Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-13DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0451
Tanya M Pennell, Masako Katsuki, C Ruth Archer, Manmohan D Sharma, Kensuke Okada, David J Hosken
{"title":"Predation affects the evolution of sex-specific longevity.","authors":"Tanya M Pennell, Masako Katsuki, C Ruth Archer, Manmohan D Sharma, Kensuke Okada, David J Hosken","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0451","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0451","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Predation, a major cause of natural selection, is classically thought to target the weak and sick. However, predators can target animals with condition-dependent sexual traits, and therefore, high-quality individuals can also be the focus of predation. Thus, it is not always clear which individuals are the foci of predators or how this affects trait evolution. Here, we tested for evolutionary effects of sex-specific predation on male and female longevity using replicate populations of the broad-horned flour beetle <i>Gnatocerus cornutus</i>. We found that male-limited predation resulted in the evolution of reduced male and increased female longevity, while female-limited predation had no effects on the longevity of either sex. We also document the costs of reproduction. Coupled with other findings, our results suggest that predation impacts high-quality males and, because of negative intersexual genetic correlations, this increases female longevity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 11","pages":"20240451"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11558850/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142614080","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-13DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0403
Madeleine Fabusova, Kevin J Gaston, Jolyon Troscianko
{"title":"Pulsed artificial light at night alters moth flight behaviour.","authors":"Madeleine Fabusova, Kevin J Gaston, Jolyon Troscianko","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0403","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0403","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vehicle headlights create pulsed artificial light at night (pALAN) that is unpredictable, intense and extends into previously dark areas. Nocturnal insects often have remarkable low-light vision, but their slow pupillary light responses may leave them vulnerable to pALAN, which has important ecological consequences. To test this, we exposed nocturnal moths-important pollinators and prey-to four pALAN treatments. These comprised 'cool' and 'warm' lights, either emitted from phosphor-coated light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or RGB (red-green-blue) LEDs, matched in colour (CCT) and intensity to human vision. We assessed the initial behavioural response, likely crucial to the survival of an organism, of 428 wild-caught moths comprising 64 species. We found that exposure to a cool phosphor-coated LED light pulse increased instances of erratic flight and flight-to-light that are likely detrimental as they increase the risks of impact with a vehicle, predation or excess energy expenditure. Our findings suggest that pALAN can cause a wide range of behavioural responses in nocturnal moths, but that the most harmful effects could be minimized by reversing the current shift towards high CCT (cool) phosphor-coated LED car headlights. Lower CCT or RGB alternatives are likely to provide benefits for road safety while reducing ecological harm.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 11","pages":"20240403"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11557245/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142614081","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-20DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0490
Mihaela Pavlicev, J DiFrisco, Alan C Love, Günter P Wagner
{"title":"Metabolic complementation between cells drives the evolution of tissues and organs.","authors":"Mihaela Pavlicev, J DiFrisco, Alan C Love, Günter P Wagner","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0490","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0490","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although evolutionary transitions of individuality have been extensively theorized, little attention has been paid to the origin of levels of organization within organisms. How and why do specialized cells become organized into specialized tissues or organs? What spurs a transition in organizational level in cases where the function is already present in constituent cell types? We propose a hypothesis for this kind of evolutionary transition based on two features of cellular metabolism: metabolic constraints on functional performance and the capacity for metabolic complementation between parenchymal and supporting cells. These features suggest a scenario whereby pre-existing specialized cell types are integrated into tissues when changes to the internal or external environment favour offloading metabolic burdens from a primary specialized cell type onto supporting cells. We illustrate this process of 'supra-functionalization' using the nervous system and pancreas.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 11","pages":"20240490"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11583983/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142675085","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-13DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0381
Maja Graso, Tania Reynolds
{"title":"A feminine advantage in the domain of harm: a review and path forward.","authors":"Maja Graso, Tania Reynolds","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0381","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0381","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite well-documented disparities disadvantaging women (e.g. discrepancies between men and women in salaries and leadership roles), we argue that there are contexts in which disparities disadvantage men. We review the literature suggesting harm to women is perceived as more severe and unacceptable than identical harm to men, a bias potentially rooted in evolutionary, base rate, stereotype-based and cultural shift explanations. We explore how these biases manifest in protective responses toward women and harsher judgements toward men, particularly in contexts of victimization and perpetration. Our review aims to complement the existing literature on gender biases by presenting a balanced view that acknowledges men and women face unique challenges. By understanding these biases, we hope to foster a more equitable discourse on gender and harm, encouraging empathy and validation of suffering irrespective of gender. This holistic approach aims to de-escalate gender-based conflicts and promote effective interventions for both men and women.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 11","pages":"20240381"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11557237/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142614116","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-06DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0405
