Biological Reviews最新文献

In plants, sexual selection is argued to operate through reproduction to shape plant traits. Pollen size and style length are two traits that potentially reflect male-male competition and female choice. Adaptations in one trait may elicit an evolutionary response in the other, leading to correlated evolution at higher taxonomic levels. Many studies have examined their correlation across diverse taxonomic groups, with inconsistent results that limit our understanding of the selective forces and processes affecting these traits. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis on 51 studies from 43 published articles. The results uncovered a significant positive correlation between pollen size and style length across studies. To validate this finding further, we compiled a data set comprising 1041 species from 421 genera in 89 families, with measurements of both pollen size and style length. Phylogenetically controlled analyses confirmed a consistent positive correlation between these traits. Furthermore, our analysis revealed a significant effect of pollination vector on pollen size variation. Specifically, mammal-pollinated species produced substantially larger pollen grains, while wind-pollinated species showed no significant difference in size relative to those pollinated by Diptera, Hymenoptera, or Aves. Pollen size also exhibited a negative correlation with pollen number at macroevolutionary scales. Overall, this study underscores a correlated evolutionary pattern between pollen size and style length across angiosperms, calling for more in-depth investigations on the mechanisms by which sexual selection shapes traits that convey male competitive ability and female preference.

A series of terminological, technical, conceptual, and statistical challenges present themselves when trying to study correlations between measures of performance abilities (what an animal can do) and behavioural traits (what an animal chooses to do). We attempt to synthesise literature on this topic, with a specific focus on locomotor performance and behavioural traits measured with standardised tests. We argue that measures of forced performance (e.g. endurance on a motorised treadmill) and voluntary behaviour (e.g. wheel running) often fall along a continuum, sometimes grading into each other. On the performance end of the continuum, tests should measure what an animal can do when motivation is maximal and/or it is given no choice but to exert itself maximally. On the behavioural end of the continuum, tests should capture what animals choose to do of their own free volition, with no experimental attempt to affect motivation. Hence, performance tests attempt to eliminate variation in motivation by forcing all individuals to be maximally motivated, whereas variation in motivation is an inherent component of all behavioural tests. In some cases, however, differentiating between measures of performance versus behaviour can seem almost arbitrary. Moreover, individuals may consistently differ in how willing they are to 'perform' even when 'forced' to do so. We compiled studies reporting any association (covariation, correlation or linear regression) between putative measures of locomotor performance and behaviour in various taxa. The vast majority of those studies report phenotypic correlations, and only a handful have reported genetic correlations or explored potential correlated responses to selection on performance or behaviour. To our knowledge, this is the first global overview of how locomotor performance and behaviour covary in animals, and we believe that our synthesis will be useful to guide future research on locomotor performance and its relationship with other ecologically relevant traits. For example, we argue that a multi-level (co)variance partitioning approach is necessary to gain insights into the importance of how motivation differs across levels (e.g. among- versus within-individual variation, genetic versus environmental variation). Finally, we outline a multitude of compensation and co-specialisation mechanisms that may occur between performance and behaviour, and propose future avenues for research that include selection and manipulative studies to help identify the role of correlational selection, individual experience, and predation detectability on the relationships between behaviour and performance.

Desert ecosystems, once considered biologically inert, are increasingly recognized for their untapped potential in global carbon sequestration (CS). This review addresses a central research question: how do precipitation patterns, vegetation dynamics, and soil processes influence carbon cycling and storage in arid environments, and what is the role of inorganic CS mechanisms in these systems? We synthesize current knowledge on the physicochemical and hydrological processes that regulate carbon dynamics in deserts, with a focus on both organic and inorganic pathways. Key findings reveal that while deserts can function as significant carbon sinks, their CS capacity is highly modulated by sparse rainfall, episodic vegetation growth, and carbonate formation processes in soils. Furthermore, we critically evaluate advanced carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies and soil carbon enhancement techniques tailored to arid regions, identifying both their potential and limitations. Persistent challenges, such as water scarcity, nutrient limitation, and soil degradation, pose constraints but also present opportunities for innovation in CS strategies. Our synthesis highlights deserts as dynamic, if underutilized, components of the global carbon cycle. We conclude that targeted interventions and integrated land management approaches could substantially improve CS in desert ecosystems, making them valuable assets in climate change mitigation, energy transition planning, and long-term environmental resilience.

The nervous system's capacity to process complex stimuli has long intrigued neuroscientists, with multiplexing now recognized as a fundamental neural coding strategy. Multiplexing refers to the simultaneous encoding of multiple stimulus features via vi distinct components of neuronal responses, such as firing rates and precise temporal spike patterns. This paper reviews the neural coding mechanisms underlying multiplexing, with a particular emphasis on the somatosensory system and its ability to represent tactile stimuli. The encoding of various sensory attributes, including vibration, texture, motion, and shape, is examined, highlighting the complementary roles of rate and temporal codes in capturing these features. The discussion further addresses how intrinsic and extrinsic noise, often viewed as detrimental, can facilitate multiplexed coding by supporting the concurrent encoding of both stimulus frequency and intensity. The relevance of multiplexing is also considered in translational contexts, such as the development of brain-machine interfaces. By synthesizing recent advances and integrating insights from empirical and theoretical studies, this review establishes multiplexing as a foundational principle in sensory neuroscience and identifies key directions for future research in both basic science and neuroengineering applications.

If brain anatomy and dynamics have a complex network structure as it has become standard to posit, it is reasonable to assume that such a structure should play a key role not only in brain function but also in brain dysfunction. However, exactly how network structure is implicated in brain damage and whether at least some pathologies can be thought of as 'network diseases' is not yet clear. Here we discuss ways in which a complex network representation can help in characterising brain pathology, but also in assessing subjects' vulnerability to and likelihood of recovery from disease. We show how the way disease is defined is related to the way function is defined and this, in turn, determines which network property may be functionally relevant to brain disease. Thus, addressing brain disease 'networkness' may shed light not only on brain pathology, with potential clinical implications, but also on functional brain activity, and what is functional in it.

