In the Arms of Africa: The Life of Colin Turnbull

In the Arms of Africa: The Life of Colin Turnbull. Roy Richard Grinker. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. 368 pp.     

The dispersal unit of Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (A. Rich.) de Laubenfels (Podocarpaceae) and the significance of the fleshy receptacle

FOUNTAIN, D. W., HOLDSWORTH, J. M. & OUTRED, H. A., 1989. The dispersal unit of Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (A. Rich.) de Laubenfels (Podocarpaceae) and the significance of the fleshy receptacle. Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (formerly Podocarpus dacrydioides ) is an arborescent gymnosperm endemic to New Zealand. The high water content (43%) and sensitivity of viability towards desiccation, suggest the seeds are of the 'recalcitrant' type. The 'fruits' comprising a seed borne on a fleshy receptacle arc shed in large numbers. The development of the seed precedes the full development of succulence in the receptacle and at maturity the seed has a high relative water content (RWC) relative to the receptacle. Within the maturing reproductive unit, the receptacle buffers the seed against the effects of water stress. After shedding, seeds are rapidly desiccated in moving air, and viability is impaired below approximately 80"' RWC and abolished at 34", seed RWC. The presence of the receptacle during drying confers resistance to desiccation-associated damage. Five phases of desiccation sensitivity are distinguished in recognition of the protective role of the receptacle. It is suggested that the advantages associated with prolonging seed viability may have contributed to the evolutionary development of succulence in the reproductive unit. This might be considered as a selection pressure in a manner similar to the proposal that such fleshy structures are associated with seed dispersal by birds.     

EVALUATION OF THREE SCALING METHODS FOR HEDONICS

A collaborative study of twenty-three laboratories was conducted to compare the relative effectiveness of three scales: two forms of magnitude estimation scaling and one form of a category scale in the measurement of hedonic response to a controlled stimulus. Responses from 553 individual judges show that all scales yield hedonic measurements that are very similar in both direction and magnitude of difference between the stimuli. No scale showed any clear superiority in reliability, precision, or discrimination. Selection of a scale must be based on considerations other than the simple form of response.     

Distinguishing between <Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Y</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">YY</Emphasis>-bearing Human Spermatozoa by Fluorescence and DNA Content

Assays for DNA content show that human spermatozoa with X, F or YY chromosome constitutions can be reliably distinguished by their fluorescence with quinacrine.     

Variations in the geotropic sensitivity of germinating Funaria spores in response to some external influences

Experiments on the germination of the spores of Funaria have established the following.

• 1. 

  Some growth substances such as vitamins slightly promote the geotropic response of germinating spores in darkness.
• 2. 

  Glucose, even in concentrations as low as 10 mg./L, strongly stimulates the geotropic response.
• 3. 

  Light (at an intensity of 1000 lux and more) strongly inhibits the geotropic response. This effect is probably phototonic and can be partly counteracted by glucose.
• 4. 

  The nature of the phototropic and geotropic reactions of chloronema is variable, and depends to a certain extent on environmental influences.

     

Genetics and Molecular Biology of Mouse Pigmentation

The formation of mouse coat color is a relatively complex developmental process that is affected by a large number of mutations, both naturally occurring and induced. The cloning of the genes in which these mutations occur and the elucidation of the mechanisms by which these mutations disrupt the normal pigmentation pattern is leading to an understanding of the way interactions between gene products lead to a final phenotype.     

High rates of extra‐pair paternity in a socially monogamous beetle with biparental care

1. Nest construction and paternity assurance are predicted to favour biparental care in insects. The horned passalus (Odontotaenius disjunctus) is a socially monogamous beetle with biparental care that breeds in decaying logs. The genetic mating system of the horned passalus was investigated to determine if paternity assurance is likely to drive the evolution or maintenance of paternal care in this system. Parental time budgets were also examined to better understand the types and frequencies of behaviours performed by parents. 2. Genotyping‐by‐sequencing revealed high levels of extra‐pair paternity, with 54.8% of offspring sired by extra‐pair males and 70% of nests containing extra‐pair young. 3. More heterozygous social males were cuckolded less than more homozygous social males. Extra‐pair mating, however, seems unlikely to increase offspring genetic diversity as extra‐pair offspring were not more heterozygous than within‐pair offspring, and average brood heterozygosity did not increase with higher rates of extra‐pair paternity. 4. Behavioural observations demonstrated that parents spent on average 46.5% of their time processing the decaying wood resource for larval offspring. Because resource processing is a by‐product of feeding and provides shareable benefits for all larvae in the brood, this form of paternal care could be favoured despite low paternity.     

Identification and characterization of simple sequence repeat markers from Brassica napus expressed sequences

The availability of expressed sequence data derived from gene discovery programs enables mining for simple sequence repeats (SSR), providing useful genetic markers for crop improvement. These markers are inexpensive, require minimal labour to produce and can frequently be associated with functionally annotated genes. This study presents the development and characterization of 24 expressed sequence tags (EST)‐SSR markers from Brassica napus and their cross‐amplification across Brassica species. The markers show reliable amplification, genome specificity and considerable polymorphism, demonstrating the utility of EST‐SSRs for genetic analysis of wild Brassica populations and commercial Brassica germplasm.