Leveraging AI tools to develop the writer rather than the writing.

Scientific writing can prove challenging, particularly for those who are non-native English speakers writing in English. Here, we explore the potential of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools, guided by principles of second-language acquisition, to help scientists improve their scientific writing skills in numerous contexts.

Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals.

Animals eavesdrop on signals and cues generated by prey, predators, hosts, parasites, competing species, and conspecifics, and the conspicuousness of sexual signals makes them particularly susceptible. Yet, when sexual signals evolve, most attention is paid to impacts on intended receivers (potential mates) rather than fitness consequences for eavesdroppers. Using the rapidly evolving interaction between the Pacific field cricket, , and the parasitoid fly, , we asked how parasitoids initially respond to novel changes in host signals.

Digest: Ecomorphological convergence across the Atlantic.

Did the remarkable helicopter damselflies (family Pseudostigmatidae) evolve their unique feeding and oviposition behaviors independently on two continents? In this issue, Toussaint et al. use molecular phylogenetic approaches to provide convincing evidence that these "forest giants" are in fact an example of ecomorphological convergence across the Atlantic Ocean.

Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior.

Rapid technical advances in the field of computer animation (CA) and virtual reality (VR) have opened new avenues in animal behavior research. Animated stimuli are powerful tools as they offer standardization, repeatability, and complete control over the stimulus presented, thereby "reducing" and "replacing" the animals used, and "refining" the experimental design in line with the 3Rs. However, appropriate use of these technologies raises conceptual and technical questions.

Divergent predation environment between two sister species of livebearing fishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) predicts boldness, activity, and exploration behavior.

Predators can influence a variety of prey traits, including behavior. Traits such as boldness, activity rate, and tendency to explore can all be shaped by predation risk. Our study examines the effects of predation on these behaviors by considering a natural system in which two sister species of livebearing fishes, Brachyrhaphis roseni and B.

Selection is stronger in early-versus-late stages of divergence in a Neotropical livebearing fish.

How selection acts to drive trait evolution at different stages of divergence is of fundamental importance in our understanding of the origins of biodiversity. Yet, most studies have focused on a single point along an evolutionary trajectory. Here, we provide a case study evaluating the strength of divergent selection acting on life-history traits at early-versus-late stages of divergence in Brachyrhaphis fishes.

Divergent natural selection promotes immigrant inviability at early and late stages of evolutionary divergence.

Natural selection's role in speciation has been of fundamental importance since Darwin first outlined his theory. Recently, work has focused on understanding how selection drives trait divergence, and subsequently reproductive isolation. "Immigrant inviability," a barrier that arises from selection against immigrants in their nonnative environment, appears to be of particular importance.

Phylogenetic analyses provide insights into the historical biogeography and evolution of Brachyrhaphis fishes.

The livebearing fish genus Brachyrhaphis (Poeciliidae) has become an increasingly important model in evolution and ecology research, yet the phylogeny of this group is not well understood, nor has it been examined thoroughly using modern phylogenetic methods. Here, we present the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Brachyrhaphis by using four molecular markers (3mtDNA, 1nucDNA) to infer relationships among species in this genus. We tested the validity of this genus as a monophyletic group using extensive outgroup sampling based on recent phylogenetic hypotheses of Poeciliidae.

Size doesn't matter, sex does: a test for boldness in sister species of Brachyrhaphis fishes.

The effect of divergent natural selection on the evolution of behavioral traits has long been a focus of behavioral ecologists. Predation, due to its ubiquity in nature and strength as a selective agent, has been considered an important environmental driver of behavior. Predation is often confounded with other environmental factors that could also play a role in behavioral evolution.

Animal personality as a driver of reproductive isolation.

Although interest in the ecological and evolutionary implications of animal personality continues to grow, the role that personality plays in speciation has received only modest attention. Here we explore links between personality and speciation, and offer a framework for addressing some of this field's most interesting questions.

Morphological divergence driven by predation environment within and between species of Brachyrhaphis fishes.

Natural selection often results in profound differences in body shape among populations from divergent selective environments. Predation is a well-studied driver of divergence, with predators having a strong effect on the evolution of prey body shape, especially for traits related to escape behavior. Comparative studies, both at the population level and between species, show that the presence or absence of predators can alter prey morphology.