Brain and Behavior, Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2025.

Correlation coefficients play a central role in scientific research to quantify the (linear) association between certain key variables of interest. Currently, hypothesis testing of correlation coefficients, such as whether a correlation equals zero or whether two correlations are equal, is mainly done using classical p values, despite their known limitations. An important cause of this problem is the limited availability of statistical software that supports alternative, Bayesian testing procedures. To address this shortcoming, the current tutorial paper showcases how to perform Bayesian hypothesis tests on correlation coefficients using the new BFpack module in the free and open-source software program JASP. The module supports Bayesian tests of various types of correlations such as product–moment correlations, polyserial correlations, or tetrachoric correlations, among others. Partial correlations can be tested by controlling for certain covariates. Moreover, both dependent and independent correlations can be tested to be zero or tested against each other. This tutorial aims to get researchers acquainted with this new flexible testing paradigm, which avoids the limitations of classical methods, and to make the methodology widely available to the research community.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 40, October 2025. SignificanceEcologists seek to understand what drives patterns in the abundance of populations such as the multiannual cycles in abundance in rodents. The prevailing orthodoxy, the predation hypothesis, posits that changing patterns of predation-induced ...

Interacting in a multimodal world, including recognizing other individuals across multiple sensory modalities, is important for animals who rely on social relationships for survival. Social and sensory experiences shape how multisensory information is processed and integrated; however, we have less understanding of how multimodal recognition may be modulated by early sensory experience in a single modality. Zebra finches are gregarious songbirds that form lifelong pair-bonds with a single partner whom they recognize acoustically and visually. However, it is unknown to what extent multisensory signals might interact to enable recognition or whether this is affected by auditory exposure during development. In this paper, we tested females for responses to audio and visual stimuli from their mate or a stranger in a digital cross-modal expectancy violation paradigm. Using automated pose tracking, we determined that, like many species, zebra finches react differently when the stimuli are congruent versus incongruent. However, while birds reared in a colony setting and birds reared without exposure to adult song both detected audiovisual congruency, the degree of behaviors exhibited differed between the rearing conditions. Thus, multisensory integration appears to be important for females to identify their mates, but differences in developmental environment influence how recognition is behaviorally expressed.

Honey bees play crucial roles as pollinators in natural, agricultural, and ecological systems. The role of gut microbiota in the overwinter survival of honey bees is gaining attention. Compared with Western honey bees (Apis mellifera), Eastern honey bees (Apis cerana) are more tolerant to low-temperature stress. This study compared the hindgut microbiota of the Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica), a subspecies of A. cerana, during the overwintering period (December) with that before overwintering (October) and after overwintering (March) to estimate beneficial hindgut bacteria contributing to survival during the overwintering period. Overall, the hindgut microbiota of A. c. japonica was occupied by Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria at the phylum level and Apibacter, Bifidobacterium, Bombilactobacillus, Gilliamella, Lactobacillus, and Snodgrassella at the genus level. The hindgut microbiota composition of A. c. japonica was similar to that of A. cerana in other regions, suggesting that phylogeny influenced the composition. Many sequences assigned to these six core genera showed

Black-backed jackals are medium-sized canids with an omnivorous and opportunistic diet, allowing them to persist across different landscapes and land uses in southern Africa. Their diet is influenced by both top-down factors, like the presence of larger carnivores, and bottom-up factors, such as prey size, abundance, behavior, and habitat. Therefore, varying land uses-such as livestock farming, game ranching, or nature reserves-can significantly impact jackal diet and behavior due to variations...

Publication date: November 2025 Source: Hormones and Behavior, Volume 176 Author(s): Navina D. Liebermann-Lilie, Benedikt Schniedermeyer, Anabel Kröhnert, Sepand Riyahi, Sylvia Kaiser, Tim Schmoll, Peter Korsten

Scientific Reports, Published online: 13 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-23322-2Correction: Generating human facial animation by aggregation deep network and low-rank active learning with table tennis applications

Nature, Published online: 13 October 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03135-zA run-in with some artefact-laden AI-generated analyses convinced Lei Zhu that machine learning wasn’t making his role irrelevant, but more important than ever.

