Phylogeography of colour polymorphism in the coral reef fish Pseudochromis fuscus, from Papua New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef

Body colour has played a significant role in the evolution of coral reef fishes, but the phylogenetic level at which colour variation is expressed and the evolutionary processes driving the development and persistence of different colour patterns are often poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the genetic relationships between multiple colour morphs of Pseudochromis fuscus (family Pseudochromidae), both within and among geographic locations. Pseudochromis fuscus is currently described as a single species, but exhibits at least six discrete colour morphs throughout its range. In this study, P. fuscus from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, formed three genetically distinct clades based on mitochondrial DNA (control region) sequence data: (1) yellow and brown morphs from the GBR and southern PNG, as well as an orange morph from southern PNG; (2) a pink morph from southern PNG; and (3) all three morphs (pink, orange and grey) found in Kimbe Bay, northern PNG. The three groups showed deep levels of divergence (d=14.6–25.4%), suggesting that P. fuscus is a complex of polychromatic species, rather than a single widespread species with many different colour morphs. Population genetic analyses indicate that the three clades have experienced unique evolutionary histories, possibly from differential effects of sea level fluctuations, barriers to gene flow and historical biogeography.     

An Oceanic revolution? Stella and the construction of new femininities in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific

In August 2012, a new magazine for women was released in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Entitled Stella, the magazine provides an ideal opportunity to analyse shifting constructions of gender among educated, employed women in PNG and elsewhere in the Pacific. Drawing on interviews, surveys and readers’ letters, this article discusses Papua New Guinean women who, because they display ‘modern attributes’, are maligned and discredited as ‘inauthentic’. It then goes on to document the ways in which Stella is enabling such women to assert themselves anew. Arguing that the publication of Stella marks the arrival into the public sphere of a group hitherto consigned to the margins of Pacific societies on the basis that they represent an ‘inauthentic minority’, the article makes an important contribution to scholarly discussion about the emergence of new femininities in PNG and the Pacific.     

Introduction: The Politics of Order in Contemporary Papua New Guinea

ABSTRACT

This collection of articles seeks to demonstrate that the concept of order – the intensive and extensive coordination of human action across space and time – is useful for answering some of the most pressing theoretical and practical questions in contemporary Papua New Guinea (PNG) today. Building on existing work in this field [Benda-Beckmann, K., and F. Pirie. 2007. “Introduction.” In Order and Disorder: Anthropological Perspectives, 1–15. New York: Berghahn Books] in this special issue we ask: How do people create enduring, stable, and routinised life in contemporary Melanesia today? We position our work as the next step in a growing movement to study contemporary institutions in PNG as order-making projects, rather than attempting to divide them into legitimate projects like ‘government’ and false or ineffective ones like ‘cargo cults’.     

Profiling of faecal water and urine metabolites among Papua New Guinea highlanders believed to be adapted to low protein intake

Introduction

Adequate amount of proteins from foods are normally needed to maintain muscle mass of the human body. Although protein intakes of Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlanders are less than biologically adequate, protein deficiency related disorders have rarely been reported. It has been postulated that gut microbiota play a role in such low-protein-adaptation.

Objective

To explore underlying biological mechanisms of low-protein adaptation among PNG highlanders by investigating metabolomic profiles of faecal water and urine.

Methods

We performed metabolome analysis using faecal water extracted from faecal samples of PNG highlanders, PNG non-highlanders and Japanese subjects. We paid special attention to amino acids and other metabolites produced by gut microbiota, as well as to metabolites involved in nitrogen recycling in the human gut.

Results

Our results indicated that amino acid levels were higher in faecal water from PNG highlanders than PNG non-highlanders, but amino acid levels did not differ between PNG highlanders and Japanese subjects. Among PNG highlander samples, amino acid levels tended to be higher in those who consumed less protein.

Conclusion

We speculated that a greater proportion of urea was excreted to the intestine among the PNG highlanders than other groups, and that the urea was used for nitrogen salvage. Intestinal bacteria are essential for producing ammonia from urea and also for producing amino acids from ammonia, which is a key process in low-protein adaptation. Profiling the gut microbiota of PNG highlanders is an important avenue for further research into the mechanisms of low-protein adaptation.

