人类基本数学能力的进化证据

数学能力是人类重要的高级认知能力。人类的基本数学能力从进化上而言是一种适应性的表现,对个体的生存和繁衍有重要的意义。近年来比较心理学研究发现,成年人、婴儿的基本数学能力的行为表现和脑神经机制与其它物种相似,分子遗传学研究表明基本数学能力具有一定的遗传性。这些发现有助于人们更深刻地理解基本数学能力的本质及发生发展机制。

高血压不同种属动物模型的研究近况

高血压是遗传因素和环境因素相互作用而导致正常血压调节机制失衡所导致的疾病,是导致心血管疾病的最危险因素之一[1]。由于高血压发病的具体机制尚未完全阐明,近年来对高血压的研究也一直是热点问题。为了更好的研究高血压的发病机制、防治和预后,动物模型的建立是其研究的重要基础。根据造模种属不同,有不同种属的高血压动物模型;根据造模方法的不同,有遗传性、饮食性、应激性、手术性、神经源性、药物性和基因工程性高血压动物模型,

非人类中心视角下的动物形象反思——以迪士尼动画为例

作为由非人类实体参与的事件被组织进一个文本中的“非人类研究”叙事,正在被学术界广泛关注。从动画角度切入,依据动画“赋灵”的特点,其叙事中存在着大量的非人类动物形象。以非人类动物为代表的动画角色作为考察对象,既可以丰富现有的叙事理论,也有利于摒弃研究中的“人类中心主义”倾向,同时也可以更好地对人类与动物为代表的非人类之间关系进行重新理解,为人类更好地介入自然生态,实现人与自然的和谐相处,提供思考视角。

First evidence of prey capture and meat eating by wild Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus bieti in Yunnan,China

Most extant nonhuman primates occasionally prey on fast-moving, warm-blooded animals; however, Indriidae, Lepilemuridae, and Colobinae either scavenged for meat or did not eat meat at all. Here we report six cases of animal consumption by the snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti in a wild, habituated group between 2004 and 2009 in Yunnan, China. At present, only males in an all-male unit within the study group were involved in active hunting. Such a male-biased activity may be related to the group structure and spatial spread of R. bieti. Two females were observed eating freshly killed birds. The findings confirmed that R. bieti engaged in scavenging and, when hunting, employed a cranio-cervical bite to kill their prey. Meat eating is likely a nutrient maximization feeding strategy in R. bieti, especially in males. A begging behavior occurred after successful prey capture. Although begging was observed, no sharing of the meat was seen. The present findings illuminate the dietary diversity of R. bieti and their ability to expand their dietary spectrum.

Influence of dominance rank and affiliation relationships on selfdirected behavior in female Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana)

Self-directed behavior(SDB) is characterized as an indicator of anxiety, frustration and stress in nonhuman primates. In this study, we collected self-directed behavior data from one group of free-ranging Tibetan macaques(Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan, China(September 2012–May 2013) using a combination of behavioral sampling methods including focal animal sampling, behavioral sampling, continuous sampling and instantaneous sampling. Our results showed that females engaged in significantly higher rates of self-directed behavior when they were in proximity to dominant individuals compared to subordinate ones. Conflict losers significantly increased their SDB rates after agonistic episodes, indicating that SDB might also serve as an index of anxiety in M. thibetana. We further found that females significantly increased their SDB rates when focal individual was proximity to weakly affiliation relationship higher rank members than to strongly affiliation relationship higher rank members. If conflicts were not reconciled, the postconflict SDB rates of losers were higher when they stayed with strongly affiliation opponents; if conflicts were reconciled, victims of strongly affiliation relationships opponents engaged in more SDB rates before reconciliation than after reconciliation, while victims of moderately affiliation relationships opponents did not engaged in more SDB rates before reconciliation than after reconciliation. We conclude that both of dominance rank and affiliation relationships might both influence the SDB rates of female Tibetan macaques significantly, suggesting that SDB is not only an index of anxiety in Tibetan macaques, but also can provide a new insight into evaluation of social relationships between individuals.

