Preliminary description of the cranium of Proteopithecus sylviae, an Egyptian late Eocene anthropoidean���primate

Recent discovery of crania, dentitions, and postcrania of a primitive anthropoidean primate, Proteopithecus sylviae, at the late Eocene L-4l quarry in the Fayum, Egypt, provides evidence of a new taxonomic family of early African higher primates, the Proteopithecidae. This family could be part of the basal radiation that produced the New World platyrrhine primates, or it could be unrelated to any subsequent lineages. Although no larger than a small callitrichid or a dwarf lemur, this tiny primate already possessed many of the derived features of later anthropoids and was a diurnal and probably dimorphic species. In dental formula and other dental proportions, as well as in known postcranial features, Proteopithecus more nearly resembles platyrrhines than does any other Old World higher primate. The small size of the Proteopithecus cranium demonstrates that the defining cranial characteristics of Anthropoidea did not arise as a consequence of an increase in size during derivation from earlier prosimians.

Primate photopigments and primate color vision.

The past 15 years have brought much progress in our understanding of several basic features of primate color vision. There has been particular success in cataloging the spectral properties of the cone photopigments found in retinas of a number of primate species and in elucidating the relationship between cone opsin genes and their photopigment products. Direct studies of color vision show that there are several modal patterns of color vision among groupings of primates: (i) Old World monkeys, apes, and humans all enjoy trichromatic color vision, although the former two groups do not seem prone to the polymorphic variations in color vision that are characteristic of people; (ii) most species of New World monkeys are highly polymorphic, with individual animals having any of several types of dichromatic or trichromatic color vision; (iii) less is known about color vision in prosimians, but evidence suggests that at least some diurnal species have dichromatic color vision; and (iv) some nocturnal primates may lack color vision completely. In many cases the photopigments and photopigment gene arrangements underlying these patterns have been revealed and, as a result, hints are emerging about the evolution of color vision among the primates.

Integration of multiple repeats of geminiviral DNA into the nuclear genome of tobacco during evolution.

Integration of viral DNA into the host nuclear genome, although not unusual in bacterial and animal systems, has surprisingly not been reported for plants. We have discovered geminvirus-related DNA (GRD) sequences, in the form of distinct sets of multiple direct repeats comprising three related repeat classes, situated in a unique locus in the Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) nuclear genome. The organization of these sequences is similar or identical in eight different tobacco cultivars we have examined. DNA sequence analysis reveals that each repeat has sequences most resembling those of the New World geminiviral DNA replication origin plus the adjacent AL1 gene, encoding the viral replication protein. We believe these GRD sequences originated quite recently in Nicotiana evolution through integration of geminiviral DNA by some combination of the processes of illegitimate recombination, amplification, deletions, and rearrangements. These events must have occurred in plant tissue that was subsequently able to contribute to meristematic tissue yielding gametes. GRD may have been retained in tobacco by selection or by random fixation in a small evolving population. Although we cannot detect transcription of these sequences, this does not exclude the possibility that they may originally have been expressed.

Emergence of the ZNF91 Kr��ppel-associated box-containing zinc finger gene family in the last common ancestor of anthropoidea.

The ZNF91 gene family, a subset of the Kr��ppel-associated box (KRAB)-containing group of zinc finger genes, comprises more than 40 loci; most reside on human chromosome 19p12-p13.1. We have examined the emergence and evolutionary conservation of the ZNF91 family. ZNF91 family members were detected in all species of great apes, gibbons, Old World monkeys, and New World monkeys examined but were not found in prosimians or rodents. In each species containing the ZNF91 family, the genes were clustered at one major site, on the chromosome(s) syntenic to human chromosome 19. To identify a putative "founder" gene, > 20 murine KRAB-containing zinc finger protein (ZFP) cDNAs were randomly cloned, but none showed sequence similarity to the ZNF91 genes. These observations suggest that the ZNF91 gene cluster is a derived character specific to Anthropoidea, resulting from a duplication and amplification event some 55 million years ago in the common ancestor of simians. Although the ZNF91 gene cluster is present in all simian species, the sequences of the human ZNF91 gene that confer DNA-binding specificity were conserved only in great apes, suggesting that there is not a high selective pressure to maintain the DNA targets of these proteins during evolution.

