Fluctuation in the physical environment as a mechanism for reinforcing evolutionary transitions

We hypothesize a mechanism for reinforcing transitions between levels of selection, involving physiological homeostasis and amplification of variation in the physical environment. Groups experience a stronger selection pressure than individuals for homeostasis with respect to reproductively limiting variables, because their greater longevity exposes them more often to suboptimal physical conditions, and greater physical size means they encompass a larger fraction of any resource/nutrient gradient. Groups achieve homeostasis by differentiation into microcosms with specialist functions, e.g. cell types. Such differentiation is more limited in individuals due to their smaller size and shorter lifespan. Hence tolerance of fluctuation in certain physical variables is proposed to be weaker in individuals than in groups. We show that a trait providing increased tolerance (alpha) to fluctuation (V-V(opt)) in a limiting abiotic variable (V), at relative fitness cost (C), can increase from rarity if the condition alpha.mid R:V-V(opt)|>C is met. Groups also sequester larger absolute quantities of resource than individuals, and group death is less frequent, hence the population dynamics of groups cause resource/nutrient availability to fluctuate with greater amplitude than that of individuals. Increasing the amplitude of fluctuation in a reproductively limiting environmental variable is proposed as a mechanism by which a group can limit reproduction of parasitic "cheat" individuals. Enhancing physical fluctuation is frequency dependent, hence only an increase in tolerance to fluctuation can explain the group's increase from rarity. However, once groups reach intermediate frequencies, a positive feedback process can be initiated in which a differentiated group enhances physical fluctuation beyond the tolerance of any "cheat", and in so doing enhances the selection pressure it experiences for homeostasis. This may help explain the persistence of transitions in individuality, and the coincidence of some such transitions with periods of change and oscillation in global scale environmental variables.     

The nose knows who's who: chemosensory individuality and mate recognition in mice

Individual recognition is an important component of behaviors, such as mate choice and maternal bonding that are vital for reproductive success. This article highlights recent developments in our understanding of the chemosensory cues and the neural pathways involved in individuality discrimination in rodents. There appear to be several types of chemosensory signal of individuality that are influenced by the highly polymorphic families of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins or major urinary proteins (MUPs). Both have the capability of binding small molecules and may influence the individual profile of these chemosignals in biological fluids such as urine, skin secretions, or saliva. Moreover, these proteins, or peptides associated with them, can be taken up into the vomeronasal organ (VNO) where they can potentially interact directly with the vomeronasal receptors. This is particularly interesting given the expression of major histocompatibility complex Ib proteins by the V2R class of vomeronasal receptor and the highly selective responses of accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) mitral cells to strain identity. These findings are consistent with the role of the vomeronasal system in mediating individual discrimination that allows mate recognition in the context of the pregnancy block effect. This is hypothesized to involve a selective increase in the inhibitory control of mitral cells in the accessory olfactory bulb at the first level of processing of the vomeronasal stimulus.     

Mice (Mus musculus) lacking a vomeronasal organ can discriminate MHC-determined odortypes

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in mammals (H-2 in mice) play a major role in regulating immune function. They also bestow individuality in the form of a chemical signature or odortype. At present, the respective contributions of the olfactory epithelium and the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in the recognition of individual odortypes are not well defined. We examined a possible role for the VNO in the recognition of MHC odortypes in mice by first removing the organ (VNX) and then training the mice to distinguish the odors of two congenic strains of mice that differed only in their MHC type. C57BL/6J mice (bb at H-2) and C57BL/6J-H-2(k) (kk at H-2) provided urine for sensory testing. Eight VNX and six sham-operated mice were trained to make the discrimination. Neither the number of training trials-to-criterion nor the rate of learning differed significantly for VNX and sham-operated mice. We conclude that the VNO is not necessary for learning to discriminate between MHC odortypes.     

Hunting activity and aging among the gidra papuans: A biobehavioral analysis

From the individual-based records of hunting practice for 1,633 hr in total and from the hunters' visual acuity and grip strength observed among the Gidra Papuans in lowland Papua New Guinea, this paper aims to analyze the relationship between the hunting activity and aging. The sensorimotor functions determine the range of age in which the individuals act as active or productive hunters: determined to be from the late teen-age years to about 45 years among the present subjects. In this age range, hunting efficiency increases with age. In terms of weight of animals killed per hunting time, the efficiency of the elder married (aged about 35 to 45 years) was almost four times higher than that of the unmarried (16–17 to late 20s). This aging effect is judged to depend on behavioral abilities that increase in accordance with experience and cumulative knowledge. Simultaneously, the comparison of individual hunters' records in 1971–72 and in 1981 reveals that hunting efficiency is associated with the individualities of the hunters.     

