Social influence in manipulations of a capuchin monkey raised in a human environment: A preliminary case study

This preliminary study reports manipulations in an 8-month infant capuchin monkey,Cebus apella, confronted with a variety of objects, during five 2-hour sessions. This subject is raised in a human environment as it participates to the “Aide Simienne aux Personnes Handicapées (Kerpape)” project. Objects have been chosen in order to expose the capuchin to manipulations it will be asked to perform when placed with a quadriplegic. This paper reports the analysis of five hours of video recording. During two sub-sessions within an experimental session, the “human mother” pointed the objects to the monkey, sequentially, either with a vocal designation or not. The results show that the monkey tends to contact more objects and manipulates them more when they have been previously designated by the “mother.” This suggests a form of social facilitation. There is no evidence for imitation.     

Expression of phytoene synthase gene (Psy) is enhanced during fruit ripening of Cara Cara navel orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck)

Citrus is an important fruit crop as regards accumulation of carotenoids. In plant carotenoid biosynthesis, phytoene synthase gene (Psy) plays a key role in catalyzing the head-to-head condensation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate molecules to produce colorless phytoene. In the present paper, we reported the phytoene contents determination and characterization of Psy during fruit ripening of “Washington” navel orange and its red-fleshed mutant “Cara Cara”. Results showed that phytoene was exclusively accumulated in peel and pulp of “Cara Cara”. Although phytoene was observed accumulating with fruit ripening of “Cara Cara”, the contents in pulp were 10 times higher than those in peel. The isolated two Psy cDNAs were both 1520 bp in full length, containing 436 deduced amino acid residues, with a different amino acid at 412th. Genomic hybridization results showed that one or two copies might be present in “Cara Cara” and “Washington” genomes. During “Cara Cara” and “Washington” fruit coloration, expression of Psy was observed to be up-regulated, as revealed by tissue specific profiles in the flavedo, albedo, segment membrane and juice sacs. However, Psy expression in albedo of “Cara Cara” was higher than that in “Washington”, as evidenced by phytoene accumulation in the peel.     

Hydraulic and Non-hydraulic Root-sourced Signals in Old and Modern Spring Wheat Cultivars in a Semiarid Area

Absract Non-hydraulic root-sourced signal (NRS) is so far affirmed to be a unique “early-warning” response to soil drying in plants, but little is known about the quantitative effect of this early-warning mechanism on crop production. To evaluate the link of NRS to a drought tolerance profile, a pot-culture study was carried out in a plant growth chamber with eight spring-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars bred in semiarid China. The NRS was judged to begin when there was a significant lowering of stomatal conductance without any change in leaf relative water content (RWC), and the hydraulic root signal (HRS) was judged to begin when leaf RWC changed significantly. Soil water contents (SWC), at which the NRS and HRS were switched on, differed among the eight cultivars. For “Monkhead” and “Jinby,” representing “old” cultivars, the NRS and HRS were initiated successively at about 60% FWC (field water capacity) and 45% FWC, respectively. Conversely, “Longchun8139-2” and “Plateau 602” (recent cultivars) showed the NRS and HRS occurring between 70% FWC and 35% FWC, a much wider range. The events of the other four non-old cultivars were generally intermediate. This threshold range (TR) of soil FWCs between the onset of NRS and HRS also narrowed over the successive developmental stages from seedling to seed filling. Fewer survival days (SD), lower maintenance rate of grain yield (MRGY), and higher lethal leaf water potentials (LLWP) had been found in old cultivars. Widening TR was significantly correlated with increasing SD and MRGY (r = 0.8713** and 0.7318*, respectively), and with decreased LLWP (r = 0.8591**). This survey of different-decade cultivars suggests that advances in grain yield and drought tolerance would be made by targeted selection for a wider TR of root-sourced signals.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">ex vitro</Emphasis> salt (NaCl) tolerance of cassava (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Manihot esculenta</Emphasis> Crantz) plants

Three cassava clones (SOM-1, “05”, and “50”) were cultured in vitro on MS medium plus sucrose (30 g L⁻¹) and myo-inositol (100 mg L⁻¹) without plant growth regulators and with additions of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 g L⁻¹ NaCl to test their salt tolerance. The same cassava clones were cultivated in greenhouse conditions on a sandy soil substratum and irrigated with 20% strength Hoagland solution, and additions of 0, 4, and 8 g L⁻¹ of NaCl. Salinity negatively affected the survival, development, leaf water content, and mineral composition (mainly by accumulation of Cl and Na) of both in vitro and ex vitro plants, but with different intensity in each clone. In both conditions of culture (in vitro and ex vitro) clone SOM-1, from a desert arid saline zone of Somalia, was the most tolerant and clone “05”, from a rainy region of Ivory Coast, the most sensitive. Clone “50” tolerance to in vitro salt treatments, although lower, was not significantly different from that of SOM-1 but the ex vitro response was similar to “05”. In general, there was a correlation between in vitro and ex vitro behavior of the cassava plant regarding salt tolerance, which would allow the in vitro culture method to be used for selection of salt-tolerant plants of this crop.     