Elizabeth Temeroli, Sarah A Jelbert, Megan L Lambert
{"title":"Do kea parrots infer the weight of objects from their movement in a breeze?","authors":"Elizabeth Temeroli, Sarah A Jelbert, Megan L Lambert","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0405","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Weight, though it cannot be seen directly, pervades nearly every aspect of an animal's life. However, the extent to which non-human animals reason about the property of weight remains poorly understood. Recent evidence highlights birds as a promising group for testing this ability: for example, New Caledonian crows can infer the weight of objects after observing their movements in a breeze. Here, we tested for similar weight inference abilities in kea (<i>Nestor notabilis</i>), a parrot species known for its sophisticated problem-solving skills. Subjects were trained to exchange objects of a target weight (light or heavy) for a food reward. They were then allowed to observe pairs of novel objects (one light and one heavy) hung in front of an electric fan in both an experimental condition (fan on, light object moving) and a control condition (fan off, both objects motionless). The birds were subsequently presented with test trials in which they could use the information from the demonstration to select an object of their target weight. We found that, unlike New Caledonian crows, kea did not perform significantly better on trials in which they observed the objects' movements and discussed our findings within the context of the kea's highly explorative nature.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 11","pages":"20240405"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11537761/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142581574","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-06DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0453
Giulia S Rossi, Kenneth C Welch
{"title":"Vampire bats rapidly fuel running with essential or non-essential amino acids from a blood meal.","authors":"Giulia S Rossi, Kenneth C Welch","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0453","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0453","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In most mammals, running is fuelled by oxidization of endogenous carbohydrates and lipids while amino acids contribute little (< 5-10%). Common vampire bats (<i>Desmodus rotundus</i>), however, specialize on a unique, protein-rich blood diet. Therefore, we hypothesized that (i) vampire bats would rapidly begin utilizing dietary amino acids to support running metabolism, and (ii) that relative reliance on essential and non-essential amino acids would be similar. We fed bats cow's blood enriched either with isotopically labelled glycine (non-essential amino acid) or leucine (essential amino acid). Bats were exercised at speeds of 10, 20 and 30 m min<sup>-1</sup> on a respirometry treadmill, allowing us to assess metabolic rate (i.e. O<sub>2</sub> consumption and CO<sub>2</sub> production) and track the oxidation of labelled amino acids in exhaled CO<sub>2</sub>. Vampire bats oxidized amino acids as their primary fuel as indicated by a respiratory exchange ratio (RER = ratio of CO<sub>2</sub> production to O<sub>2</sub> consumption rates) of approximately 0.8-0.9 at all speeds, with the labelled meal accounting for as much as 60% of oxidized fuels at peak usage. Similar oxidation rates indicated bats did not discriminate between essential and non-essential amino acid use. These findings reiterate how strongly metabolism can be shaped by a specialized diet.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 11","pages":"20240453"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11537760/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142581567","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":"Neural mechanisms of mutualistic fish cleaning behaviour: a study in the wild.","authors":"Daniele Romeo, Sandra Ramirez-Calero, Timothy Ravasi, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, Celia Schunter","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0339","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0339","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One crucial interaction for the health of fish communities in coral reefs is performed by cleaner fish by removing ectoparasites from the body of other fish, so-called clients. Studying the underlying mechanisms of this behaviour is essential to understanding how species react to social stimuli and defining the drivers of mutualistic social behaviour. Here, we pinpoint the neural molecular mechanisms in the cleaning behaviour of <i>Labroides dimidiatus</i> in the wild through an <i>in situ</i> interaction experiment at a coral reef in New Caledonia. Five cleaners and clients (<i>Abudefduf saxatilis</i>) were placed into underwater aquaria to interact, while five were not presented with a client. The brain transcriptomes revealed 233 differentially expressed genes in cleaners that were interacting with a client. Among these genes, <i>grin2d</i>, <i>npy</i>, <i>slc6a3</i> and immediate early genes (IEGs; <i>fosb</i> and <i>fosl1</i>) were related to learning and memory, glutamate and dopamine pathways, which confirm molecular pathways observed in laboratory studies. However, a new potential mechanism was found with <i>npy</i> (neuropeptide Y) as a driver of feeding behaviour. These results show the role of neurotransmitters and IEGs in mutualistic social behaviour, unveiling the mechanism behind the feeding stimulus that leads the cleaner fish to establish mutualistic interactions in coral reefs.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 10","pages":"20240339"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11479757/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457343","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-10-01Epub Date: 2024-10-30DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0257
