Male coercion and female choice in wild chimpanzees

The question of whether female primates, in promiscuously breeding species, exhibit preferences for particular males, and subtly attempt to bias paternity, is famously intractable. Previous studies from three sites have shown that, in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), females mate more restrictively during the fertile period, and this has been taken as evidence for female choice. A common problem with these studies, however, was a failure to test whether females sexual solicitations and refusals, during periods when females are most attractive, resulted from free choice or from fear of male aggression. We used 10 years of data from the Kanyawara community in Kibale National Park to test whether male aggression influences female mating patterns. As with previous studies, we found that females mated more restrictively during the periovulatory period (POP), and that males who were generally approached by individual females for copulations were approached more frequently by those females during the POP. However, individual females at our site initiated periovulatory copulations most frequently with the males who had been most aggressive toward them throughout their cycles (i.e. during both estrous and non-estrous periods). We interpret this as evidence for a form of “conditioning aggression” in which males are aggressive in a variety of contexts to manipulate female sexuality over the long term. We suggest that the resulting mating patterns fit with a model of male coercion, but not with models of female choice based on preferences for “good genes”.AnthropologyHuman Evolutionary Biolog

Are fathers a good substitute for mothers? Paternal care and growth rates in Shodagor children

Abstract Biparental care is a hallmark of human social organization, though paternal investment varies between and within societies. The facultative nature of paternal care in humans suggests males should invest when their care improves child survival and/or quality, though testing this prediction can be challenging because of the difficulties of empirically isolating paternal effects from those of other caregivers. Additionally, the broader context in which care is provided, vis-à-vis care from mothers and others, may lead to different child outcomes. Here, we examine the effects of paternal care on child growth among Shodagor fisher-traders, where fathers provide high levels of both additive and substitutive care, relative to mothers. We modeled seasonal z-scores and velocities for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) outcomes using linear mixed models. Our evidence indicates that, as predicted, the context of paternal care is an important predictor of child outcomes. Results show that environmental seasonality and alloparental help contribute to a nuanced understanding of the impact of Shodagor paternal care on child physiology

No Evidence of Short-Term Exchange of Meat for Sex among Chimpanzees

The meat-for-sex hypothesis posits that male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) trade meat with estrous females in exchange for short-term mating access. This notion is widely cited in the anthropological literature and has been used to construct scenarios about human evolution. Here we review the theoretical and empirical basis for the meat-for-sex hypothesis. We argue that chimpanzee behavioral ecology does not favor the evolution of such exchanges because 1) female chimpanzees show low mate selectivity and require little or no material incentive to mate, violating existing models of meat-for-sex exchange; and 2) meat-for-sex exchanges are unlikely to provide reproductive benefits to either partner. We also present new analyses of 28 years of data from two East African chimpanzee study sites (Gombe National Park, Tanzania; Kanyawara, Kibale National Park, Uganda) and discuss the results of previously published studies. In at least three chimpanzee communities, 1) the presence of sexually receptive females did not increase hunting probability; 2) males did not share preferentially with sexually receptive females and 3) sharing with females did not increase a male’s short-term mating success. We acknowledge that systematic meat-sharing by male chimpanzees in expectation of or as reward for immediate copulations might be discovered in future studies of chimpanzees. However current data indicate that such exchanges are so rare in studied populations, and are so different in nature from exchanges among humans, that with respect to chimpanzees, sexual bartering in humans should be regarded as a derived trait with no known antecedents in the behavior of wild chimpanzees.Human Evolutionary Biolog

Involving Immigrant Latino Farmers in Local Food Systems A Community Capitals Approach

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (10th : 2012 : Kansas City, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedings.Using the community capital framework, this study analyzes two projects that engage immigrants (Latinos) in gardening. The first project focuses on creation and implementation of a farm incubator program for both immigrant Latino farmers and beginning native (Anglo) farmers and the subsequent organization of a local foods group in a non-metropolitan Iowa community. The second project revitalizes a community garden by involving immigrants (Latinos). The paper uses multiple sources and methods to document the successes and shortcomings in building a multicultural food system. These include focus groups with Latino/a farmers and organizers of the program, participant observation, notes from steering committee meetings, analysis of participatory evaluations, and content analysis of documents from meetings and classes. Human, social, and cultural capitals are essential elements for these programs to succeed. The interaction among these three capitals mobilizes other community capitals for program improvement. However, in a multicultural situation, these capitals can inadvertently challenge continuity and success. The intergroup relations that emerge from the interaction among these capitals can be unpredictable. Recommendations center on how to reduce risk in mobilizing the most critical community capitals

A comparison of female mating strategies in Pan troglodytes and Pongo spp

Abstract Orangutans and chimpanzees differ in many aspects of their mating and social systems. Nevertheless, because both great apes require enormous maternal investment in offspring and because female reproductive potential is limited, female orangutans and chimpanzees should be selective of their mates, yet expected to exhibit anti-infanticide strategies such as mating with multiple males. We review and compare mating patterns in orangutans and chimpanzees to understand how these critical pressures are filtered through the different demands of the socioecology of each species. We highlight the variation in female mating behavior as a function of the proximity of ovulation. We conclude that both genera pursue tactics for paternity confusion by mating with multiple males and by mating cooperatively or even proceptively with nonpreferred partners when conception is unlikely. Mating selectivity is suggested by variation in proceptive behavior toward particular partners and by increased resistance of nonpreferred partners during the periovulatory period. Thus, data for both species support a mixed mating strategy whereby females shift their mating behavior in accordance with ovulatory status to accommodate the competing demands of mate selectivity and paternity confusion

