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PubMed2000

Critical factors in the radioimmunoassay of endothelin-1, endothelin-3, and big endothelin-1 in human plasma.

The possible diagnostic or prognostic significance of changes in circulating level of endothelins in a variety of pathological conditions is currently of interest. Unfortunately, no consensus regarding optimization of sensitivity and extraction procedures for the reliable radioimmunoassay of endothelin-1 (ET-1), big endothelin-1 (BigET-1), and endothelin-3 (ET-3) currently exists. The object of the present study was to evaluate aspects of currently used extraction and assay procedures that limit accurate determination of ET in human plasma and define criteria to reduce variability. Critical parameters include the selectivity of commercial antibodies and the ability to remove interfering material after Sep-Pak absorption by selective washing with 24% ethanol in 4% acetic acid or methylene chloride in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. Assay sensitivity and specificity in the physiological range is improved by optimizing total binding parameters for the antibodies to give approximately 15-20% binding of radiolabeled peptide. With these modifications normal plasma values for ET-1, BigET-1, and ET-3 averaged 1.7 +/- 0.06, 2.5 +/- 0.3, and 5.8 +/- 0.2 pg/ml, respectively. These data suggest that such modifications may help to resolve many of the earlier difficulties concerning the role of ET under normal and pathological conditions.

Endothelin-1↗
PubMed1998

Arctiid moths and bat echolocation: broad-band clicks interfere with neural responses to auditory stimuli in the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus of the big brown bat.

Clicks emitted by arctiid moths interfere with the ranging ability of echolocating bats. To identify possible neural correlates of this interference, we recorded responses of single units in the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus to combinations of a broad-band click and a test signal (pure tones or frequency-modulated sweeps). In 77% of 87 units tested, clicks interfered with neural responses to the test stimuli. The interference fell into two categories: latency ambiguity and suppression. Units showing latency ambiguity responded to both the click and the test signal. However, when the click occurred within a window of approximately 3 ms before the onset of the test signal, the latency of the response to the test signal was affected. Units that were suppressed did not respond to clicks. Nevertheless, when a click was presented immediately before or simultaneously with a test signal, the response to the test signal was eliminated. Both types of units were found throughout the lateral lemniscus except for the columnar division of the ventral nucleus, where all units tested exhibited latency ambiguity. There is a close match between the single unit data and previous studies of range difference discrimination in the presence of clicks.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1999

Stroke in rural South Africa--contributing to the little known about a big problem.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the extent of mortality from cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in a rural South African population. DESIGN: Annual demographic and health surveillance with verbal autopsy of all deaths, 1992-1995. OUTCOME MEASURES: Stroke mortality rate by age and sex. RESULTS: Stroke mortality increased with age and is higher in men than women over age 35. Proportionate mortality ratio from CVA: 10.3% of deaths in the 35-64-year age group. CONCLUSION: Cerebrovascular disease is an important cause of death in South Africa's rural north-east. Community-based research is needed to inform policy and practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2007

Problem drinking among Cambodian refugees in the United States: how big of a problem is it?

OBJECTIVE: The present study assesses current drinking behavior in a representative sample of Cambodian refugees. Earlier estimates of alcohol use in this population suggest that Cambodian refugees are at elevated risk for alcohol-use problems, but these studies have relied on convenience samples and may not reflect current consumption patterns. METHOD: A cross-sectional, face-to-face interview was conducted in Khmer on a household probability sample of Cambodian refugees residing in the largest such community in the United States. The overall response rate was 87% and yielded 490 respondents in the current analyses. RESULTS: Rates of consumption and alcohol-use problems were low in this population. Few participants (26%) reported any alcohol consumption in the 30 days preceding the interview, and only 2% reported any heavy drinking in the last 30 days. Multivariate analyses indicated that younger participants and men were more likely to report any recent drinking, and men were more likely to report any heavy drinking. Notably, recent consumption was not related to degree of trauma exposure or extent of psychiatric distress when controlling for age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: These data contrast dramatically with the widespread belief that Cambodian refugees are at elevated risk for problem drinking. Findings highlight the pitfalls of drawing population-based conclusions from data based on nonrepresentative samples or from nonstandard measures of alcohol consumption.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Price smarter on the Net.

