Category: #StoryBehindThePaper

#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Life as a fearful snail: navigating a world of multiple dangers

This blog post is provided by Janice L. Yan and Richard Szeligowski and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Fear generalization, cross-sensitization and behavioural responses to multiple dangers in a freshwater snail”, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In their study, Yan, Szeligowski and colleagues test generalised fear responses in a species of freshwater snail, exploring how sensitivity to disparate threats may … Continue reading Life as a fearful snail: navigating a world of multiple dangers

Unknown's avatarEdie AbrahamsLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Critical constraints to ecological buffering in a rapidly changing Arctic: a long-term seabird study

This blog post is provided by David Grémillet and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Critical constraints to ecological buffering in a rapidly changing Arctic: a long-term seabird study”, which was recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. The study builds upon 20 years of research on little auks in East Greenland, to identify limits to the adaptability of this seabird to global changes. Little … Continue reading Critical constraints to ecological buffering in a rapidly changing Arctic: a long-term seabird study

Unknown's avatarEdie AbrahamsLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Environmental and Human-Related Gradients Shape the Community Structure of Medium and Large Terrestrial Mammals in a Central Amazonian White-Sand Forest

In this blog post, Renilce Carvalho de Castro tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Environmental and human-related gradients shape the community structure of medium and large terrestrial mammals in a central Amazonian white-sand Forest“, recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. This study utilised camera traps to monitor community structure of terrestrial mammals in white-sand ecosystems and evaluate influences of environmental and anthropogenic factors … Continue reading Environmental and Human-Related Gradients Shape the Community Structure of Medium and Large Terrestrial Mammals in a Central Amazonian White-Sand Forest

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Arctic generalist predators rely more on plant-derived carbon as the tundra greens

This blog post is provided by Nevo Sagi and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Carbon flow to generalist predators shifts between plant- and fungal-derived resources in highly seasonal ecosystems.” This study explored how wolf spiders in the Alaskan Arctic use plant-, fungi- and bacteria-based energy channels, finding that spiders rely more on fungal-derived carbon early in the growing season and at less productive sites, … Continue reading Arctic generalist predators rely more on plant-derived carbon as the tundra greens

Unknown's avatarLaura HemminghamLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Bold fish get eaten, but ocean acidification is not to blame

In this blog post, Dominique Roche and colleagues tell the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “No effect of short-term exposure to ocean acidification on individual-level variation in behaviour and susceptibility to predation in a Great Barrier Reef damselfish“, recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. Their study looked past group averages, asking instead whether ocean acidification changes how individual reef fish differ from one another … Continue reading Bold fish get eaten, but ocean acidification is not to blame

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Why don’t all birds lay early? What makes a Manx Shearwater early or late?

This blog post is provided by Katrina Siddiqi-Davies and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Why don’t all birds lay early? Causes and consequences of breeding timing for a long-lived migratory seabird“. This study investigated why some birds consistently return to their breeding colonies and lay their eggs earlier than others, finding that individual differences in migration timing, breeding partners and seasonal food availability all … Continue reading Why don’t all birds lay early? What makes a Manx Shearwater early or late?

Unknown's avatarLaura HemminghamLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

City Park Squirrels, Public Data, and My Bicycle 

In this blog post, Francis Quang-Hai Dinh tell the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Fine-scale spatial variation in eastern grey squirrel melanism across a complex urban landscape“, recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. This study utilised surveys of 197 parks and citizen science observations to examine spatial variation in eastern grey squirrel coat colour morphs across Montreal. During my time off from my student … Continue reading City Park Squirrels, Public Data, and My Bicycle 

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Not-so-great tit: early-life conditions are making Wytham’s great tits a bit less great

This blog post is provided by David López-Idiáquez and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Early-life environment drives long-term decrease in adult body mass in a wild bird population“, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This study explored temporal changes in body mass of adult and nestling great tits, as well as the effect of several environmental variables. Change is inherent to … Continue reading Not-so-great tit: early-life conditions are making Wytham’s great tits a bit less great

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

A Fair (Enough) Warning: Contextually Conspicuous Snake Species Are More Likely to Be Venomous!

This blog post is provided by Amy Duclaux and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Contextually conspicuous species are more likely to be venomous: Habitat-dependent aposematic colouration found throughout snakes”, co-authored with Michel Dugon and Kevin Healy. This study explored whether venomous snakes are more likely to stand out from their natural environments, finding links between venom, conspicuous colouration, red colouration and banded patterns. Born … Continue reading A Fair (Enough) Warning: Contextually Conspicuous Snake Species Are More Likely to Be Venomous!

Unknown's avatarLaura HemminghamLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Elements on the move: Tracking migratory red deer to understand nitrogen transport in the Alps

In this blog post, Kristy Ferraro tell the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Elements on the move: How ungulate migration expands Alpine biogeochemical footprints“, recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. This study explored how local- and landscape-scale movement of migratory vs. resident red deer influenced nitrogen distribution across an alpine landscape. Animal migration is one of the most fascinating aspects of animal life. When … Continue reading Elements on the move: Tracking migratory red deer to understand nitrogen transport in the Alps

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment