Marked Animals Research Articles

Inhibition of FASN suppresses the malignant biological behavior of non-small cell lung cancer cells via deregulating glucose metabolism and AKT/ERK pathway

BackgroundFatty acid synthase (FASN) is overexpressed in most human carcinomas, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and contributes to poor prognosis. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the potential function of FASN as both a biomarker and therapeutic target for cancers. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of FASN in glucose metabolism and the malignant biological behavior of NSCLC remain the subjects of intensive investigation.MethodsFASN expression was depleted by FASN-siRNA in A549 and NCI-H1299 cell lines to detect the function of glucose metabolism and the malignant biological behavior of NSCLC cells. Western-blot and qPCR were applied to determine the expressions of FASN, t-AKT, p-AKT, t-ERK, p-ERK, PKM2, HK2 and AZGP1. ATP and lactate were detected to determine the activation of glucose metabolism. CCK8 and transwell assays were used to detect the proliferation, invasion, and migration capacity of the two types of NSCLC cells. The xenograft mouse model was used to evaluate tumor weights after suppression of FASN.ResultsLV-FASN-siRNA and its control lentiviral vector were successfully transfected into the two types of NSCLC cells (A549 and NCI-H1299). LV-FASN siRNA significantly suppressed FASN expression in both NSCLC cell types, and expressions of p-AKT, p-ERK, PKM2, and AZGP1 were also significantly decreased. Notably, the levels of ATP and lactate were significantly decreased after transfection with LV-FASN siRNA. The proliferation of both NSCLC cell types was decreased after suppression of FASN. The invasion and migration capacity of A549, but not NCI-H1299, were inhibited following down-regulation of FASN. In vivo, inhibition of FASN caused a marked animal tumor weight loss.ConclusionsFASN was involved in glucose metabolism via down-regulation of the AKT/ERK pathway and eventually altered the malignant phenotype in lung cancer cells.

Consistent Associations between Body Size and Hidden Contrasting Color Signals across a Range of Insect Taxa.

While there have been a number of recent advances in our understanding of the evolution of animal color patterns, much of this work has focused on color patterns that are constantly displayed. However, some animals hide functional color signals and display them only transiently through behavioral displays. These displays are widely employed as a secondary defense following detection when fleeing (flash display) or when stationary (deimatic display). Yet if displays of hidden colors are so effective in deterring predation, why have not all species evolved them? An earlier study suggested that the hidden antipredatory color signals in insects are more likely to have evolved in species with large size because either (or both) (i) large cryptic prey are more frequently detected and pursued or (ii) hidden color signals in large prey are more effective in deterring predation than in small prey. These arguments should apply universally to any prey that use hidden signals, so the association between large size and hidden contrasting color signals should be evident across diverse groups of prey. In this study, we tested this prediction in five different groups of insects. Using phylogenetically controlled analysis to elucidate the relationship between body size and color contrast between forewings and hind wings, we found evidence for the predicted size-color contrast associations in four different groups of insects, namely, Orthoptera, Phasmatidae, Mantidae, and Saturniidae, but not in Sphingidae. Collectively, our study indicates that body size plays an important role in explaining variation in the evolution of hidden contrasting color signals in insects.

Development and Characterization of An Injury-free Model of Functional Pain in Rats by Exposure to Red Light

We report the development and characterization of a novel, injury-free rat model in which nociceptive sensitization after red light is observed in multiple body areas reminiscent of widespread pain in functional pain syndromes. Rats were exposed to red light-emitting diodes (RLED) (LEDs, 660 nm) at an intensity of 50 Lux for 8 hours daily for 5 days resulting in time- and dose-dependent thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in both male and female rats. Females showed an earlier onset of mechanical allodynia than males. The pronociceptive effects of RLED were mediated through the visual system. RLED-induced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia were reversed with medications commonly used for widespread pain, including gabapentin, tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Acetaminophen failed to reverse the RLED induced hypersensitivity. The hyperalgesic effects of RLED were blocked when bicuculline, a gamma-aminobutyric acid-A receptor antagonist, was administered into the rostral ventromedial medulla, suggesting a role for increased descending facilitation in the pain pathway. Key experiments were subjected to a replication study with randomization, investigator blinding, inclusion of all data, and high levels of statistical rigor. RLED-induced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia without injury offers a novel injury-free rodent model useful for the study of functional pain syndromes with widespread pain. RLED exposure also emphasizes the different biological effects of different colors of light exposure. PerspectiveThis study demonstrates the effect of light exposure on nociceptive thresholds. These biological effects of red LED add evidence to the emerging understanding of the biological effects of light of different colors in animals and humans. Understanding the underlying biology of red light-induced widespread pain may offer insights into functional pain states.

