Food sharing: a model of manipulation by harassment

Most analyses of food-sharing behavior invoke complex explanationssuch as indirect and delayed benefits for sharing via kin selectionand reciprocal altruism. However, food sharing can be a moregeneral phenomenon accounted for by more parsimonious, mutualisticexplanations. We propose a game theoretical model of a generalsharing situation in which food owners share because it is in their own self-interest—they avoid high costs associatedwith beggar harassment. When beggars harass, owners may benefitfrom sharing part of the food if their consumption rate islow relative to the rate of cost accrual. Our model predictsthat harassment can be a profitable strategy for beggars if they reap some direct benefits from harassing other than sharedfood (such as picking up scraps). Therefore, beggars may manipulatethe owner's fitness payoffs in such a way as to make sharingmutualistic.     

Ecology and community dynamics of Kubo people in the tropical lowlands of Papua New Guinea

Kubo producer-units (families and independent bachelors) could have been self-sufficient in the production of bananas but chose not to be. Nor did they seek self-sufficiency in the production of any combination of staple carbohydrate foods (bananas, tubers, sago flour) or, in the long term, strive for balance in the exchange of food with other producer-units. Despite the fact that bananas, which provided 50% of people's energy needs, were a delayed-return crop Kubo communities were very unstable. This instability and the failure to choose the option of self-sufficiency were connected and were mediated through intense intracommunity sharing that, ultimately, served to negotiate a concern with sorcery. The people grew bananas in the way they did, not out of environmental necessity, but to accommodate the crop to the needs of sharing and, thereby, facilitate community living.     

Resource sharing among ramets in the clonal herb,Fragaria chiloensis

Summary The herbaceous perennial, Fragaria chiloensis, reproduces vegetatively on coastal sand dunes in California by growth of stolons that bear rosettes. Movement of water and photosynthates through stolons integrates water and carbon metabolism of rosettes both before and after they root. New, unrooted rosettes import sufficient water and nitrogen to maintain levels near those of established rosettes; yet support of an unrooted rosette did not decrease growth of a connected, rooted sibling given abundant light, water, and soil nutrients. Under such conditions strings of unrooted rosettes with the associated stolon appeared self-sufficient for carbon; shade and drought induced import of photosynthates. New rosettes produced and maintained a limited root mass upon contact with dry sand, which could increase probability of establishment. Rooting did not induce senescence of stolons. Connection between two established rosettes prevented death by drought and shade, even when neither rosette could have survived singly. Results suggest that physiological integration of connected rosettes may increase total growth of clones of F. chiloensis through sharing of resources among ramets, especially when resource availability is changeable or patchy.     

Defense reactions of mosquitoes to filarial worms: potential mechanism for avoidance of the response by Brugia pahangi microfilariae

The melanization response of Aedes trivittatus and the black-eyed Liverpool (LVP) and Rocke-feller (RKF) strains of Aedes aegypti against intrathoracically inoculated Brugia pahangi microfilariae (mff) that previously had penetrated LVP, RKF, or A. trivittatus midguts in vitro was assessed at 1, 3, and 5 days postinoculation (PI). LVP and RKF midgut-derived mff almost totally avoided the melanization response and developed normally in LVP strain A. aegypti, and although over 90% of these mff died by 5 days PI in RKF mosquitoes, the majority of these were not melanized. A. aegypti midgut-derived mff also were able to avoid the response of A. trivittatus in 33–43% of the cases. Penetration through A. trivittatus midguts, however, did not significantly affect the ability of mff to avoid the melanization response in any of the mosquitoes examined. Allogeneic and xenogeneic tissue inplants were accepted by all three mosquito species examined. Data presented support the hypothesis that mff avoid immune recognition in compatible mosquitoes by coating themselves with midgut material(s) during penetration of the midgut in their migration to the hemocoel.     

