While a single pillar[6]arene ring, nestling between two cucurbit[6]uril rings in a series of three hetero[4]rotaxanes, is conformationally mobile in solution, it adopts the energetically most favourable conformation with local C3V symmetry in the solid state.

The Australian spotted jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata has been reported from several locations in the Mediterranean, but the present report is the first record from Turkish waters. Juveniles of the Erythrean alien shrimp scad, Alepes djedaba, were observed nestling among its tentacles. Possible vectors are mentioned.

Trichomonas gallinae was present in 47% (57/121) of adult, 41% (7/17) of juvenile, and 29% (2/7) of nestling mourning doves (Zenaida ,nacroura) from Lincoln, Nebraska. Throat lesions were present in 5.9% (43/724) of the mourning doves trapped for banding. Two of four pigeons (Columba livia) possessed T. gallinae, but none contained throat lesions.

Current theory recognizes the adaptive value of maternal effects in shaping offspring phenotypes in response to selective pressures and vindicates the value of these traits in fostering adaptation and speciation. Yolk androgens in birds are a relatively well-known maternal effect and have been linked to adaptations related to development, coloniality life, and sexual selection. We tested whethe...

Secondary sexual characters often signal qualities such as physiological processes associated with resistance to various sources of stress. When the expression of an ornament is not sex-limited, we can identify the costs and benefits of displaying a trait that is typical of its own sex or of the other sex. Indeed, the magnitude and sign of the covariation between physiology and the extent to wh...

Urban environments present novel and challenging habitats to wildlife. In addition to well-known difference in abiotic factors between rural and urban environments, the biotic environment, including microbial fauna, may also differ significantly. In this study, we aimed to compare the change in microbial abundance on eggshells during incubation between urban and rural populations of a passerine...

Reliably recognizing their own nest provides parents with a necessary skill to invest time and resources efficiently in raising their offspring and thereby maximising their own reproductive success. Studies investigating nest recognition in adult birds have focused mainly on visual cues of the nest or the nest site and acoustic cues of the nestlings. To determine whether adult songbirds also us...

Identifying causes of declines and evaluating effects of management practices on persistence of local populations of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) requires accurate estimates of abundance and population trends. Moreover, regulatory agencies in the United States and Canada typically require surveys to detect nest burrows prior to approving developments or other activities in areas that are...

In the marine environment, climatic changes are asymmetrically altering the phenologies of species at different trophic levels, causing an increase in the severity of mismatching between predators and their prey. At Triangle Island (British Columbia, Canada), the zooplanktivorous seabird Cassin’s auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus breeds less successfully in warm-water years than in coldwater years...