A photographic protocol for image sampling on the evaluation of color similarity between animal and substrate

Camouflage has long intrigued scientists, who have been trying to quantify animal coloration. Recent advances in the field of computing allow the sampling and analysis of data from digital photographs. Thus, new quantitative studies on animal coloration have used these resources due to their practicality and accuracy. However, new methods and resources also bring new questions and challenges, in which improvement opportunities can be identified. In this study, we proposed a new sampling method and tested the influence of photographic parameters on a recent method for color similarity quantification between animal and substrate. Therefore, 135 digital photographs were obtained under controlled conditions and comparative tests were performed to test the proposed sampling method and differences caused by different photographic parameters. The results showed significant differences between the colors sampled with different methods and between photographs obtained under different photographic parameters.

Optimizing colour for camouflage and visibility using deep learning: the effects of the environment and the observer's visual system.

Avoiding detection can provide significant survival advantages for prey, predators, or the military; conversely, maximizing visibility would be useful for signalling. One simple determinant of detectability is an animal's colour relative to its environment. But identifying the optimal colour to minimize (or maximize) detectability in a given natural environment is complex, partly because of the nature of the perceptual space. Here for the first time, using image processing techniques to embed targets into realistic environments together with psychophysics to estimate detectability and deep neural networks to interpolate between sampled colours, we propose a method to identify the optimal colour that either minimizes or maximizes visibility. We apply our approach in two natural environments (temperate forest and semi-arid desert) and show how a comparatively small number of samples can be used to predict robustly the most and least effective colours for camouflage. To illustrate how our approach can be generalized to other non-human visual systems, we also identify the optimum colours for concealment and visibility when viewed by simulated red–green colour-blind dichromats, typical for non-human mammals. Contrasting the results from these visual systems sheds light on why some predators seem, at least to humans, to have colouring that would appear detrimental to ambush hunting. We found that for simulated dichromatic observers, colour strongly affected detection time for both environments. In contrast, trichromatic observers were more effective at breaking camouflage.

How conspicuous are peacock eyespots and other colorful feathers in the eyes of mammalian predators?

Colorful feathers have long been assumed to be conspicuous to predators, and hence likely to incur costs due to enhanced predation risk. However, many mammals that prey on birds have dichromatic visual systems with only two types of color-sensitive visual receptors, rather than the three and four photoreceptors characteristic of humans and most birds, respectively. Here, we use a combination of multispectral imaging, reflectance spectroscopy, color vision modelling and visual texture analysis to compare the visual signals available to conspecifics and to mammalian predators from multicolored feathers from the Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus), as well as red and yellow parrot feathers. We also model the effects of distance-dependent blurring due to visual acuity. When viewed by birds against green vegetation, most of the feathers studied are estimated to have color and brightness contrasts similar to values previously found for ripe fruit. On the other hand, for dichromat mammalian predators, visual contrasts for these feathers were only weakly detectable and often below detection thresholds for typical viewing distances. We also show that for dichromat mammal vision models, the peacock’s train has below-detection threshold color and brightness contrasts and visual textures that match various foliage backgrounds. These findings are consistent with many feathers of similar hue to those studied here being inconspicuous, and in some cases potentially cryptic, in the eyes of common mammalian predators of adult birds. Given that birds perform many conspicuous motions and behaviors, this study suggests that mammalian predators are more likely to use other sensory modalities (e.g., motion detection, hearing, and olfaction), rather than color vision, to detect avian prey. This suggests new directions for future behavioral studies and emphasizes the importance of understanding the influence of the sensory ecology of predators in the evolution of animal coloration.

