BehavEcolPapers

Deep learning in biology faces a transferability crisis @PLOSBiology.org

Vocal and display differences in an island form of a lekking species with an acrobatic dance routine AnimBeh

Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 16, Pages 284: The Impact of Experience on Motion Information Processing: An ERP Study The purpose is to investigate how sports experience influences the processing of motor-related information. Sixty participants with differing levels of sports experience were recruited: 20 table tennis athletes, 20 athletes from other sports, and 20 non-athletes. A total of 150 images depicting table-tennis scenarios, divided into competitive and non-competitive, were shown to participates and recorded their electroencephalographic responses. We found that both table tennis and ordinary athletes exhibited significantly smaller P3 amplitudes in the parietal region compared with non-athletes. In addition, under competitive conditions, athletes showed larger N2 amplitudes in the central region than non-athletes. However, no significant difference in N2 amplitude was observed between table tennis athletes and athletes from other sports. These findings indicate that greater sports experience reduces the cognitive resources required for processing motor-related information and enhances individuals’ abilities in conflict monitoring and response inhibition. Furthermore, the effects of sports experience appear to be transferable across different athletic domains.

Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 16, Pages 284: The Impact of Experience on Motion Information Processing: An ERP Study BehSciMDPI

Escaping bottlenecks: The demographic path to genetic recovery in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) | Science Population bottlenecks can lead to evolutionary dead ends by eroding genetic diversity and intensifying inbreeding. Although theory predicts possible escape routes, direct observations of this process are rare. Using whole-genome data from 418 koalas, we ...

ICYMI: Escaping bottlenecks: The demographic path to genetic recovery in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) | Science @Science.org

Role of apelin as a biomarker in functional recovery and post-stroke-associated sarcopenia: insights from rehabilitation therapy Background Skeletal muscles play critical roles in mobility, respiratory function, and metabolic regulation by releasing myokines. Age-related sarcopenia, characterized by the loss of muscle mass and function, exacerbates health outcomes, including disability and mortality. Stroke survivors are particularly vulnerable to muscle wasting, known as stroke-related sarcopenia, which affects their recovery and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rehabilitation on apelin expression, clinical outcomes, and psychosocial well-being in stroke survivors. Methods This single-center observational study enrolled 23 patients with stroke who underwent rehabilitation. Outcome measures included apelin concentration using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cytokine profiling, skeletal muscle index (SMI), phase angle, grip strength, balance, functional scores (Modified Barthel Index, Berg Balance Scale), and psychosocial measures (SF-12, Fatigue Severity Scale). Data were collected at baseline and discharge after 4–6 weeks of rehabilitation. Results Apelin levels increased significantly after rehabilitation (46.81–59.23 ng/mL, p 

Role of apelin as a biomarker in functional recovery and post-stroke-associated sarcopenia: insights from rehabilitation therapy @peerj.bsky.social

Orang-utans and chimpanzees cooperate strategically based on the partner’s incentives AnimBeh

Acquisition and extinction of drug-context memories are linked to distinct epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms in the mouse dentate gyrus Acquisition and extinction of drug-context associations both involve learning, yet whether extinction erases the original drug memory remains unresolved. As learning is associated with epigenetically mediated transcriptional plasticity, we asked whether acquisition-induced DNA methylation and gene expression changes are reversed by extinction, or whether extinction induces its own distinct methylation and transcriptional changes. Here, we show that both acquisition and extinction of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) preferentially hypomethylated cis-regulatory elements and upregulated transcription, but at largely non-overlapping genomic regions and genes in the dorsal dentate gyrus, a key region in contextual learning. In both learning paradigms, the number of differentially expressed genes was an order of magnitude smaller than those differentially methylated, highlighting the robustness of the transcriptional network to epigenetic modifications, and implicating a non-linear relationship between regulatory elements and transcription characteristic for gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Notably, animals that failed to extinguish cocaine CPP displayed attenuated DNA methylation changes and minimal transcriptional response, consistent with the stochastic output of GRNs to produce alternative outcomes across individuals. Acquisition-upregulated genes were enriched in neuronal cilium functions, consistent with the known role of primary cilia in hippocampal learning and the persistence of drug-context memories through stable axo-ciliary signaling. In contrast, extinction-upregulated genes were overrepresented in mitochondrial energy homeostasis functions, suggesting their role in meeting rapid energy demands during learning. Overall, acquisition and extinction engage fundamentally distinct molecular mechanisms, providing a potential mechanistic explanation for why drug-context memories are suppressed but not erased by extinction.

