Kodymirus and the case for convergence of raptorial appendages in Cambrian arthropods

The Science of Nature - Kodymirus vagans Chlupá? and Havlí?ek in Sb Geol Ved Paleontol 6:7–20, 1965 is redescribed as an aglaspidid-like arthropod bearing a single pair of...     

Response of American redstarts (suborder Passeri) and least flycatchers (suborder Tyranni) to heterospecific playback: the role of song in aggressive interactions and interference competition

Least flycatchers (Empidonax minimus) and American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) overlap in the use of food resources on their breeding grounds, promoting high levels of interspecific aggression by the socially dominant flycatcher. We examined the role of song in this interspecific aggression by using repeated-measures-designed playback experiments and observational data on induced aggressive interactions. Flycatchers were more likely to approach the speaker during presentation of redstart song than during intervals of no song or presentation of control song. Approach was close enough to enable visual contact with a singing redstart. In contrast, redstarts made significantly fewer flights following presentation of flycatcher song, when risk of flycatcher attack may be greatest. Reducing the number of flights likely reduces the risk of flycatcher attack on the redstart, as flycatchers do not attack stationary redstart models and are apparently dependent on cues from redstart flight for visual heterospecific recognition. Flycatcher-specific responses of redstarts and marked differences in song morphology rule out misdirected intraspecific aggression as a proximate or ultimate cause of interspecific response to song. Results indicate that song is an important component in aggressive interactions between these two species, and reflect the dominant role of the flycatcher in such interactions. Our results also illustrate the capacity for interspecific interference competition to influence behavior and heterospecific song recognition in two distant avian taxa. Received: 10 January 1995/Accepted after revision: 8 June 1996     

Function of pretribosphenic and tribosphenic mammalian molars inferred from 3D animation

Appearance of the tribosphenic molar in the Late Jurassic (160 Ma) is a crucial innovation for food processing in mammalian evolution. This molar type is characterized by a protocone, a talonid basin and a two-phased chewing cycle, all of which are apomorphic. In this functional study on the teeth of Late Jurassic Dryolestes leiriensis and the living marsupial Monodelphis domestica, we demonstrate that pretribosphenic and tribosphenic molars show fundamental differences of food reduction strategies, representing a shift in dental function during the transition of tribosphenic mammals. By using the Occlusal Fingerprint Analyser (OFA), we simulated the chewing motions of the pretribosphenic Dryolestes that represents an evolutionary precursor condition to such tribosphenic mammals as Monodelphis. Animation of chewing path and detection of collisional contacts between virtual models of teeth suggests that Dryolestes differs from the classical two-phased chewing movement of tribosphenidans, due to the narrowing of the interdental space in cervical (crown–root transition) direction, the inclination angle of the hypoflexid groove, and the unicuspid talonid. The pretribosphenic chewing cycle is equivalent to phase I of the tribosphenic chewing cycle, but the former lacks phase II of the tribosphenic chewing. The new approach can analyze the chewing cycle of the jaw by using polygonal 3D models of tooth surfaces, in a way that is complementary to the electromyography and strain gauge studies of muscle function of living animals. The technique allows alignment and scaling of isolated fossil teeth and utilizes the wear facet orientation and striation of the teeth to reconstruct the chewing path of extinct mammals.     

Torpor at high ambient temperature in a neotropical didelphid,the grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)

The grey short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, has been an established research animal for more than five decades, but relatively, little is known about its thermophysiology. Here we studied core body temperature (T _b) and metabolic rate (MR) of female adult M. domestica housed in the laboratory at an ambient temperature (T _a) of 26 °C. In expanding previous reports, the average recorded core T _b of M. domestica was 34.3 °C. The T _b of an individual M. domestica can drop below 30 °C (minimal T _b: 28.6 °C) accompanied by a reduction in MR of up to 52 % even while having ad libitum access to food. These findings demonstrate for the first time the presence of spontaneous torpor in M. domestica. Metabolic suppression at relatively high T _a and T _b furthermore broadens our perspective on the use of torpor as a metabolic strategy not just restricted to cold climates.     

