Book Review

Book reviewed in this article: Verhandlungen der Deutschen zoologischen Gesellschaft 83. Jahresversammlung 1990 in Frankfurt am Main. Gustav Fischer Verhandlungen der Deutschen zoologsichen Gesellschaft 84. Jahresversammlung 1991 in Tübingen. Gustav Fischer     

Kinematic data on primate head and neck posture: Implications for the evolution of basicranial flexion and an evaluation of registration planes used in paleoanthropology

Kinematic data on primate head and neck posture were collected by filming 29 primate species during locomotion. These were used to test whether head and neck posture are significant influences on basicranial flexion and whether the Frankfurt plane can legitimately be employed in paleoanthropological studies. Three kinematic measurements were recorded as angles relative to the gravity vector, the inclination of the orbital plane, the inclination of the neck, and the inclination of the Frankfurt plane. A fourth kinematic measurement was calculated as the angle between the neck and the orbital plane (the head-neck angle [HNA]). The functional relationships of basicranial flexion were examined by calculating the correlations and partial correlations between HNA and craniometric measurements representing basicranial flexion, orbital kyphosis, and relative brain size (Ross and Ravosa [1993] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 91:305–324). Significant partial correlations were observed between relative brain size and basicranial flexion and between HNA and orbital kyphosis. This indicates that brain size, rather than head and neck posture, is the primary influence on flexion, while the degree of orbital kyphosis may act to reorient the visual field in response to variation in head and neck posture. Regarding registration planes, the Frankfurt plane was found to be horizontal in humans but inclined in all nonhuman primates. In contrast, nearly all primates (including humans) oriented their orbits such that they faced anteriorly and slightly inferiorly. These results suggest that for certain functional craniometric studies, the orbital plane may be a more suitable registration plane than Frankfurt “Horizontal.” Am J Phys Anthropol 108:205–222, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The equivalence of two phylogenetic biodiversity measures: the Shapley value and Fair Proportion index

Most biodiversity conservation programs are forced to prioritise species in order to allocate their funding. This paper contains a mathematical proof that provides biological support for one common approach based on phylogenetic indices. Phylogenetic trees describe the evolutionary relationships between a group of taxa. Two indices for computing the distinctiveness of each taxon in a phylogenetic tree are considered here—the Shapley value and the Fair Proportion index. These indices provide a measure of the importance of each taxon for overall biodiversity and have been used to prioritise taxa for conservation. The Shapley value is the biodiversity contribution a taxon is expected to make if all taxa are equally likely to become extinct. This interpretation makes it appealing to use the Shapley value in biodiversity conservation applications. The Fair Proportion index lacks a convenient interpretation, however it is significantly easier to calculate and understand. It has been empirically observed that there is a high correlation between the two indices. This paper shows the mathematical basis for this correlation and proves that as the number of taxa increases, the indices become equivalent. Consequently in biodiversity prioritisation the simpler Fair Proportion index can be used whilst retaining the appealing interpretation of the Shapley value.     

FAIR TRADE INTERNATIONAL SURROGACY

Since the development of assisted reproductive technologies, infertile individuals have crossed borders to obtain treatments unavailable or unaffordable in their own country. Recent media coverage has focused on the outsourcing of surrogacy to developing countries, where the cost for surrogacy is significantly less than the equivalent cost in a more developed country. This paper discusses the ethical arguments against international surrogacy. The major opposition viewpoints can be broadly divided into arguments about welfare, commodification and exploitation.
It is argued that the only valid objection to international surrogacy is that surrogate mothers may be exploited by being given too little compensation. However, the possibility of exploitation is a weak argument for prohibition, as employment alternatives for potential surrogate mothers may be more exploitative or more harmful than surrogacy. It is concluded that international surrogacy must be regulated, and the proposed regulatory mechanism is termed Fair Trade Surrogacy. The guidelines of Fair Trade Surrogacy focus on minimizing potential harms to all parties and ensuring fair compensation for surrogate mothers.     

Estimation of assortative mating preferences in the Arctic skua.

