iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 11/09/2026

We find that individual protein-coding #genes have low explanatory power for evolutionary shifts in #torpor. In contrast, there was a relatively greater extent of convergence at the pathway level. 4/7

FDR-corrected P-values for different enriched pathways in one or more torpor screens.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 11/09/2026

We addressed these hypotheses through comparative #genomics screens across 190 placental mammal genomes. Specifically, we examined gene losses, signatures of positive selection, and evolutionary rate shifts. 3/7

The phylogeny of the species included in the present study, annotated with torpor classifications for extant species and for a number of internal nodes.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 18/08/2026

Good morning #IUSSI26! Just a reminder that my talk on how🌡️and 💦 influence Argentine 🐜 behavior and physiology is today at 11:15 in room K7.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 16/08/2026

Getting ready to catch a train to Freiburg and #IUSSI26. If you're interested in how Argentine ants' traits respond to changes in temperature and relative humidity, come to my talk on Tuesday! Also, happy to chat about anything related to trait performance surfaces, macroecology, & macroevolution!

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 30/07/2026

Another plug for my #ESA2026 talk tomorrow at 8:15 am, room 255A. Get an early breakfast and come to hear how🌡️and 💦 affect 🐜 physiology and behavior!

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 27/07/2026

Good morning #ESA2026, delighted to be here! I have a talk on how temperature and relative humidity affect key physiological and behavioral traits of Argentine ants. Thursday 7/30, 8:15 am, room 255A. Also, happy to meet and chat about anything related to comparative ecophysiology & macroecology!

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/08/2025

In contrast, there was no systematic relationship between compactness and #temperature. The number and pattern of amino acid contacts also varied tremendously among adenylate kinases and not in a manner that strongly depended on temperature. 🧵6/7

Four network plots of contacts between pairs of amino acid alignment columns of psychrophilic, mesophilic, thermophilic, and hyperthermophilic monomeric adenylate kinases in our study. Panels are labelled from A to D.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/08/2025

Our results showed that there are many different paths towards #adaptation of adenylate kinases to extreme cold or extreme hot environments. In particular, the main pattern that we observed was an increase in structural flexibility with #temperature, both across #species and within. 🧵4/7

Scatterplot of the relationship between the root mean square fluctuation of alpha carbon atoms (a measure of structural flexibility) and temperature for the adenylate kinases in our study. The plot includes fitted lines and regression parameter estimates.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/08/2025

In this #paper, we looked at how the 3D #structure of an #enzyme may change through #adaptation to different thermal environments over millions of years. Specifically, we compared 70 adenylate kinases of #bacteria and #archaea, from extreme cold-loving #species to extreme heat-loving ones. 🧵2/7

Graphical representation of the three-dimensional structure of a prokaryotic adenylate kinase. The CORE, LID, and NMPbind domains are explicitly labelled and shown in different colors.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 26/07/2025

Given that my ratings list has grown over the years, today I decided to redo the same exercise. If anything, the correlation estimates have decreased since 2019! Don't you love it when an old study replicates? XD 2/2

Three scatterplots that show my IMDB ratings on the horizontal axis and the ratings of IMDB itself, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic on the vertical axis. There is also a dashed diagonal line and summary statistics.

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

Some have also suggested that #hibernation might have been instrumental to the survival of #mammals during the K-Pg boundary. In contrast to these, we estimated a low probability for hibernation in ancestral mammals, with multiple gains of hibernation being more likely. 🧵 10/12

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

Furthermore, torpor-capable species cover a wide range of physiological and ecological parameter space. The distribution of daily heterotherms and hibernators in this space is primarily taxonomically structured rather than environmentally structured. 🧵 8/12

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

Q2️⃣: Can we predict whether a given species is capable of torpor based on its physiological and ecological characteristics? Features associated with torpor include low body mass, nocturnality, and a resource-poor environment. Nevertheless, such associations are quite weak. 🧵 7/12

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

Q1️⃣: Are daily torpor and #hibernation evolutionarily distinct #torpor types or parts of a continuum? Our results strongly support the continuum hypothesis. That is, evolutionary transitions between no torpor and hibernation generally require an intermediate daily torpor step. 🧵 6/12

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

To address 3 key questions regarding #torpor #evolution, we compiled a #dataset of a) torpor capabilities and b) 21 ecophysiological variables for 1,338 species of #mammals and #birds. We then analysed this dataset using a series of #phylogenetic comparative methods. 🧵 5/12

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

A wide range of #mammals can enter #torpor, including 🐻, 🦔, 🐭, 🦇, and 🐵. Similarly, many clades of #birds include torpor-capable species. Yet, only a single bird species (the common poorwill; public domain picture by Louis Agassiz Fuertes) is known to hibernate. 🧵 4/12

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Dimitris Kontopoulos @dgkontopoulos.io · 06/01/2025

Numerous species of #mammals and #birds can respond to challenging periods (e.g., lack of food or water, extreme cold) through #torpor. Photo: a torpid Eastern chipmunk. Taken by @dl_levesque / @daniellelevesque.bsky.social, the 2nd author of this paper. 🧵 2/12

A torpid Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus). Taken by Danielle L. Levesque who is the 2nd author of this study.

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