A hybrid model for the neural representation of complex mental processing in the human brain

In the present conceptual review several theoretical and empirical sources of information were integrated, and a hybrid model of the neural representation of complex mental processing in the human brain was proposed. Based on empirical evidence for strategy-related and inter-individually different task-related brain activation networks, and further based on empirical evidence for a remarkable overlap of fronto-parietal activation networks across different complex mental processes, it was concluded by the author that there might be innate and modular organized neuro-developmental starting regions, for example, in intra-parietal, and both medial and middle frontal brain regions, from which the neural organization of different kinds of complex mental processes emerge differently during individually shaped learning histories. Thus, the here proposed model provides a hybrid of both massive modular and holistic concepts of idiosyncratic brain physiological elaboration of complex mental processing. It is further concluded that 3-D information, obtained by respective methodological approaches, are not appropriate to identify the non-linear spatio-temporal dynamics of complex mental process-related brain activity in a sufficient way. How different participating network parts communicate with each other seems to be an indispensable aspect, which has to be considered in particular to improve our understanding of the neural organization of complex cognition.     

Individualities in a flock of free-roaming greylag geese: behavioral and physiological consistency over time and across situations

The concept of personality implies individual differences in behavior and physiology that show some degree of repeatability/consistency over time and across contexts. Most studies of animal personality, particularly studies of individuals' variation in physiological mechanisms, have been conducted on selected individuals in controlled conditions. We attempted to detect consistent behaviors as well as physiological patterns in greylag ganders (Anser anser) from a free-roaming flock living in semi-natural conditions. We tested 10 individuals repeatedly, in a handling trial, resembling tests for characterization of "temperaments" in captive animals. We recorded the behavior of the same 10 individuals during four situations in the socially intact flock: (1) a "low density feeding condition", (2) a "high density feeding condition", (3) a "low density post-feeding situation" and (4) while the geese rested. We collected fecal samples for determination of excreted immuno-reactive corticosterone (BM) and testosterone metabolites (TM) after handling trials, as well as the "low density feeding" and the "high density feeding" conditions. BM levels were very highly consistent over the repeats of handling trials, and the "low density feeding condition" and tended to be consistent over the first two repeats of the "high density feeding condition". Also, BM responses tended to be consistent across contexts. Despite seasonal variation, there tended to be inter-test consistency of TM, which pointed to some individual differences in TM as well. Aggressiveness turned out to be a highly repeatable trait, which was consistent across social situations, and tended to correlate with an individual's resistance during handling trials. Also, "proximity to the female partner" and "sociability" - the average number of neighboring geese in a close distance while resting - were consistent. We conclude that aggressiveness, "affiliative tendencies" and levels of excreted corticosterone and testosterone metabolites may be crucial factors of personality in geese.     

Duet structure provides information about pair identity in the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis)

We studied the acoustic features of the endangered red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), and, specifically, whether or not the duets carry information about a mating pair identity. The population of this species in the wild is only approximately 2,000 individuals. In 2003–2006, we recorded 343 duets from eight captive and two wild pairs. All of the duets contained an introduction, an unordered alternation of pair mate calls, followed by the main part, representing the regular sequence of syllables, containing 1–2 male and 1–4 female calls per syllable. We subdivided the syllables into five types, by the number of male and female calls per syllable, and analyzed the occurrence of the different syllable types in the duets of the ten pairs. The analysis showed the sustainable pair-specific use of particular syllable types through the years. The discriminant analysis standard procedure, based on seven frequency and temporal parameters of male and female calls, showed 97.7% correct assignment to the pair, which is significantly higher than random values. The high pair specificity of the duet acoustic structures provides the basis for call-based censuses. This would enable the monitoring of the red-crowned crane mating pairs in their natural habitat.     

Unburdening evo-devo: ancestral attractions, model organisms, and basal baloney

Although flourishing, I argue that evo-devo is not yet a mature scientific discipline. Its philosophical foundation exhibits an internal inconsistency that results from a metaphysical confusion. In modern evolutionary biology, species and other taxa are most commonly considered as individuals. I accept this thesis to be the best available foundation for modern evolutionary biology. However, evo-devo is characterized by a remarkable degree of typological thinking, which instead treats taxa as classes. This metaphysical incompatibility causes much distorted thinking. In this paper, I will discuss the logical implications of accepting the individuality thesis for evo-devo. First, I will illustrate the degree to which typological thinking pervades evo-devo. This ranges from the relatively innocent use of typologically tainted language to the more serious misuse of differences between taxa as evidence against homology and monophyly, and the logically flawed concept of partial homology. Second, I will illustrate how, in a context of typological thinking, evo-devo's harmless preoccupation with distant ancestors has become transformed into a pernicious problem afflicting the choice of model organisms. I will expose the logical flaws underlying the common assumption that model organisms can be expected to represent the clades they are a part of in an unambiguous way. I will expose the logical flaws underlying the general assumption that basal taxa are the best available stand-ins for ancestors and that they best represent the clade of which they are a part, while also allowing for optimal extrapolation of results.     

血管活动的个性化

机体内不同部位的血管功能活动均具有各自独特的性质,称为血管的个性,主要表现为不同器官或区域的血管对同一刺激的反应不尽相同,甚至截然相反。血管的这种生理学特征保证了血管能在不同部位与不同机能状态下作出不同反应,巧妙地完成血液循环系统的功能,满足机体不同部位的血供需要。血管活动的个性化是血管生理学中的一个重要问题,对这一问题的研究将有助于阐明血管活动的客观规律,对研究血管疾病的发生与发展也具有重要意义