Awareness Programs and Change in Taste-Based Caste Prejudice

Becker''s theory of taste-based discrimination predicts that relative employment of the discriminated social group will improve if there is a decrease in the level of prejudice for the marginally discriminating employer. In this paper we experimentally test this prediction offered by Garry Becker in his seminal work on taste based discrimination, in the context of caste in India, with management students (potential employers in the near future) as subjects. First, we measure caste prejudice and show that awareness through a TV social program reduces implicit prejudice against the lower caste and the reduction is sustained over time. Second, we find that the treatment reduces the prejudice levels of those in the left tail of the prejudice distribution - the group which can potentially affect real outcomes as predicted by the theory. And finally, a larger share of the treatment group subjects exhibit favorable opinion about reservation in jobs for the lower caste.     

Population substructure and patterns of quantitative variation among the Gollas of southern Andhra Pradesh, India.

Population substructure and biological differentiation was studied among the Golla, a pastoral caste living in the southern areas of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in India, using 11 anthropometric measurements and 20 quantitative dermatoglyphic variables. The data were collected from a sample of 334 adult males drawn from 30 villages distributed in the Chittoor district of AP, who belonged to 8 endogamous subunits of the same caste. Multiple discriminant analysis of the anthropometrics suggests a highly significant degree of discrimination that is consistent with the microgeographic variations of the groups. In contrast, in different sets of dermatoglyphs discrimination is low and generally inconsistent with both the geographic and ethnohistorical affiliations of the groups. These findings are reflected in the F(ST) value for anthropometry, which is more than double the value of dermatoglyphs. The patterns of gene flow as inferred through the regression of phenotypic variance on the distance of groups from the centroid is not generally consistent with the known backgrounds in the case of either dermatoglyphs or anthropometry. It is concluded that at the level of caste substructure representing the lowest level of population hierarchy, the quantitative variables examined here may not portray a complete picture of the historical process of subdivision. The results of this study are not in congruence with those based on another study of 13 short tandem repeat loci on the same set of populations (Reddy et al. 2001), which may provide better insights into the population structure and history of subdivision that are consistent with the known ethnohistorical backgrounds of the populations.     

Smouldering Dalit fires in Bihar, India

In the 1980s, Jehanabad district was the epicentre of a Maoist-led armed struggle against landowning classes in Bihar. The Maoist cadres organized the landless Dalit labourers against upper caste landlords around the issues of land, wages, caste discrimination and sexual abuse of Dalit women. The heightened period of Dalit mobilization and struggle of the 1980s, however, gave way to a period of their demobilization in the late 1990s. In this article I explore the Dalit experience of structural cleavages that gave rise to their initial support for the Maoist movement as well as analyse the reasons for their later demobilization. Central to this discussion is an analysis of the Maoist trajectories of armed struggle and mass mobilization and its implications for Dalit participation in the Maoist movement.     

The Soldiers in Societies: Defense,Regulation, and Evolution

The presence of reproductively altruistic castes is one of the primary traits of the eusocial societies. Adaptation and regulation of the sterile caste, to a certain extent, drives the evolution of eusociality. Depending on adaptive functions of the first evolved sterile caste, eusocial societies can be categorized into the worker-first and soldier-first lineages, respectively. The former is marked by a worker caste as the first evolved altruistic caste, whose primary function is housekeeping, and the latter is highlighted by a sterile soldier caste as the first evolved altruistic caste, whose task is predominantly colony defense. The apparent functional differences between these two fundamentally important castes suggest worker-first and soldier-first eusociality are potentially driven by a suite of distinctively different factors. Current studies of eusocial evolution have been focused largely on the worker-first Hymenoptera, whereas understanding of soldier-first lineages including termites, eusocial aphids, gall-dwelling thrips, and snapping shrimp, is greatly lacking. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on biology, morphology, adaptive functions, and caste regulation of the soldier caste. In addition, we discuss the biological, ecological and genetic factors that might contribute to the evolution of distinct caste systems within eusocial lineages.     

Ethnic dominance damages cooperation more than ethnic diversity: results from multi-ethnic field experiments in India

Research in many societies shows that ethnic diversity correlates with a decline in cooperation at the community level. This literature neglects cases in which ethnic heterogeneity is hierarchically structured. Power and status differences between ethnic groups, or ethnic dominance, may play an important role in determining cooperative outcomes. We test this hypothesis using public goods experiments with caste groups in India in which we manipulate the caste composition of experimental groups. Conservative estimates show that ethnic dominance between high and low ranking castes has a much larger negative effect on contributions in the public goods experiment than does caste diversity. We argue that ethnic dominance interactions such as ethnic discrimination constitute a type of antisocial punishment between groups. We also find that conditional cooperation is limited to within ethnic groups, revealing ethnocentric cooperation preferences. These results confirm the importance of group structure in human cooperative patterns, and help bridge the gap between evolutionary theory and cooperation dynamics in multi-ethnic real world settings.     