Companies generally have set prices on the Internet in two ways. Many start-ups have offered untenably low prices in a rush to capture first-mover advantage. Many incumbents have simply charged the same prices on-line as they do off-line. Either way, companies are missing a big opportunity. The fundamental value of the Internet lies not in lowering prices or making them consistent but in optimizing them. After all, if it's easy for customers to compare prices on the Internet, it's also easy for companies to track customers' behavior and adjust prices accordingly. The Net lets companies optimize prices in three ways. First, it lets them set and announce prices with greater precision. Different prices can be tested easily, and customers' responses can be collected instantly. Companies can set the most profitable prices, and they can tap into previously hidden customer demand. Second, because it's so easy to change prices on the Internet, companies can adjust prices in response to even small fluctuations in market conditions, customer demand, or competitors' behavior. Third, companies can use the clickstream data and purchase histories that it collects through the Internet to segment customers quickly. Then it can offer segment-specific prices or promotions immediately. By taking full advantage of the unique possibilities afforded by the Internet to set prices with precision, adapt to changing circumstances quickly, and segment customers accurately, companies can get their pricing right. It's one of the ultimate drivers of e-business success.

Commerce↗
PubMed2001

See the big picture, understand the details.

Ray B. Lefton, DDS, FHFMA, MBA, CPA, is the CFO of Temple East Inc., a subsidiary of Temple University Health System, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lefton's primary responsibilities include all traditional financial duties. He also serves as Temple East's CIO and compliance officer, and has the departments of finance, medical records, registration, patient accounting, materials management, information systems, rehabilitation services, podiatry, and hospitalists reporting to him. He is a member of HFMA's Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter. His organization has made great strides in reducing both denied and avoidable days and in lowering days in accounts receivable.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2002

Effects of the ECE/NEP inhibitor CGS 34225 on the big ET-1-induced pressor response and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration in conscious rats.

CGS 34226 is a thiol-containing, potent dual inhibitor of endothelin converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) and neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP) with IC(50) values of 11 and 5 nM respectively. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the inhibitory effects of CGS 34225, an orally active prodrug of CGS 34226, on ECE-1 and NEP in vivo. The effects on ECE-1 and NEP were assessed by determining the inhibition of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1)-induced increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and increases in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations respectively, in conscious rats. Thirty and 120 min after the administration of vehicle, big ET-1 (0.3 nmol/kg, intravenously; i.v.) produced pressor responses of approximately 800 mmHg.min (area under the curve for change in MAPxtime). Treatment with CGS 34225 at 1 mgEq/kg, per os (p.o.), decreased the pressor effect of big ET-1 by 39 and 53% at 30 and 120 min respectively (P<0.05, both times). Increasing the dose of CGS 34255 to 30 mgEq/kg, p.o., resulted in greater inhibition, 84 and 92% (P<0.05) at 30 and 120 min respectively. Furthermore, at this higher dose, the inhibitory effect on ECE-1 was long-lasting, averaging 86, 75 and 30% (P<0.05, all times) at 4, 8 and 24 h respectively. In rats treated with vehicle, the infusion of ANP at 450 ng/kg per min i.v. resulted in plasma ANP concentrations of 3.9-4.8 ng/ml that remained relatively constant for 4 h. Treatment with CGS 34225 at 10 mgEq/kg, p.o., increased the ANP level to 7.7+/-1.0 and 10.6+/-1.8 ng/ml at 1 and 4 h after dosing (P<0.05, both times). These data demonstrate that CGS 34225 is a potent, orally active and long-acting inhibitor of ECE-1 and NEP in vivo. It is anticipated that compounds with this dual function may be useful in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases where the ET system plays a pathogenic role and the potentiation of ANP elicits therapeutic benefits.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Tau is widely expressed in rat tissues.

