Lauren A. O’Connell

Social isolation is associated with microRNA expression changes in the visual system of poison frog tadpoles

The paper shows that social isolation in poison frog tadpoles alters miRNA expression in the midbrain and eyes, linked to behavioral changes and potential neuroplasticity mechanisms.

Neural correlates of place learning in the cane toad, Rhinella marina

This study investigates place and cue learning in cane toads using a maze and brain activity visualization, showing distinct neural activity patterns for place learning in the dorsal and lateral pallium.

Hypothalamic Cell Type Evolution across Vertebrates

This study identifies conserved and clade-specific hypothalamic cell types across vertebrates using single-cell transcriptomics, revealing conserved transcription factors and rewired regulatory linkages.

Early diet programs feeding circuits and food solicitation behavior

This study shows early diet affects growth and brain development differently, with diet quality shaping social behavior through neural circuits.

Aquatic respiratory rates in red devil vampire crabs (Geosesarma hagen) are dependent on interactions between temperature, sex, and body size

This study examines how temperature, sex, and body size influence aquatic respiratory rates in red devil vampire crabs, finding significant interactions and a Q10 value of 1.52.

Behavioral responses buffer seasonal variation more strongly than endocrine and chemical responses in poison frogs

This study compares behavioral, endocrine, and chemical responses of poison frogs to seasonal changes, finding stronger behavioral adaptation than hormonal or chemical shifts.

Effects of parental care on skin microbial community composition in poison frogs

This study shows that parental care in poison frogs transfers skin microbes to offspring, influencing their microbial communities, but not necessarily their similarity to adult microbiotas.

Chronic recording of brain activity in awake toads

This study records brain activity in awake toads over multiple days using flexible mesh electronics, enabling long-term electrophysiology in non-paralyzed amphibians.

Neural and sensory basis of homing behavior in the invasive cane toad, Rhinella marina

This study investigates the neural and sensory mechanisms of homing in invasive cane toads, finding that navigation is multimodal and involves conserved neural structures across vertebrates.

Infanticide is driven by unfamiliarity with offspring location and associated with androgenic shifts in mimic poison frogs

This study investigates the factors driving infanticide in mimic poison frogs, finding that unfamiliarity with offspring location increases infanticide and that lower testosterone levels are associated with this behavior.

Comparative analysis of amphibian genomes: an emerging resource for basic and applied research

The paper evaluates 51 amphibian genomes to assess their utility for functional genomics, finding variation in quality, high transposable element content, and conserved synteny despite divergence.

Tadpoles rely on mechanosensory stimuli for communication when visual capabilities are poor

This study shows that poison frog tadpoles use mechanosensory stimuli for communication when vision is underdeveloped, with visual reliance increasing later in development.

Genome assembly of the dyeing poison frog provides insights into the dynamics of transposable element and genome-size evolution

The paper generates a high-quality genome assembly for the dyeing poison frog and shows transposable elements drive genome size evolution and complicate genotyping.

Dopamine neurons govern olfactory-gated infant begging behavior

The paper identifies dopamine neurons as regulators of olfactory-guided begging behavior in tadpoles, showing their role in caregiver recognition and motor displays.

Aggressive but not reproductive boldness in male green anole lizards correlates with baseline vasopressin activity

The paper investigates the relationship between baseline vasopressin activity and boldness in male green anole lizards, finding an inverse correlation with aggressive but not reproductive behaviors.

Social boldness correlates with brain gene expression in male green anoles

The paper identifies gene expression differences in the ventromedial hypothalamus between bold and shy male green anoles, linking them to social behavior predisposition.

Gene expression correlates of social evolution in coral reef butterflyfishes

The paper examines gene expression correlates of social variation in coral reef butterflyfishes, finding sexually dimorphic differences in social-related gene expression within species but consistent patterns across species transitions.

Neural correlates of winning and losing fights in poison frog tadpoles

The paper investigates neural activity differences in poison frog tadpoles that win, lose, or avoid fights, finding distinct patterns in brain regions associated with aggression.

Hormonal and neural correlates of care in active versus observing poison frog parents

The paper examines hormonal and neural correlates of parental care in poison frogs, finding that neural activity patterns, not hormones or gene expression, correlate with active parental behavior in both sexes.

Multi-glomerular projection of single olfactory receptor neurons is conserved among amphibians

The paper investigates axonal branching patterns of olfactory receptor neurons in amphibians and challenges the unbranched axon concept as a universal vertebrate feature.

Mechanisms of convergent egg-provisioning in poison frogs

The paper investigates convergent maternal provisioning in poison frogs, finding shared brain regions but distinct molecular mechanisms in nursing behavior.