Existence of sunspot equilibria and uniqueness of spot market equilibria : the case of intrinsically complete markets

We consider economies with additively separable utility functions and give conditions for the two-agents case under which the existence of sunspot equilibria is equivalent to the occurrence of the transfer paradox. This equivalence enables us to show that sunspots cannot matter if the initial economy has a unique spot market equilibrium and there are only two commodities or if the economy has a unique equilibrium for all distributions of endowments induced by asset trade. For more than two agents the equivalence breaks and we give an example for sunspot equilibria even though the economy has a unique equilibrium for all distributions of endowments induced by asset trade

Behavioural consistency and life history of Rana dalmatina tadpoles

The focus of evolutionary behavioural ecologists has recently turned towards understanding the causes and consequences of behavioural consistency, manifesting either as animal personality (consistency in a single behaviour) or behavioural syndrome (consistency across more behaviours). Behavioural type (mean individual behaviour) has been linked to life-history strategies, leading to the emergence of the integrated pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) theory. Using Rana dalmatina tadpoles as models, we tested if behavioural consistency and POLS could be detected during the early ontogenesis of this amphibian. We targeted two ontogenetic stages and measured activity, exploration and risk-taking in a common garden experiment, assessing both individual behavioural type and intra-individual behavioural variation. We observed that activity was consistent in all tadpoles, exploration only became consistent with advancing age and risk-taking only became consistent in tadpoles that had been tested, and thus disturbed, earlier. Only previously tested tadpoles showed trends indicative of behavioural syndromes. We found an activity—age at metamorphosis POLS in the previously untested tadpoles irrespective of age. Relative growth rate correlated positively with the intra-individual variation of activity of the previously untested older tadpoles. In previously tested older tadpoles, intra-individual variation of exploration correlated negatively and intra-individual variation of risk-taking correlated positively with relative growth rate. We provide evidence for behavioural consistency and POLS in predator- and conspecific-naive tadpoles. Intra-individual behavioural variation was also correlated to life history, suggesting its relevance for the POLS theory. The strong effect of moderate disturbance related to standard behavioural testing on later behaviour draws attention to the pitfalls embedded in repeated testing.Peer Reviewe

Middle Miocene insectivore succession from Hungary: preliminary results and ongoing studies

Work presented at Climate changes, bioevents and geochronology in the Atlantic and Mediterranean over the last 23 Myr.: Joint RCMNS-RCANS Interim Colloquium (Salamanca 21st to 23rd, 2011), Organizers: University of Salamanca, Fundación General USALDuring the last decade, intensive field work in the Miocene deposits from Hungary has lead in the discovery of large and well preserved micro-mammal faunas (e.g. Hír 2010). As a result much progress had been made in the understanding of the rodent biostratigraphy and faunal relationships in Eastern Europe. Paradoxically, few studies were undertaken on the Middle Miocene insectivore samples, most of the efforts being focused on younger records. This lack is a shame as this group is traditionally considered a good palaeoenvironmental indicator (particularly for humidity), and recently also proved its importance for palaeogeographical purposes (Furió et al. 2011).As a first step in the elaboration of the Middle Miocene insectivore faunas from Hungary, we review the Badenian material from Sámsonháza 3 (Nógrád County), and we add new results from the geographically and biostratigraphically close localities Hasznos and Mátrazölös. Clearly, different genera are recorded in the Sarmatian s. str. localities from the Felsötárkany Basin (Heves County), indicating drastic changes in the insectivore faunas during the late Middle Miocene.In the end, our work is aimed at evaluating the faunal changes in Hungary within the framework of the dynamic evolution of the Middle Miocene European environments.Peer reviewe

The small mammals from Gratkorn: An overview

The rich and diverse fossil mammalian assemblage from Gratkorn (Middle Miocene, Austria) is of primary importance for the understanding of the faunal evolution in Central Europe. Besides large mammals, the fauna comprises: Schizogalerix voesendorfensis, Galericinae gen. et sp. indet., Desmanodon fluegeli, Dinosorex sp., cf. Myotis sp., "Cricetodon" fandli, Megacricetodon minutus, Eumyarion sp., Spermophilinus bredai, Blackia sp., Forsythia gaudryi, Albanensia albanensis, Muscardinus aff. Sansaniensis, Miodyromys sp., Keramidomys sp., Euroxenomys minutus minutus, Prolagus oeningensis, cf. Eurolagus fontannesi and Ochotonidae indet. Based on the degree of corrosion on the dental elements and the presence of pellets, most, but not all, of the material is tentatively interpreted as a result of accumulation by nocturnal raptors. In addition to the information provided by the lower vertebrates and the molluscs, which occur in abundance in the same thin fossil-enriched layer, the mammal fauna gives a mixed picture of the environment (basically forested vs. open landscape). This could indicate the presence of different microhabitats around the excavation place, but may also be a taphonomical artefact based on various different agents of accumulation contributing to the thanatocoenosis. Nevertheless, the extreme quick accumulation of the fossils provides an exceptional windows in the late Sarmatian s. Str. ecosystems. © 2014 Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

An exceptional small vertebrate fauna from the latest middle Miocene of Austria

Talk delivered in XII EAVP Meeting – Torino 24-28 June 2014, organized by Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di TorinoThe late Middle Miocene is fascinating for the study of terrestrial palaeoecosystems: following the long period of the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, drastic climatic changes induced important faunal re-arrangement and migration within Europe. Rich and diverse fossil faunas are thus of primary importance for the understanding of these processes. The late Middle Miocene is well recorded in various Iberian basins, but complete faunas of this period are rare in Central Europe. Therefore, the recent discovery of an exceptional fossil assemblage of macroand micro-vertebrates in Gratkorn (early Late Sarmatian, Austria, Styria), allows a fresh look on the palaeocommunity following the Mid-Miocene cooling. Based on the degree of corrosion on the dental elements and the presence of pellets, most, but not all, of the small mammal remains (19 species) are tentatively interpreted as a result of accumulation by nocturnal raptors. Probably, part of the fossorial indviduals of the lower vertebrate (including two fish, eight amphibian and 17 reptile taxa) might have been buried in situ, maybe in their own burrows in the sandy soil Lower vertebrates, small mammals and molluscs occur in abundance in the same thin fossil enriched layer, and give a mixed picture of the environment: relatively sparsely vegetated floodplainwith sandysoils, including short-lived ponds, streams or rivulets in the close vicinity, relatively open landscapes, with a dry, semi-arid climate. Indications of „forested area“ are indicated by the gliding mammals. This could indicates the presence of different microhabitats around the excavation place, but mayalso be a taphonomical artefact based on various different agents of accumulation contributingto the thanatocoenosis. Nevertheless, the extreme quick accumulation (decades?) of the fossils.Peer reviewe