Explore the vast range of titles available.

Vocal rhythm plays a fundamental role in sexual selection and species recognition in birds, but little is known of its genetic basis due to the confounding effect of vocal learning in model systems. Uncovering its genetic basis could facilitate identifying genes potentially important in speciation. Here we investigate the genomic underpinnings of rhythm in vocal non-learning Pogoniulus tinkerbirds using 135 individual whole genomes distributed across a southern African hybrid zone. We find rhythm speed is associated with two genes that are also known to affect human speech, Neurexin-1 and Coenzyme Q8A. Models leveraging ancestry reveal these candidate loci also impact rhythmic stability, a trait linked with motor performance which is an indicator of quality. Character displacement in rhythmic stability suggests possible reinforcement against hybridization, supported by evidence of asymmetric assortative mating in the species producing faster, more stable rhythms. Because rhythm is omnipresent in animal communication, candidate genes identified here may shape vocal rhythm across birds and other vertebrates.

The regeneration of many climax species in tropical forest critically depends on adequate seed dispersal and seedling establishment. Here, we report the decreased abundance and increased spatial aggregation of younger trees of the Borneo ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri) in a protected forest in Sabah Malaysia. We observed a high level of seedling herbivory with strong density dependence, likely exacerbated by local aggregation and contributing to the progressively shrinking size distribution. We also note the largely undocumented selective herbivory by sambar deer on E. zwageri seedlings. This study highlights the combined impact of altered megafauna community on a tree population through interlinked ecological processes and the need for targeted conservation intervention for this iconic tropical tree species.

Mediterranean islands are critical for migrating birds, providing shelter and sustenance for millions of individuals each year. Humans have long exploited bird migration through hunting and illegal trapping. On the island of Cyprus, trapping birds during their migratory peak is considered a local tradition, but has long been against the law. Illegal bird trapping is a lucrative business, however, with trappers using tape lures that broadcast species’ vocalizations because it is expected to increase numbers of target species. Yet, by how much the use of song playback increases capture rates remains underappreciated. In particular, it is not known whether song playback of target species affects bycatch rates. Here, we show with the use of playback experiments that song playback is highly effective in luring birds towards trapping sites. We found that playback increases six to eight times the number of individuals of target species captured, but also significantly increases bycatch. Our findings thus show that in contrast to popular belief that tape lures are a selective trapping method, they also lead to increased captures of non-target species, which can include species of conservation concern.

Genomic analyses of hybrid zones provide excellent opportunities to investigate the consequences of introgression in nature. In combination with phylogenomics analyses, hybrid zone studies may illuminate the role of ancient and contemporary gene flow in shaping variation of phylogenetic signals across the genome, but this avenue has not been explored yet. We combined phylogenomic and geographic cline analyses in a Pogoniulus tinkerbird clade to determine whether contemporary introgression through hybrid zones contributes to gene-tree heterogeneity across the species ranges. We found diverse phylogenetic signals across the genome with the most common topologies supporting monophyly among taxa connected by secondary contact zones. Remarkably, these systematic conflicts were also recovered when selecting only individuals from each taxon’s core range. Using analyses of derived allele sharing and “recombination aware” phylogenomics, we found that introgression shapes gene-tree heterogeneity, and the species tree most likely supports monophyletic red-fronted tinkerbirds, as recovered in previous reconstructions based on mitochondrial DNA. Furthermore, by fitting geographic clines across two secondary contact zones, we found that introgression rates were lower in genomic regions supporting the putative species tree compared to those supporting the two taxa in contact as monophyletic. This demonstrates that introgression through narrow contact zones shapes gene-tree heterogeneity even in allopatric populations. Finally, we did not find evidence that mitochondria-interacting nuclear genes acted as barrier loci. Our results show that species can withstand important amounts of introgression while maintaining their phenotypic integrity and ecological separation, raising questions regarding the genomic architecture of adaptation and barriers to gene flow.

