Animal Behavior and Reproduction

Behavioral divergence across replicated predation regimes is species-specific in two sympatric poeciliid fishes

The paper compares behavioral and cognitive responses to predation regimes in two sympatric fish species, finding species-specific divergence despite shared environmental conditions.

How to stand out to a mate - Flash colour of Photinus fireflies maximizes signal contrast against ambient light

This study tests the contrast hypothesis by analyzing ambient light spectra and male flash spectra of Photinus fireflies to show that their flash color maximizes contrast against the background during peak activity.

Speciation, sexual selection, and the macroevolution of cricket mating signals

This study shows that mating signal traits involved in species recognition diverge rapidly during speciation, while traits involved in sexual selection do not, challenging the idea that sexual selection drives interspecific divergence.

Eco-evolutionary dynamics of sexually selected infanticide facilitate species coexistence

This study shows that sexually selected infanticide can promote species coexistence by generating density-dependent demographic costs that enhance self-limitation and reduce competitive exclusion.

Same-sex sexual behaviour reduces reproductive success but mitigates aggression in a subsocial insect

The paper examines the fitness consequences of same-sex sexual behavior in burying beetles, finding it reduces reproductive success but decreases aggression.

Genetic and environmental sources of behavioral individuality: a test of the standard model

The paper tests the standard model of behavioral individuality by comparing among-individual variation in inbred and outbred crickets, finding greater variance in outbred lines.

Plasticity Associated with Adoption of Social Roles in Clown Anemonefish

This study shows that social context in clownfish affects growth, feeding behavior, aggression, and gene expression, reinforcing social role differentiation during hierarchy formation.

Sensitivity of stochastic growth rate and lifetime reproductive output to kin effects: A nonlinear feedback model

The paper develops a nonlinear feedback model to assess selection pressures on kin effects in human populations, finding negative sensitivity of fitness metrics to kin presence on child mortality.

Testing The Protective Function of Flash Coloration Using Wild Avian Predators

This study tests the flash coloration hypothesis using wild blue tits and digital prey models, finding no survival benefit from conspicuous hindwings during flight.

Evolutionary stability of frequency-dependent secondary defense in a soft-bodied insect with and without signals

The paper models how secondary defenses evolve with and without predator signals, finding that defended and undefended prey can coexist under certain conditions when signals are absent.

Asymmetric Costs of Coordination Errors Generate Selection on Social and Sensorimotor Phenotypes in an Animal Collective

The paper shows that coordination errors in animal collectives can generate directional selection on social and sensorimotor traits by linking error frequency and severity to phenotypic variation.

The ontogeny of repeatability: measurement choices shape individuality estimates in a clonal fish

This study shows how measurement practices affect repeatability estimates of individuality in clonal fish, highlighting methodological influences over biological variation.

Peak performance is repeatable and captures large individual differences in ruby-throated hummingbirds

This study measures peak load-lifting performance in ruby-throated hummingbirds, finding large individual differences and showing that single-trial protocols best capture repeatability.

Predation by migratory birds shapes seasonally fluctuating selection on a conspicuous signal

The paper investigates how seasonal predation by migratory birds influences the evolution of wing pigmentation in damselflies.

Exploration and activity show contrasting familial resemblance

The paper investigates whether exploratory and activity behaviors in guppies are genetically linked or independent, finding contrasting familial resemblance patterns.

Cognition and brain gene expression vary with sex and body size in a polyphenic dung beetle (Onthophagus taurus)

The paper examines how sex, body size, and cognitive performance relate to brain gene expression in dung beetles, finding sex affects spatial cognition and body size impacts detour task performance.

Natural limits on male mating sustain costly female choice, exaggerated displays, and genetic variation

The paper shows that negative feedback from limited male mating success stabilizes costly female preferences and displays, resolving evolutionary puzzles about their persistence.

Temporal compression of gonadal growth preserves reproductive timing and soma-to-germline scaling under stress

This study shows that reproductive timing is preserved under stress through dynamic control of gonadal growth in C. elegans, maintaining reproductive-to-somatic size ratios.

Relatedness and last male sperm precedence in Cheilomenes sexmaculata: Implications for inbreeding avoidance

This study investigates how relatedness affects last male sperm precedence in Cheilomenes sexmaculata, finding that females show higher reproductive success with unrelated males.

Birth synchronisation increases allonursing opportunities in free-ranging dogs

The paper shows that birth synchrony among co-resident, maternally related females in free-ranging dogs increases allonursing opportunities and supports cooperative breeding.

Pick your battles: competitive strategies of green chromides (Etroplus suratensis) during inter- and intraspecific contests

This study examines competitive strategies of green chromides during inter- and intraspecific contests, finding residency and developmental stage significantly influence behavior.

Rapid evolution of learning and reproduction in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

This study shows seasonal evolution of learning performance in Drosophila melanogaster, with spring flies learning better than autumn flies, and a trade-off between learning and reproduction mediated by genetic polymorphism.

Beyond Environmental Matching: Maternal Effects Depend on Offspring Environmental Complexity and Fitness Traits

This study shows maternal effects on offspring fitness traits depend on environmental complexity and the specific trait, not just environmental matching.

Pooled progeny sequencing effectively estimates polyandry in species with large families

This paper develops a likelihood-based method to estimate polyandry using pooled progeny sequencing and applies it to Drosophila melanogaster, finding 57% of families were sired by a single male.

Sperm length ornamentation associates with survival and sterility after heatwaves among Drosophila species

This study finds that longer sperm in Drosophila species correlates with higher heat survival but greater heat-induced sterility, linking sexual selection to climate resilience and infertility risks.

Social relationships promote access to food and information in wild jackdaws

This study shows that social relationships in wild jackdaws influence foraging decisions and outcomes, with both benefits and costs associated with maintaining close bonds.

Reanalysis of Bels et al. (2025) given complex anthropogenic hybridization in Iguana delicatissima and intraspecific diversity in Iguana iguana

The paper reanalyzes Bels et al.'s 2025 study on iguana display-action-patterns, adjusting for hybridization and behavioral metadata limitations, revealing complex DAP variation among species categories.

Extreme climatic events shape adaptive potential by altering genetic variance for adult survival in a wild population

The paper quantifies how extreme climatic events affect genetic variance in adult survival, showing genotype-by-environment interactions that constrain adaptive potential under severe conditions.

Scale-dependent associations between genetic similarity and aggregation behaviour in three toad lineages

The paper examines how genetic similarity at different scales affects aggregation behavior in tadpoles from three toad lineages, finding scale-dependent relationships between genetic variation and social cohesion.

Spontaneous behavior predicts colony membership, individual identity, and rank in naked mole-rat societies