Detection of gene flow from GM to non-GM watermelon in a field trial

Gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to conventional non-GM crops is a serious concern for protection of conventional and organic farming. Gene flow from GM watermelon developed for rootstock use, containing cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV)-coat protein (CP) gene, to a non-GM isogenic control variety “Clhalteok” and grafted watermelon “Keumcheon” was investigated in a small scale field trial as a pilot study. Hybrids between GM and non-GM watermelons were screened from 1304 “Chalteok” seeds and 856 “Keumcheon” seeds using the duplex PCR method targeting theCGMMV- CP gene as a marker. Hybrids were found in all pollen recipient plots. The gene flow frequencies were greater for “Chaiteok” than for “KeumcheonD; with 75% outcrossing in the “Chaiteok” plot at the closest distance (0.8 m) to the GM plot. A much larger scale field trial is necessary to identify the isolation distance between GM and non-GM watermelon, as the behaviors of insect pollinators needs to be clarified in Korea.     

Correlations between the psychological peculiarities of an individual and the efficacy of a single neurofeedback session (by the EEG characteristics)

Modifications of different EEG rhythms induced by a single neurofeedback session (by the EEG characteristics) directed toward an increase in the ratio of the spectral powers (SPs) of the α vs θ oscillations were compared with the psychological characteristics of the tested subjects (the group included 30 persons). A generally accepted neurofeedback technique was used; the intensity of acoustic white noise served as the feedback signal. EEG potentials were recorded from the C3 and C4 leads. Psychological testing was carried out using Eysenck’s (EPQ), Rusalov’s (OST), and (16 PF) questionnaires. The directions of changes in the SPs of EEG frequency components were found to significantly correlate with some individuality-related peculiarities of the tested subjects. The SP of the δ rhythm correlated with the EPQ scale “neuroticism,” OST scale “social plasticity,” and 16 PF factors H (“parmia”), I (“premsia”), and Q₃ (“self-control of behavior”). The SP of the θ component demonstrated correlations with the OST scales “ergisity,” “plasticity,” and “social temp” and with 16 PF factors M (“autia”), Q₄ (“frustration”), and Q1 (“exvia”). The SP of the α rhythm correlated with 16 PF factors Q₃ (“self-control of behavior”), G (“strength of superEgo”), O (“hypothymia”), L (“protension”), and N (“shrewdness”). The SP of the β rhythm correlated with the OST scale “emotionality,” while that of the γ rhythm showed correlations with the 16 PF indices L (“protension”) and M (“autia”). Changes in the ratio of the α vs θ SPs correlated with the EPQ scale “neuroticism.” Thus, our data confirm the statement that a high individual variability of the results of a single (first in the series) neurofeedback session is to a great extent related to peculiarities of the individual psychological pattern of the subject. Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 239–247, May–June, 2006.     

Shoot dynamics and architecture of saplings in Fagus crenata across its geographical range

 Relationships between leaf or shoot size, number, and arrangement in response to light were investigated to test the hypothesis that these characteristics are linked. In order to test this hypothesis, the divergence in allometry and shoot dynamics in saplings of Japanese beech (Fagus crenata) obtained from four populations and having different leaf sizes were examined in a nursery under both full sun and shade conditions. Trees with different leaf sizes also showed large differences in canopy structure, particularly when shade-grown saplings were compared. The final leaf mass distributions of the large-leaf populations were conical or “bottom - heavy”, while those of the small-leaf populations were planar or “top - heavy”. The slope of the allometric relations between leaf mass and shoot and branch mass in small-leaved populations were steeper than those in large-leaf populations. The four populations were classified into two growth types: populations producing a few large leaf and shoot modules corresponded to “stem growth type”, and those producing many small leaf and shoot modules corresponded to “leaf growth type”. These kinds of intra-specific variation in architecture and growth of F. crenata trees may influence the structure and dynamics of forests in accordance with differences in competitive ability or sensitivity to disturbances such as windstorm. Received: 18 March 1997 / Accepted: 21 October 1997     

