Laterality strength is linked to stress reactivity in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)

Cerebral lateralization is an evolutionarily deep-rooted trait, ubiquitous among the vertebrates and present even in some invertebrates. Despite the advantages of cerebral lateralization in enhancing cognition and facilitating greater social cohesion, large within population laterality variation exists in many animal species. It is proposed that this variation is maintained due links with inter-individual personality trait differences. Here we explored for lateralization in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) using T-maze turn and rotational swimming tasks. Additionally, we explored for a link between personality traits, boldness and stress reactivity, and cerebral lateralization. Sharks demonstrated large individual and sex biased laterality variation, with females demonstrating greater lateralization than males overall. Stress reactivity, but not boldness, was found to significantly correlate with lateralization strength. Stronger lateralized individuals were more reactive to stress. Demonstrating laterality in elasmobranchs for the first time indicates ancient evolutionary roots of vertebrate lateralization approximately 240 million years old. Greater lateralization in female elasmobranchs may be related enhancing females’ ability to process multiple stimuli during mating, which could increase survivability and facilitate insemination. Despite contrasting evidence in teleost fishes, the results of this study suggest that stress reactivity, and other personality traits, may be linked to variation in lateralization

Incubation under Climate Warming Affects Behavioral Lateralisation in Port Jackson Sharks

Climate change is warming the world’s oceans at an unprecedented rate. Under predicted end-of-century temperatures, many teleosts show impaired development and altered critical behaviors, including behavioral lateralisation. Since laterality is an expression of brain functional asymmetries, changes in the strength and direction of lateralisation suggest that rapid climate warming might impact brain development and function. However, despite the implications for cognitive functions, the potential effects of elevated temperature in lateralisation of elasmobranch fishes are unknown. We incubated and reared Port Jackson sharks at current and projected end-of-century temperatures and measured preferential detour responses to left or right. Sharks incubated at elevated temperature showed stronger absolute laterality and were significantly biased towards the right relative to sharks reared at current temperature. We propose that animals reared under elevated temperatures might have more strongly lateralized brains to cope with deleterious effects of climate change on brain development and growth. However, far more research in elasmobranch lateralisation is needed before the significance of these results can be fully comprehended. This study provides further evidence that elasmobranchs are susceptible to the effects of future ocean warming, though behavioral mechanisms might allow animals to compensate for some of the challenges imposed by climate change

Reabilitação de edifício escolar do séc. XIX : arquivo municipal

Quando se fala de património cultural, fala-se de bens tangíveis e de bens intangíveis. Dos bens tangíveis incluem-se desde os monumentos mais simbólicos aos edifícios mais modestos. Os edifícios escolares, espalhados pelo território nacional, compõem um património histórico-cultural construído desde o século XVIII até aos dias de hoje. Atualmente, estes edifícios têm sido abandonados, em prol de um programa que unificou o sistema escolar em mega escolas, deixando para trás edifícios com valores arquitetónicos e históricos que marcaram o passado do nosso ensino. O estado de conservação destas construções é diverso e muitos têm vindo a ser reabilitados, para outros fins, para que não se percam os seus valores e a sua história. Com a intenção de manter vivas as memórias e os valores deste edifício, e preencher um vazio na preservação e conservação do nosso património documental, desenvolveu-se uma investigação e uma proposta para um arquivo municipal, de modo a que não se perca todo o património material que neste momento se encontra muito mal-acondicionado. Para isso, foi essencial realizar uma investigação com objetivos muito claros, através de uma inventariação de edifícios escolares devolutos, conseguiu-se chegar ao imóvel que reunia as melhores condições. Identificou-se e analisou-se toda a documentação conseguida sobre o referido prédio e avaliou-se através de um diagnóstico todas as características do edifico, para se desenvolver uma proposta de reabilitação e dotar a vila de Caminha de um arquivo municipal. O método de investigação a utilizar é o estudo de caso único, decorrente da análise documental; coleta de dados existentes, assim como do trabalho de campo realizado na área onde se localiza a escola, tendo como foco principal o edifício da própria escola; entrevistas dirigidas a “pessoas chave”; fotografias; croquis, notas de campo e diagnóstico. No tratamento da informação obter-se-ão os princípios e critérios de intervenção para a elaboração da parte de projeto a realizar. Em suma, através desta investigação foi possível desenvolver um programa específico, conforme as necessidades de um equipamento destinado a proteger, divulgar e promover o património arquivístico de Caminha. O equipamento proposto é num edifício localizado numa das entradas da vila de Caminha e é propriedade da Camara Municipal de Caminha. Além do programa para o qual será projetado, este terá uma maior abertura ao exterior, uma ligação com o núcleo museológico de caminha, assim como estabelecer protocolos com os estabelecimentos de ensino, permitindo a realização de diversas atividades culturais, durante todo o ano.Abstract: When we speak about cultural patrimony, we refer tangible and intangible properties. The tangible properties include since the most symbolic monuments to the most modest buildings. The school buildings spread all over the national territory constitute an historical-cultural patrimony built since the 18th century till today. Nowadays, these buildings have been abandoned, on behalf of a programme which has united the schooling system into mega schools, leaving buildings with architectural and historical values that have marked the past of our teaching system behind. The state of conservation of these constructions is varied and many have been rehabilitated, for other purposes, to prevent the loss of their values and history. With the intention of keeping the memories and the values of these buildings alive, and filling in a void in the preservation and conservation of our documental patrimony, a research and a proposal for a local archive were developed, in order to prevent the loss of all the material patrimony which is badly kept right now. To achieve this, it was essential to do a research with very clear objectives, through the inventory of empty schooling buildings, managing to get to the real estate which combined the best conditions. All the documentation gathered about the referred building was identified and analyzed and all the characteristics of the building were assessed through a diagnosis, so as to develop a rehabilitation proposal and thus endow the town of Caminha with a local archive. The research method to be used is the unique case study, resulting from the documental analysis; the gathering of existing data, as well as the field work achieved in the area where the school is located, having the own school building as the focal point; interviews made to “key people”; photos; sketches; field notes and diagnosis. The main principles and intervention criteria for the elaboration of part of the project were obtained through the data treatment. To sum up, through this research we were able to develop a specific programme, according to the needs of an equipment intended for the protection, divulging and promotion of the archive patrimony of Caminha. The suggested equipment is a building located in one of the access drives of the town of Caminha and which belongs to the Town Hall of Caminha. Besides the programme for which it will be projected, this would have a wider opening to the exterior, a connection with the museum nucleus of Caminha, as well as establishing protocols with the schools, allowing the achievement of diverse cultural activities, all year long