Self-recognition in primates: phylogeny and the salience of species-typical features.

Self-recognition has been explored in nonlinguistic organisms by recording whether individuals touch a dye-marked area on visually inaccessible parts of their face while looking in a mirror or inspect parts of their body while using the mirror's reflection. Only chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and humans over the age of approximately 2 years consistently evidence self-directed mirror-guided behavior without experimenter training. To evaluate the inferred phylogenetic gap between hominoids and other animals, a modified dye-mark test was conducted with cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), a New World monkey species. The white hair on the tamarins' head was color-dyed, thereby significantly altering a visually distinctive species-typical feature. Only individuals with dyed hair and prior mirror exposure touched their head while looking in the mirror. They looked longer in the mirror than controls, and some individuals used the mirror to observe visually inaccessible body parts. Prior failures to pass the mirror test may have been due to methodological problems, rather than to phylogenetic differences in the capacity for self-recognition. Specifically, an individual's sensitivity to experimentally modified parts of its body may depend crucially on the relative saliency of the modified part (e.g., face versus hair). Moreover, and in contrast to previous claims, we suggest that the mirror test may not be sufficient for assessing the concept of self or mental state attribution in nonlinguistic organisms.

Low major histocompatibility complex class II diversity in European and North American moose.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode cell surface proteins whose function is to bind and present intracellularly processed peptides to T lymphocytes of the immune system. Extensive MHC diversity has been documented in many species and is maintained by some form of balancing selection. We report here that both European and North American populations of moose (Alces alces) exhibit very low levels of genetic diversity at an expressed MHC class II DRB locus. The observed polymorphism was restricted to six amino acid substitutions, all in the peptide binding site, and four of these were shared between continents. The data imply that the moose have lost MHC diversity in a population bottleneck, prior to the divergence of the Old and New World subspecies. Sequence analysis of mtDNA showed that the two subspecies diverged at least 100,000 years ago. Thus, viable moose populations with very restricted MHC diversity have been maintained for a long period of time. Both positive selection for polymorphism and intraexonic recombination have contributed to the generation of MHC diversity after the putative bottleneck.

Isolation and molecular characterization of a human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II), subtype B, from a healthy Pygmy living in a remote area of Cameroon: an ancient origin for HTLV-II in Africa.

We report characterization of a human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) isolated from an interleukin 2-dependent CD8 T-cell line derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a healthy, HTLV-II-seropositive female Bakola Pygmy, aged 59, living in a remote equatorial forest area in south Cameroon. This HTLLV-II isolate, designated PYGCAM-1, reacted in an indirect immunofluorescence assay with HTLV-II and HTLV-I polyclonal antibodies and with an HTLV-I/II gp46 monoclonal antibody but not with HTLV-I gag p19 or p24 monoclonal antibodies. The cell line produced HTLV-I/II p24 core antigen and retroviral particles. The entire env gene (1462 bp) and most of the long terminal repeat (715 bp) of the PYGCAM-1 provirus were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using HTLV-II-specific primers. Comparison with the long terminal repeat and envelope sequences of prototype HTLV-II strains indicated that PYGCAM-1 belongs to the subtype B group, as it has only 0.5-2% nucleotide divergence from HTLV-II B strains. The finding of antibodies to HTLV-II in sera taken from the father of the woman in 1984 and from three unrelated members of the same population strongly suggests that PYGCAM-1 is a genuine HTLV-II that has been present in this isolated population for a long time. The low genetic divergence of this African isolate from American isolates raises questions about the genetic variability over time and the origin and dissemination of HTLV-II, hitherto considered to be predominantly a New World virus.

