What we're reading: Stick insects, Gulf of Mexico oysters, and how many peer reviewers it takes to change a lightbulb joke?

From the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
In the journals
Comeault, A. a., V. Soria-Carrasco, Z. Gompert, T. E. Farkas, C. A. Buerkle, T. L. Parchman, and P. Nosil. 2014. Genome-wide association mapping of phenotypic traits subject to a range of intensities of natural selection in Timema cristinae. The American Naturalist. 183:711–727. doi: 10.1086/675497.

Here we quantitatively describe the genetic architecture of traits that are subject to known intensities of differential selection between host plant species in Timema cristinae stick insects.

Anderson, J. D., W. J. Karel, C. E. Mace, B. L. Bartram, and M. P. Hare. 2014. Spatial genetic features of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin) in the Gulf of Mexico: northward movement of a secondary contact zone. Ecology and Evolution. doi: 10.1002/ece3.1064.

Recent hydrological changes in the area of secondary contact may be promoting migration in areas that were previously inhospitable to eastern oysters, and observed differences in the timing of spawning may limit hybridization between populations. Comparison of these findings with the results of an earlier study of oysters in Texas suggests that the secondary contact zone has shifted approximately 27 km north, in as little as a 23-year span.

In the news
“Dear Academia, I loved you, but I’m leaving you. This relationship is hurting me.”
“If you do have a paper that is going to get a lot attention I think it’s also fair to say that you now should be highly confident in your result prior to publication.”
“I cannot find any serious fault with this joke. Leeson is fully qualified to make it, and has done so carefully and thoroughly. The joke is funny and of comparable quality to jokes found in peer journals. I score it 3/10 and recommend rejection.”
“In short, no, good science does not REQUIRE replication.”
“Tired of generic mass produced palettes for your plots? Short of adding an owl and dressing up your plot in a bowler hat, here’s the most indie thing you can do to one. First round of palettes derived from the amazing Tumblr blog Wes Anderson Palettes.”

About Jeremy Yoder

Jeremy B. Yoder is an Associate Professor of Biology at California State University Northridge, studying the evolution and coevolution of interacting species, especially mutualists. He is a collaborator with the Joshua Tree Genome Project and the Queer in STEM study of LGBTQ experiences in scientific careers. He has written for the website of Scientific American, the LA Review of Books, the Chronicle of Higher Education, The Awl, and Slate.
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