- by Carrier-Belleau, C., Officer, M., McCartan, N., Strawbridge, J., Zulkipli, N., Piggott, J. J., Luijckx, P.Resource availability is a central driver of ecological and evolutionary processes, yet its effects on infectious disease and virulence are not fully understood. A key limitation is that many studies consider only a narrow range of resource conditions or a limited subset of host and pathogen traits, potentially obscuring non-linear relationships. Here, we quantify how a gradient of six food levels simultaneously shapes host fitness and pathogen performance in the Daphnia magna- Ordospora colligata system. Across two laboratory experiments, we […]
- by Lemant, J., Tarroux, A., Smith, T. A., Zogo, B., Golumbeanu, M., Odufuwa, O. G., Irish, S., Moore, S. J., Pothin, E., Champagne, C.BackgroundThe malaria transmission potential and the vulnerability of Anopheles mosquitoes to different vector control methods depend, among other factors, on the endophily, endophagy, anthropophagy and survival of each species. Local information on these bionomic parameters is generally unavailable. MethodsTo address this, we estimated species-specific values of these parameters using an augmented version of the global database of bionomics data by Massey et al. (2016). We applied inclusion and exclusion criteria to select eligible studies with relevant experimental designs that minimise […]
- by Roberts, L. E., Binfield, O. F., Charles, J. P., Comerford, E. J., Bates, K. T., Goswami, A.Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) display more morphological variation than any other mammal. Cranial morphology has been extensively studied, as have the relationships with function, development, genetics, veterinary medicine, and breed welfare. Postcrania remain comparatively understudied, despite well-documented breed-specific predispositions to musculoskeletal disease. Here, we apply three-dimensional landmark-free morphometrics to quantify the shape of 743 elements from 213 dogs, including the scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, pelvic girdle, femur, tibia, and fibula. We assess integration among limb elements and investigate drivers of […]
- by van den Burg, M. P., Thibaudier, J.Understanding behavioral differences between non-native and closely related endangered species could be important to aid conservation management. In volume 169 of Zoology, Bels et al. (2025) reported on their comparison of display-action-patterns (DAP) between native Iguana delicatissima and non-native iguanas present on islands of the Guadeloupe Archipelago in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. Here, we address conceptual and methodological concerns about their work and reanalyze their data given our proposed corrections, primarily a literature-informed adjustment of their "species" category. We additionally […]
- by Yamanashi, Y., Bando, H., Niimi, K., Nakagawa, D., Iwaide, S., Murakami, T.Documenting and understanding the welfare of aging animals are crucial for maintaining their well-being and making appropriate management decisions. This study details the behaviors of an extremely old rhesus macaque (ISK) in which senile plaques and phosphorylated tau deposition were observed in post-mortem pathological analyses of the brain. We report on the activity bsudgets, behavioral rhythms, gait, quality of life (QoL) scores, and anecdotal episodes of this individual. The average 24-hour activity budgets, analyzed from surveillance camera recordings, revealed that […]
- by Rowsey, D. M., Smith, S. M., Zamora Chavez, L. J., Rivera, D. C., Hess, S. C., Jones, M. F., Bucci, M. E., Mohammadian, S., Alston, J. M., Baez, J. R., Vargas, K. L., Upham, N. S.The Santa Catalina Mountains are an iconic member of the Madrean Sky Islands, rising above Tucson, Arizona, USA, where the Catalina Highway connects Sonoran desertscrub to stands of conifer forest nearly 2,800 meters in elevation. As one of the [~]54 forested mountain areas in this system, the Santa Catalinas host unique biotic communities relative to the surrounding lowlands. However, most of these sky islands lack the surveys of resident small mammals (either historical or recent) needed for studying biodiversity in […]
