Neontology is a part of biology that, in contrast to paleontology , deals with living (or, more generally, recent ) organisms . It is the study of extant taxa (singular: extant taxon ): taxa (such as species , genera and families ) with members still alive, as opposed to (all) being extinct . For example:
41-558: See text for species. Weevers (or weeverfish ) are nine extant species of ray-finned fishes of the family Trachinidae in the order Perciformes , part of the wider clade Percomorpha . They are long (up to 37 cm), mainly brown in color, and have venomous spines on their first dorsal fin and gills . During the day, weevers bury themselves in sand, just showing their eyes, and snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of shrimp and small fish. Weevers are unusual in not having swim bladders , as have most bony fish , and as
82-426: A guillotine amputation , is often needed to limit systemic effects of the infection. Such an amputation can be converted to a formal amputation, such as a below- or above-knee amputation . Gas gangrene is a bacterial infection that produces gas within tissues. It can be caused by Clostridium , most commonly alpha toxin -producing C. perfringens , or various nonclostridial species. Infection spreads rapidly as
123-757: A lack of blood supply . Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the gangrene is caused by an infectious agent, it may present with a fever or sepsis . Risk factors include diabetes , peripheral arterial disease , smoking , major trauma , alcoholism , HIV/AIDS , frostbite , influenza , dengue fever , malaria , chickenpox , plague , hypernatremia , radiation injuries , meningococcal disease , Group B streptococcal infection and Raynaud's syndrome . It can be classified as dry gangrene , wet gangrene , gas gangrene , internal gangrene , and necrotizing fasciitis . The diagnosis of gangrene
164-447: A favorable environment for bacterial infection. Wet, or infected, gangrene is characterized by thriving bacteria and has a poor prognosis (compared to dry gangrene) due to sepsis resulting from the free communication between infected fluid and circulatory fluid. In wet gangrene, the tissue is infected by saprogenic microorganisms ( Clostridium perfringens or Bacillus fusiformis , for example), which cause tissue to swell and emit
205-472: A fisherman off Dungeness suffered multiple stings. The victim may have died of other medical causes exacerbated by the stings. Extant taxon A taxon can be classified as extinct if it is broadly agreed or certified that no members of the group are still alive. Conversely, an extinct taxon can be reclassified as extant if there are new discoveries of living species (" Lazarus species "), or if previously known extant species are reclassified as members of
246-545: A foul odor. Wet gangrene usually develops rapidly due to blockage of venous (mainly) or arterial blood flow. The affected part is saturated with stagnant blood, which promotes the rapid growth of bacteria. The toxic products formed by bacteria are absorbed, causing systemic manifestation of sepsis and finally death. The affected part is edematous, soft, putrid, rotten, and dark. Because of the high mortality associated with infected gangrene (about 80% without treatment and 20% with treatment), an emergency salvage amputation, such as
287-454: A greater emphasis on experiments. There are more frequent discontinuities present in paleontology than in neontology, because paleontology involves extinct taxa. Neontology has organisms actually present and available to sample and perform research on. Neontology's research method uses cladistics to examine morphologies and genetics . Neontology data has more emphasis on genetic data and the population structure than paleontology does. When
328-491: A name to contrast ourselves with all you folks who study modern organisms in human or ecological time . You therefore become neontologists. We do recognize the unbalanced and parochial nature of this dichotomous division. Neontological evolutionary biology has a temporal perspective between 100 and 1000 years. Neontology's fundamental basis relies on models of natural selection as well as speciation . Neontology's methods, when compared to evolutionary paleontology , have
369-653: A result sink as soon as they stop actively swimming. With the exception of T. cornutus from the southeast Pacific, all species in this family are restricted to the eastern Atlantic (including the Mediterranean). An extinct relative, Callipteryx , is known from the Monte Bolca lagerstätte of the Lutetian epoch. Weevers are sometimes used as an ingredient in the recipe for bouillabaisse . Weevers are sometimes erroneously called 'weaver fish', although
410-531: Is a result of ischemia , circulatory system management is important. These medications can include antiplatelet drug , anticoagulant , and fibrinolytics . As infection is often associated with gangrene, antibiotics are often a critical component of its treatment. The life-threatening nature of gangrene requires treatment with intravenous antibiotics in an inpatient setting. Antibiotics alone are not effective because they may not penetrate infected tissues sufficiently. Surgical removal of all dead tissue, however,