Pesticide exposures and respiratory health in general populations

Human exposures to pesticides can occur in the workplace, in the household and through the ambient environment. While several articles have reviewed the impact of pesticide exposures on human respiratory health in occupational settings, to the best of our knowledge, this article is the first one to review published studies on the association between pesticide exposures and human respiratory health in the general populations. In this article, we critically reviewed evidences up to date studying the associations between non-occupational pesticide exposures and respiratory health in general populations. This article also highlighted questions arising from these studies, including our recent analyses using the data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), for future research. We found few studies have addressed the impact of environmental pesticide exposures on respiratory health, especially on lung function, in general populations. In the studies using the data from CHMS Cycle 1, exposures to OP insecticides, pyrethroid insecticides, and the organochlorine pesticide DDT were associated with impaired lung function in the Canadian general population, but no significant associations were observed for the herbicide 2,4-D. Future research should focus on the potential age-specific and pesticide-specific effect on respiratory health in the general population, and repeated longitudinal study design is critical for assessing the temporal variations in pesticide exposures. Research findings from current studies of non-occupational pesticide exposures and their health impact in general population will help to improve the role of regulatory policies in mitigating pesticide-related public health problems, and thereafter providing greater benefit to the general population.     

Deforestation Projections for Carbon-Rich Peat Swamp Forests of Central Kalimantan,Indonesia

We evaluated three spatially explicit land use and cover change (LUCC) models to project deforestation from 2005–2020 in the carbon-rich peat swamp forests (PSF) of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Such models are increasingly used to evaluate the impact of deforestation on carbon fluxes between the biosphere and the atmosphere. We considered both business-as-usual (BAU) and a forest protection scenario to evaluate each model’s accuracy, sensitivity, and total projected deforestation and landscape-level fragmentation patterns. The three models, Dinamica EGO (DE), GEOMOD and the Land Change Modeler (LCM), projected similar total deforestation amounts by 2020 with a mean of 1.01 million ha (Mha) and standard deviation of 0.17 Mha. The inclusion of a 0.54 Mha strict protected area in the LCM simulations reduced projected loss to 0.77 Mha over 15 years. Calibrated parameterizations of the models using nearly identical input drivers produced very different landscape properties, as measured by the number of forest patches, mean patch area, contagion, and Euclidean nearest neighbor determined using Fragstats software. The average BAU outputs of the models suggests that Central Kalimantan may lose slightly less than half (45.1%) of its 2005 PSF by 2020 if measures are not taken to reduce deforestation there. The relatively small reduction of 0.24 Mha in deforestation found in the 0.54 Mha protection scenario suggests that these models can identify potential leakage effects in which deforestation is forced to occur elsewhere in response to a policy intervention.     

Pork knocking in the land of many waters: Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Guyana

The growth of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Guyana has received little attention in the literature, despite its rapid growth and now central importance in this small country's socioeconomic fortunes. Although the activity in Guyana shares commonalities with ASM activity elsewhere in the world, it also displays some unique characteristics. This article builds upon existing debates and current issues surrounding Guyanese ASM. A lack of baseline data and research on the dynamics, underlying forces and various outcomes of the ASM sector has acted as a significant constraint on the regulation and development of the sector in a completely desirable fashion. This has been the result of, but has also been exacerbated by, the ineffective nature of intervention, enforcement and assistance. This paper aims to demonstrate and argue for the need for developing much clearer understandings of and effective interactions with the ASM sector in Guyana. Such all developments are the more pressing given future policies, which may represent potentially sizeable challenges for the continued vibrancy of ASM operations.     

Metabolic rate throughout the annual cycle reveals the demands of an Arctic existence in great cormorants

Aquatic endotherms living in polar regions are faced with a multitude of challenges, including low air and water temperatures and low illumination, especially in winter. Like other endotherms from cold environments, Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) living in Arctic waters were hypothesized to respond to these challenges through a combination of high daily rate of energy expenditure (DEE) and high food requirements, which are met by a high rate of catch per unit effort (CPUE). CPUE has previously been shown in Great Cormorants to be the highest of any diving bird. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis by making the first measurements of DEE and foraging activity of Arctic-dwelling Great Cormorants throughout the annual cycle. We demonstrate that, in fact, Great Cormorants have surprisingly low rates of DEE. This low DEE is attributed primarily to very low levels of foraging activity, particularly during winter, when the cormorants spent only 2% of their day submerged. Such a low level of foraging activity can only be sustained through consistently high foraging performance. We demonstrate that Great Cormorants have one of the highest recorded CPUEs for a diving predator; 18.6 g per minute submerged (95% prediction interval 13.0-24.2 g/min) during winter. Temporal variation in CPUE was investigated, and highest CPUE was associated with long days and shallow diving depths. The effect of day length is attributed to seasonal variation in prey abundance. Shallow diving leads to high CPUE because less time is spent swimming between the surface and the benthic zone where foraging occurs. Our study demonstrates the importance of obtaining accurate measurements of physiology and behavior from free-living animals when attempting to understand their ecology.