Grilled Cheese

ExploreLog inSign up
Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyCommunity StandardsHelpGet the app

Grilled Cheese is a product of Village Compute

Version devBuilt at: 2026-10-10 01:38:52 EDT

Explore

PostsPeople
LatestRanked
@sicbjournals.bsky.socialOct 1, 2026, 11:38 AM

ICB Throwback Axolotl Thursday

#Morphological, #Biochemical and #Immunohistochemical Studies on Heart Development in Cardiac Mutant #Axolotls, Ambystoma mexicanum

LARRY F. LEMANSKI

doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

#amphibians #science

In this paper I describe morphological, biochemical and immunofluorescence studies which compare the contractile proteins in normal and mutant hearts. In addition, morphological studies on anterior endoderm, an important heart inductor tissue in salamanders, are reviewed. Detailed electron microscopic studies show that normal heart myocytes contain numerous well-organized myofibrils. Although mutant heart cells contain a few myosin and actin filaments, there are no organized myofibrils. Instead, amorphous proteinaceous collections are prominent in the peripheral cytoplasm of the cell where myofibrils would be expected to first form. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that actin is present in almost normal amounts in mutant hearts, myosin heavy chain is reduced and tropomyosin is virtually absent. #Immunofluorescence studies reveal that myosin, α-actinin and tropomyosin are located prominently in theorganized myofibrils of normal heart cells. In mutant hearts myosin is localized almost exclusively in the amorphous collections at the cell peripheries, α-actinin also is distributed mainly in the peripheral cell cytoplasm.
@dgkontopoulos.ioSep 23, 2026, 6:25 PM

Our new Nature paper has just come out! Here, we analyse #genomic and #morphological datasets across all 21 bat families to greatly advance our understanding of how #bats 🦇 evolved.

Enjoy! https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11007-3

@sicbjournals.bsky.socialSep 8, 2026, 11:25 AM

IOB
Parallel Reduction in Skeletal Density During Benthic to #Pelagic Transitions in Baikal #Sculpins

Brayan Gutierrez et al

doi.org/10.1093/iob/...

"Habitat transitions are a major driver of #morphological #evolution..."

#science #teleost #fish

While freshwater #sculpins (Cottidae, Perciformes) are usually benthic, two genera in Lake Baikal, Comephorus and Cottocomephorus, have independently evolved into mid-water niches. As sculpins lack a swim bladder, these lineages instead improved buoyancy through reduced skeletal density and increased lipid stores. Using micro-computed #tomography and two-dimensional morphometrics, we characterized skeletal evolution in six benthic, two benthopelagic, and two pelagic species across the Baikal sculpin radiation. Parallel changes to mineral density, porosity, and thickness evolved independently in #pelagic and benthopelagic clades, with mineral density showing the most consistent and significant reductions. Density reductions occurred throughout the skull in pelagic and benthopelagic species. The basibranchials and neurocranium exhibited the lowest overall bone density across all cranial elements. While the jaws maintained the highest absolute density values among the bones we measured, they also showed the greatest proportional reduction in density associated with pelagic habitat use, with a 56.86% decrease in percentage hydroxyapatite and a 21.39% increase in porosity. #Morphometric analyses further identified parallel evolution toward an elongate body shape, reduced and posteriorly shifted eyes, and elevated fin insertion in pelagic and benthopelagic taxa. These results demonstrate a repeated skeletal lightening and body shape changes accompanying benthic-to-pelagic transitions. This pattern mirrors other benthic-to-pelagic transitions in teleosts that lack swim bladders, highlighting shared biomechanical and microstructural solutions to life in the open water.