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Language Mètode Science Studies Journal : Annual Review. 2024. Issue 14
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- Los dinosaurios de la cuenca del Maestrat(2024) Santos Cubedo, AndrésLa cuenca del Maestrat, en la cordillera ibérica, se ha revelado como un punto clave para el estudio de los dinosaurios hadrosauriformes del Cretácico Inferior de Europa. Las subcuencas de Aliaga, Galve y Morella han aportado abundantes fósiles de vertebrados mesozoicos, entre los cuales los dinosaurios, y en concreto los ornitópodos estiracosternos hadrosauriformes, son el grupo más abundante en estas zonas. En el presente artículo, revisamos los hallazgos recientes en la cuenca del Maestrat, que sugieren que la diversidad de este clado durante el Barremiense-Albiense era más amplia de lo que se pensaba inicialmente, lo que nos ofrece una información muy valiosa para estudiar y entender la evolución de estos dinosaurios.
- What is the most giant sauropod from Argentina?(2024) Calvo, Jorge OrlandoThis work’s intent is to establish which was the most giant titanosaurid sauropod from Argentina. The evidence is scarce; however, we have tried to select the largest bones of the nine most giant titanosaurids. Argentinosaurus has been proposed as the largest titanosaurid, but recently a new king has been erected: the Patagotitan. In this review, we will see that there are some inconsistences and difficulties to define which is the largest. In other words, giant titanosaurids were a group of sauropods with a variable morphology and probably the overall shape was different. Among the largest titanosaurids, we have included Argyrosaurus superbus, Antarctosaurus giganteus, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, Puertasaurus reuili, Futalognkosaurus dukei, Traukutitan eocaudata, Dreadnoughtus schrani, Notocolossus gonzalezparejasi, and Patagotitan mayorum.
- Dinosaurios en España y medio rural(2024) Cobos Periáñez, AlbertoEl impacto de las investigaciones paleontológicas sobre dinosaurios y su entorno geológico supone, en algunas regiones rurales, un revulsivo científico, cultural y socioeconómico muy relevante. La proliferación de lugares que muestran este tipo de recursos (como parques paleontológicos, museos, geoparques, centros de interpretación, rutas, etc.) se ha multiplicado en los últimos años y son visitados por miles de personas atraídas por la historia de la vida en la Tierra. España es uno de los países más representativos en el mundo respecto a la utilización de los dinosaurios como factor de desarrollo territorial en el medio rural. En algunos casos, como en Teruel, viene potenciado por la presencia permanente de especialistas que desarrollan su investigación en el entorno próximo del que proceden los fósiles.
- Scientific photography and astronomy(2024) Abalos Vazquez, Fernando; Ábalos, JavierIn 1925, Edwin Hubble took the first step towards increasing the size of the known universe by several orders of magnitude using the precarious photographic methods available at the time: glass plates and photosensitive emulsions. Analysing periodic variations in the brightness of certain stars (Cepheids) through photographs, Hubble was able to show that the distance between Andromeda and the Earth was much greater than previously thought. Thus, Andromeda, previously thought to be a nebula, had to be a galaxy different from our own. Suddenly, the estimated size of the universe went from a few hundred thousand light years to a few billion light years. Since then, the synergy between photographic technology and astronomy has continued to grow.
- Scientific photography and animal behaviour(2024) Font, EnriqueLouis Daguerre imagined that his invention would be useful mainly for artistic purposes or for personal use (portraits and travel diaries, etc.), but in fact photography soon became a valuable ally of science. The observation and documentation of natural phenomena is one of the pillars of the scientific method. In this context, photography guarantees objectivity and authenticity in a way that other alternative techniques cannot. Moreover, as a visual tool, it gives us access to phenomena that cannot be perceived or processed by the human eye. A book on the expression of emotions published by Charles Darwin 150 years ago marked the beginning of scientific photography.
- Saurópodos virtuales(2024) Vidal, DanielEl estudio de los fósiles mediante técnicas de visualización en tres dimensiones, mejor conocido como paleontología virtual, ha supuesto una revolución en la investigación de los organismos del pasado en los últimos veinte años. El estudio de los populares dinosaurios saurópodos es ejemplo de ello: los complejos sistemas de soportes o las costosas réplicas usados antaño para estudiar sus esqueletos son ahora realizados fácilmente gracias a los avances en computación. Cuestiones como la posición de sus largos cuellos, sus capacidades de movimiento e implicaciones funcionales o incluso la cópula son más fáciles de abordar que nunca. Así, evidencias obtenidas mediante la metodología tradicional junto con las aportaciones de las nuevas tecnologías abren nuevas fronteras en el estudio de estos colosos.
