Proceedings. Biological sciences最新文献_第2页

Overexploitation risks disproportionate vertebrate downsizing and declines in potential dispersal distances in frugivory networks. 过度开发风险不成比例的脊椎动物缩小和减少潜在的分散距离在果树网络。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-28 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0578

Oscar Morton, Miguel Lurgi, David P Edwards

{"title":"Overexploitation risks disproportionate vertebrate downsizing and declines in potential dispersal distances in frugivory networks.","authors":"Oscar Morton, Miguel Lurgi, David P Edwards","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.0578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.0578","url":null,"abstract":"Poorly managed and unsustainable exploitation from either the use or trade of species can be a key driver of wildlife population declines and extirpation risk. Local extirpation of overexploited vertebrate species risks triggering cascading ecosystem effects through plant-frugivore interactions, disrupting the ecological networks they form, with potential impacts on the associated seed-dispersal services. Using a global database of the occurrence of more than 16 000 reported bird and mammal frugivory interactions across 160 binary frugivory networks containing likely overexploited species, we simulated the extirpation of overexploited species and their cascading impacts on network composition and potential ecosystem function. The loss of overexploited species triggered a sixfold greater body mass downsizing of vertebrate communities than would be expected under random species loss. By contrast, plant communities experienced comparable structural disruption in frugivory networks following overexploitation-driven versus random loss. Average seed-dispersal distances within networks declined sharply following the extirpation of overexploited species. Average distances declined 161% more after the extirpation of overexploited species relative to the equivalent randomized species loss (12.0% decline after overexploitation, 4.6% after random loss). Our results demonstrate that overexploited species have a key role in local frugivory networks, underscoring the importance of maintaining ecosystem integrity via the protection of vertebrate populations to restore ecosystem function in degraded or defaunated landscapes.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149291875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The bottom-up effects of aridity and the top-down effects of grazing shape biodiversity across trophic levels in the Inner Mongolian grassland. 干旱的自下而上效应和放牧的自上而下效应塑造了内蒙古草原不同营养水平的生物多样性。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-28 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0561

Xiaoqian Gong, Nier Su, Jia Wen, Le Ma, Biao Zhu, Qing Zhang

{"title":"The bottom-up effects of aridity and the top-down effects of grazing shape biodiversity across trophic levels in the Inner Mongolian grassland.","authors":"Xiaoqian Gong, Nier Su, Jia Wen, Le Ma, Biao Zhu, Qing Zhang","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.0561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.0561","url":null,"abstract":"Aridity poses a severe threat to global biodiversity, and grazing further exacerbates ecological stress in drylands. Plants and soil organisms regulate nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability through trophic cascade effects. It remains unclear whether aridity and grazing have consistent effects across trophic levels. We selected 65 paired grazing and ungrazing sites along a natural aridity gradient in the Inner Mongolian grassland in which we explored the diversity of plants, soil bacteria, fungi, nematodes and the impacts of aridity and grazing on trophic cascade effects. Increasing aridity significantly decreased the species richness of plants, pathotrophic fungi, saprotrophic fungi, herbivorous and bacterivorous nematodes. Grazing significantly increased bacterial richness and reduced the richness of herbivorous and omnivorous-predatory nematodes. Overall, aridity exerted a stronger impact on biodiversity compared with grazing. Aridity induced bottom-up effects by initially reducing plant richness, with cascading effects on soil fungal richness and higher trophic communities. Grazing reduced omnivorous-predatory nematode richness, which decreased the richness of lower trophic level organisms through top-down effects. Our research highlights different multi-trophic cascades of aridity and grazing in grasslands, emphasizing the necessity for deeper investigation into biodiversity responses across trophic levels under global change and land use.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149291843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Consistent diversity loss but divergent functional responses of freshwater biofilms to salinity and nutrient enrichment across climatic regions. 不同气候区域淡水生物膜对盐度和养分富集的一致多样性丧失和不同功能响应

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.1161

Rose Fuggle, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Miguel G Matias, Ezequiel M Marzinelli

