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Atmospheric phosphorus deposition may cause lakes to revert from phosphorus limitation back to nitrogen limitation
Increased atmospheric input of nitrogen has shifted planktonic lake nutrient systems from natural nitrogen to human-induced phosphorus limitation. This study proposes that decades of increased atmospheric phosphorus in the Pyrenean lake district may have reverted the system from phosphorus back to nitrogen-limited.
- L. Camarero
- & J. Catalan
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Extreme binocular vision and a straight bill facilitate tool use in New Caledonian crows
Humans, with their opposable thumbs, are not the only species with tool-related morphological adaptations. This study shows that tool use in New Caledonian crows is facilitated by a straight bill, enabling a firm grip on tools, and an extremely wide binocular field, affording excellent visual feedback.
- Jolyon Troscianko
- , Auguste M.P. von Bayern
- & Graham R. Martin
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Food web expansion and contraction in response to changing environmental conditions
The analysis of food web properties under different environmental conditions informs us how the ecosystem functions. Here, Tunneyet al. use post-glacial lakes as model ecosystems to show how macroscopic patterns of food webs vary with changes in habitat and resource accessibility.
- Tyler D. Tunney
- , Kevin S. McCann
- & Brian J. Shuter
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| Open AccessEscherichia coli noncoding RNAs can affect gene expression and physiology of Caenorhabditis elegans
It is known that differences in the bacterial food ofCaenorhabditis elegans can alter their behaviour. In this study, bacteria expressing two different noncoding RNAs alter the chemosensory and longevity of C. elegans, suggesting a role in modulating C. elegansphysiology.
- Huijie Liu
- , Xueren Wang
- & Ge Shan
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The use of the sex pheromone as an evolutionary solution to food source selection in caterpillars
Sex pheromones are used by adult members of a species to attract a mate. This study proposes that the larvae of the cotton leafwormSpodoptera littoralisare attracted to sex pheromones and prefer a food source containing it, suggesting an alternative use of the sex pheromone to trigger food search in caterpillars.
- Erwan Poivet
- , Kacem Rharrabe
- & Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
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Evidence for methane production by saprotrophic fungi
Methane is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas and is thought to be produced by industrial processes and prokaryotic methanogenic Archaea. In this study, the saprotrophic fungi,Basidiomycetes, is shown to produce methane in the absence of methanogenic Archaea.
- Katharina Lenhart
- , Michael Bunge
- & Frank Keppler
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| Open AccessSocial networks reveal cultural behaviour in tool-using dolphins
Whether humans are the only animals with cultural behaviour remains an open question in behavioural research. Here, a network analysis of the social preferences among bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia finds that tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, suggesting the presence of cultural behaviour.
- Janet Mann
- , Margaret A. Stanton
- & Lisa O. Singh
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A halictid bee with sympatric solitary and eusocial nests offers evidence for Hamilton's rule
Theory states that sterile worker bees compensate for a lack of direct fitness by contributing to the nest, but testing this has been difficult. Here, for the solitary and eusocial beeL. baleicum, the inclusive fitness of an eusocial worker is higher than that of a solitary female, satisfying the rule in the field.
- Norihiro Yagi
- & Eisuke Hasegawa
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| Open AccessPattern of extinction of the woolly mammoth in Beringia
Beringian mammoths were abundant 45,000 to 30,000 years ago, but then experienced a long decline in concert with changes in climate, habitat and human presence. This study uses14C dating to trace their spatio temporal pattern of extinction until the loss of final island populations about 4,000 years ago.
- G.M. MacDonald
- , D.W. Beilman
- & B. Van Valkenburgh
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Unfavourable environment limits social conflict in Yuhina brunneiceps
Ecological factors impact cooperative and competitive behaviour, creating social conflict. Here, predictions from a game-theory model together with observations of Taiwan yuhinas—a joint-nesting species where group members are unrelated—show that these birds are more cooperative in unfavourable environmental conditions.
