Based on the strong earthquake catalogue, this paper discusses the characteristics of the time series of strong earthquake activities in the world, western Chinese mainland and its peripheral ＂big triangle seismic re...Based on the strong earthquake catalogue, this paper discusses the characteristics of the time series of strong earthquake activities in the world, western Chinese mainland and its peripheral ＂big triangle seismic region＂, as well as the Chinese mainland. According to the analysis of the periodic features of global seismicity of M I〉 8. 0 strong events, it is found that there is significant difference in global seismicity before and after the 1960s. Statistical analysis with the Fisher method has revealed that the ＂big triangular seismic region＂ has experienced a process of M8.0 earthquake activity with a duration of over a hundred years since 1800. Further analysis shows that the global seismicity and the ＂big triangular seismic region＂ possibly has a period of a hundred-year scale, and has quasi- synchronicity to a certain extent. The shallow earthquake activity of Ms I〉 7. 0 in the Chinese mainland is obviously controlled by the seismicity in the big triangular seismic region and by global seismicity in a larger spatial-scale. In terms of the time series of these earthquakes, the seismicity shows a decadal and century-scale activity patterns.展开更多
There is relatively good evidence that non-human primates can communicate about objects and events in their envi- ronment in ways that allow recipients to draw inferences about the nature of the event experienced by t...There is relatively good evidence that non-human primates can communicate about objects and events in their envi- ronment in ways that allow recipients to draw inferences about the nature of the event experienced by the signaller. In some spe- cies, there is also evidence that the basic semantic units are not individual calls, but call sequences and the combinations gener- ated by them. These two findings are relevant to theories pertaining to the origins of human language because of the resemblances of these phenomena with linguistic reference and syntactic organisation. Until recently, however, most research efforts on the primate origins of human language have involved Old World species with comparatively few systematic studies on New World monkeys, which has prevented insights into the deeper phylogenetic roots and evolutionary origins of language-relevant capaci- ties. To address this, we review the older primate literature and very recent evidence for functionally referential communication and call combinations in New World primates. Within the existing literature there is ample evidence in both Callitrichids and Ce- bids for acoustically distinct call variants given to external disturbances that are accompanied by distinct behavioural responses. A general pattern is that one call type is typically produced in response to a wide range of general disturbances, often on the ground but also including inter-group encounters, while another call type is produced in response to a much narrower range of aerial threats. This pattern is already described for Old World monkeys and Prosimians, suggesting an early evolutionary origin. Second, recent work with black-fronted tiff monkeys has produced evidence for different alarm call sequences consisting of acoustically distinct call types. These sequences appear to encode several aspects of the predation event simultaneously, notably predator type and location. Since meaningful call sequences have already been described in Old World primates, we suggest that basic combi- natorial vocal communication has evolved in the primate lineage long before the advent of language. Moreover, it is possible that some of these communicative abilities have evolved even earlier, or independently, as there is comparable evidence in other taxonomic groups. We discuss these findings in an attempt to shed further light on the primate stock from which human language has arisen [Current Zoology 58 （5）： 680-697, 2012].展开更多
基金sponsored by the National Basic Research Program(2008CB425700),China
文摘Based on the strong earthquake catalogue, this paper discusses the characteristics of the time series of strong earthquake activities in the world, western Chinese mainland and its peripheral ＂big triangle seismic region＂, as well as the Chinese mainland. According to the analysis of the periodic features of global seismicity of M I〉 8. 0 strong events, it is found that there is significant difference in global seismicity before and after the 1960s. Statistical analysis with the Fisher method has revealed that the ＂big triangular seismic region＂ has experienced a process of M8.0 earthquake activity with a duration of over a hundred years since 1800. Further analysis shows that the global seismicity and the ＂big triangular seismic region＂ possibly has a period of a hundred-year scale, and has quasi- synchronicity to a certain extent. The shallow earthquake activity of Ms I〉 7. 0 in the Chinese mainland is obviously controlled by the seismicity in the big triangular seismic region and by global seismicity in a larger spatial-scale. In terms of the time series of these earthquakes, the seismicity shows a decadal and century-scale activity patterns.
文摘There is relatively good evidence that non-human primates can communicate about objects and events in their envi- ronment in ways that allow recipients to draw inferences about the nature of the event experienced by the signaller. In some spe- cies, there is also evidence that the basic semantic units are not individual calls, but call sequences and the combinations gener- ated by them. These two findings are relevant to theories pertaining to the origins of human language because of the resemblances of these phenomena with linguistic reference and syntactic organisation. Until recently, however, most research efforts on the primate origins of human language have involved Old World species with comparatively few systematic studies on New World monkeys, which has prevented insights into the deeper phylogenetic roots and evolutionary origins of language-relevant capaci- ties. To address this, we review the older primate literature and very recent evidence for functionally referential communication and call combinations in New World primates. Within the existing literature there is ample evidence in both Callitrichids and Ce- bids for acoustically distinct call variants given to external disturbances that are accompanied by distinct behavioural responses. A general pattern is that one call type is typically produced in response to a wide range of general disturbances, often on the ground but also including inter-group encounters, while another call type is produced in response to a much narrower range of aerial threats. This pattern is already described for Old World monkeys and Prosimians, suggesting an early evolutionary origin. Second, recent work with black-fronted tiff monkeys has produced evidence for different alarm call sequences consisting of acoustically distinct call types. These sequences appear to encode several aspects of the predation event simultaneously, notably predator type and location. Since meaningful call sequences have already been described in Old World primates, we suggest that basic combi- natorial vocal communication has evolved in the primate lineage long before the advent of language. Moreover, it is possible that some of these communicative abilities have evolved even earlier, or independently, as there is comparable evidence in other taxonomic groups. We discuss these findings in an attempt to shed further light on the primate stock from which human language has arisen [Current Zoology 58 （5）： 680-697, 2012].
