Summary: Franz & Goldstein (2013)

Recently, Deans et al. (2012) proposed that philosophical descriptions of phenotypes can be used to pave the way in systematics and taxonomy. Franz & Goldstein (2013), while welcoming their contribution, question their approach.

Summary: Szyf (2013)

Szyf (2013) highlights the widely recognized, but poorly understood, concept of gene-environment interaction. Gene-environment interactions were first identified by epidemiologists who noted that a risk allele for increased lifetime risk of suffering from a disease is influenced by the particular environment an individual occurs in. The question still remains: How do genes and environments interact? Szyf (2013) provides a commentary on the report of Klengel et al. (2013) identifying the molecular mechanism of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Klengel et al. (2013) identified demethylation in the stress response regulator FKBP5 of a glucocorticoid response element that depends on both childhood trauma and the underlying allele.

Summary: Zaher & Riad (2012)

 Zaher & Riad (2012) noted that there is a unique median transitory cartilaginous precarotid plate in Pterocles alchata caudacutus that forms a floor to the hypophyseal fenestra in the posterior orbital region of the intermediate developmental embryo. The anterior pater is homologous to the precarotid commisure of some birds, however, its homology to the taenia intertrabecularis of some reptiles and birds is questioned.

Summary: Cresswell & Thompson (2012)

Cresswell & Thompson (2012) provide a technical comment to Henry et al's (2012) report "A Common Pesticide Decreases Foraging Success and Survival in Honey Bees". In this report, Henry et al. (2012) designed a model to predict that pesticide-induced intoxication by thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid systemic pesticide, disrupts navigation, resulting in colony collapse (although it must be noted here that Henry et al. 2012 do not state explicitly in their article that a colony will collapse, but rather that it may be at risk of collapse). Cresswell & Thompson (2012) show that collapse disappears under a recalculated model where parameter values are set appropriate to the season during which most flowering crops, that are treated with pesticide, bloom.

Summary: Weygoldt & Huber (2012)

The undescribed whip scorpion Thelyphonus c.f. caudatus from Lombok Indonesia shows similar courtship, sperm transfer and spermatophore type to two other species, T. caudatus and T. linganus. However, Weygoldt & Huber (2012) observed differences in the intromittend tip of the sperm package and maternal care. The intromittend tip of the sperm package is short and wide, with a ring circumventing the opening. While maternal care is initially similar to that of most other Thelyphonidae species, the pre- and protonymphs of T. c.f. caudatus ride on the female's back (riding lasts for an additional for four/five weeks), whereas only the prenymphs ride on the mother's back in the other species. The protonymphs do not feed, persisting on yolk reserves. Maternal care ends when the nymphs do not return from nightly excursions.

Summary: Wilson & Krause (2012)

There has recently been a surge of interest in animal personality. Yet, how and why animal personalities arise, their adaptive significance and consistency of traits across ontogeny remain relatively poorly understood. Similarly, the underlying developmental processes governing metamorphosis remain poorly understood and under-appreciated. Wilson & Krause (2012) suggest that animals that undergo metamorphosis represent a unique opportunity to study the physiological, morphological and ecological influences on personality differences throughout the process of development.

Summary: Lum & Clevers (2012)

In 2012, a small molecule called LGK974, targeting Wnt-mediated cellular signalling entered the first stage of clinical trials. This type of cellular signalling is important in animal development and tissue homeostasis and, as a result, has been identified as a high-priority anticancer drug target. The target of LGK974 is an acyltransferase called Porcupine (PORCN), which adds fatty acids to Wnt. PORCN is a member (the founder) of the 16-gene family that has predicted acyltransferase activity. The fatty acid modification of Wnt is essential to the activity of proteins coded by PORCN. Lum & Clevers (2012) suggest that the proposed use of a PORCN inhibitor for targeting the Wnt signalling pathway in cancer reflects a growing confidence in the use of non-traditional anti-cancer treatments that target  cellular processes important in embryonic development.