Pterin-pigmented nanospheres create the colours of the polymorphic damselfly Ischnura elegans.

Animal colours commonly act as signals for mates or predators. In many damselfly species, both sexes go through a developmental colour change as adults, and females often show colour polymorphism, which may have a function in mate choice, avoidance of mating harassment and camouflage. In the blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans, young males are bright green and turn blue as they reach maturity. Females are red ( rufescens) or violet ( violacea) as immatures and, when mature, either mimic the blue colour of the males ( androchrome), or acquire an inconspicuous olive-green ( infuscans) or olive-brown ( obsoleta). The genetic basis of these differences is still unknown. Here, we quantify the colour development of all morphs of I. elegans and investigate colour formation by combining anatomical data and reflectance spectra with optical finite-difference time-domain simulations. While the coloration primarily arises from a disordered assembly of nanospheres in the epidermis, morph-dependent changes result from adjustments in the composition of pterin pigments within the nanospheres, and from associated shifts in optical density. Other pigments fine-tune hue and brilliance by absorbing stray light. These mechanisms produce an impressive palette of colours and offer guidance for genetic studies on the evolution of colour polymorphism and visual communication.

Photoprotective benefits of pigmentation in the transparent plankton community: a comparative species experimental test.

Plankton live under the countervailing selective pressures of predation and ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In lakes, zooplankton are transparent reducing visibility to predatory fishes but are pigmented in the absence of fishes, hypothetically reducing UVR damage. In the sea, planktivorous fishes are widespread, so plankton typically are transparent and ascend to productive surface waters at night to forage and descend during the day to reduce visibility to predators. However, larvae of some species face the unique constraint of traveling in surface currents in the daytime during migrations between adult and larval habitats. We would expect these larvae to be transparent since companion studies demonstrated increased predation risk of pigmented larvae under strong sunlight. Paradoxically, larvae range from being darkly to lightly pigmented. We hypothesize that some larvae are more heavily pigmented to reduce UVR damage, while other species travelling in subsurface currents with low UVR might be more transparent. Linking larval morphology to depth-dependent selective pressures would add a key element to help improve predictions of larval vertical distributions, which are important for simulating larval transport trajectories. We quantitatively tested the hypothesis that selection may have favored photoprotective pigmentation for larvae in the predominantly transparent plankton community while testing the differential effects of UVA and UVB radiation. We measured larval pigmentation of 12 species of crabs and exposed them to visible light only, visible+UVA, or visible+UVA+UVB in the tropics. Controlling for phylogeny, more pigmented species survived UVR better than less pigmented species, especially on sunnier days, though intraspecific comparisons for four species were equivocal. Most species died even from UVA exposure, which has long been regarded as relatively harmless despite penetrating deeper underwater than UVB. Thus, we demonstrate with a phylogenetically controlled analysis that crab larvae are pigmented in the predominantly transparent planktonic community to protect from UVR, improving our understanding of the selective forces acting on animal coloration and the factors determining planktonic distributions, survival, and dispersal. This linkage of morphology with susceptibility will be important for developing mechanistic models of environmental stress responses to better predict larval dispersal in current and future climates.