{"title":"Consistent diversity loss but divergent functional responses of freshwater biofilms to salinity and nutrient enrichment across climatic regions.","authors":"Rose Fuggle, Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Miguel G Matias, Ezequiel M Marzinelli","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1161","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1161","url":null,"abstract":"Freshwater salinization and nutrient enrichment are intensifying globally. Despite their widespread co-occurrence, the generality of their combined effects across regions remains unclear, limiting identification of appropriate policy scales. Using outdoor freshwater ponds established >10 years ago, replicated across inland, coastal and mountain regions, we examined independent and interactive effects of elevated salinity (0, +5 and +15 g NaCl l⁻¹) and nutrient enrichment (10 : 1 N : P additions) on benthic biofilms. Salinity was the dominant driver of community structure and function. Nutrient enrichment increased green algae abundances after 30 days but did not affect biofilm function or bacterial structure. Across all regions, bacterial richness and Shannon's diversity index declined consistently with increasing salinity after 30 days and bacterial community structures differed among all salinity levels by 60 days. Responses of phototrophic groups and biofilm functions, however, were region-specific. In the inland region, high salinity increased biofilm biomass, gross primary productivity (GPP), net primary productivity (NPP) and abundances of diatoms and cyanobacteria; in the coastal region, GPP and NPP declined under high salinity with no change to phototroph abundances; while neither was affected in the mountain region. In sum, taxonomic changes in biofilm bacterial communities under salinization were consistent across regions, while functional changes varied.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682921/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The role of genetic distance in modulating intraspecific plant-soil interactions among a diverse assemblage of tropical tree species seedlings. 遗传距离在调节不同热带树种幼苗种内植物-土壤相互作用中的作用。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.3199

Rosa I Soria Penafiel, Karla Zambrano, Carlos Aulestia, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Jordan Karubian, Sunshine A Van Bael

{"title":"The role of genetic distance in modulating intraspecific plant-soil interactions among a diverse assemblage of tropical tree species seedlings.","authors":"Rosa I Soria Penafiel, Karla Zambrano, Carlos Aulestia, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Jordan Karubian, Sunshine A Van Bael","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2025.3199","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2025.3199","url":null,"abstract":"Microbial specialization on host species can promote plant diversity through plant-soil interactions that affect seedling survival and performance. While these processes are typically studied at the interspecific level, emerging evidence suggests that plant-soil interactions can be genotype-specific, contributing to intraspecific density dependence (iDD). However, iDD remains poorly understood in tropical tree species, particularly with respect to its strength and frequency. We hypothesized that genetic distance among conspecific trees should modulate the strength of iDD, and the direction of the effect-positive or negative seedling response-should reflect the net balance of plant-microbe antagonistic and mutualistic interactions. Using a reciprocal planting experiment across eight tropical tree species, we show that genetic distance between conspecific individuals significantly influences seedling responses, consistent with iDD. Yet, the direction of this effect was variable: Castilla tunu showed higher survival and Wettinia aequalis greater biomass in soils from more genetically distant conspecifics, consistent with negative iDD; Inga marginata exhibited positive iDD; five species exhibited no pattern. These findings demonstrate that genotype-specific plant-soil interactions can generate biologically relevant but variable impacts on seedling responses. This highlights the need to further investigate the drivers and ecological consequences of intraspecific genetic variation in plant-soil interactions and iDD in tropical forests.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682881/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Calcification patterns of a foundation species reveal resilience to environmental change in southern California over the twentieth century. 基础物种的钙化模式揭示了20世纪南加州对环境变化的适应能力。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.1964

Veronica P Vriesman, Esther Kennedy, Gabriela Van Ausdale, Sandra Carlson, Tessa M Hill

{"title":"Calcification patterns of a foundation species reveal resilience to environmental change in southern California over the twentieth century.","authors":"Veronica P Vriesman, Esther Kennedy, Gabriela Van Ausdale, Sandra Carlson, Tessa M Hill","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1964","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1964","url":null,"abstract":"Oceanographic changes due to carbon dioxide emissions have complex and varied impacts on marine calcifying taxa. Changes in calcification can unfold over decades or longer, requiring a longer-term understanding of biomineralization patterns than laboratory-based studies can provide. Here, we investigate the calcification history of the marine mussel Mytilus californianus to determine how this ecologically critical foundation species has responded to past and ongoing environmental changes in the southern end of its range within the California Current System (CCS) between 27.72° N and 34.47° N. Calcification metrics based on shell morphology, growth banding, and mineralogical structure in 130 museum-archived M. californianus specimens collected decadally from 1913 to 2010 revealed unexpected resilience in southern M. californianus shells after previous studies found calcification vulnerability in this species farther north. Shell growth data were paired with temperature datasets and regional pH records. Despite increasingly warmer and more variable conditions in the southern CCS, M. californianus shell features remained quantitatively unchanged in this region since 1913, although we present preliminary microstructural data that align with previous evidence of increased crystallographic disorder in this species. Based on overall consistencies in calcification metrics, M. californianus appears more resistant to environmental changes at the southern end of its range.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682939/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Evolution of neurometabolic frugality in harvester ants. 收获蚁神经代谢节俭的进化。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0387

