Asian Primate Classification

In the foreseeable future there is little likelihood of achieving consensus on the number of Asian primate genera and species, and their subspecific composition. There is a more realistic hope of reaching agreement on the number of recognizable subspecies. The latter objective is more urgent because in order to reliably assess generic and specific numbers, it is essential that effective conservation measures are implemented for as many subspecies as possible. This cannot be comprehensively accomplished until their validity is assessed and they are satisfactorily established and defined. The Asian primate classification that we present is the outcome of electronic communication among the co-authors after a workshop, which was especially convened to attempt to determine the number of recognizable primate subspecies and to identify potentially recognizable subspecies. The generic and specific arrangement is a compromise that does not necessarily reflect the individual views of the co-authors: 183 subspecies in 77 species in 16 genera. The 31 subspecies allotted a low credibility rating are almost balanced by the 22 scientifically unnamed populations that may warrant subspecific status.     

Explaining Asian American achievement

ABSTRACT

Jennifer Lee and Min Zhou’s The Asian American Achievement Paradox is a remarkable analysis of the educational upward mobility of Chinese and Vietnamese Americans in Los Angeles. It also provides important insights about the status of contemporary Asian Americans more generally. While critical of the ‘model minority’ thesis, the authors take seriously the role of culture in fostering educational attainment. However, their emphasis on immigrant selectivity and individual psychology may be misplaced when it comes to understanding the achievement of second-generation groups.     

The South Asian Genome

The genetic sequence variation of people from the Indian subcontinent who comprise one-quarter of the world''s population, is not well described. We carried out whole genome sequencing of 168 South Asians, along with whole-exome sequencing of 147 South Asians to provide deeper characterisation of coding regions. We identify 12,962,155 autosomal sequence variants, including 2,946,861 new SNPs and 312,738 novel indels. This catalogue of SNPs and indels amongst South Asians provides the first comprehensive map of genetic variation in this major human population, and reveals evidence for selective pressures on genes involved in skin biology, metabolism, infection and immunity. Our results will accelerate the search for the genetic variants underlying susceptibility to disorders such as type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease which are highly prevalent amongst South Asians.     

Asian Medicine and Globalization

Asian Medicine and Globalization. Joseph S. Alter, ed. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005. 187 pp.