Methods are described for the maximum likelihood estimation of mating preferences in models of assortative mating for monogamous and polygamous organisms. These methods are applied to data of matings of the three phenotypes, pale, intermediated and dark of the Arctic Skua. The data were obtained by exhaustive surveys of the Arctic Skua populations on the islands of Fair Isle and Foula. The data give evidence of significant assortative mating of pale birds on Foula and intermediate birds on Fair Isle. The combined data show that there is very highly significant assortative mating, but only of intermediates. In previous surveys, data, in which intermediates and darks were not distinguished, were obtained from a number of islands in the Shetlands. These data, combined with the present data, show that the overall assortative mating of pale is very highly significant with no evidience of heterogeneity. The assortative mating of intermediate birds on Fair Isle agrees with other evidence showing that inermediate males have an advantage as a result of sexual selection.     

Brain expansion and rotation during hominid evolution

The question of how an endocast (or brain) is oriented within a skull that is positioned in the Frankfurt plane is investigated for African great apes, early hominids STS 71, KNM-ER 1813 and KNM-ER 1470, and modern humans using a 3SPACE digitizer. Our results suggest that, rather than being positioned in the orientation in which isolated brains (endocasts) are conventionally illustrated, brains within skulls that are oriented in the Frankfurt plane tend to be inclined so that the frontal pole is higher than the occipital pole, especially inHomo. These preliminary findings have implications for interpreting early hominid endocasts such as that of AL 162-28.     

Challenges in mass spectrometry

Report of the round table discussionThe reported MS round table took place within the ProteomeValley Technology Fair during the Swiss Proteomics Society 2001 Congress. It was organised by the Swiss Proteomics Society (SPS) in collaboration with FontisMedia (http://www.fontismedia. com). It was scheduled November 22(nd), 2001 from 16:40 to 18:00 at the Geneva University Hospital. The objective of the MS round table was to bring together two kinds of specialists in mass spectrometry: those who develop and commercialise MS equipment and those who use it as a tool in proteomic sciences. Six expert users and six representatives of leading MS instrument companies were thus invited to actively participate in this round table and share their points of view. The main objectives of this round table were not only to share experiences, but also to share dreams regarding MS technology and discuss the actual limits. It also focused on what MS users presently expect from MS producers and what are the current priorities in terms of development, for the benefit of all parties. Although it was one of the final events of the meeting, this MS round table attracted an audience of some fifty participants of the congress who were actively involved in the debate.     

法兰克福绿带体系规划历程与更新策略

绿带作为管理城市空间发展的有效手段,在多个国家得以成功实践。首先对绿带的发展进行了基础研究,在此基础上,以法兰克福绿带体系规划历程为研究内容,紧密结合绿带与城市发展的关系,从历史的角度探索法兰克福不同城市发展阶段所采取的绿带规划方法。介绍以绿带促进城市转型、保护历史遗产的成功经验和以绿带控制城市扩张、构建城市开放空间系统、提供多功能城市服务的规划策略。通过分析法兰克福绿带的发展过程与成功经验,认识到中国绿带建设的不足,为中国已有绿带更新和新的绿带建设提供参考。     

昆明地区金龟虫霉的鉴定和流行

1978年在昆明温泉地区发生了金龟子的虫霉病大流行,病原菌经鉴定为金龟虫霉(Entomophthora brahmina Bose et Mehta)。本文对该菌的形态进行了观察,测定出每虫金龟(Heptophylla brevicollis Fair.)约产生休眠孢子76,800个;该菌在一块狭小的地段引起地方病,推测由于雨季的提前而使小面积的低频常在性感染向大面积流行性感染演变。     

Plant genetic engineering for crop improvement

Plant genetic engineering has long since left its experimental stage: transgenic plants with resistance to viruses, bacteria, fungi, various pests and abiotic stresses have already been released in their hundreds. Transgenic plants can produce better fruits and food of higher quality than wild-types, and can be used as bioreactors for the synthesis of pharmaceutically important compounds. This review portrays some of the achievements in this field of plant molecular biology.The authors are with Plant Molecular Biology, Biozentrum, Frankfurt University, Marie-Curie-Strasse 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany     

