Jellyfish and sea anemones show sleep patterns similar to humans, reports @natcomms.nature.com. Study suggests sleep may have evolved early to help repair DNA damage from wakefulness: spklr.io/63326DuMNn #AnimalBehaviour #Neuroskyence

These ultra-fine structures shown at 30X magnification are the reason why geckos can adhere to most surfaces, using Van der Waals force. The power of hairy lizard toes! (🔬: Power & Syred, SciencePhotoLibrary)

A new theme issue of #PhilTransB examines the mechanisms of learning from social interaction. Read articles for free: buff.ly/K8v43YM

Interesting review on plant-pollinator interaction. Many insects show flower constancy, i.e., visiting one flower species for the whole foraging trip. @chrisleduck.bsky.social reviews pros and cons for this strategy and also for inconstancy. royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

It is not only about "reward" or "punishment" when insects learn. A new study @royalsocietypublishing.org shows that Drosophila larvae learn relative values to a set of odors, i.e., less or more rewarding than other odors. royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

New data suggest that voluntary movements of honeybee antennae may reflect active sensing analogous to sniffing in mammals. @jexpbiol.bsky.social @chrisjernigan.bsky.social 🐝 journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

Echolocation-based detection of targets becomes complex in cluttered environments. A behavioral study @jexpbiol.bsky.social shows how bats adjust sonar beam and call pattern when azimuthal positions of targets unpredictably change. 🦇 journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

New study shows that Cataglyphis hellenica 🐜 learns a nest direction by using a magnetic compass 🧲🧭. Demonstrating that a magnetic compass is widespread in Cataglyphis ants. @chiaratenne.bsky.social @cataglyphilosophy.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...

This #MeetASAB features Madam President herself: Melissa Bateson (@melissabateson.bsky.social) Melissa was elected as ASAB president in 2024. In the past, she has also been on council as grants secretary and as an ordinary member. She has been an ASAB member since she was a PhD in the 90s… 1/6

Shedding light on the neural correlate of electrosensitivity in insects. Neural recordings from sensory pits on the cuticle of planthopper nymphs revealed electrosensitvity to electric fields less than 1kV/m. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Sleep-like states occur across the animal kingdom. A study @currentbiology.bsky.social describes 3 distinct sleep states based on inactivity duration criteria in 🪰💤. Ultradian oscillations of fly sleep states were reminiscent of mammalian sleep cycles. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

More exciting updates linked to AD and place cell patterns:

Excited to share my first PhD preprint! w/ Sören Kannegieser and @anna-stoeckl.bsky.social @insect-vision.bsky.social We investigated how hawkmoths coordinate lateralized sensory and motor control for appendage guidance, revealing similar control principles to vertebrates doi.org/10.64898/202...

Dinomyrmex gigas, the giant forest ant (large workers are ca. 28mm) dissolves territorial disputes with other colonies via a ritualized behavior called “front leg boxing”. This allows the ants to maintain territorial boundaries while avoiding escalated conflict. Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.

Latest issue is out! www.cell.com/current-biol... Rather than a charismatic cow, this time we feature a cryptic beauty & unsung hero —the detritivore— vital for soil-related ecosystem function. An orange springtail, devouring detritus in its native edaphic habitat. 👉 www.cell.com/current-biol...

Memory consolidates during resting periods 💤. Place cells replay activity that occurred during exploration. @caswell.bsky.social shows that replay events are disrupted in alzheimer's mouse models linked to reduced 🗺️ stabilization. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @currentbiology.bsky.social

scrub-jays overcome visual limitations kind of like we do: - rotate your head to see behind you - move your eyes for narrow focus - change your elevation to see over obstructions how do these relate to habitat-specific predation strategies? royalsocietypublishing.org/rsif/article... 🧪🌎🪶 #corvids

Postdoc position in systems neuroscience! Excited to recruit a postdoc for my lab at the University of Bonn. 🔬 In vivo physiology (Neuropixels, 2P/miniscope) 🐭 Head-fixed & freely moving behaviour 💡 Optogenetics/chemogenetics ⏳ Start: ASAP | Application deadline: 28.02.2026 More info below ⬇️

Still time to apply and register! www.grc.org/the-neurosci...

The first paper from the lab is now out in Science Advances: Multimodal social context modulates larval behavior in Drosophila www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... We find that fly larvae keep their distance to conspecifics in the absence of food, enjoy reading! @cbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de

Adult cliff swallows have a prominent white forehead patch. New research in #BiologyLetters tested whether this functions as a signal of nest occupancy to mitigate costly nest intrusions, especially in crowded nesting colonies: doi.org/10.1098/rsbl... #ecology

🚨Register for ICN2026 here!: icn2026vancouver.com/registration/ - There is an option to sign up for a 3 hr dinner boat cruise around Vancouver on Thursday, July 30, 6-9 pm. $150 CAD and includes transport to and from the conference, dinner, and a drink. More details here: www.vancouvercharters.com

🚨 Check out this intriguing article on systems ethology - an approach to examine the interconnected subfields of ethology, including its neural bases, as a whole! link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Moon jellyfish recover well from high pressure, their nerves and connective tissue are fine after experiencing 300atm pressure, although their muscles may be damaged. Mitchell Ford &co suggest the jellies could propel hybrid robots for deep sea exploration journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

