Rapidly expanding urban areas produce dramatic changes to the habitat available to native species and offer novel opportunities to those that tolerate human-made environments. The food that we inadvertently or deliberately supply to wildlife is already driving measurable change that can be studied as urban ecology and evolution.

Ecology and Evolution, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2026.

For anthropophilic mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti, aligning host-seeking with human availability enhances foraging efficiency and reproductive success. Although time of day modulates mosquito activity and olfactory sensitivity, it remains unknown whether human hosts display rhythmic changes in odor cues and whether mosquitoes adjust their sensory responses accordingly. Here, we combine chemical, behavioral, genetic, and transcriptomic approaches to reveal that both mosquitoes and their human hosts in this interaction are temporally synchronized. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed systematic daily shifts in human body odor composition between morning and evening. Correspondingly, mosquitoes prefer host odors that match their own active phase, a time-specific preference abolished in timeless mutants and under constant darkness. Silencing the timeless gene further induced an aversion for the host scent under light-dark conditions. Transcriptomic analysis of mosquito heads and antennae uncovered rhythmic expression of sensory and neuromodulatory genes, driven by both circadian and light-dark cycles and which peaks during mosquitoes' active periods, with rhythmic co-expression networks collapsing in timeless knockouts. Together, these results show that mosquito attraction to humans is temporally tuned by the interplay of host odor rhythms and mosquito sensory rhythms, revealing a previously unrecognized form of interspecific temporal synchronization in vector-host interactions.

by Ruka Kitsui, Noriyo Takeda, Evelyn Houliston, Ryusaku Deguchi, Tsuyoshi Momose For marine species that reproduce by external fertilization, spawning is precisely coordinated within a local population to maximize the chances of producing offspring. Gamete release is often synchronized with respect to the diel light changes at dawn and dusk. In the hydrozoan jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica, spawning occurs when oocyte maturation and gamete release are induced by maturation-inducing hormone (MIH) neuropeptides released from opsin-expressing cells in the gonad, directly upon light stimulus. Here, we characterize the distinct spawning cycle of a previously undescribed species Clytia sp. IZ-D, identified on the Pacific coast of Japan, which releases gametes in the evening. Clytia sp. IZ-D jellyfish spawn 14 hours after a light stimulus under a 24-hour light cycle and exhibit autonomous and synchronized spawning cycles with a 20-hour interval under constant light. We find that the female spawning cycle reflects the oocyte growth and their acquisition of competence for maturation, such that each day a new batch of growing oocytes becomes responsive to MIH at a time that correlates with the timing of actual spawning. We propose that the synchronized evening spawning in this species is controlled by an atypical circadian timing mechanism based on the progressive development of gamete competence to MIH and modulation of the opsin-controlled MIH signaling pathway. This mechanism may provide resilience to light cycle instability due to local climate variation and ensure reproductive isolation from other Clytia species by shifting the gamete release timing.

Brain and Behavior, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2026.

Adaptive human behaviour depends on the ability to detect regularities and probabilistic structures within a noisy environment. Repeated binary choice tasks, in which individuals predict one of two possible outcomes, have long served as a fundamental tool for investigating learning, reward processing, and decision-making under uncertainty. However, traditional analyses of these tasks often rely on coarse measures such as accuracy or mean responses, overlooking the temporal information contained in behavioural sequences. This paper introduces a mathematical and computational framework to improve the analysis of binary choice data. First, we employ higher-order Markov chains to generate sequences with controlled probabilistic dependencies, allowing for a more subtle examination of how participants extract information and learn temporal structures. Presenting analytical methods derived from time series analysis (autocorrelation, cross-correlation, shifting probabilities and Markov reconstruction) to extract structural information from simulated data of prototypical behaviours, we demonstrate how these methods can identify distinct decisional patterns that remain hidden when using conventional approaches. Finally, we validate the proposed toolkit by applying it to empirical datasets. By revealing nuanced but meaningful features of sequential decision-making, this framework enhances the interpretive power of probabilistic learning experiments. It provides researchers with tools to more accurately describe behavioural dynamics and deepen our understanding of the cognitive processes governing adaptive decisions in both healthy and clinical populations.