Taxonomic studies on genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with report of two new species and three new records including a tramp species from India with a revised key

Two new species of Tetramorium Mayr, namely Tetramorium shivalikensesp. n. and Tetramorium triangulatumsp. n. are described. Tetramorium triangulatumsp. n. belongs to the inglebyi-species group and is described based on worker, queen and male caste, while Tetramorium shivalikensesp. n. belongs to the ciliatum-species group and is described based on worker caste only. Three species viz., Tetramorium caldarium (Roger), Tetramorium tonganum Mayr and Tetramorium urbanii Bolton represent first records from India. The male caste is described for the first time in the case of Tetramorium tonganum. Among these, Tetramorium caldarium is a tramp species which extends its limit to India as well. A revised key to the Indian ants of this genus is also provided herewith.     

Caste determination in a polymorphic social insect: nutritional, social, and genetic factors

We examined how dietary, social, and genetic factors affect individual size and caste in the Florida harvester ant Pogonomyrmex badius, which has three discrete female castes. The diet that a larva consumed, as indicated by delta(13)C, delta(15)N, and C:N, varied with caste. Both N content and estimated trophic position of dietary input was higher for major than for minor workers and was highest for gynes (reproductive females). The size and resources of a colony affected the size of only minor workers, not that of gynes and major workers. Approximately 19% of patrilines showed a bias in which female caste they produced. There were significant genetic effects on female size, and the average sizes of a major worker and a gyne produced by a patriline were correlated, but neither was correlated with minor worker size. Thus, genetic factors influence both caste and size within caste. We conclude that environmental, social, and genetic variation interact to create morphological and physiological variation among females in P. badius. However, the relative importance of each type of factor affecting caste determination is caste specific.     

Gene differentiation among ten endogamous groups of West Bengal, India

Ten endogamous populations of West Bengal, India have been surveyed for genetic variation in 12 systems. These populations encompass all social ranks in the caste hierarchy and cover almost the entire geographic area of the state. Gene diversity analysis suggests that these groups exhibit significant allele frequency variation at all but three loci. The overall genetic difference is not, however, in accord with the classification based on caste. Two low-ranking scheduled caste groups are, in fact, in close proximity with the high-caste ones, suggesting evidence of past generations of gene flow among them. Three different clusters of groups emerge from the present data, providing support for the anthropologic assertion that in Bengal Proto-Australoid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid racial elements generally coexist. However, these three components are not uniformly present in all groups. Geographic separation of the groups is a strong determinant of the gene differentiation that exists among these populations.     

Caste developmental system of the Japanese damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis japonica (Isoptera: Termopsidae)

Caste developmental pathways of the Japanese damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis japonica Holmgren were estimated by measuring body parts. From the size distribution of head-width, seven peaks were recognized in populations of larvae. Of these peaks, the seventh has a wide range and variance, indicating that it represents several instars. The individuals that make up the seventh peak, which take the role of workers (pseudergate), are suggested to enter the nymphal stage(s), which has brachypterous wing buds, prior to becoming alates. The pseudergates appear to be totipotent, that is, capable of differentiating into any caste, including reproductives and soldiers. Sixth instars and pseudergates have the potential to become soldiers via a presoldier stage. Although the evolution of caste systems in termites is controversial, the linear developmental pathway found in this study is thought to be the typical pattern in lower termites. Sexual discrimination was also investigated, males and females being easily distinguished by examining the seventh abdominal sternites of individuals older than fourth instar larvae. Both sexes appear to follow the same caste developmental pathway.     

中国陕西圆颚切叶蚁属一新种记述（膜翅目：蚁科）

记述采自陕西太白山的圆颚切叶蚁属StrongylognathusMayr1新种瘤点圆颚切叶蚁S.tylonum,sp.n.。该新种与卡氏圆颚切叶蚁S.karawajewiPisarski相似,但前者上颚外缘具4个小的疣突,并胸腹节末端具1对非常钝的小齿,腹柄节下方不具齿突,第1腹柄节顶端水平。文中提供了该属中国已知3种的检索表。     