- Using insertable cardiac monitors to test determinants of heart rate and activity in captive baboonsby Andreadis, C. R., Kulahci, I. G., Ndung'u, J., Kigen, D., Kimiti, P., Mugambi Kibe, K., Laske, N. R., Mwadime, J., Wanjala, N., Pontzer, H., Laske, T. G., Akinyi, M. Y., Archie, E. A.BackgroundInsertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) provide fine-grained, continuous data on cardiac activity. These data have great potential to reveal individual physiology, energetics, and stress responses, with implications for animal health, cognition, welfare, and conservation. However, these devices must be tested for safety, accuracy, and biological validity before being deployed in new species. Here we do so for the Reveal LINQTM ICM (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN USA) over an 8-month period in 10 adult female baboons (Papio anubis and P. cynocephalus) at the […]
- by Shah, S. J. A., Hajra, B., Khan, M. H., Zaidi, F., Salman, M., Saeed, Z., Khalique, U., Ayaz, M., Fatima, S. H.Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) poses a significant threat to global fruit production due to its high reproductive capacity and broad host range. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gamma irradiation on key biological parameters of B. zonata. Six-day-old pupae were exposed to irradiation doses of 0, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 Gy, and subsequent developmental and reproductive traits were assessed to determine the impact of irradiation. Post-irradiation results revealed a dose-dependent trend. Higher doses ([≥]50 Gy) […]
- by Nofs, S. A., Pye, R. J., Nichols, D. S., Johnson, S. R., Gilbert, A. T., Lazenby, B., Flies, A. S.Ethyl-iophenoxic acid (Et-IPA) is widely recognized as a useful biomarker to confirm oral bait consumption in eutherian species. In historical studies on marsupials, Et-IPA was rapidly eliminated from brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) suggesting limited use for marsupial species. However, a 1 mg oral dose of Et-IPA was detectable in the marsupial Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) for [≥] 56 days suggesting the biomarker can be used in a devil bait vaccine program. To assess Et-IPA marking […]
- by Baquiran, J. I. P., Posadas, N., Nada, M. A. L., Maala, G. J. L., Cabaitan, P. C., Conaco, C.Uncontrolled carbon dioxide emissions from human activities contribute to ocean warming and acidification. These alterations in ocean chemistry threaten marine organisms, such as the true giant clam, Tridacna gigas, which is already imperiled due to overharvesting and habitat destruction. To gain an understanding of the physiological and molecular responses of T. gigas and its symbiotic dinoflagellates to ocean warming and acidification, we subjected juvenile individuals to different treatments simulating predicted seawater pH (7.6 and 8.0) and temperature (28{degrees}C, 30{degrees}C, 32{degrees}C […]
- by Perl, C. D., Escott, O., Reiss, G., Crump, A., Barrett, M.Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have quickly become one of the most farmed animals in the world. However, little is known about how to monitor stress and welfare in these animals. The difficulty of welfare assessment is compounded by the fact that BSFL live in their feed and prefer darkness. This behaviour makes it challenging to observe potential welfare indicators without inducing stress via disturbing the larvae or moving them into the light. However, acoustic devices may be able to […]
- by Pinto, F., Lando, G., Cetrangolo, V., Felbel, K., Grimmer, E., Hejnol, A., Rimskaya-Korsakova, N.Symbiosis with photosynthetic microbes is widespread in marine animals, with various symbiont transmission modes and localisation within the host. Here, we characterise the association between the acoel Convolutriloba macropyga and its photosymbionts, identified as Tetraselmis green algae based on rbcL gene phylogenetic analysis. Symbionts are transmitted vertically to asexual offspring and acquired horizontally by juveniles after sexual reproduction. Embryos develop to aposymbiotic juveniles that ingest Tetraselmis through the mouth. Confocal microscopy shows an increase in algae number within juveniles and […]
- by Hargrove, J. W., Bruce, F., Van Sickle, J.Combining novel methodologies with ovarian dissection, we estimated life histories for ca. 90,000 individual female Glossina pallidipes and G. m. morsitans sampled from 1988-1999 in Zimbabwes Zambezi Valley. Using temperature-dependent development rates we stepped back through each flys life, fixing dates of successive pregnancies, adult emergence, pupal period, pregnancy and oogenesis. This enabled modelling of relationships between wing and egg lengths, and conditions prevailing when these lengths were being determined. Egg lengths increased with maternal wing length, were shorter in […]
