Interpretation Of Evolution Research Articles

Determination of individual age and ontogenetic stages of fossil tetrapods using paleohistological methods

The determination of individual age and ontogenetic stage (juvenile, subadult, adult) of fossil vertebrates is important for the initial determination of taxonomic affiliation, as well as for further evolutionary and paleobiological interpretations. Determination of individual age and ontogenetic stage (= relative age) is carried out by various methods, including paleohistological analysis. The study of thin sections of tetrapod bones allows us to assume how many years the animal lived (skeletochronological method) and to determine the ontogenetic stage according to a set of age-related histological markers: change in the type of bone matrix and vascularization, change in the distance between growth marks, formation of the external fundamental system (EFS), formation of the inner (endosteal) and outer (periosteal) circumferential layers (OCL, ICL), occurrences of secondary remodeling – Haversian substitution and formation of trabeculae. Depending on the phylogenetic position and biological peculiarities of the study group of tetrapods, the set of age “histologic markers” may be different.

High-precision age constraint for the Xiyingzi Bed of the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, Northeast China

The Jehol Biota includes exceptionally well-preserved fossils that are major components of Early Cretaceous land ecosystems. The youngest example of the Jehol Biota occurs in the Jiufotang Formation, which potentially records palaeoenvironmental factors triggering evolutionary turnover. However, the lack of stratigraphic correlations and uncertain age horizons for many fossil taxa lead to conflicting interpretations of events. This study describes a new significant fossiliferous bed (Xiyingzi Bed) from the upper Jiufotang Formation of the Baomayingzi-Yuanjiawa outcrop in western Liaoning, Northeast China. High-precision CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb analysis of a tuff sample from the Xiyingzi Bed provides an age of 121.272 ± 0.040/0.068/0.15 Ma, representing the first reliable age for the upper Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning.Vertebrate fossils preliminarily reported from this bed include the confuciusornithid and enantiornithine birds, the istiodactylid pterosaur, the non-hadrosaurid iguanodontian dinosaur, the long-necked choristoderan reptiles, the sinemydid turtles, and the polyodontid and sinamiid fish. These fossils were previously reported from the lower horizons, indicating stable development of the late Jehol Biota. New results from the Xiyingzi Bed provides a glimpse of the late Jehol biota before transforming into a typical mid-Cretaceous biota in western Liaoning. Systematic biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic analysis of the Xiyingzi Bed helps the evolutionary interpretations of the late Jehol Biota and the correlation of the Jiufotang Formation within different basins of western Liaoning.

Как можно понимать и как тогда практиковать историческую социологию

The essay presents its author's understanding of historical sociology, as well as a view on how to practice historical sociology. The preconditions that have been necessary for the emergence of historical sociology from the American intellectual tradition are the following: first, to overcome the ‘historiosophical ahistoricism’ of classical sociology and the ahistoricism of early empirical sociology in the United States. Second, the emergence of ‘social history’ in Europe under the influence of the Great War and the social sciences rejecting the idea of progress in its evolutionary and revolutionary interpretations. The essay provides a detailed investigation of the features of the ‘new historical science’ in comparison with its traditional counterpart, as well as exploring the similarities and differences between social history and historical sociology. Social history is considered as an intermediate link between the classical ‘sociology of history’ and American historical sociology. Following social history, historical sociology turns to comparative studies and quantitative methods, but at the same time does not abandon hermeneutics. Historical sociology presupposes a mutual weakening of the nomothetics of classical ‘grand theories’ and the ideography of traditional history. It also implies a full-fledged sociological investigation of historical phenomena using procedures accepted in empirical sociology, rather than the reinterpretation of historical research in sociological-theoretical terms. This results in the emergence of special (rather than general) processual and medium-level theories of social change based on historical facts. Historical sociology focuses on theoretical generalizations, which clearly distinguishes it from social history. The essay investigates the different approaches and purposes of using the comparative historical method - and the quantitative methods that complement it. In turn, their utilization leads to problems with the acceptance of their results by traditional historians specialized in a single country and on studying primary sources in the original. Instead of concluding, the author discusses his experience and participation in the institutionalization of historical sociology in Russia and points out the problems hindering it.

