Category Archives: DNA

Humans have a penchant for organizing. We like order. This need for organization certainly drove Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist, to publish the first catalog of life, the Systema Naturae, in 1735. He devised the framework we still use in our taxonomy.

In the last column, we explored the challenges of recognizing species. New knowledge forces us to re-examine our understanding of species variation. We regularly gain or lose species on our life lists as former species are divided into two or more new species or others combined into a single species.

Taxonomists do have methods for defining a species. The problem is that there is more than one method, and the different approaches do not always get to the same conclusion.

Similar species are placed in a genus. Genera (the plural of genus) that are similar are placed in the same family. And on we go upward to order, then class, then phylum, then kingdom. Thus, the tree of life is organized.

Linnaeus based his taxonomy on similarity of form. In the next century, Charles Darwin saw that Linnaeus system could reflect relatedness. Species in the same genus had a more recent ancestor than two species in different genera or families. He said that our classification of life should be a genealogy.

But how does one decide how large a genus or order should be? Surprisingly, the answer is that it is arbitrary, depending on the preferences of the taxonomist. Some genera have a single species, like the genus Icteria, containing only the yellow-breasted chat. On the other hand, the snail genus Conus contains 750 species, and the sedge genus Carex has nearly 1,800 species.

Ultimately, the size of the genus or other taxonomic group is not important as long as it can be defended as a natural grouping. Any taxonomic group should be monophyletic (one branch), containing species more closely related to each other than to any species in other groups. Darwins desire to have our taxonomy be a genealogy is really a desire for our classifications to contain only monophyletic groups.

The job of erecting and revising a taxonomic system for any group of organisms had to rely on similarity of structure until the turn of the 21st century. Now, our ability to rapidly sequence and compare the DNA of organisms gives us a second powerful way to assess relatedness.

Some genes change through mutations quite rapidly, so DNA comparisons of these genes are useful for exploring closely related, recently separated species. Other genes mutate very slowly, so they can be used to assess the relationship between distant groups like phyla or classes. Some genes change at intermediate rates, so they can be used to assess the relatedness of orders and families.

DNA comparisons have shaken the foundation of our bird taxonomy. Such comparisons allow us to avoid the twin pitfalls of species from a common ancestor diverging strongly and species in different groups converging to similar shapes.

The grebe order was formerly placed close to the loon order. DNA comparisons now tell us that the closest relatives of grebes are flamingoes! Here we have a case where species have strongly diverged from their common ancestor. Another cool example is that the flightless penguins are most closely related to the albatrosses and shearwaters, masters of long-distant flight.

On the other hand, the hawks and falcons were formerly lumped into the same order. DNA tells us that convergence to high-speed, sharp-taloned predators has occurred. The two types of raptors are placed in different orders now. The closest relatives of the falcons are the parrots and perching birds. New World vultures share a common ancestor with hawks.

Look for these changes and more to be reflected in new editions of field guides.

Herb Wilson teaches ornithology and other biology courses at Colby College. He welcomes reader comments and questions at

[emailprotected]

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Birding: DNA technology gives us new insights into taxonomy - Press Herald

Photo Credit Joon Mo Kang

It is incredible enough that anyone ever discovered the structure of DNA. (James D. Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their research on the subject.) But the progress that has since been made in sequencing and editing our genetic building blocks is perhaps even more dizzying.

An updated edition of Watsons book DNA: The Story of the Genetic Revolution, first published in 2003, includes a new chapter on the progress in cancer research and another on the latest science in (and implications of) personal genomics. In 2007, Watson was one of the first people to have his own genome completely sequenced. He estimates that about 400,000 others have now been done.

Watson, 89, retired as chancellor of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island in 2007 after an uproar that followed offensive remarks he made generalizing about the intelligence of people of African descent. Not often in the public eye since then, he uses the opportunity of the new version of DNA to opine on developments in the field.

Watson writes in one new part of the book: I for one wholeheartedly endorse consumers right to know their personal genetic information and to take what measures seem appropriate. But when he had his own DNA mapped, there was one thing even he didnt want to know: whether he had the gene associated with a heightened risk of Alzheimers disease. I had absolutely no desire, he writes, to waste time worrying about having some genetic predisposition to such a hideous disease.

