186 posts · 294,783 views
GrrlScientist is the blog pseudonym for an evolutionary biologist/ornithologist who writes about E3: Evolution, Ecology and Ethology, and the subtle relationships between these phenomena, especially in birds.
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- May 26, 2011
- 12:27 AM
- 628 views
Sparrows show us a new way to have sexes
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: A close look at a common North American songbird, the white-throated sparrow, reveals that it may be evolving a second pair of sex chromosomes! ... Read more »
Huynh, L., Maney, D., & Thomas, J. (2010) Chromosome-wide linkage disequilibrium caused by an inversion polymorphism in the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis). Heredity, 106(4), 537-546. DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2010.85
Joron, M., & Whibley, A. (2010) Stripes, sex and sparrows: what processes underlie heteromorphic chromosome evolution?. Heredity, 106(4), 531-532. DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2010.106
Matsunaga, S. (2009) Junk DNA promotes sex chromosome evolution. Heredity, 102(6), 525-526. DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2009.36
Moore, R. (2008) Sex chromosome evolution: A ‘missing link’ in the evolution of sex chromosomes. Heredity, 102(3), 211-212. DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2008.115
Tuttle, E. (2003) Alternative reproductive strategies in the white-throated sparrow: behavioral and genetic evidence. Behavioral Ecology, 14(3), 425-432. DOI: 10.1093/beheco/14.3.425
Thorneycroft, H. (1966) Chromosomal Polymorphism in the White-Throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmelin). Science, 154(3756), 1571-1572. DOI: 10.1126/science.154.3756.1571
- Biology
- Behavioral Biology
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
- Botany
- Molecular Biology
- Sex Chromosomes
- Reproduction
- y Chromosome
- Population Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Ornithology
- Life History
- birds
- white-throated sparrow
- White-throated sparrow
- white-throated sparrows
- Zonotrichia albicollis
- Taxonomy
- Evolutionary Biology
- Zoology
- February 21, 2011
- 11:47 AM
- 1,619 views
Century-old museum specimens reveal when deadly bird disease hit Galápagos Islands
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Hypothesis: old specimens in museum collections are invaluable sources of material for molecular forensics research, providing glimpses into the history and ecology of diseases in wildlife ... Read more »
Parker, P., Buckles, E., Farrington, H., Petren, K., Whiteman, N., Ricklefs, R., Bollmer, J., & Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. (2011) 110 Years of Avipoxvirus in the Gal. PLoS ONE, 6(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015989
- February 21, 2011
- 11:09 AM
- 1,078 views
Century-old museum specimens reveal when deadly bird disease came to Galápagos Islands
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: old specimens in museum collections are invaluable sources of material for molecular forensics research, providing glimpses into the history and ecology of diseases in wildlife ... Read more »
Parker, P., Buckles, E., Farrington, H., Petren, K., Whiteman, N., Ricklefs, R., Bollmer, J., & Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. (2011) 110 Years of Avipoxvirus in the Gal. PLoS ONE, 6(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015989
- February 17, 2011
- 06:29 AM
- 1,823 views
Carnivorous plants suck up fast food
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
A small aquatic plant has evolved one of the fastest and most sophisticated suction traps known... Read more »
Vincent, O., Weisskopf, C., Poppinga, S., Masselter, T., Speck, T., Joyeux, M., Quilliet, C., & Marmottant, P. (2011) Ultra-fast underwater suction traps. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2292
- February 14, 2011
- 04:30 PM
- 1,310 views
Whipping up a storm
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: beating tired racehorses with a whip stimulates them to run faster ... Read more »
Evans, D., & McGreevy, P. (2011) An Investigation of Racing Performance and Whip Use by Jockeys in Thoroughbred Races. PLoS ONE, 6(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015622
DEUEL, N., & LAWRENCE, L. (1988) Effects of urging by the rider on gallop stride characteristics of quarter horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 8(3), 240-243. DOI: 10.1016/S0737-0806(88)80016-9
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Research / Scholarship
- Biology
- Medicine
- whip rules
- punishment
- Probability and Statistics
- Veterinary Medicine
- Behavioral Biology
- Ethics
- Animal Behaviour
- sports
- horse racing
- horseracing
- race horses
- horses
- whip use
- thoroughbreds
- stride length
- race performance
- quarter horses
- whipping
- February 14, 2011
- 03:56 PM
- 2,664 views
Whipping up a storm
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Hypothesis: beating tired racehorses with a whip stimulates them to run faster ... Read more »
Evans, D., & McGreevy, P. (2011) An Investigation of Racing Performance and Whip Use by Jockeys in Thoroughbred Races. PLoS ONE, 6(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015622
DEUEL, N., & LAWRENCE, L. (1988) Effects of urging by the rider on gallop stride characteristics of quarter horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 8(3), 240-243. DOI: 10.1016/S0737-0806(88)80016-9
