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SICB journals

@sicbjournals.bsky.social

This account spotlights manuscripts & authors from from The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology's(sicb.bsky.social) journals- ICB & IOB (OA) -header art done by Noah Bressman

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SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 4h ago

Sara Asadi Gharabaghi (ICB author and Assistant ed) reviews a University of Chicago Press #Cetacean #book Read in full integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/a... #whales #nonfiction #science #oceanlife

"One year ago, a friend handed me a #fossilized sperm #whale vertebral disc, found on a beach: smooth and strange in the hand, a small piece of an animal that had lived and died long before either of us existed. Months later, I was invited to review The #Evolution of Cetacean Societies. Bone to book. The handoff felt strangely connected, a reminder that every fossil tells part of a story, while science keeps uncovering the chapters still being written.

If you’d like to know where I landed, take five or ten minutes and join me here. I’ll tell you exactly what I think.

Twenty-six years after Cetacean Societies, the 2000 volume that first made the case for treating whale and dolphin social life as a serious subject of study, a new editorial team has produced a genuine second act rather than a reissue. Several of the founding #scientists return here as contributors rather than editors. Less a changing of the guard, more a field checking back in on itself. The title shift says it all: the first book asked what these animals’ social lives look like; this one asks why they turned out that way, and what built them. Keep that question in mind, because every section is really an attempt to answer a piece of it..."

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 4h ago

IOB This article describes a #curriculum activity, designed to leverage extraordinary traits as a flexible framework for teaching #adaptation, diversity, & integrative organismal #biology concepts while strengthening #students’ #science communication. doi.org/10.1093/iob/... A.Eden (SABER)

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · yesterday

ICB Read the paper co authored by yesterday's book reviewer Teri Orr: Testing #Morphological Relationships between Female and Male Copulatory Structures in #Bats Teri J Orr , Theresa Lukitsch , Thomas P Eiting , Patricia Brennan doi.org/10.1093/icb/... #science #biology

The lower #reproductive tract of female #mammals has several competing functions including mating, tract health maintenance, and parturition. Diverse vaginal anatomy suggests interactions between natural and sexual selection, yet despite its importance, female copulatory #morphology remains under-studied. We undertook a comparative study across the species-rich mammalian order Chiroptera (bats) with a focus on the suborder Yangochiroptera (Vespertilioniformes) to examine how female vaginal features may have coevolved with male penis morphology to minimize mechanical damage to their tissues during copulation. The penis morphology is diverse, presenting great potential for post-copulatory sexual selection and coevolution with the female morphology, but vaginas have not been carefully examined. Here we test the hypotheses that vaginal thickness and collagen density have coevolved with features of the male penis, including the presence of spines and a baculum. We present histological data from females of 24 species from 7 families of bats, and corresponding data on male penis anatomy. We also examine the role of #phylogenetic history in the morphological patterns we observe. We found evidence that female vaginal thickness has coevolved with the presence of penile spines, but not with baculum presence or width. Collagen density did not appear to covary with male penile features. Our findings highlight the importance of considering interactions between the sexes in influencing functional reproductive structures and examine how these structures have been under selection in bats.

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · yesterday

"The activity has been implemented in two distinct settings: an introductory non-majors Diversity of Life course and an upper-level #Evolution course for biology majors." from doi.org/10.1093/iob/... Alexander Eden #science #educators #evolution #teachers #adaptation

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2d ago

A #book review of Outsider #nimals: How the Creatures at the Margins of Our Lives Have the Most to Teach Us by Teri Orr, ICB co-author on ICB author Marlene Zuk's #book (Princeton University Press) read in full integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2026/08/03/a... #nonfiction #science

"Ok, we know you love (insert study organism here you are still trying to sell to your in-laws on holiday dinners), but take a moment: have you ever been really creeped out by an #animal? For example, not wanted to approach it, gotten the ick, had to look away, or more embarrassingly still felt the pressing urge to wash your hands when you hadn’t in fact even touched it (I didn’t say I was talking about ticks, but what if I was)? Heck, maybe you even, as someone I know, have nightmares of said critter (in his case, a spider) after said encounter. Or maybe, as a card-carrying #biologist, you are shaking your head right now: how could this be? All critters are beautiful and anything but creepy, least of all “gross.” You are not, after all, one of the many undergrads in Intro Bio insisting on gloves to handle the horrifying little pill bugs during lab.

