Plumage brightness predicts male mating success in the lekking golden-collared manakin, Manacus vitellinus

The evolution of colorful plumage has been dramatic in lekkingspecies. Several studies show that the size of colorful traitsinfluence female choice in leks; however, relatively littleis known about the specific function of color, in particularits spectral properties, in lekking taxa. To determine the importanceof color in a lekking species, we monitored the mating successof male golden-collared manakins, Manacus vitellinus, and relatedthis to spectral measures of their colorful plumage, as wellas other morphological and behavioral traits shown to be importantin other lekking species. We found that lek centrality, malebody size, and plumage brightness were associated with malemating success. Only plumage brightness, however, entered amultiple regression model, indicating that plumage is the overallbest predictor of mating success. These results provide evidencethat the spectral properties of colorful plumage predict malemating success in a lekking species and provide important insightinto why many lekking birds are dichromatic and elaborate incoloration.     

Retinal topography of ganglion cells in immature ocean sunfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mola mola</Emphasis>

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the largest known bony fish. Based on prior studies of diet composition, it is considered to be a pelagic zooplanktivore. However, a recent study using acoustic telemetry revealed that they repeatedly dive to depths of >50 m during the day. We examined the distribution of cells within the retinal ganglion cell layer in the immature ocean sunfish (c.a. 50 cm total length) and estimated their visual acuity with respect to the main visual axis and visual fields. Visual acuity was between 3.37 and 4.41 cycles/degree. The region of highest cell density was located in the dorso-temporal retina, indicating that the main visual axis of ocean sunfish is directed towards the lower frontal portion of the visual field. This axis is considered beneficial for detecting prey items when the sunfish are migrating vertically through the water column, and in foraging behavior near the sea bottom.     

Assessing temporal dynamics of predation and effectiveness of caterpillar visual defense using sawfly larval color and resting posture as a model

Caterpillars (Lepidoptera and Symphyta larvae) employ diverse visual defensive tactics, and effectiveness of such tactics may be highly dynamic across time due to seasonal changes in the predator assemblages and their preferences. However, this has rarely been studied especially in tropical regions. Here we assessed temporal changes in the defensive value of caterpillar color and shape, using six types of plasticine dummy caterpillars: three colors (green, black, and white) × two shapes (curled and straight). These dummy caterpillars were deployed five times over different seasons in tropical forests of Xishuangbanna (China) and, as a comparison, twice in a temperate forest of Hirosaki (Japan). The colors and shapes of dummy caterpillars simulate visual traits of black sawfly larvae which take the curled resting posture in tropical rainforests of Xishuangbanna, apparently masquerading excrements commonly found on plants, while in Hirosaki there is no black-curled sawfly larvae and few excrements on plants. We found no significant effects of caterpillar colors or shapes on predation in Hirosaki. In contrast, black and curled caterpillars received significantly lower predation by birds in Xishuangbanna constantly across time. However, we were unable to provide evidence that the black-curled sawfly larvae are masquerading as excrements. Shapes of the dummy caterpillars also affected the predation by ants and parasitoid wasps at certain times. This is the first report on ecological function of the curled posture of sawfly larvae, and we demonstrated the importance to assess the temporal dynamics of predation and effectiveness of defensive tactics in tropical forests.     

Comparison between touchscreen operant chambers and water maze to detect early prefrontal dysfunction in mice

The relative lack of sensitive and clinically valid tests of rodent behavior might be one of the reasons for the limited success of the clinical translation of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) research findings. There is a general interest in innovative behavioral methodology, and protocols have been proposed for touchscreen operant chambers that might be superior to existing cognitive assessment methods. We assessed and analyzed touchscreen performance in several novel ways to examine the possible occurrence of early signs of prefrontal (PFC) functional decline in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD. Touchscreen learning performance was compared between APP/PS1-21 mice and wildtype littermates on a C57BL/6J background at 3, 6 and 12 months of age in parallel to the assessment of spatial learning, memory and cognitive flexibility in the Morris water maze (MWM). We found that older mice generally needed more training sessions to complete the touchscreen protocol than younger ones. Older mice also displayed defects in MWM working memory performance, but touchscreen protocols detected functional changes beginning at 3 months of age. Histological changes in PFC of APP/PS1 mice indeed occurred as early as 3 months. Our results suggest that touchscreen operant protocols are more sensitive to PFC dysfunction, which is of relevance to the use of these tasks and devices in preclinical AD research and experimental pharmacology.     

