Stephen Montgomery
@ebablab.bsky.social
📤 2373
📥 1207
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Evolutionary Neurobiology and Behaviour www.shmontgomery.co.uk
pinned post!
Some personal news, to be filed under “things I did not see coming”…. 1/n
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5 months ago
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Hashtag sorrynotsorry
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about 3 hours ago
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Robert Fletcher
10 days ago
Please repost! I am looking for a passionate and hard-working PhD student to work in southern Africa on experimental defaunation and rewilding of megafauna. See the link below for more information:
@camzoology.bsky.social
@conservation.cam.ac.uk
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Reversing defaunation through rewilding and its consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem function | Department of Zoology
Reversing defaunation through rewilding and its consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem function Supervisor: Professor Rob Fletcher The world is facing several global challenges that are transform...
https://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/2026-27-project-list/reversing-defaunation-through-rewilding-and-its-consequences-biodiversity-and
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Joséphine Ledamoisel
1 day ago
My first paper as a first author is officially out 🎉
@elife.bsky.social
We show that the iridescent colour of Morphos 🦋 tends to converge in sympatry while their chemical signals diverge, illustrating the constrasting effect natural and sexual selection on trait evolution.
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
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Convergent iridescence and divergent chemical signals in sympatric sister-species of Amazonian butterflies
Ecological interactions exert contrasting evolutionary pressures on sympatric Morpho butterflies, promoting convergence in iridescence but divergence in chemical cues, illustrating how ecological inte...
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.106098.3
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Now in its birthday suit with videos
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
And an interview with
@ficusorganensis.bsky.social
!
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
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2 days ago
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Stephen Montgomery
PLOS Biology
3 days ago
#Evolution
of complex adaptations can involve changes in multiple traits that lack standalone function.
@benitoexplains.bsky.social
&co show that leaf masquerade in
#katydids
evolved via concurrent modification in wing colour & shape, driven by evolutionary synergy
@plosbiology.org
🧪
plos.io/4oUE741
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My 4 year old is still a big fan of biphasic sleep 🫠
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4 days ago
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Looks cool 👀
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6 days ago
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Stephen Montgomery
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
14 days ago
Combining genomic and neuroanatomical data shows that
#Heliconiini
olfactory systems vary in their
#olfactory
receptor diversity and investment in individual brain structures, but are developmentally plastic in responsive to environmental conditions:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Yi Peng et al. 2025
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Evolution of the olfactory system during the radiation of Heliconiini butterflies
Abstract. Sensory system evolution plays a crucial role in shaping species’ interactions with their environment, yet the extent to which olfactory system d
https://doi.org/10.1093/jeb/voaf114
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Helen Czerski
7 days ago
Wow. I did not know that Alfred Russell Wallace (co-discoverer of evolution by natural selection) wrote a book in 1904 about the biological potential for life on other planets, and I've just found this extraordinary paragraph setting out the insanity of atmospheric pollution [1/3]. In 1904!
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John Burn-Murdoch
7 days ago
NEW from me: Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent. That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
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Always great fun to collaborate with your friends, especially when they are as smart as
@emiliapsantos.bsky.social
, and a total joy to work with a future star like
@aleksandra-marconi.bsky.social
! 👊🏻
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14 days ago
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Emília Santos
14 days ago
New preprint led by the brilliant
@aleksandra-marconi.bsky.social
on cichlid brain diversification, fgf8a signalling and regulatory divergence with TEs on the mix! All part of a wonderful collaboration with
@ebablab.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@camzoology.bsky.social
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Another is this hovering flight where they dance back and forth around before landing, again they do this repeatedly in a feeding bout… they also do it to artificial flowers that lack floral odours… 5/n
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17 days ago
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Kelsey Tyssowski
16 days ago
🧠🌟🐭 Excited to share some of my postdoc work on the evolution of dexterity! We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have: (1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs) (2) better hand dexterity (3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
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Really like this paper, led by
@ficusorganensis.bsky.social
, the supplementary videos aren’t up yet but will post them when I’m back in the office!
