Issues

Summary: This Commentary addresses the Garcia effect – a long-lasting taste aversion induced after sickness. Studies from snails suggest it extends beyond mammals, prompting further investigation into its conserved evolution across species.

Summary: The force–length relationship derived from static conditions may not predict force output during dynamic contractions as differing muscle starting lengths are needed to evoke maximal force and power.

Summary: Knockdown of microRNA-305 in abdominal fat body of adult honey bee workers influences division of labor-related brain gene expression but not division of labor-related changes in abdominal lipid.

Summary: Increased temperatures and nutrient depletion decrease the ability of corals to assimilate nitrogen, leading to nitrogen limitation in their endosymbiotic algae.

Summary: Although a large prey bolus may impede movement and lengthen propulsive muscles for rectilinear locomotion, few kinematic changes occur in Boa constrictor following the ingestion of large prey.

Summary: Application of four levels of dietary restriction to simulate resource scarcity in Japanese quail shows that mTOR pathway gene expression responds to nutritional deficiency, possibly mediating the trade-offs between life-history traits.

Highlighted Article: Bumblebees foraging in strong sidewinds can still land precisely on artificial flowers, allowing them to be efficacious and robust pollinators in these adverse environmental conditions.

Highlighted Article: Artificial light at night not only reduces formation of amphipod precopulatory mate guarding at night, but also increases pair separation during the day.

Summary: Sponges are modular organisms and in order to grow, new modules must be formed, but the growth of a single module is fundamentally different, with filtration rate scaling to module volume as F/V∝V^1/3.

Summary: Broad changes in posture, anatomical variation or expertise do not reveal benefits in climbing.

Summary: In honey bees, seasonal environmental factors beyond brood area may be necessary for bees to develop their winter phenotype.

Summary: As Aplysia grows, biting behaviour duration is determined by the time constant of muscle activation rather than mechanical forces. Swallowing movements are faster because the jaw muscles grow disproportionally larger.