by Matthew J. Stower, Richard C. V. Tyser, Shifaan Thowfeequ, Felix Zhou, Marta Portela, Konstantinos Miti, Jacintha Sugnaseelan, Xin Lu, Shankar Srinivas Anterior–posterior axis formation in the mouse embryo requires the active migration of the DVE cell population at E5.5. While intracellular Ca2+ signaling has been shown to control cell migration in multiple cell contexts, it is unknown whether it is required for DVE migration. The pattern of Ca2+ activity in the mouse embryo at early peri-implantation stages is also unknown. Using the GCaMP6f Ca2+ reporter line, we performed a detailed assessment of Ca2+ dynamics between E0.5 and E5.5 using live imaging. We find that prior to implantation, Ca2+ transients are rare, but at E5.5 widespread, periodic, Ca2+ transients in extraembryonic tissues can be observed, including in the VE and ExE. In contrast, cells of the E5.5 epiblast remain relatively quiescent but show sporadic large-scale multicellular waves. Inhibition of SERCA at E5.5 abolishes Ca2+ transients and leads to DVE arrest, indicative that these transients are required for axial patterning. Together, these results reveal the pattern of Ca2+ handling in the early mouse embryo and a novel requirement in anterior–posterior axis formation.

The existence of behavioural syndromes, or suites of correlated behaviours, means that animals may not be able to act optimally in every situation, as they can constrain plasticity. Therefore, understanding links between different behaviours is critical for understanding why animals sometimes fail to respond appropriately to environmental challenges. In this study, we assessed whether beak wiping, a stereotyped anxiety-linked behaviour where birds wipe their beaks on a perch in a ''windshield wiper'' motion, was correlated with another anxiety-linked behavior, neophobia towards novel objects presented with food, in captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We predicted that more neophobic sparrows would also exhibit more beak-wiping stereotypies. We analyzed 1 h long control videos (when sparrows were presented with a normal food dish only; n=54) from three previous neophobia studies to assess beak wiping frequency, mean beak wiping bout duration, and total bout duration. Sparrows' reluctance to feed in the presence of novel objects was significantly correlated with the mean duration of beak wiping bouts during control trials. We also found that simple enrichment (rubber perches, manzanita branch perches, and/or artificial pine branches) decreased both the frequency and duration of beak wiping. These findings suggest that neophobia and stereotypies may arise due to similar neuroendocrine mechanisms as part of a ''high anxiety'' behavioural syndrome. This work also highlights the importance of providing species-appropriate environmental enrichment to decrease the prevalence of stereotypic behaviours in captive songbirds.

Following decades of mining impacts, South America’s hypersaline wetlands (salars) face increasing threats from lithium extraction to support global decarbonisation. Although globally important, salars are understudied and information needed to understand environmental impacts is lacking. Modern ecological studies on salars have focused on microbial community composition and function but other taxa are less studied, including resident and migratory reptiles and birds and their aquatic invertebrate prey. Given the scale and immediate nature of the threats associated with lithium exploitation, we must deepen our understanding of salar biology, but this is impeded by logistic/financial restrictions given the heightened costs of sampling in these often remote, extreme environments. Given the pressing demand for information, we collated/analysed information from the literature. We generated lists of invertebrate taxa present in 63 hypersaline environments from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, and examined relationships between invertebrate community structure and physicochemical factors. We recorded 46 different taxa, with the Centropagidae being the most frequently recorded taxon across systems. Multivariate analyses of community structure showed significant clustering among sites. Variation in community structure was best explained by maximum salinity (18%). Geographical location or ecosystem size had no obvious effect on community structure. We provide a useful broad view of aquatic invertebrate diversity in the hypersaline salars but highlight the general lack of information regarding the ecology of these ecosystems.

Accounting for individual differences in depression or resilience is crucial to ensure individualized well-being. Differences in tendencies to approach rewards and avoid threats reflect personality and help to understand what animals want and like. At the neural level, these tendencies involve the behavioral activation system (BAS) and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS). We developed a test to investigate reactions to rewards and approach-avoidance conflicts using the domestic pig as a...

