The ultrasound-induced negative phonotactic response of tethered, flying Australian field crickets habituates to repeated stimuli. Using the magnitude of the metathoracic leg's swing during a series of ultrasonic stimuli as a measure of habituation, we show that: (1) the response declines exponentially; (2) the response recovers spontaneously; (3) repeated trials produce more rapid and stronger habituation; (4) successive stimuli presented more rapidly produce more rapid and stronger habituation; (5) a weaker stimulus intensity produces more rapid and stronger habituation; (6) the habituation shows stimulus generalization (i.e. the response is similar for different ultrasonic frequencies); (7) a novel stimulus produces dishabituation; and (8) the effect of the dishabituating stimulus habituates after repeated trials. These findings place habituation of cricket negative phonotaxis in the context described for habituation in mammals.
Embracing allyship in experimental biology to help close the gender gap
In their Perspective, Janneke Schwaner and Ksenia Keplinger propose 10 useful strategies for experimental biologists at all career stages to become active allies for gender diversity and inclusion and to help close the gender gap in our field.
The Company of Biologists celebrates its first Global South Workshop
In March 2024, Andrea Fuller and Kênia Bicego organised the first Global South (GS) Workshop hosted by The Company of Biologists - How Global South Research Can Shape the Future of Comparative Physiology - bringing together ECRs from the GS and international experts in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Find out about this extraordinary meeting in our Perspective.
High-resolution WildPose 3D scans revolutionise biomechanics in the wild
Collecting detailed kinematics from animals in the wild is a holy grail of biomechanics, and now Naoya Muramatsu and colleagues reveal the extraordinary observations that they have made with their new WildPose wildlife motion capture system in South Africa.
Interviews with Biologists @ 100 conference speakers
Explore our interviews with keynote speakers from the Biologists @ 100 conference, hosted to celebrate our publisher’s 100th anniversary, where we discuss climate change and biodiversity with Hans-Otto Pörtner and Jane Francis, health and disease with Charles Swanton and emerging technologies with Manu Prakash and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz.
Fast & Fair peer review
Our sister journal Biology Open has recently launched the next phase of their Fast & Fair peer review initiative: offering high-quality peer review within 7 working days. To learn more about BiO’s progress and future plans, read the Editorial by Daniel Gorelick, or visit the Fast & Fair peer review page.
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