Background:The Elegant Pitta(Pitta elegans)complex displays a remarkable diversity of morphological and bioacoustic traits across five taxa currently recognized as subspecies.They differ in plumage characteristics(suc...Background:The Elegant Pitta(Pitta elegans)complex displays a remarkable diversity of morphological and bioacoustic traits across five taxa currently recognized as subspecies.They differ in plumage characteristics(such as red versus black belly patches;supercilium color and extent;and white versus black throats),in lifestyle(resident versus migratory)and in vocalizations.We investigated the morphological,bioacoustic and ecological differences across all taxa after recent studies demostrated the importance of these traits in recognizing biological species limits across pittas.Methods:Morphometric analysis was carried out by measuring tarsus,wing,tail and bill lengths of 15 specimens at the Natural History Museum,UK,and plumages were inspected across 106 unique individuals from four different repositories.Bioacoustic analysis was based on 134 range-wide sound recordings.Two types of calls,territorial calls and alarm calls,were analyzed using different sets of parameters.Principal component analysis and the Isler Criterion were applied to the measurements.Playback trials were conducted to explore the levels of response of each taxon to the call types of the other taxa.Results:The territorial call of concinna exhibits a distinct two-element motif,while elegans,maria and virginalis utter a three-element motif in which the first two elements are given in quick succession.On the other hand,vigorsii,produces both two-element and three-element motifs with longer breaks in between elements.As further corroborated by the playback trials,the three taxa elegans,virginalis and maria form a tight vocal cluster,whereas each concinna and vigorsii are distinct.The alarm call turned out to be less diagnostic even though most taxa did roughly separate into different vocal clusters.Morphometric analysis failed to produce strong differences,but plumage distinctions among multiple taxa are pronounced.Conclusions:We suggest splitting the Elegant Pitta into three biological species based on bioacoustic and—less so—plumage evidence:(1)Temminck’s Elegant Pitta P.elegans(including subspecies elegans,virginalis and maria),(2)Wallace’s Elegant Pitta P.concinna(monotypic),and(3)Banda Elegant Pitta P.vigorsii(monotypic).展开更多
Objective:In the Ayurvedic system of medicine,body constitution(prakruthi) is said to play a vital role in the disease process as well as in its progression.Free radical toxicity is also involved in the etiopathogenes...Objective:In the Ayurvedic system of medicine,body constitution(prakruthi) is said to play a vital role in the disease process as well as in its progression.Free radical toxicity is also involved in the etiopathogenesis of many disorders.Hence,in the present study an attempt has been made to correlate the body constitution type and the antioxidant status of that prakruthi.Methods:Healthy volunteers from Manipal University Campus, South Karnataka,India were classified into three main human constitutions(prakruthi) and their possible combinations and their serum total antioxidant activity was determined.Results:There was a significant negative correlation of the total antioxidant status with the pitta prakruthi whereas vata and kapha constitutions showed no significant correlation with the total antioxidant status.Conclusion:Ayurveda classifies each individual based on his/her prakruthi into three categories of Doshas:Vata,Pitta and Kapha(collectively known as Tridoshas ). The three Doshas are fundamental regulatory principles responsible for maintaining organism functioning and manifesting those characteristics typifying each individual,that is,in equilibrium Tridoshas signify health and an imbalance leads to disease.Thus,in this study a significantly decreased antioxidant status in the Pitta group would render them more susceptible to damage by oxidative stress.Hence,we suggest that supplementation with antioxidants of herbal(Ayurvedic) origin to such a group would prove to be beneficial - opening up the arena for pharmacogenomics and customized antioxidant drug administration based on the prakruthi of an individual.展开更多
文摘Background:The Elegant Pitta(Pitta elegans)complex displays a remarkable diversity of morphological and bioacoustic traits across five taxa currently recognized as subspecies.They differ in plumage characteristics(such as red versus black belly patches;supercilium color and extent;and white versus black throats),in lifestyle(resident versus migratory)and in vocalizations.We investigated the morphological,bioacoustic and ecological differences across all taxa after recent studies demostrated the importance of these traits in recognizing biological species limits across pittas.Methods:Morphometric analysis was carried out by measuring tarsus,wing,tail and bill lengths of 15 specimens at the Natural History Museum,UK,and plumages were inspected across 106 unique individuals from four different repositories.Bioacoustic analysis was based on 134 range-wide sound recordings.Two types of calls,territorial calls and alarm calls,were analyzed using different sets of parameters.Principal component analysis and the Isler Criterion were applied to the measurements.Playback trials were conducted to explore the levels of response of each taxon to the call types of the other taxa.Results:The territorial call of concinna exhibits a distinct two-element motif,while elegans,maria and virginalis utter a three-element motif in which the first two elements are given in quick succession.On the other hand,vigorsii,produces both two-element and three-element motifs with longer breaks in between elements.As further corroborated by the playback trials,the three taxa elegans,virginalis and maria form a tight vocal cluster,whereas each concinna and vigorsii are distinct.The alarm call turned out to be less diagnostic even though most taxa did roughly separate into different vocal clusters.Morphometric analysis failed to produce strong differences,but plumage distinctions among multiple taxa are pronounced.Conclusions:We suggest splitting the Elegant Pitta into three biological species based on bioacoustic and—less so—plumage evidence:(1)Temminck’s Elegant Pitta P.elegans(including subspecies elegans,virginalis and maria),(2)Wallace’s Elegant Pitta P.concinna(monotypic),and(3)Banda Elegant Pitta P.vigorsii(monotypic).
基金supported by the seed money grant from Kasturba Medical College.Manipal University, Manipal - 576104
文摘Objective:In the Ayurvedic system of medicine,body constitution(prakruthi) is said to play a vital role in the disease process as well as in its progression.Free radical toxicity is also involved in the etiopathogenesis of many disorders.Hence,in the present study an attempt has been made to correlate the body constitution type and the antioxidant status of that prakruthi.Methods:Healthy volunteers from Manipal University Campus, South Karnataka,India were classified into three main human constitutions(prakruthi) and their possible combinations and their serum total antioxidant activity was determined.Results:There was a significant negative correlation of the total antioxidant status with the pitta prakruthi whereas vata and kapha constitutions showed no significant correlation with the total antioxidant status.Conclusion:Ayurveda classifies each individual based on his/her prakruthi into three categories of Doshas:Vata,Pitta and Kapha(collectively known as Tridoshas ). The three Doshas are fundamental regulatory principles responsible for maintaining organism functioning and manifesting those characteristics typifying each individual,that is,in equilibrium Tridoshas signify health and an imbalance leads to disease.Thus,in this study a significantly decreased antioxidant status in the Pitta group would render them more susceptible to damage by oxidative stress.Hence,we suggest that supplementation with antioxidants of herbal(Ayurvedic) origin to such a group would prove to be beneficial - opening up the arena for pharmacogenomics and customized antioxidant drug administration based on the prakruthi of an individual.
