Justice Through a Multispecies Lens

The bushfires in Australia during the Summer of 2019–2020, in the midst of which we were writing this exchange, violently heightened the urgency of the task of rethinking justice through a multispecies lens for all of the authors in this exchange, and no doubt many of its readers. As I finish this introduction, still in the middle of the Australian summer, more than 10 million hectares (100,000 km2 or 24.7 million acres) of bushland have been burned and over a billion individual animals killed. This says nothing of the others who will die because their habitat and the relationships on which they depend no longer exist. People all around the world are mourning these deaths and the destruction of unique ecosystems. As humans on this planet, and specifically as political theorists facing the prospect that such devastating events will only become more frequent, the question before us is whether we can rethink what it means to be in ethical relationships with beings other than humans and what justice requires, in ways that mark these deaths as absolute wrongs that obligate us to act, and not simply as unfortunate tragedies that leave us bereft

A comparative perspective on the evolution of tamarin and marmoset social systems

Tamarins and marmosets (callitrichids) present an unusual opportunity for study of the determinants of primate social systems, because both the mating and infant care patterns of callitrichids are variable, even within individual populations. In this paper, I briefly describe three characteristics of callitrichid social systems that distinguish them from most other primates: extensive male parental care, helping by nonreproductive individuals, and variable mating patterns. I then discuss the evolution of these characteristics and of the frequent twinning exhibited by callitrichids. I suggest that an ancestor of modern callitrichids gave birth to a single offspring at a time, mated monogamously, and had significant paternal care. The idea that males of this ancestral form must have provided paternal care, even though only single infants were born, derives from a comparison of litter/mother weight ratios in modern primate species. Twinning perhaps then evolved because of a combination of dwarfing in the callitrichid lineage, leading to higher litter/mother weight ratios, and a high infant mortality rate, and because the extensive paternal care already present facilitated the raising of twins. I propose that the helping behavior of older offspring may have coevolved with twinning, because helpers would have increased the chances of survival of twins, and the presence of twins would have increased the benefits of helping. Finally, the high costs of raising twins and the variability of group compositions, especially the fact that some groups would not have had older offspring to serve as helpers, may have selected for facultative polyandry in saddle-back tamarins ( Saguinus fuscicollis ) and perhaps in other callitrichid species. Both helping and cooperative polyandry have been extensively studied in bird species, and I apply some of the conclusions of these studies to the discussion of the evolution of callitrichid social systems.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44556/1/10764_2005_Article_BF02193696.pd

Identifying and managing seasonal exacerbations of COPD

Anne Rodman looks at the complications which can be caused by the change of the seasons </jats:p

Diagnosing COPD in general practice

COPD prevalence is likely to be underestimated in the UK. Anne Rodman explores the current evidence base for diagnosing COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for several different pathological processes in the lungs of susceptible individuals. COPD should be considered in any patient who has symptoms and a history of exposure to risk factors for the disease. The cornerstone of COPD diagnosis is to identify risk factors for this preventable condition, recognise and investigate any symptoms that are not commonly found in COPD, and confirm that obstruction is present with correctly performed and interpreted spirometry. This article explores the current evidence base for diagnosing COPD, how to differentiate it from asthma and other conditions with similar symptoms, and the rationale for specialist referral. </jats:p

Common comorbidities in COPD – providing patient-centred care

COPD management must incorporate looking for and treating several other conditions. By Anne Rodman </jats:p