Analytical flexibility is an inherent feature of quantitative research that, when exercised without constraint, transparency, or strong theoretical justification, produces systematic bias and undermines inferential validity. This article presents a conceptual and computational framework identifying 10 particularly impactful and prevalent questionable research practices (QRPs) that exemplify how hidden flexibility distorts scientific conclusions across four stages of the research workflow. Rather than proposing a new taxonomy, we operationalize a targeted subset of QRPs into a conceptual framework that links each practice to its underlying bias mechanism. We further map these mechanisms to 10 evidence-based corrective strategies designed to mitigate the specific inferential violations each practice produces. To support education and diagnostic exploration, we present a reproducible R-based simulation suite that allows researchers to examine the impact of QRPs and prevention strategies across context-specific design parameters. This framework contributes to research integrity by offering a theory-based, stage-specific, and simulation-supported approach to identifying, understanding, and preventing the most consequential forms of hidden analytical flexibility in quantitative research.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificancePolarization-sensitive photodetection is vital for quantum communications and advanced imaging but hindered by the challenge of scaling anisotropic organic crystals. We resolve the fundamental paradox in dip coating, that is conflicting ...

Nature Communications, Published online: 23 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68356-wInteractions between long RNA molecules play essential roles in shaping gene regulation. Here, the authors show that low-complexity repeats drive stable contacts between RNAs and present RIME, a deep learning model that improves the prediction of these interactions using sequence information.

Nature Communications, Published online: 24 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68627-6Papaya is a trioecious species with XX females, XY males, and XYh hermaphrodites, and the combination of Y and Yh chromosomes is lethal. Here, the authors identify the degeneration of the YY lethality gene on the Y chromosome as the causal balancing lethal factor that reenforces dioecy and stabilizes balanced sex ratios.

Maternal effects —non-genetic influences of the mother on her offspring phenotype— play a crucial role in shaping early development and fitness

A recent study suggests that plants evolve reproductive isolation more rapidly than animals. Here, we present an alternative hypothesis: rather than revealing a difference between plants and animals, the study’s results reveal how sexual conflict can shape the rate of evolution of reproductive isolation.

These are extraordinarily challenging times for university researchers across the United States. After decades of government largess based on the idea that a large and well-financed research ecosystem will produce social and economic progress, there have been huge cuts in federal funding. Those applying for remaining scraps face new restrictions designed to ensure their political alignment with the current presidential administration. These policies are destroying scores of careers, as government funding is an important marker of an investigator’s potential and pivotal for securing job offers, promotion, and tenure. It is also necessary to train the next generations of scientists and engineers. As a result, science and innovation may be suffering.

Interview with Patrícia Izar, who studies the behavioral ecology, plasticity, and cognition of Platyrrhine primates at the University of São Paulo.

Tropical pollinators forage in environments where floral resources vary in space and time, requiring flexible strategies to optimise foraging efficiency. One such strategy, floral constancy - the temporary restriction to a single flower type - strongly influences foraging success and plant-pollinator interactions. We aimed to: (1) quantify spontaneous colour preferences and constancy in the Asian giant honeybee Apis dorsata, (2) test whether reward concentration modulates these preferences, (3) evaluate how quickly learned associations override spontaneous biases, (4) determine whether bees can use multiple colour associations simultaneously, and (5) assess whether local floral spectral patterns correlate with bee preferences. Bees trained to a neutral UV-grey stimulus showed a strong spontaneous preference and high constancy to blue, revealing a robust short-wavelength bias. Crucially, the strength of this spontaneous bias depended on reward concentration; Low-reward conditions elicited strong blue constancy, whereas high-reward conditions weakened it, demonstrating that reward expectation shapes spontaneous colour choices. This bias was flexible. When bees learned that yellow was rewarding, they switched their preferences. Bees sequentially trained to both colours visited blue and yellow, showing no overall bias, or effect of the last-trained colour, indicating that recent experiences disrupt colour-specific constancy and generate largely random foraging choices. Bees were capable of learning and retaining two colours simultaneously, effectively suppressing the influence of spontaneous preferences. Finally, analysis of the community floral spectral distribution revealed a strong dominance of short-wavelength flowers, suggesting that long-term selection by the local floral environment may underlie the spontaneous blue preference observed in A. dorsata.

