Book•
The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication
30 Jan 1868-
TL;DR: On the Origin of Species (OOS) as mentioned in this paper is the seminal work of evolutionary biology, which is a masterpiece of nineteenth-century scientific investigation; it is a key text in the development of Darwin's own thought and of the wider discipline of evolution biology.
Abstract: Charles Darwin (1809–1882) first published this work in 1868 in two volumes. The book began as an expansion of the first two chapters of On the Origin of Species: 'Variation under Domestication' and 'Variation under Nature', and it developed into one of his largest works; Darwin referred to it as his 'big book'. Volume 1 deals with the variations introduced into species as a result of domestication, through changes in climate, diet, breeding and an absence of predators. He began with an examination of dogs and cats, comparing them with their wild counterparts, and moved on to investigate horses and asses; pigs, cattle, sheep, and goats; domestic rabbits; domestic pigeons; fowl; and finally cultivated plants. The work is a masterpiece of nineteenth-century scientific investigation; it is a key text in the development of Darwin's own thought and of the wider discipline of evolutionary biology.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: A draft genome sequence of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus, provides a new perspective on vertebrate genome evolution, while also improving the annotation of mammalian genomes.
Abstract: We present here a draft genome sequence of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus. Because the chicken is a modern descendant of the dinosaurs and the first non-mammalian amniote to have its genome sequenced, the draft sequence of its genome--composed of approximately one billion base pairs of sequence and an estimated 20,000-23,000 genes--provides a new perspective on vertebrate genome evolution, while also improving the annotation of mammalian genomes. For example, the evolutionary distance between chicken and human provides high specificity in detecting functional elements, both non-coding and coding. Notably, many conserved non-coding sequences are far from genes and cannot be assigned to defined functional classes. In coding regions the evolutionary dynamics of protein domains and orthologous groups illustrate processes that distinguish the lineages leading to birds and mammals. The distinctive properties of avian microchromosomes, together with the inferred patterns of conserved synteny, provide additional insights into vertebrate chromosome architecture.
2,579 citations
University of Évry Val d'Essonne1, Crops Research Institute2, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada3, J. Craig Venter Institute4, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University5, Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory6, University of Giessen7, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission8, Institut national de la recherche agronomique9, National Research Council10, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics11, University of Cologne12, Purdue University13, University of California, Berkeley14, University of British Columbia15, Fondation Jean Dausset Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain16, Huazhong Agricultural University17, Hunan Agricultural University18, Chungnam National University19, University of Arizona20, University of York21, University of Missouri22, Southern Cross University23, University of Western Australia24, Centre national de la recherche scientifique25
TL;DR: The polyploid genome of Brassica napus, which originated from a recent combination of two distinct genomes approximately 7500 years ago and gave rise to the crops of rape oilseed, is sequenced.
Abstract: Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) was formed ~7500 years ago by hybridization between B. rapa and B. oleracea, followed by chromosome doubling, a process known as allopolyploidy. Together with more ancient polyploidizations, this conferred an aggregate 72× genome multiplication since the origin of angiosperms and high gene content. We examined the B. napus genome and the consequences of its recent duplication. The constituent An and Cn subgenomes are engaged in subtle structural, functional, and epigenetic cross-talk, with abundant homeologous exchanges. Incipient gene loss and expression divergence have begun. Selection in B. napus oilseed types has accelerated the loss of glucosinolate genes, while preserving expansion of oil biosynthesis genes. These processes provide insights into allopolyploid evolution and its relationship with crop domestication and improvement.
1,743 citations
TL;DR: Guidelines for use of wild mammal species in research are updated from Sikes et al. (2011), and include details on capturing, marking, housing, and humanely killing wild mammals.
Abstract: Guidelines for use of wild mammal species in research are updated from [Sikes et al. (2011)][1]. These guidelines cover current professional techniques and regulations involving the use of mammals in research and teaching; they also incorporate new resources, procedural summaries, and reporting requirements. Included are details on capturing, marking, housing, and humanely killing wild mammals. It is recommended that Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs), regulatory agencies, and investigators use these guidelines as a resource for protocols involving wild mammals, whether studied in the field or in captivity. These guidelines were prepared and approved by the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), in consultation with professional veterinarians experienced in wildlife research and IACUCs, whose collective expertise provides a broad and comprehensive understanding of the biology of nondomesticated mammals. The current version of these guidelines and any subsequent modifications are available online on the Animal Care and Use Committee page of the ASM website ( ). Additional resources pertaining to the use of wild animals in research are available at: .