Molecular marker technologies for plant improvement

The exploitation of DNA polymorphisms by an ever-increasing number of molecular marker technologies has begun to have an impact on plant genome research and breeding. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms, micro- and mini-satellites and PCR-based approaches are used to determine inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity and construct molecular maps of crops using specially designed mapping populations. Resistance genes and other agronomically important loci are tagged with tightly linked DNA markers and the genes isolated by magabase DNA technology and cloning into yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC). This review discusses some recent developments and results in this field.The authors are with Plant Molecular Biology; Biozentrum, Frankfurt University, Marie-Curie-Strasse 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany     

Beziehungen Zwischen der Renalen Allantoin-Ausscheidung und der Infusion Verschiedener Substanzen in den Labmagen von Hammeln

Proceedings of the Society of Nutrition Physiology, J. Pallauf (Ed.), DLG‐Verlag, Frankfurt (Main), Vol. 8, 1999. 172 pp, softcover, price: 46,‐ DM plus postage, ISBN 3–7690–4092–0. Available from the DLG‐Verlag, Eschborner Landstraße 122, D 60489 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.     

Entfernung und Heimkehrverhalten der Brieftaube

Zusammenfassung In möglichst genauer Übereinstimmung mit einer in Durham, N. C., USA durchgeführten Versuchsserie (Schmidt-Koenig, 1966), wurden zu einem in Frankfurt a. M. gegründeten Taubenschlag 32 Auflaßplätze in 8 Entfernungsstufen von 5–300 km in den 4 Haupthimmelsrichtungen ausgesucht. Von jedem Platz wurden 2 Kollektive von je 20 erfahrenen Tauben in vorbestimmter Sequenz bei sonnigem Wetter aufgelassen und die Verschwinderichtungen, Verschwindezeiten und die Heimkehrleistung registriert.In Frankfurt zeigte die Anfangsorientierung ein ausgeprägtes entfernungsabhängiges Muster, ähnlich dem der Versuche von Durham: Bis etwa 20 km und jenseits von etwa 100 km war die Anfangsorientierung besser heimgerichtet als von den dazwischenliegenden Entfernungen (Abb. 1). Jenseits 200 km nahm die Genauigkeit der Anfangsorientierung jedoch wieder ab und zwar wesentlich steiler als bei Durham (Abb. 5). In Frankfurt (Abb. 2) weist die überlagerte Richtungstendenz nach WSW (Durham WNW). Die relative Heimkehrleistung und die Entfernung waren negativ korreliert (Abb. 4); das Muster der Anfangsorientierung wiederholte sich nicht in der Heimkehrleistung.Die Ergebnisse von Durham und Frankfurt werden verglichen, das gefundene entfernungsabhängige Muster der Anfangsorientierung und das der Heimkehrleistung werden diskutiert und zu anderen relevanten Ergebnissen in bezug gesetzt. Die Frage, ob ein oder zwei Navigationsverfahren existieren wird erörtert. Eine Antwort ist noch nicht möglich. Die Erklärbarkeit der Befunde mit der Sonnennavigations-Hypothese wird besonders diskutiert und verneint.

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Distance and homing behaviour in pigeons

Summary In close methodological agreement with a preceding study at Durham, N. C., USA (Schmidt-Koenig, 1966), 8 release sites were selected from 5 to 300 km distance in each of the four cardinal compass directions centering on a newly established loft in Frankfurt a. M. The members of two groups of experienced homers were released, in a predetermined sequence, once from each relase site under sunny conditions.Vanishing bearings, vanishing time and homing performance were recorded.A pronounced relation between distance of release and the accuracy of initial orientation, similar to that obtained at Durham, emerged. Initial orientation was more nearly homeward-directed below about 20 km and beyond about 100 km than for intermediate distances (Fig. 1). Beyond 200 km, however, accuracy of initial orientation decreased again, the decrease being clearly steeper than that observed at Durham (Fig. 5). A general WSW directional tendency (Fig. 2). was found to be superimposed on vanishing directions (Durham WNW).Relative homing performance and distance were negatively correlated (Fig. 4); the pattern found for initial orientation did not recur for homing performance.The results obtained at Durham and Frankfurt are compared: the patterns of initial orientation and of homing performance and other relevant evidence are discussed. Attempts to interpret the evidence deal with the question of whether one or two navigation systems are operating. There is at present no answer. The incompatibility of our results with the hypothesis of sun navigation is discussed in detail.