Romanticism Movement in the Novel of Halit Ziya Usakligil Nemide

Halite Ziya Usakligil enters the literary world with his novels and stories written in Izmir. He draws attention with his novels such as Sefile, Nemide, Ferdi and Surekâsi. After moving to Istanbul, Halite Ziya attended Servet-i Funun literature. He writes the Turkish novel on the world scale with his success in his novels such as Mai and Siyah, Ask-i Memnu, in the flow of Servet-i Funun which settled the new Turkish literature. In this study, Nemide, one of the novels of Halite Ziya Usakligil's Izmir period, was examined in terms of romanticism. In the 1830s as an art stream, with the efforts of Victor Hugo, romanticism became the dominant current in Europe. The current of romanticism, which brought new genres such as drama to literature, prose poetry and historical novels, is seen in Turkish literature in the early 1870s forty and forty-five years after the West. Namik Kemal and Ahmet Mithat Efendi write works according to this movement. Which led to the Turkish novel to the level of advanced countries Halite Ziya, the literary world in 1885 when cycles are made of Western literature in Turkey and the first domestic novels, stories were well written. This ready-to-use environment is able to use the accumulation in its own favor. Halite Ziya, who is studying foreign sources by using the languages he knows, remains influenced by the romanticism movement in Nemide, which is the second place in his novels. Usakligil uses the elements such as escape to nature, yellow color, dilemma, contradiction, pessimism, tuberculosis, emotion, intuition, love, tears, imagination, extraordinary and love of animals, which are among the basic qualities of romanticism in the Nemide novel. Keywords : Romanticism, Turkish novel, Halit Ziya, Nemide DOI : 10.7176/JSTR/5-4-20

A review of Gloger's rule, an ecogeographical rule of colour: definitions, interpretations and evidence

Gloger's rule is an ecogeographical rule that links animal colouration with climatic variation. This rule is named after C.W.L. Gloger who was one of the first to summarise the associations between climatic variation and animal colouration, noting in particular that birds and mammals seemed more pigmented in tropical regions. The term 'Gloger's rule' was coined by B. Rensch in 1929 and included different patterns of variation from those described by Gloger. Rensch defined the rule in two ways: a simple version stating that endothermic animals are predicted to be darker in warmer and humid areas due to the increased deposition of melanin pigments; and a complex version that includes the differential effects of humidity and temperature on both main types of melanin pigments-eu- and phaeo-melanin. The blackish eu-melanins are predicted to increase with humidity, and decrease only at extreme low temperatures, while the brown-yellowish phaeomelanins prevail in dry and warm regions and decrease rapidly with lower temperatures. A survey of the literature indicates that there is considerable variation/confusion in the way Gloger's rule is understood (based on 271 studies that define the rule). Whereas the complex version is hardly mentioned, only a quarter of the definitions are consistent with the simple version of Gloger's rule (darker where warm and wet), and most definitions mention only the effects of humidity (darker where wet). A smaller subset of studies define the rule based on other correlated climatic and environmental variables such as vegetation, latitude, altitude, solar radiation, etc., and a few even contradict the original definition (darker where cold). Based on the literature survey, I synthesised the qualitative (N=124 studies) and quantitative (meta-analytically, N=38 studies, 241 effects) evidence testing the simple version of Gloger's rule (I found no tests of the complex version). Both lines of evidence supported the predicted effects of humidity (and closely linked variables) on colour variation, but not the effects of temperature. Moreover, humidity effects are not restricted to birds and mammals, as the data indicate that these effects also apply to insects. This suggests that the simple version of Gloger's rule as originally defined may not be valid, and possibly that the rule should be re-formulated in terms of humidity effects only. I suggest, however, that more data are needed before such a reformulation, due to potential publication biases. In conclusion, I recommend that authors cite Rensch when referring to Gloger's rule and that they make clear which version they are referring to. Future research should concentrate on rigorously testing the validity and generality of both versions of Gloger's rule and establishing the mechanism(s) responsible for the patterns it describes. Since humidity seems to be the core climatic variable behind Gloger's rule, I suggest that the two most plausible mechanisms are camouflage and protection against parasites/pathogens, the latter possibly through pleiotropic effects on the immune system. Understanding the processes that lead to climatic effects on animal colouration may provide insights into past and future patterns of adaptation to climatic change.

Web-based application for threatened woodland caribou population modeling.

ABSTRACTWoodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are threatened in Canada, with population and distribution declines evident in most regions of the country. Causes of declines are linked to landscape change from forest fires and human development, notably forestry oil and gas activities, which result in caribou habitat loss and affect ecosystem food webs. The Federal Species at Risk Act requires effective protection and restoration of caribou habitat, with actions to increase caribou survival. These requirements call for effective monitoring of caribou population trends to gauge success. Many woodland caribou populations are nearly impossible to count using traditional aerial survey methods, but demographic‐based monitoring approaches can be used to estimate population trends based on population modeling of vital rates from marked animals. Monitoring programs have used a well‐known simple population model (the Recruitment‐Mortality [R/M] equation) to estimate demographic rates for woodland caribou, but have faced challenges in managing large data streams and providing transparency in the demographic estimation process. We present a stand‐alone statistical software application using open‐source software to permit efficient, transparent, and replicable demographic estimation for woodland caribou populations. We developed an easy‐to‐use, interactive web‐based application for the R/M population model that uses a Bayesian estimation approach and provides the user flexibility in choice of prior distributions and other output features. We illustrate the web‐application to the A la Pêche Southern Mountain (Central Group) woodland caribou population in west‐central Alberta, Canada, during 1998–2017. Our estimates of population demographics are consistent with previous research on this population and highlight the utility of the application in assessing caribou population responses to species recovery actions. We provide example data, computer code, the web‐based application package, and a user manual to guide installation and use. We also review underlying assumptions and challenges of population monitoring in this case study. We expect our software will contribute to efficient monitoring of woodland caribou and help in the assessment of recovery actions for this species. © 2019 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of aerial survey methods for elk in Arizona

ABSTRACTElk (Cervus canadensis) populations in Arizona, USA, have historically been managed using estimates of relative abundance. Recent questions related to the influence of large wildfires, habitat alterations, and predator–prey relations have increased the demand for absolute estimates of elk abundance. Between 2014 and 2016, we conducted experimental helicopter surveys of selected areas to compare several methods designed to model elk detection and estimate abundance. We conducted annual autumn helicopter surveys in 3 areas that contained radiocollared elk, and recorded information on covariates affecting both detection (i.e., vegetative cover, vegetation type, burn category, group size, activity, and ambient light) and observer bias (i.e., observer position, pilot experience). We used information theory to rank a set of candidate a priori models to determine which covariates affected detection and select the most parsimonious models among sightability, double‐observer, and hybrid modeling methods. We then used the top model from each method, as well as a simultaneous double‐count method, to calculate annual site‐specific elk abundance estimates for comparison with concurrent mark–recapture abundance estimates, which we assumed best represented the true population size. The best supported models included all detection covariates, with the influence of covariates on elk detection generally adhering to expectations. Relative to mark–recapture estimates, the best performing hybrid model generally provided abundance estimates that were more accurate than double‐observer models and more precise than sightability models. The most economical methods to implement were the simultaneous double‐count and double‐observer methods because these methods did not require model development or presence of marked animals, but they occasionally appeared to provide biased and overly precise abundance estimates. Although the hybrid model required substantial cost to develop, our results suggest that our hybrid model now provides the most cost‐efficient and accurate implementation option for estimating elk abundance in similar habitats and under similar conditions in Arizona. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

Higher-level pattern features provide additional information to birds when recognizing and rejecting parasitic eggs.

Despite a recent explosion of research on pattern recognition, in both neuroscience and computer vision, we lack a basic understanding of how most animals perceive and respond to patterns in the wild. Avian brood parasites and their hosts provide an ideal study system for investigating the mechanisms of pattern recognition. The cuckoo finch, Anomalospiza imberbis, and its host the tawny-flanked prinia, Prinia subflava, lay highly polymorphic eggs with a great deal of variation in colour and patterning, with the cuckoo finch capable of close egg mimicry. Behavioural experiments in Zambia have previously shown that prinias use colour and multiple 'low-level' (occurring in early stages of visual processing) pattern attributes, derived from spatial frequency analysis, when rejecting foreign eggs. Here, we explore the extent to which host birds might also use 'higher-level' pattern attributes, derived from a feature detection algorithm, to make rejection decisions. Using a SIFT-based pattern recognition algorithm, NaturePatternMatch, we show that hosts are more likely to reject a foreign egg if its higher-level pattern features-which capture information about the shape and orientation of markings-differ from those of the host eggs. A revised statistical model explains about 37% variance in egg rejection behaviour, and differences in colour, low-level and higher-level pattern features all predict rejection, accounting for 42, 44 and 14% of the explained variance, respectively. Thus, higher-level pattern features provide a small but measurable improvement to the original model and may be especially useful when colour and low-level pattern features provide hosts with little information. Understanding the relative importance of low- and higher-level pattern features is a valuable goal for future work on animal coloration, especially in the contexts of mimicry, camouflage and individual recognition. This article is part of the theme issue 'The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern'.