“Meganthropus” cranial fossils from Java

There are now twelve significant hominid cranial fossils from the Lower and Middle Pleistocene of Java, all but two being from the Sangiran site. Most of this material is well-known in the literature, but three skulls, possibly representing “Meganthropus” are here described in detail for the first time. Most scholars have assigned them all toHomo erectus, while others have suggested that they represent as many as four different hominoid taxa. The author argues that they represent two possible species of hominids. “Meganthropus” I, II, and III are more massive than any of the knownH. erectus specimens. They are also relatively higher vaulted, apparently smaller brained, and have unusually thick lower occipital planes. “Meganthropus” may represent a species that separated fromH. erectus upon its arrival to Java.     

Assessment of Gene Flow from Genetically Modified Anthracnose-Resistant Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) to a Conventional Crop

We conducted a 2-year field assessment of the gene flow from genetically modified (GM) chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), containing the PepEST (pepper esterase) gene, to a non-GM control line “WT512” and two commercial hybrid cultivars, “Manidda” and “Cheongpung Myeongwol (CM).” After seeds were collected from the pollen-recipient non-GM plants, hybrids between them and the GM peppers were screened by a hygromycin assay. PCR with the targeting hpt gene was performed to confirm the presence of transgenes in hygromycin-resistant seedlings. Out of 7,071 “WT512” seeds and 6,854 “Manidda” seeds collected in 2006, eight and 12 hybrids, respectively, were detected. In 2007, 33 hybrids from 3,456 “WT512” seeds and 50 hybrids from 3,457 “CM” seeds were found. The highest frequency of gene flow, 6.19%, was observed in that 2007 trial. These results suggest that a limited isolation distance would be sufficient to prevent gene flow from GM to conventionally bred chili peppers.     

Iota-carrageenan from a newly farmed, rare variety of eucheumoid seaweed—“endong”

A seaweed with the local name “endong” is a rare eucheumoid variety that has recently been farmed in Tawi-Tawi, southern Philippines. Local farmers describe it as “eel-like” because of its long, slender and smooth thalli. Being somewhat similar in appearance to the dominantly farmed seaweed “tambalang” (Kappaphycus alvarezii var. tambalangii), farmers mix their harvests of “endong” with those of “tambalang”. We analyzed the hydrocolloid extract from “endong” using spectroscopic and chemical techniques. The extract’s infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C) spectra, and sulfate and 3,6-anhydrogalactose contents revealed carrageenan of the iota-type, similar to extracts from another farmed species, Eucheuma denticulatum. This result implies that “endong” carrageenan exhibits physico-chemical properties different from those of kappa-carrageenan of “tambalang”. The findings of this study are of significance to the seaweed industry, as carrageenan quality problems could potentially arise from a mixed harvest. Seaweed farmers are advised to separate their harvests of “endong” and “tambalang”. Presented at the 19th International Seaweed Symposium, Kobe, Japan     

Continuous cultures of tomato and citron roots in vitro

Summary Initial trials with tomato-root cultures disclosed the desirability of employing a gently agitated liquid medium containing iron in the chelated form. For the normal cultivars “Ace” and “Tropic”, subcultures were best achieved by utilizing sectors that possessed one or more newly emerged laterals. Continuous cultures of a nonlateral-forming tomato mutant, “Diageotropica”, and of citron were accomplished by subculturing tips of the elongating primary roots. The tomato roots were cultured in White's medium with the Fe₂(SO₄)₃ replaced by 0.03 mM NaFeEDTA. Sustained growth of citron-root tips necessitated the use of a medium containing Murashige and Skoog salts, 7.5% sucrose, 100 mg per I each of citric acid and thiamine HCl, and 5000 mg per li-inositol. The success with citron-root cultures was extendable to all cultivars ofC. medica L., but not to otherCitrus species relatives. Both citron and “Diageotropica” root cultures manifested undiminished elongation through repeated subcultures; but neither produced laterals in response to any cultural treatments. Research was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant OIP75-10390 and Elvenia J. Slosson Fellowship in Ornamental Horticulture.     