Changes in the Interpretation of the Criminal Law by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation: Factors, Consequences, Risks

Problem statement. The problems of the evolutionary interpretation of the criminal law in the scientific literature are practically not given attention. At the same time, the practice of significantly correcting the interpretative positions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation forces us to conceptualize this problem as an independent object of scientific analysis. Aims and objectives of the research. The purpose of the work is to develop the theory of interpretation of the criminal law by analyzing the factors influencing the change in the position of the highest court on the interpretation of the criminal law, as well as by investigating the mechanisms necessary to deter dynamic interpretation. Methods. The work is based primarily on the use of a documentary method of researching materials of judicial practice and a critical analysis of scientific literature. Results. Based on the study of the materials of the practice of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, practice-forming documents of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, current judicial practice and scientific sources, the following are presented: (a) factors influencing the dynamics of the position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the interpretation of criminal law; (b) factors allowing to predict changes in the dynamics of the legal position; (c) risks arising in connection with changes in acts of interpretation. Brief conclusions. The dynamics of the legal interpretation positions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation is influenced by at least four groups of factors: the constitutional and legal meaning of criminal law regulations identified by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation; changes in the socio-political course implemented in the country; the needs of law enforcement practice changing under the influence of new criminal challenges; the development of scientific ideas about the content of criminal law. These factors, acting individually or together, may determine a change in the approach of the highest court to understanding the criminal law. However, such changes, no matter how necessary they are, must have an important quality of predictability so that the dynamics of the interpretation of the law does not undermine the beginning of stability of criminal law regulation. The risks of instability of legal regulation when changing the interpretation of the law must be overcome by a reliable monitoring and forecas­ting system so that these changes contribute to the development of law and the effective achievement of the objectives of the criminal law.

The Personal Identity of the Human Being and the Right to Privacy from the Perspective of Standards of the European Court of Human Rights: Theoretical Legal Reflections

Abstract This article seeks to present the problem of the personal identity of the human being as an important element of the right to one’s private life being respected. The presentation is from the point of view of the guarantees related to the establishment of standards for the protection of human rights by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Relevant for this reflection is the theoretical legal approach to this matter, with particular reference to the methods of interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights. The article discusses the problem of understanding personal and social identity in a cultural context related to group and individual axiology. It presents historical determinants of the ideology of approaching the status of the individual within the state and the general standards of the right to have one’s private life respected. Two key methods of interpretation for devising standards of protection, i.e. the evolutionary interpretation and the method of the cultural margin of assessment, are also analysed. Not only do these methods allow for taking changes in European social axiology into account, but they also allow for the distinctiveness of social axiology at the local level. From this perspective, an answer is given to the question, do the ECHR’s standards for the protection of the right to respect for private life serve to reinforce the personal identity of a human being?

Testing for variation in photoperiodic plasticity in a butterfly: Inconsistent effects of circadian genes between geographic scales.

The genetic components of the circadian clock have been implicated as involved in photoperiodic regulation of winter diapause across various insect groups, thereby contributing to adaptation to adverse seasonal conditions. So far, the effects of within-population variation in these genes have not been well explored. Here, we present an experimental test of the effects of within-population variation at two circadian genes, timeless and period, on photoperiodic responses in the butterfly Pararge aegeria. While nonsynonymous candidate SNPs in both of these genes have previously shown to be associated with diapause induction on a between-population level, in the present experiment no such effect was found on a within-population level. In trying to reconcile these results, we examine sequence data, revealing considerable, previously unknown protein-level variation at both timeless and period across Scandinavian populations, including variants unique to the population studied here. Hence, we hypothesize that these variants may counteract the previously observed diapause-averting effect of the candidate SNPs, possibly explaining the difference in results between the experiments. Whatever the cause, these results highlight how the effects of candidate SNPs may sometimes vary across genetic backgrounds, which complicates evolutionary interpretations of geographic patterns of genetic variation.