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21 days ago
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30 seconds of Irish Sea to ease your worries
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20 days ago
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Lauren Sumner-Rooney
21 days ago
Exciting times ahead - I'm beyond delighted to be joining
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
in 2026! 🎉🕷️🎉🐌🎉 I'm also looking for a PhD student to join
@multipleye-lab.bsky.social
in our new home! Come and study the effects of light pollution on the evolution and development of spider eyes with us 🌃🕷️👀 👇
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Really like this paper, led by
@ficusorganensis.bsky.social
, the supplementary videos aren’t up yet but will post them when I’m back in the office!
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21 days ago
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Stephen Montgomery
International Society for Neuroethology
21 days ago
Protein-rich flowers are spatially scattered food sources for Heliconinii 🦋. This requires a sophisticated spatial memory.
@ebablab.bsky.social
et al. monitors the flight behavior when 🦋 encounter novel 🌺 and compare this behavior with other 🦋 species.
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
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Heliconinii butterflies display flight behaviours reminiscent of orientation flights when using new floral sources
Despite their small brains, many insects form long-term memories of the spatial distribution of resources. To support this, some species display ‘orientation’ flights to increase capture of landscape ...
https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/doi/10.1242/jeb.250975/369351/Heliconinii-butterflies-display-flight-behaviours
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Stephen Montgomery
Philipp Brand
23 days ago
Excited to share our new
#biorxivpreprint
We discovered that the fruit fly
#drosophila
erecta requires food odor to mate and arousal is further enhanced by social group motion. Cross-species analysis of brain activity reveals a novel gate evolved from within a conserved circuit
shorturl.at/gGYm7
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Dr. Ornella Bertrand
23 days ago
New paper out! It was an honor to collaborate with the legend Leah Krubitzer on this review to show that paleontologists and neurobiologists working together can only improve our understanding of brain evolution 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Full access to the paper:
rdcu.be/eK167
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The functional adaptations of mammalian brain structures through a behavioural ecology lens - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
Palaeontologists and comparative neurobiologists share a common interest in the evolution of the mammalian brain, but often fail to realize the benefits of this shared interest. This Review draws thes...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44358-025-00095-0
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Greg Jefferis
23 days ago
Excited to share our new
#biorxivpreprint
: “Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe the
#connectomics
reconstruction and analysis of an entire adult
#maleCNS
#drosophila
central nervous system. 1/10
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Prof Christina Pagel
29 days ago
🧵🚨 The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with
@martinmckee.bsky.social
to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news. Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation
Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/news/2025/oct/uks-arms-length-public-bodies-are-highly-vulnerable-politicisation
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This is immensely weird and immoral
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
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‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder
Where once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for computer-generated charm. But it’s one thing to use a witty phrase – another thing entirely...
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/12/chatgpt-ed-into-bed-chatfishing-on-dating-apps?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
26 days ago
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Stephen Montgomery
Eric Topol
29 days ago
Why does the naked mole rat have the longest lifespan of any rodent, nearly 40 years? A 30-year long mystery unraveled @ScienceMagazine today! Its cGAS enzyme in cells has 4 missense mutations that upends its function, promoting DNA repair and suppressing inflammation
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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Disabled Scientists
about 1 month ago
In this episode, I interview Dr Kelsey Byers -
@plantpollinator.bsky.social
. It was a joy to record and I hope you enjoy listening to this edit focusing on disability, advocacy, and research into pollinators and floral scents. 🐝 Norfolk bees!
www.disabledscientists.com/2437552/epis...