The context of female dispersal in Kanyawara chimpanzees

In most social mammals, members of either one sex or both leave their natal group at sexual maturity. In catarrhine primates, male emigration is the predominant pattern. Female philopatry facilitates cooperation among kin, and female reproductive success is influenced by these relationships. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are unusual in that dispersal is almost exclusively by females. While plausible ultimate hypotheses can explain this dispersal pattern, the proximate causes of female dispersal are unknown and warrant examination due to variation in dispersal behaviour and the associated high costs of immigration. In this study, we examine the behavioural and hormonal context of female dispersal in chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, Uganda, in order to understand variation in dispersal patterns and gain insight into functional explanations. Using over 10 years of behavioural, endocrinological, and demographic records, we examined the significance of 5 potential predictors of the timing of dispersal: (1) maturational state; (2) association patterns; (3) mating patterns; (4) physiological stress; and (5) feeding ecology. Female dispersal was not strictly predicted by chronological or gynaecological age, and dispersal did not correlate with shifts in glucocorticoid levels. We found no evidence that females avoided mating in their natal group, even with known relatives, suggesting that inbreeding avoidance is not a sufficient proximate explanation for dispersal in chimpanzees. Instead, variation in social development and the availability of energy for dispersal were implicated and necessitate more intensive examination along with subtler variation in maturational trajectories.Human Evolutionary Biolog

Construction and Analysis of an Ozone Profile Climatology Over Houston, Texas

Since the summer of 2004, over 200 ozonesondes have been launched from the campuses of Rice University or the University of Houston (29.7 N, 95.3 W), each about 3 miles from downtown Houston. These sounding launches have been sponsored by NASA, the Shell Center for Sustainability of Rice University, and the Texas Commissions for Environmental Quality as part of a large effort to understand Houston’s ozone problem. Data from these soundings have provided valuable insight into the seasonal and diurnal variations of the vertical ozone distribution and their relationship to changes in atmospheric conditions. In this presentation, we show annual and seasonal variability in the ozone profile, evidence for the impact of meteorological factors on the ozone profile, and comparisons of the ozonesonde data with TES and OMI retrievals

Supraclavicular decompression for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome in adolescent and adult populations

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to better define clinical results and understand factors determining responsiveness to surgical treatment for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS) in adolescent and adult populations.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted for 189 patients with disabling NTOS who underwent primary supraclavicular decompression (scalenectomy, brachial plexus neurolysis and first rib resection, with or without pectoralis minor tenotomy) from April 2008 to December 2010. Clinical characteristics were compared between 35 adolescent patients (aged <21 years) and 154 adults (aged >21 years). Functional outcome measures were assessed before surgery and at 3- and 6-month follow-up using a composite NTOS Index combining the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) survey, the Cervical-Brachial Symptom Questionnaire (CBSQ), and a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) for pain.ResultsAdolescent and adult patients were not significantly different with respect to sex (overall 72.5% female), side affected (58.7% right, 60.3% dominant limb), bony anomalies (23.3%), previous injury (55.6%), coexisting pain disorders (11.1%), and positive responses to scalene muscle anesthetic blocks (95.6%). Compared with adults, adolescent patients had a significantly (P < .05) lower incidence of depression (11.4% vs 41.6%), motor vehicle injury (5.7% vs 20.1%), previous operations (11.4% vs 29.9%), preoperative use of opiate medications (17.1% vs 44.8%), and symptom duration >2 years (24.2% vs 50.0%). Mean preoperative NTOS Index (scale 0-100) was significantly lower in adolescent vs adult patients (46.5 ± 3.6 vs 58.5 ± 1.7; P = .009), and hospital length of stay was 4.4 ± 0.2 vs 4.9 ± 0.1 days (P = .03), but the rate of postoperative complications was no different (overall, 4.2%). Although both groups exhibited significant improvement in functional outcome measures at 3 and 6 months, adolescent patients had significantly lower NTOS Index (10.4 ± 3.1 vs 39.3 ± 3.3; P < .001) and use of opiate medications (11.4% vs 47.4%; P < .001) compared with adults.ConclusionsAdolescents undergoing supraclavicular decompression for NTOS had more favorable preoperative characteristics and enhanced 3-month and 6-month functional outcomes than adults. Further study is needed to delineate the age-dependent and independent factors that promote optimal surgical outcomes for NTOS

Risk Prediction Models for Colorectal Cancer Incorporating Common Genetic Variants: A Systematic Review.

Colorectal cancer screening reduces colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Risk models based on phenotypic variables have relatively good discrimination in external validation and may improve efficiency of screening. Models incorporating genetic variables may perform better. In this review, we updated our previous review by searching Medline and EMBASE from the end date of that review (January 2014) to February 2019 to identify models incorporating at least one SNP and applicable to asymptomatic individuals in the general population. We identified 23 new models, giving a total of 29. Of those in which the SNP selection was on the basis of published genome-wide association studies, in external or split-sample validation the AUROC was 0.56 to 0.57 for models that included SNPs alone, 0.61 to 0.63 for SNPs in combination with other risk factors, and 0.56 to 0.70 when age was included. Calibration was only reported for four. The addition of SNPs to other risk factors increases discrimination by 0.01 to 0.06. Public health modeling studies suggest that, if determined by risk models, the range of starting ages for screening would be several years greater than using family history alone. Further validation and calibration studies are needed alongside modeling studies to assess the population-level impact of introducing genetic risk-based screening programs