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Research / Scholarship
- Biology
- Medicine
- whip rules
- punishment
- Probability and Statistics
- Veterinary Medicine
- Behavioral Biology
- Ethics
- Animal Behaviour
- sports
- horse racing
- horseracing
- race horses
- horses
- whip use
- thoroughbreds
- stride length
- race performance
- quarter horses
- whipping
- February 11, 2011
- 01:11 PM
- 878 views
How the seahorse got its shape
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: form and function evolve hand-in-hand: compared to their close relatives, the straight-bodied pipefishes, seahorses' unique curved shape provides them with increased feeding efficiency... Read more »
Van Wassenbergh, S., Roos, G., & Ferry, L. (2011) An adaptive explanation for the horse-like shape of seahorses. Nature Communications, 164. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1168
Teske, P., & Beheregaray, L. (2009) Evolution of seahorses' upright posture was linked to Oligocene expansion of seagrass habitats. Biology Letters, 5(4), 521-523. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0152
- February 11, 2011
- 12:34 PM
- 1,838 views
How the seahorse got its shape
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Hypothesis: form and function evolve hand-in-hand: compared to their close relatives, the straight-bodied pipefishes, seahorses' unique curved shape provides them with increased feeding efficiency ... Read more »
Van Wassenbergh, S., Roos, G., & Ferry, L. (2011) An adaptive explanation for the horse-like shape of seahorses. Nature Communications, 164. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1168
Teske, P., & Beheregaray, L. (2009) Evolution of seahorses' upright posture was linked to Oligocene expansion of seagrass habitats. Biology Letters, 5(4), 521-523. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0152
- February 9, 2011
- 12:16 PM
- 1,789 views
Mate Choice: when Mr Right isn't good enough
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Hypothesis: female birds in monogamous mating systems with incompatible partners have higher stress hormone levels and are slower to reproduce than those with compatible partners ... Read more »
Griffith, S., Pryke, S., & Buttemer, W. (2011) Constrained mate choice in social monogamy and the stress of having an unattractive partner. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2672
- February 9, 2011
- 11:29 AM
- 860 views
Mate Choice: when Mr Right isn't good enough
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: female birds in monogamous mating systems with incompatible partners have higher stress hormone levels and are slower to reproduce than those with compatible partners... Read more »
Griffith, S., Pryke, S., & Buttemer, W. (2011) Constrained mate choice in social monogamy and the stress of having an unattractive partner. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2672
- February 1, 2011
- 06:19 AM
- 732 views
The hot and cold of butterfly dancing
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: environmental temperatures experienced by developing larvae and/or pupae of the butterfly, Bicyclus anynana, controls expression of behaviour and morphology... Read more »
Prudic, K., Jeon, C., Cao, H., & Monteiro, A. (2011) Developmental Plasticity in Sexual Roles of Butterfly Species Drives Mutual Sexual Ornamentation. Science, 331(6013), 73-75. DOI: 10.1126/science.1197114
Robertson, K., & Monteiro, A. (2005) Female Bicyclus anynana butterflies choose males on the basis of their dorsal UV-reflective eyespot pupils. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 272(1572), 1541-1546. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3142
Brakefield, P., Beldade, P., & Zwaan, B. (2009) The African Butterfly Bicyclus anynana: A Model for Evolutionary Genetics and Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, 2009(5). DOI: 10.1101/pdb.emo122
- Biology
- Ecology / Conservation
- Evolutionary Biology
- Environment
- Behavioral Biology
- seasons
- Developmental Biology
- butterfly
- Reproduction
- wing patterns
- sexual ornamentation
- ultraviolet light
- Zoology
- eyespots
- Lepidoptera
- Ecology
- Bicyclus anynana
- Climate Change
- squinting bush brown butterfly
- climate
- environmental cues
- February 1, 2011
- 05:35 AM
- 1,109 views
The hot and cold of butterfly dancing
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Hypothesis: environmental temperatures experienced by developing larvae and/or pupae of the butterfly, Bicyclus anynana, controls expression of behaviour and morphology ... Read more »
Prudic, K., Jeon, C., Cao, H., & Monteiro, A. (2011) Developmental Plasticity in Sexual Roles of Butterfly Species Drives Mutual Sexual Ornamentation. Science, 331(6013), 73-75. DOI: 10.1126/science.1197114
Robertson, K., & Monteiro, A. (2005) Female Bicyclus anynana butterflies choose males on the basis of their dorsal UV-reflective eyespot pupils. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 272(1572), 1541-1546. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3142
Brakefield, P., Beldade, P., & Zwaan, B. (2009) The African Butterfly Bicyclus anynana: A Model for Evolutionary Genetics and Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, 2009(5). DOI: 10.1101/pdb.emo122
- Biology
- Ecology / Conservation
- Evolutionary Biology
- Environment
- Behavioral Biology
- seasons
- Developmental Biology
- butterfly
- Reproduction
- wing patterns