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3. Dr Kelsey Byers - Disabled Scientists
What do EDS, POTS, and floral scents have in common? In this episode, Sofie speaks with Dr Kelsey Byers, a disabled evolutionary chemical ecologist, about developing identity as a disabled person...
https://www.disabledscientists.com/2437552/episodes/17952177-3-dr-kelsey-byers
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Lots of interesting evolutionary nuggets in this study, and some we can’t exactly explain! A great combination of Yi Peng Toh’s patient neuroanatomical work and
@fcicconardi.bsky.social
’s bioinformagician skills, and another fun collaboration with
@dickmerrill.bsky.social
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about 1 month ago
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Stephen Montgomery
Francesco Cicconardi
about 1 month ago
New paper out! A nice collaboration. We explore how olfactory brain structures and receptors evolved across this remarkable group, Heliconiini butterflies.
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Evolution of the olfactory system during the radiation of Heliconiini butterflies
Abstract. Sensory system evolution plays a crucial role in shaping species’ interactions with their environment, yet the extent to which olfactory system d
https://academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jeb/voaf114/8263924?searchresult=1
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Márcio Zikán Cardoso
about 1 month ago
Today´s Guardian has an article about our study on butterfly colors, where we compare butterfly colors in native forest to those in eucalyptus plantations. This is study is a partnership between labs from Denmark, Spain, and Brazil.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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As forests are cut down, butterflies are losing their colours
The insects’ brilliant hues evolved in lush ecosystems to help them survive. Now they are becoming more muted to adapt to degraded landscapes – and they are not the only things dulling down
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/06/butterflies-losing-colour-cutting-down-tropical-forests-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url
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Greg Jefferis
about 1 month ago
Exciting news for
#drosophila
#connectomics
and
#neuroscience
enthusiasts: the Drosophila male central nervous system connectome is now live for exploration. Find out more at the landing page hosted by our Janelia FlyEM collaborators
www.janelia.org/project-team...
.
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Male CNS Connectome
A team of researchers has unveiled the complete connectome of a male fruit fly central nervous system —a seamless map of all the neurons in the brain and nerve cord of a single male fruit fly and the ...
https://www.janelia.org/project-team/flyem/male-cns-connectome
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“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.” Goodnight Jane, thanks for caring. ✊🏻
about 1 month ago
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Featuring
@maxfarnworth.bsky.social
!
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about 1 month ago
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Glen O'Hara
about 1 month ago
New from me: a *free* short version of my Political Quarterly piece on universities... The issue is settled now: the massified and accessible Higher Education system we have spent tens of billions building since the 1970s is coming to an end. (1/2)
politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-n...
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Where now for Britain’s Universities?
UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.
https://politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-now-for-britains-universities/
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Jerome Beetz
about 1 month ago
Insect spatial memory is thought to be based on panoramic snapshots that are modelled as retinotopic images. This idea won't allow a distinction of landmarks from the scene. Unexpectedly, our data suggest that 🐝 learn 3D-objects as individual landmarks.
#neuroethology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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@pinpilinpauxa-aaa.bsky.social
on her
@wellcometrust.bsky.social
photography competition entry! 👏🏻
www.instagram.com/reel/DO-j2rM...
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
🧪
#Heliconiini
#evobio
#neuroscience
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Login • Instagram
Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO-j2rMgscK/?l=1
about 1 month ago
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Stephen Montgomery
School of Biological Sciences
about 1 month ago
Unlock your potential with a Master's at the University of Cambridge! 🔬 Our MPhil in Biological Sciences offers a unique opportunity for cutting-edge, lab-based research at a world-leading institution. Explore and apply:
www.mphil.bio.cam.ac.uk
#Cambridge
#BiologicalSciences
#Postgraduate
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Stephen Montgomery
Very interesting work from
@borreroja.bsky.social
on the unique foraging behaviours of
#Heliconius
!
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about 2 months ago
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Ian Dunt
about 2 months ago
Reform are filth. They represent hatred, extremism, ignorance and irresponsibility. They'd make us a wretched vicious hateful little island. If people don't stand up to this, they won't stand up to anything.
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Adria LeBoeuf
about 2 months ago
If you are from the US and interested in applying for a PhD with me (or anyone else
@camzoology.bsky.social
@cambridgebiosci.bsky.social
), your deadline for the gates scholarship is October 15! (You’ll need to write a research proposal, so contact PIs now)
www.gatescambridge.org/programme/th...