The microtubule-associated protein tau, a major component of paired helical filaments in Alzheimer's disease, had been thought to be a neuron-specific protein. We investigated various rat tissues using both reverse transcriptase-coupled polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting. tau was found to be widely expressed in many tissues besides the nervous system: at relatively high levels in the heart, skeletal muscle, lung, kidney, and testis and at low levels in the adrenal gland, stomach, and liver. In terms of the tau isoform expression, tissues fall into three classes: those expressing predominantly small tau, those expressing predominantly big tau, and those expressing both at comparable levels. The phosphorylation state of tau varied among the tissues, as shown by differences in the extents of changes in the reactivities with Tau 1 and electrophoretic mobilities after dephosphorylation. It is notable that tau in many nonneural tissues was highly phosphorylated at Ser396 (according to the numbering of the 441-residue human tau isoform). Thus, tau is widely expressed in rat tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Adrenocortical carcinoma -- improving patient care by establishing new structures.

BACKGROUND: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and highly malignant tumour with a poor prognosis. Patients present with signs of steroid hormone excess (e.g., Cushing's syndrome) or symptoms due to an abdominal mass. DIAGNOSIS: In case of an adrenal mass, hormonal workup before surgery is required for differential diagnosis, perioperative management, and for follow-up. The imaging of choice is CT or MRI with MRI being of additional use when invasion of big vessels is suspected. Apart from that, the use of 18-FDG-PET is becoming increasingly established. TREATMENT: Surgical resection is the therapeutic option of choice in stages 1 - 3. In stage 4, the adrenolytic compound mitotane is part of the first-line treatment, but often needs to be combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Most patients will eventually have a recurrence, so adjuvant treatment (mitotane/tumour bed radiation) has to be considered in high risk patients, even if randomized controlled trials on adjuvant treatment are still lacking. STRUCTURAL PROGRESS: Several national and European structures have recently been established in order to increase our knowledge of ACC, improve therapeutic options and diagnostic procedures, and promote research. GANIMED, as a Germany-wide network of experts on adrenal diseases, has been founded allowing for improved gathering of data and joint studies. ENSAT (European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours) has been brought to life, aiming at European standards for therapy, diagnosis and tumour banking. Since 2003, patients can be enrolled in the German ACC Registry. France and Italy have also developed a central registry to collect nationwide data from patients with ACC. For the first time, patients with metastatic/unresectable ACC can participate in a prospective controlled randomized trial comparing two different cytotoxic chemotherapy regimes (FIRM-ACT).

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Secretion of endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 by human cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

1. It is generally accepted that endothelial cells secrete endothelin (ET) to the underlying media which mediates the contractile effects of ET. However, there is some evidence that animal vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) also secrete ET. We cultured VSMCs from human vessels representative of a number of different vascular beds to determine whether human VSMCs endogenously secrete ET. 2. VSMCs explanted from adult arterial vessels secrete picomolar quantities of immunoreactive mature ET: coronary artery 226.6 +/- 58.8 pM/10(6) cells (n = 7), thoracic aorta 169.5 +/- 105.4 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3), left internal mammary artery 102.4 +/- 23.1 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3) and saphenous vein 69.4 +/- 19.9 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3), as well as from umbilical vein (HUVSMCs) 38.3 +/- 4.3 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3). Secretion of immunoreactive big ET-1 was also detected: coronary artery 249.1 +/- 59.4 pM/10(6) cells (n = 7), thoracic aorta 120.0 +/- 13.4 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3), left internal mammary artery 170.0 +/- 68.2 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3), saphenous vein 105.1 +/- 30.7 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3) and from umbilical vein 146.3 +/- 7.4 pM/10(6) cells (n = 3). Comparable, intracellular levels of immunoreactive big ET-1 and mature ET were also detected in cultured VSMCs. 3. Since enzyme-dispersed VSMCs are thought to be more differentiated and more closely resemble their in vivo counterparts, and these enzyme-dispersed VSMCs from human umbilical vein (HUVSMCs) also secreted the greatest levels of immunoreactive peptides, they were characterized further. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay demonstrated that HUVSMCs express ET-1 mRNA. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to radioimmunoassay revealed that HUVSMCs secrete ET-1 and ET-3, in addition to big ET-1. However, levels of ET are not altered by 100 AM phosphoramidon,an inhibitor of metalloproteases or by 100 microM pepstatin A, an aspartyl protease inhibitor.4. In concordance, KD and Bmax values for [125I]-ET-l saturation binding are not altered in HUVSMC cultures incubated for 24 h with 100 microM phosphoramidon (431 +/- 218 PM and 31.1 +/- 12.7 fmol mg-1;mean =/- s.e.mean, n = 3) or 100 microM pepstatin A (381 +/- 169PM and 19.9 +/- 7.8 fmol mg-1, n = 3) as compared to controls (355 +/- 99 pM and 33.3 +/- 9.3 fmol mg-1; n = 3). This observation indicates the absence of an autocrine 'unmasking' effect for ET receptors.5. HUVSMCs synthesize and secrete immunoreactive ET-1, ET-3 and big ET-1, and possess intracellular levels of immunoreactive mature ET and big ET-1. There is some evidence of common cellular mechanisms between growth factors and vasoconstrictor peptides, suggesting a close relationship between contraction and proliferation. Since the development of various vascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis, hypertension and after vessel injury has been attributed to alterations in the normal growth pattern of VSMCs, the role of ET in these diseases may be of significance.