ISN Mentor Office Hours! First session: Feb 2, 2026 at 4 PM UTC Topic: Abstract submission & ICN awards Zoom link & details in this spreadsheet Mentors still signing up—stay tuned for more sessions! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Check out this fantastic comparative study to learn more about how behaviours like predatory aggression have evolved! 🤩🪱

Time flies! The ISN Nomination Committee is scouting candidates for Treasurer and Secretary in the upcoming election. Treasurers must be US citizens for tax reasons. Please email Susan Fahrbach for the Treasurer position ([email protected]) or Gabby Wolf for the Secretary position ([email protected]). 🤩

Our new paper (with @biotay.bsky.social) is out and on the cover story of @currentbiology.bsky.social !!!! Veronika, a Carinthian mountain cow flexibly uses a “multi-purpose tool” to scratch herself. A video and more information will follow in the comments. www.cell.com/current-biol...

It is widely thought that 🕷️ mostly experience the world through their tactile and vibratory senses. However, vertebrates and invertebrates like insects can smell, so what about spiders? This comparative study identifies putative glomeruli in 🕷️👃🤨! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

chinmo provides insights into the evolution of insect metamorphosis This Research Highlight showcases work by Hana Nagata and Yuichiro Suzuki from @wellesley.edu. journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Nightingales match either pitch or duration when imitating whistles, revealing hierarchical acoustic feature matching. www.cell.com/current-biol...

Excited to return to Lisbon this June for the epic 3-week Cajal course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and VR! 🐀🐟🪰🏃‍♀️🎥🖥📈🧪 Applications are open through Feb 13! Come join us. cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...

Prolonged contact between horse foals and their mothers may be beneficial to the offspring, conferring potentially positive effects on brain structure and function, and on social development, according to a study in @natcomms.nature.com: spklr.io/633208eN7e #Neuroscience #Neuroskyence

PhD studentship available to work on insect cognition in my team via the CSC scheme (Chinese applicants only; deadline January 28). See here: www.qmul.ac.uk/sbbs/postgra...

Do you know a parrot that talks or sings? Tell us about it at www.manyparrots.org @birdsingalong.bsky.social @laurynbenedict.bsky.social et al.

Nature research paper: Plastic landmark anchoring in zebrafish compass neurons go.nature.com/4qP4HwB

The Neural Systems & Behavior Course (Marine Biol. Lab) is an amazing opportunity to learn about many different approaches to studying nervous system control of many behaviors. Learn from experts, expand your science network, go to "science summer camp"!

Last weekend to apply!

1/6: New publication from the lab: “Plastic landmark anchoring in zebrafish compass neurons” by Ryosuke Tanaka (@ryosuketanaka.bsky.social) and Ruben is available here: rdcu.be/eX1L4

🚨 The deadline for the #FENS2026 call for abstracts, travel grants and registrations is approaching quickly! Don’t miss your chance to participate in the #FENSForum and connect with the global #neuroscience community. 🧠 🗓️ Deadline: 27 January 2026 👉 buff.ly/klWSVOg

Four days left to apply for two postdocs in social evolution with me and @dustinrubenstein.com Based at the University of Bristol (UK), conducting fieldwork with wasps in Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa.

🚨New paper out in #JCP-A @springernature.com " #Electrosensitivity in #planthoppers (Insecta: Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha)" by Bräunig, Hoch and Baumgartner ↘️ doi.org/10.1007/s003... ↙️ #SensoryPits #Electropysiology #ElectricFields

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... We had a lot of fun working on this project (led by Itzel Ishida, not on bluesky). Some interesting highlights from the paper -

🔔 Deadline tomorrow: Highlight scientists driving progress in diversity, equity and inclusion in #BrainResearch. 🧠 🗓️ Submit your nominations by 8 January 2026 👉 buff.ly/KZo99B2 (Quote: FENS)

Less than two weeks left to apply for the Cephalopod Neuroscience Gordon Conference! An exciting lineup of speakers and posters, and financial aid is available upon request. 🐙🦑 www.grc.org/cephalopod-n...

I am recruiting postbacs for my parakeet sociality and cognition project, ideally to start in Feb/Mar this year. Help spreading the word would be appreciated! More information and application link available here: ornithologyexchange.org/jobs/board/s...

If you work on corvid ecology, behaviour, cognition, or conservation, this might be useful for you 👇 I’ve just published CORVIDATA in Scientific Data 🐦 doi.org/10.1038/s415... (1/4)

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m recruiting a funded PhD student at Nottingham Trent University to study the cognitive mechanisms underlying individual differences in parenting in rhesus macaques! Deadline: 2 February | Start date: April 2026

📢📢PhD opportunity! We are looking for enthusiastic researchers to develop a project looking at the ontogeny of migratory behaviour! Deadline for expression of interest: 8 February 2026 👉Check details here: drive.google.com/file/d/1wow2... #migration #ornithology #GPStracking

We are looking to hire a Seabird Field Assistant for 2026 for our Manx Shearwater research project. Please share this to anyone who'd like to get out in the field this summer and learn about biotelemetry, bird handling and research into animal behaviour. drive.google.com/file/d/1SGZt...