Diversifica����o de esp��cies e da morfologia em serpentes da fam��lia Viperidae: padr��es e processos

A diversidade de esp��cies e fenot��pica pode variar consideravelmente entre grupos taxon��micos e ao longo do tempo em uma mesma linhagem. O estudo de tais varia����es tornou-se um dos principais objetivos da biologia evolutiva fornecendo informa����es importantes a respeito dos poss��veis mecanismos que regulam a biodiversidade. Dessa forma, o objetivo geral da presente tese foi investigar os padr��es da diversifica����o de esp��cies e da morfologia em um grupo cosmopolita de serpentes, a fam��lia Viperidae, e os potenciais processos subjacentes. Primeiramente, (1) reconstru��mos as rela����es filogen��ticas e estimamos os tempos de diverg��ncia entre as linhagens da fam��lia Viperidae utilizando uma abordagem Bayesiana. (2) Aplicando um m��todo recentemente desenvolvido (BAMM), exploramos como as taxas de especia����o e extin����o variaram ao longo da radia����o do grupo inferindo os poss��veis processos reguladores. Por fim, (3) analisamos se a evolu����o do tamanho do corpo e as taxas de especia����o variam nos diferentes habitats ocupados pelos viper��deos (terrestres vs arbor��cola). Nesta tese geramos a filogenia molecular de viper��deos mais completa at�� o momento utilizando sequ��ncias para 11 genes mitocondriais e nucleares abrangendo 79% das esp��cies viventes (264 terminais) e todos com exce����o de um g��nero. De maneira geral, foi poss��vel obter rela����es filogen��ticas robustas para o grupo com a maioria dos g��neros sendo monofil��tica. Os tempos de diverg��ncia obtidos indicam que os viper��deos come��aram a diversificar em meados do Paleoceno tardio/meio do Eoceno inferindo idades um pouco mais tardias que o encontrado em estudos anteriores. Durante a radia����o do grupo, um aumento nas taxas de especia����o parece ter ocorrido durante a diversifica����o dos crotal��neos (pit vipers) em decorr��ncia n��o s�� da evolu����o das fossetas loreais mas tamb��m como resultado de mudan��as geol��gicas e clim��ticas na ��sia e da invas��o do novo mundo. Ap��s este r��pido aumento inicial, as taxas de especia����o desaceleraram em dire����o ao presente. Por fim, os resultados aqui apresentados indicam que apesar dos habitats arbor��colas limitarem a evolu����o morfol��gica nos viper��deos, a evolu����o da arborealidade parece n��o afetar as taxas de especia����o que permanecem similares entre linhagens arbor��colas e terrestres. Isto sugere dois cen��rios: (1) a especia����o acontece de forma independente das mudan��as morfol��gicas nos viper��deos; ou (2) o isolamento geogr��fico seria um mecanismo importante na diversifica����o de linhagens arbor��colas contrabalan��ando decr��scimos nas oportunidades de especia����o possivelmente relacionados ��s press��es seletivas impostas pelo ambiente arbor��cola. A presente tese contribui para entendermos mais sobre como evolu��ram os viper��deos ao longo dos seus ∼50 milh��es de anos. Al��m de propor cen��rios e hip��teses a serem futuramente explorados com os viper��deos, elaboramos uma discuss��o ampla e conceitual a respeito dos poss��veis mecanismos por tr��s da diversifica����o de esp��cies e da morfologia que poderiam tamb��m ser contemplados para outros grupos de organismos. Portanto, a presente tese contribui n��o s�� para entendermos os mecanismos que geram e mant��m a diversidade de serpentes, mas tamb��m para enriquecer a discuss��o dos mecanismos que geram e mant��m a biodiversidade como um todo

Tarjamah-��i T��r��kh-i Yang�� Duny�� : manuscript, 18th cent

Title supplied by the cataloger.

Electricity without borders: a plan to make the internal market work. Bruegel Blueprint Series 20, 5 September 2013

