Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

Abstract Biome conservatism is prevalent during the evolution of plant lineages. However, studies assessing biome lability, i.e. the capacity to shift biomes and its impact on tropical tree species diversification is currently limited. To address this, we analysed an endemic lineage of African tropical trees to investigate phylogenetic patterns of biome conservatism and lability and their impact …

Abstract Extreme climatic events are reshaping ecosystems worldwide as individual organisms vary markedly in their ability to withstand these disturbances. Deciphering patterns of persistence on local scales is therefore critical for predicting biodiversity trajectories under intensifying climate extremes. In this study, we examined variation in thermal stress responses among individuals of the c…

Abstract Global changes (e.g. climate warming, nitrogen deposition) are known to alter bacterial diversity in soil and the rhizosphere, but their effects on phyllosphere microbes and above–belowground community linkages remain unclear. Using an 18-year temperate desert steppe experiment, we assessed the impacts of warming and nitrogen addition on bacterial communities occupying plant leaves (both…

Abstract Naturally selected adaptations are often thought to impair the elaboration of conspicuous sexual signals. In katydids, males produce acoustic signals by rubbing together structures on their forewings; specialized forewing cells then radiate this sound. These dedicated sound-producing structures are found on a physically distinct basal area of the forewing, but in many species, the remain…

Abstract Local adaptation is often portrayed as uniform fitness disadvantages of immigrants relative to locals. Yet dispersal costs vary with origin, sex and life-history traits, shaping the balance between gene flow and adaptation. We quantified these heterogeneous costs by comparing the reproductive success (RS) of local and immigrant individuals using a 15-year genetic pedigree of Atlantic sal…

Abstract A key to interacting with the physical world is the ability to visually infer object properties, like elasticity, allowing us to anticipate object behaviour. Such perceptual inferences continue to challenge artificial intelligence systems, highlighting the complexity of the underlying computations. How does the human brain solve this task? Here, we propose a resource-rational model based…

Abstract Despite the astonishing diversity of life, evolutionary biologists have documented numerous instances where species converge in how they behave, look and function. Given the importance of happenstance in evolution, it is often assumed that mechanisms driving independent evolution of similar phenotypes (convergence) are distinct; yet recent discoveries suggest that conserved genomic mecha…

Abstract Hibernation behavioural ecology remains understudied due to challenges in researching this cryptic physiological state. However, understanding relationships between physiological and environmental cues during hibernation is important for predicting behaviours in a changing climate. We examined behaviours of temporarily captive American black bears (Ursus americanus) exposed to natural en…

Abstract Median lifespans of primates show nearly 10-fold variation, ranging from approximately 8 years in marmosets to approximately 80 years in humans. The molecular mechanisms that govern this variation and how they evolved remain poorly understood. Based on a decades-long multi-site curation effort, we have compiled lifespan data for 39 captive primate species, estimated their Gompertzian age…

Abstract The evolution of shortwave vision in frogs and toads (anurans) has remained unclear, because molecular and behavioural evidence suggest a contrasting picture regarding their UV sensitivity. Although all anurans studied to date express violet-peaking SWS1 pigments, many species possess UV-transmissive lenses and show behaviours consistent with UV detection, raising questions about how SWS…

Abstract Migration is a vital survival strategy for many species, but the increasing interruption of migratory routes by human activities has placed migratory shorebirds at high risk of extinction, particularly in Asia. Bangladesh, positioned at the crossroads of the Central Asian and East Asian-Australasian Flyways, is a critical region for shorebird migration and for understanding anthropogenic…

Abstract The rise of flowering plants from the Late Cretaceous to early Palaeogene (approx. 100–50 Ma) triggered a macroecological transformation on land, propelling a sustained increase in biodiversity. While insect pollinators and herbivores played key roles in this shift, direct fossil evidence of insect pollination of gymnosperms remains scarce. Here, we report two exceedingly rare nitiduloid…

Abstract Breeding colonies of the continental subspecies of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) have rapidly expanded in Europe during the past half century. To assess the impact of cormorant breeding colonies on bird biodiversity, we used annual monitoring datasets of breeding bird communities from 261 islands in the northeastern Baltic Sea along the Estonian coast, covering the p…

Abstract Women are under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, especially in senior positions. One known reason is the limited visibility of female scientists, which discourages young women from entering STEM fields, thus perpetuating the gender gap. A number of studies have shown that women, including those in academia, are less likely to have a Wikipedia…

Abstract Dispersal is a key process that shapes the dynamics, genetic structure and adaptive potential of natural populations, yet persistence of its polymorphism remains puzzling. Combining quantitative genetics with long-term field data from 20-year population monitoring of common lizards (Zootoca vivipara), we assessed the heritability, intragenerational and multi-generational selection of dis…

Abstract Mesoherbivores are expanding globally through both native population irruptions and alien introductions, yet their broad-scale ecological impacts remain poorly resolved. We assessed how native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and alien wild pigs (Sus scrofa) influence forest understoreys across the eastern United States by integrating forest inventory and analysis plots, large-…

Abstract Pleistocene caballine horses exhibited considerable genetic diversity and maintained broad population connectivity across their range. The extinct Dalian horse (Equus dalianensis) from northeastern China likely contributed to this network. Here, we sequenced 20 complete mitochondrial and two nuclear genomes, establishing the Dalian horse as a distinct genetic clade within Northeast Euras…

Abstract Queueing migration is among the most intriguing forms of collective behaviour in Metazoa, yet its origin and evolution in terrestrial arthropods remain poorly understood because fossil evidence of collective movement is exceedingly rare and largely confined to Palaeozoic marine taxa. Here, we document an exceptional case of queueing migration in larval mites, Protofilum ordinatum gen. et…

Abstract Skull simplification describes the convergent loss of bones in the tetrapod skull over evolutionary time. Much of this trend remains elusive, in particular, the apparent difference in evolutionary conservation across the skull. While some bones (e.g. nasal) have been retained for over 400 million years, others (e.g. tabular) were repeatedly lost. The drivers of this preferential loss rem…

Abstract Hominin forelimbs have evolved from primarily locomotive to manipulative appendages over approximately 6 million years. As such, hand functions in fossil hominins and the Pan–Homo last common ancestor (LCA) are intensely debated, with carpal morphology central to this debate. However, owing to their irregular and challenging shapes, few studies have comprehensively quantified carpal morp…