Quotable

I do not think novels are necessarily more worthwhile than games. A novel can be a trivial waste of time, and a game can teach. . . . At their best, novels and games serve as vehicles for discovery. Allegra Goodman, in an interview with Commonweal

Tall Waves and Deep Thoughts

James Ryerson reviews Aaron Jamess Surfing With Sartre this week. Something about chasing a good wave does seem to lend itself to deep thoughts. Jaimal Yogiss new memoir, All Our Waves Are Water, seeks profound spiritual lessons in the ocean. In addition to earnestly New Age-y moments, like ruminating on the scientific similarity between amniotic fluid and saltwater, Yogiss approach makes room for self-deprecation. Its also not just about him; Yogiss previous memoir, Saltwater Buddha, detailed his running away from home to surf and join a monastery as a teenager. Much of this new book revolves around his friendship with a displaced Tibetan named Sonam, and so, Yogis writes, surfing and Zen are just big characters among many.

A version of this article appears in print on August 20, 2017, on Page BR4 of the Sunday Book Review.

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Updating DNA's Life Story - The New York Times - New York Times

By Sophie Egan By Sophie Egan August 18

Today is National Ice Cream Pie Day. (Its also the third week of National Crayon Collection Month, but whos counting?) You know whose arteries ice cream pie is good for? No one. Plain and simple. But Habit, one of the latest disrupters in the food tech sector, suggests we rethink the very notion of foods that are good for everyone or bad for everyone. Its part of a movement toward what is called personalized nutrition.

Habit, based in the San Francisco Bay area, tests for biomarkers and genetic variants using samples you provide, then generates a personalized report about how your body responds to food. Its your unique nutrition blueprint. Then the company pairs you with a nutrition coach and offers you custom-made meals, containing your ideal ratio of carbs, fats and protein, delivered to your home. All in the name of sending you on the path to a new you.

[Breakfast was the most important meal of the day until America ruined it]

I had to see for myself. So I endured the home test and shipped off my blood and DNA samples. (Gulp.) Then the companys chief executive walked me through the results of my newfound eater identity, and I observed how the diagnosis began to affect my relationship with food. Heres what happened and what it could mean for the future of eating in America.

Digesting the news

The Habit home kit is not for the faint of heart. After fasting for 10 hours, you answer lots of deeply personal questions, scrub DNA samples from your cheeks and puncture your fingertips with a self-pricking button (technical term: lancet). This sounds rough, but my lowest moment is actually chugging their special Habit Challenge Shake. It clocks in at 950 calories, 75 grams of sugar and 130 percent of daily saturated fat intake. It has a taste and smell I can only liken to Kahla. It makes me feel god-awful while drinking it nose pinched, pinkie out, face scrunched and even worse afterward. It was bad enough I had sacrificed my Saturday morning frittata ritual.

By the third blood sample, my dining table looks like a crime scene. Ive got bandages on two fingers, mini disinfectant pads strewn around, and cherry red blood dripping down my forearm. Im angling my elbow like a helicopter hovering over the little blood collection card, just trying to fill the darn box one last time so I can move on with my day. Finally, I pack it up and mail it all off in a rather alarming biohazard bag. The whole ordeal takes about three hours and costs $309.

[No food is healthy. Not even kale.]

Im told Ill receive my results in a few weeks. While I wait, I wander back to the Habit website and take a closer look at those pages and pages of fine print. I start to have second thoughts at sentences like, You may experience stress, anxiety, or emotional or physical discomfort when you learn about health problems or potential health problems.

Then theres this: Recommendations regarding diet provided to you may or may not be beneficial to you and may cause or exacerbate certain medical problems.

Say what?

Thankfully, when the results come in, I get labeled a Range Seeker. In official Habit-speak, it means you can be flexible with your macronutrient intake and thrive on a range of foods. Well, thats a relief.

[Heres how much giving up beef helps or doesnt help the planet]

There are seven Habit types, each with dozens of more specific sub-variations, varying from Slow Seeker (best suited for foods rich in fiber and carbs that are absorbed slowly) to Fat Seeker (fat is a valuable fuel source for you). Along with receiving your tribal designation, youre assigned a personalized eating plan, depicting your ideal plate, suggested nutrient goals and daily calorie target.

Id be lying if I said the results havent been affecting my food choices, or at least the way I feel about my food choices. For instance, since being told I have a genetic risk variant associated with slow production of omega-3s, I have been seeking salmon like a grizzly bear. Apparently, Im also genetically predisposed to caffeine sensitivity. Many a morning, this news has me sitting at my desk thinking I must be tripping out on my cup of joe despite the fact that I have consumed the exact same amount of coffee every day of my adult life.