- Sheng-Feng Shen
- , Sandra L. Vehrencamp
- & Hsiao-Wei Yuan
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The oceanic biological pump modulates the atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants to the Arctic
Persistent organic pollutants can reach and pollute pristine environments, such as the Arctic Ocean, through atmospheric transport. This study shows that the oceanic biological pump can sequester atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls, reducing the transport of pollutants to the Arctic Ocean.
- Cristóbal Galbán-Malagón
- , Naiara Berrojalbiz
- & Jordi Dachs
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| Open AccessGene-associated markers provide tools for tackling illegal fishing and false eco-certification
Catch certificates and eco-labels are used to control illegal fishing worldwide, however, independent control methods are needed. Here, gene-associated SNPs are used to assign individual marine fish back to their population of origin with high precision, with potential application for illegal fishing control.
- Einar E. Nielsen
- , Alessia Cariani
- & Gary R. Carvalho
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| Open AccessSymbiont fidelity and the origin of species in fungus-growing ants
Fungus-growing ants cultivate fungi for food, but it is unclear whether single ant and fungal species are exclusive to one another. This study ofC. wheeleriants and their fungi shows that each ant species has been associated with a single fungal cultivar species for millions of years and that ant speciation coincides with shifts in fungal use.
- Natasha J. Mehdiabadi
- , Ulrich G. Mueller
- & Ted R. Schultz
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| Open AccessContrasting arbuscular mycorrhizal responses of vascular and non-vascular plants to a simulated Palaeozoic CO2 decline
Vascular plants with root systems evolved in the mid-Palaeozoic with symbiotic fungi. Fieldet al. show that in contrast to non-vascular plants lacking roots, the efficiency of plant–fungal symbiosis increased for vascular plants with root systems as carbon dioxide levels declined in the mid-Palaeozoic.
- Katie J. Field
- , Duncan D. Cameron
- & David J. Beerling
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Dinosaur morphological diversity and the end-Cretaceous extinction
Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago due to volcanism and a bolide impact, but whether their numbers were already declining is still not clear. This study calculates the morphological disparity of seven dinosaur subgroups, showing that at least some groups were in a long-term decline before the extinction.
- Stephen L. Brusatte
- , Richard J. Butler
- & Mark A. Norell
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| Open AccessBats host major mammalian paramyxoviruses
The large virus family,Paramyxoviridae, includes several human and livestock viruses. This study, testing 119 bat and rodent species distributed globally, identifies novel putative paramyxovirus species, providing data with potential uses in predictions of the emergence of novel paramyxoviruses in humans and livestock.
- Jan Felix Drexler
- , Victor Max Corman
- & Christian Drosten
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Past daily light cycle recorded in the strontium/calcium ratios of giant clam shells
A record of the daily light cycle in tropical regions is difficult to extract from biogenic marine carbonates such as shells. Here, the precise analysis of Sr/Ca ratios is shown in a cultivated giant clam shell, revealing variations that reflect the daily light cycle and the potential for future development of a proxy.
- Yuji Sano
- , Sayumi Kobayashi
- & Kenji Iwai
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Power laws reveal phase transitions in landscape controls of fire regimes
Understanding the environmental controls of past wildfires is difficult due to the lack of records of weather or vegetation. This study shows, using cross-scale analysis, how power laws associated with fire-event time series can identify critical thresholds in landscape dynamics in a rapidly changing climate.
- Donald McKenzie
- & Maureen C. Kennedy
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Emergent neutrality leads to multimodal species abundance distributions
Empirical data suggest that species abundance distributions can have multiple modes, which is not predicted by existing theories. This study shows that the multimodal pattern is consistent with emergent neutrality, suggesting this theory could have a role in shaping natural communities.
- Remi Vergnon
- , Egbert H. van Nes
- & Marten Scheffer
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Rapid microbial response to the presence of an ancient relic in the Antarctic Dry Valleys
It is thought that turnover in soil microbiota occurs very slowly in the Antarctic Dry Valleys due to the extreme cold and aridity. Now, Tiaoet al. show that a transformation of microbial communities can happen in a matter of years in soils altered by the presence of a mummified seal.
