On the estimation of swimming and flying forces from wake measurements

We are pleased to welcome submissions for our upcoming Special Issue: The Integrative Biology of the Gut . We are calling for forward-looking papers that address the functional roles of the gut. We will consider papers that address gut function from the cellular level to its interactions with other organs and tissues, including its role in diverse ecophysiological processes, spanning both vertebrate and invertebrate species. The deadline for submission to this issue is 1 October 2024.

In our new Conversation focusing on extraordinary creatures, Christina Cheng and Kristin O'Brien tell us about the remarkable freeze tolerant nototheniods that live in the waters around Antarctica and how icefish are the only adult vertebrates that survive without haemoglobin.

In their Commentary, Duncan Mitchell and colleagues discuss problems with predicting terrestrial animals’ responses to a warming world based on air temperature, rather than the microclimate of their thermal environment. They provide a simple, low-cost approach to microclimate measurements to provide a more realistic assessment of terrestrial animal performance and predicted population responses in hot regions under warming conditions. This approach requires measuring the variables involved in the exchange of heat and water vapour between animals and their environment.

Damp air often feels chilly and now Cody Porter & co show that tree swallows use 8% more energy when the atmosphere is damp than when it is dry, so they have to work harder to keep warm in damp conditions.

We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register your interest to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.