Conviviality, an endangered species

On the face of it, personalized nutrition makes sense. Why wouldnt I want to understand the unique dietary yearnings and land mines of my own DNA? Many people seem to feel that the existing national dietary guidance of one-size-fits-all has failed them. Theyre sick, and theyre confused about what to buy and what to order.

But in reducing food to individualized nutrient optimization equating food with fuel, really what are we sacrificing? What are the implications for our food culture and the future of dining? Oh, gosh, Id love to go out for sushi with you, but I have to scurry home to my prearranged Range Seeker box in the fridge.

[Why your humble bowl of oatmeal could help feed a growing planet]

Neil Grimmer, Habits founder and chief executive, recognizes that food is social. He tells me that it knots us together culturally, so Habit is in the process of facilitating online communities for people with the same Habit type. Through a private Facebook page, they could share tips and the like. Its better than going it alone, I guess, but a far cry from actually sharing a meal.

Remember the $300 you put down for the home test? It includes a coaching session, so a nutritionist helps you put all your information into practice. During my session, Jae Berman, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and head coach of Habit, is a great help. But things dont look so rosy when I ask her how Im supposed to integrate Habit into regular life.

The family conversation has been one of the most common questions we have gotten, she says. It doesnt occur to me as a problem because I just want people to take ownership of their story ... have the empowerment to say, This is what my plate looks like; thats what your plate needs to look like, and move on. Even, she says, if that means everyone at the table eating something different. Have you ever tried being the short-order cook in that scenario? It all but requires outsourcing the meal making.

Imagine, Berman says, a mom whos stressed out, with kids running around, a husband who is a rail, all the while she has no time for herself, is struggling with her weight, and trying to figure out what on earth to cook for dinner. Most people dont want to talk about uncomfortable things, Berman says. But let your kids eat mac and cheese, let your husband do what he needs, and let you have this plate for your dinner. You dont need to do anything its going to show up at your door.

This desire to customize our food experiences stems from the uniquely American trait of individualism. Often subconscious, its a desire to be exceptional, distinct from those around us, as opposed to being part of a larger collective. By contrast, many other cultures around the world are characterized by interdependence. It turns out, individualism shapes our eating habits in stunning ways, from the rise of solo dining to customization as a firmly expected attribute of eating out.

Habit is the latest example of a new technology enabling that innate premium on personalization, and over time, these tools are pulling us further and further from the table. Think smartphones making us feel less alone while eating alone, and mobile ordering apps allowing us to tailor our meal delivery times and our restaurant orders with greater precision. With roughly half of all eating occasions now taking place when were by ourselves, were getting less and less practiced at eating with others.

This reality has major implications for our food culture, and for the rising rates of social isolation in the United States. You know what the single greatest predictor of happiness is? Social connectedness. And guess what: Its one of the greatest predictors of longevity, too.

Of course I want people to eat food thats right for them. But we also have to ask ourselves: Which is really going to make us live longer, and live better? The ability to pay more granular attention to our triglyceride levels, or the more holistic benefits of eating with family and friends?

My grandmother turned 100 this year. Between the birthday parties and the bridge club, her standing dinner dates and the three times a day she picks up her neighbors in their retirement home hallway to take their walkers down to the dining hall, a thriving social life is Almas secret to a long life. Whether Im chomping on my salad, face glued to my iPhone, or waving off her breakfast offer by citing the low-glycemic Kind bar I just finished off, she tells me time after time: Shed take the cake and the friendships any day.

Egan is author of Devoured: How What We Eat Defines Who We Are (William Morrow/HarperCollins), recently released in paperback.

Originally posted here:
I sent in my DNA for a personalized nutritional blueprint. Here's what ... - Washington Post

At last! Kirk Frost decided not to share his DNA test results on L&HH: Atlanta, but it looks like the truth may be revealed soon enough. Weve EXCLUSIVELY learned why Kirk finally agreed to take the paternity test!

Jasmine Washington, 27, shocked the world when she claimed that Kirk Frost, 48, fathered her child while he was still married. Even though he decided not to reveal his DNA test results on the Love & Hip Hop: Atlantareunion specials, the truth may come to light soon enough! Kirk continued to dodge the DNA test and refused to take it for as long as he could but it was court ordered, a source close to the case tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. So Jasmines attorney filed a warrant application for Kirk to force him to take the court-ordered DNA test or go to jail. This scared Kirk enough to finally succumb to taking the test this week and the results of which, at last, are finally really truly on the way.

