<p>The origin of man has motivated researchers to investigate differences between humans and our non-human relatives. The striking phenotypic differences that distinguish humans from chimpanzees are likely controlled by a relatively modest number of genetic changes present between these species. As energy acquisition and processing effect multiple organ systems, the dramatic changes in the human diet are thought to underpin many of these unique phenotypes. The evolution of the human diet is marked by omnivory with increased consumption of animal products, cereal grain and vegetable oil associated with the Paleolithic era, domestication of plants and the industrial revolution respectively. Nutrition is essential for life and is unique as it both shapes, and is shaped by the genome. Given this complex interaction, teasing out actors and responders in the genome-diet relationship is a challenge. I took several expression approaches by interrogating regulatory regions, candidate networks and genomes in tissues of dietary relevance. These experiments uncovered combinations of physiological and morphological changes between humans and non-human primates. Taken together, the combined power of <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> approaches elucidates several genetic mechanisms important in uniquely human bioenergetic processes.</p> / Dissertation

Thesis (Ph. D.)--California Institute of Technology, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Mar. 30, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-55).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1966. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1965. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: l. 43.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-223) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (University of Texas Digital Repository, viewed on Sept. 17, 2009). Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-169).

The neuroethological basis of social signals was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach, involving connectional and comparative analysis of anatomical data, single cell recording and behavioural techniques. Previous literature implicates the amygdala, anterior temporal and prefrontal cortex in primate social functions. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and cluster analysis were used to analyse the connectional relatedness of macaque cortico-cortical and amygdalo-cortical connections. This objective analysis separated the amygdala nuclei into two groups, the basolateral (BL) and centromedial (CM) complexes. A comparative analysis was made of the possible functions of the amygdala nuclei by correlating amygdala nuclear volume with 5 socio-ecological indices, across 44 primate species. The lateral basal (LB) nucleus and BL size was found to correlate positively with social complexity. CM size correlated negatively. The LB nucleus receives information from the STS, which contains visual neurons responsive to eyes, heads and bodies. These cells were assessed for coding of socially relevant information. Single cell recording localised within the macaque superior temporal sulcus (STS) revealed neurons responsive to specific views, elevations and orientations of the head, eye position, and specific views of bodies walking in specific directions and reaching to objects. The tuning of these neurons could therefore support the function of recognition of another's purposive behaviour (e.g. direction of attention or intention). Visually responsive neurons in the STS also differentiated faces of different species (i.e. monkeys, humans and other animals). Behavioural studies suggest that monkeys do not follow the direction of attention of humans, yet monkeys appear to have the neural capacity. A behavioural study using video stimuli, revealed that monkeys spontaneously follow other monkeys' gaze onto an object or point in space. It is concluded that the amygdala and STS are part of a neural system which enable monkeys to interpret another's gaze and actions within a purposive behavioural framework.

Most people assume that monkeys and apes can imitate, but recently, several researchers have suggested there is little convincing evidence of imitation in any nonhuman species. The purpose of the present thesis is to compare the imitative abilities of human and non-human primates. Some of the most convincing evidence for imitation comes from anecdotal reports of imitative behaviour in great apes. A survey of the literature was performed and a database of imitative episodes in chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans was compiled (using a similar approach to Whiten & Byrne's 1988a tactical deception database). Each report was subjected to a strict evaluation, and it was deemed that 23 reports from chimpanzees, 3 from gorillas and 4 from orangutans provided relatively convincing evidence of imitation. An experiment was conducted to test if chimpanzees can imitate as the anecdotal data suggests. Two chimpanzees were taught to reproduce 15 arbitrary gestures on the command "Do this". Next they were presented with 48 novel items. They imitated 13 and 20 novel gestures respectively. Using a rigorous coding system, two independent observers correctly identified a significant number of the chimpanzees' imitations (P< 0.0001). These results show that chimpanzees are capable of the complex intermodal visual-motor co-ordination and control necessary for imitation. The second experimental chapter explores whether monkeys, apes, and/or humans imitate in the context of a functional task. Six capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella), eight chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and 24 children were presented with an analogue of a natural food processing task. The subjects were divided into two groups and each saw a different method for opening an artificial fruit. The children showed quite extensive imitation; the capuchin monkeys showed little to none; while the chimpanzees showed marginal imitative abilities. This constitutes the first experimental evidence of functional object imitation in a nonhuman specie.

No description available.