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

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.

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.

Publication date: March 2026 Source: Animal Behaviour, Volume 233 Author(s): Zhenxu Liu, Qihui Cao, Manman Lu, Jinhong Luo

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

Background: Volubility, the number of vocalizations per unit of time, is a relatively understudied aspect of animal communication, potentially crucial in highly social systems like cooperative breeders that depend on coordinated behavior. Callitrichid monkeys, including common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), are often characterized as highly vocal, yet the variation in their calling rates due to context or individual differences remains poorly quantified. In this study, we systematically examined captive marmoset volubility across different social and informational contexts, call types, and individual characteristics. Results: We tested marmosets in dyads in different experimental conditions and recorded a total of 70,260 vocalizations. Overall, calling rates were not influenced by sex or status. Instead, volubility varied mainly with condition: rates increased when visually separated from the partner and individually encountering ecologically salient stimuli such as ambiguous objects or food, consistent with context-sensitive signaling and information asymmetry. Contact calls were more frequent in food-related contexts, indicating a recruiting function. Arousal calls were strongly predicted by age, with younger individuals calling more, especially when confronted with an ambiguous object. Food calls occurred almost exclusively during direct interactions with food, particularly during feeding. Dyadic analyses revealed covariation between callers' and partners' arousal calls, consistent with vocal contagion. In contrast, we found no contagion effects for food calls. Instead, food calls by a breeder encountering food increased contact calling in their naive dyad partners. Conclusions: Overall, marmoset volubility is flexible and call-type-specific, shows signatures of information sharing under information asymmetry, and highlights their nuanced communication strategies.

The planning of sample size for research studies often focuses on obtaining a significant result given a specified level of power, significance, and an anticipated effect size. This planning requires prior knowledge of the study design and a statistical analysis to calculate the proposed sample size. However, there may not be one specific testable analysis from which to derive power (Silberzahn et al., Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 1(3), 337356, 2018) or a hypothesis to test for the project (e.g., creation of a stimuli database). Modern power and sample size planning suggestions include accuracy in parameter estimation (AIPE, Kelley, Behavior Research Methods, 39(4), 755–766, 2007; Maxell et al., Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 537–563, 2008) and simulation of proposed analyses (Chalmers & Adkins, The Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 16(4), 248–280, 2020). These toolkits offer flexibility in traditional power analyses that focus on the if-this, then-that approach. However, both AIPE and simulation require either a specific parameter (e.g., mean, effect size, etc.) or a statistical test for planning sample size. In this tutorial, we explore how AIPE and simulation approaches can be combined to accommodate studies that may not have a specific hypothesis test or wish to account for the potential of a multiverse of analyses. Specifically, we focus on studies that use multiple items and suggest that sample sizes can be planned to measure those items adequately and precisely, regardless of the statistical test. This tutorial also provides multiple code vignettes and package functionality that researchers can adapt and apply to their own measures.

Publication date: Available online 23 January 2026 Source: Physiology & Behavior Author(s): Beatriz Nunes Petribu, Karina Possa Abrahao, Maria Lucia Oliveira Souza-Formigoni

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.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 25 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-36661-5Resting-state brain function and its modulation by intranasal oxytocin in antisocial personality disorder with and without psychopathy

Nature Communications, Published online: 25 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68599-7Here the authors systematically benchmark 13 polygenic score (PGS) methods in UK Biobank European and African populations, revealing factors that affect prediction accuracy. They also introduce an automated platform for standardized and reproducible PGS computation.

Opportunity for multiple mating should affect the fitness cost of sexual cannibalism for males. We used newly developed microsatellite loci to study multip

Osuna-Mascaró and Auersperg report flexible, multipurpose tool use in a cow, expanding the known range of mammalian tool users and underscoring overlooked cognitive capacities in livestock.

Oviposition site selection is critical for mosquito population dynamics and disease transmission. Gravid mosquitoes rely on chemical cues to identify suitable breeding habitats. However, the sensory mechanisms governing this behavior in Anopheles stephensi remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the role of indole, a microbial volatile associated with aquatic environments, in oviposition site choice and assessed the involvement of sensory organs in its detection. In two-choice oviposition assays, water conditioned with first-instar larvae attracted gravid females (OAI = 0.56), whereas water from fourth-instar larvae was repellent (OAI = -0.20), consistent with avoidance of suboptimal, resource-depleted habitats. Indole elicited strong oviposition attraction across a broad concentration range (0.1-50 M), with no clear dose-response relationship. Surgical ablation of antennae and maxillary palps, the principal olfactory organs in the head, did not abolish indole-mediated preference but significantly reduced behavioral variability, suggesting that these structures modulate, rather than solely mediate, indole detection. Reanalysis of chemosensory organ transcriptomes (antennae, maxillary palps, and legs) in An. gambiae and An. colluzzii, along with quantitative RT-PCR in An. stephensi, revealed the expression of chemosensory genes (including Obp1, Obp13, Obp25, Obp71, Or2, and Or10) in the legs, indicating a potential role for leg chemosensation in oviposition decisions. These findings underscore the complexity of chemoreception and chemoperception in mosquito habitat assessment.

Ecological Entomology, EarlyView.

Nature Communications, Published online: 23 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68770-0The cancer cell membrane replicates the characteristic molecular profile of its parental cells. Here, authors construct a homotypic membrane-powered biomimetic interface for subtype-specific analysis of breast cancer extracellular vesicles.