But (and I am asking you to be honest here, we are after all amongst friends), how about thinking an animal was just a real quintessential jerk? I mean surely cowbirds parasitizing tiny birds have no scruples, nor do the overconfident (dare we say arrogant) gangly seagulls that stole a bag of chips that was just a moment ago next to you. Now I know we as biologists would not admit to thinking less of any animal from these behaviors. We do not anthropomorphize; we are above such things. I certainly hope that is true. And indeed, as first suggested, I can almost be certain that you would, like Marlene Zuk, author of this book, defend your study #organism, whether in her case the noble cricket or, more shockingly, the parasites that infect them. Do you feel differently about the animals you do not study, do not call a home companion, but who you see on a regular basis...

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2d ago

IOB / SABER #Biology of Superpowers: A #Curriculum Activity for #Teaching Adaptation, Trade-offs, and Organismal #Diversity A Eden doi.org/10.1093/iob/... "...promote engagement, reinforce #evolutionary concepts, and develop #science communication..."

Synopsis
Engaging students in integrative and organismal biology often requires instructional approaches that balance disciplinary rigor with accessibility and curiosity. Extraordinary traits in real organisms, such as regeneration in axolotls, echolocation in bats, or cryptobiosis in tardigrades, offer compelling entry points for exploring adaptation, evolutionary trade-offs, and the diversity of life. This article describes a curriculum activity, Biology of Superpowers, designed to leverage these traits to promote engagement, reinforce evolutionary concepts, and develop science communication skills in courses spanning introductory and upper-level biology. In this activity, students select a biological “superpower,” investigate its functional mechanisms and adaptive significance, and communicate their findings in a creative, public-facing format. An optional extension invites students to connect their chosen trait to superheroes or fictional characters, prompting critical evaluation of scientific accuracy and common misconceptions in popular media. The activity has been implemented in two distinct settings: an introductory non-majors Diversity of Life course and an upper-level Evolution course for biology majors. These dual contexts illustrate the adaptability of the assignment across levels....

Dr. Valentina Alaasam @vale-alaasam.bsky.social · 3d ago

I am looking for PhD students and postdocs to join my lab at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 2027. Anyone excited about urban evolution, hummingbirds, & community engagement, please reach out! And/or find me at #AOS2026 this week! More info here: www.valentina-alaasam.com

Jesse Lasky @laskyjr.bsky.social · 3d ago

We are hiring in Penn State bio #botany2026 www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/deta...

higheredjobs.com

Bill Ryerson @billryerson.bsky.social · 4d ago

Prepped for the semester? Want to think through some ideas? Let us help!

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology@sicb.bsky.social · 6d ago

#SICB Members! The #Education Council of SICB is hosting a #workshop to get your course into gear! Dana Orbach Amanda Chicoli Ph.D. @billryerson.bsky.social & Stephen Ferguson will be featured. Simply sign up at: tinyurl.com/sicbedcouncil1 #academia #professors #scientists #biologists

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 5d ago

ICB Meet Yuchen Chen who is passionate about studying #animal behavior, particularly cognition and communication within social-sexual contexts. Yuchen co authored doi.org/10.1093/icb/... & read sicb.org/sicb-news/th... & watch youtu.be/iu1y_26-di8?... #parakeets #science #biology

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 5d ago

IOB "This review applies the two-joint link model, originally developed for human limb #biomechanics, to extant sarcopterygians...including #archosaurs such as the American #alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)..." T Miyake , et al doi.org/10.1093/iob/... #biology #science #tetrapods

Fig. 5
Diagonal-couplet lateral sequence gait in American alligators and fossil trackways. Video footage of an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) was recorded at Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden, Shizuoka, Japan. (A) Quadrupedal walking in A. mississippiensis, illustrating the diagonal-couplet movements: the left forelimb (LFb) coordinated with the right hindlimb (RHb), and the right forelimb (RFb) coordinated with the left hindlimb (LHb). (B) Two fossil trackways: a Devonian trackway (395 Mya) and the trackway of the Middle Permian reptile-like amphibian Orobates pabsti. The limb movements inferred from these trackways can be compared to the diagonal-couplet gait observed in the alligator. Supplementary data 2.