Social rank and cortisol among female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

In animal societies, some stressful events can lead to higher levels of physiological stress. Such stressors, like social rank, also predict an increased vulnerability to an array of diseases. However, the physiological relationship between social rank and stress varies between different species, as well as within groups of a single species. For example, dominant individuals are more socially stressed at times, while at other times it is the subordinate ones who experience this stress. Together, these variations make it difficult to assess disease vulnerability as connected to social interactions. In order to learn more about how physiological rank relationships vary between groups of a single species, cortisol measurements from hair samples were used to evaluate the effects of dominance rank on long-term stress levels in despotic and less stringent female rhesus macaque hierarchal groups. In despotic groups, cortisol levels were found not to be correlated with social rank, but a negative correlation was found between social rank and cortisol levels in less stringent hierarchies. Low ranking monkeys in less stringent groups secreted elevated levels of cortisol compared to higher ranking animals. These data suggest that variations in the strictness of the dominance hierarchy are determining factors in rank related stress physiology. The further consideration of nonhuman primate social system diversity and the linear degree of their hierarchies may allow for the development of valid rank-related stress models that will help increase our understanding and guide the development of new therapeutics for diseases related to human socioeconomic status.

Characterization of a Putative Filovirus Vaccine:Virus-Like Particles

Filoviruses are hemorrhagic fever viruses endemic to parts of Africa and the Philippines. Infection carries with it a mortality rate of up to 90% and currently there are no effective vaccines or therapeutics available to combat infection. However, the filovirus virus-like particles (VLP), which are currently under development, have been shown to be a promising vaccine candidate. They provide protection from infection in the mouse, guinea pig, and nonhuman primate models of infection, eliciting high anti-glycoprotein antibody titers and T cell responses to viral proteins. In this review, we will highlight the development of the filovirus VLP and describe the current understanding of VLP immunogenicity and correlates of protection.

系统功能视角下生态话语分析的多层面模式——以生态报告中银无须鳕身份构建为例

如今绝大多数生态问题源于人类对非人类动物1传统的身份构建,并影响其相关行为。建立一个完整的生态文本研究模式有助于读者了解文本构建非人类动物身份的手段。以银无须鳕(silver hake)评估报告为例的生态文本研究从语域、语义和词汇语法三个层面揭示了对非人类动物身份的构建,以此展现系统功能视角下研究生态话语的模式,凸显各层面隐藏或揭示生态问题的张力、作用和连贯性,以及它们之间的实现关系和相互渗透。生态语言学系统功能视角下的多层面研究模式有利于全面深入分析生态文本,发现并解决生态问题。

埃博拉病毒感染的治疗策略

2014年3月以来，埃博拉出血热疫情在非洲等地流行，因其较高的发病率和病死率引起了全世界高度关注，但目前尚没有美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）批准的针对该病的预防或暴露后治疗用药。由于埃博拉病毒的传播途径不完全明确，研究认为除了直接接触感染性物质，它也可能在动物间通过空气传播。

A functional paradigm for evaluating culture： An example with cetaceans

Nonhuman culture was first considered in nonhuman primates because they are genetically similar to humans. How- ever, evolution is not progressive and therefore many species may occupy niches that favor socially transmitted, group specific behavior. Not surprisingly, evidence for culture has accrued in several taxonomic groups, including cetaceans. If culture is an ada- ptation, it is imperative we understand the factors that favor its formation. Understanding the evolutionary origin of culture will allow for a wider range of species to be studied, including those that are difficult to test in the laboratory. I propose a broad-based functional paradigm for evaluating nonhuman culture; based on the idea that while not all cultural behaviors may garner fitness benefits to the individual, the ecological and social environments in which cultural behaviors evolved must have favored the physical attributes and social learning capabilities that allow for cultural formation. Specifically this framework emphasizes the relationships between social learning, ecology, social systems, and biology in relation to culture. I illustrate the utility of the func- tional paradigm with evidence from the ceteacean group, while setting the stage for a stringent species by species analysis. By means of contextualizing culture, the Functional Paradigm can evaluate a species＇ potential to exhibit culture and can investigate potentially cultural behaviors