Tag: behavioural ecology

behavioural ecology

Call the police! —Dinoflagellate bioluminescence elicits behavioral cascade

Yuan Huang, Fredrik Ryderheim, Thomas Kiørboe This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology forum article which can be found here. The biological production of bioluminescence is a widespread phenomenon in the oceans, and its hypothesized adaptive significance is diverse. Dinoflagellates, the single-celled aquatic protists, are capable of producing bioluminescence, which is responsible for the observed “glowing” or “burning” seas at night. The … Continue reading Call the police! —Dinoflagellate bioluminescence elicits behavioral cascade

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behavioural ecology, Reviews

Predators’ energetic costs to hunt change through time and space: what does this mean for prey safety?

Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Benjamin Binder, Kevin Boswell, Margaret Malone, Michael Heithaus, Charlie Huveneers, Johann Mourier, Alastair R. Harborne This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Animals have to hunt in a world where their choices may literally mean life or death. While hunting they may themselves be at risk of being killed by a predator, … Continue reading Predators’ energetic costs to hunt change through time and space: what does this mean for prey safety?

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behavioural ecology

Habitat type determined lizard body temperatures, movements, and hormones in the presence of a simulated predator

Travis W. Rusch, Michael W. Sears, Michael J. Angilletta Jr This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. In order to survive, animals must find and acquire resources while also avoiding predators. However, the way animals move through their environment depends on how that environment is set up and also if predators are present. In hot … Continue reading Habitat type determined lizard body temperatures, movements, and hormones in the presence of a simulated predator

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behavioural ecology

Why some lizards fight less when they have more neighbors: A story of adaptation?

Jung-Ya Hsu†, Chun-Chia Chou, Chen-Pan Liao, Jhan-Wei Lin, Ren-Chung Cheng, Wen-San Huang* This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Picture a bustling animal neighborhood where everyone competes for their piece of the pie – that’s territoriality in action. This behavior emerges when resources are limited, and individuals within a population must define their space. But … Continue reading Why some lizards fight less when they have more neighbors: A story of adaptation?

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behavioural ecology

Hot limpets go south, stay cool

Spencer D.S. Virgin and David R. Schiel This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here.             In 2016 a 7.8 Mw earthquake lifted 130 km of coastline along the South Island of New Zealand by up to 6m. This was bad news for most intertidal species. Fortunately, limpets recovered quickly but then had to cope with … Continue reading Hot limpets go south, stay cool

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behavioural ecology

Skill, but not kinematics, improves feeding performance in a seed-eating songbird

Tim Andries,  Wendt Müller, Sam Van Wassenbergh This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Songbirds are impressively fast at consuming seeds. This high speed of seed handling is important, since the more time a bird spends feeding, the longer it is, for example, vulnerable to predators. However, feeding on seeds is a mechanically challenging task. … Continue reading Skill, but not kinematics, improves feeding performance in a seed-eating songbird

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behavioural ecology

Proportional processing of colour patterns in female mate choice

Bernetta Z. W. Kwek, Wei Zhou, Long Yu, Guohua Ding, Daiqin Li This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Animals make decisions, such as mate and prey choice, by discriminating different stimuli. These decisions can be influenced by how well their senses are able to detect the differences between alternative choices. That is, how well … Continue reading Proportional processing of colour patterns in female mate choice

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behavioural ecology

Ants migrate nests to mitigate the impacts of Australia’s worst recorded drought

Terry J. Ord This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. With the increasing frequency and severity of environmental change occurring with the climate crisis, animals that invest in building costly refuges are especially vulnerable because of their limited capacity to move to more favourable locations. The large, complex ground nests of the Australian meat ant … Continue reading Ants migrate nests to mitigate the impacts of Australia’s worst recorded drought

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behavioural ecology

Cuckoo behavior in a tiny mite

Yasuyuki Choh, Arne Janssen This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Animals sometimes add their eggs to those of other species, which subsequently provide the offspring of the parasite with brood care such as food provisioning and protection against predators. This behaviour is termed brood parasitism and is well known for birds such as cuckoos. … Continue reading Cuckoo behavior in a tiny mite

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behavioural ecology

Hibernation timing in ground squirrels is shaped by predation risk, food availability, and reproductive opportunities

Austin Allison, Courtney Conway, Alice Morris This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Hibernation is usually assumed to be an adaptation allowing animals to survive weather extremes and food scarcity. But, some animals hibernate for long periods even when weather is suitable and food is abundant. This fact is perplexing because hibernation adversely affects vital … Continue reading Hibernation timing in ground squirrels is shaped by predation risk, food availability, and reproductive opportunities

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