Integrative and Comparative Biology最新文献

Outcomes of ecological interactions often depend on the abundance and identity of the organisms involved. Flower-bacteria interactions can strongly affect plant ecology, and the identities of epiphytic flower bacteria are relatively well documented. Yet little is known about how the abundance of epiphytic bacteria on flowers changes over time. In this field study, we quantified how the abundance of culturable epiphytic bacteria on flowers changed as flowers aged and how abiotic factors influenced bacterial abundance and flower longevity. To accomplish this, we sampled flowers from anthesis to senescence of 8 plant species that varied substantially in terms of flower longevity and comprised 8 different genera from 7 different families. As expected, flowers of all plant species accumulated more bacteria with age. However, plant species with longer-lived flowers accumulated bacteria relatively more slowly, suggesting such plant species may have evolved more effective antibacterial defenses. Although elevated temperature is often expected to boost bacterial growth and diminish flower longevity, temperature was negatively associated with both flower longevity and bacterial accumulation, suggesting that changes to flower longevity strongly affect bacterial populations. In contrast, precipitation was positively associated with flower longevity and negatively associated with bacterial accumulation, likely because precipitation reduced plant water stress while also dislodging bacteria from flowers. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for plant-bacterial-pollinator interactions.

Illegal introductions in North America have helped establish populations of Northern Snakehead (Channa argus), an invasive freshwater fish from Asia. Once targeted for eradication, widespread establishment of populations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has now led management to prioritize mitigation. One method of mitigation has been harvesting via bowfishing. We measured the influence of bowfishing in the snakehead fishery between 2022 and 2024. Ten charter boat captains who operated bowfishing trips across 17 rivers in 2024 provided 556 trip reports for snakehead trips (March to November) that represented an average of four bowfishing clients (range = 1 client to 12 clients) who fished an average of 4.8 hours (standard error = 0.05) per evening trip (high ebb to slightly beyond low tide). Harvest ranged between 0 fish and 32 fish per river-trip, with an average median of 10 fish (standard error = 2.7). Harvest was greatest in spring and fall (3.5°C < air temperature < 17°C) and full or new moons. Bowfishing and gigging accounted for the majority of annual fishing mortality, which was 19.1% in 2023 and 20.0% in 2024. This was lower than the target of 25% to achieve population declines. Our results highlight both the value of bowfishing and the need to encourage bowfishing as means of harvesting snakeheads in ecosystems.

Evolution on islands often generates specialized lifestyles that are rarely seen in continental species. The biota on oceanic islands are, however, prone to extinctions following human colonization, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the lifestyles of species that evolved prior to colonization. For example, the Hawaiian Islands hosted a unique and diverse assemblage of endemic taxa, most of which became extinct following human colonization. Among these is Apteribis (Threskiornitidae), an extinct genus of flightless ibises for which nothing is known of their behaviour and ecology. To gain insight into the foraging behaviour and activity pattern of this unusual genus, we quantified their olfactory, visual, and somatosensory systems from direct measurements of skulls, CT scans, and endocasts. We then compared Apteribis with extant ibises with phylogeny-informed statistics to determine if they differed significantly in any of our measured traits. Our analyses show that the olfactory and somatosensory systems of Apteribis are comparable in size and anatomy to those of extant ibises and it was likely flexible in terms of preferred foraging habitat. In contrast, the visual system of Apteribis is greatly reduced in size, suggesting a nocturnal lifestyle, which is an unprecedent trait among ibises. Our data therefore suggests that Apteribis occupied a niche similar to that of New Zealand kiwi (Apteryx): nocturnal, flightless species that rely on tactile cues from its beak to detect prey. This study provides the first quantitative evidence for the evolution of a kiwi-like niche for a bird outside New Zealand, and emphasizes the remarkable diversity of avian lifestyles lost due to anthropogenic impact.

Understanding how plant innovations arise and persist requires connecting mechanisms across biological scales. The growing accessibility of genomic data and methodological advances in phylogenetic comparative methods provide unprecedented opportunities to achieve this integration. Yet, functional tools remain unevenly distributed across the plant Tree of Life, and conceptual differences across scales of inquiry limit integration. Here, we highlight emerging approaches that bridge developmental, genomic, and macroevolutionary research to generate a more comprehensive view of plant evolution. We propose building a "Functional Tree of Plant Life" by investing in shared infrastructure and funding programs for developing transformation techniques and building genetic resources to incentivize research in nonmodel taxa. Concurrently, further methodological advances in phylogenetic comparative methods are needed to continue accommodating complex developmental, genomic, and transcriptomic data. Combined, these efforts would enable experimental validation of gene function across diverse lineages and improve reconstructions of the evolution of genetic pathways and the developmental origins of key phenotypes. Building this integrative framework will require both conceptual synthesis, collaboration, and community investment but offers a transformative path toward understanding the evolution of plant form and function.

The scientific enterprise of the United States is facing challenges on a scale that many living scientists have never encountered. After nearly a century of bipartisan support, the prominence of American science is threatened by dramatic cuts to the federal budget, political interference, and special interests. Although portions of the American public may be generally aware of these challenges, many are not well-versed in what the forthcoming changes mean for future advances in knowledge, our health, the environment, and the economy. Most training in science has focused on communicating the technical details of our methodology and findings to other scientists. Disparate training opportunities and few incentives for outward-facing communication have made many scientists poorly trained to combat the increasingly loud, well-funded, and hostile anti-science movement. In this Editorial, I highlight the differences in how scientists communicate with one another compared to how other professional communicators reach their established audiences and continue to grow those audiences. By describing 5 high-order strategies of effective communication, I aim to lower the barriers for fellow scientists to experiment with new communication opportunities that will reach wider audiences. At a time when anti-science propaganda is running rampant, scientists and their professional organizations should dedicate increased effort toward communicating with new audiences at local, regional, and national levels.

