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\"Reveals how ecosystems are sculpted and sustained by animals eating, pooping, and dying--and how these fundamental functions could help save us from climate catastrophe.\"--Dust jacket

Animal Bodies, Renaissance Cultureexamines how the shared embodied existence of early modern human and nonhuman animals challenged the establishment of species distinctions. The material conditions of the early modern world brought humans and animals into complex interspecies relationships that have not been fully accounted for in critical readings of the period's philosophical, scientific, or literary representations of animals. Where such prior readings have focused on the role of reason in debates about human exceptionalism, this book turns instead to a series of cultural sites in which we find animal and human bodies sharing environments, mutually transforming and defining one another's lives. To uncover the animal body's role in anatomy, eroticism, architecture, labor, and consumption, Karen Raber analyzes canonical works including More'sUtopia, Shakespeare'sHamletandRomeo and Juliet, and Sidney's poetry, situating them among readings of human and equine anatomical texts, medical recipes, theories of architecture and urban design, husbandry manuals, and horsemanship treatises. Raber reconsiders interactions between environment, body, and consciousness that we find in early modern human-animal relations. Scholars of the Renaissance period recognized animals' fundamental role in fashioning what we call \"culture,\" she demonstrates, providing historical narratives about embodiment and the cultural constructions of species difference that are often overlooked in ecocritical and posthumanist theory that attempts to address the \"question of the animal.\"

Human-wildlife conflicts are commonly addressed by excluding, relocating, or lethally controlling animals with the goal of preserving public health and safety, protecting property, or conserving other valued wildlife. However, declining wildlife populations, a lack of efficacy of control methods in achieving desired outcomes, and changes in how people value animals have triggered widespread acknowledgment of the need for ethical and evidence-based approaches to managing such conflicts. We explored international perspectives on and experiences with human-wildlife conflicts to develop principles for ethical wildlife control. A diverse panel of 20 experts convened at a 2-day workshop and developed the principles through a facilitated engagement process and discussion. They determined that efforts to control wildlife should begin wherever possible by altering the human practices that cause human-wildlife conflict and by developing a culture of coexistence; be justified by evidence that significant harms are being caused to people, property, livelihoods, ecosystems, and/or other animals; have measurable outcome-based objectives that are clear, achievable, monitored, and adaptive; predictably minimize animal welfare harms to the fewest number of animals; be informed by community values as well as scientific, technical, and practical information; be integrated into plans for systematic long-term management; and be based on the specifics of the situation rather than negative labels (pest, overabundant) applied to the target species. We recommend that these principles guide development of international, national, and local standards and control decisions and implementation. Los conflictos entre los humanos y la vida silvestre son tratados comúnmente al excluir, reubicar o controlar letalmente a los animales con el objetivo de preservar la salud pública y la seguridad, proteger la propiedad o conservar a otros ejemplares valiosos de vida silvestre. Sin embargo, las poblaciones de vida silvestre declinantes, la falta de efectividad de los métodos de control para obtener los resultados deseados y los cambios en cómo las personas valoran a los animales han disparado un reconocimiento extendido por la necesidad de estrategias éticas basadas en evidencias para manejar dichos conflictos. Exploramos las perspectivas sobre y las experiencias internacionales con los conflictos entre humanos y vida silvestre para desarrollar los principios para un control ético de la vida silvestre. Un panel diverso de veinte expertos se reunió durante dos días en un taller y desarrolló los principios por medio de un proceso de participación facilitada y discusiones. Los expertos determinaron que los esfuerzos para controlar a la vida silvestre deberían comenzar en donde sea posible alterando las prácticas humanas que ocasionan el conflicto humano-vida silvestre y desarrollando una cultura de coexistencia; deberían estar justificados por la evidencia de los daños significativos que afectan a la gente, la propiedad, el sustento, los ecosistemas y otros animales; deberían tener objetivos medibles basados en resultados que son claros, alcanzables, monitoreados y adaptativos; deberían minimizar los daños al bienestar animal para el menor número de animales: deberían estar informados por los valores comunitarios así como la información científica, técnica y práctica; deberían ser integrados a los planes para el manejo sistemático a largo plazo; y deberían estar basados en las especificidades de la situación en lugar de las etiquetas negativas (plaga, sobreabundante) aplicadas a las especies objetivo. Recomendamos que estos principios guíen el desarrollo de los estándares internacionales, nacionales y locales y controlen las decisiones y su implementación.

