The Science of Nature最新文献

{"title":"Integrating airborne chemical ecology with informed intercropping for sustainable crop protection.","authors":"Sourav Manna, Ishita Paul, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02175-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-026-02175-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plant-insect interactions has been studied in detail in recent decades, especially in the context of environment-friendly integrated pest management (IPM) in agroecosystems. Field-based study and behavioural investigations have shown that specific VOCs (or combinations of VOCs) of companion crops are crucial in diverting phytophagous insects from main food or cash crops, along with attracting beneficial insects which decimate pest species. The functional mechanisms of these olfactory cues, however, are not always clear and distinctive, especially since these ecological interactions are highly variable. The complex 'odourscapes' occurring in mixed cropping systems are determined by species-specific interactions, local climate, prevalent agricultural/landscaping practices, and other environmental factors which need to be examined in localized contexts. This review aims to cover the dynamics and mechanisms of VOCs mediating plant-insect interactions in mixed crop settings, the variables and technical constraints to be considered for implementing these interactions for cost-effective IPM, and potential challenges presented by ecological fine-tuning of such interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149223004","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":"First occurrence of a herrerasaurid dinosaur in a traversodontid cynodont-dominated Late Triassic fauna of southern Brazil.","authors":"Rodrigo Temp Müller","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02185-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-026-02185-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Herrerasauridae comprises the oldest large-bodied predatory dinosaurs and is currently known exclusively from the Carnian (Late Triassic) of South America. In both Argentina and Brazil, herrerasaurid occurrences have previously been restricted to rhynchosaur-dominated assemblages, with no records from younger strata characterized by the abundance of the traversodontid cynodont Exaeretodon. Here, I describe CAPPA/UFSM 0539, a partial left pubis recovered from the Exaeretodon-dominated strata of the Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone (AZ) of southern Brazil. The specimen preserves a combination of pubic features that is currently unique to herrerasaurids, including a well-developed pubic boot with anterior and posterior distal expansions. A phylogenetic analysis further supports its referral to an indeterminate herrerasaurid. This specimen represents the first record of Herrerasauridae from the Exaeretodon-dominated strata, demonstrating that members of the clade persisted despite the faunal turnover associated with the decline of rhynchosaurs and the increasing abundance of Exaeretodon. The occurrence expands the known diversity of large predators in these ecosystems and suggests that herrerasaurids retained the ecological plasticity to occupy apex predatory roles under changing community compositions. If the Brazilian Exaeretodon-dominated strata are younger than the Hyperodapedon Acme Zone, CAPPA/UFSM 0539 may also represent the youngest known record of Herrerasauridae worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222971","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 earliest euantiarch from the Pragian (Early Devonian) of Guangnan, Yunnan Province, China.","authors":"Zumin Xian, Qinyuan Xue, Yingtian Zhao, Qiang Li, Min Zhu","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02186-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-026-02186-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antiarchs represent a highly specialized clade of early jawed vertebrates adapted to benthic habitats and form a major component of Devonian aquatic ecosystems. Euantiarchs, the most diverse antiarch clade, previously had their earliest record from the Emsian of the Early Devonian in China. They achieved a nearly cosmopolitan distribution during the Middle to Late Devonian. Here, we describe a new euantiarch, Yangfanyu anachoresis gen. et sp. nov., based on articulated specimens from the Pragian (Early Devonian, ~ 410 Ma) of Guangnan, Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Using X-ray computed tomography and three-dimensional digital visualization, we reconstructed the complete dermal head and trunk shields. In addition to diagnostic euantiarch characters, Yangfanyu retains several plesiomorphic features, notably the cavity for the cranio-spinal process and the oblique ridge on the lateral wall of the trunk shield. Phylogenetic analysis placed Yangfanyu at the most basal position among euantiarchs, forming the sister taxon to all other euantiarchs. This placement extends the fossil record of Euantiarcha by approximately 10 million years, refines character polarity at the base of the clade, and indicates that the characteristic euantiarch morphology was assembled progressively through the sequential acquisition of derived characters during the earliest stages of euantiarch evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222981","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":"Chronic oral toxicity of lithium citrate in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.): impacts on survival, midgut histopathology and gut