Effective communication in birds is often hampered by background noise, with many recent studies focusing on the effect of anthropogenic noise on passerine bird song. Continuous low-frequency natural noise is predicted to drive changes in both frequency and temporal patterning of bird vocalizations, but the extent to which these effects may also affect birds that lack vocal learning is not yet fully understood. Here we use a gradient of exposure to natural low-frequency noise to assess whether it exerts selective pressure on vocalizations in a species whose songs are innate. We tested whether three species of Pogoniulus tinkerbirds adapt their song when exposed to a source of continuous low-frequency noise from ocean surf. We show that dominant frequency increases the closer birds are to the coast in all the three species, and in line with higher noise levels, indicating that ocean surf sound may apply a selective pressure on tinkerbird songs. As a consequence, tinkerbirds adapt their songs with an increase in frequency to avoid the masking effect due to overlapping frequencies with ambient noise, therefore improving long-range communication with intended receivers. Our study provides for the first time, compelling evidence that natural ambient noise affects vocalizations in birds whose songs are developed innately. We believe that our results can also be extrapolated in the context of anthropogenic noise pollution, hence providing a baseline for the study of the effects of low-frequency ambient noise on birds that lack vocal learning. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

The regeneration of many climax species in tropical forest critically depends on adequate seed dispersal and seedling establishment. Here we report the decreased abundance and increased spatial aggregation of younger trees of the Borneo ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri) in a protected forest in Sabah Malaysia. We observed a high level of seedling herbivory with strong density dependence, likely exacerbated by local aggregation and contributing to the progressively shrinking size-distribution. We also note the largely undocumented selective herbivory by sambar deer on E. zwageri seedlings. This study highlights the combined impact of altered megafauna community on a tree population through interlinked ecological processes and the need for targeted conservation intervention for this iconic tropical tree species.

Alterations in motor learning are associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Possible body segment-specificity remains unexplored and could have practical implications for testing and rehabilitation. Our aim was to investigate sequence-specific implicit motor learning differences in alternative task movements in people with early stages PD vs. age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Thirty participants with PD (67.6 ± 8.0 yrs, 1.9 ± 0.7 H&Y) and 30 HC (69.6 ± 5.2 yrs) performed three Serial Reaction Time Tasks (SRTTs), which differed for the body segment used to perform it: Hands, Arms, and Feet testing. Visual-motor reaction time was recorded in response to visual stimuli. For each task, eight blocks, each consisting of 4 repetitions of a 12-stimuli sequence, were presented: random sequence order was practiced in block one and eight (R1, R8); a fixed 12-stimuli sequence order was performed in blocks from 2 to 7 (S2-S7). Reaction Times were corrected for errors (RT) and reprocessed as percentage values, where the mean RT of R1 represented 100% (RT R1 %). RT at R1 (RT R1 ), overall RT (RT global ) and the magnitude of implicit motor learning ( i ML, calculated as % difference between R8 and S7) were compared among body segments and PD vs. HCs groups by mixed two-way RM-ANOVA. The learning responses (RT R1−R8 Curve) and the errors curves were compared among body segments, groups and blocks (R1, R8 and S2-S7) by mixed three-way RM-ANOVA. While PD patients showed the characteristic bradykinesia, our data indicate that they are able to gain an identical sequence-specific implicit motor learning magnitude, with a similar timing, compared to HCs. Moreover, the magnitude and timing of the learning response is consistent across different body segments. This suggests that SRTT, conducted with different body segments, could be considered a valuable tool for studying motor learning in PD and HCs in neurorehabilitation.

Background Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a prevalent and disabling secondary headache disorder that arises in individuals with a pre-existing primary headache as a consequence of regular overuse of acute medications. Increasing evidence suggests that MOH shares fundamental pathophysiological and behavioural features with nociplastic pain conditions, supporting the view that it cannot be explained solely as a pharmacological complication. Rather, MOH appears to reflect complex interactions between neurobiological vulnerability, maladaptive neuroplasticity, and behavioural factors. In this review, we reappraise MOH through the lens of nociplastic pain to provide a unifying framework for its pathophysiology and management. Main body Evidence from neuroimaging, neurophysiological, genetic, and experimental studies consistently indicates that MOH is associated with central sensitization, impaired descending pain modulation, and dysfunction of reward and cognitive control networks, particularly involving fronto-striatal and brainstem circuits. These alterations closely resemble those observed in other nociplastic pain conditions and appear largely reversible following successful withdrawal and preventive treatment. Behavioural features such as craving, impulsivity, catastrophizing, and cephalalgiophobia play a pivotal role in maintaining medication overuse and predicting poor outcomes, reinforcing the conceptualization of MOH as a biobehavioural syndrome. Management strategies have evolved from detoxification-centered approaches toward integrated, patient-centered care. While withdrawal remains a cornerstone of treatment, growing evidence supports flexible strategies in which preventive therapies, especially CGRP-targeting monoclonal antibodies and gepants, can be initiated before or alongside withdrawal, reducing headache burden and facilitating disengagement from acute medication overuse. Behavioural and psychological interventions, including cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, are essential to address emotional drivers, enhance adherence, and modulate nociplastic mechanisms. Current guidelines increasingly endorse multimodal and multidisciplinary management, although evidence quality remains heterogeneous. Conclusion Reframing MOH within a nociplastic pain framework supports a shift from rigid detoxification models toward personalized, mechanism-based, and multidisciplinary care. Future research integrating clinical, imaging, neurobiological, and behavioural markers, potentially supported by artificial intelligence–based predictive models, may further refine patient stratification and optimize long-term outcomes in MOH.