- by Colognesi, V., Johansson, C.Aerodynamic performance in airplanes and flying animals can be controlled by changes in wing shape and size, but during flapping flight another key component is wing motion. Observations of free-flying animals reveal natural wing motions, but testing causal mechanisms requires controlled manipulation of flapping kinematics. In flapping wings, aerodynamic interactions between the two wings are expected to depend on wingbeat phase, wing proximity, and wing attitude. How these interactions influence force production remains unclear. Here we used a robotic flapping […]
- by Gordillo-Perez, M. J., Beenaerts, N., Sigwart, J., Backeljau, T., Vranken, T., Vilaso-Cadre, J. E., Heleven, M., Smeets, K., Vandamme, D., Reyes-Tur, B.Colour polymorphism in the Cuban painted snails Polymita picta and P. muscarum is striking, yet the pigmentary and structural bases remain unclear. We combined spectrophotometric screening, Raman micro-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and LED transillumination to link pigments, ultrastructure and optics across shell morphs. Melanin standard (Sepia officinalis) yielded a robust linear calibration used to quantify total melanin pigments at 215 nm in pooled extracts. Melanin was detected in all samples with predominance in darker morphs. Raman spectra (785 nm) […]
- by Cybulska, L. C., Hamer, S. A., Teasdale, C., Johnson, G., Hamer, G., Grassman, J.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in humans, is also known to infect animals including dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis catus). This study evaluated the efficacy of human COVID-19 rapid antigen and antibody tests in dogs and cats. Nasal/oral swabs from 60 animals (32 dogs, 28 cats) and serum from 40 animals (20 dogs, 20 cats) were tested. Rapid antigen tests used on respiratory swabs showed low-to-moderate sensitivity (75% dogs, 57% […]
- by Taengchaiyaphum, S., Buathongkam, P., Srisala, J., Wongklaluang, P., Wongpim, T., Phomklad, S., Kaewlok, K., Inkaew, J., Laiphrom, S., Powtongsook, S., FLEGEL, T. W., Itsathitphaisarn, O., Sritunyalucksana, K.Shrimp and other arthropods are capable of specific, adaptive immune responses to viruses based on viral copy DNA (vcDNA) fragments in the host genome called endogenous viral elements (EVE). These may produce negative sense RNA transcripts leading to an RNA interference (RNAi) defense response against cognate viruses. We first reported high-frequency-read sequences (HFRS) of white spot syndrome virus EVE (named WSSV-EVE 4,6,8) in a WSSV-free breeding stock of whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). Here we describe screening for the same HFRS-EVE […]
- by Adams, D. M., Williamson, S. A., Evans, R. G., Reina, R. D.Sea turtles exhibit environmental sex determination and face risks of over-feminization, heat-induced embryonic failure, and hatchling mortality due to rising global temperatures. Mitigating these impacts of climate change may necessitate interventions to reduce sand temperature. One proposed strategy is to irrigate nests with seawater, but uncertainties exist regarding turtle egg tolerance to saline nest sand. To test the hypothesis that sea turtle embryos can tolerate a regimen of irrigation with seawater at a management-relevant scale, we investigated the impact of […]
- by Kon, T., Kon-Nanjo, K., Nihei, S., Zang, L., Simakov, O., Shimada, Y.Garra rufa, commonly known as the doctor fish, is a small freshwater cyprinid notable for its exceptional tolerance to high temperatures, surviving even at around the human body temperature of 37 {degrees}C, and has emerging potential as a novel laboratory model for human cancer xenotransplantation and infectious disease research. To establish a foundation for its experimental use, we conducted comprehensive anatomical and histological analyses across major organ systems. The overall body organization and tissue architecture of G. rufa are broadly […]
- by Alves, G., Marques, C., Marcet, P., Chipepa, V., Fedorova, A., Sutcliffe, A., do Rosario, J., Calles, D., Troco, A. D., Chissanga, M. S., Espalhado, F., Nobrega, T., Sousa, C., Pinto, J., Cani, P. J., Martins, J. F., Yoshimizu, M., Torres Gutierrez, C.BACKGROUNDAngola ranks among the five countries with the highest malaria burden globally. The Ministry of Health in Angola has consistently partnered with international donors to sustain entomological surveillance and vector control strategies in a context of high malaria burden. METHODSVector surveillance was carried out in Luanda, Benguela, Namibe and Cuanza Sul provinces from 2016-2022. Collected adult mosquitoes were tested to assess the presence of Plasmodium parasites and determine blood sources. Larvae collections provided live material to test insecticide susceptibility in […]
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