The nervous system acts as a biological thermostat by controlling behaviors that regulate the
warming and cooling of animals. We review the structures responsible for thermoregulation …

Kin-recognition is observed across diverse species forming an important behavioral
adaptation influencing organismal interactions. In many species, the molecular mechanisms …

A lack of appropriate molecular tools is one obstacle that prevents in-depth mechanistic
studies in many organisms. Transgenesis, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic …

Divergence of gene function and expression during development can give rise to phenotypic
differences at the level of cells, tissues, organs, and ultimately whole organisms. To gain …

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling is essential for numerous biologic functions.
It is a highly conserved pathway found in all metazoans including the nematode …

Background Nematode model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus
pacificus are powerful systems for studying the evolution of gene function at a mechanistic …

Fungal predatory behavior on nematodes has evolved independently in all major fungal
lineages. The basidiomycete oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus is a carnivorous fungus …

Light sensing is a critical function in most organisms and is mediated by photoreceptor
proteins and phototransduction. Although most nematodes lack eyes, some species exhibit …

Mouth‐form plasticity in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus has become a powerful system
to identify the genetic and molecular mechanisms associated with developmental …

Animals with diverse diets must adapt their food priorities to a wide variety of environmental
conditions. This diet optimization problem is especially complex for predators that compete …