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 6d ago

ICB "... We examined interactions at the individual, dyadic, and group levels in 5 groups of 10 individuals each. We asked whether sex predicted aggressiveness, choice of aggression targets, and social rank..." @yuchenchen0531.bsky.social @jacanamama.bsky.social Hobson doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

photo by Chen
The Role of Sex in Structuring Aggression, Rank, and Hierarchy in Monk Parakeets Get access Arrow
Yuchen Chen , Sara E Lipshutz , Elizabeth A Hobson
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Volume 66, 2026, icag102, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icag102
Published: 01 July 2026 Article history
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Synopsis
In gregarious species, aggressive interactions often mediate the establishment of social rank and dominance hierarchies. Following the assumption that females and males compete under different selection pressures, many studies examine aggression and dominance in each sex separately. However, social selection pressures such as competition for resources or social status may influence the sexes similarly, and more work is needed to directly examine the role of sex in aggression and dominance. To address this, we compared aggression levels, choice of aggression targets, and dominance hierarchies between sexes in captive, mixed-sex groups of highly social monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). We examined interactions at the individual, dyadic, and group levels in 5 groups of 10 individuals each. We asked whether sex predicted aggressiveness, choice of aggression targets, and social rank. We found no evidence that one sex was more aggressive than the other. In most cases, sex did not impact the choice of target in an aggressive interaction. The sex of an individual did not significantly predict the rank they achieved in the group; females and males were equally likely to be high-ranked. Overall, we found that sex had limited impacts on aggression and rank in these mixed-sex groups. Our study provides new insights into social aggression and dominance in monk parakeets by examining both sexes and highlights the importance of studying sex similarities and differences within complex social environments.

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 6d ago

IOB "The transition from fins to limbs represents one of the most transformative events in #vertebrate #evolution..." From Fin to Limb: Orientational Shift and Evolution of Diagonal-Couplet Gait in #Tetrapods T Miyake , et al doi.org/10.1093/iob/...

From Fin to Limb: Orientational Shift and Evolution of Diagonal-Couplet Gait in Tetrapods

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · last wk.

Be sure to read ICB's The Role of Sex in Structuring #Aggression, Rank, and Hierarchy in Monk #Parakeets Yuchen Chen , Sara E Lipshutz , Elizabeth A Hobson doi.org/10.1093/icb/... #science #birds #ornithology #behavior photo of parakeet by Chen

In gregarious #species, aggressive interactions often mediate the establishment of social rank and dominance hierarchies. Following the assumption that females and males compete under different selection pressures, many studies examine aggression and dominance in each sex separately. However, social selection pressures such as #competition for resources or social status may influence the sexes similarly, and more work is needed to directly examine the role of sex in aggression and dominance. To address this, we compared aggression levels, choice of aggression targets, and dominance hierarchies between sexes in captive, mixed-sex groups of highly social monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). We examined interactions at the individual, dyadic, and group levels in 5 groups of 10 individuals each. We asked whether sex predicted aggressiveness, choice of aggression targets, and social rank. We found no evidence that one sex was more aggressive than the other. In most cases, sex did not impact the choice of target in an aggressive interaction. The sex of an individual did not significantly predict the rank they achieved in the group; females and males were equally likely to be high-ranked. Overall, we found that sex had limited impacts on aggression and rank in these mixed-sex groups. Our study provides new insights into social aggression and dominance in monk parakeets by examining both sexes and highlights the importance of studying sex similarities and differences within complex #social #environments.

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · last wk.

