---
res:
  bibo_abstract:
  - 'Little red dots (LRDs) are compact, red sources discovered by JWST at high redshift
    (z ≳ 4), marked by distinctive “V-shaped” spectral energy distributions (SEDs)
    and often interpreted as rapidly accreting active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Their
    true nature remains unclear though, and their evolutionary connection to their
    lower-redshift counterparts is still poorly constrained. Thus, we present WISEA
    J123635.56+621424.2 (here dubbed the Saguaro), a z = 2.0145 galaxy in GOODS-North,
    as a possible analog of high-redshift LRDs and a potential missing link in their
    evolutionary path toward lower-redshift systems. It features a compact LRD-like
    nucleus surrounded by a face-on spiral host. Its connections to LRDs include the
    following: (1) its nuclear spectrum shows a clear “V-shaped” SED, and (2) when
    redshifted to z = 7, surface brightness dimming makes the host undetectable, thus
    mimicking an LRD. This suggests that high-redshift LRDs may be embedded in extended
    hosts. To test this, we stack rest-frame UV images of 99 photometrically selected
    LRDs, revealing faint, diffuse emission. Stacking in redshift bins reveals mild
    radial growth, consistent with the expected galaxy size evolution. A simple analytic
    model confirms that surface brightness dimming alone can explain their compact
    appearance. Lastly, we show that the Saguaro is not unique by describing similar
    objects from the literature at z ≲ 3.5. Taken together, our results support a
    scenario in which LRDs may not be a distinct population, but could be the visible
    nuclei of galaxies undergoing a short-lived, (perhaps) AGN-dominated evolutionary
    phase, with their compact, red appearance driven largely by observational biases.@eng'
  bibo_authorlist:
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Pierluigi
      foaf_name: Rinaldi, Pierluigi
      foaf_surname: Rinaldi
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: George H.
      foaf_name: Rieke, George H.
      foaf_surname: Rieke
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Zihao
      foaf_name: Wu, Zihao
      foaf_surname: Wu
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Carys J. E.
      foaf_name: Gilbert, Carys J. E.
      foaf_surname: Gilbert
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Fabio
      foaf_name: Pacucci, Fabio
      foaf_surname: Pacucci
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Luigi
      foaf_name: Barchiesi, Luigi
      foaf_surname: Barchiesi
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Stacey
      foaf_name: Alberts, Stacey
      foaf_surname: Alberts
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Stefano
      foaf_name: Carniani, Stefano
      foaf_surname: Carniani
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Andrew J.
      foaf_name: Bunker, Andrew J.
      foaf_surname: Bunker
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Rachana
      foaf_name: Bhatawdekar, Rachana
      foaf_surname: Bhatawdekar
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Francesco
      foaf_name: D’Eugenio, Francesco
      foaf_surname: D’Eugenio
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Zhiyuan
      foaf_name: Ji, Zhiyuan
      foaf_surname: Ji
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Benjamin D.
      foaf_name: Johnson, Benjamin D.
      foaf_surname: Johnson
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Kevin
      foaf_name: Hainline, Kevin
      foaf_surname: Hainline
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Vasily
      foaf_name: Kokorev, Vasily
      foaf_surname: Kokorev
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Nimisha
      foaf_name: Kumari, Nimisha
      foaf_surname: Kumari
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Edoardo
      foaf_name: Iani, Edoardo
      foaf_surname: Iani
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=4053390a-6b68-11ef-9828-a3b8adef8d0a
    orcid: 0000-0001-8386-3546
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Jianwei
      foaf_name: Lyu, Jianwei
      foaf_surname: Lyu
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Roberto
      foaf_name: Maiolino, Roberto
      foaf_surname: Maiolino
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Eleonora
      foaf_name: Parlanti, Eleonora
      foaf_surname: Parlanti
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Brant E.
      foaf_name: Robertson, Brant E.
      foaf_surname: Robertson
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Yang
      foaf_name: Sun, Yang
      foaf_surname: Sun
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Cristian
      foaf_name: Vignali, Cristian
      foaf_surname: Vignali
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Christina C.
      foaf_name: Williams, Christina C.
      foaf_surname: Williams
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Christopher N. A.
      foaf_name: Willmer, Christopher N. A.
      foaf_surname: Willmer
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Yongda
      foaf_name: Zhu, Yongda
      foaf_surname: Zhu
  bibo_doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae80cd
  bibo_issue: '2'
  bibo_volume: 1006
  dct_date: 2026^xs_gYear
  dct_isPartOf:
  - http://id.crossref.org/issn/0004-637X
  - http://id.crossref.org/issn/1538-4357
  dct_language: eng
  dct_publisher: IOP Publishing@
  dct_title: 'Beyond the dot: An LRD-like nucleus at the heart of an IR-bright galaxy
    and its implications for high-redshift LRDs@'
...