The resource strategy of seedlings is an important aspect for understanding the adaptation of trees at this ontogenetic phase to abiotic changes. In this study, we sought to determine the patterns of response of functional traits of a shade-tolerant (Acer platanoides) and a shade-intolerant (Quercus robur) species along natural environmental light gradients. We conducted trait-based analyses at both individual and community levels using direct (leaf area index [LAI] and diffuse noninterceptance [DIFN]) and indirect (light coefficient, derived from Ellenberg values [LC]) methods in the Arboretum at Kórnik (Poland). Differences between the two species were found for some variables. Analysis of phenotypic plasticity indices of leaf, stem, and root traits of seedlings had high values ​​for both species. The values of plasticity indices of A. platanoides root traits were lower compared to the corresponding traits for Q. robur. Relationships between measures obtained from individual-level trait data were stronger than relationships with measures obtained from community-level trait data. The data obtained from the direct method, which included light measurements both at the community level (experimental plots) and at the individual level (seedlings), revealed the closest relationships between functional traits of seedlings and light changes at the individual level trait data for both species. Correlation links between LAI and leaf (leaf mass per area; specific leaf area) and stem (specific stem length; stem mass fraction) traits were less tight for Q. robur compared to A. platanoides. The indirect Ellenberg indicator analysis revealed relationships between LC and leaf mass per area, and stem-to-root ratio of seedlings based on community-level trait data. Close relationships between LC and leaf mass fraction and specific leaf area were not established, in contrast to LAI and DIFN. The closest relationships, representing among traits within the same organ system, and links, describing interactions between traits of different organ systems, were established at the community-level trait data.

Rhagovelia oriander is a freshwater water strider native to the rivers and streams of North and South America, known for its distinctive skating movement on the water's surface. This movement resembles the correlated random-walk pattern seen in microorganisms such as Escherichia coli. Previous studies have primarily focused on limb adaptations and biomechanics, leaving the ecological significance inadequately addressed. We combine field observations with controlled laboratory experiments using a flow mill to investigate the dynamics of R. oriander under typical flow conditions. Our findings indicate that this insect exhibits a two-dimensional run-and-tumble motion, often incorporating lateral tumbles following straight runs (run distance: $30.7pm 9.3$ mm). We find that this behavior is resilient to changes in flow speed. In-silico simulations of particle interception demonstrated that this locomotion method enhances encounter rates compared to linear movement, particularly when the simulated food particle is following a rapid flow field. Our results document run-and-tumble locomotion in a millimeter-scale organism, showcasing a unique example of convergent behavior across diverse taxonomic groups and providing valuable insights into locomotion ecology while serving as a source of inspiration for bioinspired robotics and environmental exploration algorithms.

The tongue, as a muscular hydrostat, performs several dynamic behaviors and functions, including feeding, vocalizing, and respiration. As such, this hydrostat must be capable of performing complex movements, which are powered via a set of muscles typically defined as "extrinsic" (originating outside of the tongue) and "intrinsic" (contained wholly in the tongue). These muscles are typically classified based on their gross anatomical positions and also are often ascribed functions based on these positions, with the extrinsic muscles being assigned the role of positioning the tongue, and the intrinsic muscles thought to function to shape it. For example, genioglossus is typically described as a tongue protruder, whereas hyoglossus is often described as a tongue retractor. However, the neural control of these muscles involves relatively small motor units, and defining the function of tongue muscles based on anatomy, when they occupy overlapping space and exhibit refined control may oversimplify their function. Yet, distinguishing between gross anatomical structures and refined neural control can be challenging due to the complexity of functions the tongue performs. Here, we used an infant animal model (pigs) to evaluate how the neural control of the tongue is modulated in anatomical space given a relatively simplified behavior (suckling). We tested for variation in control along the anteroposterior and dorsoventral axis of the tongue using high speed videofluoroscopy coupled with electromyography (EMG). We found variation in EMG firing timing along both axes, which correspond to differences in behaviors. Furthermore, this variation in activity is likely reflected by regional variation in function within a muscle. These data suggest that defining muscles by their anatomical structure over-simplifies their functional roles and that studies investigating the three-dimensional structure and function of the tongue should evaluate it based on regional variation in control, in the context of the behavior of interest.

Nature is an unparalleled innovator, coming up with countless solutions over millions of years. From the microscopic structures of gecko feet that enable effortless climbing to the hydrodynamic efficiency of fish armor, biological systems have evolved to solve a myriad of complex challenges. Engineers have long drawn inspiration from these natural innovations, translating biological principles into new technologies. The process is rarely straightforward-biological structures evolve under constraints and trade-offs, often leading to multifunctional designs that do not conform to traditional engineering approaches. Here, we explore the dynamic exchange between biology and engineering, highlighting how bioinspired design not only informs new technologies but also deepens our understanding of living systems. Bioinspired design plays a crucial role in materials science, robotics, and biomedical sciences, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. Existing partnerships between biologists and engineers have led to advances in adhesives, protective materials, filtration systems, and dynamic structural designs. Translating biological complexity into engineered simplicity can be challenging; we need open communication between fields to share methodologies, resources, and discoveries. By fostering a continuous feedback loop between biology and engineering, we can push the boundaries of innovation and discovery, ensuring that bioinspired design remains a driving force in scientific and technological advancement.