     

RFLP-based phylogeny of Musa species in Papua New Guinea

Summary Random genomic probes were used to detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in 26 accessions of Musa representing eight species from Papua New Guinea (PNG), M. textilis, M. jackeyi and one accession of Ensete. Ninety-eight phylogenetically informative characters were scored and analyzed cladistically and phenetically. Results generally agreed with previous morphology-based phylogenetic analyses. However, the closest wild relative of the edible M. fehi (fe'i banana) appears to be M. lolodensis. Musa angustigemma is sister species with M. boman and M. jackeyi and is distinct from M. peekelii, with which it is often united. Musa boman is unambiguously placed in section Australimusa. The diploid parthenocarpic landraces of section Musa unique to PNG are closely related to, but apparently distinct from, M. acuminata ssp. banksii. The evolution of the fe'i bananas and the M. acuminata-derived diploid landraces of PNG are discussed.     

Population genetics of Anopheles koliensis through Papua New Guinea: New cryptic species and landscape topography effects on genetic connectivity

New Guinea is a topographically and biogeographically complex region that supports unique endemic fauna. Studies describing the population connectivity of species through this region are scarce. We present a population and landscape genetic study on the endemic malaria‐transmitting mosquito, Anopheles koliensis (Owen). Using mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data, as well as microsatellites, we show the evidence of geographically discrete population structure within Papua New Guinea (PNG). We also confirm the existence of three rDNA ITS2 genotypes within this mosquito and assess reproductive isolation between individuals carrying different genotypes. Microsatellites reveal the clearest population structure and show four clear population units. Microsatellite markers also reveal probable reproductive isolation between sympatric populations in northern PNG with different ITS2 genotypes, suggesting that these populations may represent distinct cryptic species. Excluding individuals belonging to the newly identified putative cryptic species (ITS2 genotype 3), we modeled the genetic differences between A. koliensis populations through PNG as a function of terrain and find that dispersal is most likely along routes with low topographic relief. Overall, these results show that A. koliensis is made up of geographically and genetically discrete populations in Papua New Guinea with landscape topography being important in restricting dispersal.     

Mesophyll cell‐sucking herbivores (Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) on rainforest trees in Papua New Guinea: local and regional diversity of a taxonomically unexplored guild

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Together we lived,and alone you died: Loneliness and solidarity in Gaza

This essay discusses and weaves together three interrelated topics: loneliness as a neglected bioethics problem, solidarity as one potential solution to loneliness, and the Israeli‐Palestinian Conflict as a neglected bioethics problem in which loneliness is stark. I first present and define various kinds of loneliness, focusing on ethical loneliness, defined as suffering injustice without a proper repair process. I next discuss current health conditions in Gaza, focusing on healthcare providers who, according to the UN, are being intentionally targeted by Israel. I explain how the various kinds of loneliness are reflected among people in Gaza. I lastly relate together the notions of solidarity, responsibility and personal autonomy, arguing that bioethicists and healthcare providers have a duty to support the people in Gaza, stemming from solidarity and an extended responsibility perspective.     

Multiple host shifts by the emerging honeybee parasite,Varroa jacobsoni

Host shifts are a key mechanism of parasite evolution and responsible for the emergence of many economically important pathogens. Varroa destructor has been a major factor in global honeybee (Apis mellifera) declines since shifting hosts from the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) > 50 years ago. Until recently, only two haplotypes of V. destructor (Korea and Japan) had successfully host shifted to A. mellifera. In 2008, the sister species V. jacobsoni was found for the first time parasitizing A. mellifera in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This recent host shift presents a serious threat to world apiculture but also provides the opportunity to examine host shifting in this system. We used 12 microsatellites to compare genetic variation of V. jacobsoni on A. mellifera in PNG with mites on A. cerana in both PNG and surrounding regions. We identified two distinct lineages of V. jacobsoni reproducing on A. mellifera in PNG. Our analysis indicated independent host shift events have occurred through small numbers of mites shifting from local A. cerana populations. Additional lineages were found in the neighbouring Papua and Solomon Islands that had partially host shifted to A. mellifera, that is producing immature offspring on drone brood only. These mites were likely in transition to full colonization of A. mellifera. Significant population structure between mites on the different hosts suggested host shifted V. jacobsoni populations may not still reproduce on A. cerana, although limited gene flow may exist. Our studies provide further insight into parasite host shift evolution and help characterize this new Varroa mite threat to A. mellifera worldwide.     