451-462: Is associated with diabetes and long-term tobacco smoking. Dry gangrene is a form of coagulative necrosis that develops in ischemic tissue , where the blood supply is inadequate to keep tissue viable. It is not a disease itself, but a symptom of other diseases. The term dry is used only when referring to a limb or to the gut (in other locations, this same type of necrosis is called an infarction, such as myocardial infarction ). Dry gangrene
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#1732787378539492-466: Is based on symptoms and supported by tests such as medical imaging . Treatment may involve surgery to remove the dead tissue, antibiotics to treat any infection, and efforts to address the underlying cause. Surgical efforts may include debridement , amputation , or the use of maggot therapy . Efforts to treat the underlying cause may include bypass surgery or angioplasty . In certain cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be useful. How commonly
533-465: Is not accompanied by infection, it is not as emergent as gas gangrene or wet gangrene, both of which have a risk of sepsis. Over time, dry gangrene may develop into wet gangrene if an infection develops in the dead tissues. Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for peripheral vascular disease, thus for dry gangrene, but also a risk factor for wet gangrene, particularly in patients with poorly controlled blood sugar levels, as elevated serum glucose creates
574-441: Is often due to peripheral artery disease , but can be due to acute limb ischemia . As a result, people with atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, diabetes and smokers commonly have dry gangrene. The limited oxygen in the ischemic limb limits putrefaction and bacteria fail to survive. The affected part is dry, shrunken, and dark reddish-black. The line of separation usually brings about complete separation, with eventual falling off of
615-480: Is the mainstay of treatment for gangrene. Often, gangrene is associated with underlying infection, thus the gangrenous tissue must be debrided to hinder the spread of the associated infection. The extent of surgical debridement needed depends on the extent of the gangrene and may be limited to the removal of a finger, toe, or ear, but in severe cases may involve a limb amputation . Dead tissue alone does not require debridement, and in some cases, such as dry gangrene,
656-946: The Swansea and Gower area every year, but many victims do not seek medical assistance and go uncounted. At first many victims believe they have simply scratched themselves on a sharp stone or shell, although this barely hurts; significant pain begins 2–3 minutes afterwards. Weever stings cause severe pain; common descriptions from victims are "extremely painful" and "much worse than a wasp (or bee ) sting". Common and minor symptoms include severe pain, itching, swelling, heat, redness, numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, joint aches, headaches, abdominal cramps, lightheadedness, increased urination and tremors. Rare and severe symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms, weakness, shortness of breath, seizures, decreased blood pressure, gangrene , tissue degeneration and unconsciousness. Although extremely unpleasant, weever stings are not generally dangerous and
697-514: The French Imperial Military Health-Service in 1811, became a leading expert in the fight against hospital-gangrene and its prevention. He wrote a treatise on gangrene in 1814 in which he meticulously analyzed and explained the causes of this dreadful disease, which he was convinced was contagious. He completed his entry with a thorough evaluation of all possible and well experienced sanitary regulations. His work
738-470: The affected part falls off (autoamputates), making surgical removal unnecessary. Waiting for autoamputation, however, may cause health complications as well as decreased quality of life. After the gangrene is treated with debridement and antibiotics, the underlying cause can be treated. In the case of gangrene due to critical limb ischemia , revascularization can be performed to treat the underlying peripheral underlateral artery disease. Ischemic disease of
779-580: The condition occurs is unknown. The etymology of gangrene derives from the Latin word gangraena and from the Greek gangraina (γάγγραινα), which means " putrefaction of tissues". Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly involved. Gangrene is caused by a critically insufficient blood supply (e.g., peripheral vascular disease ) or infection. It
820-518: The foot and are the result of stepping on buried fish; other common sites of injury are the hands and buttocks. Stings are most common in the hours before and after low tide (especially at springs), so one possible precaution is to avoid bathing or paddling at these times. Weever stings have been known to penetrate wet suit boots even through a rubber sole (if thin), and bathers and surfers should wear sandals, " jelly shoes ", or wetsuit boots with relatively hard soles, and avoid sitting or "rolling" in
861-441: The gangrenous tissue if it is not removed surgically, a process called autoamputation . Dry gangrene is the result of chronic ischemia without infection . If ischemia is detected early, when ischemic wounds rather than gangrene are present, the process can be treated by revascularization (via vascular bypass or angioplasty). However, once gangrene has developed, the affected tissues are not salvageable. Because dry gangrene