Antimalarials↗
PubMed1997

The Drosophila neurogenic gene big brain, which encodes a membrane-associated protein, acts cell autonomously and can act synergistically with Notch and Delta.

In the developing nervous system of Drosophila, cells in each proneural cluster choose between neural and epidermal cell fates. The neurogenic genes mediate the cell-cell communication process whereby one cell adopts the neural cell fate and prevents other cells in the cluster from becoming neural. In the absence of neurogenic gene function, most, if not all of the cells become neural. big brain is a neurogenic gene that encodes a protein with sequence similarity to known channel proteins. It is unique among the neurogenic genes in that previous genetic studies have not revealed any interaction between big brain and the other neurogenic genes. Furthermore, the neural hypertrophy in big brain mutant embryos is less severe than that in embryos mutant for other neurogenic genes. In this paper, we show by antibody staining that bib is expressed in tissues that give rise to neural precursors and in other tissues that are affected by loss of neurogenic gene function. By immunoelectron microscopy, we found that bib is associated with the plasma membrane and concentrated in apical adherens junctions as well as in small cytoplasmic vesicles. Using mosaic analysis in the adult, we demonstrate that big brain activity is required autonomously in epidermal precursors to prevent neural development. Finally, we demonstrate that ectopically expressed big brain acts synergistically with ectopically expressed Delta and Notch, providing the first evidence that big brain may function by augmenting the activity of the Delta-Notch pathway. These results are consistent with bib acting as a channel protein in proneural cluster cells that adopt the epidermal cell fate, and serving a necessary function in the response of these cells to the lateral inhibition signal.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

The mushroom message.

A basic law of ecology is that living things are tightly dependent on one another, often in ways that are not easy to imagine. Who, for example, would have predicted that when the last dodo was killed in 1675, that death would lead to the slow extermination of the tambalocoque tree, whose fruits germinate only after passing through the dodo's digestive system? Now no natural strands of tambalocoque younger than 300 years can be found. Or who would have predicted that clear-cutting tropical rainforests would so significantly alter local weather patterns that the tropical rainforest biome itself and its vast diversity of life might not survive? Such interactions are worth noting because of the possible ramifications of a phenomenon that ecologists have just begun to document. Mushrooms worldwide appear to be in a catastrophic state of decline. Throughout Europe, in countries with terrains as diverse as Holland, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and England, wild mushrooms are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Those fungi that are found are significantly smaller than those found years ago. Preliminary data suggest that the same troubling situation is occurring throughout North American as well. The decline has been so precipitous that biologists have begun to refer to it as a mass extinction. The 2 obvious explanations for the demise of the mushrooms--habitat destruction and overpicking of edible types by an ever growing human population--have been ruled out. Sophisticated sampling schemes designed by ecologists control for the fact that there is less land available for wild mushrooms; they have been declining at a rate that far exceeds the rate at which land is being developed. The fact that the decline has affected both edible and inedible mushrooms equally indicates that humans hunting for tasty treats are not the main cause of the problem. The loss of wild mushrooms worldwide might not seem like that big a deal, but the consequences may well be grave because of the way those fungi interact with other life forms. If the mushrooms die off, ecologists fear that our forests may not be far behind. Many mushrooms live in close association with trees; the mushrooms provide the trees with water and minerals while the trees supply the mushrooms with carbohydrates. The mushrooms' underground filaments often extend much deeper into the soil than do the roots of trees, thus making available to trees resources that would otherwise be unusable. Ecologists have found that trees lacking mushrooms are significantly more susceptible to environmental stress than those growing with the fungi. Eef Arnolds, an ecologist specializing in mushrooms at the Agricultural University of the Netherlands thinks that "severe frost or drought could lead to a mass dying of trees." Although the cause of the decline has not be pinpointed, most experts believe that the mushrooms are responding to abnormal atmospheric levels of nitrogen, sulfur, and ozone. Dr. Arnolds suggests that in Holland the main culprit appears to be excessive nitrogen applied as fertilizer to agricultural fields. Once again it appears that we are seeing the unpredicted effects of our wanton pollution of our environment. If the experts are correct about the cause of the decrease in mushroom populations, the mushrooms can provide us with some very critical information and insight like the canaries that miners used to bring into mine shafts to warn of a lack of breathable air, these small indicator species are warning us about the state of our planet. We can only hope that collectively we have enough sense to begin to pay attention.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed1994