Coexistence is simultaneously one of the most fundamental concepts of ecology, and one of the most difficult to define. A particular challenge is that, despite a well-developed body of research, several different schools of thought have developed over the past century, leading to multiple independent, and largely isolated, branches of literature with distinct methodologies. Here, we provide a broad overview of the most common concepts and metrics currently used to detect and characterise ecological coexistence. We first introduce four classes of behaviour, which jointly describe the ways in which community dynamics can unfold: (i) the existence of a feasible steady state (or invariant set), i.e. where all coexisting species retain positive abundances in the long-term in the absence of interference by external forces; (ii) the existence of a local attractor that draws the community towards a feasible steady state from within a restricted set of starting conditions; (iii) the existence of a global attractor that draws the community towards feasible steady states from any non-zero starting condition; and (o) a null transient state, where species abundances vary over time irrespective of steady states and attractors. Next, we explain how these classes of behaviour relate to commonly used metrics for identifying and characterising coexistence, including analyses of parameter sensitivity, asymptotic return rates, invasion growth rates, and time to extinction. We then discuss the scope and limitations of each of these behavioural classes and corresponding metrics, with a particular focus on applications in empirical systems. Finally, we provide a potential workflow for matching empirical questions to theoretical tools, and present a brief prospectus looking forward to opportunities for advancing and integrating research on coexistence.

Fire is a major form of environmental disturbance, and in recent years, due to anthropogenic climate change and anthropogenic land management, we are seeing increases in the frequency and intensity of fires. With bees being an important, diverse group of pollinators that is facing declines globally, understanding how they respond to fires is critical. Here, we conduct a literature review to understand what is known from the literature on how bees respond to fire, and how such responses to fire can vary depending on species life-history traits and aspects of fire regimes. Our literature review yielded 148 studies from 140 publications. Bee responses to fire were extremely variable, with no consistent pattern in abundance or species richness increasing, decreasing, or showing no significant change under fire. Different families and taxa responded differently and to different aspects of fire regimes. Generally, regarding taxonomic vulnerability, andrenids and colletids were vulnerable to fire, whereas halictids responded favourably to fire. In terms of guild, ground-nesting generalists responded favourably to fire, whereas cavity-nesting specialists were most vulnerable to fire. We revealed major gaps in research in the Southern Hemisphere and in tropical landscapes dominated by flowering trees, with most studies conducted in pine-forested, fire-prone landscapes in the Northern Hemisphere. Additionally, only a few studies used manipulative experiments, or have considered how to maximise bee recovery after fires. Overall, fire is an important disturbance affecting bee communities, and while some species may benefit from certain fire regimes, other species are vulnerable, and management to preserve such species under predictions of increasingly frequent and severe fires is required.

Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) have attracted the attention of researchers because of their toxicity and increasing abundance in natural ecosystems, especially in marine ecosystems. Similarly, heavy metals pose a significant threat to living organisms due to their toxicity. Waste generated by anthropogenic activities, including heavy metals, MNPs, and other contaminants, is often discharged into water bodies or ends up there unintentionally. Recently, phytoplankton have shown promising results in water treatment for these pollutants, with an ability to adapt to and overcome the toxicity of MNPs and heavy metals, depending on the concentration of these contaminants. Microalgae can remove heavy metals through biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biotransformation, sometimes converting them into less toxic forms, making them useful for bioremediation applications. Additionally, microalgae can aggregate MNPs via adsorption, thus reducing their concentration in the medium over time. However, beyond a threshold concentration, these pollutants can cause lethal damage to microalgae, and it is necessary to limit the simultaneous exposure of microalgae to multiple pollutants as they can interact synergistically. Toxic effects of heavy metals and MNPs include inhibited photosynthesis, decreased population growth, cell deformation, as well as altered enzymatic and genetic activities. The relationship and interactions between MNPs, heavy metals, and phytoplankton are explored herein to deepen our understanding and enable better utilization of phytoplankton in bioremediation of aquatic ecosystems.

Over a century of research has revealed an amazing complexity of behaviours and physiological adaptations that allow tiny bark beetles to overcome large trees, sometimes resulting in outbreaks that kill millions of trees. Turning a tree into a home and successfully raising offspring involves constant interactions among the beetles, the tree, its microbiome, and the beetles' associated microbes, all influenced by abiotic factors that can determine success or failure. While we have learned much about these systems, substantial knowledge gaps remain. This synthesis aims to clarify and integrate current understanding, identify gaps, challenge long-held assumptions, and address interpretative issues that impede progress toward a holistic understanding of these systems. We advocate for expanding perspectives using synecological approaches to understand these complex systems better. We encourage expanding research into how colonization by the bark beetle-fungi complex influences subsequent tree decay and forest carbon dynamics. An explicit goal is to provide a comprehensive resource for new researchers while encouraging them to question established hypotheses and to explore new avenues of enquiry.

Humans play key roles in shaping the structure and processes of ecosystems globally, especially in cities. This recognition has prompted a recent focus on understanding urban systems via interactions between human social systems and ecological and evolutionary processes. Most research has focused on interactions between two of these three domains. Here we present a framework for linking all three - social, ecological, and evolutionary - by focusing on phenotypic response and effect traits, illustrating the framework's utility in understanding wildlife dynamics in urban systems. We first present a generalized model for the social-ecological-evolutionary-phenotypic (SEEP) framework, then use urban climate as a specific example, provide guidance on how to implement this approach, and finally discuss emerging questions motivated by the framework and challenges in utilizing the approach.