Acquisition and extinction of drug-context memories are linked to distinct epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms in the mouse dentate gyrus bioRxivpreprint

A preliminary study on the impacts of exercise intensity and duration on gastrointestinal temperature and odor detection performance of #dogs AAnimBehS

Contact calling is predicted by cooperative relationships in vampire bats Group-living animals often coordinate their behavior using "contact calls". Identifying the function of these calls requires testing whether they are intended for any group member or targeted to specific preferred associates. If contact calling is used to coordinate with preferred associates, then higher rates of contact calling are expected between group members with a history of more frequent affiliation and cooperation. To test this hypothesis, we constructed a contact-calling network using synchronized recordings of vocal interactions between all 28 possible pairs of 8 female common vampire bats with well-sampled histories of social grooming and regurgitated food sharing. Bayesian multilevel models show that pairwise rates of contact calling were clearly predicted by social grooming and cooperative allofeeding rates in ways not explained by kinship. These findings show that common vampire bats use contact calls to coordinate with specific same-sex associates, unlike other studied bat species where individuals produce contact calls at similar rates towards different group members. We also found that, compared to white-winged vampire bats, common vampire bats are ten times less likely to rapidly respond to a contact call; this suggests yet-to-be-discovered differences in social behavior between vampire bat species. Finally, we discuss implications for the "vocal grooming" hypothesis.

Contact calling is predicted by cooperative relationships in vampire bats bioRxivpreprint

Social tolerance mediates social learning in wild red-fronted lemurs, Eulemur rufifrons, and ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta AnimBeh

Phenotypic polymorphism via mate copying Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 9, March 2026. SignificanceSocial learning is a fundamental learning mechanism shared by both humans and nonhumans. An intriguing example of such learning includes the influence on mate choice, leading to mate copying. We study the evolutionary outcomes of mate copying ...

Phenotypic polymorphism via mate copying @PNAS.org

THE EFFECTS OF EARLY LIFE ENERGY DRINK CONSUMPTION ON SOCIAL INTERACTION, LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY, AND LEARNING IN PREGNANT RATS DURING THE PREPREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM PERIODS Publication date: Available online 6 March 2026 Source: Physiology & Behavior Author(s): Demirel ERGÜN, Halime AYDEMİR, Fatma ERGÜN, Tolga TUNÇEL

THE EFFECTS OF EARLY LIFE ENERGY DRINK CONSUMPTION ON SOCIAL INTERACTION, LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY, AND LEARNING IN PREGNANT RATS DURING THE PREPREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM PERIODS Phys&Beh

Rethinking self-awareness: insights and biases from self-recognition research AnimBeh

Risk factors for acute kidney injury after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children: a single-center retrospective study @peerj.bsky.social

Uncharted: Understanding women’s health across the body Nature, Published online: 06 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00526-8Disaggregating data by sex is a powerful way to help develop better diagnostics and treatments for women — but researchers say it’s not used enough.