The Healthy Context Paradox suggests that victims of bullying struggle more with psychological adjustment in environments with low victimization norms. This study, guided by Beck’s Model of Depression, explores this phenomenon through a cognitive lens. Using data from 2091 Chinese junior high students (54.3% boys, mean age 13.26), we identified cliques via the Social Cognitive Map and examined the mediating role of cognitive biases and the moderating role of clique-level victimization norms in the link between peer victimization and depressive symptoms. Results showed that cognitive biases partially mediated the link between peer victimization and depressive symptoms. While clique victimization norms moderated the association between peer victimization and cognitive biases, they had no significant relation to depressive symptoms. In low victimization norm cliques, peer victimization showed a stronger association with cognitive biases, especially in all-girl cliques, whereas this association was observed in all-boy cliques irrespective of norms. The moderating effects of clique victimization norms on the association between peer victimization and depressive symptoms were non-significant in all-boy and mixed-gender cliques. These findings suggest that integrating the Healthy Context Paradox with Beck’s Model can inform depressive symptom prevention strategies, particularly in bullying-prone environments.

by Xing Zhang, Ting Jiang, Chunqing Wang, Valeria F. Montenegro Vazquez, Dandan Wu, Xin Yang, Que Le, Melody S. Sun, Xiaofei Wang, Xuexian O. Yang, Jing Pu, Matthew Campen, Changjian Feng, Meilian Liu Brown adipose tissue (BAT) functions as a metabolic sink, efficiently processing fatty acids (FAs), glucose, and amino acids, playing a pivotal role in metabolic regulation and energy homeostasis. However, the metabolic adaptations enabling BAT to respond to fasting and refeeding cycles are not well understood. Using mass spectrometry techniques—Liquid Chromatography (LC), Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), and Spatially Resolved Imaging—we demonstrate that BAT exhibits a unique free fatty acid (FFA) and lipid-bound FA profile, with enrichment of very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) and C13-C14 FAs compared to white adipose tissue (WAT) in male C57BL/6 mice. Alternate-day fasting (ADF) triggered a dynamic change of these FFAs in BAT, accompanied by selective alterations of upper glycolysis, glyceroneogenesis, and triglyceride synthesis, a shift less pronounced in WAT. Additionally, several BAT lipid species, including glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, and sphingolipids, transitioned from highly unsaturated to more saturated lipids upon refeeding, alongside significant spatial and dynamic reprogramming. Mechanistically, periodic fasting and refeeding activated mTORC1, and genetic inactivation of mTORC1 in BAT diminished ADF-induced lipid saturation, storage, and redistribution in the C57BL/6 background. These findings reveal that while BAT generally prefers unsaturated fats, it undergoes substantial lipid saturation and spatially dynamic reprogramming in response to fasting and refeeding, offering new insights into BAT’s adaptive role in metabolic homeostasis.

Nature Communications, Published online: 24 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65766-0Neural mechanism underlying behavioural flexibility is not fully understood. Here authors study decision-making of macaques in a reversal task. They identify two complementary cognitive processes. Distinct neural patterns link these processes to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus.

Red flowers are typically pollinated by birds. A new study demonstrates that UV-absorbing phenylpropanoid pigments represent a potential ‘magic trait’ in the evolution of red flowers in bird-pollinated species, conferring a threefold advantage by enhancing bird attraction, deterring bees, and protecting pollen from ultraviolet radiation.

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

Changes within neurotransmitter systems are associated with variation in anxiety-related behavior. The adenosine signaling pathway has been associated with anxiety and caffeine has been utilized as a modulator. However, studies have not considered the impact of an individual's stress coping style (e.g. proactive, reactive) and corresponding differences in neuromolecular signaling that can influence the behavioral responses. To assess the role of adenosine signaling, we acutely treated reactive and proactive zebrafish with 50 mg/L caffeine and evaluated anxiety-like behavior using a novel tank diving test (NTDT). We then quantified whole-brain gene expression of genes representing distinct parts of the adenosine signaling pathway: adenosine receptors A1B, A2Aa, A2Ab, and A2B (adora1b, adora2aa, adora2ab, and adora2b, respectively) and enzymes adenosine deaminase (ada) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (nt5e). We found significant main effects of coping style, sex, treatment, and coping style by sex by treatment interaction effect on stress behaviors. Specifically, compared to controls, caffeine reduced stress behavior in only reactive males. We also observed significant differential baseline gene expression within the adenosine signaling pathway between the reactive and proactive strains, where reactive zebrafish expressed higher levels of adenosine receptors A1B, A2Ab, A2B, and adenosine deaminase and lower levels of adenosine receptor A2Aa than proactive zebrafish. These findings indicate that variation in adenosine signaling between the stress coping styles and sexes may be contributing to differences in anxiety-related behavior.

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

How quickly we attend to objects plays an important role in navigating the world, especially in dynamic and rapidly changing environments. Measuring individual differences in attention speed is therefore an important, yet challenging, task. Although reaction times in visual search tasks have often been used as an intuitive proxy of such individual differences, these measures are limited by inconsistent levels of reliability and contamination by non-attentional factors. This study introduces the rate of post-target distractor intrusions (DI) in the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm as an alternative method of studying individual differences in the speed of attention. In RSVP, a target is presented for a brief duration and embedded among multiple distractors. DIs are reports of a subsequent distractor rather than the target and have previously been shown to be associated with the speed of attention. The present study explored the reliability and validity of DI rates as a measure of individual differences. In three studies, DI rates showed high internal consistency and test–retest reliability over a year (>.90), even with a short task administration of only about 5 minutes. Moreover, DI rates were associated with measures related to attention speed, but not with unrelated measures of attentional control, reading speed, and attentional blink effects. Taken together, DI rates can serve as a useful tool for research into individual differences in the speed of attention. Links to a downloadable and easily executable DI experiment, as well as a brief discussion of methodological considerations, are provided to facilitate such future research.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificanceSequence-selective dynamic bonds (SSDBs) play a pivotal role in directing structural organization across biological and synthetic systems, yet collective behaviors arising from multiple SSDBs remain elusive. We tackle this issue by combining ...