Memories of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka among immigrant Tamils in the UK

This article contributes to recent studies on the relationship between ethnicity and memory in the formation of transnational communities. The focus of the article is migrant Tamils' memories of violence in Sri Lanka in 1958, in the aftermath of an act declaring Sinhala to be the sole language of administration in the country. The ways in which past violence is remembered by this overlooked older generation helps in understanding the particular impetus of the contemporary Tamil diaspora, which continues to play a key role in shaping the image of Sri Lanka abroad. Research on the formation of the diaspora must therefore be situated within a more concrete history of relations between Sinhalese and Tamils in post-independence Sri Lanka.     

Sexual dimorphism in canine shape among extant great apes

There have been numerous attempts to sex fossil specimens using the canine dentition. Whether focused on canine size or canine shape, most of these efforts share two deficiencies: lack of quantification of male-female differences in the adopted criteria and a failure to adequately explore among extant species the discriminatory power of these criteria. Here, canine shape indices relating to relative canine height, upper canine root/crown proportionality, and relative length of the lower canine mesial ridge were calculated for males and females of all species and subspecies of extant great apes and two species of gibbons. The accuracy of these indices for identifying the sex of the extant ape specimens was investigated through discriminant analysis and the use of bivariate plots of the two upper and two lower canine indices. The indices were found to be highly accurate in identifying the sex of great ape individuals, not only in single-species and subspecies samples but in mixed-species samples as well; assignment error rates were mostly between 0 and 4%. Accuracy was lowest in Pan (error rates as high as 15%) and highest in Pongo (one error). In most cases, error rates were lower in the upper canines. The effectiveness of these shape indices for sexing might be related to the degree of absolute canine size dimorphism; the indices did not effectively segregate males and females among minimally canine-dimorphic gibbons. The mixed-species results reveal that same-sex index values are remarkably concordant across great ape species, as are the patterns of spatial segregation of males and females in the bivariate plots. Results suggest that, while the indices can be used with some confidence to sex individual fossil specimens, their greatest utility will be for identifying the sex of groups of canines united by size and morphology. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Sexual size and shape dimorphism and allometric scaling patterns in head traits in the New Zealand common gecko Woodworthia maculatus

Sexual dimorphism in shape and size is widespread across animal taxa and arises when natural or sexual selection operates differently on the sexes. Male and female common geckos (Woodworthia maculatus; formerly Hoplodactylus maculatus) in New Zealand do not appear to experience different viability selection pressure, nor do males appear to be under intense pre-copulatory sexual selection. It was therefore predicted that this species would be sexually monomorphic with regard to body size and the size and shape of the head. In line with the prediction, there was no sexual difference in head width, depth, or length or in lateral head shape. However, contrary to prediction, males had a larger body and lateral head size than females. This study suggests that males, at least on Maud Island, NZ, might be under stronger pre-copulatory sexual selection than previously recognized and thus have evolved larger heads (i.e. lateral head size) for use in male combat for females. Allometric scaling patterns do not differ between the sexes and suggest that head width and depth are under directional selection whereas lateral head size is under stabilizing selection. Diet ecology – an agent of natural selection common to both sexes – is likely largely responsible for the observed patterns of head size and shape and the lack of sexual dimorphism in them.     

Anopheles culicifacies Y-chromosome dimorphism indicates sibling species (B and E) with different malaria vector potential in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, malaria is transmitted mainly by Anopheles culicifacies Giles sensu lato (Diptera: Culicidae). In India, this nominal taxon comprises sibling species A, B, C, D and E, distinguished by their chromosome morphology. Species B (identified by polytene chromosome sequence Xab, 2g1 + h1) is not such an efficient vector of malaria as other members of the An. culicifacies complex in India. All specimens of An. culicifacies s.l. examined from Sri Lanka possess Xab, 2g1 + h1 polytenes, previously interpreted as species B, despite their important vector status. Recently, species E was described from Rameshwaram Island (Tamil Nadu, India) between Sri Lanka and the Indian mainland, where both species B and E are sympatric. Species B and E share polytene sequence Xab, 2g1 + h1 but differ by the mitotic Y-chromosome being acrocentric in species B, submetacentric in species E, the latter implicated as vector of vivax malaria. From May 1999 to January 2000, we surveyed Y-chromosomes of male progeny from An. culicifacies Xab, 2g1 + h1 females collected from cattle bait in diverse malarious districts of Sri Lanka: Badulla, Monaragala, Puttalam and Trincomalee. Karyotypes of readable quality were obtained from 42/83 families examined, with overall proportions 24% acrocentric and 76% submetacentric Y-chromosome carriers, both types being sympatric in at least 3/4 localities sampled. By analogy with the situation on Rameshwaram Island, we interpret these observations to demonstrate widespread presence of two members of the An. culicifacies complex in Sri Lanka, their karyotypes being compatible with species B and E, the latter predominant and having greater vector potential.     

Sexual dimorphism in conspicuousness and ornamentation in the enigmatic leaf‐nosed lizard Ceratophora tennentii from Sri Lanka

Measures of physiological performance capacity, such as bite force, form the functional basis of sexual selection. Information about fighting ability may be conveyed through a structural feature such as a rostrum (i.e. horn) or a colour signal and thereby help reduce costly conflict. We quantified sexual dimorphism in key traits likely to be the targets of sexual selection in Tennent's leaf‐nosed lizard (Ceratophora tennentii) from Sri Lanka, and examined their relationship to bite force and body condition. We found body length and bite force to be similar for males and females. However, head length was significantly greater in males and they had significantly more conspicuous throats and labials (chromatic contrast and luminance) than females. Males also had a proportionally larger rostrum, which we predicted could be an important source of information about male quality for both sexes. Rostrum length was correlated with throat chromatic contrast in males but not females. Nonetheless, the rostrum and aspects of coloration did not correlate with bite force or body condition as we predicted. We have no information on contest escalation in this species but if they rarely bite, as suggested by a lack of difference in bite force between males and females, then bite force and any associated signals would not be a target of selection. Finally, males and females had similar spectral reflectance of the mouth and tongue and both had a peak in the ultra‐violet, and were conspicuous to birds. Lizards only gaped their mouths during capture and not when threatened by a potential predator (hand waving). We hypothesize that conspicuous mouth colour may act as a deimatic signal, startling a potential predator, although this will need careful experimental testing in the future.     

饶阳地区三种农田啮齿类头骨形态比较及性二型

关于动物头骨形态方面的研究报道曾受到了较多的关注（Cesani et al., 2003）.头骨形态是动物形态特征的一个重要方面,受遗传和环境因素的共同影响,存在着种间、性别和地理差异（张焱等,1999）.头骨的形态特征不仅是动物生理上的一个基本解剖指标,同时也是动物分类（李晓晨和王廷正,1992）和年龄鉴定（张洁,1989）的重要依据,是动物生态研究的重要指标.对头骨形态的研究,不仅对动物的种间、种内关系（Yom et al.,1999）和生态特征（Barlow et al.,1997）等方面的研究具有重要的参考价值,在动物的地理演化、发育生物学以及进化生态学的研究中也具有十分重要的意义.