The ‘living fossil’ Nautilus pompilius is thought to use olfaction as its primary sensory system during foraging, yet neither the organs responsible for olfaction nor the mechanisms or behaviors associated with odor tracking have been subjected to experimentation. Flume testing under dark conditions revealed that Nautilus could consistently detect and follow turbulent odor plumes to the source over distances up to 10 m, exhibiting two types of orientation behavior while sampling in three dimensions. The paired rhinophores were necessary for orientation behavior: when they were temporarily blocked either uni- or bilaterally, Nautilus detected odor but could not track the plume and locate the source. Animals that were tested post-blockage were able to track and locate the source. The role of the 90 thin tentacles remains enigmatic; they seemed to be able to detect odor, but they were not capable of guiding orientation behavior towards a distant odor source. Bilateral chemical sensing by rhinophores in three dimensions may have been the Umwelt of ammonites and belemnites before the evolution of complex eyes and fast locomotion in modern coleoids.
The Integrative Biology of the Heart
We are pleased to welcome submissions to be considered for our upcoming special issue: The Integrative Biology of the Heart, guest edited by William Joyce and Holly Shiels. This issue will consider the biology of the heart at all levels of organisation, across animal groups and scientific fields.
JEB@100: an interview with Monitoring Editor John Terblanche
John Terblanche reveals how he narrowly avoided becoming a sports scientist and why he thinks phenotypic plasticity is the big question currently facing comparative physiologists. Find out more about the series on our Interviews page.
Vision 2024: Building Bridges in Visual Ecology
Early-career researchers can apply for funded places at our Vision 2024: Building Bridges in Visual Ecology. The event is organised by Eleanor Caves, Sonke Johnsen and Lorain Schweikert and being held at Buxted park 10-13 June 2023. Deadline 1 December 2023.
Reconciling the variability in the biological response of marine invertebrates to climate change
Drawing on work in reef-building corals, Zoe Dellaert and Hollie Putnam provide historical context to some of the long-standing challenges in global change biology that constrain our capacity for eco-evolutionary forecasting, as well as considering unresolved questions and future research approaches. Read the full Centenary Review Article here.
Sipping takes no effort for hovering hawkmoths
Hovering takes the most effort so how much energy does sipping require when hawkmoths hover? Next to nothing, apparently. Alexandre Palaoro & colleagues have discovered that the insects’ proboscises are incredibly wettable, drawing nectar along the length with no effort, giving them a free drink on the wing.
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