Raumfigurationen und Macht in Atemschaukel

[EN] Atemschaukel approaches the falling apart and survival in a historically loaded space, such as a labour camp. This novel offers a relevant research field for the space analysis, focused from the perspective of the Spatial Turn, as not only this theoretical frame but also Herta Müller herself conceive of space as a process, unterstood as a reciprocal interaction with the social practice, thus as a spatial and social construct. The representation of space in Atemschaukel is described in this article as a “swinging movement between boxes and abyss”, where the discourse of Leopold Auberg’s memories oscillates between closed and square spaces, on one hand, and open and giddy spaces, on the other hand. In this oscillating movement it is the open spaces that will most clearly show the process of inner destruction of the subject in such oppressive situations as on labour camps, as well as the permanent damages of deportation.

Is inbreeding avoidance driving female mate choice in Verreaux's sifaka lemurs?

Females of different species might exert female mate choice for different reasons, one of them the aim of avoiding inbreeding. In this study I examine the implication of inbreeding avoidance as a mechanism driving female mate choice in Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs (Propithecus verreauxi). In fact, in this species females are dominant and appear to be able to choose certain males to mate with, while observations indicate that rank, body size, canine size and proportions of fights won are not factors influencing female mate choice. So I hypothesized that females mate choice is driven by inbreeding avoidance in Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs. Tissue and fecal samples were collected in the Kirindy Mitea National Park in western Madagascar as a source of DNA. Parentage was assigned for a sample of the population and relatedness coefficients between dams and sires were estimated and compared to those of between random female and male pairs, dams and other candidate sires within the population and within the groups were the offspring were conceived. I found that there were no significant differences in none of the comparisons which means that Verreaux’s sifaka females do not mate more with males that are more distantly related to them. I concluded that inbreeding avoidance does not appear to be the main force driving female mate choice in Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs and I addressed explanations for these findings. With this study I contribute to our knowledge of female mate choice in lemurs.