microbiota","authors":"Hidayet Tutun,&nbsp;Sedat Sevin,&nbsp;Pelin Taş,&nbsp;Özge Özgenç Çınar,&nbsp;Babür Erdem,&nbsp;Ahmet Ceylan,&nbsp;Emre Keskin","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02179-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02179-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The search for effective alternatives to conventional acaricides has positioned lithium as a promising experimental candidate for controlling <i>Varroa destructor</i>; however, its physiological impact on the honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) remains insufficiently characterized. This study evaluated the chronic oral toxicity of lithium citrate over a 10-day exposure period, focusing on survival, midgut histopathological changes, and gut microbiota dynamics. Newly emerged bees were exposed to sugar syrup containing 12.5, 25, and 50 mM lithium citrate. Mortality increased monotonically with dose: 10-day survival was 0.94 in the control and 0.84, 0.22, and 0 at 12.5, 25, and 50 mM, respectively (all pairwise contrasts significant, Benjamini-Hochberg correction). Histological analysis of the midgut revealed pronounced epithelial damage, characterized by severe desquamation and cellular shedding into the lumen, even at the lower dose of 12.5 mM, with the highest severity at 12.5 mM rather than 25 mM; the peritrophic membrane remained intact in all groups. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed variation in the relative abundance of several core gut bacteria across treatment groups, although neither alpha- nor beta-diversity differed significantly among groups. At the highest lithium concentration (25 mM), <i>Gilliamella</i> showed a markedly lower median relative abundance, whereas <i>Frischella</i> was relatively more abundant; however, these patterns were not statistically supported by differential abundance analysis and did not indicate a consistent concentration-dependent response. Given the limited number of biological replicates (<i>n</i> = 3 per group), these compositional patterns should be regarded as preliminary. These findings suggest that lithium citrate, despite its varroacidal potential, acts as a significant physiological stressor, compromising the structural integrity of the digestive tract and disrupting microbial homeostasis. Consequently, the development of lithium-based treatments must carefully consider both lethal and sublethal effects at the individual level, and colony-level consequences remain to be evaluated.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178524","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":"Evaluating growth and physiological responses of Moringa peregrina and Moringa oleifera to elevated CO₂ and UV-B radiation in open-top chambers for climate resilience","authors":"Omar Mohammed Saeed Alshehhi,&nbsp;Faisal Hayat,&nbsp;Karthishwaran Kandhan,&nbsp;Wasef AL-Zayadneh,&nbsp;Mohamed S. Sheteiwy,&nbsp;Mohammed Alyafei","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-02041-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-02041-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Climate change poses complex and unpredictable challenges to the ecosystems and agricultural systems. Anthropogenic activities have increased CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere and changes in ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. These environmental changes severely impair crop growth and production of crops, particularly in sensitive species. Therefore, evaluating the combined effects of eCO₂ and UV-B radiation is essential for predicting climate change on crop systems and ecosystem stability. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the tolerance of two <i>Moringa</i> species (<i>Moringa oleifera</i> and <i>Moringa peregrina</i>) to elevated (eCO₂), UV-B radiation and their combined effects. The results revealed that <i>Moringa oleifera</i> under eCO₂ treatment had higher plant height than <i>Moringa peregrina</i>. On the other hand, the lowest plant height was recorded in both tested species under UV-B radiation treatment. Further, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid content in <i>Moringa oleifera</i> were much higher in eCO₂-treated plants than in <i>Moringa peregrina</i>, although UV-B radiation had a significant impact on reducing photosynthetic pigments in both species. The nutrient analysis also revealed that the levels of nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and boron (B) in <i>Moringa oleifera</i> were significantly higher than those in <i>Moringa peregrina</i> under eCO₂ treatment. Conversely, the concentrations of potassium (K), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and sulfur (S) were found to be greatest in the <i>Moringa peregrina</i> under eCO₂ treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178540","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":"Bioinspired silver nanoparticles from Barleria lawii leaf extract: phytochemical-mediated synthesis, characterization, and multifunctional properties","authors":"Saif Saleh Mohsen Ali,&nbsp;Bairaj Bhattacharya,&nbsp;Kamartaha I. Saiyed,&nbsp;Hind Alzaylaee,&nbsp;Mutee Murshed,&nbsp;Ramzan Ullah,&nbsp;Pushpa Robin,&nbsp;ZabnAllah M. Alaizeri","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02178-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02178-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plant-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) represents an emerging bioinspired strategy for generating multifunctional nanomaterials by