- Grace Tiao
- , Charles K. Lee
- & S. Craig Cary
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| Open AccessHydrothermal vent fields and chemosynthetic biota on the world's deepest seafloor spreading centre
The Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre is an ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridge in the Caribbean. This study reveals two hydrothermal vent fields on the ridge, including high-temperature vents on an off-axis oceanic core complex where, similar to Mid-Atlantic vents, an alvinocaridid shrimp is common at both vent fields.
- Douglas P. Connelly
- , Jonathan T. Copley
- & Sally Wilcox
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| Open AccessAdvantage of rare infanticide strategies in an invasion experiment of behavioural polymorphism
The origin and maintenance of non-parental infanticide is a puzzling phenomenon in wild animal populations. This study of infanticide in a population of bank voles confirms negative frequency-dependent selection in nature and shows potential benefits of this apparently harmful behaviour.
- Tapio Mappes
- , Jouni Aspi
- & Juha Tuomi
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River-margin habitat of Ardipithecus ramidus at Aramis, Ethiopia 4.4 million years ago
The habitat where early humans, hominins, lived provides information about the early part of human evolution. In this study, sedimentological and stable carbon and oxygen isotope data suggest homininArdipithecus ramiduslived in a river-margin forest in a wooded grassland landscape at Aramis, Ethiopia.
- M. Royhan Gani
- & Nahid D. Gani
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The use of referential gestures in ravens (Corvus corax) in the wild
Human children use referential gestures such as showing, offering and pointing, which are thought to form the foundation of language skills. Here, evidence is provided of ravens (Corvus corax) using showing and offering to direct other's attention, as an example of referential gesturing in a non-primate lineage.
- Simone Pika
- & Thomas Bugnyar
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Tactile stimulation lowers stress in fish
The health benefits of massage therapy, like the reduction of stress, have so far only been shown in humans. This study uses modelling to demonstrate that, while visiting cleaner fish to have ectoparasites removed, the physical stimulation also acts to reduce stress in the coral reef fish,Ctenochaetus striatus.
- Marta C. Soares
- , Rui F. Oliveira
- & Redouan Bshary
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Experimental drying intensifies burning and carbon losses in a northern peatland
Peatlands are a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and make up a large soil carbon reservoir. Here, studies of the interaction between drainage and fire show that long-term carbon emissions will likely exceed rates of carbon uptake, reducing the northern peatland carbon sink.
- M.R. Turetsky
- , W.F. Donahue
- & B.W. Benscoter
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Heterothermy in growing king penguins
Small endothermic animals often drop their body temperature—a process known as heterothermy—to conserve energy. This study demonstrates heterothermy in king penguin chicks (Aptenodytes patagonicus), a finding unexpected for such large birds, but which may account for the chicks’ fasting capacity of five months.
- Götz Eichhorn
- , René Groscolas
- & Yves Handrich
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Location-specific patterns of exposure to recent pre-pandemic strains of influenza A in southern China
Population demographics affect influenza transmission at large spatial scales. Here, influenza immunity is shown to vary spatially in a way unexplained by differences in demographics, suggesting that there are aspects of locations that drive influenza transmission other than individual and household risk factors.
- Justin Lessler
- , Derek A.T. Cummings
- & Steven Riley
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Silver hake tracks changes in Northwest Atlantic circulation
Many organisms are responding to a warming climate by shifts in spatial distribution. The poleward movement of silver hake,Merluccius bilinearis, over the last forty years is related to the position of the Gulf Stream and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through changes in local bottom water temperature.
- Janet A. Nye
- , Terrence M. Joyce
- & Jason S. Link
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| Open AccessDust inputs and bacteria influence dissolved organic matter in clear alpine lakes
Dissolved organic matter, the main form of aquatic organic carbon, supports the aquatic food web and regulates light penetration in lakes. This study probes the main influences on the optical properties of dissolved organic matter in a global dataset of alpine and remote lakes revealing latitudinal trends.