Are Animals Just Noisy Machines?: Louis Boutan and the Co-invention of Animal and Child Psychology in the French Third Republic

Historians of science have only just begun to sample the wealth of different approaches to the study of animal behavior undertaken in the twentieth century. To date, more attention has been given to Lorenzian ethology and American behaviorism than to other work and traditions, but different approaches are equally worthy of the historian’s attention, reflecting not only the broader range of questions that could be asked about animal behavior and the “animal mind” but also the different contexts in which these questions were important. One such approach is that represented by the work of the French zoologist Louis Boutan (1859–1934). This paper explores the intellectual and cultural history of Boutan’s work on animal language and the animal mind, and contextualizes the place of animal behavior studies within late-nineteenth-and early-twentieth-century French biology. I explore the ways in which Boutan addressed the philosophical issue of whether language was necessary for abstract thought and show how he shifted from the idea that animals were endowed with a purely affective language to the notion that of they were capable of “rudimentary” reasoning. I argue that the scientific and broader socio-cultural contexts in which Boutan operated played a role in this transition. Then I show how Boutan’s linguistic and psychological experiments with a gibbon and children provide insights into his conception of “naturalness.” Although Boutan reared his gibbon at home and studied it in the controlled environment of his laboratory, he continued to identify its behavior as “natural.” I specifically demonstrate the importance of the milieu of the French Third Republic in shaping Boutan’s understanding not only of animal intelligence and child education, but also his definition of nature. Finally, I argue that Boutan’s studies on the primate mind provide us with a lens through which we can examine the co-invention of animal and child psychology in early-twentieth-century France.     

On Carl Gegenbaur’s theory on head metamerism and the selection of taxa for comparisons

Summary After the rejection of the idealistic “vertebral theory of the skull,” the basic idea of the theory had been taken up again by the German morphologist Carl Gegenbaur. He proposed a metameric ordering system of the vertebrate head based on a comparative investigation of selachians. This “segmentation theory of the vertebrate head” had a stimulating effect on comparative anatomy. Traces of the basic ideas are still inherent in the biological sciences. Despite the fact that Carl Gegenbaur proposed a rather phylogenetic approach, his systematic investigations remained on a typological level. It is argued herein, that the reason for that was his inability to perform his comparisons independent of a rather intuitive a priori hypothesis about phylogenetic relationships, thus leaving no possibilities for testing homologies. This is exemplified by Carl Gegenbaur’s choice of species for comparative work as well as his use of these species in comparative work. Choosing species for comparisons is discussed.     

Phase change-related variations of dome shape in Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis shoot apical meristems

Shoot apical meristem (SAM) domes derived from five different outdoor and in vitro sources of juvenile and mature Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis akin genotypes were compared. Overall measurements of SAM dome height H and diameter D ranged from 2 to 35 μm and 20 to 80 μm, with significant differences according to the various physiological origins of plant material investigated. SAM domes from the mature trees “Mat” were taller than those from the rejuvenated ministock plants “Rej”; from the in vitro microcuttings “IVM” of the same clone and also from the in vitro juvenile seedlings “IVJ”, whereas outdoor seedlings “Juv” exhibited intermediate SAM dome height. SAM domes from the rejuvenated material “Rej”, from the in vitro mature “IVM” and juvenile “IVJ” origins were also narrower than those from the outdoor seedlings “Juv” and to lesser extent than those from the mature trees “Mat”. Overall, the mature source “Mat” displayed bigger and somehow sharper hemispherical domes than those from “Rej” and “Juv”, physiologically more juvenile, or those from the in vitro origins “IVM” and “IVJ” which looked flatter and smaller. SAM dome height, diameter D and H/D values varied also significantly according to the plastochron. More specifically, H, D, and H/D SAM differences between the five origins were not significant during the early plastochron phase corresponding to leaf initiation, to become more salient as leaf structures started to elongate and to differentiate. This was particularly obvious for mature tree “Mat” SAM dome shapes which showed at this stage much higher H/D values than the other SAM sources. A shape index S used for characterizing more accurately dome shape confirmed these trends. These observations provide additional arguments to the view that juvenility in trees becomes more and more time- and shoot-tip restricted as ageing increases in the course of time during the ontogenetical process and could be ultimately confined to the most organogenic phase of SAM, from which shoot characteristics derive.     

Insectivory in free-ranging bearded saki (Chiropotes satanas chiropotes)

Bearded saki are considered frugivores primarily specialized for the predation of immature seeds. I report the first observations of wildC. s. chiropotes actively feeding on immature or non-volant insects in the canopy of upland (“terra firme”) rain forest, in Amazonas, Brazil. During one year of field study I recorded 20 insectivory feeding bouts: 18 times on lepidopteran larvae, 1 time on coleopteran larvae, and 1 time on adult ants.     