Uncharted: Understanding women’s health across the body @Nature.com

Genetic ablation of visual perception reveals #behavior changes in male and female malaria mosquitoes The role of vision in the behavior of blood-feeding mosquitoes has remained largely overlooked, particularly in species of the Anopheles genus, despite their significant impact on global health. While the importance of olfactory and thermal cues in host-seeking is well established, the contribution of visual stimuli to mating and feeding behavior remains far less understood. In particular, Anopheles mosquitoes exhibit complex swarming behavior that depends on visual input, suggesting an underexplored avenue of research with direct implications for vector control. This study introduces a genetically modified mosquito line lacking the enzyme Tan, a hydrolase involved in both dopamine and histamine metabolism, to investigate the behavioral relevance of visual cues in Anopheles. Through a combination of behavioral assays and controlled laboratory experiments, the impact of visual disruption on attraction to UV-B light, host-seeking, and blood-feeding success was assessed. The findings demonstrate a reduced light-dependent attraction in both Anopheles males and females, suggesting an impairment in visual processing or a related behavioral response. This observation has implications for reproductive success and potential adaptation to anthropogenic environments with artificial light. By leveraging this novel knockout model, the study offers new tools and perspectives to better understand how vision shapes mosquito behavior and how this knowledge could be harnessed in the development of next-generation vector control strategies.

Genetic ablation of visual perception reveals #behavior changes in male and female malaria mosquitoes bioRxivpreprint

Vasopressin and angiotensin II pathways differentially modulate human fear response dynamics to looming threats @PLOSBiology.org

Transmission of Salmonella clones between different #animal species in a horse and cattle breeding region in Japan SciReports

Grounding olfactory perception in language: Benchmarks and models for generating natural language odor descriptions Recent advances in deep learning have enabled prediction of odorant perception from molecular structure, opening new avenues for odor classification. However, most existing models are limited to predicting percepts from fixed vocabularies and fail to capture the full richness of olfactory experience. Progress is further limited by the scarcity of large-scale olfactory datasets and the lack of standardized metrics for evaluating free-form natural-language odor descriptions. To address these challenges, we introduce Odor Description and Inference Evaluation Understudy (ODIEU), a benchmark which includes perceptual descriptions of over 10,000 molecules paired with a model-based metric for evaluating free-form odor text descriptions. The model-based metric uses Sentence-BERT (SBERT) models which are fine-tuned on olfactory descriptions to allow better evaluation of human-generated odor texts. Using the fine-tuned SBERT models, we show that free-form text odor descriptions contain additional perceptual information in their syntactic structure compared to semantic labels. We further introduce CIRANO (Chemical Information Recognition and Annotation Network for Odors), a transformer-based model that generates free-form odor descriptions directly from molecular structure, thus implementing the molecular structure-to-text (S2T) prediction. CIRANO achieves performance comparable to humans. Finally, we generate human-like descriptions from mouse olfactory bulb neural data using an invertible SBERT model, yielding neural-to-text (N2T) predictions highly aligned with human descriptions. Together, CIRANO and ODIEU establish a standardized framework for generating natural language olfactory descriptions and evaluating their alignment with human perception.

Grounding olfactory perception in language: Benchmarks and models for generating natural language odor descriptions bioRxivpreprint

ICYMI: Design-driven optimization of low-cost reagent formulations for reproducible and high-yielding cell-free gene expression @natcomms.nature.com

Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 16, Pages 282: Digital Parent–Child Intervention on Children’s Exercise Behavior and Psychological Development—A Randomized Controlled Trial Based on Family Perspective Objective: From a family perspective, this study aimed to examine the effects of a 12-week digital platform-based parent–child exercise intervention on children’s behavioral level (physical activity), psychological level (physical exercise attitude), and mental health. Methods: This study included 218 students aged 10–11 years who underwent a 12-week standardized parent–child exercise intervention. The intervention group completed two structured parent–child tasks per week through a digital platform (Ding Talk App) while maintaining regular physical education classes; the control group only maintained their regular physical education classes. Assessments were conducted using the Physical Activity Rating Scale, Exercise Attitude Scale, and mental health scales (The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)) at four stages: pre-intervention (T1), mid-intervention (T2), post-intervention (T3), and a 2-month follow-up period (T4). The intervention effects and effect sizes (ηp2) were examined using Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance. Results: At the behavioral level, a significant group × time interaction was found for physical activity volume (F = 17.651, p = 0.04, ηp2 = 0.138), indicating the presence of a moderate effect. At the psychological level, significant interactions were observed across exercise attitude dimensions (behavioral attitude: F = 3.699, p = 0.002, ηp2 = 0.033; perceived behavioral control: F = 4.189, p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.037; subjective norm: F = 4.616, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.040) and mental health measures (depression: F = 4.009, p = 0.026, ηp2 = 0.044; anxiety: F = 3.1, p = 0.016, ηp2 = 0.020), though no significant effect was found for behavioral intention (F = 1.346, p = 0.259, ηp2 = 0.012), with all significant effects being relatively weak. Conclusions: The home–school collaborative, digital platform-based parent–child exercise intervention demonstrated positive effects on children’s physical activity volume, exercise attitudes, and mental health, offering a feasible and promising strategy to support more integrated child health promotion initiatives.

Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 16, Pages 282: Digital Parent–Child Intervention on Children’s Exercise Behavior and Psychological Development—A Randomized Controlled Trial Based on Family Perspective BehSciMDPI

Beyond the sandy bottom: evolutionary and taxonomic insights into lizardfishes (Teleostei: Aulopiformes) Background Lizardfishes (family Synodontidae) are benthic, carnivorous fishes that primarily inhabit tropical and subtropical sandy seabeds and play an important role in benthic ecosystem functioning. They are characterized by cylindrical bodies and large mouths and currently comprise 84 recognized species across four genera: Synodus, Harpadon, Saurida, and Trachinocephalus. However, the systematics of the Synodontidae—from higher-level classification to species-level taxonomy—has remained contentious since the family was established by Gill in 1861, highlighting the need for a robust phylogenetic framework for further revision. This study aimed to (1) reconstruct the phylogeny of the Synodontidae and related Aulopiformes, (2) test the monophyly of the family and its genera, and (3) assess species diversity and validity using an integrated approach. Methods We analyzed a multi-nuclear gene dataset (RH, RAG1, ZIC1, and ENC1) and complete mitochondrial genomes to investigate higher-level phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary origins, and divergence times within the Aulopiformes. Intra-familial relationships were examined using combined mitochondrial 12S and COI gene datasets, and species-level taxonomy was assessed using 1,688 COI sequences from public and newly generated data. Results Higher-level phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Synodontidae is not monophyletic, however, its two subfamilies, Synodontinae and Harpadontinae, formed well-supported, distinct monophyletic groups, justifying their recognition at the family level. Among the four genera, only Harpadon and Trachinocephalus were monophyletic. Divergence time estimates suggest that the last common ancestor of the Synodontinae (=Synodontidae stat. nov.) originated in the Late Cretaceous, while the Harpadontinae (=Harpadontidae stat. nov.) emerged in the Eocene. Species delimitation based on compiled COI sequences, using Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) and Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes (bPTP) methods and supported by additional evidence, identified 108 putative species among approximately 60 morphospecies, revealing substantial cryptic diversity. Conclusions This study clarifies the evolutionary history and taxonomy of the Synodontidae, supporting the reclassification of its subfamilies as distinct families and revealing extensive hidden species diversity. These findings provide a robust framework for future research on the systematics of lizardfishes and other aulopiform fishes.

Beyond the sandy bottom: evolutionary and taxonomic insights into lizardfishes (Teleostei: Aulopiformes) @peerj.bsky.social