A historical view of protein kinase CK2.

The enzyme termed nowadays protein kinase CK2 was first described in liver extracts (as a mixture with protein kinase CK1), using casein as artificial substrate, by Burnett and Kennedy (1954). In 1960 it was shown that such casein/phosvitin phosphorylating activity was ubiquitous and distinct from phosphorylase kinase, i.e., the only other protein kinase known at that time. CK1 and CK2 were distinguished from each other at the end of the sixties, and during the seventies CK2 was purified to homogeneity in several laboratories and thoroughly characterized as far as its subunit structure (alpha 2 beta 2), site specificity, and in vitro responsiveness to various effectors were concerned. The first endogenous substrate for CK2 (eIF-3) was described in 1976, but it was during the eighties that it became clear that CK2 is a pleiotropic protein kinase committed with the phosphorylation of a myriad of cellular targets. More than 100 CK2 substrates are known, sharing typical phosphoacceptor sites specified by multiple acidic residues on the C terminal side of Ser/Thr. The definition of the primary structure of CK2 catalytic subunit, in 1987, definitely included CK2 in the big family of eukariotic protein kinases. The growing interest for CK2 is accounted for by its unusual properties, by the increasing number of its substrates, and by several coincidental arguments suggesting that this pleiotropic protein kinase plays a fundamental role in cellular regulation. A major and intriguing problem concerning CK2 is its apparent lack of regulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Folic acid age correlation established on folates determinations in cell homogenates.

From the available data, there has resulted that folic acid quantity in homogenate, coming from various organs, collected from young animals is much larger than for the other age categories. These results may be correlated with intense cell proliferation and development processes that take place in the young tissues as compared to rather low values established from grown-ups and old ranges. When comparing the folates quantity found in homogenate resulting from various organs we may ascertain that, if the folates are related to grams of tissue under the test, they are more in spleen than in kidneys, liver and brains respectively. If the folates are reported to tissue protein milligrams it may be ascertained that a larger quantity of folates is found in the brains than in the other studied organs that may be due to big dilution of the proteins in the brains.

Aging↗
PubMed2000

Does physical activity prevent weight gain--a systematic review.

This paper is a systematic review of research data on associations between physical activity and weight gain, with or without prior weight reduction. The selected studies were restricted to Caucasian (white) adults. Most studies with data on physical activity collected at follow-up, found an inverse association between physical activity and long-term weight gain. This finding was present in studies both with and without prior weight reduction. Prospective studies with physical activity measured at baseline, and randomized weight reduction interventions, gave inconsistent results regarding the effects of increased physical activity on weight change. The weighted mean weight regain in randomized studies with or without exercise training was 0.28 and 0.33 kg/month, respectively. Based on observational studies, it seemed that an actual increase in energy expenditure of physical activity of approximately 6300-8400 kJ/week (1500-2000 kcal/week) is associated with improved weight maintenance. This is more than was prescribed in most randomized trials, and certainly more than the participants actually achieved. Adherence to a prescribed exercise programme remains a big challenge. Before new methods to improve exercise adherence are found, the role of prescribed physical activity in prevention of weight gain remains modest.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

"I have learnt ... a different way of looking at people's health": an evaluation of a prevocational medical training program in public health medicine and primary health care in remote Australia.