熊蜂级型分化研究进展

熊蜂是众多野生植物及农作物的有效授粉昆虫,具有重要的经济和生态价值。熊蜂复杂的生长发育过程及社会性使其成为社会生物学研究的最佳模式生物之一。社会性昆虫的生殖劳动分工具有重要的进化意义,而级型分化是形成生殖劳动分工的基础。蜜蜂级型分化的研究已取得诸多重要成果,其机理也得到了较为深入的阐释,而熊蜂的社会性研究尚未形成系统,与蜜蜂研究相差甚远。近来的研究表明,饲喂频率或者饲喂总量的差异能够引起熊蜂级型分化的发生。保幼激素和蜕皮激素与熊蜂幼虫的发育紧密联系,在熊蜂级型分化的过程中发挥重要作用。一些参与蜜蜂级型分化的基因,在熊蜂级型间也存在差异表达。此外,群体间的相互作用以及蜂王和工蜂间的竞争也是促进熊蜂级型分化发生的重要因素。本文从营养、激素调控、群体发展及相互作用等方面综述熊蜂级型分化机制,并对未来的研究提出可能方向。     

广西光胸臭蚁属一新种(膜翅目:蚁科)

记述采自广西十万大山自然保护区的光胸臭蚁属1新种,即小光胸臭蚁Liometopum minimum sp.nov.新种个体小,上颚具5齿,并胸腹节基面短,为斜面上的1／3,后腹部绒毛指向后方而易于与东洋界已描述的2种相区别,文中还提供中国已知2种及1变种的工蚁分种检索表。新种模式标本保存于广西师范大学生物系昆虫标本室。     

中国巨首蚁属昆虫分类研究(膜翅目,蚁科)

记述中国巨首蚁属Pheidologeton 10种和3亚种,其中1新种即增城巨首蚁P.zengchengensis sp.nov.新种与粗纹巨首蚁P.tvechideros Zhou et Zheng相似,但大型工蚁与后者的区别是上颚光亮无刻纹,体刻纹间面光亮无刻点,并胸腹节刺圆而直,不向前弯曲.新种的小型工蚁与粗纹巨首蚁的区别是前-中胸背板凸远高于后者,并胸腹节刺直,不向上弯.文中提供了中国已知9种3亚种的分种检索表,另一种齿突巨首蚁P.dentiviris Forel因仅依据雄蚁描述而且分类地位不定,未包括在检索表中.     

Colony demographics of rare soldier-polymorphic worker caste systems in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pheidole</Emphasis> ants (Hymenoptera,Formicidae)

Nearly all species in the ant genus Pheidole have dimorphic workers, with distinct small minors and larger soldiers. The size range of both castes is typically narrow. Just seven described species are soldier-polymorphic, with a broad soldier size range. Here, we characterize worker caste allocation and demography in the soldier-polymorphic P. obtusospinosa, P. rhea, and P. tepicana, and the dimorphic P. spadonia for comparison. The head allometry of soldiers in soldier-polymorphic species is strongly positive and that of dimorphic species is negative. Among soldier-polymorphic species, the soldier castes differ from each other in the degree of positive allometry. In addition, they differ in the number of size modes: P. obtusospinosa and P. rhea have two and P. tepicana has one. During colony ontogeny, P. obtusospinosa first has one mode and develops the second mode much later, while P. rhea produces multiple modes throughout. We also characterize worker caste systems based on the biomass allocation. For all three soldier-polymorphic species, the majority of soldiers are small soldiers. Pheidole obtusospinosa and P. rhea allocate roughly equal biomass to the two soldier classes, while P. tepicana allocates little to supersoldiers based on both biomass and caste ratio. These findings illustrate the interplay among caste ratios, biomass allocation, size frequency distributions, and allometry in the evolution of different worker caste systems. We conclude that soldier-polymorphic species may have evolved convergently in response to broad-scale factors, but differences among them suggest selection pressures in small-scale environments have been different.     

Anthropological studies in Assam, India

Four Assamese caste groups--Jogis, Hiras, Kumars and Kaibartas--have been analysed for the distribution of anthropometric and dermatoglyphic traits as well as for the distribution of ABO blood groups and PTC taste sensitivity. The differences among these four caste groups are statistically mostly significant, which can be connected with the history of these groups and their genetic isolation from each other.     

Genetic variation in South Indian castes: evidence from Y-chromosome, mitochondrial, and autosomal polymorphisms

Background

Major population movements, social structure, and caste endogamy have influenced the genetic structure of Indian populations. An understanding of these influences is increasingly important as gene mapping and case-control studies are initiated in South Indian populations.

Results

We report new data on 155 individuals from four Tamil caste populations of South India and perform comparative analyses with caste populations from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh. Genetic differentiation among Tamil castes is low (R_ST = 0.96% for 45 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) markers), reflecting a largely common origin. Nonetheless, caste- and continent-specific patterns are evident. For 32 lineage-defining Y-chromosome SNPs, Tamil castes show higher affinity to Europeans than to eastern Asians, and genetic distance estimates to the Europeans are ordered by caste rank. For 32 lineage-defining mitochondrial SNPs and hypervariable sequence (HVS) 1, Tamil castes have higher affinity to eastern Asians than to Europeans. For 45 autosomal STRs, upper and middle rank castes show higher affinity to Europeans than do lower rank castes from either Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. Local between-caste variation (Tamil Nadu R_ST = 0.96%, Andhra Pradesh R_ST = 0.77%) exceeds the estimate of variation between these geographically separated groups (R_ST = 0.12%). Low, but statistically significant, correlations between caste rank distance and genetic distance are demonstrated for Tamil castes using Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal data.