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Der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft danke ich für die Unterstützung, Herrn Prof. Dr. M. Lindauer, Frankfurt, für die gastliche Aufnahme des Taubenschlages im Institutsgarten. Ich danke Herrn Dr. H. J. Lang und meinen Mitarbeitern, vor allem den Herren H.-J. Schlichte und A. Sonnberg, für kritische Diskussionen.     

REGIONAL VARIATION IN THE DISTRACTION DISPLAYS OF THE OYSTER-CATCHER.

The Oyster-catcher Haematopus astralegus populations of western Europe (Holland, South Britain, Fair Isle, Unst and Faeroe Islands) differ very little morphologicallv, but show interesting variations in their distraction displays.
These displays, comprising (1) aggressive flight, (2) a furtive run, (3) false-brooding, (4) pseudo-sleeping, and (5) lure display, are described, with comments on their regional importance. Aggressive flight, false-brooding and lure display are more strongly developed in Faeroe than elsewhere. At Fair Isle (and to a less extent at Unst) displacement " butterfly-flight" replaces lure display.
It is shown that the lure display has evolved as a terrestrial modification of displacement " butterfly-flight", which has proceeded furthest in the Faeroe population, hardly at all in the more southerly populations, and to an intermediate degree among the birds of Unst.
The Oyster-catcher's extension to the Faeroe Islands—probably from the British area, in Comparatively recent times—involved colonization of an atypical moorland habitat. The distraction displays appear to have been perfected in the absence of terrestrial predators other than men and dogs, which have been present for about 1000 years.
The remarkable development of these display patterns is probably due to hereditan differences, affecting ethological attributes, which have arisen between the Faeroe and the more southerly populations. It is suggested that their evolution has been stimulated by the psychological effect of frequent disturbance of the brooding urge by man, during the attempt to colonize a new and unsympathetic environment.     

Relationship of squamosal suture to asterion on external skull surfaces versus endocasts of pongids: Implications for Hadar early hominid AL 162-28

The relationship between the squamosal suture and asterion was quantified in 15 hemispheres of eight chimpanzee endocasts that were aligned in the conventional lateral view (i.e., with frontal pole [FP]–occipital pole [OP] horizontal). Using a three-dimensional digitizer, x, y, and z coordinates were collected for the highest and lowest points of the squamosal suture, and the most rostral point of the suture approximate to the coronal suture. Our results were compared to a similar study of the squamosal suture on the external surfaces of chimpanzee skulls that were oriented in the Frankfurt horizontal (Holloway and Shapiro, 1992). The relationship between the squamosal suture and asterion differs markedly between the outsides of skulls and endocasts. Whereas the squamosal suture is very rarely below asterion on the external skull, we found that most of the squamosal suture is located inferior to asterion on endocasts. We also found that the squamosal suture courses approximately 2.0 mm lower on the right side than the left. (An asymmetry of the same magnitude was reported for the external skull but, curiously, in the opposite direction.) It may be that a lowered right squamosal endosuture on chimpanzee endocasts is associated with earlier closure on that side. The discrepancy in results for the external skull versus endocast is partially attributable to orienting chimpanzee skulls in the Frankfurt horizontal, which usually results in the endocasts being tilted so that FP is above OP, i.e., FP-OP is not parallel with the Frankfurt horizontal. Falk's (1985) orientation of the early hominid endocast from Hadar (AL 162-28) is consistent with data determined from endocasts of chimpanzees. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

How weather instead of urbanity measures affects song trait variability in three European passerine bird species

