The ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in the facial skeleton of the African apes

This paper aims to test the contribution of ontogenetic scaling to sexual dimorphism of the facial skeleton in the African apes. Specifically, it addresses whether males and females of each species share a common postnatal ontogenetic shape trajectory for the facial skeleton. Where trajectories are found to differ, it is tested whether male and female trajectories: 1) diverge early, or 2) diverge later after sharing a common trajectory earlier in the postnatal period. Where ontogenetic shape trajectories are found to be shared, it is also tested whether males and females are ontogenetically scaled. This study uses geometric morphometric analyses of 28 landmarks from the facial skeletons of 137 G. g. gorilla (62 adults; 75 juveniles), 95 P. paniscus (34 adults; 61 juveniles), and 115 P. t. troglodytes (58 adults; 57 juveniles). On average, males and females share a common ontogenetic shape trajectory until around the eruption of the second permanent molars. In addition, for the same period, males and females in each species share a common ontogenetic scaling trajectory. After this period, males and females diverge both from each other and from the common juvenile ontogenetic shape and scaling trajectories within each species. Thus, the male and female facial skeleton shows ontogenetic scaling until around the point of the eruption of the second molar (i.e., around puberty and the development of secondary sexual characteristics), but subsequent sexual dimorphism occurs via divergent trajectories and not via ontogenetic scaling.     

A unified theory for the energy cost of legged locomotion

Small animals are remarkably efficient climbers but comparatively poor runners, a well-established phenomenon in locomotor energetics that drives size-related differences in locomotor ecology yet remains poorly understood. Here, I derive the energy cost of legged locomotion from two complementary components of muscle metabolism, Activation–Relaxation and Cross-bridge cycling. A mathematical model incorporating these costs explains observed patterns of locomotor cost both within and between species, across a broad range of animals (insects to ungulates), for a wide range of substrate slopes including level running and vertical climbing. This ARC model unifies work- and force-based models for locomotor cost and integrates whole-organism locomotor cost with cellular muscle physiology, creating a predictive framework for investigating evolutionary and ecological pressures shaping limb design and ranging behaviour.     

The rising cost of warming waters: effects of temperature on the cost of swimming in fishes

Understanding the effects of water temperature on the swimming performance of fishes is central in understanding how fish species will respond to global climate change. Metabolic cost of transport (COT)-a measure of the energy required to swim a given distance-is a key performance parameter linked to many aspects of fish life history. We develop a quantitative model to predict the effect of water temperature on COT. The model facilitates comparisons among species that differ in body size by incorporating the body mass-dependence of COT. Data from 22 fish species support the temperature and mass dependencies of COT predicted by our model, and demonstrate that modest differences in water temperature can result in substantial differences in the energetic cost of swimming.     

Wind Drift Compensation in Migrating Dragonflies Pantala (Odonata: Libellulidae)

Tailwind drift compensation serves to maximize a migrant's flight distance on a given amount of energy, and crosswind drift compensation serves to hold a course true and minimize the distance flown. With full or part compensation, airspeeds are predicted to increase with greater crosswind drift. To test whether migrating dragonflies compensated for wind drift, I measured the velocity and heading of Pantala hymenaea and P. flavescens in natural flight over a lake and the ambient wind speed and direction. P. hymenaea flew north-easterly (58°), whereas P. flavescens flew significantly more east–north easterly (74°) throughout the day. Pantala spp. demonstrated part compensation for changes in crosswind drift within individuals (mean compensation = 54%, P = 0.0000), evidence for use of a ground reference to correct for drift when flying over water. Among individuals, P. flavescens compensated for crosswind drift. P. hymenaea overcompensated and then drifted downwind on one morning and compensated for crosswind drift on the next. As predicted from optimal migration theory, airspeed (5.0 m/s for both species with no tailwind) decreased with tailwind velocity both among individuals (data for both species pooled [n = 19], P < 0.0001) and within each individual as it crossed the lake (P = 0.0016).     

Scaling up ideals to freedom: are densities of red knots across western Europe consistent with ideal free distribution?

Local studies have shown that the distribution of red knots Calidris canutus across intertidal mudflats is consistent with the predictions of an ideal distribution, but not a free distribution. Here, we scale up the study of feeding distributions to their entire wintering area in western Europe. Densities of red knots were compared among seven wintering sites in The Netherlands, UK and France, where the available mollusc food stocks were also measured and from where diets were known. We tested between three different distribution models that respectively assumed (i) a uniform distribution of red knots over all areas, (ii) a uniform distribution across all suitable habitat (based on threshold densities of harvestable mollusc prey), and (iii) an ideal and free distribution (IFD) across all suitable habitats. Red knots were not homogeneously distributed across the different European wintering areas, also not when considering suitable habitats only. Their distribution was best explained by the IFD model, suggesting that the birds are exposed to interference and have good knowledge about their resource landscape at the spatial scale of NW Europe, and that the costs of movement between estuaries, at least when averaged over a whole winter, are negligible.