Sounds of protolanguages: Some preliminary insights from developmental psychology

In present paper I examine the transition from crying to word in human infants and propose that it might be a treasure acoustic box helping us to conceive how our ancestor’s sounds might have been, and to outline breakpoints that might help us in making hypotheses about possible subsequent phases of language evolution.

Climate Change and Emotions: Analysis of People’s Emotional States in Southern Ecuador

Climate change involves multiple emotional expressions associated with specific labels, notably:‘concern’ ‘guilt’, or ‘scepticism’ However, there are other types of emotions that have been less analysed, such as ‘powerlessness’, ‘anger’ and ‘confusion’ that are of equal importance for predicting behavioural changes towards this climatic issue. Likewise, few studies in this research field rely on qualitative data to understand and identify the causative agents for the emotional arousal. This research explores a range of emotions, mixing those that have been widely studied and those that have been hardly analysed. It also looks at the demographic parameters associated with such emotions using a population sample from southern Ecuador. The study analyses quantitative and qualitative data gathered through structured-questionnaires whereby participants were given agency to select and define how they themselves sense emotionally climate change. The results indicate that two of the five participants' most selected emotions are shared with other nations (‘concern’, ‘guilt’), while the other three have been less reported and studied in the climate change field (‘powerlessness’, ‘anger’, and ‘confusion’). These emotions were found to be aroused by different reasons associated with specific demographic variables. The findings reveal the role of the cultural and local environment in the emotional arousal and its relevance for designing more effective climate communication campaigns

Helpers influence on territory use and maintenance in Alpine marmot groups

In social mammals, territory size and shape vary according to the number and strength of neighbour individuals competing for resources. Two main theories have been proposed to explain this variability: the Group Augmentation (GA) and the realized Resource Holding Potential (rRHP) hypotheses. The first states that the outcome of the interactions among groups depends on the total number of individuals in the group while the second states that only the number of animals directly involved in intergroup competition determines this outcome. We collected data on space use of individually tagged Alpine marmots ( Marmota marmota), a cooperative breeding species that overlaps part of its territory with neighbouring groups. In accordance with the rRHP hypothesis, we found that groups having higher proportion of helpers, rather than higher total number of individuals, had lower percentage of the territory overlapping with neighbouring groups and a larger area available for individual exclusive use

The successful introduction of the alpine marmot Marmota marmota in the Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula, Western Europe

21 páginas1. The introduction of non-native species can pose environmental and economic risks, but under some conditions, introductions can serve conservation or recreational objectives. To minimize risks, introductions should be conducted following the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s guidelines and should include an initial assessment and a follow-up. 2. In 1948, to reduce the predation pressure on Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica by golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos, the alpine marmot Marmota marmota was introduced to the Pyrenees in Western Europe. In successive introductions, about 500 marmots were released, but the fate of the released animals and their impacts on the environment remain largely unstudied. 3. The aim of this study was to assess the success of the introduction of the alpine marmot into the Pyrenees, 60 years after the initial release, and the potential impacts of this species on Pyrenean ecosystems. 4. We reviewed what is known about the marmot populations introduced to the Pyrenees and other populations within their native range in the Alps, particularly in terms of population structure and dynamics, habitat use and potential environmental impacts. 5. The alpine marmot is widely distributed and, apparently, well established in the Pyrenees. Population structure and demographic parameters are similar within and outside the historical distribution range of the species, and habitat suitability is one of the main reasons for the species’ success in the Pyrenees. Few researchers have investigated the impacts of alpine marmots in the Pyrenees; thus, those impacts have to be inferred from those observed in the species’ native range or in other species of marmot. Introduced alpine marmots are likely to impact on Pyrenean grasslands through grazing and burrowing, have the potential to alter Pyrenean food webs and could act as vectors of parasites and disease. 6. Although the introduction of the alpine marmot in the Pyrenees appears to have been successful, more needs to be known about the effects of the established populations on the environment before informed management actions can be taken in the Pyrenees.We thank M. Gartzia for assistance with the map, C. Gortázar for useful advice on the parasites of alpine marmots, K. Foulché for providing information on the French populations and B. MacWhirter for improving the English version. Special thanks are due to S. Couto, A. García-Serrano and I. Garin for their support. A Félix de Azara Research Grant awarded by the Diputación de Huesca funded this project.Peer reviewe