Evolution

In this book, Mariusz Tabaczek develops a contemporary, re-imagined proposal of an Aristotelian-Thomistic perspective on theistic evolution. Deeply rooted in classical philosophy and theology, the volume combines careful textual analysis of ancient, medieval, and contemporary literature with innovative, original, and constructive argumentation and modelling. Tabaczek offers a wide-ranging set of arguments on behalf of those who advocate for the relevance of classical philosophical and theological thought in the context of contemporary science and the dialogue between science and religion. Avoiding simplistic answers to complex questions concerning the origin of species, including the human species, his book inspires critical thinking and a systematic approach to all major philosophical presuppositions and both philosophical and theological repercussions of the theory of evolution. Without contradicting or abandoning the letter of the tradition, Tabaczek echoes the spirit of Aristotle's and Aquinas's philosophy and theology, moving them forward to embrace the evolutionary aspect of the contemporary view of reality.

Acoustic signals that reliably indicate body size, which usually determines competitive ability, are of particular interest for understanding how animals assess rivals and choose mates. Whereas body size tends to be negatively associated with formant dispersion in animal vocalizations, non-vocal signals have received little attention. Among the most emblematic sounds in the animal kingdom is the chest beat of gorillas, a non-vocal signal that is thought to be important in intra and inter-sexual competition, yet it is unclear whether it reliably indicates body size. We examined the relationship among body size (back breadth), peak frequency, and three temporal characteristics of the chest beat: duration, number of beats and beat rate from sound recordings of wild adult male mountain gorillas. Using linear mixed models, we found that larger males had significantly lower peak frequencies than smaller ones, but we found no consistent relationship between body size and the temporal chara...

Spinifex sericeus R.Br. is a dioecious, stoloniferous grass which occurs on sand dunes around much of the south-eastern coastline of Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Sex ratios of ramets of S. sericeus and some associated characteristics were studied on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Generally there was a male bias in the observed ramet sex ratio, although the extent of this bias varied with the beach investigated, the position in the dunes and the time of sampling. Male inflorescences matured and died more rapidly than females, and hence the observed male bias was greatest at the beginning of the flowering period. Male ramets were found to have more sexual tillers per clump than female ramets. The genet sex ratio was estimated from plants grown from seed and separated from each other throughout the experimental period. Males and females were found to be equal in number, although this equality may not be a true reflection of the genet sex ratio in the field.

This paper presents a model to confront the performance in work team through the organizational evolution. In this model, a series of elements, objectives and processes are outlined that shown in each phase of the organizational service life, allow to identify the rolls and strategies for the involved ones in the different teams.

SummarySeveral hypotheses explain the prevalence of undifferentiated sex chromosomes in poikilothermic vertebrates. Turnovers change the master sex determination gene, the sex chromosome or the sex determination system (e.g. XY to WZ). Jumping master genes stay main triggers but translocate to other chromosomes. Occasional recombination (e.g. in sex-reversed females) prevents sex chromosome degeneration. Recent research has uncovered conserved heteromorphic or even homomorphic sex chromosomes in several clades of non-avian and non-mammalian vertebrates. Sex determination in sturgeons (Acipenseridae) has been a long-standing basic biological question, linked to economical demands by the caviar-producing aquaculture. Here, we report the discovery of a sex-specific sequence from sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). Using chromosome-scale assemblies and pool-sequencing, we first identified a ~16 kb female-specific region. We developed a PCR-genotyping test, yielding female-specific products in...

Mandarin fishes (Sinipercidae) are piscivores that feed solely on live fry. Unlike higher vertebrates, teleosts exhibit feeding behavior driven mainly by genetic responses, with no modification by learning from parents. Mandarin fishes could serve as excellent model organisms for studying feeding behavior. We report a long-read, chromosomal-scale genome assembly for Siniperca chuatsi and genome assemblies for Siniperca kneri, Siniperca scherzeri and Coreoperca whiteheadi. Positive selection analysis revealed rapid adaptive evolution of genes related to predatory feeding/aggression, growth, pyloric caeca and euryhalinity. Very few gill rakers are observed in mandarin fishes; analogously, we found that zebrafish deficient in edar had a gill raker loss phenotype and a more predatory habit, with reduced intake of zooplankton but increased intake of prey fish. Higher expression of bmp4, which could inhibit edar expression and gill raker development through binding of a Xvent-1 site upstr...