Incomplete concerted evolution and reproductive isolation at the rDNA locus uncovers nine cryptic species within <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles longirostris</Emphasis>from Papua New Guinea

Background  

Nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes and transcribed spacers are highly utilized as taxonomic markers in metazoans despite the lack of a cohesive understanding of their evolution. Here we follow the evolution of the rDNA second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) and the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I subunit in the malaria mosquito Anopheles longirostris from Papua New Guinea (PNG). This morphospecies inhabits a variety of ecological environments indicating that it may comprise a complex of morphologically indistinguishable species. Using collections from over 70 sites in PNG, the mtDNA was assessed via direct DNA sequencing while the ITS2 was assessed at three levels - crude sequence variation through restriction digest, intragenomic copy variant organisation (homogenisation) through heteroduplex analysis and DNA sequencing via cloning.     

A taxonomic study of Strongyloides Grassi, 1879 (Nematoda) with special reference to Strongyloides fuelleborni von linstow, 1905 in man in Papua New Guinea and the description of a new subspecies

The taxonomic position of a Strongyloides species parasitic in man in Papua New Guinea (PNG) that apparently resembled S. fuelleborni (a parasite of man and other primates in tropical Africa) has not been resolved since its discovery in 1973. The results of a morphological (by scanning electron microscopy) and morphometric study were considered together with the results of a separate isoenzyme electrophoretic study of the same material. The nature of the peri-vulval cuticle of the parasitic female and the position of the phasmidial pore of the free-living male were found to be of particular use in addressing this taxonomic problem. We concluded that the Strongyloides in Africa and PNG are subspecies of S. fuelleborni. We propose the name S. fuelleborni kellyi n. subsp. for the Strongyloides found in man in PNG.     

A Novel Approach to Tradition: Torres Strait Islanders and Ion Idriess

This paper considers the significance of the novel Drums of Mer (1941) in contemporary Torres Strait Islanders' lives. Its use as narrative by many Islanders today constitutes one means by which men especially have come to know themselves, white others, and their past. In particular, I explore the ways in which this story appeals to and is appealed to by Yam Island people. Contrary to literary deconstructions of Idriess's representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, my paper argues that in seriously attending to Torres Strait readings of Drums of Mer we can see that for contemporary Islander readers, it is not themselves who are other but rather the white protagonists. I employ Said's (1994) notion of ‘cultural overlap’ and de Certeau's (1988) understandings of reading and writing as ‘everyday practices’ to frame my analysis of the differing impacts of the historical novel, Drums of Mer, and the Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits. It is through story telling that Yam Island selves are placed in the past and the present, and in Idriess's memorable story a similar effect is achieved. In his novel approach, the past becomes his-story, a romanticised refraction of the Reports. Unlike the Reports, this novel is a sensual rendering of a Torres Strait past, and at this level it operates as a mnemonic device for Yam Island people, triggering memories and the imagination through the senses. This Torres Strait Islander detour by way of a past via a story, can be understood as a means by which Yam Island people continue to actively produce powerful images of themselves, for both themselves and for others.     

Saint cults and political alignments in Southern Italy

Conclusion People are seldom able to account for the meanings implied in the particulars of the rituals, but the most important element in the interaction with the saint seems to be of a reciprocal character-exchange of gifts for miracles or protection. The saint cult can be seen as part of a total social phenomenon which articulates the symmetrical reciprocity in the interpersonal relationships in the social structure and asymmetrical relationships in the clientela system. The feasts amount to a popular gathering with multiple functions where all the activities that are being performed renew and confirm networks that constitute village solidarity. The saint cult also joins all these functions and meanings in a complex cultural-personal metaphor that relates expressions of reciprocity as instances of the underlying forms of the society.The saint cult does not merely express a metaphor.A metaphor uses imagery from one domain or level of experience to illuminate relationships, objects and processes in a different domain or at a different level. It follows from this that the domain of thought or experience which is being explicated by metaphor is that which metaphor is used to illuminate, not that from which the idioms of metaphor is fetched .There is also a formal similarity between the gift-giving to a patron saint and to a profane patron. But the rituals in the saint cults do not account for a divine justification of the order in the substantial world. On the contrary, the rituals of the saint cults use a known and common language of reciprocity to get hold of a difficult and inexplicable world. I thus argue that the rituals of the saint cults use idioms similar to the profane political and social relations to express the quality of the relationship between saint and devotee, but this in no way implies that the two domains are substantively confounded. The forms are part of the same world view that emphasizes reciprocity as the basis for social solidarity; receiving evokes obligations for return giving, a favor for a gift. Ritual is not a substitute for the world or displacement of action in it; it is part of, an expression of, a world articulated by those values/views of reciprocity. Consequently, the saint cults which have been analyzed here do not represent an alternative to political or other activities, but a continuation and a completion of that activity into the total means by which one seeks goals in a world so conceived.Mia Di Tota is associated with the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Oslo.

