Summary: Atagan & Forstmeier (2012)

 Male ornamentation is suggested to be indicative of physical quality, particularly over long periods of time. In contrast, behavioural displays, such as many courtship displays of birds, may be influenced by more by body condition over short-term periods. Male courtship rate in Zebra finches Taenipygia guttata may honestly reflect a male's physical condition. However, little support for condition changes over the short term have been found. Atagan & Forstmeier (2012) investigated whether courtship rate of male zebra finches is influenced by nutritional enrichment, which males prefer when given the choice. In contrast to expectations, male courtship rate was decreased by consumption of a high-protein diet, suggesting that males have either acquired a maladaptive strategy in captivity (preference for high-protein diet not a natural tendency) or that condition may be increased by nutritional enrichment, and courtship rate is not directly dependent on body condition. Atagan & Forstmeier (2012) suggest that the presence of improved food quality (as occurs during the summer) may cause males to shift towards parental care (which generally occurs in the warmer summer months) and away from courtship (which occurs prior to breeding).

Summary: Kasurak et al. (2012)

 Signalling between conspecifics is rarely unimodal, relying rather on multiple signals used simultaneously. This makes testing the influence of multiple sensory modalities difficult, as often one type of sensory modality may be influenced by another. Kasurak et al. (2012) tested whether female round goby Neogobius melansotomus response to reproductive male stimuli were different when exposed either separately to the signals (unimodal response) or simultaneously (multimodal response). They also investigated the effect of female reproductive status on response to stimuli. Reproductive females were more responsive than nonreproductive females, and spent significantly more time in the stimulus presentation area when presented with multiple stimuli. However, they were still attracted to unimodal signals. Kasurak et al. (2012) suggest that male signals may vary in attractiveness depending on female reproductive state and that females may have a synergistic response when exposed to multimodal signals from males in breeding condition.

Summary: Bowen et al. (2012)

Individuals of a species, such as rats, may show defensive responses (hiding, fleeing, reduction in foraging) when exposed to predators or to predator-related cues. While individuals are also known to aggregate together, it is not yet known whether individuals with show these same responses in the presence of conspecifics. Bowen et al. (2012) investigated the defensive responses of rat dyads (two familiar individuals) and quads (four familiar individuals) to two stressors (bright ambient light and cat odour). They found that quads of rats responded to negative stimuli by huddling together (increased social proximity), but dyads did not show an increase in social proximity. Exposure to cat odour caused rats in both dyads and quads to decrease locomotor activity and increase defecation (signs of stress). Bowen et al. (2012) suggested that huddling is a defensive strategy for rats when they occur in larger groups, but not necessarily when they occur in pairs.

Summary: Zilles & Amunts (2012)

Zilles & Amunts (2012) review Chen et al. (2012) and Wedeen et al. (2012) to understand how the human brain is constructed and organized beyond the functional and cellular details. They note that these two separate papers rely on analysis of fibre pathway spatial course and the cortex's genetic topography. They highlight that the two studies "find unifying hierarchical and geometric rules behind the organizational details". Zilles & Amunts (2012) note that the brain appears to be highly regionally differentiated, but is also hierarchically and geometrically organized in its spatial organisation (referred to as "canonical brain organization"). They also note that this type of organization is altered by the prevailing environmental conditions (e.g. pathology and genetic diversity). They suggest the use of mathematical models to help understand the factors driving phenotypic variation.

Summary: Dzieweczynski et al (2012)

Communication between individuals is more likely to occur when they interact in groups, than when encountering individuals alone. However, other social factors might also influence communication between individuals. Dzieweczynski et al (2012) used Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens to investigate whether prior experience with an opponent influences the audience effect on male-male interactions. They found that males were more aggressive (opponent-directed gill flaring) when they were unfamiliar with each other and there were other males in the nearby vicinity. In contrast, they found that, when females were in the nearby vicinity, males made more opponent-directed tail beats, a behaviour more commonly associated with courtship than opponent-directed gill flaring. Dzieweczynski et al (2012) suggest that prior history with an opponent, in conjunction with the type of audience, can interact to influence aggressive interactions in Siamese fighting fish.