The scientific names in the German edition of Parkinson's plants of use for food, medicine etc., in Otaheite

Sydney Parkinson, aged 18, was Sir Joseph Banks' private assistant and artist on Captain Cook's first voyage around the world. Parkinson died on the voyage. Among his effects delivered to his brother Stanfield were drawings and notes which the latter published as a journal. Included in it is a chapter on the economic plants of Tahiti, and most of them are given scientific names, some of which were new. In 1941 Fosberg adopted two of them to form names which were new combinations under Artocarpus , and Inocarpus . The writer now indicates that Parkinson's names of 1773 were mononomials, hence invalid, but that in the German edition of 1774, edited by Herr "Z", the names are valid binomials. For the two plants mentioned, the authorship of the combinations is revised.     

Occurrence of unstable PEP carboxylase in C4 grasses in the genus Spartina Schreb.

Abstract The aims of this work were to discover the distribution within the C₄ grass Spartina anglica of a PEP carboxylase which is very unstable during and after extraction, and to determine whether this unstable form occurs in other members of the genus. In S. anglica, only the leaf contains an unstable PEP carboxylase. Within the leaf only the major one of two isoenzymes is unstable, and this is located in the mesophyll cells. The unstable isoenzyme is inactivated during extraction and storage unless protected by bovine serum albumin or Triton X-100, and is inactivated in assay mixtures at optimum pH in the absence of PEP. Evidence is presented that inactivation is not due to degradation or inhibition during extraction and storage. The enzyme from leaves of Spartina species taxonomically closely related to S. anglica is also very unstable during and after extraction, but that from less closely related species is much more stable.     

Prehistoric Transpacific Contact and the Theory of Culture Change

Employing genetic theory as an analog, the paper argues that when the concept of culture is separated from the concept of society, anthropology can be shown to have depended for culture-change theory on a genetic model, which predicts pre-Columbian contact between the Old and New World, a prediction which is supported by a growing list of cultural parallels . [prehistoric transpacific contact, culture, society, culture change, scientific explanation]     

Feeding Strategies in Marine Snakes: An Analysis of Evolutionary, Morphological, Behavioral and Ecological Relationships

Analysis of 1,063 stomach contents from 39 species of sea snakesindicates that about one-third of the shallow, warm, marine,Indo-Australian fish families are preyed upon by sea snakes.Families of eels and gobies are taken by the greatest numbersof snake species. Most species of sea snakes feed on fish familieswhose members are relatively sedentary, dwelling along the bottom,within burrows or reef crevices. With one exception, a fishegg-eating specialization found uniquely in the Aipysurus-Emydocephaluslineage, the dietary habits of sea snakes cannot be categorizedaccording to the snakes' three phylogenetic lineages. Eels,mullet-like, rabbitfish-like and goby-like fish forms are takenby all three lineages. Two or three snake species are generalists,and numerous ones specialize on eels, goby-like fish or catfish.There are differences among sea snake species in the relationshipbetween snake neck girth and the maximum diameter of the prey;in the relationships of both snake gape measurements and fanglength, to the type of prey taken; and in the relationship ofsnake shape and body proportions to the prey selected. Severalmodes of feeding have been observed among sea snakes: feedingin nooks and crannies in the bottom or in reefs, cruising nearthe bottom, and feeding in drift lines. Analysis of percentdigestion of stomach contents and projections backward to thetimes of prey capture provides evidence for feeding periodicity.The greatest amount of diet overlap is for two species of seasnakes which do not both occur at the same locality. Where speciesdo co-occur, diet overlap index values are lower. The numbersof species present as well as their relative abundances varyamong localities as does the relative importance of generalists,eel-eaters, egg-eaters and other specialized feeders.     

Activity of Antheridiogen from the Fern Anemia phyllitidis in Three Flowering Plant Bioassays

Pure samples of the antheridiogen of Anemia phyllitidis (A_An) were tested for their ability to affect the growth of dwarf corn (d₅) and lettuce seedlings, and to influence α-amylase production by barley half-seeds. Stimulation of dwarf corn growth and barley amylase production was, on a molar basis, from 1/2 to 1/250 that given by GA_3. In lettuce, A_An had a synergistic effect with low levels of GA₃; alone, A_An was inhibitory or ineffective. Therefore, in addition to having a close chemical resemblance to gibberellin, A_An induces similar, but not identical physiological responses in flowering plants as well as ferns.     

The Labelling of Glucose-6-phosphate in Pea Slices Supplied with 14C Glucose, and the Assessment of the Respiratory Pathways in Air, in 10% CO2 and in 2% O2 in N

A method is proposed for estimating the proportion of CO₂ ofrespiration derived from the PPP and the TCAC by measuring thespecific activity of the respired CO₂ and those of its precursorsin the tissue. In practice the specific activity of C-1 of G-6-Pand of the carboxyl carbon atoms of pyruvate and malate havebeen taken as the precursors. To apply this method there mustbe good evidence that these compounds are not in ‘pools’in the cell. In air in the sliced pea cotyledon 25–40% of the respiredCO₂ arose from the PPP. In both 10% CO₂ in air and in 2% O₂ in N there was a showingin the rate of respiration and a large increase in the proportionof the CO₂ deriving from the PPP. It is argued that in eachcase the cause of this was different. Key words: Carbon dioxide, Respiration, Pisum Sativum, Pentose-phosphate pathway     

The Effect of Anaerobiosis on Acids of the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Peas

Maturing seeds of the pea (Pisum sativum) were subjected to24 hours' anaerobiosis and then returned to air. Carbon-dioxideevolution was estimated. At intervals samples were analysedfor their content of organic acids by silica gel and paper chromatographyand for bound carbon dioxide. During the anaerobic period there was a large accumulation oflactate, an initial increase of succinate, and a slow, continuingdecrease of malate and citrate. On return to air the main changes were a fall in the concentrationof lactate and succinate, a rise in malate and acetate, anda rapid rise followed by a fall of pyruvate and -oxo-glutarate. Comparison of these changes with each other and with the rateof production of carbon dioxide shows that they do not fit apattern based on the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The possibilitythat this was the result of a system of ‘pools’of these acids is considered.