Strategies for the Use of Fallback Foods in Apes

Researchers have suggested that fallback foods (FBFs) shape primate food processing adaptations, whereas preferred foods drive harvesting adaptations, and that the dietary importance of FBFs is central in determining the expression of a variety of traits. We examine these hypotheses in extant apes. First, we compare the nature and dietary importance of FBFs used by each taxon. FBF importance appears greatest in gorillas, followed by chimpanzees and siamangs, and least in orangutans and gibbons (bonobos are difficult to place). Next, we compare 20 traits among taxa to assess whether the relative expression of traits expected for consumption of FBFs matches their observed dietary importance. Trait manifestation generally conforms to predictions based on dietary importance of FBFs. However, some departures from predictions exist, particularly for orang-utans, which express relatively more food harvesting and processing traits predicted for consuming large amounts of FBFs than expected based on observed dietary importance. This is probably due to the chemical, mechanical, and phenological properties of the apes’ main FBFs, in particular high importance of figs for chimpanzees and hylobatids, compared to use of bark and leaves—plus figs in at least some Sumatran populations—by orang-utans. This may have permitted more specialized harvesting adaptations in chimpanzees and hylobatids, and required enhanced processing adaptations in orang-utans. Possible intercontinental differences in the availability and quality of preferred and FBFs may also be important. Our analysis supports previous hypotheses suggesting a critical influence of the dietary importance and quality of FBFs on ape ecology and, consequently, evolution

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

The Pacific Species of the Clinid Fish Tribe Starksiini

The Atlantic species of the clinid fishes of the tribe Starksiini were revised by Bohlke and Springer (1961), who synonymized the nominal genus Brannerella with Starksia, and regarded the group as monogeneric. They recognized eight species, describing two as new. Subsequently three additional Atlantic species have been described (C.R. Gilbert, 1965; C.R. Gilbert, in press). The Pacific forms were last treated by Al-Uthrnan (1960) who recognized two species, describing Brannerella spinipenis as new. Our study began with the collection of an obviously und escribed species in the Gulf of California. Further examination of starksiin material revealed that the species that had been called Starksia cremnobates by recent authors (Hubbs, 1952; Al-Uthman, 1960; Bohlke and Springer, 1961) could not be referred to cremnobates of Gilbert and had never been named. This species differs so strongly from the other starksiin species that a new genus is proposed for it. This, coupled with the discovery of seven additional undescribed species of Starksia, bringing the total for the eastern Pacific to nine, has necessitated an extensive treatment of all the Pacific species

Data on life history and characters of Galeus piperatus, a dwarf shark of Golfo de California

Information is presented on a recently described dwarf shark, Galeus piperatus, which occurs through a wide range of depth in turbulent waters of highly varying physical parameters in Golfo de California, Mexico. It barely exceeds 300 mm in total length and an egg-case presumed to be of this species is only 35 mm long. Young about 80 mm long are well formed and very active. The sexes are remarkably alike in most respects but differ in tooth structure. The denticles of the young bear a single hooked spine, but are pedunculated tridents in the adult. The claspers are large, robust, and of highly complex external and internal structure

Summer census of the reef-fish community of waters adjacent to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, summers 1974-1978

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.Fish censuses were made in three habitat types in Honaunau Bay and adjoining Alahaka Bay, Hawai'i, during the summers of 1974 to 1978. The habitats were an inshore Boulder Zone, a current-swept Drop-off Zone, and a luxuriant Coral-rich Zone. SCUBA-assisted observations and a standardized transecting method with 50-m segmented lines were employed. The number of individuals of each species observed was recorded during a minimum of three transects per site per year. Reconnaissance dives were also conducted to further qualitatively assess the fish population in Honaunau Bay. A total of 126 species was observed along the transects and 37 additional species were seen on reconnaissance dives. The average number of species distributed along transects were 54 for the Boulder Zone, 60 for the Coral-rich Zone, and 60 for the Drop-off Zone. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index and the number of species observed each year remained fairly constant for each transect. The species make-up was qua1itatively similar for all transects but quantitative differences were evident. The Drop-off Zone was characterized by plankton pickers and wandering predators, the Boulder Zone by an increased number of herbivores while the Coral-rich Zone appeared intermediate. Kole (Ctenochaetus strigosus [Bennett]); Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens [Bennett]); Lavender Tang (Acanthurus nigrofuscus [Forskal]); Pebbled Butterfly Fish (Chaetodon multicinctus Garrett); and three Damsel Fish (Chromis spp.) were the dominant fish at all sites. Honaunau Bay appears to be recovering from previously documented human exploitation. One unnamed species, two species described during the course of the study, one new Hawaiian record, and several very rare Hawaiian species were found to be residents in Honaunau Bay.National Park Service Contract No. CX 8000 9 000