Transdiagnostic psychotherapies were developed to address multiple diagnostic presentations via a single, easier-to-implement protocol. However, despite advances, these protocols are largely limited to longer formats designed for mental health settings. The present study investigated a version of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT-PC) that was adapted for primary care settings. Forty-one participants with emotional disorders received 6 sessions of TBT-PC, with symptoms of depression and anxiety assessed at baseline, immediate post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Medium treatment effects for symptoms of depression and anxiety were evidenced at post-treatment and sustained at follow-up. Treatment feasibility was supported by excellent attendance, treatment completion, and patient satisfaction scores. Together, the present findings provide initial support for TBT-PC in primary care patients with emotional disorders.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 13 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-22263-0Correction: Static magnetic field-induced IL-6 secretion in periodontal ligament stem cells accelerates orthodontic tooth movement

Nature Communications, Published online: 13 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-64132-4VTA dopamine activity control movement-related performance, not reward prediction errors. Here, authors show that behavioral changes during Pavlovian learning explain DA activity regardless of reward prediction or valence, supporting an adaptive gain model of DA function.

Abstract African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), a critically endangered seabird, form dense breeding colonies where nesting individuals maintain territories advertised through a loud vocalisation, the Ecstatic Display Song (EDS). This song encodes information about the caller’s identity and body size, but its potential role in distinguishing familiar from unfamiliar individuals – a key aspect of territorial defence – remains unclear. We conducted playback experiments to investigate whether African penguins exhibit the “dear enemy effect”, where territory holders show reduced aggression towards established neighbours compared to strangers. Using a mixed experimental design (independent and repeated measures), on a relatively large sample (N = 49), we observed no differences in behavioural responses, but penguins looked significantly longer towards the speaker when broadcasting a stranger’s EDS. However, in a conservative repeated-measures analysis involving a reduced sample (N = 24), this effect was no longer observed. Together, our findings do not provide clear evidence for a dear enemy effect. Nevertheless, the increased duration of the first looking towards strangers’ EDS in the larger sample suggests a potential for neighbour-stranger vocal discrimination. To further explore the absence of a dear enemy effect in the African penguin, we suggest replicating these experiments with speakers placed closer to nests to simulate greater territorial threats. Our study provides new insights into territorial behaviour, vocal discrimination, and therefore further understand vocal communication in competitive contexts in this critically endangered species. Significance statement In territorial species, distinguishing familiar from unfamiliar individuals reduces costly conflicts, often achieved through acoustic signals encoding reliable identity cues. Many territorial birds exhibit the “dear enemy effect,” displaying heightened aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics, but this phenomenon remains unexplored in penguins. African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), a critically endangered seabirds breeding in dense colonies, maintain territories and produce complex vocalisations, including the Ecstatic Display Song. Through playback experiments, we found no differences in African penguins’ behavioural responses between neighbours’ and strangers’ calls, suggesting an absence of the dear enemy effect consistent with the colonial ecology of this species. This study is a starting point for elucidate vocal behaviour in competitive contexts in this critically endangered species, informing acoustic-based monitoring and conservation strategies to support their declining populations.

Nature, Published online: 13 October 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03314-y‘Digital twins’ of real-world objects are moving from manufacturing to wildlife management.

Ecology and Evolution, Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2025.

Brain and Behavior, Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2025.

Studying vocal coordination in a cooperative setting provides insights into how animals process social information, coordinate their actions, and make decisions in complex social settings. It can also reveal how animals use vocal signals to navigate complex social interactions that might not be apparent in solitary or non-cooperative contexts. To our knowledge, experimental evidence for intentional vocal communication in controlled experiments has been demonstrated only in dolphins. Here, we investigate whether peach-fronted conures (Eupsittula aurea) can use vocal communication to coordinate behaviour in a cooperative task. We chose parrots due to their complex social systems, their vocal learning and mimicry skills, and their advanced cognitive abilities. We tested four individuals pairwise in all combinations in the loose string paradigm, which requires synchronization of the two individuals to retrieve a food reward by simultaneously pulling a string. To verify that the parrots used vocal communication to solve the task, we tested them first under three control conditions where visual information and simple behaviour sufficed to solve the tasks. We then compared their vocal behaviour in the control conditions with their vocal behaviour in a task without visual information. During performance of the latter task, the birds demonstrated significantly higher call rates and variability and specific associations between call types and trial outcome compared to the control conditions. After the performance of the task, the birds used vocal convergence more often after failed trials, potentially as a reconciliation mechanism. Our results indicate that peach-fronted conures can use vocalizations to coordinate the solving of a cooperative task, and that vocal convergence may serve as a bonding mechanism following unsuccessful cooperative efforts.