Venom in Furs: Facial Masks as Aposematic Signals in a Venomous Mammal.

The function of colouration in animals includes concealment, communication and signaling, such as the use of aposematism as a warning signal. Aposematism is unusual in mammals, and exceptions help us to understand its ecology and evolution. The Javan slow loris is a highly territorial venomous mammal that has a distinctive facial mask and monochromatic vision. To help understand if they use aposematism to advertise their venom to conspecifics or predators with different visual systems, we studied a population in Java, Indonesia. Using ImageJ, we selected colours from the facial masks of 58 individuals, converted RBG colours into monochromatic, dichromatic and trichromatic modes, and created a contrast index. During 290 captures, we recorded venom secretion and aggressiveness. Using Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling and generalised additive models for location, scale and shape, we found that young slow lorises differ significantly from adults, being both more contrasting and more aggressive, with aggressive animals showing fewer wounds. We suggest aposematic facial masks serve multiple purposes in slow lorises based on age. Change in colouration through development may play a role in intraspecific competition, and advertise toxicity or aggressiveness to competitors and/or predators in juveniles. Aposematic signals combined with intraspecific competition may provide clues to new venomous taxa among mammals.

Nature’s functional nanomaterials: Growth or self-assembly?

Abstract

Animal Coloration Patterns: Linking Spatial Vision to Quantitative Analysis.

Animal coloration patterns, from zebra stripes to bird egg speckles, are remarkably varied. With research on the perception, function, and evolution of animal patterns growing rapidly, we require a convenient framework for quantifying their diversity, particularly in the contexts of camouflage, mimicry, mate choice, and individual recognition. Ideally, patterns should be defined by their locations in a low-dimensional pattern space that represents their appearance to their natural receivers, much as color is represented by color spaces. This synthesis explores the extent to which animal patterns, like colors, can be described by a few perceptual dimensions in a pattern space. We begin by reviewing biological spatial vision, focusing on early stages during which neurons act as spatial filters or detect simple features such as edges. We show how two methods from computational vision-spatial filtering and feature detection-offer qualitatively distinct measures of animal coloration patterns. Spatial filters provide a measure of the image statistics, captured by the spatial frequency power spectrum. Image statistics give a robust but incomplete representation of the appearance of patterns, whereas feature detectors are essential for sensing and recognizing physical objects, such as distinctive markings and animal bodies. Finally, we discuss how pattern space analyses can lead to new insights into signal design and macroevolution of animal phenotypes. Overall, pattern spaces open up new possibilities for exploring how receiver vision may shape the evolution of animal pattern signals.

Pat‐geom: A software package for the analysis of animal patterns

Abstract Colour patterns often influence how animals interact with one another, but the ability of researchers to quantify pattern per se is hampered by a lack of easily accessible and user‐friendly measurement software packages. We address this issue by releasing pat‐geom, a free software package for use within ImageJ that allows users to measure seven properties of a pattern: (a) the shape of its markings, (b) the directionality in the shape of its markings, (c) the size of its markings, (d) the contrast of the pattern, (e) the distribution of its markings, (f) the directionality in the distribution of its markings, and (g) the randomness of the pattern. We provide examples of how pat‐geom may be used, such as to visualise the “average pattern” of a population of animals, or to compare the patterns on two animals. Using data from two case studies, we also demonstrate pat‐geom's ability to identify the specific aspects of an organism's pattern that match its background and to design artificial prey items that accurately resemble their model organism for use in predation experiments. pat‐geom collates the tools to measure these seven diverse properties of animal colour patterns into one convenient, easy‐to‐use package. It can be employed in a wide range of studies on topics such as aposematism, camouflage and mimicry, and also has the potential to be applied to other research fields such as landscape ecology, botany and cellular biology.

