Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Evolution
On Information in Evolutionary Processes
Published: 2026-03-26
Subjects: Evolution, Population Biology
Since the first attempts to introduce an information-theoretical formalism into the description of evolutionary processes, several authors have argued that such approaches are inappropriate because biological evolution does not unfold in a predefined space of possibilities. To properly address that objection, we need to separate the semantics of the emergence of biological functions from the [...]
Coexistence of phenotypic plasticity and habitat use in natural populations
Published: 2026-03-23
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Life Sciences
When studying how individuals adapt to environmental changes, the environment is traditionally viewed as a passive backdrop, with individuals modifying their phenotype in response to environmental conditions (i.e., phenotypic plasticity). However, this perspective overlooks the active role of habitat choice in mediating individual responses to environmental changes. In this paper, we argue for [...]
Genetic variance and phenotypic selection on pathogen-linked oviposition choice in Drosophila
Published: 2026-03-23
Subjects: Animal Experimentation and Research, Behavior and Ethology, Entomology, Evolution, Genetics, Integrative Biology, Research Methods in Life Sciences, Zoology
Pathogen-avoidance behaviour is assumed to be adaptive, yet its phenotypic variability and genetic heritability are rarely quantified. In species lacking post-oviposition care, avoiding potentially infectious egg-laying substrates would improve offspring survival and should therefore be under strong selection. We used two-choice oviposition assays to quantify the phenotypic and genetic variance [...]
Heritabilities and genetic correlations of Drosophila melanogaster locomotory behaviour traits: a high-throughput phenotyping approach
Published: 2026-03-23
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Evolution
Genetic variance forms the basis for evolutionary inferences as it describes the evolutionary potential of traits. The major limitation of quantitative genetic studies is achieving sufficient power and sample sizes to estimate heritabilities with sufficient precision. This issue is especially important in the case of traits that are inherently susceptible to stochastic, nonbiological variation. [...]
Insect oviposition as a simple system to investigate the ecology and evolution of pathogen avoidance behaviour
Published: 2026-03-20
Subjects: Animal Experimentation and Research, Behavior and Ethology, Biology, Entomology, Evolution, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Integrative Biology, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Life Sciences, Research Methods in Life Sciences, Zoology
Behavioural avoidance of pathogens and parasites is a ubiquitous first line of defence, yet we lack tractable systems that connect cue detection to fitness consequences, population transmission, and coevolution. We propose insect oviposition as a model that yields general principles for avoidance across taxa. Oviposition decisions fix offspring exposure, they are governed by well‑mapped sensory [...]
Towards a better understanding of adaptation: Problem description, partial solutions, and recommendations
Published: 2026-03-20
Subjects: Animal Experimentation and Research, Animal Studies, Behavior and Ethology, Biodiversity, Developmental Biology, Evolution, Human Ecology, Integrative Biology, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Other Genetics and Genomics, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration, Population Biology, Science and Technology Studies
This paper is the product of an international workshop aiming to make progress in our general understanding of adaptation. We met from 5-7 February 2025 in Hannover (Germany), funded by the foundation “Volkswagen Stiftung”. For our group of theoretical and empirical biologists, social scientists, and philosophers of science we set up a program to facilitate communication and collaboration between [...]
The scent of survival in a warming world: how monoterpenes drive thermal adaptation in thyme
Published: 2026-03-18
Subjects: Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Other Plant Sciences, Physiology, Plant Biology, Plant Sciences, Population Biology
1 Monoterpenes are key plant secondary metabolites with well known defensive and ecological functions, yet their role in abiotic stress tolerance remains poorly understood. In many Mediterranean plants, monoterpene composition varies markedly within and among species and is associated with climatic gradients, suggesting that these compounds may mediate plant responses to extreme heat. 2 We [...]
From Trading Genes to Crafting New Tricks: How Horizontal Gene Transfer Potentiates the Emergence of Novel Functions
Published: 2026-03-17
Subjects: Evolution, Genetics, Genomics, Microbiology
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the set of processes by which genetic information is transferred between individuals, has shaped life’s evolution. It is particularly frequent in microbial organisms, where it has driven numerous remarkable adaptations to extreme conditions, anti-microbial agents, or biotic interactions. Its role in spreading novel functions is now documented by countless examples [...]
Evaluation of site frequency spectrum-based demographic inference methods for use in conservation contexts
Published: 2026-03-15
Subjects: Evolution, Genomics
Genomic methods for inferring historical effective population size (Nₑ) trajectories offer valuable tools for conservation, yet their reliability under conditions typical of conservation datasets—small sample sizes, reduced-representation SNP data, and recent demographic change—remains poorly characterised. We evaluated the performance of two widely used site frequency spectrum (SFS)–based [...]
Global latitudinal and bathymetric gradients in body size among cartilaginous fishes (Gnathostomata: Chondrichthyes)
Published: 2026-03-11
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Understanding the macroecological rules governing body size variation across environmental gradients has long been a central focus of biology for centuries. Bergmann’s rule – the tendency for animals to reach larger body sizes in colder environments – has been studied in endotherms but with mixed support. However, phylogenetically informed tests of this rule in ectotherms remain scarce, and there [...]
Long-lasting negative effects of poor early life conditions on cognitive performance in adulthood in a wild bird
Published: 2026-03-09
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Nutrition, Ornithology
Adverse conditions encountered during growth, such as stress or malnutrition, are known to affect cognitive development and functions in adulthood in humans and laboratory animals. However, how early life conditions can influence adult cognition in wild animals remains unclear. Yet cognitive abilities such as innovation can be crucial for animals to cope with rapidly changing environments. We [...]
Between Interface and Truth: Multi-Task Selection Drives Ecologically Veridical Perception
Published: 2026-03-05
Subjects: Applied Mathematics, Biostatistics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Evolution
When does optimisation for performance yield representations that track world structure? We develop a mathematical theory of agents with a single fixed encoding shared across tasks, and use it to resolve the broader debate over whether selection favors fitness-tuned interfaces or veridical perception. Selection favors ecological veridicality: preserving exactly those world-state distinctions [...]
Transposable elements as drivers of reproductive isolation: A framework for testing hybridization-induced escalation of genetic conflicts
Published: 2026-02-26
Subjects: Evolution, Genetics, Genomics, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Contrary to long-held views, the exchange of genetic diversity between species by hybridization is now recognized as an important process contributing to the evolution of biodiversity. However, hybridization has molecular consequences beyond the exchange of genetic variation. The clash of divergent genomes upon hybridization can escalate genetic conflicts previously resolved in parental species – [...]
pynnotate: a flexible tool for retrieving and processing GenBank data in molecular evolution research and education
Published: 2026-02-26
Subjects: Bioinformatics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution
Pynnotate is a Python-based tool designed for automated retrieval, parsing, and extraction of annotated gene sequences from GenBank records. The tool addresses the common challenges researchers face when working with GenBank data, including inconsistent gene nomenclature, redundant sequences, and the need for standardised gene extraction across multiple taxa. Pynnotate operates through both a [...]
The Individualised Niche in Motion; quantifying individualised niches with movement data
Published: 2026-02-26
Subjects: Aquaculture and Fisheries Life Sciences, Behavior and Ethology, Evolution, Ornithology, Other Animal Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Population Biology, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology, Zoology
Individuals of the same species often differ consistently in their use of resources, their responses to environmental gradients, and their movement decisions. Between-individual variation across niche axes has been shown to have important ecological consequences. Yet practical frameworks that translate modern tracking data into operational, comparable measures of niche individual specialisation [...]