Allometric Effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agriophyllum squarrosum</Emphasis> in Response to Soil Nutrients,Water, and Population Density in the Horqin Sandy Land of China

We monitored the allometric effects for greenhouse-grown Agriophyllum squarrosum plants in response to variations in population density and the availability of soil nutrients and water. Biomass allocations were size-dependent. The plasticity of roots, stems, leaves, and reproductive effort was “true” in response to changes in nutrient content. At a low level of soil minerals, plants allocated more resources to the development of roots and reproductive organs than to leaves, but data for stem allocations were consistent for tradeoffs between the effects of nutrients and plant size. The plasticities of leaf allocation and reproductive effort were “true” whereas those of root and stem allocations were “apparent” in response to fluctuations in soil water, being a function of plant size. Decreasing soil water content was associated with higher leaf allocation and lower reproductive effort. Except for this “apparent” plasticity of leaf allocation, none was detected with population density on biomass allocation. Architectural traits were determinants of the latter. For roots, the determining trait was the ratio of plant height to total biomass; for stems and reproduction, plant height; and for leaves, the ratio of branch numbers to plant height.     

Coexistence of congeneric spiny lobsters on coral reefs: differences in conspecific aggregation patterns and their potential antipredator benefits

Den sharing by conspecific spiny lobsters (aggregation) is modulated by chemical attraction but may confer several, not necessarily mutually exclusive, antipredator byproduct benefits: a “guide effect”, which only benefits the individual attracted to a sheltered conspecific; a “dilution effect”, which reduces per-capita risk of predation simply through aggregation; or active “group defense”. Each potential benefit has a different set of predictors (relationships between aggregation and conspecific or predator densities), but conflicting results could suggest the simultaneous operation of more than one benefit. These predictions were tested for coexisting Panulirus guttatus (a reef-obligate) and Panulirus argus (a temporary reef-dweller) using data collected during 11 surveys on fixed sites over a coral reef in Mexico. P. guttatus greatly outnumbered P. argus, but P. argus showed a greater tendency to aggregate. All three benefits of den sharing operated for the more social P. argus, with “group defense” being of the most benefit for larger individuals, and the “guide” and “dilution” effects for smaller individuals recently immigrating into the reef habitat and sharing dens with larger conspecifics. P. guttatus did not display “group defense” and its aggregations appeared to be modulated by the interplay between attraction and aggressive behaviors. This species relied more on solitary crypticity, especially at larger sizes, but appeared to benefit from a “guide effect” at high conspecific densities. In experimental tanks, each species tended to aggregate when tested separately, but when tested jointly, aggregation among P. guttatus was significantly reduced. The experimental results reflect the differential patterns of aggregation between the fore-reef, where P. guttatus dominated, and the back-reef, where coexistence of both species was greater.     

“Australopithecus afarensis”: A composite species

In response to a critique byFerguson (1989),Leonard (1991) reiterates most of his original arguments for supporting “Australopithecus afarensis”Johanson, White, andCoppens, 1978 as a single species. He disregards the principle of morphological equivalence by comparing the dental metrics and morphology of a hominid with those of species of the Pongidae, which do not correspond with the degree of variation in hominids, instead of with those of species of the Hominidae. He fails to refute clear evidence that the range of variation of dental metrics and morphology in “A. afarensis” exceeds that seen in species of the Hominidae. On the basis of extreme variation, “A. afarensis” is, therefore, interpreted as representing a composite species.     

The effects of external potassium and magnesium concentrations on the magnesium and potassium inflow rates and growth of micropropagated cherry rootstocks, “F.12/1” (Prunus avium L.) and “Colt” (Prunus avium L.) × Prunus pseudocerasus L.)

The effects (and interaction) of two solution concentrations of Mg (50, 500, μM) and two of K (250, 4250 μM) on the growth of micropropagated plants of “F. 12/1” and “Colt” were investigated using a flowing solution culture system. Magnesium inflow and growth of “Colt” and “F. 12/1” were inhibited to a similar extent by an increased concentration of K in the nutrient solution. However, the consequences of this inhibition were different. Reduced inflow of Mg in “F. 12/1” caused Mg deficiency symptoms at high and low concentrations of K, whereas this only occurred with a combination of high K concentration and low Mg concentration in “Colt”. The distribution of dry matter within the plant was significant in determining susceptibility to Mg deficiency. Since “F. 12/1” has a smaller root:shoot ratio than Colt it is unable to sustain the same concentration of Mg in leaves as “Colt” irrespective of external K concentration. The molar ratio of K:Mg in soil solutions should remain <8.5:1 in order to ensure maximum growth of “F. 12/1” and “Colt”. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.