Attempts to relate brain size to behaviour and cognition have rarely integrated information
from insects with that from vertebrates. Many insects, however, demonstrate that highly …

Animal interactions play an important role in understanding ecological processes. The
nature and intensity of these interactions can shape the impacts of organisms on their …

INTRODUCTION Mechanical power, whether for launched missiles or running humans, is
limited by the universal, physical trade-off between force and velocity. However, many …

Evolutionary innovations underlie the rise of diversity and complexity—the 2 long-term
trends in the history of life. How does natural selection redesign multiple interacting parts to …

ABSTRACT A viper injecting venom into a target, a mantis shrimp harpooning a fish, a
cactus dispersing itself via spines attaching to passing mammals; all these are examples of …

The inherent force–velocity trade-off of muscles and motors can be overcome by instead
loading and releasing energy in springs to power extreme movements. A key component of …

Trap-jaw ants are characterized by high-speed mandibles used for prey capture and
defense. Power-amplified mandibles have independently evolved at least four times among …

What is the limit of animal speed and what mechanisms produce the fastest movements?
More than natural history trivia, the answer provides key insight into the form–function …

Miniaturized species have evolved in many animal lineages, including insects and
vertebrates. Consequently, their nervous systems are constrained to fit within tiny volumes …

Animal structures occasionally attain extreme proportions, eclipsing in size the surrounding
body parts. We review insect examples of exaggerated traits, such as the mandibles of stag …