Months after arguing back and forth, Jasmine and Kirks paternity case was reportedly thrown out Aug. 16, after they both didnt show up to court. But it seems obvious to all those involved that Kirk is the father and this test will prove that, finally, once and for all, our insider revealed. Fans are wildly speculating what the reason behind this shocking development is. Did they possibly want to settle out of court? Jasmine sent fans into a frenzy during season six when she claimed that Kirk cheated on his loving wife Rasheeda Frostby hooking up with her. There [still] has not been a settlement. I can tell you that, Tony Mathis, Jasmines attorney tells us EXCLUSIVELY.

As we previously reported, Jasmine has no idea what she is going to do if Kirk is not the father of her baby, a source close to the reality star shares with HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. She is trying to be patient and has waited a long time for the results of the DNA test to determine Kirks paternity status. She has no plan B and has no idea what she would do if Kirk is miraculously not named the father. Rasheeda previously revealed that if Kirk is the father, she would let his child get to know their kids as well.

HollywoodLifers, do you think the test results will ever be revealed? Tell us, below!

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Kirk Frost Finally Takes DNA Test After Months Of Dodging Jasmine Washington: Why He Finally Agreed - Hollywood Life

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.

What is white? And why is it supreme?

Which of us is pure?

Pure of spirit, pure of thought and, well, pure of blood.

Surely not many.

Yet in our fractured times, some want to believe that they are superior because of their pure whiteness.

A few of these sorts featured in the Charlottesville, Virginia, marches last weekend.

It seems, though, that some white supremacists try to use science to confirm their superiority. So they turn to services such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe in order to take DNA tests.

A new study by UCLA sociologists Aaron Panofsky and Joan Donovan suggests that these results sometimes disturb the purists.

The researchers studied 3,070 postings on white nationalist forum Stormfront over a 10-year period. There, some who are shocked that they might have, say, African heritage share their results in an attempt to dispute the findings and confirm their purity.

The researchers say they saw evidence of posters using "the particular relationships made visible by GATs (genetic ancestry testing) to re-imagine the collective boundaries and constitution of white nationalism."

The pain of not being defined as white is so great that they desperate try to redefine what white really is.

Some of those upset with their results then insist that you should take what your grandparents told you more seriously than the science. There are claims that because testing companies are "quite liberal," they deliberately sprinkle in some non-white DNA into results to suit their political beliefs.

Others prefer to believe their mirrors. "I wouldn't worry about it," said one Stormfront poster cited in the study. "When you look in the mirror, do you see a jew? If not, you're good."

And then there are those who just prefer to think of their results as being subject to statistical error.

Do any of these people complain to the testing companies?

A 23andMe spokesman told me diplomatically: "With over 2 million customers, we do get the occasional complaint." He said the company's customer service then tries to help complainers understand how the results came about.

"The average 23andMe customer has DNA from at least five different regions from around the world," he told me.

As for Ancestry.com, its spokesman said he had no knowledge of specific white supremacist complaints. Instead, he said, the largest number of complaints come from people convinced they have some Native American in their blood.

Even though the results given are estimates of ethnicity, the spokesman said: "We are very confident in our science. This is well-established, recognized science that has been published in scientific journals."

Ancestry.com currently traces ethnicity across 26 different regions, as well as 334 genetic communities, which are more granular historical groups of people like "Ulster Irish," "Early Settlers of New York" or "Early Settlers of New Mexico."

"People looking to use our services to prove they are ethnically 'pure' are going to be deeply disappointed. We encourage them to take their business elsewhere," said the Ancestry.com spokesman.

Still, one can imagine the disappointment in discovering you're not who you really think you are.

Perhaps the most tragic postings featured in the research concern those who try to celebrate that they are, as in one case, a mere 61 percent European.

A Stormfront poster replied to one of these optimists: "I've prepared you a drink. It's 61percent pure water. The rest is potassium cyanide. I assume you have no objections to drinking it. (You might need to stir it first since anyone can see at a glance that it isn't pure water.) Cyanide isn't water, and YOU are not White."

I wonder in how many cases white supremacists actually reconsider not only themselves, but the world view they espouse.