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Comparison between 8‐prenylnarigenin and narigenin concerning their activities on promotion of rat bone marrow stromal cells’ osteogenic differentiation in vitro

A number of recent studies have suggested that flavonols (a class of phytochemical with many biological activities), might exert protective effects against post‐menopausal bone loss. In the present study, we compared naringenin (NG) and 8‐prenylnaringenin (PNG), two major naturally occurring flavonols, on in vitro differentiation of osteoblasts and bone resorbing activity, of rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Our results indicated that both compounds, at 10^?6 m , enhanced BMSCs’ differentiation. Then effects of the two compounds at 10^?6 m on ALP activity, osteocalcin secretion and calcium deposition, were compared over a time course. Numbers and areas of colonies stained for ALP (CFU‐F_ALP) expression, and mineralized bone nodules, were histochemically analysed after 12 days and 16 days osteogenic induction, respectively. Expression of BMP‐2, OPG, OSX, RUNX‐2 genes and p38MAPK protein were examined using real‐time PCR and western blotting, respectively. The data presented indicate that PNG, significantly enhanced the rat BMSCs’ differentiation and mineralization through the BMP‐2/p38MAPK/Runx2/Osterix signal pathway, greater than did NG. In conclusion, PNG has a more pronounced ability to enhance osteoblast differentiation and mineralization, than NG.     

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in papua new guinean children: the cost of continuing inadequate measles vaccine coverage

Introduction

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a late, rare and usually fatal complication of measles infection. Although a very high incidence of SSPE in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was first recognized 20 years ago, estimated measles vaccine coverage has remained at ≤70% since and a large measles epidemic occurred in 2002. We report a series of 22 SSPE cases presenting between November 2007 and July 2009 in Madang Province, PNG, including localized clusters with the highest ever reported annual incidence.

Methodology/Principal Findings

As part of a prospective observational study of severe childhood illness at Modilon Hospital, the provincial referral center, children presenting with evidence of meningo-encephalitis were assessed in detail including lumbar puncture in most cases. A diagnosis of SSPE was based on clinical features and presence of measles-specific IgG in cerebrospinal fluid and/or plasma. The estimated annual SSPE incidence in Madang province was 54/million population aged <20 years, but four sub-districts had an incidence >100/million/year. The distribution of year of birth of the 22 children with SSPE closely matched the reported annual measles incidence in PNG, including a peak in 2002.

Conclusions/Significance

SSPE follows measles infections in very young PNG children. Because PNG children have known low seroconversion rates to the first measles vaccine given at 6 months of age, efforts such as supplementary measles immunisation programs should continue in order to reduce the pool of non-immune people surrounding the youngest and most vulnerable members of PNG communities.     

ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT DNA FROM FOSSIL CORALLINES (CORALLINALES,RHODOPHYTA)1

The field of molecular paleontology has recently made significant contributions to anthropology and biology. Hundreds of ancient DNA studies have been published, but none has targeted fossil coralline algae. Using regions of the SSU gene, we analyzed rDNA from fossil coralline algae of varying ages and states of preservation from Spain, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Specimens from PNG, GBR, and some localities from Spain did not contain endogenous ancient DNA. Reproducible sequence data were obtained from specimens ～550 years old from near Cadiz, Spain, and from rocky‐shore deposits in Carboneras, Almeria Province of Spain (～78,000 years before present [YBP]). Based on BLAST searches and a phylogenetic analysis of sequences, an undescribed coralline alga belonging to the Melobesioideae was discovered in the Carboneras material as well as the following coralline genera: Jania, Lithophyllum, Lithothamnion, Mesophyllum, and Phymatolithon. DNA from fleshy brown and red macroalgae was also discovered in the specimens from Carboneras. The coralline algae identified using molecular techniques were in agreement with those based on morphological methods. The identified taxa are common in the present‐day southeastern Spain littoral zone. Amino acid racemization, concentration ratios, and specific concentrations failed to show a correlation between biomolecular preservation and PCR amplification success. Results suggest that molecular investigations on fossil algae, although limited by technical difficulties, are feasible. Validity of our results was established using authentication criteria and a self‐critical approach to compliance.     