exploiting natural phytochemicals as reducing and stabilizing agents. In this study, <i>Barleria lawii</i> leaf extract was utilized for the first time as a biological platform for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Bl-AgNPs). Phytochemical analysis revealed substantial phenolic and flavonoid contents (28.4 mg GAE/g and 18.1 mg QE/g, respectively), supporting their role in Ag⁺ reduction and nanoparticle stabilization. Under optimized conditions (10 mM AgNO₃, extract-to-precursor ratio of 1:2, pH 8, and 60 °C), stable spherical Bl-AgNPs were obtained, exhibiting a characteristic surface plasmon resonance band at 422.5 nm. XRD analysis confirmed face-centered cubic crystallinity with an average crystallite size of 27.60 ± 6.57 nm, while TEM revealed spherical particles with an average size of 22.1 ± 6.5 nm. DLS gave a hydrodynamic diameter of 121.8 nm, and zeta potential measurements indicated good colloidal stability (− 31.2 mV). The synthesized Bl-AgNPs demonstrated enhanced antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ = 17.24 µg/mL), broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, and <i>Bacillus altitudinis</i> (inhibition zones of 30.5, 25.5, and 26.5 mm, respectively, at 500 µg/mL), and increased cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells (IC₅₀ = 12.95 µg/mL) compared with the crude extract (IC₅₀ = 40.57 µg/mL). Additionally, Bl-AgNPs exhibited efficient catalytic performance in NaBH₄-mediated reduction of 4-nitrophenol and methylene blue, following pseudo-first-order kinetics. Overall, this study highlights <i>B. lawii</i> as an underexplored phytochemical resource for the bioinspired generation of stable and multifunctional silver nanoparticles, demonstrating the potential of plant-derived metabolites in developing biologically active nanomaterials.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><p>Workflow depicting the green biosynthesis of Bl-AgNPs using <i>Barleria lawii</i> leaf extract, highlighting extract preparation, phytochemical-mediated nanoparticle formation, physicochemical characterization, and evaluation of antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and catalytic activities.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164936","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":"No armor is perfect: detecting hotspots of parasitic horse fly attacks on black caiman through 3D modeling and citizen science","authors":"Gabriel A. Brito Vera,&nbsp;Bruce Anthony Tumbaco Vega","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02174-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02174-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ectoparasites often exploit anatomical weak points in their hosts, yet how their attacks are distributed across the body remains poorly understood in armored ectotherms and other organisms partly due to scarce data and the lack of spatial tools for studying parasitism on complex surfaces. This study combines citizen-science imagery with three-dimensional kernel density estimation (3D KDE) to examine 275 tabanid biting events on <i>Melanosuchus niger</i>, mapped onto a high-resolution 3D anatomical model. Contrary to expectations, bite intensity was unrelated to surface exposure; instead, attacks clustered in nasal and orbital regions. These findings reveal non-random, anatomy-driven parasitism and introduce a replicable spatial framework for quantifying host–parasite interactions using open-access data and morphological modeling. This complementary approach advances the ecological understanding of microhabitat selection in ectoparasites and provides new tools for exploring fine-scale interactions in elusive or logistically constrained systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163458","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 influence of ergosterol on termites’ defenses against Metarhizium infections","authors":"Jacob H. Rosenbloom,&nbsp;Bhawana Luitel,&nbsp;Mark S. Bulmer","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02183-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02183-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Termites respond to spores of pathogenic fungi that have adhered to the cuticle with brief bouts of rapid shaking, an alarm response that promotes allogrooming, which helps prevent fatal infections. The pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that elicits this proactive hygienic response is unknown. Ergosterol, an important component of the fungal cell membrane, has been identified as a potential PAMP in the subterranean termite <i>Coptotermes formosansus</i>. In this study, commercial or extracted ergosterol elicited a hygienic behavioral response in workers of the subterranean termite <i>Reticulitermes flavipes</i>. The ergosterol content of pathogenic spores of <i>Metarhizium</i> spp. were also found to vary among different strains and species of the fungus. However, there was a significant positive correlation between ergosterol content of different <i>Metarhizium</i> isolates and fatal infections caused by their spores (conidia). Alarm responses from challenges with conidia were not positively correlated with estimates of ergosterol content and instead were negatively correlated with ergosterol content although not significantly, which does not support the hypothesis that ergosterol is a critical recognition cue for the hygienic response. Termicin, an antifungal peptide in termite salivary secretions, was also most effective against the most lethal isolates, which had the highest ergosterol content. Ergosterol appears to influence spore membrane vulnerability to disruption by the antifungal peptide. Overall, our results indicate ergosterol influences both the vulnerability of <i>Metarhizium</i> conidia to termicin and the detection of an unidentified PAMP, which alerts termites to fungal contamination. This sets up a potential trade-off for the fungus between a shield for protection and signal for detection: reducing vulnerability to termicin by decreasing the content of cell membrane ergosterol results in an increase in a cell wall PAMP that termites can recognize and respond to with allogrooming. <i>Reticulitermes</i> spp. appear to have adaptively exploited this trade-off.