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Nicolas Delsol's book "Cattle in the Postcolumbian Americas" explores the intricate relationships between humans and cattle in the circum-Caribbean from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Through zooarchaeological evidence from various sites, Delsol delves into the impact of European cattle introduction following colonization, emphasizing the agency of cattle in shaping the historical narrative. The book's interdisciplinary approach, blending history, genetics, and archaeology, offers valuable insights into the social and economic impacts of European colonization in the Caribbean and Mesoamerica, making it essential for researchers studying the colonial period in these regions. [Extracted from the article]

In species with separate sexes, females and males often differ in their morphology, physiology and behaviour. Such sex‐specific traits are functionally linked to variation in reproductive competition, mate choice and parental care, which have all been linked to sex roles. At the 150th anniversary of Darwin's theory on sexual selection, the question of why patterns of sex roles vary within and across species remains a key topic in behavioural and evolutionary ecology. New theoretical, experimental and comparative evidence suggests that variation in the adult sex ratio (ASR) is a key driver of variation in sex roles. Here, we first define and discuss the historical emergence of the sex role concept, including recent criticisms and rebuttals. Second, we review the various sex ratios with a focus on ASR, and explore its theoretical links to sex roles. Third, we explore the causes, and especially the consequences, of biased ASRs, focusing on the results of correlational and experimental studies of the effect of ASR variation on mate choice, sexual conflict, parental care and mating systems, social behaviour, hormone physiology and fitness. We present evidence that animals in diverse societies are sensitive to variation in local ASR, even on short timescales, and propose explanations for conflicting results. We conclude with an overview of open questions in this field integrating demography, life history and behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male sex is a strong risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The leading theory for a "female protective effect" (FPE) envisions males and females have "differing thresholds" under a "liability threshold model" (DT-LTM). Specifically, this model posits that females require either a greater number or larger magnitude of risk factors (i.e., greater liability) to manifest ASD, which is supported by the finding that a greater proportion of females with ASD have highly penetrant genetic mutations. Herein, we derive testable hypotheses from the DT-LTM for ASD, investigating heritability, familial recurrence, correlation between ASD penetrance and sex ratio, population traits, clinical features, the stability of the sex ratio across diagnostic changes, and highlight other key prerequisites. Our findings reveal that several key predictions of the DT-LTM are not supported by current data, requiring us to establish a different conceptual framework for evaluating alternate models that explain sex differences in ASD. Approximately 4 times more males than females are diagnosed with autism. This comprehensive review of the evidence highlights key weaknesses in the dominant model used to explain this difference and raises the possibility of alternative explanations for the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A noticeable change of the male-to-female sex ratio (SR) has been observed in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) leading to an apparent regression of SR with time (SR close to 1:1). Objective: To provide a global SR estimate and investigate its relation with respect to population age. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted including only population-based studies with a high-quality methodology in European ancestral origin population. Male-to-female SR was estimated by three different measures: SR number, SR crude incidence and SR standardized incidence. Standard and dose–response meta-analyses were performed to assess the pooled SR measures (irrespective of population age) and the evolution of the SR measures with respect to population age, respectively. Potential sources of heterogeneity were investigated via meta-regression. Results: Overall, 3254 articles were retrieved in the literature search. Thirty-nine studies stratified by time periods were included. The overall pooled male-to-female ratio was 1.28 (95% CI 1.23–1.32) for SR number, 1.33 (95% CI 1.29–1.38) for SR crude incidence and 1.35 (95% CI 1.31–1.40) for SR standardized incidence. The SR number with respect to population age reveals a progressive reduction of SR at increasing age, while the SR crude incidence in relation to age displays a U-shaped curve. Conclusions: The number and the incidence of ALS cases were consistently higher in males than females. Dose–response meta-analysis showed that SR measures change with respect to population age. Further original research is needed to clarify if our findings are reproducible in other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second, the demographic transition in India is accompanied by the decline of child sex ratio (under seven years of age) from 927 to 919 (number of girls per 1000 boys) during 2001 and 2011, which is a serious cause of concern in coming years (p. 27). The recent book ' I The Demographic and Development Divide in India: A District Level Analyses' i , looks the critical nexus of demographic dividends, social and economic development during last few decades in India. [Extracted from the article]

(Cloth US$ 95.00) In the nineteenth century, slave owners, investors in slave-produced capital, and anti-abolitionists formed a new kind of slavery, what scholars call "second slavery." The development dreams, social reforms, and agricultural projects of investors eroded Santo Domingo's standing prohibition against slavery and turned rural Dominicans away from Spain and toward their Haitian neighbors. Marcela Echeverri expands the geography of second slavery to include mainland Spanish America, where markets and circuitous emancipation shaped the entrenchment and dismantling of slavery in the Spanish Empire. [Extracted from the article]

Reviews the book "Sex Wars: Genes, Bacteria and Biased Sex Ratios," by Michael E. N. Majerus.

Reviews the book 'Sex Ratios: Concepts and Research Methods,' edited by C. W. Hardy.

Reviews the book "Too Many Women? The Sex Ratio Question," by Marcia Guttentag and Paul F. Secord.

The article reviews the book "Watering the Neighbour's Garden: The Growing Demographic Female Deficit in Asia," edited by Isabelle Attané and Christophe Z. Guilmoto.

Reviews the book 'Sex Ratios: Concepts and Research Methods,' edited by I.C.W. Hardy.

Reviews the book 'Sex Ratios: Concepts and Research Methods,' by I.C.W., Hardy.

Reviews the non-fiction book 'Sex Ratios: Concepts and Research Methods,' edited by I.C.W. Hardy.

The article reviews the book "Plant Reproduction: Annual Plant Reviews," volume 6, by S. D. O'Neill and J. A. Roberts.

The article reviews the book "The Evolution of Plants," by K. J. Willis and J. C. McElwain.

Reviews the book 'Sex Ratio Patterns in the Indian Population: A Fresh Exploration,' by Satish Balram Agnihotri.

Reviews the book "Too Many Women? The Sex Ratio Question," by M. Guttentag and P.F. Secord.

The article reviews the book "Too Many Women? The Sex Ratio Question," by Marcia Guttentag and Paul F. Secord.

The article reviews the book "Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men," by Mara Hvistendahl.

Reviews the book "Bare Branches," by Valerie M. Hudson and Andrea M. den Boer.

Reviews the book "Sex Ratios: Concepts and Research Methods," edited by Ian C.W. Hardy.

Reviews the book " Sex Wars: Genes Bacteria and Biased Sex Ratios," by Michael E.N. Majerus.

Reviews the non-fiction book 'Enduring Conundrum: India's Sex Ratio: Essays in Honour of Asok Mitra,' edited by Vina Mazumbar and N. Krishnaji.