- N. Mladenov
- , R. Sommaruga
- & I. Reche
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Monogamy and haplodiploidy act in synergy to promote the evolution of eusociality
Why some species have evolved to produce sterile individuals working for the benefit of others has yet to be fully explained. Now, a mathematical model of the dynamics of insect colony foundation, growth and death shows that monogamy and haplodiploidy facilitate the evolution of this societal structure.
- Lutz Fromhage
- & Hanna Kokko
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Identification and characterization of a multidomain hyperthermophilic cellulase from an archaeal enrichment
Archaea are microorganisms that use a wide range of carbon and energy sources. Grahamet al. describe an archaeal consortium that can grow at temperatures above 90 °C using crystalline cellulose as a carbon source, with potential applications in enzymatic degradation under extreme conditions.
- Joel E. Graham
- , Melinda E. Clark
- & Frank T. Robb
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Global-scale latitudinal patterns of plant fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus
Through fine-root nutrient chemistry, it is possible to study ecosystem-scale biogeochemical cycling. Compiling data from 211 studies measuring nitrogen and phosphorus in plant roots, Yuanet al. find that tropical ecosystems are more phosphorous-limited than higher latitudes.
- Z.Y. Yuan
- , Han Y.H. Chen
- & Peter B. Reich
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Contemporary and historical separation of transequatorial migration between genetically distinct seabird populations
Migratory segregation presents a hypothesized barrier to gene flow among seabirds, but its mechanisms are unclear. Rayneret al. find that migratory habitat specialization, associated with breeding asynchrony and philopatry, restricts gene flow between two seabird populations migrating across the Pacific Ocean.
- Matt J. Rayner
- , Mark E. Hauber
- & Scott A. Shaffer
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Unexpected layers of cryptic diversity in wood white Leptidea butterflies
The cryptic Wood White butterflies,Leptidea sinapis and Leptidea reali, represent a model for the study of speciation. Dincă et al. use DNA and chromosome data to show that this group, in fact, consists of a triplet of species, a result that provides a new perspective on cryptic biodiversity.
- Vlad Dincă
- , Vladimir A. Lukhtanov
- & Roger Vila
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| Open AccessPhytoplankton growth after a century of dormancy illuminates past resilience to catastrophic darkness
Global darkness from an asteroid impact 65.5 million years ago led to massive extinction of oceanic phytoplankton, but coastal groups survived. Ribeiroet al.revive coastal dinoflagellates after a century of dormancy, suggesting phytoplankton survived the extinction and helped restore photosynthesis in the ocean.
- Sofia Ribeiro
- , Terje Berge
- & Marianne Ellegaard
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| Open AccessThe IncP-1 plasmid backbone adapts to different host bacterial species and evolves through homologous recombination
Plasmids are present in many bacteria and are often transferred between different species causing horizontal gene transfer. By comparing the sequences of 25 plasmid DNA backbones, the authors show that homologous recombination is prevalent in plasmids and that the plasmids have adapted to persist in different host bacteria.
- Peter Norberg
- , Maria Bergström
- & Malte Hermansson
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| Open AccessAnts and termites increase crop yield in a dry climate
The presence of earthworms is known to enhance the quality and moisture of soil in cool and wet climates. Evanset al. show that termites and ants can improve soil quality in warmer and drier climates—their presence results in elevated water infiltration and nitrogen content, leading to increased wheat yields.
- Theodore A. Evans
- , Tracy Z. Dawes
- & Nathan Lo
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Coastal pollution limits pelagic larval dispersal
Storm water runoff and wastewater effluent are discharged into oceans, but the full ecological effects of these discharges are unknown. Here, the authors examine the population structure of a marine organism, the bat star, and show that these discharges alter the genetic structure and larval dispersal of this species.
