ECR Spotlight – Anna Seibel
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Anna Seibel is an author on ‘ sexual dimorphism in jump kinematics and choreography in peacock spiders’, published in JEB. Anna is a Master's student in the lab of Assoc. Prof. Ajay Narendra at Macquarie University, Australia, investigati ..read more
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Thyroid hormones reversibly inhibit metamorphic development in ophiuroid larvae
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ABSTRACT The timing of metamorphosis and settlement is critical for the survival and reproductive success of marine animals with biphasic life cycles. Thyroid hormones (THs) regulate developmental timing in diverse groups of chordates, including the regulation of metamorphosis in amphibians, teleosts, lancelets, tunicates and lampreys. Recent evidence suggests a role for TH regulation of metamorphosis outside of the chordates, including echinoderms, annelids and molluscs. Among echinoderms, TH effects on development as well as underlying signaling mechanisms in early embryogenesis have been do ..read more
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ECR Spotlight – Facundo Fernandez-Duque
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Facundo Fernandez-Duque is an author on ‘ Egg shape and color mediate acceptance thresholds in diverse avian host species with different rates of antiparasitic egg rejection’, published in JEB. Facundo is a PhD student in the lab of Mark ..read more
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Sexual dimorphism in jump kinematics and choreography in peacock spiders
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ABSTRACT Jumping requires a rapid release of energy to propel an animal. Terrestrial animals achieve this by relying on the power generated by muscles, or by storing and rapidly releasing elastic energy. Jumping spiders are distinctive in using a combination of hydraulic pressure and muscular action to propel their jumps. Though males and females of jumping spiders vary in body mass, sex-specific differences in jumping have never been studied. Here, we investigated the sexual dimorphism in the jump choreography and kinematics of spiders. We used high-speed videography (5000 frames s ..read more
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Egg shape and color mediate acceptance thresholds in diverse avian host species with different rates of antiparasitic egg rejection
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ABSTRACT Eggshell recognition in parental birds is vital for nest management, defense against brood parasitism, optimal embryonic development and minimizing disease and predation risks. This process relies on acceptance thresholds balancing the risk of rejecting own eggs against the benefit of excluding foreign ones, following signal detection theory. We investigated the role of object shape in egg rejection decisions among three host species of the obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), each with a varying known response to parasitic eggs. Following previous studies o ..read more
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ATP and glutamate coordinate contractions in the freshwater sponge Ephydatia muelleri
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ABSTRACT Sponges (phylum Porifera) are an early diverging animal lineage without nervous and muscular systems, and yet they are able to produce coordinated whole-body contractions in response to disturbances. Little is known about the underlying signalling mechanisms in coordinating such responses. Previous studies demonstrated that sponges respond specifically to chemicals such as l-glutamate and γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA), which trigger and prevent contractions, respectively. Genes for purinergic P2X-like receptors are present in several sponge genomes, leading us to ask whether ATP works w ..read more
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Photosynthesis turns symbiotic sea anemone's tentacles toward sun
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
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Light pollution makes woodlice less bold
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
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Artificial light at night alters risk-related behaviors of the ground-dwelling isopod Porcellionides pruinosus
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ABSTRACT Artificial light at night (ALAN) has emerged as a significant ecological disruptor, affecting various behavioral and physiological processes in numerous species. This study investigated the impact of ALAN on the risk-related behaviors and activity patterns of the ground-dwelling isopod Porcellionides pruinosus. Isopods were exposed to one of three different illuminance conditions (<0.01, 1 and 10 lx) over a period of 14 consecutive nights. Behavioral assays included emergence, open-field, habituation to a looming stimulus, and spatial navigation tests. Additionally, the distri ..read more
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Plant-like heliotropism in a photosymbiotic animal
Journal of Experimental Biology
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1d ago
ABSTRACT As in plants, photosynthesis also represents a key energy source in photosymbiotic cnidarians bearing microalgae. We observed that the cnidarian sea anemone Anemonia viridis, commonly known as the snakelocks anemone, displayed heliotropism or solar tracking in their natural habitats. When exposed to sunlight, A. viridis point their tentacles towards the sun while remaining sessile, facing east at dawn and west at dusk as they track the sun's relative position through the day. This phenomenon was previously only observed in plants. Solar tracking movements in A. viridis are driven by p ..read more
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