Don't miss the fantastic figures from IOB's From Fin to Limb: Orientational Shift and #Evolution of Diagonal-Couplet Gait in #Tetrapods T Miyake , K Nishikawa , M Iwata , H Kamiyama , K Ozaki , H Koie , A Yozu , T Hirasawa , N Kobayashi doi.org/10.1093/iob/... #biomechanics #science

Fig. 3
The actual rotation of the pectoral fin in the coelacanth Latimeria menadoensis. (A) Six video frames showing the rostral rotation of the pectora fin in situ, illustrating the orientational transformation proposed in the present study. The footage was provided by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), OceanX and Aquamarine Fukushima, Japan. The preaxial side of the pectoral fin is indicated. (B) Traced rotational movement of the pectoral fin based on the video analysis. Note the position of the preaxial side where the first “digit” is located. (C) Schematic representation of the fin’s rotational movement in situ, reconstructed from the video frames. Note the position of the preaxial side where the first “digit” is located. Once the fin was completely flipped, it was immediately flipped back to the resting position. (D) Proposed rotation of pectoral fins from sarcopterygians (e.g., Latimeria), through osteolepiforms (e.g., Eusthenopteron) and elpistostegalians (e.g., Tiktaalik), to forelimbs of early limbed tetrapods (e.g., Acanthostega) during the fin-to-limb transition (Boisvert 2005; Daeschler et al. 2006; Clack 2009; Pierce et al. 2012; Pierce et al. 2013). In the transition from sarcopterygians to osteolepiforms, pectoral fins were required to face dorsally, positioning the preaxial side rostrally and thus the first digit rostrally and inward.
& fish image added https://www.britannica.com/animal/coelacanth

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · last wk.

ICB celebrates #NationalSeaStarDay Sea Star Superpowers: Celebrating our Ocean Superheroes for National Sea Star Day by Colleen Hecker on the work of Matt McHenry & Theodora Po, PhD read in full integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2026/07/28/s... #science #biology

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · last wk.

IOB "Here, we propose that this transition can be understood as a biomechanical reorganization of force transmission across multi-joint #musculoskeletal linkages." T Miyake , et al doi.org/10.1093/iob/... #biomechanics #biology #science

Fig. 1
The two-joint link model of biarticular and monoarticular muscles in tetrapod limbs. (A) Functional organization of muscles in the two-joint link model, illustrating three orthogonal axes in forelimbs and hindlimbs, activity switches, and corresponding combined force outputs. All biological characteristics of the model follow Miyake and Okabe (2022), Miyake et al. (2024), Miyake and Yozu (2025), and Miyake et al. (2026). (B) Directional changes in combined force outputs in a quadrupedal model. In the left forelimb-right hindlimb couplet (LFb-RHb), the change occurs clockwise, whereas in the right forelimb-left hindlimb couplet (RFb-LHb), the change occurs counterclockwise. (C) A schematic presentation of directional changes in combined force outputs associated with activity switches, viewed in the sagittal plane (right and left views shown as mirror images). Rotation is clockwise in the left forelimb-right hindlimb couplet (LFb-RHb) and counterclockwise in the right forelimb-left hindlimb couplet (RFb-LHb). All transitions proceed from the f-series toward the e-series muscle groups. Ak: ankle joint; Eb: elbow joint; Hp: hip joint; Sh: shoulder joint; Wr: wrist joint.

Megan G. Massa @megangmassa.com · last wk.

What's the connection between anti-trans and anti-intersex legislation, the defunding of science, and the scientific study of sex? It's all part of the same playbook. 🧵 Super proud to explore this and encourage creative solutions in my latest published commentary: doi.org/10.1093/icb/... (1/6)

doi.org

Gerben Debruyn @gdebruyn.bsky.social · last wk.

For those that want the full story! Published in @sicbjournals.bsky.social academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...

Disrupted melanization reveals a hidden role of microstructures in green plumage coloration

Abstract. Bird plumage colors arise from pigmentary absorption and/or structural scattering of light within feather nanostructures. Yet the relative contri

academic.oup.com

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · last wk.