Evidence of repertoire sharing and stability despite a high turnover rate in a duetting neotropical wren

In songbirds, the spatial pattern of song sharing among individuals is influenced by the song learning and dispersal strategies within each species. In birds where females and males sing and create joint acoustic displays (duets), the processes defining the patterns of song sharing become more complex as there might be different selection pressures shaping the behaviour of each sex. To provide further insight into the vocal development and the dispersal strategy of duetting tropical species, we investigated the patterns of individual and pair repertoire sharing, as well as the stability of these repertoires, in a colour-marked population of riverside wrens, Cantorchilus semibadius, located in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Using data collected over a five-year period, we found considerable variation in the sharing levels of phrase and duet type repertoires among neighbouring individuals coupled with a general decline of repertoire sharing as distance increased between birds’ territories. These results are consistent with a pattern predicted in age-restricted learners that establish preferentially near their tutors. Furthermore, we found no evidence of individuals changing their phrase type repertoires over time, including after remating events. Duet type repertoires were also stable when pairs remained together. However, we observed a surprisingly high turnover rate. When individuals remated, even though the majority of the previous duet type repertoire remained, several new duet types were included. Taken together, our findings suggest that riverside wrens might create their individual repertoires by copying their same-sex parent and neighbouring individuals before dispersal. Additionally, we speculate that even though birds were able to create new duet types after changing partners, a substantial portion of their duet type repertoire might also be copied from their parents and neighbouring pairs during the initial critical period of song learning.     

生物多样性相关传统知识调查与评估: 以澜沧与康定两县域为例

本研究依据《县域生物多样性相关传统知识调查与评估技术规定》, 调查评估了云南省澜沧县和四川省康定市两县域生物多样性相关传统知识的分布数量与特征, 分析了传统知识保护与传承状况, 识别了主要受威胁因素和保护空缺, 旨在为我国传统知识保护和民族地区实施传统知识获取与惠益分享制度提供科学依据, 推动《生物多样性公约》与《名古屋议定书》等国际公约的履行。研究结果如下: 分别调查编目澜沧县、康定市的生物多样性相关传统知识145项、98项; 这些传统知识具有明显的地区气候与自然环境特征、生产生活实践特征、传统文化特征和地区社会经济特征; 相关部门在传统知识保护管理方面做出了积极努力, 同时包括习惯法、传统节庆等传统文化和包括祭祀、神山、神林等宗教方式在内的地方社区行动在传统知识保护与传承方面也发挥了重要作用; 生物多样性相关传统知识、创新和做法已被广泛应用于地方社区脱贫攻坚和产业发展; 传统知识保护立法仍不健全、受到威胁、保护意识薄弱及承载传统知识的生物资源减少是制约传统知识保护传承的主要因素。两县域生物多样性相关传统知识丰富, 并且地方社区有效参与了生物多样性相关传统知识的保护与可持续利用。今后应建立传统知识获取与惠益分享国家制度; 加强宣传教育, 提升保护传承意识; 因地制宜开展传统知识保护; 推动传统知识相关生物资源的保护与可持续利用。     

A multibody modelling approach to determine load sharing between passive elements of the lumbar spine

The human spinal segment is an inherently complex structure, a combination of flexible and semi-rigid articulating elements stabilised by seven principal ligaments. An understanding of how mechanical loading is shared among these passive elements of the segment is required to estimate tissue failure stresses. A 3D rigid body model of the complete lumbar spine has been developed to facilitate the prediction of load sharing across the passive elements. In contrast to previous multibody models, this model includes a non-linear, six degrees of freedom intervertebral disc, facet bony articulations and all spinal ligaments. Predictions of segmental kinematics and facet joint forces, in response to pure moment loading (flexion–extension), were compared to published in vitro data. On inclusion of detailed representation of the disc and facets, the multibody model fully captures the non-linear flexibility response of the spinal segment, i.e. coupled motions and a mobile instantaneous centre of rotation. Predicted facet joint forces corresponded well with reported values. For the loading case considered, the model predicted that the ligaments are the main stabilising elements within the physiological motion range; however, the disc resists a greater proportion of the applied load as the spine is fully flexed. In extension, the facets and capsular ligaments provide the principal resistance. Overall patterns of load distribution to the spinal ligaments are in agreement with previous predictions; however, the current model highlights the important role of the intraspinous ligament in flexion and the potentially high risk of failure. Several important refinements to the multibody modelling of the passive elements of the spine have been described, and such an enhanced passive model can be easily integrated into a full musculoskeletal model for the prediction of spinal loading for a variety of daily activities.