Previous studies detected an influence of urban characteristics on song traits in passerine birds, that is, song adjustments to ambient noise in urban areas. Several studies already described the effect of weather conditions on the behavior of birds, but not the effect on song traits. We investigate, if song trait variability changes along a continuous urbanity gradient in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. We examined, for the first time on a larger scale, the influence of weather on song parameters. We made song recordings of three common passerine species: the blue and great tit (Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Parus major Linnaeus, 1758) and the European blackbird (Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758). We measured different song traits and performed statistical analyses and modeling on a variety of variables—among them urbanity and weather parameters. Remarkably, we found only few cases of a significant influence of urbanity parameters on song traits. The influence of weather parameters (air pressure, atmospheric humidity, air and soil temperatures) on song traits was highly significant. Birds in Frankfurt face high noise pollution and might show different adaptations to high noise levels. The song trait variability of the investigated species is affected more by weather conditions than by urban characteristics in Frankfurt. However, the three species react differently to specific weather parameters. Smaller species seem to be more affected by weather than larger species.     

The deciduous dentition and dental replacement in the Eocene bat Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon from Messel: The primitive condition and beginning of specialization of milk teeth among Chiroptera

The deciduous dentition and tooth replacement pattern of Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon from the early Middle Eocene of Messel, near Frankfurt, Germany, are described. Ontogenetic states include fetuses to subadults. The posterior portion of the deciduous dentition (dP3-4) still shows the primitive eutherian condition of molarization, while the anterior part (dI-dC) was already engaged in the evolution of the highly derived condition found in living bats for clinging to the mother's fur. A styliform and sharp anterior dentition is considered a prerequisite in earliest chiropteran evolution. The greatly modified milk teeth of all living bats developed in different clades by parallel evolution under high selective pressure. The tiny and, at initial stages, poorly calcified teeth are substantiated by a newly developed microradiographic technique which is described in detail.     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
The Phylogenetic Method in Taxonomy. H all , H. M., and C lements
The London Catalogue of British Plants , II th Edition.     

The necessity of magnesium cation for acid assistance aglycone departure in catalysis by Escherichia coli (lacZ) beta-galactosidase.

1. Removal of Mg2+ from Escherichia coli (lacZ) beta-galactosidase slightly increases the rate of hydrolysis of galactosyl pyridinium salts, but decreases the rate of hydrolysis of arylgalactosides. 2. Fair correlation of logkcat. and log (Km) with the pKa of aglycone is now observed for arglygalactosides, as well as for glycosyl pyridinium salts. 3. Degalactosylation of Mg2+-free enzyme is the rate-limiting step in the hydrolysis of 2,4-dinitrophenyl galactoside. 4. alpha-Deuterium kinetic isotope effects for both sets of substrates are consistent with the rate-determining generation of a glycosyl cation. 5. The pH-independent, SNl hydrolysis of 3,4-dinitrophenyl galactoside has been measured: it is as fast as that of the galactosyl 3-chloropyridinium ion. 6. Hydrolysis of these two substrates by Mg2+-free enzyme proceeds at very similar rates. 7. It is concluded that loss of both types of aglycone takes place, without acid catalysis, from the first ES complex of substrate and apoenzyme. 8. Data for galactosyl azide and thiopicrate confirm that neither charge nor change of atom is the cause of the differences in behavior between aryl galactosides and galactosylpyridinium salts.     

Reconstructing life. Molecular biology in postwar Britain

The Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (formerly the Medical Research Council Unit for the Study of Molecular Structure of Biological Systems) in Cambridge (England) played a key role in the postwar history of molecular biology. The paper, focussing on the early history of the institution, aims to show that the creation of the laboratory and the making of molecular biology were part of a new scientific culture set in place after World War II. In five interlinked parts it deals with the institutional creation of the MRC unit dedicated to the crystallographic analysis of biological molecules; the attraction of postwar biophysics, the heading under which the work of the unit initially fell; the people who joined the laboratory and their appropriation of new technologies, in particular the electronic computer for protein crystal structure determination; the cultural appeal of postwar crystallography, as exemplified in the use of crystal structure diagrams for a wide series of consumer goods at the Festival of Britain in 1951 and the display of molecular models at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958, a key site for the presentation of science and its role in the postwar world.