Limits of Human Rationality: A Language Philosophy and Evolutionary Biological Interpretation

Limits of Human Rationality: A Language Philosophy and Evolutionary Biological Interpretation

The Significance of Evolutionary Concepts in Biology for the Formation of Evolutionary and Ecological Thinking

This article is devoted to the philosophical analysis of the theoretical and methodological foundations of evolutionary and ecological thinking. The conceptual development of such thinking is a crucial direction in the advancement of modern life sciences. However, within the foundations of evolutionary and ecological interpretation across various biological fields, contradictions between evolutionary and ecological approaches are explicitly evident. This situation arises because the ecological approach views humans as an active factor in the evolution of their environment while simultaneously assuming their natural immutability, i.e., considering them the pinnacle of evolution. The author attempts to identify the principles for selecting evolutionary theories and concepts that underpin the formation of evolutionary and ecological thinking. In this context, the author addresses various branches of evolutionism, such as classical Darwinism, the synthetic theory of evolution, nomogenesis, autogenesis, orthogenesis, catastrophism, neo-Lamarckism, Autopoietic Theory, mutual aid, and symbiosis in evolution. The conclusion is drawn that effective evolutionary and ecological thinking cannot rely solely on the biological characteristics of evolutionism but requires a philosophical understanding of the cultural and historical status of humans in the world.

Principles ensuring the implementation of the idea of transparency of justice in civil cases

The current stage of development of civil procedural law does not allow us to unequivocally state the existence of the principle of transparency in the civil process, or at least it is premature to talk about its existence. It is quite possible that in the future it will be recognized as an international legal principle, formed largely due to the evolutionary interpretation of international norms carried out by international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights. The international legal framework for the requirement of transparency of justice is quite solid; in the decisions of the European Court, this requirement is given significant influence. Modern Russian legislation is also moving along the path of recognizing and consolidating the idea of transparency as a necessary requirement for the organization and implementation of modern justice. But, nevertheless, there are still no sufficient grounds for recognizing transparency as an independent principle. We believe that it is more appropriate to consider transparency through the manifestations of individual institutions and existing principles of civil procedural law.

A Jurisprudential Conclusion of New Criteria Regarding the Recognition of the Existence of Family Life and Relationships between Parents and Children Resulting from Surrogacy

Article 8, paragraph 1 of the European Convention enshrines the right to respect for private life, the right to respect for family life, home and correspondence. As it is always seeking to provide solutions to new social realities, the ECHR created an evolutionary interpretation of the notion of private life that also included (in addition to the rights to the person's physical and mental identity, marital status, health and so on) aspects regarding the abortion, the homosexuality and the trans-sexuality, as well as those related to the impact of technical progress (the interception of telephone conversations, the access to databases and so forth). Also through the jurisprudence, the content of the right expanded, leading to the recognition of the right to one's own image and the right to a healthy environment.

Genome-based taxonomic classification of the genus Sulfitobacter along with the proposal of a new genus Parasulfitobacter gen. nov. and exploring the gene clusters associated with sulfur oxidation

BackgroundThe genus Sulfitobacter, a member of the family Roseobacteraceae, is widely distributed in the ocean and is believed to play crucial roles in the global sulfur cycle. However, gene clusters associated with sulfur oxidation in genomes of the type strains of this genus have been poorly studied. Furthermore, taxonomic errors have been identified in this genus, potentially leading to significant confusion in ecological and evolutionary interpretations in subsequent studies of the genus Sulfitobacter. This study aims to investigate the taxonomic status of this genus and explore the metabolism associated with sulfur oxidation.ResultsThis study suggests that Sulfitobacter algicola does not belong to Sulfitobacter and should be reclassified into a novel genus, for which we propose the name Parasulfitobacter gen. nov., with Parasulfitobacter algicola comb. nov. as the type species. Additionally, enzymes involved in the sulfur oxidation process, such as the sulfur oxidization (Sox) system, the disulfide reductase protein family, and the sulfite dehydrogenase (SoeABC), were identified in almost all Sulfitobacter species. This finding implies that the majority of Sulfitobacter species can oxidize reduced sulfur compounds. Differences in the modular organization of sox gene clusters among Sulfitobacter species were identified, along with the presence of five genes with unknown function located in some of the sox gene clusters. Lastly, this study revealed the presence of the demethylation pathway and the cleavage pathway used by many Sulfitobacter species to degrade dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). These pathways enable these bacteria to utilize DMSP as important source of sulfur and carbon or as a defence strategy.ConclusionsOur findings contribute to interpreting the mechanism by which Sulfitobacter species participate in the global sulfur cycle. The taxonomic rearrangement of S. algicola into the novel genus Parasulfitobacter will prevent confusion in ecological and evolutionary interpretations in future studies of the genus Sulfitobacter.

The Doctrine of the Living Instrument and Evolutionary Interpretation in the Case-Law of the European Court of Human Rights

Relevance. Having developed one of the most complex and advanced human rights protection practices in the world, the European Court of Human Rights has complicated its decision-making mechanism by introducing several doctrines, including the doctrine of the living instrument. The development of the doctrine of a living instrument and an evolutionary method of interpretation in the practice of the Court can be traced to some important cases and problems that have become key and determined the development of the future of the Court itself.The purpose of the article is to analyze the doctrine of the living instrument, the specifics of its application in the practice of the ECHR.Objectives: to analyze various approaches to the study of the nature of the doctrine of the living instrument, to identify trends in the development of evolutionary interpretation, as well as the opinions of various scientists on this issue.Methodology. In the process of working on the study, systematic, comparative legal, historical and legal methods, as well as methods of interpretation, logical and structural analysis were used.Results. It is noted that the concepts of «dynamic interpretation» and «evolutionary interpretation», «the doctrine of intertemporality» and the doctrine of a living instrument should be distinguished. At the same time, there is a risk that the doctrine of the living instrument may violate the sovereignty of Member States if it is used improperly. As a disadvantage, it is also highlighted that this doctrine may damage the legal certainty of the ECHR practice and create a situation where member States do not understand the scope of obligations to which they agree upon accession to the Convention. Based on the nature, it is proposed to divide the evolutionary rulings of the ECHR into 2 categories: rulings of an evolutionary nature and evolutionary rulings.Conclusion. The author concludes that in performing its functions, the Court cannot but apply an evolutionary interpretation, but it must do so reasonably and consistently. The doctrine of the living instrument and the evolutionary interpretation as an instrument of its implementation are a reflection of the generation and those moral values that prevail in society at one time or another.

Studies of Raspy Crickets: The Status of the Wingless American gryllacridines (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae).

In this contribution based on the American wingless gryllacridines, the two genera described for the New World Camptonotus and Neoeremus are defined and differentiated, resulting in three additional genera: Neortus stat. resurr., Fiancogryllacris n. gen. and Camposgryllacris n. gen. The species of these genera were described at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and in most taxa, there are no records since their description, so the iNaturalist platform provided additional distributional data for some species. Taxonomic keys are provided for the identification of the genera and species studied. Finally, the evolutionary interpretation of the appearance and disappearance of wings in leaf-rolling crickets are discussed.