- Fotografía y conocimiento de la biodiversidad(2024) Carreira, SantiagoDesde sus comienzos, la fotografía tuvo un importante protagonismo como herramienta documental. Fue utilizada como instrumento en la comunicación y difusión de proyectos de investigación y conservación de la biodiversidad en distintas partes del planeta. En la actualidad, el extraordinario desarrollo tecnológico de la fotografía y su gran popularidad han permitido su uso en la obtención de datos para proyectos científicos de diferente índole, además de facilitar un intercambio mucho más fluido de información entre la comunidad científica y el público –por ejemplo, en programas de ciencia ciudadana. Así, actualmente se plantea un cambio de paradigma para la fotografía: deja atrás su sentido puramente artístico para desvelar su potencial informativo y generador de conocimiento en el campo de la conservación.
- The fossil record of primate intelligence(2024) Begun, David R.Animals collect and process the information they need to survive and reproduce. The means by which they process information is through the capacity of intelligence, which is in turn a function of the brain, its morphology, size, organization, and cytoarchitecture. While the internal organization and cellular interconnectivity of the brains of fossilized animals are invisible to paleontologists, the size and surface morphology of the brain are sometimes preserved, usually only in part, in the form of endocasts (casts, either natural or artificial, of the inside of the brain case). This broad survey of the evolution of intelligence in primates as interpreted from the fossil record of endocasts is primarily focused on the lineages that inform us more directly about the evolutionary events leading to the origin of human intelligence.
- Primate social behaviour(2024) Amici, FedericaPrimates usually live in groups and interact with other group members, sometimes forming preferential long-term relationships. Sociality provides primates with benefits like support and learning opportunities that ultimately increase their fitness. Sociality also poses challenges in terms of competition and coordination, though, which primates face with the use of different behavioural and cognitive strategies. Moreover, primates show important variation in sociality, both between species, between groups, across individuals and through developmental stages. Overall, observational studies are a powerful tool to understand the richness in primate sociality, and the factors that explain the emergence and maintenance of specific forms of sociality and behavioural traits.
- The interface between humans and other primates(2024) Casanova, Catarina; Gonçalves Costa, SusanaWith this paper we invite the reader to join us to a field trip to Guinea-Bissau through our eyes as primatologists and to explore the entanglements between humans and non-human primates. The first time we went to the field was in 2003. After staying with an NGO for a while, we set up a field station in a protected area that was home to chimpanzees (Madina Field Station). However, soon we realized that «protected areas», «high-quality forest», or «suitable habitat for chimpanzees» would not make any difference for research – and, most importantly, for this ape’s conservation – without taking into consideration the locals’ attitudes. Humanized landscapes most probably will become the rule in the future, so finding a way for a peaceful coexistence is urgent.
- Una imagen y mil palabras(2024) García-Roa, RobertoLa fotografía nace a principios del siglo XIX como una herramienta con la que retratar el mundo que nos rodea. Con su aparición, la comunidad científica encontró una aliada con la que traspasar las fronteras del conocimiento. Desde entonces, el binomio fotografía y ciencia ha evolucionado notablemente. La fotografía se ha posicionado no solo como una vía eficaz en la toma de datos, sino también como una herramienta con la que compartir información científica, tanto dentro como fuera del mundo académico. Además, el desarrollo tecnológico de las últimas décadas promueve una interacción casi continuada de la ciudadanía –incluida la comunidad investigadora– con la fotografía. (...)
- Madame Davit: Gaudir de la natura(2024) Viladomiu, Àngels; Romo, ÀngelSuzanne Davit (París, 1897–Barcelona, 1973) és poc coneguda i estudiada, tot i la rellevància del seu llegat en la il·lustració botànica catalana de començament i de mitjan segle xx. Grans botànics com Pius Font i Quer van valorar molt la seva manera única de copsar la natura. Dona, artista, apassionada de la natura i científicament molt curiosa, va representar les plantes d’una manera diferent de l’habitual de l’època. Les seves innovacions s’interpreten com un discurs artístic alternatiu al patriarcal dominant i com una manifestació de l’empremta femenina. L’accés a documents inèdits –la correspondència de Davit amb una amiga– ens ha permès reconstruir algunes claus del seu treball, en el qual conflueixen l’exaltació estètica de les flors i la perspectiva de gènere.
- Rols de cacera en ximpanzés?(2024) Albiach-Serrano, AnnaLes observacions dels ximpanzés al seu hàbitat natural mostren que, a més de competir, aquests primats cooperen habitualment formant coalicions, patrullant els límits del seu territori i caçant en grup. Possiblement pel paper destacat que se li suposa en l’evolució de la nostra espècie, la cacera en grup ha despertat un interès considerable en la investigació. La qüestió de fons és fins a quin punt els ximpanzés cacen cooperativament de manera semblant als humans. Per respondre a aquesta pregunta, cal tenir en compte, a més del comportament, les capacitats cognitives requerides, atès que dues conductes semblants poden respondre a mecanismes psicològics diferents. La recerca de l’aspecte cognitiu de la cooperació s’ha dut a terme principalment a través d’experiments amb ximpanzés en captivitat. L’evidència disponible apunta que els ximpanzés, amb experiència, són capaços de coordinar-se, però no queda clar si també poden col·laborar, és a dir, actuar segons una estratègia compartida.