Or would that be too painful?

Continue reading here:
White supremacists take DNA tests, find they're not so white - CNET

The father of missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway says he is awaiting the results of DNA testing on bones found in Aruba.

When we determined these remains were human, I was shocked, he said.

In a follow-up interview with HuffPost, Dave Holloway said the remains have been brought to the United States for DNA testing.

They are in the testing process, he said, adding that it could take several weeks to get results. Its a reputable lab and thats all I can tell you at this point.

Dave Holloway said the bones were found while he and private investigator T.J. Ward were chasing leads during the filming of a new TV series on the Oxygen network called, The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

Oxygen Media

Natalee Holloway, 18, from Mountain Brook, Alabama, disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a trip to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. Her body has never been found.

Her classmates said they last saw her leaving an Oranjestad nightclub called Carlosn Charlies with Joran van der Sloot. At the time, he was a 17-year-old Dutch honors student living in Aruba.Police have repeatedly questioned him in connection with Natalee Holloways disappearance.

Van der Sloot is now behind bars in Peru, where he is serving a 28-year prison sentence for the 2010 murder of 21-year-old Peruvian business student Stephany Flores Ramrez.

Pilar Olivares / Reuters

According to Ward, an individual living in Aruba who claims to have helped van der Sloot dispose of Natalee Holloways body, provided the leads that led to the discovery of the bones.

We did an 18-month undercover investigation and a lot of the information we had was confirmed and its viable information that led us to where we are today, Ward told HuffPost.

Dave Holloway said he was not present when the bones were found and that theres a good chance [the bones] belong to someone else.

I dont want to get my hopes up this is Natalee, he said.

Oxygen Media

Wednesdays announcement comes just days before the Saturday premier of the Oxygen television series.

I cant get into any other details about it, said Dave Holloway. Youll see it on the show.

A spokesperson for the FBI told HuffPost they are looking into the claims. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela the U.S. office tasked with handling inquiries into the case Peru did not immediately return calls for comment from HuffPost.

David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send anemailorfollow himon Twitter.

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Natalee Holloway's Dad Having Human Remains Tested For DNA - HuffPost

Statnews a digital news site that focuses on medicine and science published an articleon Wednesday about white supremacists taking genetic tests to measure their whiteness. Manyusers on the white nationalist website Stormfrontposted their results from genetic ancestry company 23andmeandwere unpleasantly surprised to discover that they werent as white as they thought. Their reactions, as it turnsout, are a thing of schadenfreudic beauty.

Heres one personworried that he or she might be a bit Jewish:

I got 100 percent European on mine, and Im from the US and so is my whole family. The thing that DID blow my mind is that I got 18percent Ashkenazic on the standard view and almost 21percent on the speculative view. (They count Ashkenazic as European.) Looks like one of my grandfathers was secretly Jewish. He always said he was Russian. Welp, I guess he meant THAT kind of Russian. Its caused me to have to reassess my self-image a whole lot.

Stormfront Screenshot

In onethread titled My 23andme genetic ancestry results, a user found that he was 99.25 percent European, 0.02 percentAfrican and 0.73percent Asian. In another post, a white supremacist had to reevaluate his or her skin color, asking, Am I whitenow?

Stormfront Screenshot

Stormfront Screenshot

Such a small percentage of non-white really ticked off some of the white supremacists: EVERYsingle Americans results that I have seen ALWAYS have this 0.1% non-white garbage, and I literally mean every single one, and Ive viewed hundreds, wrote one user. This has led to a quest for what might be called alternative genetic facts, or as that user put it, results that are actually accurate and not rigged the way that 23andme is for the very reason and cause of trying to spread multiculturalism and make whites think that they are racially mixed.

While some on the sitewere fairly confident of 23andmes accuracy, others foundexcuses not to believe the results they found. Send your results to Dr. Mcdonald and he will give you your accurate results, saidone.

Stormfront Screenshot

Athread titled,Is 23andme legit? contained many users scapegoating one group for their ancestral flaws. One sustaining member of the racist site said that, of course, its all the Jews fault:

Theres Jews at the top, that said your results would likely show some non-White ancestry because of this. The Jews want us all to think weve got some non-White DNA so we are more likely to go along with their plan. They dont want us to resist genocide by assimilation.

