Modernizing Evolutionary Anthropology : Introduction to the Special Issue.

Evolutionary anthropology has traditionally focused on the study of small-scale, largely self-sufficient societies. The increasing rarity of these societies underscores the importance of such research yet also suggests the need to understand the processes by which such societies are being lost-what we call "modernization"-and the effects of these processes on human behavior and biology. In this article, we discuss recent efforts by evolutionary anthropologists to incorporate modernization into their research and the challenges and rewards that follow. Advantages include that these studies allow for explicit testing of hypotheses that explore how behavior and biology change in conjunction with changes in social, economic, and ecological factors. In addition, modernization often provides a source of "natural experiments" since it may proceed in a piecemeal fashion through a population. Challenges arise, however, in association with reduced variability in fitness proxies such as fertility, and with the increasing use of relatively novel methodologies in evolutionary anthropology, such as the analysis of secondary data. Confronting these challenges will require careful consideration but will lead to an improved understanding of humanity. We conclude that the study of modernization offers the prospect of developing a richer evolutionary anthropology, by encompassing ultimate and proximate explanations for behavior expressed across the full range of human societies

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, FL 1992 Report

Since 1978, the Broward County Environmental Protection Department (BCEPD) has provided for the conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtle species within its area of responsibility. Broward County is within the normal nesting areas of three species of sea turtles: the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The loggerhead is listed as a threatened species, while the green and leatherback are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, 1973, and Chapter 370, F.S. Since these statutes strictly forbid any disturbance of sea turtles and their nests, conservation activities involving the relocation of nests from hazardous locations (especially necessary along heavily developed coasts) require permitting by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In Florida, this permit is issued to the Florida Department of Natural Resources (FDNR), which subsequently issues permits to individuals. universities and government agencies. This project was administered by the BCDNRP and conducted by the Nova University Oceanographic Center under Marine Turtle Permit #129, issued to the BCDNRP by the FDNR Institute of Marine Research, St. Petersburg, Florida. The BCDNRP is especially concerned with any environmental effects of intermittent beach renourishment projects on shorelines and the offshore reefs. As part of this concern, the BCDNRP has maintained the sea turtle conservation program in non-renourishment years to provide a continuous data base. Operation of the program is competitively bid and a contract award is issued based on a selection committee review of submitted bids through a weighted point factor procedure. Nova University was awarded the contract to conduct the 1992 program. In addition to fulfilling statutory requirements, the purposes of the project were: to relocate eggs from nests deposited in sites threatened by natural processes or human activities and thus maximize hatchling recruitment, to accurately survey sea turtle nesting patterns to determine any historical trends and assess natural and anthropogenic factors affecting nesting patterns and densities, to assess the success of sea turtle recruitment and of hatchery operations in terms of nesting success, hatching success and total hatchlings released, to dispose of turtle carcasses, respond to strandlngs and other emergencies and maintain a hot-line for reporting of turtle incidents, and to inform and educate the public on sea turtles and their conservation

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, FL 1990 Report

Since 1978, the Broward County Environmental Protection Department (BCEPD) has provided for the conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtle species within its area of responsibility. Broward County is within the normal nesting areas of three species of sea turtles: the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The loggerhead is listed as a threatened species, while the green and leatherback are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, 1973, and Chapter 370, F.S. Since these statutes strictly forbid any disturbance of sea turtles and their nests, conservation activities involving the relocation of nests from hazardous locations (especially necessary along heavily developed coasts) require permitting by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In Florida, this permit is issued to the Florida Department of Natural Resources (FDNR), which subsequently issues permits to individuals. universities and government agencies. This project was administered by the BCEPD and conducted by the Nova University Oceanographic Center under Marine Turtle Permit #129, issued to the BCEPD by the FDNR Institute of Marine Research, St. Petersburg, Florida. The BCEPD is especially concerned with any environmental effects of intermittent beach renourishment projects on shorelines and the offshore reefs. As part of this concern, the BCEPD has maintained the sea turtle conservation program in non-renourishment years to provide a continuous data base. Operation of the program is competitively bid and a contract award is issued based on a selection committee review of submitted bids through a weighted point factor procedure. Nova University was awarded the contract to conduct the 1990 program. In addition to fulfilling statutory requirements, the purposes of the project were: to relocate eggs from nests deposited in sites threatened by natural processes or human activities and thus maximize hatchling recruitment, to accurately survey sea turtle nesting patterns to determine any historical trends and assess natural and anthropogenic factors affecting nesting patterns and densities, to assess the success of sea turtle recruitment and of hatchery operations in terms of nesting success, hatching success and total hatchlings released, to dispose of turtle carcasses, respond to strandlngs and other emergencies and maintain a hot-line for reporting of turtle incidents, and to inform and educate the public on sea turtles and their conservation

Atomic hydrogen maser measurements with wall surfaces of carbon tetrafluoride

The principal objectives of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory cold maser research programs are given. This work is aimed principally at understanding more about the interaction of hydrogen atoms with wall coatings of fluorinated ethylene propylene (Dupont Teflon FEP-120 co-polymer) and of carbon tetrafluoride (CE4). The principal measured quantity in these experiments is the wall shift of the maser's output frequency. The wall shift per atomic collision was calculated from the measured wall frequency shift. This assumes that the wall surface area is smooth on a molecular scale

Evaluation of Ice-Melting Capacities of Deicing Chemicals

Common deicing chemicals include sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, potassium formate, and corn or beet-based deicer solution. Liquid deicers are commonly used for pre-wetting road salt, sand or other solid deicers, or mixed with salt brine as liquid deicer. Although manufacturers provide performance data under specific conditions, a standardized test is very much needed. Samples of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium acetate, and beet juice-based chemical deicers were selected for performance evaluation. The SHRP Ice-Melting Capacity Test has been used in many research projects, but the results do not always correlate well with field data. A simple and economical test has been developed to evaluate the ice-melting capacities of deicing chemicals using a martini shaker, which shows some potential to become a standardized test for ice-melting capacity evaluation. Field data was collected by the Nebraska Dept. of Roads using automatic vehicle location (AVL) and the maintenance decision support system (MDSS) installed on some plow trucks. The AVL takes roadway pictures from the cab and records vehicle location. The MDSS collects weather data from area weather stations. Although initial shaker test results correlate well with known deicer performance and limited field data provided by MDSS, further development work is necessary before the shaker test can be considered for official use

Evaluation of Ice-Melting Capacities of Deicing Chemicals

Common deicing chemicals include sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, potassium formate, and corn or beet-based deicer solution. Liquid deicers are commonly used for pre-wetting road salt, sand or other solid deicers, or mixed with salt brine as liquid deicer. Although manufacturers provide performance data under specific conditions, a standardized test is very much needed. Samples of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium acetate, and beet juice-based chemical deicers were selected for performance evaluation. The SHRP Ice-Melting Capacity Test has been used in many research projects, but the results do not always correlate well with field data. A simple and economical test has been developed to evaluate the ice-melting capacities of deicing chemicals using a martini shaker, which shows some potential to become a standardized test for ice-melting capacity evaluation. Field data was collected by the Nebraska Dept. of Roads using automatic vehicle location (AVL) and the maintenance decision support system (MDSS) installed on some plow trucks. The AVL takes roadway pictures from the cab and records vehicle location. The MDSS collects weather data from area weather stations. Although initial shaker test results correlate well with known deicer performance and limited field data provided by MDSS, further development work is necessary before the shaker test can be considered for official use