Objectives
Chimpanzee termite fishing has been studied for decades, yet the selective processes preceding the manufacture of fishing tools remain largely unexplored. We investigate raw material ...selection and potential evidence of forward planning in the chimpanzees of Issa valley, western Tanzania.
Materials and Methods
Using traditional archaeological methods, we surveyed the location of plants from where chimpanzees sourced raw material to manufacture termite fishing tools, relative to targeted mounds. We measured raw material abundance to test for availability and selection. Statistics included Chi‐Squared, two‐tailed Wilcoxon, and Kruskall–Wallace tests.
Results
Issa chimpanzees manufactured extraction tools only from bark, despite availability of other suitable materials (e.g., twigs), and selected particular plant species as raw material sources, which they often also exploit for food. Most plants were sourced 1–16 m away from the mound, with a maximum of 33 m. The line of sight from the targeted mound was obscured for a quarter of these plants.
Discussion
The exclusive use of bark tools despite availability of other suitable materials indicates a possible cultural preference. The fact that Issa chimpanzees select specific plant species and travel some distance to source them suggests some degree of selectivity and, potentially, forward planning. Our results have implications for the reconstruction of early hominin behaviors, particularly with regard to the use of perishable tools, which remain archaeologically invisible.
We present new data on the ingestion of minerals from termite mound soil by East African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living in the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda, the Gombe National ...Park and the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Termite mound soil is here shown to be a rich source of minerals, containing high concentrations of iron and aluminum. Termite mound soil is not, however, a source of sodium. The concentrations of iron and aluminum are the highest yet found in any of the mineral sources consumed. Levels of manganese and copper, though not so high as for iron and aluminum, are also higher than in other dietary sources. We focus on the contribution of termite mound soil to other known sources of mineral elements consumed by these apes, and compare the mineral content of termite soil with that of control forest soil, decaying wood, clay, and the normal plant-based chimpanzee diet at Budongo. Samples obtained from Mahale Mountains National Park and Gombe National Park, both in Tanzania, show similar mineral distribution across sources. We suggest three distinct but related mechanisms by which minerals may come to be concentrated in the above-mentioned sources, serving as potentially important sources of essential minerals in the chimpanzee diet.
Primate archaeology 3.0 Pascual‐Garrido, Alejandra; Carvalho, Susana; Almeida‐Warren, Katarina
American journal of biological anthropology,
March 2024, 2024-Mar, Letnik:
183, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The new field of primate archaeology investigates the technological behavior and material record of nonhuman primates, providing valuable comparative data on our understanding of human technological ...evolution. Yet, paralleling hominin archaeology, the field is largely biased toward the analysis of lithic artifacts. While valuable comparative data have been gained through an examination of extant nonhuman primate tool use and its archaeological record, focusing on this one single aspect provides limited insights. It is therefore necessary to explore to what extent other non‐technological activities, such as non‐tool aided feeding, traveling, social behaviors or ritual displays, leave traces that could be detected in the archaeological record. Here we propose four new areas of investigation which we believe have been largely overlooked by primate archaeology and that are crucial to uncovering the full archaeological potential of the primate behavioral repertoire, including that of our own: (1) Plant technology; (2) Archaeology beyond technology; (3) Landscape archaeology; and (4) Primate cultural heritage. We discuss each theme in the context of the latest developments and challenges, as well as propose future directions. Developing a more “inclusive” primate archaeology will not only benefit the study of primate evolution in its own right but will aid conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of changes in primate‐environment interactions over time.
Uncovering the full potential of primate archaeology. Promising novel areas of research include: Plant technology; Archaeology of non‐technological behaviors; Landscape archaeology; and Primate cultural heritage.
Sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality mainly because of sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction. In contrast to preclinical studies, most clinical trials of promising new ...treatment strategies for sepsis have failed to demonstrate efficacy. Although many reasons could account for this discrepancy, the misinterpretation of preclinical data obtained from experimental studies and especially the use of animal models that do not adequately mimic human sepsis may have been contributing factors. In this review, the potentials and limitations of various animal models of sepsis are discussed to clarify to which extent these findings are relevant to human sepsis. Such models include intravascular infusion of endotoxin or live bacteria, bacterial peritonitis, cecal ligation and perforation, soft tissue infection, pneumonia or meningitis models using different animal species including rats, mice, rabbits, dogs, pigs, sheep, and nonhuman primates. Despite several limitations, animal models remain essential in the development of all new therapies for sepsis and septic shock because they provide fundamental information about the pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and mechanism of drug action that cannot be replaced by other methods. New therapeutic agents should be studied in infection models, even after the initiation of the septic process. Furthermore, debility conditions need to be reproduced to avoid the exclusive use of healthy animals, which often do not represent the human septic patient.
En los últimos veinte años es más que evidente el proceso de verticalización de la oferta inmobiliaria residencial en la Ciudad de México. A la par de este proceso, existe una creciente preocupación ...social por los cambios en la ciudad y en los barrios. La transformación de la urbe ha generado diversas reacciones. En este artículo se presenta una lectura de éstas desde un punto poco analizado: la institucionalización de la participación ciudadana. Para ello se usan datos de la transformación de la oferta inmobiliaria en la Ciudad de México de 1990 a 2017 y las denuncias presentadas ante la Procuraduría Ambiental y de Ordenamiento Territorial (PAOT). Los resultados indican que, a la par de la transformación de la oferta inmobiliaria (mayor densidad y en altura), también las denuncias crecen. Este proceso podemos equiparlo al denominado No en mi patio trasero (NIMBY, en inglés).
