Articles

Light-dependent magnetoreception in birds: increasing intensity of monochromatic light changes the nature of the response

The Radical Pair model proposes that magnetoreception is a light-dependent process. Under low monochromatic light from the short-wavelength part of the visual spectrum, migratory birds show orientation in thei...

Authors: Roswitha Wiltschko, Katrin Stapput, Hans-Joachim Bischof and Wolfgang Wiltschko

Molecular species identification boosts bat diversity

The lack of obvious morphological differences between species impedes the identification of species in many groups of organisms. Meanwhile, DNA-based approaches are increasingly used to survey biological diver...

Authors: Frieder Mayer, Christian Dietz and Andreas Kiefer

Host habitat assessment by a parasitoid using fungal volatiles

The preference – performance hypothesis predicts that oviposition preference of insects should correlate with host suitability for offspring development. Therefore, insect females have to be able to assess not...

Authors: Sven Steiner, Daniel Erdmann, Johannes LM Steidle and Joachim Ruther

Spot the match – wildlife photo-identification using information theory

Effective approaches for the management and conservation of wildlife populations require a sound knowledge of population demographics, and this is often only possible through mark-recapture studies. We applied...

Authors: Conrad W Speed, Mark G Meekan and Corey JA Bradshaw

Evidence for recent gene flow between north-eastern and south-eastern Madagascan poison frogs from a phylogeography of the Mantella cowani group

The genus Mantella, endemic poison frogs of Madagascar with 16 described species, are known in the field of international pet trade and entered under the CITES control for the last four years. The phylogeny and p...

Authors: Falitiana CE Rabemananjara, Ylenia Chiari, Olga Ravoahangimalala Ramilijaona and Miguel Vences

Role of histamine as a putative inhibitory transmitter in the honeybee antennal lobe

Odors are represented by specific spatio-temporal activity patterns in the olfactory bulb of vertebrates and its insect analogue, the antennal lobe. In honeybees inhibitory circuits in the AL are involved in t...

Authors: Silke Sachse, Philipp Peele, Ana F Silbering, Martin Gühmann and C Giovanni Galizia

Fundamental difference in life history traits of two species of Cataglyphis ants

The two sympatric species of Tunisian desert ants, Cataglyphis bicolor and C. mauritanica, do not exhibit any differences in their foraging ecology, e.g. in food preferences and in their spatial and temporal acti...

Authors: Markus Knaden and Rüdiger Wehner

Developmental constraint of insect audition

Insect ears contain very different numbers of sensory cells, from only one sensory cell in some moths to thousands of sensory cells, e.g. in cicadas. These differences still await functional explanation and es...

Authors: Reinhard Lakes-Harlan and Johannes Strauß

Cell lineage analysis of the mandibular segment of the amphipod Orchestia cavimana reveals that the crustacean paragnaths are sternal outgrowths and not limbs

The question of arthropod head segmentation has become one of the central issues in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. The number of theories pertaining to head segments progressively enlarges, old concepts h...

Authors: Carsten Wolff and Gerhard Scholtz

Music notation: a new method for visualizing social interaction in animals and humans

Researchers have developed a variety of techniques for the visual presentation of quantitative data. These techniques can help to reveal trends and regularities that would be difficult to see if the data were ...

Authors: Ivan D Chase

No evidence for UV-based nest-site selection in sticklebacks

Nests are built in various animal taxa including fish. In systems with exclusive male parental care, the choice of a nest site may be an important component of male fitness. The nest site may influence male at...

Authors: Ricarda Modarressie and Theo CM Bakker

The development of the larval nervous system, musculature and ciliary bands of Pomatoceros lamarckii (Annelida): heterochrony in polychaetes

To understand the evolution of animals it is essential to have taxon sampling across a representative spread of the animal kingdom. With the recent rearrangement of most of the Bilateria into three major clade...

