Red Ear Research Articles

Studies on the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Japanese Native Fowl Breeds

Blood samples were taken from about 600 fowls of 24 Japanese native breeds to study the phylogenetic relationships of these breeds. Genetic polymorphisms of albumins, esterases and alkaline phosphatases of fowl plasma were detected using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis.Plasma albumins of the fowl are controlled by three autosomal alleles, AlbA, AlbB and AlbC (STRATIL, 1968). In most of Japanese native breeds, the gene frequency of AlbB was high. AlbA was observed only Jitokko. AlbC was present in Shamo (Japanese Games), and Minohiki and Satsumadori, both of which were phylogenetically related to Shamo breed, and the breeds of Tosajidori, Uzurao and Ohiki.Plasma esterases are controlled by three autosomal codominant alleles (GRUNDER, 1971). Gene frequency of Es-1B was higher than those of Es-1A and Es-1C in most of Japanese native breeds, Es-1C being the lowest, whereas Es-1A was predominant in Mediterranean breeds. A higher frequency of Es-1C was observed in Ohiki and Koshamo (Japanese Game Bantam), small breeds.Plasma alkaline phosphatase of the fowl was observed in two electophoretic regions. One is controlled by the dominant (Akp) and recessive (akp) alleles (WILCOX, 1966), and the other is controlled by the dominant (Akp-2o) and recessive (Akp-2a) alleles GODA et al., 1971). Gene frequency of Akp was higher in Onagadori, Totenko and Uzurao, which were charactaristic to have white ear lobes, than the other breeds. Low frequency of Akp was observed in Shokoku having red ear lobes. It is postulated that Totenko was a more possible ancestor of Onagadori (Long Tailed Japanese fowl) than Shokoku.

New Ways of Looking at Ears

Two articles in Pediatrics complement each other very nicely: "Acute Suppurative Otitis Media" by Rowe (56:285, August 1975) and "The Application of Acoustic Impedance Measurements to Pediatric Clinical Practice" by Ehrlich and Tait (55:666, May 1975). The former article expresses indirectly what I have always felt, that is, that a doctor who calls acute otitis media a "red ear" is either using a colloquialism or doesn't know what he is talking about. The second article provides a method for teaching residents and interns how to diagnose not only the acute otitis but also the serous otitis media and "glue ear" that are so frequently missed by the untrained observer.

Feeding Sites of Aphids of the Genus Cinara Curtis (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Northwestern Ontario

While working at Cedar Lake in Northwestern Ontario in the summers of 1957 and 1958 the author was able to observe the feeding sites of various species of Cinara. Most of the observations were made within an area of a few square miles on either side of Highway 105, between Red Lake Road and Ear Falls, Ontario. This area is fairly typical of the Laurentian Shield, with numerous lakes, rocky ridges, sandy patches, and small bogs. The principal coniferous trees in this locality are black spruce, jack pine, and balsam fir. White spruce, white cedar, white pine, red pine, and common juniper are also present.