- Rites of Janus(2023) Beyda, Oleg; Petrov, IgorThe history that follows will show that the limits of (in)humanity are malleable and readily shifted. Whirled in the chaos of life, ordinary people may suddenly be transformed into monsters, and later, may return calmly to their former nature. It remains unclear why these limits prove so diffuse. Dr. Hans Beutelspacher, whose life story took us ten years to reconstruct, traced this path in both directions, and thus came to embody yet another mystery of the human mind. The possessor of an educated and inventive intelligence, he toyed with monstrous behaviour during World War II, before returning just as effortlessly to his «human» and even benevolent state, later developing a prominent career in the field of soil biochemistry.
- A primatological perspective on human cultural origins(2024) Motes-Rodrigo, AlbaHumans are one of the most successful species in the planet as we inhabit almost every ecosystem on Earth. This success has been attributed to our cultural proficiency, which allows us to store in the collective minds of our populations complex knowledge that no single individual could innovate on its own. In this way, we acquire most of our behavioural repertoire from experts in our communities and, contrary to any other species, we build upon this collectively-stored information to create novel solutions to face ever-more-challenging problems. This ratcheting of behavioural complexity has led to our culture being coined cumulative. The fact that not even our closest living relatives, the great apes, possess this type of culture begs the question of when did cumulative culture evolve in our lineage. In this piece, I discuss how the field of experimental primate archaeology has contributed to this question by describing several stone-tool experiments conducted with great apes.
- Let science be told(2024) Rueda, Aleida; Rosen, Cecilia; Crúz-Mena, JavierThere is a rich literature on storytelling in public science communication, mostly advancing the premise that it helps in telling science to the public. We present here a summary of results from a review of ideas on the subject guided by a set of questions about goals, techniques, and research. We found no consensus on the notion of what is a story, yet some useful approximations emerged. There are various goals driving the use of storytelling to communicate science, from engaging to creating emotions to favouring understanding. The structure of the stories appeared as a crucial element, and three types of structures are dominant. As a field in evolution, there are not many empirical studies, but the few we found appear promising. We conclude that there is ample opportunity for discussion and research regarding emotions, persuasion, understanding and innovation in the use of narrative concepts and techniques to better let the science be told.
- A religious past to science(2024) Gamito-Marques, DanielStories captivate us by speaking to our imagination and by giving order and meaning to our world. Stories not only give us knowledge about society, but they can also shape our understanding of nature. In the Western world, Christianity has provided narratives that were used as references in scientific research for centuries. In this article I discuss two such examples, the Creation story and the story of Noah and the Great Flood, and explain their prevalence in scientific endeavors conducted in the West. These stories were only replaced by alternative ones when new scientific theories and concepts were given sufficient coherence to explain new discoveries.
- Ciencia en vertical(2024) Muñoz-Pico, Hilda PaolaLa ciencia en las redes sociales ha tomado muchas formas con el paso de los años, desde monólogos y animaciones hasta experimentos en vivo. Las nuevas narrativas se caracterizan por considerar los dispositivos de uso cotidiano (generalmente portátiles, como los teléfonos móviles, laptops y tabletas) y las posibilidades del entorno digital (filtros, stickers, gifs, animaciones, etc.). Ahora, el diseño estandarizado de los teléfonos celulares, en su mayoría con pantalla grande y táctil, ha impulsado los formatos verticales. La verticalidad ha permitido cambiar los contenidos desde una perspectiva estética, pero también narrativa. Es por esa razón que este artículo ofrece una revisión de los principales cambios en la forma de acercar el hecho científico a las audiencias.
- Science stories through a cultural lens(2024) Finkler, Wiebke; Davis, Lloyd Spencer; Ruwhiu, Diane; Li, Loic; Lloyd, Nikki; Beatson, Nicola; Zhu, LeiStorytelling is a critical element for the effective communication of science in online videos. However, its effect is not consistent across different cultures. Here, we review and examine cultural framing of storytelling used to communicate science, including social science, in online teaching videos. We found that students from high-context cultures engage more with online videos than do students from low-context cultures but, nevertheless, do more poorly in tests that measure knowledge obtained. Our findings highlight the need to consider the cultural framing of storytelling – cultural science communication – when communicating science to audiences from different cultures.
- Introduction: Moments of science(2024) García-Roa, RobertoThe search for certainty in a world that is often so binary – where choosing between two options seems to be the better (and simpler) alternative – gives meaning to the expression «a picture is worth a thousand words». But if we are running away from simplicity, why choose between the two? Since the advent of photography, the scientific community has had a tool with which to provide objective knowledge that had previously been recorded and shared through words (both oral and written) and illustrations. It thus became a key tool for constantly pushing back the frontiers of our understanding of nature. Despite its success and potential, photography continues to be overlooked by some in the scientific community.