Conclusion

Genetic data from Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal STRs are in accord with historical accounts of northwest to southeast population movements in India. The influence of ancient and historical population movements and caste social structure can be detected and replicated in South Indian caste populations from two different geographic regions.     

Asymmetry and diversity of dermatoglyphic traits: population comparison in five endogamous groups of West Bengal, India

Five different endogamous populations encompassing the main social ranks in the caste hierarchy of West Bengal, India were analyzed. To compare variability in populations with contrasting ethnohistorical backgrounds, analysis of variance, Scheffe's test and cluster analysis were performed, as based on dermatoglyphic variables, namely, 22 quantitative traits and 36 indices of diversity and asymmetry. The present study reveals that: 1. Overall disparities among the 5 populations are expressed only in finger ridge counts on the Ist and Vth digits and PII, in a-b ridge counts, in endings of main lines A and D, and in MLI on the palms; 2. Heterogeneity is greater in fluctuating asymmetry than in directional asymmetry; 3. There is a greater heterogeneity in the 22 quantitative traits than in the 36 indices of diversity and asymmetry, with females contributing more than the males; 4. The highest contribution to population variation is by Lodha among five populations; 5. Inter-group variations are homogeneous in most of the variables, which does not correspond with the relationships to caste hierarchy of these populations; 6. The dendrograms based on dermatoglyphic variables demonstrate that the traditional grouping of Indian populations, based on caste hierarchy, may not be a reflection of their genetic origin, in that the pattern of clustering corresponded best with the known ethnohistorical records of the studied populations; 7. Hence, dermatoglyphic affinities may prove quite useful in tracing the ethnohistorical background of populations.     

Culture,ecology, and beliefs about gender in son preference caste groups

Ethnographers have documented the prevalence of extreme forms of female neglect and female infanticide in Tamilnadu, India, among two caste groups: Thevars (a warrior caste) and Gounders (a landowning caste). Using a cultural ecological perspective, three field studies were conducted with Thevar, Gounder, and Brahmin participants to examine caste-specific psychological antecedents to female infanticide. Studies 1 and 2 investigated son bias using resource allocation tasks. Using a culture-of-honor task, Study 3 examined the relationship between honor and son preference. In general, Gounders' son bias was related to a desire to have more sons for patrilineal transfer of ancestral land, whereas Thevars' son preference was related to honor concerns. Furthermore, the relevance of cultural ecological perspective to study female neglect is discussed.     

中国角腹蚁属分类研究及一新种记述(膜翅目: 蚁科)

本文记述华南地区角腹蚁属 1新种 ,光亮角腹蚁 Recurvidris glabricepssp.nov.。新种与皮克氏角腹蚁 R.pickburni Bolton相似 ,但有如下不同 :头部及前胸背板光亮 ;并胸腹节刺较粗 ;结节具长的腹柄下突。文中还提供我国已知 3种角腹蚁工蚁分种检索表。新种正模标本保存于广西师范大学生物系 ,副模标本保存于嘉道理农场暨植物园和广西师范大学生物系。     

Molecular genetic diversity in 5 populations of Madhya Pradesh, India

This paper presents data on the distribution of 3 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (D1S80, APOB, and YNZ22) in 5 populations of Central India. Using the polymerase chain reaction technique, 3 caste (Brahmin, Khatri, and Dhimer) and 2 tribal (Gond and Baiga) populations were studied for the 3 loci. The allelic variations observed in the caste populations are compatible with those of many Caucasian populations, but the caste populations showed significant overall and interpopulation variability within the region. D1S80 allele *24 varied from 32% (Dhimers) to 42% (Brahmins). Allele *18 was not observed in Baiga tribal populations, but in caste populations it varied from 11% (Dhimers) to 24% (Brahmins). Both tribal populations showed higher frequencies of allele *31 (17%-18%). For APOB, caste populations again showed bimodal distribution of alleles *35 and *37, but in tribal populations higher allele numbers (*47, *49) were also frequent. For YNZ22, extensive variation was observed for all populations studied. Allele *4 was the most common in caste populations, while alleles *2, *7, and *10 were prominent in tribal populations. The level of gene differentiation is not very high for the 3 systems studied in the 5 populations. Overall, allele frequency distribution, heterozygosity, and genetic diversity analysis show that the genetic diversity observed is socially and geographically structured.