Resumen Los lineamientos para el uso de especies de mamiferos de vida silvestre en la investigacion con base en [Sikes et al. (2011)][1] se actualizaron. Dichos lineamientos cubren tecnicas y regulaciones profesionales actuales que involucran el uso de mamiferos en la investigacion y ensenanza; tambien incorporan recursos nuevos, resumenes de procedimientos y requisitos para reportes. Se incluyen detalles acerca de captura, marcaje, manutencion en cautiverio y eutanasia de mamiferos de vida silvestre. Se recomienda que los comites institucionales de uso y cuidado animal (cifras en ingles: IACUCs), las agencias reguladoras y los investigadores se adhieran a dichos lineamientos como fuente base de protocolos que involucren mamiferos de vida silvestre, ya sea investigaciones de campo o en cautiverio. Dichos lineamientos fueron preparados y aprobados por la ASM, en consulta con profesionales veterinarios experimentados en investigaciones de vida silvestre y IACUCS, de quienes cuya experiencia colectiva provee un entendimiento amplio y exhaustivo de la biologia de mamiferos no-domesticados. La presente version de los lineamientos y modificaciones posteriores estan disponibles en linea en la pagina web de la ASM, bajo Cuidado Animal y Comite de Uso: ( ). Recursos adicionales relacionados con el uso de animales de vida silvestre para la investigacion se encuentran disponibles en ( ).
[1]: #ref-69
1,728 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that leptin stimulates the reproductive endocrine system in both sexes of ob/ob mice and suggested that leptin may serve as a permissive signal to the reproductive system of normal animals.
Abstract: Leptin, a newly-discovered hormonal product of the obese (ob) gene, is expressed by adipocytes and thought to play a role in the regulation of food intake and metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that leptin signals metabolic information to the reproductive system by examining its effects on the reproductive system of ob/ob mice, which have a congenital deficiency in leptin and are infertile. We treated pair-fed males and females with leptin (50 microg twice daily, ip) or vehicle (n=10/group) for 14 days, after which the animals were bled and killed. Leptin-treated females had significantly elevated serum levels of LH, increased ovarian and uterine weights, and stimulated aspects of ovarian and uterine histology compared to controls. Leptin-treated males had significantly elevated serum levels of FSH, increased testicular and seminal vesicle weights, greater seminal vesicle epithelial cell height, and elevated sperm counts compared to controls. These results demonstrate that leptin stimulates the reproductive endocrine system in both sexes of ob/ob mice and suggest that leptin may serve as a permissive signal to the reproductive system of normal animals.
1,089 citations
TL;DR: The proposed theoretical scheme represents a shift away from hypothetical "laws of learning" toward an interpretation of behavioral change in terms of interaction and competition among tendencies to action according to principles evolved in phylogeny.
Abstract: Replication and extension of Skinner's "superstition" experiment showed the development of two kinds of behavior at asymptote: interim activities (related to adjunctive behavior) occurred just after food delivery; the terminal response (a discriminated operant) occurred toward the end of the interval and continued until food delivery. These data suggest a view of operant conditioning (the terminal response) in terms of two sets of principles: principles of behavioral variation that describe the origins of behavior "appropriate" to a situation, in advance of reinforcement; and principles of reinforcement that describe the selective elimination of behavior so produced. This approach was supported by (a) an account of the parallels between the Law of Effect and evolution by means of natural selection, (fc) its ability to shed light on persistent problems in learning (e.g., continuity vs. noncontinuity, variability associated with extinction, the relationship between classical and instrumental conditioning, the controversy between behaviorist and cognitive approaches to learning), and (c) its ability to deal with a number of recent anomalies in the learning literature ("instinctive drift," auto-shaping, and auto-maintenance). The interim activities were interpreted in terms of interactions among motivational systems, and this view was supported by a review of the literature on adjunctive behavior and by comparison with similar phenomena in ethology (displacement, redirection, and "vacuum" activities). The proposed theoretical scheme represents a shift away from hypothetical "laws of learning" toward an interpretation of behavioral change in terms of interaction and competition among tendencies to action according to principles evolved in phylogeny.
1,063 citations