Non‐visual cues and indirect strategies that enable discrimination of asymmetric mates

The postulates of developmental instability–sexual selection hypothesis is intensely debated among evolutionary biologists, wherein despite a large amount of empirical data, evidence for or against it has been largely inconclusive. A key assumption of this hypothesis is that animals assess symmetry in potential mates as an indicator of genetic quality (developmental stability), and consequently use this information to discriminate against those with higher asymmetries while choosing mates. However, the perceptional basis that must underlie such discriminatory behavior (is symmetry a signal or is symmetry signaled) is not clearly defined. It is also argued that since asymmetry levels in natural populations are very low, the low signal‐to‐noise ratio would make accurate assessment of symmetry both difficult and costly. Rather than attempting to validate this hypothesis or even as to whether animals assess mate symmetry, this review simply aims to examine the plausibility that animals perceive symmetry (directly or indirectly) and consequently discriminate against asymmetric mates in response to perceived irregularities during courtship. For this, we review mate choice and courtship literature to identify potential sensory cues that might advertise asymmetry or lead to discrimination of asymmetric individuals. Although signaling associated with mate choice is commonly multimodal, previous studies on asymmetry have mainly focused on visual perception. In the light of a recent study (Vijendravarma et al., 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119, e2116136119), this review attempts to balance this bias by emphasizing on non‐visual perception of asymmetry. In conclusion, we discuss the methodological challenges associated with testing the role of multimodal cues in detecting mate asymmetry, and highlight the importance of considering ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary aspects of animals while interpreting empirical data that test such hypothesis.     

Aphid orientation and performance in glasshouses under different UV‐A/UV‐B radiation regimes

Visual cues leading to host selection and landing are of major importance for aphids and evidence suggests that flight activity is very dependent on ultraviolet (UV)‐A radiation in the environment. At the same time research on insect plant hosts suggest that the UV‐B component can deter some pests via changes in secondary metabolite chemistry. Here, we examine the potential of UV (UV‐A/UV‐B) radiation to control insect pests in the glasshouse environment. We first examined artificial exposure to UV‐B and the potential to trigger morphological and biochemical modifications in pepper (Capsicum annuum L., Solanaceae) with implications for the fitness of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae). UV‐B caused accumulation of leaf secondary metabolites and soluble carbohydrates, and stimulated photosynthetic pigments. However, UV‐B did not impact on foliar protein content and aphid performance was unaffected. Next, we studied how altering the UV‐A/UV‐B ratio environment affected aphid orientation and spatial distribution over time, either directly or by exposing plants to supplemental UV before insect introduction. Aphids directly settled and dispersed on their host pepper plants more readily in the presence of supplemental UV‐A and UV‐B. In the control treatment with ambient glasshouse UV‐A and UV‐B, insects remained more aggregated. Furthermore, insects were less attracted to peppers pre‐exposed to supplemental UV‐A and UV‐B radiation. Our results suggest that suppression of UV‐A and UV‐B inside the protected environment reduces aphid colonization and dispersal. Furthermore, application of moderate exposure of young pepper plants to supplemental UV‐B radiation could aid in protection from the colonization by phytophagous insects.     