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658296/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164003","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":"Diel emergence and dispersal rhythms in the bamboo borer Dinoderus minutus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)","authors":"Felipe Goulart Gonçalves,&nbsp;Hugo Leoncini Rainho,&nbsp;Kamila Emmanuella Xavier de Azevedo,&nbsp;Idemauro Antonio Rodrigues de Lara,&nbsp;Rafael de Andrade Moral,&nbsp;José Maurício Simões Bento","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02181-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02181-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biological rhythms regulate insect activity and represent a conserved adaptive trait across life forms. Understanding the behavioral rhythms of dispersive cryptic species is important for elucidating their ecological interactions and improving pest management strategies. In this study, we investigated the diel patterns of emergence and flight activity of the bamboo borer <i>Dinoderus minutus</i> under field and laboratory conditions using a chronobiological approach. Field emergence was evaluated using emergence cages containing naturally infested bamboo culms, whereas flight activity was monitored using semiochemical-baited cross-vane panel traps. In laboratory assays, locomotor and flight activities were compared between morning and afternoon periods. Periodicity analyses revealed significant daily rhythms in both emergence and flight activity. Cosinor analyses indicated that most individuals emerged around 14:00 h and initiated flight shortly thereafter, at around 16:00 h, which corresponded to the acrophase of each behavior. No emergence or dispersal activity was recorded during the night period, indicating strictly diurnal dispersal behavior. Laboratory experiments corroborated field observations, showing significantly greater flight initiation, locomotor activity, velocity, and distance traveled during the mid-afternoon than in the morning. These results demonstrate that <i>D. minutus</i> exhibits a predictable behavioral periodicity, with peak emergence and flight activity concentrated during the mid-afternoon. This information provides an important basis for field monitoring, detection, and the development of pest management strategies targeting bamboo borer populations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-026-02181-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132541","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":"Smoking-related variation in facial soft tissue thickness assessed by ultrasound: forensic implications for facial analysis","authors":"Zuzana Kozáková,&nbsp;Petra Švábová,&nbsp;Michal Soták,&nbsp;Mária Matláková,&nbsp;Radoslav Beňuš","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02173-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02173-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Facial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) represents a key parameter in forensic facial reconstruction and human identification, reflecting both biological and behavioral influences. This pilot cross-sectional study examined the impact of body mass index, age and smoking status on FSTT in a Slovak adult population, with emphasis on sex-specific variations.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A total of 246 participants (176 females, 70 males) were measured using B-mode ultrasonography across eight midline facial landmarks and eight paired bilateral landmarks. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests, Spearman rank correlation and general linear models with BMI and age as covariates.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Sex-specific patterns were identified. In females, BMI was the dominant predictor, showing medium to large effects across most landmarks. Age contributed modestly to variation, particularly in the lower face. Smoking related differences were localized, rather than consistent across facial landmarks. Female conventional smokers showed lower FSTT values than non-smokers at the left fossa canina landmark (p = 0.046). In males, age showed a stronger and more consistent association with FSTT than BMI, with age-related variation most evident in midfacial and mandibular regions. Direct comparison between smokers and non-smokers in males revealed no significant differences in FSTT at any landmark. Overall smoking status was not consistently associated with FSTT.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The findings highlight sex specific and anatomical variability in FSTT and provide population specific data relevant for forensic facial reconstruction. Larger and more balanced samples are needed to confirm these preliminary associations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149098079","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}