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into what prevocational medical practitioners (PMPs) learnt during a six-month public health medicine and primary health care training program (the Program) in remote Aboriginal Australia in 2001-2002. The Program's curriculum objectives included clinical and public health management of sexually transmitted infections, immunization, clinical audit and quality improvement, primary health care in remote Aboriginal communities, and working as part of an interdisciplinary team with health and non-health professionals, and lay people. The mode and location of delivery of these objectives was determined by the healthcare needs of the Kimberley population, and availability of safe, supported workplaces. Qualitative data from a variety of sources, including PMPs' reflective journals, were examined in the context of the Program's curriculum objectives and by conducting a content analysis of journal notes. Findings are presented using the curriculum objectives and other comments that emerged while examining the data. Preliminary data indicated that PMPs gained knowledge and practical experience in clinical and public health management of sexually transmitted infections, immunization and primary health care in poorly resourced remote Aboriginal settings. Deeper understandings of health and illness in a cross-cultural setting also developed, along with professional and personal growth, as illustrated by the following quotations from PMPs: "I have learnt ... a different way of looking at people's health ... I was encouraged to think more deeply than before about the whys and wherefores of medical practice, and thus consider the most effective ways of influencing patients' behaviours for the better." "I was encouraged to examine the thought processes behind the ways ... healthcare was provided ... [after leaving the Kimberley] I am constantly questioning the reason why we are practising medicine in a certain way in the big city hospitals-much to the consternation of my colleagues ... ." The Program was successful in teaching its first four PMPs the basic tools of public health medicine and remote area primary health care.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

[Usefulness of the French DRG based information system (PMSI) in the measurement of cancer activity in a multidisciplinary hospital: the Hospices Civils de Lyon].

Measuring the burden of cancer activity in big teaching multidisciplinary hospitals becomes a real challenge in France for organizational, quality of care and economic reasons. At the "Hospices Civils de Lyon" University Hospital in France, we have chosen to face this question by using the french DRG based information system called PMSI. It allows to identify hospital stays related to cancer care through the use of an algorithm based on selected ICD 10 codes for hospital stay. We then estimate the proportion of patients concerned by cancer and classify hospital stays and patients according to various epidemiological and clinical parameters. The results for the year 1999 taken as an example showed that 43,883 out of 293,827 (15%) of hospital stays were related with a diagnostic of cancer, corresponding to 12,777 different patients. The concordance study on 154 patients between the data from the electronic PMSI files and medical paper records showed a 97% concordance for cancer diagnosis and 93% for the precise type of tumor. In absence of hospital based cancer registries, the PMSI data base gives an accurate source of information for cancer burden and provides many potential applications in defining hospital policies for cancer management and resource allocations.

Diagnosis-Related Groups↗
PubMed2007

On the time scale of New World primate diversification.

New World primates comprise a diverse group of neotropical mammals that suddenly appeared in the Late Oligocene deposits of South America at around 26 million years ago (MYA). Platyrrhines seem to have separated from Old World anthropoids ca. 35 MYA, and their subsequent diversfication is not well documented in the fossil record. Therefore, molecular clock studies were conducted to unveil the temporal scenario for the evolution of the group. In this study, divergence times of all splits within platyrrhines until the generic level were investigated, using two different gene data sets under relaxed molecular clocks. Special attention was paid to the basal diversification of living platyrrhines and to the basal split of the modern Cebidae family, since these nodes were reported to be phylogenetically difficult to resolve. The results showed that analyses from various genomic regions are similar to estimates obtained by early single-gene studies. Living New World primates are descendants of ancestors that lived in the Early Miocene, at around 20 MYA, and modern Cebidae and Pitheciidae appeared ca. 16.9 and 15.6 MYA, respectively. The last common ancestor of living Atelidae is 12.4 million years old, making this clade the youngest New World primate family; at approximately the same time, modern Callitrichinae was evolving (11.8 MYA). The gap between the Platyrrhini/Catarrhini separation and the last common ancestor of living Platyrrhini may be as big as 20 million years. Paleontological and geoclimatological evidence corroborates that the sudden appearance of modern families may be a consequence of environmental changes during the Miocene.

Animal Migration↗