by Aurore A. Perrault, Valeria Kebets, Nicole M. Y. Kuek, Nathan E. Cross, Rackeb Tesfaye, Florence B. Pomares, Jingwei Li, Michael W. L. Chee, Thien Thanh Dang-Vu, B. T. Thomas Yeo Sleep is essential for optimal functioning and health. Interconnected to multiple biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors (i.e., biopsychosocial factors), the multidimensional nature of sleep is rarely capitalized on in research. Here, we deployed a data-driven approach to identify sleep-biopsychosocial profiles that linked self-reported sleep patterns to inter-individual variability in health, cognition, and lifestyle factors in 770 healthy young adults. We uncovered five profiles, including two profiles reflecting general psychopathology associated with either reports of general poor sleep or an absence of sleep complaints (i.e., sleep resilience), respectively. The three other profiles were driven by the use of sleep aids and social satisfaction, sleep duration, and cognitive performance, and sleep disturbance linked to cognition and mental health. Furthermore, identified sleep-biopsychosocial profiles displayed unique patterns of brain network organization. In particular, somatomotor network connectivity alterations were involved in the relationships between sleep and biopsychosocial factors. These profiles can potentially untangle the interplay between individuals’ variability in sleep, health, cognition, and lifestyle—equipping research and clinical settings to better support individual’s well-being.

Local adaptation occurs when populations evolve traits in response to local environmental challenges. Isolated island populations often experience different selection pressures than their mainland counterparts, which enables the study of how phenotypes and genotypes respond to differing selection regimes. We studied a group of five phenotypically differentiated subspecies of song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) in Alaska that demonstrate striking body size, color, and migratory behavioral differences to examine the effects of local adaptation on phenotypes and genotypes. We examined the phenotypic attributes of these populations and used whole-genome data to determine relationships and test candidate loci for evidence of selection. Phenotypic measurements of museum specimens (n = 227) quantified the dramatic size differences among these populations, with westernmost M. m. maxima being ~1.6 times larger than easternmost M. m. rufina. Using ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and McDonald-Kreitman tests, we showed that seven candidate genes associated with bill size, circadian rhythm regulation, plumage color, and salt tolerance exhibited signs of putative positive selection. Phylogenetic analysis of UCEs identified M. m. maxima as sister to the other Alaska M. melodia subspecies. This suggests M. m. maxima colonized earliest, perhaps before the last glacial maximum, and that Alaska was later recolonized by ancestors of the remaining four subspecies.

Publication date: November 2025 Source: Hormones and Behavior, Volume 176 Author(s): Juliane Damm, Pedro A.D. Dias, Ariadna Rangel-Negrín, Colleen M. Schaffner, Fabrizio Dell'Anna, Filippo Aureli

This study examines how life satisfaction and personality traits are intergenerationally transmitted from fathers to their adolescent children. The sample comprised 144 father-child dyads (mean child age = 13.65; 55.9% male; mean father age = 43.06). The data were obtained via questionnaires. The Satisfaction With Life Scale served as the measure of life satisfaction. Fathers also completed a brief version of the NEO Personality Inventory. The results showed that fathers’ life satisfaction significantly positively correlated with their children’s life satisfaction, supporting the theory of intergenerational transmission. Unexpectedly, fathers’ high neuroticism positively correlated with adolescents’ life satisfaction, contradicting previous studies suggesting a negative association. Additionally, fathers’ high agreeableness was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction in their children, indicating that agreeable fathers contribute to a supportive and nurturing family environment, enhancing adolescents’ well-being. In conclusion, this study emphasizes how fathers’ personality traits, particularly agreeableness and neuroticism, notably contribute to the psychological and emotional well-being of their adolescent children.