Food sharing among captive gibbons ( Hylobates lar )

A captive family group of gibbons engages in food sharing during consistently patterned sequences of behaviors in which begging gestures are employed. The predominant occurrence of the behavior involves the juvenile female begging from her older, adult sister who acted as her “surrogate mother”. An examination of the variables potentially affecting the behavior, such as hunger, the availability and accessibility of preferred foods, the inability to forage individually, and the social relationships between members of the family, indicates that food sharing may assist the young in acquiring appropriate food habits, supplement their foraging capabilities, and may serve to reinforce the social bonds between adult and immature members of the family group.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41598/1/10329_2006_Article_BF02383142.pd

Taste Sensitivity to Phenylthiourea (PTC), Tongue Rolling, and Hand Clasping Among Peruvian and Other Native American Populations

The ability to taste phenylthiourea (PTC) was tested among 1021 Quechua-speaking subjects from the Central Highlands and Eastern Low­lands, and 864 Mestizo subjects from the Eastern Lowlands of Peru. In addition, 1137 Quechuas and 873 Mestizos were tested for the frequency of tongue rolling and right hand/left hand clasping. Among the lowland Quechua Indians and lowland Mestizos the frequency of non-tasters equals approximately 6.8% for both groups, while for the highland group it equals 3%; it is suggested that the similarity in non-taster frequency between the lowland Quechuas and Mestizos may reflect the common environment. The frequency of tongue rolling is greater for the Mestizos (65%) than for the Quechuas (53%). The frequency of right hand clasping does not show any differences between the three populations