- sexual ornamentation
- ultraviolet light
- Zoology
- eyespots
- Lepidoptera
- Ecology
- Bicyclus anynana
- Climate Change
- squinting bush brown butterfly
- climate
- environmental cues
- January 17, 2011
- 11:35 AM
- 806 views
Salmon, scent and going home again
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Did you know that salmon rely on their sense of smell (olfaction) for nearly every aspect of their lives, from locating food to avoiding predators? ... Read more »
Arthur Hasler, & Warren Wisby. (1951) Discrimination of Stream Odors by Fishes and Its Relation to Parent Stream Behavior. The American Naturalist, 85(823), 223. DOI: 10.1086/281672
W.J. Wisby, & A.D. Hasler. (1954) Effect of olfactory occlusion on migrating silver salmon (O. kisutch). Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 472-478. info:/
Yamamoto, Y., Hino, H., & Ueda, H. (2010) Olfactory Imprinting of Amino Acids in Lacustrine Sockeye Salmon. PLoS ONE, 5(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008633
Tierney, K., Sampson, J., Ross, P., Sekela, M., & Kennedy, C. (2008) Salmon Olfaction is Impaired by an Environmentally Realistic Pesticide Mixture. Environmental Science , 42(13), 4996-5001. DOI: 10.1021/es800240u
Sandahl, J., Baldwin, D., Jenkins, J., & Scholz, N. (2004) Odor-evoked field potentials as indicators of sublethal neurotoxicity in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) exposed to copper, chlorpyrifos, or esfenvalerate. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 61(3), 404-413. DOI: 10.1139/f04-011
- Ecology / Conservation
- Biology
- Chemistry
- homing
- Cell Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- olfactory pits
- Anatomy
- pheromone hypothesis
- Behavioral Biology
- olfaction
- Biochemistry
- Ecology
- Zoology
- Chemical Biology
- Ichthyology
- salmonidae
- fish
- pesticides
- salmon
- Environmental Chemistry
- Salmonidae
- Environmental Health
- migration
- Conservation
- December 20, 2010
- 05:42 AM
- 734 views
The Psychology Behind Wrapping Paper
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
Hypothesis: gift-wrapping influences the recipient to have a more favorable attitude towards owning the gift item... Read more »
Howard, D. (1992) Gift-Wrapping Effects on Product Attitudes: A Mood-Biasing Explanation. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1(3), 197-223. DOI: 10.1207/s15327663jcp0103_01
- December 20, 2010
- 04:59 AM
- 1,163 views
The Psychology Behind Wrapping Paper
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Do recipients like wrapped gifts more than unwrapped? ... Read more »
Howard, D. (1992) Gift-Wrapping Effects on Product Attitudes: A Mood-Biasing Explanation. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1(3), 197-223. DOI: 10.1207/s15327663jcp0103_01
- December 13, 2010
- 12:36 PM
- 825 views
Redefining Great Britain
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
SUMMARY: This new research describes a clever way to redefine and redraw geographical areas using telephone communication networks... Read more »
Carlo Ratti, Stanislav Sobolevsky, Francesco Calabrese, Clio Andris, Jonathan Reades, Mauro Martino, Rob Claxton, & Steven H. Strogatz. (2010) Redrawing the Map of Great Britain from a Network of Human Interactions. . PLoS ONE, 5(12). info:/10.1371/journal.pone.0014248
- December 13, 2010
- 05:45 AM
- 1,922 views
Redefining Great Britain
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
This research paper describes a clever way to redefine and redraw geographical areas using telephone communication networks... Read more »
Carlo Ratti, Stanislav Sobolevsky, Francesco Calabrese, Clio Andris, Jonathan Reades, Mauro Martino, Rob Claxton, & Steven H. Strogatz. (2010) Redrawing the Map of Great Britain from a Network of Human Interactions. . PLoS ONE, 5(12). info:/10.1371/journal.pone.0014248
- December 10, 2010
- 03:50 AM
- 1,607 views
The Antikythera Mechanism
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Two years ago, a paper was published in Nature describing the function of the oldest known scientific computer, a device built in Greece around 100 BCE. ... Read more »
Marchant, J. (2010) Ancient astronomy: Mechanical inspiration. Nature, 468(7323), 496-498. DOI: 10.1038/468496a
- November 9, 2010
- 11:31 AM
- 19,585 views
Mini frog packs a powerful punch
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
Another tiny-but-deadly poisonous frog has been discovered, this time, in Cuba... Read more »
Ariel Rodriguez, Dennis Poth, Stefan Schulz, & Miguel Vences. (2010) Discovery of skin alkaloids in a miniaturized eleutherodactylid frog from Cuba. Biology Letters. info:/10.1098/rsbl.2010.0844
- October 28, 2010
- 10:25 AM
- 1,578 views
Who's Your Momma? The cosmopolitan maternal heritage of the Thoroughbred racehorse breed shows a significant contribution from British and Irish native mares
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
This newly published study finds that thoroughbred racehorses, which originated in Europe, descended from a number of British and Irish native breed foundation mares... Read more »
Bower, M., Campana, M., Whitten, M., Edwards, C., Jones, H., Barrett, E., Cassidy, R., Nisbet, R., Hill, E., Howe, C.... (2010) The cosmopolitan maternal heritage of the Thoroughbred racehorse breed shows a significant contribution from British and Irish native mares. Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.0800
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