Craig D Perl, Zach N Coto, Robert Johnson, Meredith Johnson, Leland Graber, James Haas, Jane S Waters, James Traniello, Jon F Harrison

{"title":"Evolution of neurometabolic frugality in harvester ants.","authors":"Craig D Perl, Zach N Coto, Robert Johnson, Meredith Johnson, Leland Graber, James Haas, Jane S Waters, James Traniello, Jon F Harrison","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.0387","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2026.0387","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the importance of neurometabolic cost in brain size evolution, quantitative data on brain metabolic rates (MRs) are lacking. We measured ex vivo brain MRs among species of the ant genus Pogonomyrmex to test three hypotheses: (i) more socially complex species have higher brain MRs; (ii) smaller-bodied species have higher brain mass-specific metabolic rates (MSMRs); and (iii) more recently derived species have evolved more metabolically 'frugal' brains. Worker body size and colony size, a proxy for social complexity vary significantly among Pogonomyrmex species and were positively correlated. Species with larger colonies did not have larger brains or higher brain MRs. Species with smaller workers had relatively larger brains and higher brain MSMR: 38% of resting MR was attributable to brain metabolism in species with the smallest workers, compared to 6% in species with the largest workers. We suggest that smaller worker body sizes may require higher brain mass-specific energetic costs to achieve comparable performance by absolutely smaller brains. More derived species had strikingly lower mass-specific brain metabolic costs, suggesting that increases in worker body size have selected for neurometabolic frugality through reductions in brain MSMR.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682931/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The present does not reflect the past: geographic mismatches between fossil and modern records are widespread across the tree of life. 现在并不能反映过去：化石和现代记录之间的地理不匹配在整个生命之树上广泛存在。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.1431

Benjamin R Shipley, Erin E Saupe

{"title":"The present does not reflect the past: geographic mismatches between fossil and modern records are widespread across the tree of life.","authors":"Benjamin R Shipley, Erin E Saupe","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1431","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1431","url":null,"abstract":"The distribution of organisms across Earth provides insight into the origin and maintenance of biodiversity. Abundant fossil evidence suggests taxa have undergone substantial range changes over time. However, biogeographic theory and models often tend to assume that clades originated in the regions where we observe them today. Understanding the prevalence of geographically dynamic clades across the tree of life provides a way to evaluate these assumptions, thereby refining key evolutionary hypotheses. We provide a review of such range-shifting clades using a two-pronged approach. First, literature searches uncovered examples across most major multicellular groups (comprising 129 clades with mismatches between fossil and modern ranges). Concurrently, we used the well-sampled mammalian fossil record as a case study, finding that more than half of its terrestrial families (51%) had substantial (>1000 km) geographic mismatches. Geographically dynamic lineages are both common and widespread, but despite their ubiquity, fossil-modern mismatches have only recently been integrated into phylogenetic and biogeographic methods and no comprehensive overview of their advantages and challenges exists. We therefore review the current state of the field and discuss case studies where fossil evidence reshaped prevailing biogeographic theory. Biogeographers must take advantage of these rich fossil histories to better elucidate evolutionary theory across space and time.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Deep history of an ancient subterranean crustacean: origins of the Bathynellacea (Syncarida). 古代地下甲壳类动物的深层历史：深海亚纲的起源。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0943

Shabuddin Shaik, Praveen Karanth

{"title":"Deep history of an ancient subterranean crustacean: origins of the Bathynellacea (Syncarida).","authors":"Shabuddin Shaik, Praveen Karanth","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.0943","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2026.0943","url":null,"abstract":"Plate-tectonic-mediated vicariance is often invoked to explain global disjunct distributions. However, since the advent of molecular tools, particularly molecular dating, it has become apparent that in many of the taxa, dispersal post-continental break-up better explains their current distribution. Nevertheless, these taxa belong to younger radiations and are less suitable for deep-time biogeographic studies. Here, we target an ancient lineage of subterranean freshwater crustacean of the order Bathynellacea with limited dispersal ability and global distributions to investigate the role of plate-tectonic-mediated vicariance. We investigated the evolutionary relationships among bathynellaceans using phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial markers. For the first time, four outgroup fossils were used to calibrate the time tree to date the origin and significant diversification events of bathynellaceans. Our results reveal deep phylogenetic divergences among Bathynellacean families, suggesting an ancient origin dating back to the Mesozoic or possibly even the Late Palaeozoic. The early branching lineages are geographically distributed across former Gondwanan landmasses and Eurasia, supporting a dual origin scenario and challenging previous views of a single Laurasian ancestry. The taxonomic implications of our phylogeny are also discussed. Overall, this study demonstrates Bathynellacea as a valuable model for understanding deep-time evolutionary processes.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13714382/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149291769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Transcriptional activation of the CXCL gene family locus in mature human sperm in the presence of female-derived reproductive fluid. 成熟人类精子中存在雌性生殖液时CXCL基因家族位点的转录激活