Background Rimegepant, a novel oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, has been recently approved for the acute migraine treatment. While its efficacy was confirmed in randomized clinical trials, no data is available regarding real-life effectiveness and tolerability. GAINER, a prospective, multicentric study, aimed to evaluate rimegepant effectiveness and tolerability in the real-world setting. Methods Our study involved 16 headache centers across Italy. The main outcomes were: i) 2 h pain freedom, and ii) occurrence of treatment-emergent adverse events after administration. Participants were instructed to treat one migraine attack with rimegepant 75 mg orally disintegrating tablet. Using an ad hoc diary, participants prospectively collected migraine attack features at baseline and every 30 min after rimegepant administration, up to 2 h post dose. A 24 h follow up was also collected. Results We enrolled 103 participants with migraine (74.8% female, mean age 44.4 [42.0 – 46.7] years, 24.3% with chronic migraine of whom 44.0% presented a concomitant diagnosis of medication overuse headache). The number of previously failed preventive classes was 2.7 [2.3 – 3.2]. Participants presented a mean of 9.6 [8.2 – 10.9] monthly migraine days at baseline. At rimegepant intake, 40.8% of patients rated migraine intensity as severe. Pain freedom 2 h post dose was reported in 44.7% (46/103) of individuals. Pain freedom 2 h post dose was not influenced by baseline pain severity ( p  = 0.316), but it was associated with timing of intake ( p  = 0.032) with a higher rate of 2 h pain freedom when rimegepant was taken within 1 h from pain onset. Mild adverse events were reported in 15.5% total attacks (16/103), predominantly fatigue ( n  = 6), gastrointestinal symptoms ( n  = 6), somnolence ( n  = 4), and transient cognitive difficulties ( n  = 3). Tolerability was rated as good-to-excellent in 85.4% cases (88/103). Conclusions Our data confirms rimegepant effectiveness and safety in the acute migraine treatment in a real-world setting in a cohort of participants that includes subjects with episodic or chronic migraine, medication overuse and a high number of prior preventive treatment failures. Trial registration The study was preregistered on clinicaltrial.gov, NCT05903027.

Background Headache disorders are prevalent and disabling conditions. Despite the recent introduction of modern therapies, a large portion of patients are still sub-optimally treated, resulting in a minor or no decrease in health loss nor disability. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study classifies 88 risk factors which impact several conditions, thus enabling the estimation of the potential health gain due to addressing these risk factors, but such analysis is not available for headache disorders yet. Objective To address which risk factors, as intended by the taxonomy of the GBD study, are associated to disability in primary headaches. Methods Primary research studies addressing primary headache disorders and disability were searched in PubMed, Web of Science and SCOPUS, in the period between 2000 and 2025. The GBD taxonomy, which classifies risk factors into environmental and occupational, behavioural, and metabolic factors, was used. A descriptive analysis was employed to report the associations between disability measures and the presence/absence of specific risk factors, accounting for diagnoses and the age of patients. Results A total of 64 studies (97,846 patients) were included, and a total of 86 single associations were found. Metabolic risk factors (high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, and LDL cholesterol), and behavioural risk factors (low physical activity, inadequate dietary habits, tobacco smoking, and alcohol consumption) were the most frequently reported. Conclusions Our results suggest that it is possible to address headache-related disability by acting on a set of modifiable factors, with interventions tailored to the specific needs of patients or addressing the exposed populations as a whole. In particular, targeting dietary aspects and exercise is reasonably expected to promote weight loss, and might have an impact on the reduction in fasting plasma glucose and LDL cholesterol, ultimately improving patients’ overall health status and reducing headache-related disability.