In recent decades, much conceptual thinking in trophic ecology has been guided by theories
of nutrient limitation and the flow of elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, within and …

Phenotypic traits are products of two processes: evolution and development. But how do
these processes combine to produce integrated phenotypes? Comparative studies identify …

Relative brain size has long been considered a reflection of cognitive capacities and has
played a fundamental role in developing core theories in the life sciences. Yet, the notion …

In the songs and bubble feeding of humpback whales; in young killer whales learning to
knock a seal from an ice floe in the same way their mother does; and in the use of sea …

Mammals are the most encephalized vertebrates, with the largest brains relative to body
size. Placental mammals have particularly enlarged brains, with expanded neocortices for …

The allometric relationship between brain and body size among vertebrates is often
considered a manifestation of evolutionary constraints. However, birds and mammals have …

Encephalization, or brain expansion, underpins humans' sophisticated social cognition,
including language, joint attention, shared goals, teaching, consensus decision-making and …

Although shark teeth are abundant in the fossil record, their bodies are rarely preserved.
Thus, our understanding of the anatomy of the extinct Otodus megalodon remains …

Despite prolonged interest in comparing brain size and behavioral proxies of" intelligence"
across taxa, the adaptive and cognitive significance of brain size variation remains elusive …

Four extant lineages of mammals have invaded and diversified in the water: Sirenia,
Cetacea, Pinnipedia, and Lutrinae. Most of these aquatic clades are larger bodied, on …