Incubation under Climate Warming Affects Behavioral Lateralisation in Port Jackson Sharks

Climate change is warming the world’s oceans at an unprecedented rate. Under predicted end-of-century temperatures, many teleosts show impaired development and altered critical behaviors, including behavioral lateralisation. Since laterality is an expression of brain functional asymmetries, changes in the strength and direction of lateralisation suggest that rapid climate warming might impact brain development and function. However, despite the implications for cognitive functions, the potential effects of elevated temperature in lateralisation of elasmobranch fishes are unknown. We incubated and reared Port Jackson sharks at current and projected end-of-century temperatures and measured preferential detour responses to left or right. Sharks incubated at elevated temperature showed stronger absolute laterality and were significantly biased towards the right relative to sharks reared at current temperature. We propose that animals reared under elevated temperatures might have more strongly lateralized brains to cope with deleterious effects of climate change on brain development and growth. However, far more research in elasmobranch lateralisation is needed before the significance of these results can be fully comprehended. This study provides further evidence that elasmobranchs are susceptible to the effects of future ocean warming, though behavioral mechanisms might allow animals to compensate for some of the challenges imposed by climate change

Social learning in solitary juvenile sharks

Social learning can be a shortcut for acquiring locally adaptive information. Animals that live in social groups have better access to social information, but gregarious and nonsocial species are also frequently exposed to social cues. Thus, social learning might simply reflect an animal\u27s general ability to learn rather than an adaptation to social living. Here, we investigated social learning and the effect of frequency of social exposure in nonsocial, juvenile Port Jackson sharks, Heterodontus portusjacksoni. We compared (1) Individual Learners, (2) Sham-Observers, paired with a naïve shark, and (3) Observers, paired with a trained demonstrator, in a novel foraging task. We found that more Observers learnt the foraging route compared to Individual Learners or Sham-Observers, and that Individual Learners took more days to learn. Training frequency did not affect learning rate, suggesting acquisition occurred mostly between training bouts. When demonstrators were absent, 30% of observers maintained their performance above the learning criterion, indicating they retained the acquired information. These results indicate that social living is not a prerequisite for social learning in elasmobranchs and suggest social learning is ubiquitous in vertebrates

Escolas Primárias. Edifícios com propósito.

A base principal desta dissertação passa pela identificação e análise das tipologias dosedifícios cuja função é "Escola Primária" em Portugal. Passa também pela pesquisa detipologias e métodos empregues em alguns países mais desenvolvidos nesse tema comoa Finlândia e USA, e termina no caso de estudo dos edifícios do concelho de Caminha.Para tal, pretende-se efetuar o estudo tipológico dos edifícios que fizeram parte daHistória do Ensino do nosso país, de forma a perceber como se foram desenvolvendo eprogredindo ao longo do tempo, até à data de hoje. Como caso particular pretende-seainda estudar os atuais edifícios da rede-escolar do Município de Caminha, para ajudarnessa perceção de mudança e progresso.Assim, através de uma profunda pesquisa bibliográfica, faz-se um levantamento daidentificação deste tipo de edifício através da avaliação do estado de conservação , a suacaracterização funcional e a caracterização dos espaços exteriores, com vista aodesenvolvimento do nosso objeto de estudo.The main basis of this work involves the identification and analysis of the types ofbuildings whose function is "Primary School" in Portugal. Also involves researchtypologies and methods employed in some more developed countries that theme asFinland and USA, and ends in the case study of the buildings of the municipality ofCaminha.To this end, we intend to make the typological study of the buildings that were part ofthe history of education in our country, in order to understand how we have beendeveloping and progressing over time, until the date of today. As a particular case weintend to further study the current network of school buildings of the municipality ofCaminha, to help this perception of change and progress.Thus, through a thorough literature search, it is a survey of the identification of this typeof building through the evaluation of the condition, its characterization and functionalcharacterization of outdoor spaces for the development of our object of study