Authors: Carmel McDougall, Wei-Chung Chen, Sebastian M Shimeld and David EK Ferrier

Comparison of geometric morphometric outline methods in the discrimination of age-related differences in feather shape

Geometric morphometric methods of capturing information about curves or outlines of organismal structures may be used in conjunction with canonical variates analysis (CVA) to assign specimens to groups or popu...

Authors: H David Sheets, Kristen M Covino, Joanna M Panasiewicz and Sara R Morris

Sex, bugs and Haldane's rule: the nematode genus Pristionchus in the United States

The nematode Pristionchus pacificus has been developed as a satellite organism in evolutionary developmental biology for comparison to Caenorhabditis elegans. Comparative studies have revealed major differences i...

Authors: Matthias Herrmann, Werner E Mayer and Ralf J Sommer

The complete sequences and gene organisation of the mitochondrial genomes of the heterodont bivalves Acanthocardia tuberculata and Hiatella arctica – and the first record for a putative Atpase subunit 8 gene in marine bivalves

Mitochondrial (mt) gene arrangement is highly variable among molluscs and especially among bivalves. Of the 30 complete molluscan mt-genomes published to date, only one is of a heterodont bivalve, although thi...

Authors: Hermann Dreyer and Gerhard Steiner

Control of annual reproductive cycle in the subtropical house sparrow (Passer domesticus): evidence for conservation of photoperiodic control mechanisms in birds

In many birds, day length (=photoperiod) regulates reproductive cycle. The photoperiodic environment varies between different seasons and latitudes. As a consequence, species at different latitudes may have ev...

Authors: Amit K Trivedi, Sangeeta Rani and Vinod Kumar

Quantification of damage in DNA recovered from highly degraded samples – a case study on DNA in faeces

Poorly preserved biological tissues have become an important source of DNA for a wide range of zoological studies. Measuring the quality of DNA obtained from these samples is often desired; however, there are ...

Authors: Bruce E Deagle, J Paige Eveson and Simon N Jarman

The role of thermal niche selection in maintenance of a colour polymorphism in redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)

In eastern North America two common colour morphs exist in most populations of redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). Previous studies have indicated that the different morphs may be adapted to different therm...

Authors: Erin E Petruzzi, Peter H Niewiarowski and Francisco B-G Moore

Support for a rare pattern of temperature-dependent sex determination in archaic reptiles: evidence from two species of tuatara (Sphenodon)

The sex of many reptiles is determined by the temperature an embryo experiences during its development. Three patterns of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) have been defined, but one pattern where ...

Authors: Nicola J Mitchell, Nicola J Nelson, Alison Cree, Shirley Pledger, Susan N Keall and Charles H Daugherty

From descriptive to predictive distribution models: a working example with Iberian amphibians and reptiles

Aim of the study was to identify the conditions under which spatial-environmental models can be used for the improved understanding of species distributions, under the explicit criterion of model predictive pe...

Authors: JW Arntzen

Neuroactive substances specifically modulate rhythmic body contractions in the nerveless metazoon Tethya wilhelma (Demospongiae, Porifera)

Sponges (Porifera) are nerve- and muscleless metazoa, but display coordinated motor reactions. Therefore, they represent a valuable phylum to investigate coordination systems, which evolved in a hypothetical U...

Authors: Kornelia Ellwanger and Michael Nickel

Functional neuroanatomy of the rhinophore of Aplysia punctata

For marine snails, olfaction represents a crucial sensory modality for long-distance reception, as auditory and visual information is limited. The posterior tentacle of Aplysia, the rhinophore, is a chemosensory ...

Authors: Adrian Wertz, Wolfgang Rössler, Malu Obermayer and Ulf Bickmeyer

Genetic analysis of male reproductive success in relation to density in the zebrafish, Danio rerio

We used behavioural and genetic data to investigate the effects of density on male reproductive success in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Based on previous measurements of aggression and courtship behaviour by terri...