In the last 20 years, the process of verticalization of the residential real estate market in Mexico City is more than evident. Along with this process, there is growing social concern about changes in the city and neighborhoods. The transformation of the city has generated various reactions. This article presents an analysis from a different point of view: the institutionalization of the citizen participation. For this, data from the transformation of the real estate supply in Mexico City from 1990 to 2017 and the complaints filed with the Environmental and Territorial Procurator’s Office (PAOT) are used. The results indicate that along with the transformation of the real estate supply (higher density and height), complaints are also growing. It is argued that this process can be like to so-called Not in my backyard (NIMBY).
Rhabdoid meningiomas (RM) shows heterogeneous histological findings, and a wide variety of chromosomal copy number alterations (CNA) are associated with an unpredictable course of the disease. In ...this study, we analyzed a series of 305 RM samples from patients previously reported in the literature and 33 samples from 23 patients studied in our laboratory. Monosomy 22-involving the minimal but most common recurrent region loss of the 22q11.23 chromosomal region was the most observed chromosomal alteration, followed by losses of chromosomes 14, 1, 6, and 19, polysomies of chromosomes 17, 1q, and 20, and gains of 13q14.2, 10p13, and 21q21.2 chromosomal regions. Based on their CNA profile, RM could be classified into two genetic subgroups with distinct clinicopathologic features characterized by the presence of (1) chromosomal losses only and (2) combined losses and gains of several chromosomes. The latter displays a higher frequency of WHO grade 3 tumors and poorer clinical outcomes.
On the congruence subgroup property for GGS-groups Gustavo A. Fernández-Alcober; Alejandra Garrido; Jone Uria-Albizuri
Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society,
08/2017, Letnik:
145, Številka:
8
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We show that all GGS-groups with a non-constant defining vector satisfy the congruence subgroup property. This provides, for every odd prime p, many examples of finitely generated, residually finite, ...non-torsion groups whose profinite completion is a pro- p group, and among them we find torsion-free groups. This answers a question of Barnea. On the other hand, we prove that the GGS-group with a constant defining vector has an infinite congruence kernel and is not a branch group.
Discussions of how animal culture can aid the conservation crisis are burgeoning. As scientists and conservationists working to protect endangered species, we call for reflection on how the culture ...concept may be applied in practice. Here, we discuss both the potential benefits and potential shortcomings of applying the animal culture concept, and propose a set of achievable milestones that will help guide and ensure its effective integration existing conservation frameworks, such as Adaptive Management cycles or Open Standards.
Objective
At some sites across Africa, chimpanzees consume army ants, often aided by plant tools, although consumption frequencies vary greatly. Other populations do not eat these insects at all, ...despite apparent abundance. The relative importance of this type of myrmecophagy for chimpanzee diet therefore remains unclear. We investigate if army ants constitute a preferred food or a fallback resource for chimpanzees at Gashaka, Nigeria, where army ants are consumed much more frequently than elsewhere.
Methods
Long‐term records on temporal variation of climate and availability of fruit as the chimpanzees' preferred food are compared with rates of recovered army ant dipping wands and army ant remains in feces.
Results
Despite strict seasonality of rainfall and fruit abundance, myrmecophagy does not negatively correlate with fruit availability. Instead, army ant eating is sustained year round at high levels, with 44% of feces containing remains.
Conclusions
Results contradict the fallback hypothesis and support the hypothesis that ants are a preferred food. Nevertheless, compared with fruit, ant‐meals can normally provide only negligible amounts of nutrients. At Gashaka, however, nutritional yield may be significant, given that ant‐dipping sessions provide on average 13 mg of dry weight to a chimpanzee. The species exclusively eaten here, Dorylus rubellus, might be particularly aggressive, thus resulting in greater harvesting success than elsewhere. Army ants may hence serve as a diet supplement or complement in terms of macro‐ or micronutrients.
This study assesses the efficacy of detecting colorectal cancer precursors or polyps in an ex vivo human colon model with a microwave colonoscopy algorithm. Nowadays, 22% of polyps go undetected with ...conventional colonoscopy, and the risk of cancer after a negative colonoscopy can be up to 7.9%. We developed a microwave colonoscopy device that consists of a cylindrical ring-shaped switchable microwave antenna array that can be attached to the tip of a conventional colonoscope as an accessory. The accessory is connected to an external unit that allows successive measurements of the colon and processes the measurements with a microwave imaging algorithm. An acoustic signal is generated when a polyp is detected. Fifteen ex vivo freshly excised human colons with cancer (n = 12) or polyps (n = 3) were examined with the microwave-assisted colonoscopy system simulating a real colonoscopy exploration. After the experiment, the dielectric properties of the specimens were measured with a coaxial probe and the samples underwent a pathology analysis. The results show that all the neoplasms were detected with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 87.4%.
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