Summary: McComb et al. (2014)

An animals' ability to perceive and recognize predators, as well as assess the threat they pose, is crucial for the survival and persistence of the individual and, by extension, the species. By assessing the threat, animals can minimise the cost of retreating if the threat is unfounded, while maximising the time spent engaged in other activities. While most small-bodied animals are faced with a variety of predator threats, larger-bodied species, such as elephants Loxodonta africana may not experience the same pressure from predation. However, elephants and other large-bodied animals are at risk of predation by humans, due to humans increased cognitive ability to hunt these larger-bodied resources. McComb et al. (2014) investigated elephant responses to vocal playbacks of different humans in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. They tested whether elephants responded differently to 1) adult male human voices from two different ethnic groups (Maasai and Kamba), 2) male and female human vocalizations; and 3) young male human voices (boys). They resynthesised the adult male vocalizations to mimic female voices. McComb et al. (2014) found that elephants used more defensive bunching postures and investigative smelling following adult male Maasai vocalizations, compared to Kamba male vocalizations, consistent with the high predation threat imposed by this group of humans. In addition, elephants were less likely to demonstrate a strong behavioural response to female and young boy vocalizations, indicating an ability to distinguish between different vocal qualities. While McComb et al. (2014) suggest that this may be a function of selection in these cognitively advanced animals, with increasing human pressure, it would be interesting to determine whether this is a more general response than expected.

Summary: Atwood et al. (2012)

Increased mortality and morbidity can result from alcohol consumption and high levels of  consumption and increased episodic "binge" drinking incidents are increasingly becoming more of a social concern. Alcohol consumption is sensitive to a variety of factors, including price, drinking age restrictions, hours/days of alcohol sale and number/density/type of alcohol outlets. Atwood et al. (2012) explored another factor thought to influence alcohol consumption - glass shape. They exposed 159 male and female alcohol consumers to either lager or soft drink (7-Up), straight or curved glass and 6 fl oz or 12 fl oz (in various combinations). Thereafter, participants completed a word search puzzle to disguise the true aim of the experiment. Atwood et al. (2012) measured rate of consumption, total drinking time, perceptual judgement of the half-way point of the glass. They found that rate of consumption decreased by 60% when alcohol-drinking consumers drank from a straight glass compared to a curved one, but this was only observed when the glass was full (12 fl oz). Atwood et al. (2012) also found that the half-way point of a curved glass was more difficult to estimate than that of a straight glass, suggesting that glass shape can influence rate of consumption of alcoholic beverages. This could be an effective strategy for alcoholic consumption management.

Summary: Pappano et al. (2012)

 Living in a group confers numerous benefits, such as reduced energy expenditure for thermoregulation (social huddling), increased predator detection (with reduced individual vigilance - the "many eyes" hypothesis) and increased predator defence (e.g. mobbing by many). Hamilton (1971) postulated that groups form because individuals are inherently selfish and grouping can diminish costs associated with living alone. Both De Vos & O'Riain (2010) and Quinn & Cresswell (2006) have demonstrated that the the central tenets of the "selfish herd hypothesis" can hold true in some mammals and birds. Pappano et al. (2012) postulate that this idea can also translate to "social predators" - infanticidal males. They proposed that the impact of a non-breeding, potentially infanticidal bachelor male geladas Theropithecus gelada, could alter spacing patterns of  reproductive units within a group. Their findings suggest that these social predators are capable of causing group spacing dynamics to change: 1) numbers of animals in a group increased with an increasing number of bachelor males; 2) breeding individuals moved into closer contact with neighbours closest to them; and 3) reproductive females associated more with reproductive males. Pappano et al.'s (2012) study indicates that spacing patterns of individuals could offset the costs of potentially associating with social predators within groups.

Summary: Heimann et al. (2009)

Veterinary practice, research and drug development has relied heavily on blood examination in laboratory animals. One of the common methods used for extracting blood from rodents is the retrobulbar venous plexus puncture. The advantage to this technique is the ability to harvest high volumes of blood, however, this technique can lead to extensive tissue damage, so much so that this method is only currently accepted if the procedure results in termination. Heimann et al. (2009) developed a novel puncture technique for rodents from the sublingual vein as an alternative to the retrobulbar venous plexus puncture technique. They found that large volumes of blood could be obtained using this method and that the method was suitable for rats, mice and hamsters. However, the sublingual vein in guinea pigs is not peripherally located, making this method impossible for these rodents. Heimann et al. (2009) also noted that sublingual venepuncture resulted in less tissue destruction in mice and, therefore, recommended this method over the retrobulbar venous plexus puncture technique.

Summary: Jozet-Alves et al. (2012)

Cerebral lateralization, defined as localization of function on either the right or left sides of the brain, was thought to be an exclusively human trait until recently. Lateralization is often perceived as asymmetries in motor behaviour, for example, a preference for using a particular hand, or turning in a particular direction. While lateralization studies in vertebrates are now common place, lateralization studies in invertebrates are more rare, although observations appear to parallel that seen in vertebrates. While lateralization in vertebrates can vary within an individual across its development, this was unknown in invertebrates. Jozet-Alves et al. (2012) examined lateralization during postembryonic development in juvenile cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, specifically focusing on when juveniles begin to show side-turning preferences. They found that juvenile cuttlefish progressively developed a left-turning bias between the ages of 3 and 45 days posthatch, but this was dependent on the presence of shelters. Jozet-Alves et al. (2012) suggest that this preference for turning left is a result of eye-use preference. This establishment of visual lateralization can provide juveniles with greater behavioural efficiency at dispersal, but increasing their ability to detect escape routes during hunting. It is possible that, by determining the role that the right visual field plays during prey-seeking in cuttlefish, this may provide evidence for homology for lateralization between vertebrates and invertebrates.

Summary: Hasegawa et al. (2013)

The sensory trap hypothesis proposes that courtship behaviour of males that mimic food-begging behaviour of offspring is a consequence of signal evolution. This results from males attempting to match stimuli that stimulate the female response in other contexts (for example, in parental care). As a result, females respond and male mating success increases. To humans, male courtship behaviour in many birds appears similar to food-begging behaviour of chicks. It is unclear, however, whether this behaviour does actually elicit a parental care response by females during courtship, indicative of a sensory trap. Hasegawa et al. (2013) studied barn swallows Hirundo rustica gutturalis and found that males make enticement calls that are structurally similar to nestling begging calls. When they played back these vocalizations to females during courtship, they observed females responding, even when nestlings were not present. Hasegawa et al. (2013) suggest that this represents a sensory trap, whereby a males mimic a signal which evokes a female response for an alternate behaviour (in this case, parental care).

Summary: Kuroki et al. (2013)

The interaction between transcription factor function and epigenetic status, which includes histone modification, defines developmental gene expression. Mammalian sex determination is influenced by various transcription factors, but the epigenetic regulation of this process is still unclear. Kuroki et al. (2013) studied sex reversal (male to female) in mice that lacked a particular enzyme - H3K9 demethylase Jmjd1a. They found that this enzyme regulates the expression of Sry gene, which is the mammalian Y chromosome sex-determining gene. Kuroki et al. (2013) showed that Jmdj1a directly controls Sry expression in a positive manner through its regulation of H3K9me2 marks. Their study demonstrates the important role that histone demethylation plays in mammalian sex determination.