Ecological Opportunity In Adaptive Radiation Of Galapagos Endemic Land Snails

The classic evolutionary hypothesis of ecological opportunity proposes that both heterogeneity of resources and freedom from enemies promote phenotypic divergence as a response to increased niche availability. Although phenotypic divergence and speciation have often been inferred to be the primary consequences of the release from competition or predation that accompanies a shift to a new adaptive zone, increased phenotypic variation within species is expected to represent the first stage resulting from such a shift. Using measures of intraspecific morphological variation of 30 species of Galapagos endemic land snails in a phylogenetically controlled framework, we show that the number of local congeners and the number of local plant species are associated with lower and higher intraspecific phenotypic variation, respectively. In this clade, ecological opportunity thus explicitly links the role of competition from congeners and the heterogeneity of resources to the extent of intraspecific phenotypic divergence as adaptive radiation proceeds.Integrative Biolog

Burnout in the Workplace: A Review of the Data and Policy Responses in the EU

This report looks at the extent of burnout experienced by workers in the EU, based on national research. As a starting point, the report sets out to consider whether burnout is viewed as a medical or occupational disease. It then examines the work determinants associated with burnout and looks at the effects of burnout, including psychosocial and physical work factors, work intensity and work organisation. It also reviews national strategies and policies regarding this issue, the involvement of the social partners in the current debate, as well as preventive actions currently in place

Dissemination and geovisualization of territorial entities\u27 history

This paper describes an innovative solution for geovisualization of the demographic and administrative history of French municipalities named communes in French. This solution allows for the open dissemination of such data. The challenge is to provide a web interface for unskilled users in order to help them understand complex information about the demographic evolution of French territories. Our approach combines interactive thematic spatial and temporal views. We describe our architecture based on open-source technologies and the organization of this imperfect geo-historical information in our spatiotemporal database. Our second contribution concerns the concept of an acquaintance graph that has been used to obtain an efficient design with good performance in our geovisualization website

Intraspecific competition reduces niche width in experimental populations

Intraspecific competition is believed to drive niche expansion, because otherwise suboptimal resources can provide a refuge from competition for preferred resources. Competitive niche expansion is well supported by empirical observations, experiments, and theory, and is often invoked to explain phenotypic diversification within populations, some forms of speciation, and adaptive radiation. However, some foraging models predict the opposite outcome, and it therefore remains unclear whether competition will promote or inhibit niche expansion. We conducted experiments to test whether competition changes the fitness landscape to favor niche expansion, and if competition indeed drives niche expansion as expected. Using Tribolium castaneum flour beetles fed either wheat (their ancestral resource), corn (a novel resource) or mixtures of both resources, we show that fitness is maximized on a mixed diet. Next, we show that at higher population density, the optimal diet shifts toward greater use of corn, favoring niche expansion. In stark contrast, when beetles were given a choice of resources, we found that competition caused niche contraction onto the ancestral resource. This presents a puzzling mismatch between how competition alters the fitness landscape, versus competition's effects on resource use. We discuss several explanations for this mismatch, highlighting potential reasons why optimality models might be misleading

Bruno NETTL : Nettl’s Elephant – On the History of Ethnomusicology

Si plusieurs ouvrages récents questionnent les enjeux, l’identité et les méthodes de recherche de l’ethnomusicologie, peu d’auteurs se sont penchés sur l’évolution de la discipline à travers le temps et dans divers contextes. Dans cet ouvrage récent, Bruno Nettl, acteur et témoin d’une bonne partie du développement de l’ethnomusicologie américaine, nous livre ses réflexions et ses observations. Composé de seize essais proposant un panorama de l’histoire de l’ethnomusicologie en tant que scien..

Patrimonialisation des traditions musicales : l’exemple de deux processus distincts au Brésil

L’auteure présente ici deux processus de patrimonialisations étudiés au Brésil suivis de quelques observations sur leurs répercussions. Le premier processus s’inscrit dans une volonté politique et vise à accorder des conditions et un statut particuliers à une pratique traditionnelle artistique, tandis que le second propose une appropriation du patrimoine culturel et artistique afro-brésilien dans un objectif de développement culturel et social. À l’inverse de l’approche politique du patrimoine, l’auteure montre ici qu’une conception vivante et dynamique du patrimoine culturel vivant vient davantage rejoindre l’individu au sein du collectif en mettant notamment de l’avant la singularité du patrimoine

"Being on Both Sides" : The Ethnomusicologist between Official Institutions and Musicians

Based on empirical research in the Seychelles islands (Indian Ocean), performed at the request of the Seychelles Ministry of culture, this article explores how the triangular relationship between the researcher, “interlocutors” (musicians and others), and government results in a particular form of knowledge production, one with restrictions, but also involving access otherwise unavailable to a foreign researcher. The author addresses the political economy of social science research in Seychelles and presents two case studies: (1) a course taught at the National Conservatoire of Performing Arts; and (2) the author’s involvement in an Intangible Cultural Heritage/UNESCO project. She discusses authorities and forces from the perspectives of values, and claims to an ethical stance taken in research, concluding that a comprehensive understanding of the actors, stakeholders and forces that influence the sustainability of music is imperative for (applied) ethnomusicologists working with the aim of assisting endangered music forms and traditions. A better grasp of the roles of ideas, beliefs and values inherent to musical practices and policy-making processes also contributes to a better understanding of music and culture, as well as the formulation of public policies

Le festival Dimans moutya aux Seychelles. (Re)construction et « sauvegarde » d’un patrimoine musical au travers de sa mise en tourisme

This article traces the emergence of the Dimans moutya festival in Seychelles, describes the local music practice called moutya along with the issues arising from its modern staging in a popular festival, and explains the choice to feature a specific musical genre, the moutya, at the expense of other local musical practices. Tourism development is part of a heritage strategy to increase the interest of younger generations in local culture, and to secure an international recognition of moutya as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.Cet article retrace l’émergence du festival Dimans moutya aux Seychelles, explicite la conception de cette pratique musicale locale appelée moutya et les enjeux de ces nouvelles mises en scène dans un festival populaire, ainsi que du choix de mettre en avant un genre musical spécifique aux dépens des autres musiques locales. La mise en tourisme s’inscrit dans une stratégie patrimoniale visant à augmenter l’intérêt des jeunes générations pour la culture locale et une reconnaissance internationale du moutya en tant que patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’humanité