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Postgraduate Cambridge University Scholarship | Gates Cambridge
A fully funded graduate education for future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.
https://www.gatescambridge.org/programme/the-scholarship/
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Very interesting work from
@borreroja.bsky.social
on the unique foraging behaviours of
#Heliconius
!
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Stephen Montgomery
Tatsuya Amano
about 2 months ago
Women, non-native English speakers & those form low-income countries are disadvantaged in science but by how much? We found that women with non-English first languages from low-income countries publish up to 70% fewer in English than their counterparts. 1/5
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
#languagebarriers
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Dr. Ornella Bertrand
about 2 months ago
Interested in doing your PhD in Spain on 🧠 ? Contact me to discuss projects and apply for this position!
www.icp.cat/index.php/en...
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Open positions
Predoctoral Researcher 'Miquel Crusafont' - [ICPJA021] POSITION DESCRIPTION Predoctoral Researcher 'Miquel Crusafont' REFERENCE ICPJA021 NUMBER OF POSITIONS 1 AREA / RESEARCH GROUP Dep...
https://www.icp.cat/index.php/en/icp-2/work-with-us/open-positions
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Nico Posnien
about 2 months ago
Long time no see...But we are back with a real firework 🎆. Join us tomorrow at noon for the first
#Goenomix
talk of the semester by Cassandra Extavour from Havard University. Talk: "One two three: developmental counting mechanisms in reproductive output and evolution". PM for Zoom details.
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Emília Santos
about 2 months ago
Very proud of this extremely collaborative piece:
academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
Here, we show that divergence in visual systems - in response to differences in the light environment - leads to rapid divergence in sexually selected colour traits. Work brilliantly led by Madeleine Carruthers. 🐟👀🎨
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Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish
Abstract. Sensory adaptation is widely hypothesized to drive ecological speciation, yet empirical evidence from natural populations undergoing early stage
https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/42/9/msaf204/8238158
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Dieter Lukas
about 2 months ago
"Overall, the message from this survey is positive–
#evolutionary
#biologists
are readily employable outside of
#academia
, generally well-prepared for those jobs, and report high levels of satisfaction in their non-academic
#careers
"
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.19.671061v1
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Ben Sheldon
about 2 months ago
Come and work with us! Three new academic posts (including Animal Behaviour) and superb facilities in the new Life & Mind Building
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Iris Hardege
about 2 months ago
Are you interested in uncovering how the tiny C. elegans nervous system uses complex dopaminergic signalling to control behaviours? If so check out our new postdoc position, applications are now open:
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...
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Research Associate - Neuroscience Research Group (Fixed Term)
Post Doctoral Research Associate in Neuroscience (Fixed Term) Are you excited by the mechanisms of neurotransmission and behaviour and looking for a new opportunity? We are looking for an
https://www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/research-associate-neuroscience-research-group-fixed-term-pf47153
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Max Farnworth
about 2 months ago
Our paper on central complex evolution in Heliconiini butterflies is now available as reviewed preprint at
@elife.bsky.social
🎉🎉. Please check out the helpful and constructive reviews which we are going to address in the next weeks 🤗
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
@ebablab.bsky.social
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Distinct evolutionary trajectories of two integration centres, the central complex and mushroom bodies, across Heliconiini butterflies
https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/107589
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Stephen Montgomery
Gates Cambridge
about 2 months ago
Applications for the next academic cycle at
@uniofcam.bsky.social
are now open. Provost Professor Eilis Ferran outlines the criteria you need to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. More here -https://www.gatescambridge.org. Just click on the apply tab at the top.
#gatescambridge25
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International Society for Neuroethology
about 2 months ago
Traplining-behavior requires extensive spatial memory which is linked to Mushroom Body expansion in the brain of Heliconius 🦋.
@maxfarnworth.bsky.social
from
@ebablab.bsky.social
lab talks about the neural lineages that may underly this anatomical expansion.
#dzg2025
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