Dynamic expectation strength and precision shape human pain perception through shared and dissociable α-oscillatory mechanisms by Jia Li, Shihao Chen, Libo Zhang, Lingling Weng, Xinxin Lin, Yiheng Tu, Weiwei Peng Human pain perception is not solely driven by sensory input but is dynamically modulated by what we expect to feel and how confident we are in those expectations. Yet, the temporal mechanisms through which evolving expectations shape pain remain poorly understood. Here, we combined a probabilistic cueing paradigm with computational modeling and EEG to dissociate two core components of expectation: strength (a recency-weighted estimate of predicted pain) and precision (the inverse variability of recent predictions). Trial-wise strength estimates closely tracked subjective expectations and outperformed static cue labels, validating the model’s psychological relevance. Expectation strength and precision exerted dissociable effects on pain processing: strength enhanced, whereas precision suppressed, pain-evoked responses. Critically, anticipatory α-band activity mediated these effects via distinct topographical patterns—expectation strength reduced fronto-central α power (reflecting heightened vigilance), while precision increased contralateral sensorimotor α-synchronization (supporting sensory gating). Source-level mediation analyses identified a right-lateralized dorsolateral prefrontal–sensorimotor cortices (DLPFC-SM1) integrating both components, with strength-specific engagement of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). These effects were supported by Bayesian inference and pooled mega-analyses, underscoring their robustness. Together, these findings highlight cortical α-oscillations as dual-control mechanisms for predictive integration, with DLPFC–SM1 as a shared expectation hub and mPFC as a strength-specific node. By moving beyond static cue-based models, this framework captures the adaptive dynamics of expectation and provides a neurocomputational foundation for targeted interventions in chronic pain.

Dynamic expectation strength and precision shape human pain perception through shared and dissociable α-oscillatory mechanisms @PLOSBiology.org

Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Constipation: Unraveling Causal Links Through Genetic Analysis Brain and Behavior, Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2026.

Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Constipation: Unraveling Causal Links Through Genetic Analysis Br&Beh

Distinguishing between response conflict and error expectancy in inhibitory error processing: the role of the presupplementary motor cortex SciReports

BEEhaviourLab: A high-throughput platform for sublethal stressor screening in insects Chemical risk assessment for insects relies largely on mortality endpoints in a few model species, limiting detection of ecologically relevant sublethal effects and cross-taxon comparisons. Behaviour is a sensitive indicator of neurotoxic stress, but scalable, standardised measurement has remained challenging. We present BEEhaviourLab, a low-cost, automated platform for high-throughput behavioural phenotyping. The system integrates parallel video and audio recording with computer vision tracking, acoustic classification, experimental control, and automated analyses, enabling long-duration experiments across many replicates and species. A single lightweight object-detection model tracks multiple untagged insects simultaneously, including individuals from different taxa (e.g., bees and hoverflies). Using this platform, we quantify species-specific circadian activity patterns and assess toxicity of the widely used veterinary pesticide moxidectin in the bumble bee (Bombus terrestris). Acute contact exposure caused dose-dependent reductions in locomotion and buzzing at sublethal concentrations, with acoustic measures more sensitive than video. These results demonstrate that scalable, multimodal behavioural phenotyping can detect biologically meaningful neurotoxic disruption well below lethal thresholds, providing a practical path to integrate sublethal endpoints into chemical risk assessment.

BEEhaviourLab: A high-throughput platform for sublethal stressor screening in insects bioRxivpreprint

Perspective: The Future of the Southern Resident Killer Whales Depends on Interactions With Other Killer Whale Populations Ecology and Evolution, Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2026.

Perspective: The Future of the Southern Resident Killer Whales Depends on Interactions With Other Killer Whale Populations Ecol&Evol

Aerophilic debubbling Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 9, March 2026. SignificanceFrom soda to reactors, bubbles gather on interfaces and alter system behavior. These bubbles compromise throughput, selectivity, and stability in reactors, separations, and microfluidics, while driving foaming in natural systems. Here, we show ...

Aerophilic debubbling @PNAS.org

Do aphid endosymbiotic bacteria influence parasitoid searching #behavior through changes in aphid honeydew production? Ecological Entomology, EarlyView.

Do aphid endosymbiotic bacteria influence parasitoid searching #behavior through changes in aphid honeydew production? EcolEntomol

Sex change in clownfish as an ARCH-governed biological decision Publication date: April 2026 Source: Hormones and Behavior, Volume 180 Author(s): Tahir Rahman

Sex change in clownfish as an ARCH-governed biological decision HormBehav