Stormfront Screenshot

In the same thread, a member named headstar wrote:

The 23andMe forum is full of of retards:They think the Holohoax happened.It is full of both white and non-white hardcore nordicists.They think Spain is in Mexico and all those mixed race immigrants are Spanish. They stereotype Southern Europe and equate them to Arabs/Turks/non-Europeans.They refer to any white who isnt of 100% Anglo-Saxon/Northern European stock as a mutt.They like saying white in sarcastic quotation marks.

Some on the message boards like Segregationista did not get DNA testing, but they had advice for other white nationalists who found out they had Jewish ancestry:

Ive never had a DNA test, but I know where all my ancestors are from. I guess it could be amusing, though, having Jews tell me where I came from. I suppose I could use the the test results to become a citizen of Israel

Stormfront Screenshot

Looks like weve found the first victims of the white genocide.

See the original post here:
Let's enjoy the white supremacist freakout after DNA tests show they aren't 100 percent white - Salon

Dear Amy: About a year ago, I used one of those genetic testing services. The website shows other users who share genetics with you, and allows everyone to contact each other.

Recently, I got a message from another user (a woman in her 60s in another state), that showed we were a very close genetic match.

She emailed me, saying she was looking for information on her father, whom she had never met. She said her mother had a very brief relationship with aU.S.marine during the Korean War. It turned out he had probably used a fake name. They had no photos, and they were never able to track him down. Her mother later moved to theU.S.

The woman, Janet, asked if it was possible if my grandfather (who is now dead) was her father. She knew very little except for what her mother (also now dead) had told her, including specific identifying physical characteristics. My grandfather was a Korean War veteran and had the exact characteristics she described (including a distinctive tattoo).

My grandfather wouldve been married to my grandmother (who is still alive) when Janet was been conceived. An uncle of mine was born a year before Janet.

I always saw my grandfather as a good, caring family man. I have not told anyone about this. I do not want to tarnish his memory, upset my grandmother, or change how my family views him, when hes not around to defend himself.

Janet would like to meet my aunts and uncles, but I have told her I am not comfortable giving her their contact information. She has recently started pleading with me, and I truly feel awful for not giving it to her.

What do I do here?

Torn

Dear Torn: One (perhaps unforeseen) aspect of using genetic testing is the way the results can open up confounding human dilemmas concerning long-buried family secrets. Recently, I was at a gathering where several people had used a genetic matching site and all of them noted shocking, unanticipated results, including being matched with (half) siblings they hadnt known about. And yet all reported that this ultimately was a positive experience.

In your case, Janet has already received useful genetic information. She now (quite understandably) wants more. You should at least answer any questions youre able to answer.

If you arent willing to even ask your aunts and uncles if they would be open to contact with her, then she will have to find another conduit to them.

It would be best if your family was open to the idea that people are complicated, and dont always do the right thing but this is the fullness of the human experience, and ultimately this is something to explore and embrace, rather than deny.

Dear Amy: My husband and I recently became friends with another couple. As a group, we get along famously.

However, lately I do not feel that my friend likes me. She makes remarks about how I dont exercise my dog, how I dont treat my husband right, how I treat my son, how they cant take me anywhere, and the list goes on.

I try not to trigger these comments and shrug them off, as they account for only a few unpleasant moments during several good hours spent together.

I like many other things about this person, but I do not like how she makes me feel when we are together. How do I let her know, without hurting her feelings, and how do I phrase asking her to stop throwing darts my way? Or am I just being too sensitive?

Had Enough

Dear Had Enough: I dont think its a lot to ask for someone to refrain from trashing you so no, you are not being too sensitive.

Tell your friend, I usually enjoy our time together. But you seem to find a lot wrong with me. Honestly, I dont like to be criticized, but especially in front of our husbands. Whats up with that?

She may say, as many do, Hey, I call em like I see em. Then you can tell her, Well, thats a trait that I dont appreciate. Its hurtful, and so I wish you would stop.

Dear Amy: Priority Parent described policing children on the playground. Is this priority parenting or helicopter parenting? Im quite sick of this sort of over-involvement.

Normal Parent

Dear Parent: This particular parent had a special-needs child. He is doing his job to pay close attention to potential dangers on the playground.

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Ask Amy: DNA testing reveals family secret - The Denver Post

naturepl.com/David Fleetham/WWF

Beijing, China, 18th August 2017The Southern Bluefin Tuna market in China, a new study published today, has found Southern Bluefin Tuna is served in restaurants in mainland China, particularly Shanghai. This is a significant finding not only because of the threatened status of the tuna, but as it also provides insights into Chinas role as a non-member of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the organization that sets annual fishing quotas for the tuna.