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.3286

Tanja Turunen, Marjo Malinen, Sami Heikkinen, Merja Heinäniemi, Stephen A Krawetz, Grace M Swanson, Enni Linnavirta, Pia Allinen, Liisa Kuusipalo, Jukka Kekäläinen

{"title":"Transcriptional activation of the CXCL gene family locus in mature human sperm in the presence of female-derived reproductive fluid.","authors":"Tanja Turunen, Marjo Malinen, Sami Heikkinen, Merja Heinäniemi, Stephen A Krawetz, Grace M Swanson, Enni Linnavirta, Pia Allinen, Liisa Kuusipalo, Jukka Kekäläinen","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2025.3286","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2025.3286","url":null,"abstract":"Mature sperm are widely considered as transcriptionally inactive cells owing to the tight compaction of their chromatin with protamine. However, sperm cells have been demonstrated to retain RNA polymerase subunits, chromatin remodellers, transcription factors, and parts of their chromatin remain in a less condensed, nucleosome-bound configuration. Consequently, some studies have suggested that sperm may be transcriptionally more active than previously assumed. Here, we tested this possibility by exposing mature human sperm to follicular fluid (FF), a bioactive liquid surrounding the oocyte. Using RNA sequencing, we first observed that FF exposure alters the sperm transcriptome. To resolve whether the observed upregulation of selected candidate genes resulted from the transcriptional activation of these genes in sperm, we labelled newly synthesized RNAs with 5-ethynyl uridine. Our results suggest that FF may trigger de novo transcription of sperm CXCL8 and CXCL3 genes and indicate that some follicular-fluid-derived transcripts are selectively transferred into sperm. Collectively, these findings suggest that specific sperm genes may become transcriptionally active in the presence of biologically relevant stimuli, potentially preparing sperm for fertilization and early embryo development. Furthermore, we envisage that activated sperm genes can have novel implications for the deeper mechanistic understanding of sexual selection.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682880/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Contagion and escalation of rule violations. 违规行为的蔓延和升级。

IF 3.5

Proceedings. Biological sciences Pub Date : 2026-10-21 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.1940

Lucas Molleman, Karlijn Hoyer, Gerben A van Kleef, Christin Scholz, Jan Hausfeld

{"title":"Contagion and escalation of rule violations.","authors":"Lucas Molleman, Karlijn Hoyer, Gerben A van Kleef, Christin Scholz, Jan Hausfeld","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1940","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rspb.2026.1940","url":null,"abstract":"Human societies rely on rules to coordinate behaviour, sustain cooperation and maintain social order. Yet compliance can be fragile when rules are weakly enforced and individuals observe others violating them. Prior research shows that rule violations and other antisocial behaviours can spread through social influence, but less is known about how the severity of violations shapes these dynamics. In many real-world settings, rule-breaking occurs in degrees, from minor infractions to major violations, and individuals may not only imitate others but sometimes exceed the violations they observe. Here, we combine simulations and a behavioural experiment (n = 750) to study how the magnitude of observed rule violations shapes subsequent violations, and how this can generate escalation dynamics. Our simulations show that when individuals occasionally escalate beyond observed violations, even rare escalation can trigger a rapid shift from widespread compliance to collective rule-breaking. In our pre-registered experiment, observing major violations strongly increased rule-breaking, especially when committed by socially close others. Observing minor violations prompted many participants to follow suit and a minority to escalate beyond the violations they observed. Parameterizing the simulations with these behavioural responses shows that such escalators can disproportionately undermine collective compliance. These results highlight how asymmetric responses to rule violations and rare escalatory behaviour can transform small deviations into large-scale breakdowns of rule compliance.","PeriodicalId":520757,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings. Biological sciences","volume":"293 2081","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682926/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0