- Jonathan B. Puritz
- & Robert J. Toonen
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Growth rates of Florida corals from 1937 to 1996 and their response to climate change
Ocean acidification due to increasing carbon dioxide levels can affect the growth and viability of corals. In this study, the authors measured extension, calcification and density in Florida corals collected in 1996, and show that recent climate change did not cause a decline in their extension or calcification.
- Kevin P. Helmle
- , Richard E. Dodge
- & C. Mark Eakin
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| Open AccessMultiple S-isotopic evidence for episodic shoaling of anoxic water during Late Permian mass extinction
A final catastrophe killed 90% of marine species at the end of the Permian period, but significant biodiversity loss preceded this event. In this study, sulphur isotope evidence suggests that incursion of anoxic water into shallow regions may have contributed to biodiversity loss.
- Yanan Shen
- , James Farquhar
- & Boswell A. Wing
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| Open AccessClimate change drives microevolution in a wild bird
Organisms are expected to adapt to climate change because of selection pressures. Here, the authors demonstrate that brown morphs of Finnish owls are selected against in winters with plentiful snow, and concordantly, increasing winter temperatures and lower snow fall results in the selection of the brown morph.
- Patrik Karell
- , Kari Ahola
- & Jon E. Brommer
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| Open AccessSoil clay content underlies prion infection odds
The infectious prion diseases affect numerous hoofed animal species, and it has been suggested that the properties of the local soil affect transmission of these diseases. Here, the authors studied two North American locations and demonstrate that soil clay content can influence the infection rate in deer.
- W. David Walter
- , Daniel P. Walsh
- & Michael W. Miller
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A bacterial proteorhodopsin proton pump in marine eukaryotes
Proteorhodopsin is used by prokaryotes to generate energy from light. In this study, the authors describe a prokaryote-to-eukaryote horizontal gene transfer of a bacterial proteorhodopsin gene to dinoflagellates, suggesting that these eukaryotes can also use proteorhodopsin to obtain light and produce energy.
- Claudio H. Slamovits
- , Noriko Okamoto
- & Patrick J. Keeling
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| Open AccessPredicting climate change impacts on polar bear litter size
Predicting ecological impacts of climate change is complicated, because key biological parameters are unknown for future conditions. Using a mechanistic energy budget model to relate sea ice to polar bear reproduction, Molnáret al.predict decreases in litter size with anticipated changes in sea ice.
- Péter K. Molnár
- , Andrew E. Derocher
- & Mark A. Lewis
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| Open AccessOceanic spawning ecology of freshwater eels in the western North Pacific
Little is known about the reproductive ecology of freshwater eels. In this article, the authors describe the capture of two species of eels together with eggs and newly hatched larvae, and suggest that spawning takes place during the new moon at shallower depths than previously thought.
- Katsumi Tsukamoto
- , Seinen Chow
- & Hideki Tanaka
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| Open AccessAncient origins determine global biogeography of hot and cold desert cyanobacteria
Microorganisms are abundant in many environments and understanding their dispersal between ecosystems is important for ecology and conservation. These authors demonstrate that cyanobacterial populations are specific to hot or cold deserts and that gene flow between different populations does not occur.
- Justin Bahl
- , Maggie C. Y. Lau
- & Stephen B. Pointing
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| Open AccessA speciation gene for left–right reversal in snails results in anti-predator adaptation
A single gene results in either dextral or sinistral snail shell coiling and snails with different coils cannot copulate. Here, the authors provide evidence of how such an allele can become fixed in a population by showing that snails with a counterclockwise sinistral coil are protected from predators.
- Masaki Hoso
- , Yuichi Kameda
- & Michio Hori
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Historical land use change has lowered terrestrial silica mobilization
Continental export of silicon to the coast is linked to ocean carbon sinks, but terrestrial silicon fluxes have not been quantified. Here, human deforestation and cultivation of the landscape are shown to be the most important factors in silicon mobilization in temperate European watersheds.
- Eric Struyf
- , Adriaan Smis
- & Patrick Meire
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