Karolina Iwińska, Jan S Boratyński, Aneta Książek, Joanna Błońska, Zbigniew Borowski, Marek Konarzewski
{"title":"Reproduction results in parallel changes of oxidative stress and immunocompetence in a wild long-living mammal-edible dormouse <i>Glis glis</i>.","authors":"Karolina Iwińska, Jan S Boratyński, Aneta Książek, Joanna Błońska, Zbigniew Borowski, Marek Konarzewski","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0257","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oxidative stress (OS) and impaired immune function (IF) have been proposed as key physiological costs of reproduction. The relationship between OS and IF remains unresolved, particularly in long-living iteroparous species. We studied physiological markers of maintenance (OS, IF markers) in lactating, post-lactating and non-lactating females of edible dormice-a long-living rodent. We predicted the OS balance and IF to be compromised by lactation, especially in older females expected to face stronger trade-offs between life functions. We found that the age predictor (body size) correlated negatively with white blood cell level (WBC), positively with neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio and had no effect on OS markers. Oxidative damage markers (reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs); but not antioxidant capacity) and body size-adjusted WBC were the lowest in lactating, higher in post-lactating and the highest in non-lactating females. Body size/age did not affect this correlation suggesting a similar age-independent allocation strategy during reproduction in this species. The path analysis testing the causal relationship between ROMs and WBC revealed that IF is more likely to affect OS than <i>vice versa</i>. Our study indicates the trade-off between crucial life functions during reproduction and suggests that immunosuppression reduces the risk of OS; therefore, mitigating oxidative costs of reproduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 10","pages":"20240257"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521591/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142543474","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":"An ulvophycean marine green alga produces large parthenogenetic isogametes as predicted by the gamete dynamics model for the evolution of anisogamy.","authors":"Tatsuya Togashi, Kazuei Nomura, Kosei Mochizuki, Geoff A Parker, Yusuke Horinouchi","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0489","DOIUrl":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0489","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In eukaryotes, gamete size difference between the two sexes (anisogamy) evolved from gametes of equal size in both mating types (isogamy). The gamete dynamics (GD) model for anisogamy evolution combines gamete limitation and competition and predicts that if gametes of both mating types can develop parthenogenetically (i.e. without fusing with the opposite mating type), large isogamy can evolve under gamete-limited conditions. Ulvophycean marine green algae that have been claimed to exhibit various gametic systems from isogamy to anisogamy are important models for testing such theories. However, in most previous papers, whether a species is isogamous or anisogamous has not been examined statistically. Caution is necessary regarding claims of slight anisogamy because of gamete size variation. We reveal (i) that the gametic system of <i>Struvea okamurae</i> is large isogamy using a generalized linear mixed model, which accounted for the variation of gamete size among individual gametophytes, and (ii) that gametes of this alga can actually develop parthenogenetically, contrary to a previous report. Its habitat environments and protracted duration of gamete release suggest that this alga might experience gamete-limited conditions. <i>Struvea okamurae</i> seems to produce large parthenogenetic isogametes following GD model predictions, as an adaptation to deep waters.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 10","pages":"20240489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11495676/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142387711","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}
Biology LettersPub Date : 2024-10-01Epub Date: 2024-10-23DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0346
Janis M Wolf, Gerald Kerth
{"title":"Optimally warm roost temperatures during lactation do not improve body condition in a long-lived bat.","authors":"Janis M Wolf, Gerald Kerth","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2024.0346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0346","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lactation is the most energetically demanding time in the life of female mammals. To maximize lifetime reproductive success, females of long-lived species, such as bats, face a trade-off between investing in current and future reproduction. However, it is unclear whether global warming could influence this trade-off through shifts in the energy budget: warmer temperatures may reduce thermoregulatory costs, leaving mothers with more energy available for maternal care or for improving their own body condition (BC), which may increase survival and ensure future reproduction. Here, we investigated whether lactating Bechstein's bats (<i>Myotis bechsteinii</i>) allocate the energy saved in optimally warm roosts into their own BC. We analysed a 14-year dataset on the individual BC of 237 females marked with radio-frequency identification tags from four wild maternity colonies. In two of the colonies, the temperature in the roosts, in which the females raised their offspring, was artificially kept in the bats' thermoneutral zone to reduce their thermoregulation costs. We found that BC shortly after the lactation period did not differ between mothers from heated and non-heated colonies. Our results suggest that mothers do not invest the energy saved in warmer roosts in their own BC, consistent with an increased investment in maternal care.</p>","PeriodicalId":9005,"journal":{"name":"Biology Letters","volume":"20 10","pages":"20240346"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11496951/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142494654","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}