Authors: Rowena Spence, William C Jordan and Carl Smith

Cardiovascular system in larval zebrafish responds to developmental hypoxia in a family specific manner

Genetic and environmental variation are both known to influence development. Evolution of a developmental response that is optimized to the environment (adaptive plasticity) requires the existence of genetic v...

Authors: Francisco B-G Moore, Michelle Hosey and Brian Bagatto

Production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus mice in the wild

There has been considerable research on rodent ultrasound in the laboratory and these sounds have been well quantified and characterized. Despite the value of research on ultrasound produced by mice in the lab...

Authors: Matina C Kalcounis-Rueppell, Jackie D Metheny and Maarten J Vonhof

A review of the correlation of tergites, sternites, and leg pairs in diplopods

In some arthropods there is a discrepancy in the number of dorsal tergites compared to the number of ventral sternites and leg pairs. The posterior tergites of the Diplopoda (millipedes) each cover two sternit...

Authors: Ralf Janssen, Nikola-Michael Prpic and Wim GM Damen

Single locus complementary sex determination in Hymenoptera: an "unintelligent" design?

The haplodiploid sex determining mechanism in Hymenoptera (males are haploid, females are diploid) has played an important role in the evolution of this insect order. In Hymenoptera sex is usually determined b...

Authors: Ellen van Wilgenburg, Gerard Driessen and Leo W Beukeboom

The importance of immune gene variability (MHC) in evolutionary ecology and conservation

Genetic studies have typically inferred the effects of human impact by documenting patterns of genetic differentiation and levels of genetic diversity among potentially isolated populations using selective neu...

Authors: Simone Sommer

Conservation and co-option in developmental programmes: the importance of homology relationships

One of the surprising insights gained from research in evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is that increasing diversity in body plans and morphology in organisms across animal phyla are not reflected...

Authors: Matthias Sanetra, Gerrit Begemann, May-Britt Becker and Axel Meyer

The unsuitability of html-based colour charts for estimating animal colours – a comment on Berggren and Merilä (2004)

A variety of techniques are used to study the colours of animal signals, including the use of visual matching to colour charts. This paper aims to highlight why they are generally an unsatisfactory tool for th...

Authors: Martin Stevens and Innes C Cuthill

Role of early experience in ant enslavement: a comparative analysis of a host and a non-host species

Ants use the odour of the colony to discriminate nestmates. In some species, this odour is learned during the first days following emergence, and thus early experience has a strong influence on nestmate discri...

Authors: Rumsaïs Blatrix and Claire Sermage

The male genital system of the cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775) (Pholcidae, Araneae): development of spermatozoa and seminal secretion

Most arthropods pass through several molting stages (instars) before reaching sexual maturity. In spiders, very little is known about the male genital system, its development and seminal secretions. For exampl...

Authors: Peter Michalik and Gabriele Uhl

Shape based assignment tests suggest transgressive phenotypes in natural sculpin hybrids (Teleostei, Scorpaeniformes, Cottidae)

Hybridization receives attention because of the potential role that it may play in generating evolutionary novelty. An explanation for the emergence of novel phenotypes is given by transgressive segregation, w...

Authors: Arne W Nolte and H David Sheets

The role of vocal individuality in conservation

Identifying the individuals within a population can generate information on life history parameters, generate input data for conservation models, and highlight behavioural traits that may affect management dec...

Authors: Andrew MR Terry, Tom M Peake and Peter K McGregor

Prospects for surviving climate change in Antarctic aquatic species

Maritime Antarctic freshwater habitats are amongst the fastest changing environments on Earth. Temperatures have risen around 1°C and ice cover has dramatically decreased in 15 years. Few animal species inhabi...

Authors: Lloyd S Peck

Immune response to sympatric and allopatric parasites in a snail-trematode interaction

The outcome of parasite exposure depends on the (1) genetic specificity of the interaction, (2) induction of host defenses, and (3) parasite counter defenses. We studied both the genetic specificity for infect...

