The type specimens and type localities of the orangutans, genus Pongo Lacépède, 1799 (Primates: Hominidae)

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tnah20Uncertain type localities undermine orangutan nomenclature. Bequeathed to the British Museum, the holotype of Pongo pygmaeus, according to Hans Sloane’s catalogue, came from Borneo and died in China. The historical evidence makes Banjarmasin its most probable type locality. William Montgomerie, Assistant Surgeon at Singapore from 1819-1827, and Senior Surgeon from 1832, supplied the holotype of Simia morio. In 1836 an adult female orangutan reached Singapore alive from Pontianak, Borneo. The holotypes of S. morio, S. hendrikzii, S. straussii and P[ithecus] owenii probably had the same origin, as pirate attacks endangered visits to other Bornean coasts. Absent from Brunei and north Sarawak, Malaysia, throughout the Holocene, orangutans occur there only as Pleistocene subfossils at Niah. Pan vetus (the Piltdown mandible) probably came from Paku, Sarawak. We identify Pongo borneo Lacépède, 1799 as an objective senior synonym of P. wurmbii Tiedemann, 1808, correcting its type locality from Sukadana to near Pontianak. This is the earliest name for the western subspecies (previously thought nominotypical) unless Pithecus curtus, probably from the Sadong River, Sarawak, represents a separate subspecies. If so, the name Pongo borneo would transfer to the southern population west of the Kahayan River, genetically distinguished at species level from the Sumatran orangutan, P. abelii.This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Natural History on 20 July 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00222933.2016.1190414NHM Repositor

Intensive care admissions and outcomes associated with short-term exposure to ambient air pollution: a time series analysis.

PURPOSE: Short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution has been positively associated with numerous measures of acute morbidity and mortality, most consistently as excess cardiorespiratory disease associated with fine particulate matter (PM2.5), particularly in vulnerable populations. It is unknown if the critically ill, a vulnerable population with high levels of cardiorespiratory disease, is affected by air pollution. METHODS: We performed a time series analysis of emergency cardiorespiratory, stroke and sepsis intensive care (ICU) admissions for the years 2008-2016, using data from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database (ANZICS-APD). Case-crossover analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between air pollution and the frequency and severity of ICU admissions having adjusted for temperature, humidity, public holidays and influenza activity. RESULTS: 46,965 episodes in 87 separate ICUs were analysed. We found no statistically significant associations with admission counts. However, ICU admissions ending in death within 30 days were significantly positively associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5 [RR 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.37, per 10 µg/m3 increase]. This association was more pronounced in those aged 65 and over (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.11-1.58, per 10 µg/m3). CONCLUSIONS: Increased ICU mortality was associated with higher levels of PM2.5. Larger studies are required to determine if the frequency of ICU admissions is positively associated with short-term exposure to air pollution

Ambulatory heart rate range predicts mode-specific mortality and hospitalisation in chronic heart failure

Objective: We aimed to define the prognostic value of the heart rate range during a 24 h period in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: Prospective observational cohort study of 791 patients with CHF associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Mode-specific mortality and hospitalisation were linked with ambulatory heart rate range (AHRR; calculated as maximum minus minimum heart rate using 24 h Holter monitor data, including paced and non-sinus complexes) in univariate and multivariate analyses. Findings were then corroborated in a validation cohort of 408 patients with CHF with preserved or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Results: After a mean 4.1 years of follow-up, increasing AHRR was associated with reduced risk of all-cause, sudden, non-cardiovascular and progressive heart failure death in univariate analyses. After accounting for characteristics that differed between groups above and below median AHRR using multivariate analysis, AHRR remained strongly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 0.991/bpm increase in AHRR (95% CI 0.999 to 0.982); p=0.046). AHRR was not associated with the risk of any non-elective hospitalisation, but was associated with heart-failure-related hospitalisation. AHRR was modestly associated with the SD of normal-to-normal beats (R2=0.2; p<0.001) and with peak exercise-test heart rate (R2=0.33; p<0.001). Analysis of the validation cohort revealed AHRR to be associated with all-cause and mode-specific death as described in the derivation cohort. Conclusions: AHRR is a novel and readily available prognosticator in patients with CHF, which may reflect autonomic tone and exercise capacity

Phylogenetic Relationships among the Colobine Monkeys Revisited: New Insights from Analyses of Complete mt Genomes and 44 Nuclear Non-Coding Markers