Insect natural enemies of coffee green scales [Hemiptera: Coccidae] in Kenya and their potential for biological control ofCoccus celatus andC. viridis in Papua New Guinea

Coffee green scales,Coccus celatus De Lotto andC. viridis (Green), are major pests of coffee in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Surveys for insect natural enemies of coffee green scales were conducted in Kenya to find species suitable for introduction to PNG. Natural enemy communities in Kenya were found to be diverse, particularly those located in the central highlands where 3 primary parasitoids,Metaphycus stanleyi Compere,M. baruensis Noyes andDiversinervus stramineus Compere (Encyrtidae), were dominant onC. celatus andC. alpinus De Lotto. It is suggested that these 3 parasitoids may be potential biological control agents forC. celatus. Several insect predators were found associated withC. celatus in the central highlands but most were only common in ant-free scale populations. An aphelinid primary parasitoid,Coccophagus rusti Compere, was the only natural enemy ofC. viridis located. This species, however, could be of potential as a biological control agent, especially in view of its previous use in biological control against soft scales.      

The Neurospora Peptide:N-Glycanase Ortholog PNG1 Is Essential for Cell Polarity despite Its Lack of Enzymatic Activity

Secretory proteins are subjected to a stringent endoplasmic reticulum-based quality control system that distinguishes aberrant from correctly folded proteins. The cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase cleaves oligosaccharides from misfolded glycoproteins and prepares them for degradation by the 26 S proteasome. In contrast to abundant in vitro data on its enzymatic function, the in vivo relevance of peptide:N-glycanase activity remains unclear. Here we show that the PNG1 ortholog from the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa is an essential protein, and its deletion results in strong polarity defects. PNG1 and its predicted binding partner RAD23 have distinct functions in N. crassa and are involved in cell wall integrity and DNA repair, respectively. Moreover, wild type PNG1 has substitutions in essential catalytic amino acids, and its deglycosylation activity is lost. These substitutions are conserved in many PNG1 orthologs of the fungal kingdom, implying a so far unrecognized enzyme-independent function of PNG1 that may only become apparent in highly polar cells such as fungal hyphae.     

Phylogeography of var gene repertoires reveals fine‐scale geospatial clustering of Plasmodium falciparum populations in a highly endemic area

Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a major global health problem that is being targeted for progressive elimination. Knowledge of local disease transmission patterns in endemic countries is critical to these elimination efforts. To investigate fine‐scale patterns of malaria transmission, we have compared repertoires of rapidly evolving var genes in a highly endemic area. A total of 3680 high‐quality DBLα‐sequences were obtained from 68 P. falciparum isolates from ten villages spread over two distinct catchment areas on the north coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Modelling of the extent of var gene diversity in the two parasite populations predicts more than twice as many var gene alleles circulating within each catchment (Mugil = 906; Wosera = 1094) than previously recognized in PNG (Amele = 369). In addition, there were limited levels of var gene sharing between populations, consistent with local parasite population structure. Phylogeographic analyses demonstrate that while neutrally evolving microsatellite markers identified population structure only at the catchment level, var gene repertoires reveal further fine‐scale geospatial clustering of parasite isolates. The clustering of parasite isolates by village in Mugil, but not in Wosera was consistent with the physical and cultural isolation of the human populations in the two catchments. The study highlights the microheterogeneity of P. falciparum transmission in highly endemic areas and demonstrates the potential of var genes as markers of local patterns of parasite population structure.     

A Din of Whispers: The In-Group Manifestation of Sorcery in Rural Banyuwangi

In rural Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, sorcery and the reprisals for it occur amongst neighbours, kin and acquaintances. When illness occurs following a dispute between these people, sorcery may be suspected. The people who identify and take action against the suspected sorcerer are usually the suspected sorcerer's own family members, neighbours or acquaintances. By describing an instance where malevolent magic occurs within rather than between social groups, I contribute to the documentation of instances of such in-group manifestations. I also analyse the implications of the fact that violence and suspicion, as much as solidarity and trust, may characterise relations among the people who are closest.