The International Court of Justice Today: Current Challenges and Prospects

Introduction. The study strives to analyze the current situation in the International Court of Justice, a number of the challenges facing it, as well as their possible solutions. Of the 18 disputes currently in the Court’s docket 14 were submitted on the basis of jurisdictional clauses of treaties, including in the field of the protection and promotion of human rights. Using the example of a number of cases, including those involving the Russian Federation, the author analyzes some of the problems resulting from this trend.Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the study includes the following general scientific and special methods of cognition: formal-logical, formal-legal, historical-legal, comparative-legal, analysis and synthesis.Results of the study. Firstly, the artificial limitation of the subject matter of the dispute in some instances is noted, which leads to questions of applicable law and causes risks of broad (or “evolutionary”) interpretation of treaties. Secondly, the problem of politicization of the Court’s activities by some of the Parties to the process is identified, forcing the Court to choose between justice and the political context in some of the “high-profile” cases. Thirdly, the Court’s inability to consider numerous “fact-intensive” cases brought by way of jurisdictional clauses of treaties (especially in the field of protection and promotion of human rights) is noted.Discussion and conclusions. The author sees possible solutions in ensuring the Court’s balanced approach to issues of establishing jurisdiction with due regard to the principle of States’ consent, as well as in adjusting its fact-finding methods. While in its practice the Court has not directly supported the proposals voiced by some of its members favoring evolutionary interpretation of the provisions of human rights treaties in order to lower the “threshold” for establishing the existence of a State’s consent to its jurisdiction, the author notes some recent changes in the Court’s approaches that cause concern. The author predicts a number of negative political and legal consequences of excessive judicial activism, including the risk of broad interpretation of the provisions of the relevant conventions and their abuse, as well as a decrease in the confidence of States in the dispute resolution system within the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Maintaining the Court’s cautious approach to issues of establishing States’ consent to its jurisdiction will be of great importance to upholding its authority.

Cross-Species Comparative DNA Methylation Reveals Novel Insights into Complex Trait Genetics among Cattle, Sheep, and Goats.

The cross-species characterization of evolutionary changes in the functional genome can facilitate the translation of genetic findings across species and the interpretation of the evolutionary basis underlying complex phenotypes. Yet, this has not been fully explored between cattle, sheep, goats, and other mammals. Here, we systematically characterized the evolutionary dynamics of DNA methylation and gene expression in 3 somatic tissues (i.e. brain, liver, and skeletal muscle) and sperm across 7 mammalian species, including 3 ruminant livestock species (cattle, sheep, and goats), humans, pigs, mice, and dogs, by generating and integrating 160 DNA methylation and transcriptomic data sets. We demonstrate dynamic changes of DNA hypomethylated regions and hypermethylated regions in tissue-type manner across cattle, sheep, and goats. Specifically, based on the phylo-epigenetic model of DNA methylome, we identified a total of 25,074 hypomethylated region extension events specific to cattle, which participated in rewiring tissue-specific regulatory network. Furthermore, by integrating genome-wide association studies of 50 cattle traits, we provided novel insights into the genetic and evolutionary basis of complex phenotypes in cattle. Overall, our study provides a valuable resource for exploring the evolutionary dynamics of the functional genome and highlights the importance of cross-species characterization of multiomics data sets for the evolutionary interpretation of complex phenotypes in cattle livestock.

The evolutionary constitutional interpretation and the deception of contextualism

It is an incontrovertible fact that the hierarchical relationship between principles and values must be defined on the basis of assumptions of contemporary social and economic. A process that, although it is composite, can be carried out due to indeterminacy, the generality and simplicity of the constitutional provisions, which lend themselves to an interpretation that is subject to constant change. However, this can only be done by checking the relevance of the terms used in advance, in the course of time, they may have acquired a different meaning from their original meaning. In the absence of legislation that is in step with new social and economic needs, the only possibility for the judge to reach a resolution of specific cases and at the same time avoid the insidious possibility that certain provisions, even if not strictly unconstitutional, may be anachronistic, is to preserve their operation, through an evolutionary and constitutionally oriented interpretation.