Background: Phylogenetic relationships among Asian and African colobine genera have been disputed and are not yet well established. In the present study, we revisit the contentious relationships within the Asian and African Colobinae by analyzing 44 nuclear non-coding genes (.23 kb) and mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences from 14 colobine and 4 noncolobine primates. Principal Findings: The combined nuclear gene and the mt genome as well as the combined nuclear and mt gene analyses yielded different phylogenetic relationships among colobine genera with the exception of a monophyletic ‘odd-nosed’ group consisting of Rhinopithecus, Pygathrix and Nasalis, and a monophyletic African group consisting of Colobus and Piliocolobus. The combined nuclear data analyses supported a sister-grouping between Semnopithecus and Trachypithecus, and between Presbytis and the odd-nosed monkey group, as well as a sister-taxon association of Pygathrix and Rhinopithecus within the odd-nosed monkey group. In contrast, mt genome data analyses revealed that Semnopithecus diverged earliest among the Asian colobines and that the odd-nosed monkey group is sister to a Presbytis and Trachypithecus clade, as well as a close association of Pygathrix with Nasalis. The relationships among these genera inferred from the analyses of combined nuclear and mt genes, however, varied with the tree-building methods used. Another remarkable finding of the present study is that all of our analyses rejected the recently proposed African colobine paraphyl

Changes over time in the "healthy soldier effect"

Background: Death rates in military populations outside of combat are often lower than those in the general population. This study considers how this "healthy soldier effect" changes over time.Methods: Standardized mortality ratios were used to compare changes in death rates relative to the Australian population in two large studies of Australian servicemen of the Korean War (n = 17,381) and the Vietnam War era (n = 83,908).Results: The healthy soldier effect was most consistently observed in deaths from circulatory diseases. A large deficit in these deaths in the initial follow-up period (10-20 years) was observed before rates tended to rise to the level seen in the general population. There was no healthy soldier effect in deaths from external causes in enlisted personnel, and these death rates were significantly higher than expected in the initial follow-up period among Korean War veterans and regular Army veterans of the Vietnam War. Those selected for national service during the Vietnam War exhibited the strongest healthy soldier effect of all cohorts assessed.Conclusions: Patterns of the healthy soldier effect over time varied markedly by study cohort and by cause of death studied. In a number of analyses, the healthy soldier effect was still apparent after more than 30 years of follow-up

The Ecological Impacts of Contaminated Sediment from Abandoned Metal Mines

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The OGL requires that users acknowledge the information provider and/or source of the information with an attribution statement.Pollution from abandoned non-coal (i.e. metal) mines is a serious impediment to rivers meeting the water quality targets set out in River Basin Management Plans. Recent work has identified the mines most likely to be causing a significant environmental impact and hence where efforts to prevent pollution need to be focussed. Yet, it is not clear to what extent rivers, and the animal and plant life they support, are impacted by the legacy of past pollution still bound up in river sediments. Work will be undertaken to reduce toxic metals in mine waters before they enter the river. However, if riverbed sediments are already contaminated and affecting life in rivers, the planned clean-up of mine water sources may not result in recovery of ecological condition. A controlled laboratory experiment was undertaken where river invertebrates (mayfly larvae) from an uncontaminated site were incubated with contaminated riverbed sediment collected downstream of an abandoned metal mine. Concentrations of metals in the tissues of the mayflies increased over the duration of the incubation, particularly those metals that were in high concentrations in the sediment, i.e. cadmium, copper and zinc. As the sediment was the only substantial source of metals in the experiment, it is apparent that the contaminated riverbed sediment was acting as a source of bioavailable metals. It is likely that contaminated sediments, including riverbed sediment, will act as a source of bioavailable metals, at least to benthic organisms, even where mine drainage water is treated to reduce metal concentrations. Metal toxicity occurs when the rate of metal uptake into an organism exceeds the combined rates of excretion and physiological detoxification. Current tests of metal toxicity on biota typically do not match in scale (temporal, spatial and taxonomic range) with assessments of ecological quality undertaken for management, which raises questions regarding the adequacy of environmental limits based on laboratory testing. Existing data were compiled describing geochemistry of riverbed sediment and the Biological Quality Elements invertebrates, diatoms, macrophytes and fish, collected by the regulatory authorities to assess the condition of rivers. As toxic effects of trace metals were not expected at low concentrations, the biological response to sediment metal concentration was determined using a threshold model. Thresholds were found for biotic metrics based on species richness, but other metrics (diatom EQR, macrophyte EQR and invertebrate ASPT) displayed implausible positive relationships with sediment metal concentrations and should not be relied upon for classification of ecological status in waterbodies affected by mining. New data were collected from 20 spatially-independent river catchments in areas affected by metal mine facilities, including samples of the macroinvertebrate community, bioavailability of metals (assessed as metal concentrations in the body tissue of tolerant taxa), and sediment metal concentrations. There were strong correlations between sediment metal concentrations and measured bioavailability, particularly for copper and lead. Measurements of bioavailable metals were related to changes in taxon richness in the invertebrate samples. The data were used to develop a new biotic index (MetTol), which can be used to assess the extent of ecological damage from metal contamination using standard invertebrate monitoring data, and to construct dose response curves based on species sensitivities. A number of approaches were used to establish tolerable limits for sediment metal concentrations based on ecological data, and the results compared with existing Canadian sediment quality guidelines. The limits for copper derived from ecological data were most consistent with existing sediment guidelines. The limits for other metals (silver, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, lead and zinc) derived from ecological data were up to an order of magnitude above the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. These existing guidelines, based on toxicological data, may be too precautionary, and we suggest that guideline sediment concentrations based on ecological data may provide a more appropriate level of protection for the environment

