, containing fully developed aquiferous system modules, and the distal region, hypothesized as the primary growth region. Our findings show that specimens predominantly grow from the distal region, where archaeocytes constitute the main cell type (mean 65.3%), whereas the proximal region features aquiferous system modules primarily composed of choanocytes (47%). To further explore molecular differences, we assembled a <i>de novo</i> reference transcriptome for <i>C. caelum</i>, recovering 99% of universal eukaryotic orthologous genes and 94% of metazoan orthologs. RNA-seq analysis revealed the expression of genes associated with the germline, stem cells, and developmental signaling pathways in both regions. However, we identified 11,421 differentially expressed genes (3,506 upregulated in the proximal region and 7,925 in the distal region). Notably, genes involved in the WNT, TGF-β, and MAPK pathways-key regulators of development and cell proliferation-were upregulated in the distal region. These findings provide morphological and molecular evidence of regional specialization in <i>C. caelum</i>, supporting the existence of a preferential growth region at the distal end. Our results suggest that despite the unique organization of the sponge body plan, some poriferans may possess specialized growth regions, akin to those in other metazoans.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"71 6","pages":"745-762"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742393/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}