The Natural History of Model Organisms

Many of the fundamental principles of biology were discovered in model organisms, but there is still a lot to learn about their life and biology "in the wild". This ongoing series of articles will explore what is known about the natural history of a range of model organisms, and explain how studying these organisms in their natural habitats could lead to breakthroughs in many different areas of biology. Proposals for articles about the natural history of other model organisms should be sent to features@elifesciences.org

Collection

1. 1. Ecology
   2. Evolutionary Biology

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: New opportunities at the wild frontier

   Jane Alfred, Ian T Baldwin

   A better understanding of the natural history of model organisms will increase their value as model systems and also keep them at the forefront of research.
2. 1. Ecology
   2. Evolutionary Biology

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: The rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene

   Eve B Cooper, Lauren JN Brent ... James P Higham

   The rhesus macaque is a non-human primate that is widely used as a model organism in ecology, evolutionary biology and behavioural science.
3. 1. Plant Biology

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: The biology of C. richardii as a tool to understand plant evolution

   Sylvia P Kinosian, Paul G Wolf

   The natural history of the model fern Ceratopteris richardii provides opportunities for unique studies and makes it an important system to include in comparative work.
4. 1. Developmental Biology
   2. Evolutionary Biology

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: The big potential of the small frog Eleutherodactylus coqui

   Sarah E Westrick, Mara Laslo, Eva K Fischer

   The coquí frog is of interest to researchers in fields as diverse as development biology, social behavior and the biology of invasive species.
5. 1. Ecology
   2. Neuroscience

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: Neurogenomic insights into the behavioral and vocal development of the zebra finch

   Mark E Hauber, Matthew IM Louder, Simon C Griffith

   The genetic and behavioral diversity of the zebra finch, both in the wild and in captivity, make it well-suited for neuroethological studies of vocal learning, culture, and social bonding.
6. 1. Developmental Biology
   2. Neuroscience

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: The unlimited potential of the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis

   István Fodor, Ahmed AA Hussein ... Zsolt Pirger

   The great pond snail is a multipurpose model organism and a contemporary choice for addressing a wide range of biological questions, problems and phenomena in the laboratory and the field.
7. 1. Ecology
   2. Evolutionary Biology

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: The house sparrow in the service of basic and applied biology

   Haley E Hanson, Noreen S Mathews ... Lynn B Martin

   The house sparrow, one of the most ubiquitous birds in the world, is now used extensively in studies across disciplines in the life sciences.
8. 1. Ecology
   2. Evolutionary Biology

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: The Norway rat, from an obnoxious pest to a laboratory pet

   Klaudia Modlinska, Wojciech Pisula

   The rat is much more than a simple model, and a better appreciation of the natural history of wild rats would increase its value as a research organism.
9. 1. Evolutionary Biology

   

   The Natural History of Model Organisms: Insights into the evolution of social systems and species from baboon studies

   Julia Fischer, James P Higham ... Dietmar Zinner

   Wild baboons are an excellent model to study complex evolutionary processes such as speciation and hybridization, as well as the links between sociality, longevity and reproductive success.
10. 1. Evolutionary Biology
    2. Genetics and Genomics

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: The untapped potential of medaka and its wild relatives

    Leon Hilgers, Julia Schwarzer

    Studies of medaka and other ricefishes in the wild could provide insights in fields such as evolutionary biology, development and cancer research.
11. 1. Ecology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: Nothobranchius furzeri, an 'instant' fish from an ephemeral habitat

    Martin Reichard, Matej Polačik

    The turquoise killifish from ephemeral pools in African savannah combines extremely short lifespan with a standard vertebrate body plan – ideal attributes for a laboratory animal.
12. 1. Cell Biology
    2. Ecology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: From molecular manipulation of domesticated Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to survival in nature

    Severin Sasso, Herwig Stibor ... Arthur R Grossman

    Dubbed the 'green yeast', the model alga C. reinhardtii has profoundly advanced many areas of biology, but much remains to be learnt about its life in the wild.
13. 1. Ecology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: Peromyscus mice as a model for studying natural variation

    Nicole L Bedford, Hopi E Hoekstra

    The deer mouse (Peromyscus) has emerged as a model system for studying many aspects of biology, supported by extensive historical knowledge of its fascinating and varied natural history.
14. 1. Ecology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: The secret lives of Drosophila flies

    Therese Ann Markow

    After decades of intensive research, D. melanogaster and its relatives could provide important tools for investigating future biological questions about human health and environmental change, but only if we better understand their natural history.
15. 1. Evolutionary Biology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: Insights into mammalian biology from the wild house mouse Mus musculus

    Megan Phifer-Rixey, Michael W Nachman

    Studies of the house mouse Mus musculus have provided important insights into mammalian biology, and efforts to study wild house mice and to create new inbred strains from wild populations have the potential to increase its usefulness as a model system.
16. 1. Ecology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: C. elegans outside the Petri dish

    Lise Frézal, Marie-Anne Félix

    To leverage the tools, resources and knowledge that exist for C. elegans so that we can study ecology, evolution and other aspects of biology, we need to understand the natural history of this important model organism.
17. 1. Ecology
    2. Plant Biology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: Planting molecular functions in an ecological context with Arabidopsis thaliana

    Ute Krämer

    Research in molecular ecology and evolution is increasingly utilizing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, placing a spotlight on its natural history.
18. 1. Ecology
    2. Genetics and Genomics

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: The fascinating and secret wild life of the budding yeast S. cerevisiae

    Gianni Liti

    The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has informed our understanding of molecular biology and genetics for decades, and learning more about its natural history could fuel a new era of functional and evolutionary studies of this classic model organism.
19. 1. Developmental Biology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: An organismal perspective on C. intestinalis development, origins and diversification

    Matthew J Kourakis, William C Smith

    The life cycle and morphology of the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis shed light on vertebrate evolution.
20. 1. Microbiology and Infectious Disease
    2. Ecology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: The unexhausted potential of E. coli

    Zachary D Blount

    A better understanding of the remarkable diversity, natural history and complex ecology of E. coli in the wild could shed new light on its biology and role in disease, and further expand its many uses as a model organism.
21. 1. Plant Biology
    2. Genetics and Genomics

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: Genetic, evolutionary and plant breeding insights from the domestication of maize

    Sarah Hake, Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra

    Comparing maize to its wild ancestor teosinte advances our understanding of how it and other cereal crops evolved, and also identifies the genetic variation that can contribute to important agricultural traits.
22. 1. Ecology
    2. Evolutionary Biology

    

    The Natural History of Model Organisms: Advancing biology through a deeper understanding of zebrafish ecology and evolution

    David M Parichy

    The zebrafish is a premier model organism for biomedical research, with a rich array of tools and genomic resources, and combining these with a fuller appreciation of wild zebrafish ecology could greatly extend its utility in biological research.