Ethnozoology in Brazil: current status and perspectives

Ancient connections between animals and human are seen in cultures throughout the world in multiple forms of interaction with the local fauna that form the core of Ethnozoology. Historically, ethnozoological publications grew out of studies undertaken in academic areas such as zoology, human ecology, sociology and anthropology - reflecting the interdisciplinary character of this discipline. The rich fauna and cultural diversity found in Brazil, with many different species of animals being used for an extremely wide diversity of purposes by Amerindian societies (as well as the descendents of the original European colonists and African slaves), presents an excellent backdrop for examining the relationships that exist between humans and other animals. This work presents a historical view of ethnozoological research in Brazil and examines its evolution, tendencies, and future perspectives. In summary, literature researches indicated that ethnozoology experienced significant advances in recent years in Brazil, although from a qualitative point of view improvement is still needed in terms of methodological procedures, taxonomic precision, and the use of quantitative techniques. A wide range of methodologies and theories are available in different areas of learning that can be put to good use in ethnozoological approaches if the right questions are asked. The challenges to studying ethnozoology in Brazil are not insignificant, and the tendencies described in the present study may aid in defining research strategies that will maintain the quantitative growth observed in the recent years but likewise foster needed qualitative improvements

El modelo cortical HTM y su aplicación al conocimiento lingüístico

El problema que aborda este trabajo de investigación es encontrar un modelo neurocomputacional de representación y comprensión del conocimiento léxico, utilizando para ello el algoritmo cortical HTM, que modela el mecanismo según el cual se procesa la información en el neocórtex humano. La comprensión automática del lenguaje natural implica que las máquinas tengan un conocimiento profundo del lenguaje natural, lo que, actualmente, está muy lejos de conseguirse. En general, los modelos computacionales para el Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural (PLN), tanto en su vertiente de análisis y comprensión como en la de generación, utilizan algoritmos fundamentados en modelos matemáticos y lingüísticos que intentan emular la forma en la que tradicionalmente se ha procesado el lenguaje, por ejemplo, obteniendo la estructura jerárquica implícita de las frases o las desinencias de las palabras. Estos modelos son útiles porque sirven para construir aplicaciones concretas como la extracción de datos, la clasificación de textos o el análisis de opinión. Sin embargo, a pesar de su utilidad, las máquinas realmente no entienden lo que hacen con ninguno de estos modelos. Por tanto, la pregunta que se aborda en este trabajo es si, realmente, es posible modelar computacionalmente los procesos neocorticales humanos que regulan el tratamiento de la información de tipo semántico del léxico. Esta cuestión de investigación constituye el primer nivel para comprender el procesamiento del lenguaje natural a niveles lingüísticos superiores..

Bottlenose dolphin signature whistle variation : a perspective on physical characteristics, long-term stability, relatedness, and disturbance effects

Bottlenose dolphin signature whistles are individually specific, modulated tonal sounds that have been the focus of interest for studying the social acoustic repertoire in this species. However, there is still limited understanding about the factors that might drive variation in these signals. The dolphin community in Sarasota Bay is ideal for investigating the influence of interspecific and intraspecific characteristics as well as the social structure on signature whistles as it has been a long-term study for over 30 years. In this thesis, I investigated whether sex, age and size affected the acoustic parameters and modulation patterns of signature whistles. I also determined the variation in signature whistle acoustic characteristics over a long period of time to test the stability of contour patterns. To look at the possible influence of genetic relationships on whistle structure, I studied the influence of maternal kinship (including mothers, grandmothers, siblings and aunts or uncles) and associations during the first year of life on signature whistle acoustic parameters and contour modulation patterns. Since short-term responses to environmental changes can also be encoded in whistles and can lead to changes in whistle parameters, I investigated the effect of carrying digital acoustic devices (D-TAGs) after brief capture-release session on the acoustic properties of signature whistles and dolphin behaviour. The overall results of this thesis highlighted that signature whistles are arbitrary signals that have long-term stability allowing them to be reliable signature calls. Mother-calf relations and social interactions during very early development were found to have the highest influence on the crystallisation of a signature whistle modulation pattern. Carrying suction cup D-TAGs, on the other hand, had no clear effect on the dolphins’ signature whistles and surface behaviour, confirming that these research methods are appropriate for studying vocal behaviour in bottlenose dolphins

The acoustic behaviour of resident bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland, New Zealand

The bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus is an extremely well-studied species. We have an extensive knowledge of certain aspects of their vocal behaviour, particularly from captive contexts. Bottlenose dolphins produce a rich tapestry of vocalisations, however, which have historically received minimal attention. Resident groups of bottlenose dolphins frequent the waterways of Fiordland in southwest New Zealand. These deep, sheltered fiords are ideally suited for acoustic studies. This thesis presents the first detailed study of bottlenose dolphin acoustics in New Zealand. Both narrowband and broadband systems were used to record the vocalisations of two resident groups. Effort was distributed evenly over three years for both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound. From 875 recordings, I proposed a repertoire of 15 discrete calls. These categories were subsequently compared using parameters measured from almost 2000 individual vocalisations. Various multivariate techniques revealed some redundancy in the proposed repertoire, and it was subsequently reduced to 12 calls. The 12 call repertoire was compared between the potentially interbreeding populations of Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound. Fiord-specificity was revealed for many of the calls, particularly the sequenced calls and whistles. These differences suggest bottlenose dolphins use dialects, in keeping with studies of killer whales and sperm whales. As Fiordland dolphins are out of sight for 90% of the time, acoustic techniques allow inference in to subsurface behaviour. I investigated sequential relationships among sounds and between sounds and behaviours. Many calls were strongly implicated in social interactions. The vocalisations ratchet, orca and the sequenced calls were associated with periods of conflict. A number of the click-based calls were linked to diving and presumed foraging events. Inference on the functional significance of sounds allowed an interpretation of habitat use. This appears to be the first study relating the entire vocal repertoire of a cetacean population to a complete home range. Areas important for socialising, foraging and resting are proposed. Local management decisions may be well served by this information. This study uses benign techniques to build on previous research in Fiordland, and adds a new dimension to the study of these populations

Web Semantic Search with TUCUXI

S.Margherita di Pula (CAGLIARI), Italia, 21-23 Giugno