Gonad development and reproduction in the monoecious species Chlorophthalmus agassizi (Actinopterygii: Aulopiformes: Chlorophthalmidae) from the Sardinian Waters (Central-Western Mediterranean)

Background. The shortnose greeneye, Chlorophthalmus agassizi Bonaparte, 1840, is a species with a circumglobal distribution and is among the most abundant commercial fishes in some Mediterranean areas. The knowledge of the biology and ecology of this species is poor and geographically limited, then the aim of this study is to provide a contribution to the knowledge on the reproductive biology of this monoecious deep-sea fish in Sardinian waters. Materials and Methods. In this paper the morphology and the development of the gonads, the mean size at maturity, the monthly evolution in the percent frequency of the maturity stages, and of the indices related to reproduction of the shortnose greeneye were examined. Individuals were caught by trawls, between 270 and 504 m of depth in the Sardinian seas. Results. The ovarian pattern is of an asynchronous type, characterized by releasing of eggs in successive batches. Seven stages of development for the ovary and four for the testis were identified on the basis of macroscopic and histological features. The female portion is the most evident component and shows a later maturation than the male portion. The spawning period is unique and takes place from May to September. Conclusion. The identification of spawning period and the adopted reproductive strategy is essential to obtain a better understanding of its biology and a good management of its fisheries

Analogical Thought, Natural Forms, and Human Type in Johann Gottfried Herder's Work

Analogical thoughtisakey concept in Herder'swork, providingacon-tinuous thread from his earlier writingsuptothe latest ones. Herder'saesthetics,his theory of knowledge,and his theory of mindrely on the thesis that humanbeingsare the'centre'of anypossible knowledge and onlyknow by means ofan analogical relation between the world and themselves. Herder developsthese ideas inamore systematic wayinhisIdeen(1784-1791), combininghis an-thropologicalviews with his philosophyofnatural history and of the history ofhumankind to provideto these latter not onlyauniversal law, but also concrete-ness and usefulness.Forthis reason, the notion of'type'as well as models, ex-amples, analogies from the world of nature and the culturalworld are the basisof anyknowledge which pursues thegoal of enhancing humankind

Cosmology, Astronomy, and Philosophy around 1800 : Schelling, Hegel, Herder

This article focuses on debates on philosophical knowledge, mathematics, and the empirical sciences by analyzing the positions on cosmological and astronomical knowledge, around 1800, of three German authors: Herder, Schelling, and Hegel. I show the mutual interdependence of Schelling's and Hegel's Naturphilosophie and Herder's Ideen, and I then demonstrate that the latter's position during the last years of his life was a reaction to Schelling's and Hegel's speculative philosophy. While Herder seems to ignore the works of the Naturphilosophen in his journal Adrastea, in fact he participated in a very lively debate that included Schelling's Weltseele and Hegel's Dissertatio de Orbitis Planetarum

Learning and Vision: Johann Gottfried Herder on Memory

A consistent thread throughout Johann Gottfried Herder’s thought is his interest in human knowledge and in its origins. Although he never formulated a systematic theory of knowledge, elements of one are disseminated in his writings, from the early manuscript Plato sagte (1766–68) to one of his last works, the periodical Adrastea (1801–3). Herder assigned a very special function to memory and to the related idea of a recollection of “images,” as they play a pivotal role in the formation of personal identity. He provided an original description of the Platonic theory of recollection, trying to merge ancient and modern metaphysical views and to interpret them from a less metaphysical and more psychological point of view. I then analyze Herder’s notion of memory via another research line, which is basically founded upon the analogy between the childhood of an individual and the infancy of the human race. Finally, I explore Herder’s view that memory and imagination, as “forces” of the soul, can have negative effects on an individual when they are not equally balanced

North-easternmost record of <i>Halosaurus ovenii</i> Actinopterygii: Notacanthiformes: Halosauridae) in the Mediterranean Sea, with notes on its biology

A single adult female specimen of Halosaurus ovenii Johnson, 1864 was captured by trammel nets at a depth of about 200 m off the coast of Arbatax (Sardinia, Italy) in early April 2007. Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the gonad showed a postspawning ovary. This is the fourth documented capture of this fish in the Mediterranean Sea, representing the north-easternmost record for this species in this geographic area. Furthermore, the present specimen was fished at the shallowest depth ever recorded before

Genere umano e carattere nazionale nella concezione filosofica herderiana

L’autrice indaga il concetto di “carattere nazionale”, inserendolo nella prospettiva naturalistica, antropologica e storicistica che caratterizza la riflessione sia giovanile che matura di J.G. Herder (1744-1803). Si mostrerà, in un primo momento, che il rifiuto dell’idea di “razza” da parte di Herder emerga come dato incontrovertibile dalla lettura dei suoi scritti – troppo spesso oggetto di fraintendimenti – e come il concetto di identità nazionale sia conciliabile, in Herder, con una visione relativistica della storia della cultura ma anche, allo stesso tempo, con una tensione ‘umanitaria’ (e in un certo senso cosmopolita) di educazione del genere umano. Specialmente nell’ultima fase della produzione intellettuale dell’autore diventa evidente che tale riflessione, pur attraversando come un filo continuo tutta l’opera herderiana, divenga più urgente anche in quanto mossa dalla preoccupazione per il futuro non soltanto dell’Europa, ma dell’umanità tutta concepita come unione vivente e non astratta di popoli

L’economia della natura e il respiro del mondo. La filosofia della natura di Swedenborg tra Herder e Schelling (1770-1810)

The central role of the notion of ‘life’ mainly characterises the dialogue between Naturphilosophie and the sciences between the end of the Eighteenth and the first decades of the Nineteenth Century in Germany. Many problems and topics, from the relation Infinite-finite to that between inorganic matter and living beings, rely on this concept. Especially in the period between 1770 and 1810, authors such as Herder, Goethe and Schelling tried to provide a philosophical explanation of the genesis of the cosmos and that of the single organisms. In so doing, they pursued an understanding of how the coexistence of unity and variety in every part of the universe, and the concurrence of the ‘economy’ of the whole and the individual development, are possible. This led them to a dynamic idea of nature: a continual transformation or metamorphosis of forms takes place according to the repetition, in different ways, of a unique model or ‘typus’ and suggests the view of the world as an organism, according to the old formula that ‘the great’ corresponds to the ‘small’. For a better understanding of these problems, it is useful to consider them also from a historical point of view, taking into account some of the sources of the German thought of these decades about life and nature. In this perspective, Emanuel Swedenborgʼs philosophy of nature can be considered as a paradigm for many concepts, all related to the problem of life, which are very important for the German philosophers such as Herder and Schelling. For this reason, I will consider the reception of his ideas and works in Germany during the years from 1760 to 1810, taking advantage, in particular, of the reviews of his scientific and philosophical writings, and of the survey of the presence of his works and translations in the catalogues of the private libraries of philosophers. A big part of this thesis is devoted to the analysis of Swedenborg’s, Herder’s and Schelling’s writings (some of which are not available in Italian language yet), in order to make a comparison and show the connections among their ideas, which still partially need a thorough consideration