A β-carotene-binding protein carrying a red pigment regulates body-color transition between green and black in locusts

Changes of body color have important effects for animals in adapting to variable environments. The migratory locust exhibits body color polyphenism between solitary and gregarious individuals, with the former displaying a uniform green coloration and the latter having a prominent pattern of black dorsal and brown ventral surface. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the density-dependent body color changes of conspecific locusts remain largely unknown. Here, we found that upregulation of β-carotene-binding protein promotes the accumulation of red pigment, which added to the green color palette present in solitary locusts changes it from green to black, and that downregulation of this protein led to the reverse, changing the color of gregarious locusts from black to green. Our results provide insight that color changes of locusts are dependent on variation in the red β-carotene pigment binding to βCBP. This finding of animal coloration corresponds with trichromatic theory of color vision.

Evolutionary ecology of insect egg coloration: a review

Body coloration in animals is often adaptive and used for defense against biotic (e.g., predators, competitors) and abiotic (e.g., solar radiation, desiccation) threats. The study of adaptive coloration in insects usually favors obvious model species such as yellowjacket wasps (Vespula spp.) and longwing butterflies (Heliconius spp.), partly because they actively interact with their environment. Yet, one life stage has received less attention because of its immobility: the egg. So far, vertebrate eggs, especially avian eggs, have held the ‘‘big end of the stick’’ when it comes to research effort on adaptive egg coloration. In species where eggs are not provided with parental care and left to survive on their own until hatching, studying the defensive roles played by their colors is imperative to understand their evolutionary ecology. Adaptive functions provided by egg coloration such as crypsis, aposematism and photoprotection against ultraviolet radiation potentially have huge fitness impacts and deserve more attention. Here, the current literature on insect egg coloration is reviewed, reporting its known adaptive significance. Clear distinctions are made between functions tested empirically and functions that remain hypothetical despite often being treated as facts. Avenues for future work in the field are also provided.

Номінативні пріоритети сучасних містян у сфері зоонімії

The aim of the study is to find out the typology of priorities and motivations for naming pets in the modern Ukrainian urban environment based on the material of fellinonyms and kinonyms of the city of Zaporizhzhia. The zoonomy of the modern city resident has been developing gradually, and over the decades the motivational features in it could change: it was the similarity of objects and the commonality of their functions, and often quite random associations. Modern pets' names of Ukrainian city residents in terms of motivation are divided into two groups: nicknames, based on motivated names (for example, people's names); nicknames, which use occasionalisms and appellatives, which for the most part make it impossible to motivate the nickname and not to contain any indication of the features of these animals. However, in a third of the cases the pets’ owners still do not come up with occasionalisms, but use human names. In fact, there is a tendency to name pets by using the colloquial version of a human name, which is consistent with the household model of behaviour of city residents in relation to animals. By number, the largest subset of motivated pet names is those based on an anthroponym, which is the simplest and most unpretentious way to name an animal. Ukrainian city residents rarely give their pets names, based on the names of Ukrainian personalities or realities, which indicates that the nominative fashion on felinonyms and kinonyms has not been formed on the basis of specific onyms or appellatives, and due to the prevalence of Anglicism, it misses its chance to be formed. In the last 12-15 years, we have increasingly come across borrowed names (rarely surnames) that are motivating for cat or dog nicknames in Ukrainian cities, and most of them are borrowed from European languages. Modern urban zoonyms often have a dual function: identifying and characterizing: these include pet names, which are based on the animal's color, fur characteristics, size, physique features, the character and behaviour of the animal. Non-motivated nicknames of urban animals are most often based on «fashionable» appellatives (most often borrowed), one-syllable occasional nicknames formed by apheresis. In zoonomy, city residents create nominative precedents, relying on traditional language resources, the latest borrowings, creating occasionalisms that individualize the pet and reveal the urban identity of the owner.