Methodological considerations in the analysis of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in tufted capuchins (Cebus apella)

Analysis of fecal glucocorticoid (GC) metabolites has recently become the standard method to monitor adrenocortical activity in primates noninvasively. However, given variation in the production, metabolism, and excretion of GCs across species and even between sexes, there are no standard methods that are universally applicable. In particular, it is important to validate assays intended to measure GC production, test extraction and storage procedures, and consider the time course of GC metabolite excretion relative to the production and circulation of the native hormones. This study examines these four methodological aspects of fecal GC metabolite analysis in tufted capuchins (Cebus apella). Specifically, we conducted an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) challenge on one male and one female capuchin to test the validity of four GC enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) and document the time course characterizing GC me- tabolite excretion in this species. In addition, we compare a common field-friendly technique for extracting fecal GC metabolites to an established laboratory extraction methodology and test for effects of storing “field extracts” for up to 1 yr. Results suggest that a corticosterone EIA is most sensitive to changes in GC production, provides reliable measures when extracted according to the field method, and measures GC metabolites which remain highly stable after even 12 mo of storage. Further, the time course of GC metabolite excretion is shorter than that described yet for any primate taxa. These results provide guidelines for studies of GCs in tufted capuchins, and underscore the importance of validating methods for fecal hormone analysis for each species of interest

Phylogeny, Diet, and Cranial Integration in Australodelphian Marsupials

Studies of morphological integration provide valuable information on the correlated evolution of traits and its relationship to long-term patterns of morphological evolution. Thus far, studies of morphological integration in mammals have focused on placentals and have demonstrated that similarity in integration is broadly correlated with phylogenetic distance and dietary similarity. Detailed studies have also demonstrated a significant correlation between developmental relationships among structures and adult morphological integration. However, these studies have not yet been applied to marsupial taxa, which differ greatly from placentals in reproductive strategy and cranial development and could provide the diversity necessary to assess the relationships among phylogeny, ecology, development, and cranial integration. This study presents analyses of morphological integration in 20 species of australodelphian marsupials, and shows that phylogeny is significantly correlated with similarity of morphological integration in most clades. Size-related correlations have a significant affect on results, particularly in Peramelia, which shows a striking decrease in similarity of integration among species when size is removed. Diet is not significantly correlated with similarity of integration in any marsupial clade. These results show that marsupials differ markedly from placental mammals in the relationships of cranial integration, phylogeny, and diet, which may be related to the accelerated development of the masticatory apparatus in marsupials

Cheek Tooth Morphology and Ancient Mitochondrial DNA of Late Pleistocene Horses from the Western Interior of North America: Implications for the Taxonomy of North American Late Pleistocene Equus

Horses were a dominant component of North American Pleistocene land mammal communities and their remains are well represented in the fossil record. Despite the abundant material available for study, there is still considerable disagreement over the number of species of Equus that inhabited the different regions of the continent and on their taxonomic nomenclature. In this study, we investigated cheek tooth morphology and ancient mtDNA of late Pleistocene Equus specimens from the Western Interior of North America, with the objective of clarifying the species that lived in this region prior to the end-Pleistocene extinction. Based on the morphological and molecular data analyzed, a caballine (Equus ferus) and a non-caballine (E. conversidens) species were identified from different localities across most of the Western Interior. A second non-caballine species (E. cedralensis) was recognized from southern localities based exclusively on the morphological analyses of the cheek teeth. Notably the separation into caballine and non-caballine species was observed in the Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of ancient mtDNA as well as in the geometric morphometric analyses of the upper and lower premolars. Teeth morphologically identified as E. conversidens that yielded ancient mtDNA fall within the New World stilt-legged clade recognized in previous studies and this is the name we apply to this group. Geographic variation in morphology in the caballine species is indicated by statistically different occlusal enamel patterns in the specimens from Bluefish Caves, Yukon Territory, relative to the specimens from the other geographic regions. Whether this represents ecomorphological variation and/or a certain degree of geographic and genetic isolation of these Arctic populations requires further study