The most straightforward European single energy market design would entail a European system operator regulated by a single European regulator. This would ensure the predictable development of rules for the entire EU, significantly reducing regulatory uncertainty for electricity sector investments. But such a first-best market design is unlikely to be politically realistic in the European context for three reasons. First, the necessary changes compared to the current situation are substantial and would produce significant redistributive effects. Second, a European solution would deprive member states of the ability to manage their energy systems nationally. And third, a single European solution might fall short of being well-tailored to consumers��� preferences, which differ substantially across the EU. To nevertheless reap significant benefits from an integrated European electricity market, we propose the following blueprint: First, we suggest adding a European system-management layer to complement national operation centres and help them to better exchange information about the status of the system, expected changes and planned modifications. The ultimate aim should be to transfer the day-to-day responsibility for the safe and economic operation of the system to the European control centre. To further increase efficiency, electricity prices should be allowed to differ between all network points between and within countries. This would enable throughput of electricity through national and international lines to be safely increased without any major investments in infrastructure. Second, to ensure the consistency of national network plans and to ensure that they contribute to providing the infrastructure for a functioning single market, the role of the European ten year network development plan (TYNDP) needs to be upgraded by obliging national regulators to only approve projects planned at European level unless they can prove that deviations are beneficial. This boosted role of the TYNDP would need to be underpinned by resolving the issues of conflicting interests and information asymmetry. Therefore, the network planning process should be opened to all affected stakeholders (generators, network owners and operators, consumers, residents and others) and enable the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) to act as a welfare-maximising referee. An ultimate political decision by the European Parliament on the entire plan will open a negotiation process around selecting alternatives and agreeing compensation. This ensures that all stakeholders have an interest in guaranteeing a certain degree of balance of interest in the earlier stages. In fact, transparent planning, early stakeholder involvement and democratic legitimisation are well suited for minimising as much as possible local opposition to new lines. Third, sharing the cost of network investments in Europe is a critical issue. One reason is that so far even the most sophisticated models have been unable to identify the individual long-term net benefit in an uncertain environment. A workable compromise to finance new network investments would consist of three components: (i) all easily attributable cost should be levied on the responsible party; (ii) all network users that sit at nodes that are expected to receive more imports through a line extension should be obliged to pay a share of the line extension cost through their network charges; (iii) the rest of the cost is socialised to all consumers. Such a cost-distribution scheme will involve some intra-European redistribution from the well-developed countries (infrastructure-wise) to those that are catching up. However, such a scheme would perform this redistribution in a much more efficient way than the Connecting Europe Facility���s ad-hoc disbursements to politically chosen projects, because it would provide the infrastructure that is really needed.

Pierre Camille Le Moine, un archiviste des Lumi��res dans l���obscurit�� de l�����valuation �� l�����re du num��rique

Travail r��alis�� �� l���EBSI, Universit�� de Montr��al, sous la direction de M. Yvon Lemay dans le cadre du cours SCI6112 ��� ��valuation des archives, �� l'hiver 2016

The power of language and the language of power in M. T. Anderson���s Feed and Gary Stheyngart���s Super Sad True Love Story. A comparative analysis

The aim of my dissertation is to analyze how selected elements of language are addressed in two contemporary dystopias, Feed by M. T. Anderson (2002) and Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (2010). I chose these two novels because language plays a key role in both of them: both are primarily focused on the pervasiveness of technology, and on how the use/abuse of technology affects language in all its forms. In particular, I examine four key aspects of language: books, literacy, diary writing, as well as oral language. In order to analyze how the aforementioned elements of language are dealt with in Feed and Super Sad True Love Story, I consider how the same aspects of language are presented in a sample of classical dystopias selected as benchmarks: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1921), Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932), Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1952), and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1986). In this way, I look at how language, books, literacy, and diaries are dealt with in Anderson���s Feed and in Shteyngart���s Super Sad True Love Story, both in comparison with the classical dystopias as well as with one another. This allows for an analysis of the similarities, as well as the differences, between the two novels. The comparative analysis carried out also takes into account the fact that the two contemporary dystopias have different target audiences: one is for young adults (Feed), whereas the other is for adults (Super Sad True Love Story). Consequently, I also consider whether further differences related to target readers affect differences in how language is dealt with. Preliminary findings indicate that, despite their different target audiences, the linguistic elements considered are addressed in the two novels in similar ways.

Pierre Camille Le Moine, un archiviste des Lumi��res dans l���obscurit�� de l�����valuation �� l�����re du num��rique

Travail r��alis�� �� l���EBSI, Universit�� de Montr��al, sous la direction de M. Yvon Lemay dans le cadre du cours SCI6112 ��� ��valuation des archives, �� l'hiver 2016

The works of Francis Parkman.

Each front accompanied by guard sheet with descriptive letterpress.

A reference guide to the literature of travel, including voyages, geographical descriptions, adventures, shipwrecks and expeditions,

Vol. 3 has subtitle: Including tours, descriptions, towns, histories and antiquities, surveys, ancient and present state, gardening, etc.