THE REBELLION OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURTS AND THE NORMATIVE CHARACTER OF EUROPEAN UNION LAW

AbstractThis article offers a reconstruction and assessment of the emerging rebellion of European constitutional courts against the exceptionless supremacy of European Union (EU) law. It presents the ontological theories of supremacy and how the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) overcame the first two major challenges of its history: the existential challenge of canonizing the general doctrine of supremacy and the Solange challenge of national fundamental rights. It provides an account of the emerging ultra vires challenge, including its root cause and evolvement, and provides an assessment and sets out proposals. The article demonstrates that the crux of the matter is not the primacy of EU law but the interpretive primacy of the CJEU. It argues that the rebellion was triggered by the perception that the CJEU case law features a declining normative and an increasing policy character. The debate about the CJEU's evolutionary interpretation, in a certain sense, parallels US constitutional law's debate between originalism and the living constitution, with the difference that the EU is a pluralist legal order.

The judicial dialogue between the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights

Despite the evolution, recognizing fundamental rights on a case-by-case basis, the CJEU failed, however, to develop a complete system of fundamental rights protection, covering all areas of Community law and, subsequently, EU actions. Furthermore, due to the lack of specific references to fundamental rights in EU law, EU citizens have continued to rely on the protection system provided by the CEDO. On the other hand, the CEDO referred less often to the jurisprudence of the CJEU, which was not totally unexpected. In fact, the CEDO's citation of CJEU judgments did not result from a need to legitimize its own jurisprudence in relation to the contracting states. In the case of the CEDO, it rather proved that there is a consensus at the European level that could justify either a reversal of the jurisprudence or an evolutionary interpretation of a right guaranteed by the Convention.

Does leaf morphoanatomy corroborate systematics and biogeographic events in the Paleotropical genus Acridocarpus (Malpighiaceae)?

The Paleotropical genus Acridocarpus stands out among the lineages recovered in the most recent phylogeny of the Malpighiaceae. Its 30 species occur disjunctively in Africa and only one species in New Caledonia, exhibiting a coincidence between the period of dispersion/diversification with the increase of arid areas in Africa. This study aims to investigate whether the anatomical leaf of the Acridocarpus can support the hypothesis of diversification of the genus in response to environmental, besides the contribution to systematic approaches. Leaves from 21 species were submitted to the usual methodologies for analysis under light microscope. Coded anatomical characters were also mapped in the phylogenetic tree of Acridorcarpus. Ericoid leaves, compact mesophyll, adaxial epidermis with elongated cells, epidermal cells with thick outer periclinal walls, were found in most species. These xeromorphic features would be correlated to the arid environments where the species occurs. The presence, distribution, and position of nectaries on the leaf, the contour of both petiole and midrib, the conformation of both petiole and midrib vascular system, the presence of sheath extending laterally between the palisade and spongy parenchyma, the presence and location of druse crystal in the petiole and mesophyll, the presence of stomatal ridges and distribution of stomata on the blade were recognized as useful characters for the taxonomy that contribute to the interspecific distinction. The lateral extension of the bundle sheath in the mesophyll was interpreted as a synapomorphy for the genus and amphistomatic leaves were considered an autapomorphy in A. spectibilis. These findings allowed the construction of an identification key and may contribute to new evolutionary interpretations in Malpighiaceae.

ECHR Same-Sex Partnership Protection Issues and Implications for China

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has gradually developed from the non-recognition of same-sex partnerships to requiring member states to recognize and actively obligation to protect same-sex partnerships. From the series of cases of protecting same-sex couples published by ECHR, it can be seen that the ECHR protection of same-sex couples presents the characteristics of taking the new European consensus as the premise,expanding the scope of protection through evolutionary interpretation, and protecting same-sex couples by applying the principle of discretion and proportionality at the same time. The ECHR protection of same-sex couples has the problem of simply equating "new consensus" with the minimum standard of human rights protection,the conflict between the application of evolutionary interpretation and the principle of state consent, and the unclear scope of national discretion. From the characteristics and problems faced by the ECHR protection of same-sex couples, the rationality of the relativity theory of human rights protection in China has been further confirmed. In addition, it provides inspiration for China to avoid judicial creation in the interpretation of treaty evolution, and to respect the discretion of sovereign states to the greatest extent within the scope of national discretion.