We here report the unexpected presence of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus campestris) on Gorgona Island, in the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano (Tuscan Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea, Tuscany, Central Italy). Field observations were carried out in 2020 confirming its presence on the island, where it had never been reported before. We recorded 37 GPS points of the species in three major areas of Gorgona (with 50 lizard records) and about 180 visual counts regarding all age classes (newborns, juveniles and adults). The species was found in the urban area (site of state prison) and in two grassy and bushed areas, around and along olive tree plantations. Seven individuals were captured and their tails were used to assess the sequence variation of the mitochondrial CYB gene. Biometrical parameters were also evaluated for six of these individuals. We detected three distinct CYB haplotypes that were compared to Podarcis siculus CYB sequences available in public databases. They re...

As a sarcopterygian fish, the extant coelacanth Latimeria has muscular paired fins, different in their skeletal and muscular anatomy from the paired fins of actinopterygians. Although the muscular anatomy of the pectoral and pelvic fins of Latimeria has been described by several studies, a detailed functional description of the muscles and their architecture has never been performed. Our detailed functional description of the muscles of the paired fins shows a more complex organization than previously described. The pectoral and pelvic fins have a different organization of their muscular anatomy, and the pelvic fin shows a more plesiomorphic configuration of the muscles since most of them are poly-articular and run from the pelvic girdle to the fin rays, an organization typical of actinopterygians. We found that the pectoral fins are stronger than the pelvic fins which is likely to be associated with the greater contribution of the pectoral fins to locomotion and manoeuvring. Finall...

Resumen: La marca de distribuidor está experimentando un proceso de crecimiento notable en nuestro país, especialmente en los mercados de productos de gran consumo. Sobre este particular, este trabajo tiene por objeto analizar la situación actual así como las tendencias futuras en la comercialización de marcas de distribuidor en la industria de productos de gran consumo. Para ello, se tendrá en cuenta la penetración de las marcas de distribuidor en distintas categorías de productos de gran consumo, exponiéndose una serie de ...

Many insect species have acquired the ability to redirect plant development to form unique organs called galls, which provide these insects with unique, enhanced food and protection from enemies and the elements. Many galls resemble flowers or fruits, suggesting that elements of reproductive development may be involved. We tested this hypothesis using RNA sequencing to quantify the transcriptional responses of wild grapevine (Vitis riparia) leaves to a galling parasite, phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae). If development of reproductive structures is part of gall formation, we expected to find significantly elevated expression of genes involved in flower and/or fruit development in developing galls as opposed to ungalled leaves. We found that reproductive gene ontology categories were significantly enriched in developing galls, and that expression of many candidate genes involved in floral development were significantly increased, particularly in later gall stages. The patterns o...

Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 (LB400), a well studied, effective polychlorinated biphenyl-degrader, has one of the two largest known bacterial genomes and is the first nonpathogenic Burkholderia isolate sequenced. From an evolutionary perspective, we find significant differences in functional specialization between the three replicons of LB400, as well as a more relaxed selective pressure for genes located on the two smaller vs. the largest replicon. High genomic plasticity, diversity, and specialization within the Burkholderia genus are exemplified by the conservation of only 44% of the genes between LB400 and Burkholderia cepacia complex strain 383. Even among four B. xenovorans strains, genome size varies from 7.4 to 9.73 Mbp. The latter is largely explained by our findings that >20% of the LB400 sequence was recently acquired by means of lateral gene transfer. Although a range of genetic factors associated with in vivo survival and intercellular interactions are present, thes...

This article tries to address the following questions related to NOMA (Non Overlapping MAgisteria): Is the appeal to theological reasons, such as divine causation, acceptable in scientific explanations, and what does it yield? If there is no causal joint between God and the natural world, is divine causation unnecessary and irrelevant in scientific explanations? Finally, what is the nature of the explanations proposed by Theology? To answer these questions and clarify the meaning of theological explanation, this paper will first present different approaches to explanation in Science and Theology (1). It will then explore the areas where science is receptive to and incorporates theological explanations (2). The paper will conclude with the examination of whether this integration is merely an 'addition' or an essential element that overthrows the naturalistic perspective (3).

almost unknown in its ninteen-month field study south-eastern Senegal. of their feeding, ranging he Guinea or Western baboon, Papio papio, was natural environment. This thesis reports a of two troops of P. papio carried out in The monkeys were followed on foot, and aspects and social behaviour were recorded. The troops were censused whenever possible. Both study troops, and other troops in the area, were found to be unusually large by comparison with other known troops in the genus, and although their age-sex compositions were not exceptional, there was some indication that recruitment into the adult population was low. The activity budgets of both troops were similar, and members of