The majority of the fashionable Japanese-style sashimi restaurants sampled in Shanghai and Beijing were unable to provide details about which species of tuna they offered, but DNA testing by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) of 199 samples collected by TRAFFIC found 26 (13%) to contain Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT): 96% of the positive samples were collected in Shanghai.

Download the full report The Southern Bluefin Tuna market in China

SBT is popularly consumed as sashimi in Japan, but over-fishing has led to significant stock declines where the species lives in the cool and temperate waters of the southern hemisphere. The tuna species, Thunnus maccoyii, has been classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as Critically Endangered.

It is essential to understand who is catching and landing Southern Bluefin Tuna, who the consumers are and how much is being traded in order to conserve and manage surviving tuna stocks, said Joyce Wu, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC in East Asia, and an author of the new study.

Management of SBT stocks, including setting annual quotas, is undertaken by the CCSBT, a regional fisheries management organization. Total allowable catches of SBT each year are set by the CCSBT for Members and Cooperating Non-Members to the Commission, but China has neither status and the discovery of SBT within the Chinese market clearly identifies the country as a SBT Market State.

Lo Sze Ping, CEO of WWF China said: The uncertainty around the quantities and whether the origin of the SBT available within the China market is from legal sources would lead us to encourage China and CCSBT, which is trying to manage this single stock of tuna, to consult with each other.

Customs data from mainland China show reported (re-)exports of around 50.6 t of frozen SBT between 2011 and 2013, more than the total imported frozen SBT (34.3 t) in the same period. Meanwhile, mainland China imported and retained more than 100 metric tonnes of SBT in 2014 and 2015, more than double in volume compared to 2013. This may indicate a rising demand for high-value sashimi tuna, and although it is possible the SBT in the Chinese market may all be derived from legitimate annual catch quota imports. When the reports findings were discussed by CCSBT members in 2016, they concluded there were indications that a high proportion of SBT in China was from illicit sources.

These suspicions were further supported after a Chinese vessel found fishing in waters between Fiji and New Zealand in 2016 was found to be unlicensed and DNA testing proved it had misreported its catch of 100 tonnes of SBT as the less valuable Bigeye Tuna. The Chinese authorities reacted swiftly and deregistered the company, fined it approximately USD600,000 and banned it from working in international waters.

The report warns that incomplete SBT trade data may be concealing other infractions. Japan, for example, does not record information on shipments worth less than JPY200,000 (USD1,800) in value. The report recommends that Japan document all trade in SBT including confirmation of sashimi tuna trade volumes with mainland China and Hong Kong.

Marked and labelled Southern Bluefin Tunas Thunnus maccoyii. Tokyo fishmarket Japan Michael Sutton /WWF

Increasing the consistency in data recording by Japan and other fishing entities will help clarify the dynamics of the Southern Bluefin Tuna trade and identify whether any illicit trade is taking place that is not being reported or is beyond quotas, said Wu.

Improved data collection would also improve the traceability of SBT along the trade chain by, for example, following World Customs Organization (WCO) recommendations on the use of Harmonized System (HS) Customs codes.

The lack of basic and accurate information about the quantity and origin of Southern Bluefin Tuna in trade undermines CCSBTs management efforts and highlights the need for the introduction of clear traceability systems to track precisely what was traded, where it went and where it ended up, said Wu. Whether it be Flag, Port or Market States, all need to take responsibility for the impact on wild populations of tuna, particularly for species such as SBT which has been reduced to such a low level and are under management to rebuild the stock to a biologically safe level.

Trade chain traceability including tuna offered for sale in restaurants as well as e-commerce platforms is absolutely vital given the potential size of the Chinese market and the impact it could have on the remaining Southern Bluefin Tuna stocks.

WWF will continue to assist Chinese corporate partners to reduce environmental risks involved in their e-commerce platforms and logistic systems, helping them to categorize their traded products on the platforms according to environmental impacts, and ensuring stable growth in profit, said Lo Sze Ping.

The Southern Bluefin Tuna market in China report was made possible by funding from the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna.

Originally posted here:
DNA tests confirm Southern Bluefin Tuna on menu in mainland China - TRAFFIC - Wildlife Trade News

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