This review article examines the role of selenium (Se) and the effects of Se supplementation especially in the bovine species. Selenium is an important trace element in cattle. Some of its roles include the participation in the antioxidant defense the cattle farms. The nutritional requirements of Se in cattle are estimated at 100 μg/kg DM (dry matter) for beef cattle and at 300 μg/kg DM for dairy cows. The rations high in fermentable carbohydrates, nitrates, sulfates, calcium or hydrogen cyanide negatively influence the organism’s use of the selenium contained in the diet. The Se supplementation may reduce the incidence of metritis and ovarian cysts during the postpartum period. The increase in fertility when adding Se is attributed to the reduction of the embryonic death during the first month of gestation. A use of organic Se in feed would provide a better transfer of Se in calves relative to mineral Se supplementation. The addition of Se yeasts in the foodstuffs of cows significantly increases the Se content and the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in milk compared to the addition of sodium selenite. The enzyme 5-iodothyronine deiodinase is a seleno-dependent selenoprotein. It is one of the last proteins to be affected in the event of Se deficiency. This delay in response could explain the fact that several studies did not show the effect of Se supplementation on growth and weight gain of calves. Enrichment of Se in the diet did not significantly affect the slaughter weight and carcass yield of bulls. The impact and results of Se supplementation in cattle depend on physiological stage, Se status of animals, type and content of Se and types of Se administration. Further studies in Se supplementation should investigate the speciation of Se in food and yeasts, as well as understanding their metabolism and absorption. This constitute a path to exploit in order to explain certain different effects of Se.

Dennett’s theory of the self as a center of narrative gravity (CNG) highlights human exceptionalism amid a philosophy emphasizing evolutionary continuity. CNG suggests all organisms have a basic self, but only humans use language to create complex, socially constructed selves. Dennett sees this narrative self as uniquely human. I propose that we can reconcile CNG with evolution by rethinking narrative's role and recognizing that social pressures influencing human self-concept are also present in many animals. If animals can think narratively, CNG doesn't necessarily imply human exceptionalism. Expanding CNG to include some non-human animals aligns with evidence of their complex social lives and Dennett’s emphasis on evolution.

Do the movements of animals, including humans, follow patterns that can be described quantitatively by simple laws of motion? If so, then why? These questions have attracted the attention of scientists in many disciplines, and stimulated debates ranging from ecological matters to queries such as 'how can there be free will if one follows a law of motion?' This is the first book on this rapidly evolving subject, introducing random searches and foraging in a way that can be understood by readers without a previous background on the subject. It reviews theory as well as experiment, addresses open problems and perspectives, and discusses applications ranging from the colonization of Madagascar by Austronesians to the diffusion of genetically modified crops. The book will interest physicists working in the field of anomalous diffusion and movement ecology as well as ecologists already familiar with the concepts and methods of statistical physics.

Large carnivores are persecuted globally because they threaten human industries and livelihoods. How this conflict is managed has consequencesfor the conservation of large carnivores and biodiversity more broadly. Mitigating human-predator conflict should be evidence-based and accommodate people's values while protecting carnivores. Despite much research into human and large-carnivore coexistence strategies, there have been few attempts to document the success of conflict-mitigation strategies on a global scale. We conducted a meta-analysis of global research on conflict mitigation related to large carnivores and humans. We focused on conflicts that arise from the threat large carnivores pose to livestock. We first used structured and unstructured searching to identify replicated studies that used before-after or control-impact design to measure change in livestock loss as a result of implementing a management intervention. We then extracted relevant data from these studies to calculate an overall effect sizefor each intervention type. Research effort and focus varied among continents and aligned with the histories and cultures that shaped livestock production and attitudes toward carnivores. Livestock guardian animals most effectively reduced livestock losses. Lethal control was the second most effective control, although its success varied the most, and guardian animals and lethal control did not differ significantly. Financial incentives have promoted tolerance of large carnivores in some settings and reduced retaliatory killings. We suggest coexistence strategies be locationspecific, incorporate cultural values and environmental conditions, and be designed such that return on financial investment can be evaluated. Improved monitoring of mitigation measures is urgently required to promote effective evidence-based policy. Los carnívoros grandes son perseguidos en todo el mundo porque amenazan el sustento y las industrias humanas. En general, la forma en que se maneja este conflicto tiene consecuencias para la conservación de los grandes carnívoros y la biodiversidad. La mitigación del conflicto humano - fauna debería tener bases en las evidencias y debería acomodarse a los valores de las personas mientras protege a los carnívoros. A pesar de la amplia investigación sobre las estrategias de coexistencia entre humanos y carnívoros grandes, ha habido pocos intentos por documentar el éxito de las estrategias mitigantes del conflicto en una escala global. Realizamos un meta-análisis de la investigación global sobre la mitigación de conflictos relacionados con los carnívoros grandes y los humanos. Nos enfocamos en los conflictos que surgen de la amenaza que los carnívoros grandes presentan para el ganado. Primero utilizamos búsquedas estructuradas y no-estructuradas para identificar los estudios replicados que utilizaron el diseño antes - después o control - impacto para medir el cambio en la pérdida del ganado como resultado de la implementación de una intervención de manejo. Después extrajimos los datos relevantes de estos estudios para calcular un tamaño general de efecto para cada tipo de intervención. El esfuerzo y el enfoque de la investigación variaron entre los continentes y se alinearon con las historias y culturas que dieron forma a la producción ganadera y a las actitudes hacia los carnívoros. Los animales guardianes del ganado fueron los que redujeron con mayor eficiencia las pérdidas del ganado. El control letal fue el segundo control más efectivo, aunque su éxito fue el que más varió, y los animales guardianes y el control letal no difirieron significativamente. Los incentivos económicos han promovido la tolerancia de los carnívoros grandes en algunas localidades y han reducido las muertes por represalia. Sugerimos que las estrategias de coexistencia sean específicas de la localidad, incorporen los valores culturales y las condiciones ambientales, y estén diseñadas de tal forma que el retorno de una inversión financiera pueda ser evaluado. El monitoreo mejorado de las medidas de mitigación es requerido urgentemente para promover la política efectiva basada en evidencias.

