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Xenothrix full palate.
Image courtesy of Lorraine Meeker (American Museum of Natural History, New York).
Primate colonization of the Caribbean
A study uncovers genetic evidence of early colonization of Jamaica by primates and suggests that adaptation can shape species morphology in novel environments, even when species come from morphologically conservative families.
Research article published in PNAS
“Ancient DNA of the extinct Jamaican monkey Xenothrix reveals extreme insular change within a morphologically conservative radiation,” by Roseina Woods, Samuel T. Turvey, Selina Brace, Ross D. E. MacPhee, and Ian Barnes
Article
Photograph of a live cabbage tree emperor moth (Bunaea alcinoe).
Image courtesy of Thomas R. Neil.
How moth scales help avoid detection by bats
Researchers report that some moth species use sound-absorbing scales to avoid detection by bats and suggest that the findings could aid the design of biologically inspired sound absorbers for an array of applications, including noise mitigation and building acoustics.
Research article published in PNAS
“Biomechanics of a moth scale at ultrasonic frequencies,” by Zhiyuan Shen, Thomas R. Neil, Daniel Robert, Bruce W. Drinkwater, and Marc W. Holderied
Article
Ant on a leaf. Image courtesy of Pixabay/cmolens.
History of ant-plant relationships
Using phylogenetic analysis, researchers report that ants used plants for food and nesting long before plants evolved structures to accommodate arthropods, and although interactions with ants likely facilitated plant diversification, plant interactions did not shape ant diversification.
Research article published in PNAS
“Ant–plant interactions evolved through increasing interdependence,” by Matthew P. Nelsen, Richard H. Ree, and Corrie S. Moreau
Article
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"Current CaCO3 dissolution at the seafloor caused by anthropogenic CO2," by Olivier Sulpis, et al.10.1073/pnas.1804250115
"Climate change causes upslope shifts and mountaintop extirpations in a tropical bird community," by Benjamin G. Freeman, Micah N. Scholer, Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, and John W. Fitzpatrick 10.1073/pnas.1804224115
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