The relationship between morphology and ecology is mediated by behavior. We explore this relationship by assessing the link between trophic ecology and the use of prey-specific feeding behaviors in a cichlid fish system. Cichlid diversification features repeated transitions between free-moving prey and attached benthic prey, requiring predators to evolve prey-specific approaches to feeding. Using 2000 Hz video, we characterized feeding behavior on an experimental attached benthic prey in seven species of Mesoamerican heroine cichlid spanning three independent transitions to specialized piscivory and two to specialized benthic-feeding ecology. We investigated the effect of feeding ecology on the behavior and kinematics of benthic grazing, a derived, specialized mode of cichlid feeding. Surprisingly, all species readily fed on benthic prey, regardless of their feeding ecology. Nearly all non-benthic species used the same benthic-feeding behaviors as ecological benthic-feeders. Our findings demonstrate an unexpected level of behavioral versatility among cichlid species in exploiting functionally demanding prey outside their typical diets. We propose that this repertoire of latent feeding behaviors supports trophic versatility and facilitates niche diversification. We also show that two benthic-feeding lineages of Neotropical cichlids evolved distinct approaches to benthic feeding, exhibiting the highest and lowest total feeding-strike kinesis, respectively. Together, our findings highlight the importance of behavior in linking morphology and ecology and motivate further study into the diversity and evolutionary context of benthic feeding across the Cichlidae.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68742-4Generating high-quality training data for machine learning is costly. Here, authors include sequence-to-function modeling in benchmarking of custom and commercial droplet-based scATAC platforms, and release a new Drosophila embryo atlas along with a new mouse cortex atlas, assessed for model interpretability.

Industry-linked studies were also more likely to focus on particular topics, suggesting these ties may be skewing the field

The current study explores the social experiences of adolescent and transition-age youths with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and the support mechanisms available to these groups in Saudi Arabia. This study adopts a qualitative methodology with a semi-structured interview constituting the data collection method involving 13 parents with children aged between 11 and 19 years, a critical adolescent period and transition to early adulthood. The results suggest that family, caregivers, community, friendships, and healthcare providers play important roles that impact the quality of life for these groups. The main challenges identified include health-related issues, employment challenges, educational barriers, insufficient services, inadequate community participation, and limited social relationships, with special emphasis on obstacles linked to transition during the 18 to 19-year period when youths must navigate transfers from pediatric to adult services and changes associated with legal rights. This study highlights several reasons it is important to increase awareness and education, while also continuing to improve support systems aimed at dealing with both transition challenges and adolescent needs. The results further illustrate that although support from family provides the foundation for care, systemic changes are needed to promote social inclusion and reduce stigma during critical development periods. The current study contributes to the limited research related to IDs in the context of the Middle East, with special reference to Saudi Arabia. Finally, the discussion highlights several insights that are culturally specific for the development of policy and provision of services associated with the transition from adolescence to early adulthood.

by Fabian Schneider, Helen Blank The human brain makes abundant predictions in speech comprehension that, in real-world conversations, depend on conversational partners. Yet, tested models of predictive processing diverge on how such predictions are integrated with incoming speech: The brain may emphasise either expected information through sharpening or unexpected information through prediction error. We reconcile these views through direct neural evidence from electroencephalography showing that both mechanisms operate at different hierarchical levels during speech perception. Across multiple experiments, participants heard identical ambiguous speech in different speaker contexts. Using speech decoding, we show that listeners learn speaker-specific semantic priors, which sharpen sensory representations by pulling them toward expected acoustic signals. In contrast, encoding models leveraging pretrained transformers reveal that prediction errors emerge at higher linguistic levels. These findings support a unified model of predictive processing, wherein sharpening and prediction errors coexist at distinct hierarchical levels to facilitate both robust perception and adaptive world models.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 24 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-35577-4Application of the expanded theory of planned behavior in predicting Iranian students’ intention to use probiotic products

Nature Communications, Published online: 23 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68796-4Spin-crossover complexes are promising candidates for molecular bits owing to their magnetic bistability but engineering high-density bits is challenging due to cooperative switching dynamics. Here the authors modulate the cooperative dynamics of surface-confined spin-crossover complex chains.

The Salicaceae Itoa orientalis differs from Salix/Populus in initially bisexual flowers. Zhao et al. show that its XY sex-determination system is fundamentally different from that of Salix/Populus, involving two genes, including one that regulates male function in Asparagus officinalis, suggesting genetic canalization in the evolution of dioecy.

Publication date: Available online 22 January 2026 Source: Applied Animal Behaviour Science Author(s): Kiana McDole, Katrina Merkies

Prezygotic interspecific incompatibility prevents hybridization between species, which limits interbreeding strategies for crop improvement using wild relatives. The Brassica rapa female self-incompatibility determinant, S-locus receptor kinase (SRK), ...