Adaptive signaling behavior in stomatopods under varying light conditions

Stomatopod crustaceans (mantis shrimp) are aggressive benthic marine predators with extraordinary color vision. When communicating with conspecifics, many stomatopods display conspicuously colored body areas, often in combination with other types of signals such as motion and chemical cues. Some species occupy wide depth ranges (>30 m), where changing light conditions can influence color perception. To test the potential effects of differing ambient lights on signaling behavior, stomatopods (Gonodactylus smithii) interacted with conspecifics in aquaria, under full-spectrum, high intensity light or light restricted in either spectrum or intensity. During intrasexual and intersexual trials in full-spectrum, high intensity light, animals performed more aggressive acts using colored body parts (meral spread, lunge, strike). Stomatopods used significantly more antennular flicking, and performed aggressive acts at reduced distances under restricted light conditions. To compare the use of antennules in visual and chemical communication, additional experiments showed more antennular flicking in response to chemical stimuli from food or conspecifics compared to seawater controls. This response ceased immediately after ablation of antennular chemoreceptors but returned to pre-treatment levels after 5 days of recovery. These findings suggest that stomatopods can vary their use of signals during conspecific interactions under different photic conditions. These inducible, plastic behavioral responses can potentially improve signal transfer in varying light environments.     

Structural role of the T94I rhodopsin mutation in congenital stationary night blindness

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an inherited and non‐progressive retinal dysfunction. Here, we present the crystal structure of CSNB‐causing T94I^2.61 rhodopsin in the active conformation at 2.3 Å resolution. The introduced hydrophobic side chain prolongs the lifetime of the G protein activating metarhodopsin‐II state by establishing a direct van der Waals contact with K296^7.43, the site of retinal attachment. This is in stark contrast to the light‐activated state of the CSNB‐causing G90D^2.57 mutation, where the charged mutation forms a salt bridge with K296^7.43. To find the common denominator between these two functional modifications, we combined our structural data with a kinetic biochemical analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. Our results indicate that both the charged G90D^2.57 and the hydrophobic T94I^2.61 mutation alter the dark state by weakening the interaction between the Schiff base (SB) and its counterion E113^3.28. We propose that this interference with the tight regulation of the dim light photoreceptor rhodopsin increases background noise in the visual system and causes the loss of night vision characteristic for CSNB patients.     

NO EVIDENCE OF ACCOMMODATION IN THE EYES OF THE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS

Bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) are aquatic mammals that must come to the surface to breathe. As a result, it might be expected that their eyes are adapted for both aerial and underwater vision. Earlier studies suggest that dolphins are emmetropic ( i. e. , focused at infinity) in water, and in some cases, emmetropic in air, although the mechanisms that permit these animals to see well in both media are not well understood. Nor is it known whether they can accommodate to focus sharply on objects at different distances. We employed video photoretinoscopy to investigate the possibility of an active accommodative mechanism in the eyes of the bottlenose dolphin in water. Measurements of the refractive state in water indicated near emmetropia for two individuals and slight myopia (nearsightedness) for the third individual. No clear cases of accommodation were observed underwater in any of the subjects examined. Vision underwater may be used to supplement echolocation. If so, such a role might not require an accommodative mechanism.     

Orientation responses of the grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes, to visual, olfactory and wind stimuli and their combinations

Prereproductive adults of the grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.) (Orthoptera, Acrididae), demonstrated orientation and movement towards both visual and olfactory stimulus sources in a still-air chamber. Visual stimuli (wheat and lima bean foliage, vertical black or yellow-green stripes, and a yellow-green broad leaf pattern) were approached more frequently than the control white background surface. Olfactory stimuli (chopped wheat foliage and a four-component, synthetic, grass odor blend of volatiles) elicited an even greater positive response than the visual stimuli. Changing the proportions of the four volatiles in the blend significantly reduced positive orientation responses to the stimulus source. Visual cues of wheat foliage and olfactory cues of either chopped wheat odor or the grass odor blend gave greater responses when combined than when presented separately.In flowing air or wind, nearly all insects demonstrated a rapid positive response to odors of chopped wheat and the grass odor blend, significantly greater than the response to the same stimuli in still air. However, positive responses to visual cues were not significantly greater in wind than in still air. When combined with the olfactory stimuli in flowing air, visual cues did not increase the incidence of response. Grasshoppers responding to grass odors in wind moved more rapidly and directly toward the source, and stopped less often and for shorter durations than insects responding to odor in still air or to visual cues.We conclude from these studies that M. sanguinipes adults show orientation behavior to both visual and olfactory stimuli from food plant sources, although leaf odors elicit a stronger positive response particularly when carried by wind.