Despite the depiction of nature “red in tooth and claw,” cooperation is actually widespread in the animal kingdom. Various types of cooperative behaviors have been documented in everything from insects to primates, and in every imaginable ecological scenario. Yet why animals cooperate is still a hotly contested question in literature on evolution and animal behavior. This book examines the history surrounding the study of cooperation, and proceeds to examine the conceptual, theoretical and empirical work on this fascinating subject. Early on, it outlines the four different categories of cooperation -- reciprocal altruism, kinship, group-selected cooperation and byproduct mutualism -- and ties these categories together in a single framework called the Cooperator’s Dilemma. Hundreds of studies on cooperation in insects, fish, birds and mammals are reviewed. cooperation in this wide array of taxa includes, but is not limited to, cooperative hunting, anti-predator behavior, foraging, sexual coalitions, grooming, helpers-at-the nest, territoriality, ‘policing’ behavior and group thermoregulation. Each example outlined is tied back to the theoretical framework developed early on, whenever the data allows. Future experiments designed to further elucidate a particular type of cooperation are provided throughout the book.

El presente texto se organizó en 16 sesiones de laboratorio, en las que se revisan las técnicas básicas utilizadas en el diagnóstico parasitológico y la identificación de los parásitos más comunes en México. Se trató de consignar la información más relevante de cada uno de los temas estudiados; para ampliar estos contenidos, se recomienda consultar las obras clásicas de parasitología veterinaria referidas en la parte final de este volumen.

La teoría de Dennett sobre el yo como un centro de gravedad narrativa (CGN) destaca el excepcionalismo humano en medio de una filosofía que enfatiza la continuidad evolutiva. El CGN sugiere que todos los organismos tienen un yo básico, pero solo los humanos usan el lenguaje para crear yos complejos y socialmente construidos. Dennett ve a ese yo narrativo como algo exclusivamente humano. Propongo que podemos reconciliar el CGN con la evolución repensando el papel de la narrativa y reconociendo que las presiones sociales que influyen en el autoconcepto humano también están presentes en muchos animales. Si los animales pueden pensar narrativamente, el CGN no implica necesariamente un excepcionalismo humano. Ampliar el CGN para incluir a algunos animales no humanos está en línea con la evidencia de sus vidas sociales complejas y con el énfasis de Dennett en la evolución. Dennett’s theory of the self as a center of narrative gravity (CNG) highlights human exceptionalism amid a philosophy emphasizing evolutionary continuity. CNG suggests all organisms have a basic self, but only humans use language to create complex, socially constructed selves. Dennett sees this narrative self as uniquely human. I propose that we can reconcile CNG with evolution by rethinking narrative's role and recognizing that social pressures influencing human self-concept are also present in many animals. If animals can think narratively, CNG doesn't necessarily imply human exceptionalism. Expanding CNG to include some non-human animals aligns with evidence of their complex social lives and Dennett’s emphasis on evolution.