Biology subjects

Little, A. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Little, A. G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Metabolomics of Thermoregulatory Transitions in the Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

The Eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is a thermogenic plant with remarkably precise thermoregulatory control. Its unique sexual dimorphism in thermogenic strategy, homeothermy in female-phase flowers versus diurnal heterothermy in male-phase flowers, offers a powerful natural framework to identify thermoregulatory signaling pathways. We used untargeted metabolomics and LC-MS/MS to compare metabolite profiles across four groups: homeothermic females sampled at midday and midnight, and diurnally heterothermic males sampled at midday and midnight. Pairwise comparisons and cross-filtering against circadian- and sex-specific metabolite changes yielded 190 candidate thermoregulatory metabolites. Principal component analysis revealed that thermogenic state (warm vs. cold) was the primary axis of metabolic variation, accounting for nearly 55% of variance. Metabolite set enrichment analysis identified significant enrichment for octadecanoid formation from linoleic acid, linoleic acid oxylipin metabolism, and eicosanoid metabolism via cyclooxygenases. Oxylipins including 9-oxoODE, 9(S)-HOT, 13(S)-HOT, and 15-OxoETE were among the compounds most strongly associated with low thermogenic activity. We propose that lipoxygenase-derived cyclopentenone oxylipins may suppress thermogenesis by inhibiting thioredoxin o (TRXo), thereby inactivating the alternative oxidase (AOX) pathway that drives heat production. These findings suggest convergence between plant and mammalian thermoregulatory pathways, with linoleic acid-derived oxylipins and prostaglandins emerging as conserved regulators of metabolic heat production across deeply divergent lineages.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Behavioral and physiological evidence that increasing group size ameliorates the impacts of social disturbance

Intra-group social stability is important for the long-term productivity and health of social organisms. We evaluated the effect of group size on group stability in the face of repeated social perturbations using a cooperatively breeding fish, Neolamprologus pulcher. In a laboratory study, we compared both the social and physiological responses of individuals from small versus large groups to the repeated removal and replacement of the most dominant group member (the breeder male). Individuals living in large groups were overall more resistant to instability but were seemingly slower to recover from perturbation. Members of small group were more vulnerable to instability but recovered faster. Breeder females in smaller groups also showed greater physiological preparedness for instability following social perturbations. In sum, we recover both behavioral and physiological evidence that living in larger groups helps to dampen the impacts of social instability in this system.\n\nSO_SCPLOWUMMARYC_SCPLOW SO_SCPLOWTATEMENTC_SCPLOWSocial stability is vital for group productivity and long-term persistence. Here, both behavioral and physiological evidence conveys that larger groups are less susceptible to social disturbance.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2019

Population differences in aggression are shaped by cyclone-induced selection

Surprisingly little is known about the evolutionary impacts of rare but extreme black swan events, like tropical cyclones. By intercepting three cyclones in fall 2018, we evaluated cyclone-induced selection on collective behavior in a group-living spider. We further examined whether historic frequencies of cyclone landfalls are correlated with geographic variation in group behavior. Cyclones consistently selected for more aggressive spider societies. Furthermore, sites where cyclones have historically been more common also harbor more aggressive groups. Thus, two corroborative lines of evidence convey that that cyclone-induced selection can drive the evolution of colony behavior, and suggest that extreme black swan events can shape within-species diversity and local adaptation.\n\nOne Sentence SummaryTropical cyclones drive the evolution of more aggressive spider societies.

ecology↗