Preliminary observations on habitat, support use and diet in two non-native primates in an urban Atlantic forest fragment: The capuchin monkey (Cebus sp.) and the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) in the Tijuca forest, Rio de Janeiro

Space is an important dimension of the ecological niche. Differentiation in the use of vertical strata of the forest is related to species body size, and explains in part species coexistence at a local scale. Large neotropical primates dwell in the canopy, moving quadrupedally on large branches, whereas smaller species leap between narrow branches in the understory. We tested this general pattern by observing focal individuals of the capuchin monkey (Cebus sp.) and the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), both non-native species, living in a forest fragment within the Rio de Janeiro city. Results were in accordance with the pattern for neotropical primates. Vertical use of the forest seems to be related with ecological interactions, especially for C. jacchus restricted to the lower strata due to aerial predation. Preliminary observations on diet corroborate the omnivory of Cebus and the gum feeding characteristic of C. jacchus. For Cebus sp. the exotic jack-fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) was the most important food item. Predation of both primates on vertebrates, especially by C. jacchus on passerines, could cause an uncommon impact on prey populations. In spite of anthropogenic impact, these non-native primates maintain the general pattern of habitat, support use and diet of the same or similar species in native neotropical communities.     

The concept of yikhes and its transformation during the Soviet period (based on field materials collected in the town of Tulchin,Ukraine)

It is commonly thought that the concept of yikhes (Hebrew, yikhus) refers largely or even solely to the notion of noble descent. As late as 1959, the Standard Jewish Encyclopedia defined yikhes in these terms; and a similar understanding of the term can be found in other leading sources. Using extensive field materials collected under the auspices of the St Petersburg Judaica Centre, this essay demonstrates, however, that yikhes has a wide variety of meanings in the present‐day Jewish community of Tulchin (Ukraine), which is not limited to genealogical implications and may completely ignore them. The range of meanings associated with yikhes includes secular learning, “honorable” (non‐manual) profession, “respect” on the part of other community members, ethical qualities, etc. Due to a partial or complete loss of Yiddish, many residents of the town know the word yikhes solely from expressions such as “yikhes in the bathhouse,” where this word has lost its independent meaning. Through an anthropological analysis of yikhes as a reflection of social ideas and practices within a small and relatively circumscribed society, the paper demonstrates both the breadth of tradition the concept reflects and the limitations of the ways it is generally presented and understood in the literature.