ICB is readying for #SeaStar Day on July 28th with Collective #Neuromechanics in Sea Stars Theodora Po, PhD Matt McHenry doi.org/10.1093/icb/... & stay tuned for tomorrow's blog about their work by writer Colleen Hecker #neuroscience #science #oceanlife

Animal locomotion arises from the interaction between motor commands from the nervous system and the body’s mechanical properties. The field of #neuromechanics has traditionally framed locomotion as a product of neural control, body mechanics, and sensory feedback. However, many animals deviate from this conventional paradigm. An example includes #echinoderms that combine centralized nervous control with local control that is distributed across hundreds of their locally regulated tube feet that collectively generate locomotion. Here, we review our work combining animal experiments, #robotics, and computational modeling to investigate the control architecture of sea stars. Based on our findings, we propose the concept of collective neuromechanics—a control architecture that balances centralized and local collective control among hundreds of autonomous appendages within a single system. This framework expands the scope of neuromechanics by incorporating collective behavior and offers insights into novel control architectures in both #biological and engineered systems.

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · last wk.

IOB our latest! From Fin to Limb: Orientational Shift and #Evolution of Diagonal-Couplet Gait in #Tetrapods T Miyake , et al doi.org/10.1093/iob/... & read more about co author Tom Miyake iobopen.com/2026/07/27/a... #biomechanics #science #biology #scientist

A blog interview with Tom Miyake, co author of Fin to Limb: Orientational Shift and Evolution of Diagonal-Couplet Gait via Muscle Dynamics

Tell us a bit about your scientific journey? I have been trained across a variety of fields in the United States and Canada. In particular, my primary focus has been on developmental biology and th…

iobopen.com

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology @sicb.bsky.social · 2w ago

A #SICB student #journalist chat on Fire-fight or flight: How are #birds responding to #wildfire smoke? Watch youtu.be/mirbDn3-RPU & don't miss Jamie Cornelius' recent interview piece by SICB journalist , Katie Griffin www.opb.org/article/2026... or Jamie's ICB paper doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

Sometimes there is no better way to get to know an author except by their musical tastes. ICB co author, Tara Cronin, has the perfect playlist for lab work and even the drive home. integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2026/07/24/a... & read doi.org/10.1093/icb/... #science #music

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

Our last IOB spotlight of the week on our iobopen.com blog. Be sure not to miss great accompanying #scicomm with write ups like the ones from Jonathan Huie, PhD and many more! iobopen.com/author/jonat... & see more about his work: jonathanhuie.com #ecology #evolution #biology #science

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

ICB See these beautiful scenes from Turkey Creek & Wildcat Creek in Clemson Experimental Forest, #Clemson South Carolina & & view a crayfish chase on YouTube youtube.com/shorts/xQnjq... & read the work about #crayfish from these areas Cronin et al doi.org/10.1093/icb/... #science #biology

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

iobopen.com is a accompaniment to our papers and has fantastic author interviews and write ups about authors such as Sophie George, Leah Rubin and Paul Byrne. Be sure to check it out! #scientists #nonfiction #authors #biology #paleobiology #seagrass #botany #ornithology #biologists

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

ICB Meet some of the crayfish who inspired Crayfish and their hidden tenants: direct and indirect effects of #ectosymbionts on #crayfish behaviors and health. Tara J. Cronin , et al doi.org/10.1093/icb/... watch youtu.be/anOyncPUUqI?... #science #biology #symbiosis

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

#outreach spotlight! Read about the marine #science #STEAM program Something Very Fishy (SVF) headed by ICB co author Michael Childress ( (Clemson University ). integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2026/07/20/s... #outreach #education #conservation #biology #science

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 2w ago

Have you discovered iobopen.com? Read more about our IOB authors, the latest in nonfiction/science related #books, and creative "Moments of Awe" from our authors as well and more. #scicomm #science #writers #blog #biology #ecology #morphology #botany #paleobiology

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 3w ago

ICB’s Fine #Art Friday with Comparative Analysis of Flight Muscle Function in #Microinsects Megaphragma viggianii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) & Paratuposa placentis (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) D Kolomenskiy et al ‘s cover doi.org/10.1093/icb/... Order merch fineartamerica.com/profiles/sic...