Authors: Erik E Osnas and Curtis M Lively

Behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of social subjugation across adolescence and adulthood

Social subjugation is a very significant and natural stressor in the animal kingdom. Adult animals defeated and subjugated during establishment of dominance hierarchies or territorial encounters can be highly ...

Authors: Craig F Ferris, Tara Messenger and Ross Sullivan

Frontiers in Zoology speeds up

Authors: Jürgen Heinze and Diethard Tautz

Comparative performance of the 16S rRNA gene in DNA barcoding of amphibians

Identifying species of organisms by short sequences of DNA has been in the center of ongoing discussions under the terms DNA barcoding or DNA taxonomy. A C-terminal fragment of the mitochondrial gene for cytochro...

Authors: Miguel Vences, Meike Thomas, Arie van der Meijden, Ylenia Chiari and David R Vieites

Asymmetry in host and parasitoid diffuse coevolution: when the red queen has to keep a finger in more than one pie

Coevolution between pairs of antagonistic species is generally considered an endless "arms race" between attack and defense traits to counteract the adaptive responses of the other species.

Authors: Laurent Lapchin and Thomas Guillemaud

Opisthobranchia (Mollusca, Gastropoda) – more than just slimy slugs. Shell reduction and its implications on defence and foraging

In general shell-less slugs are considered to be slimy animals with a rather dull appearance and a pest to garden plants. But marine slugs usually are beautifully coloured animals belonging to the less-known O...

Authors: Heike Wägele and Annette Klussmann-Kolb

Clash of kingdoms or why Drosophila larvae positively respond to fungal competitors

Competition with filamentous fungi has been demonstrated to be an important cause of mortality for the vast group of insects that depend on ephemeral resources (e.g. fruit, dung, carrion). Recent data suggest ...

Authors: Marko Rohlfs

Linking biogeography to physiology: Evolutionary and acclimatory adjustments of thermal limits

Temperature-adaptive physiological variation plays important roles in latitudinal biogeographic patterning and in setting vertical distributions along subtidal-to-intertidal gradients in coastal marine ecosyst...

Authors: George N Somero

Homologs of wingless and decapentaplegic display a complex and dynamic expression profile during appendage development in the millipede Glomeris marginata (Myriapoda: Diplopoda)

The Drosophila genes wingless (wg) and decapentaplegic (dpp) comprise the top level of a hierarchical gene cascade involved in proximal-distal (PD) patterning of the legs. It remains unclear, whether this cascade...

Authors: Nikola-Michael Prpic

Reticulate sympatric speciation in Cameroonian crater lake cichlids

Traditionally the rapid origin of megadiverse species flocks of extremely closely related species is explained by the combinatory action of three factors: Disruptive natural selection, disruptive sexual select...

Authors: Ulrich K Schliewen and Barbara Klee

The structure of biodiversity – insights from molecular phylogeography

DNA techniques, analytical methods and palaeoclimatic studies are greatly advancing our knowledge of the global distribution of genetic diversity, and how it evolved. Such phylogeographic studies are reviewed ...

Authors: Godfrey M Hewitt

Secondary neurons are arrested in an immature state by formation of epithelial vesicles during neurogenesis of the spider Cupiennius salei

In the spider Cupiennius salei about 30 groups of neural precursors are generated per hemi-segment during early neurogenesis. Analysis of the ventral neuromeres after invagination of the primary neural precursor ...

Authors: Angelika Stollewerk

WWW design code – a new tool for colour estimation in animal studies

The colour of animals' skin, fur, feathers or cuticula has been estimated in a large number of studies. The methods used to do so are diverse, with some being costly and not available to all researchers. In a ...

Authors: Åsa Berggren and Juha Merilä

Introducing "Frontiers in Zoology"

As a biological discipline, zoology has one of the longest histories. Today it occasionally appears as though, due to the rapid expansion of life sciences, zoology has been replaced by more or less independent...

Authors: Jürgen Heinze and Diethard Tautz