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#1732787378539902-435: The gases produced by the bacteria expand and infiltrate healthy tissue in the vicinity. Because of its ability to quickly spread to surrounding tissues, gas gangrene should be treated as a medical emergency . Gas gangrene is caused by bacterial exotoxin -producing clostridial species, which are mostly found in soil, and other anaerobes such as Bacteroides and anaerobic streptococci . These environmental bacteria may enter
943-447: The immediate area of injury (e.g. from hand to arm), if symptoms persist, or if any other factor causes concern. Medical treatment consists of symptom management, analgesia (often with opiates ) and the same heat treatment as for first aid - more systemic treatment using histamine antagonists may assist in reducing local inflammation. The only recorded death in the UK occurred in 1933, when
984-486: The introduction of antibiotics to the range of treatments for wounds. In recent times, however, maggot therapy has regained some credibility and is sometimes employed with great efficacy in cases of chronic tissue necrosis. The French Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully contracted gangrene in January 1687 when, while conducting a performance of his Te Deum , he stabbed his own toe with his pointed staff (which
1025-864: The legs is the most common reason for amputations. In about a quarter of these cases, the other side requires amputation in the next three years. Angioplasty should be considered if severe blockage in lower leg vessels ( tibial and peroneal artery ) leads to gangrene. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment is used to treat gas gangrene. It increases pressure and oxygen content to allow blood to carry more oxygen to inhibit anaerobic organism growth and reproduction. Regenerative medical treatments and stem-cell therapies have successfully altered gangrene and ulcer prognosis. As early as 1028, flies and maggots were commonly used to treat chronic wounds or ulcers to prevent or arrest necrotic spread, as some species of maggots consume only dead flesh, leaving nearby living tissue unaffected. This practice largely died out after
1066-439: The muscle through a wound and subsequently proliferate in necrotic tissue and secrete powerful toxins that destroy nearby tissue, generating gas at the same time. A gas composition of 5.9% hydrogen, 3.4% carbon dioxide, 74.5% nitrogen, and 16.1% oxygen was reported in one clinical case. Gas gangrene can cause necrosis, gas production, and sepsis. Progression to toxemia and shock is often very rapid. Treatment varies based on
1107-545: The other great apes . If the concept of an ape-man were based on neontology, then our phenotype would resemble Bigfoot . Since the concept was based on paleontology, the idea of an ape-man could possibly be represented by the fossil hominids. Neontology studies extant (living) taxa and recently extinct taxa, but declaring a taxon to be definitively extinct is difficult. Taxa that have previously been declared extinct may reappear over time. Species that were once considered extinct and then reappear unscathed are characterized by
1148-404: The pain felt by the victim after a few minutes. Usual experience is that the pain then fades within 10 to 20 minutes, as the water cools. Folklore often suggests the addition of substances to the hot water, including urine , vinegar , and Epsom salts , but this is of limited or no value. Heat should be applied for at least 15 minutes, but the longer the delay (before heat is applied), the longer
1189-458: The pain will ease considerably within a few hours even if untreated. Complete recovery may take a week or more; in a few cases, victims have reported swelling and/or stiffness persisting for months after envenomation. First aid treatment consists of immersing the affected area in hot water (as hot as the victim can tolerate without being scalded ), which will accelerate denaturation of the protein -based venom . The use of hot water will reduce
1230-524: The scientific community accepted the synthetic theory of evolution , taxonomies became phylogenetic . As a result, information gaps arose within the fossil record of species, especially in Homo sapiens . The anthropologists who accepted the synthetic theory reject the idea of an "ape-man" because the concept had mistaken paleontology with neontology. An ape-man, in actuality, would be a primate with traits that would represent anything in between humans and
1271-491: The severity and type of gangrene. Exercises such as walking and massage therapy may be tried. Medications may include pain management, medications that promote circulation in the circulatory system and antibiotics. Since gangrene is associated with periodic pain caused by too little blood flow, pain management is important so patients can continue doing exercises that promote circulation. Pain management medications can include opioids and opioid-like analgesics. Since gangrene
Weever - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-901: The shallows. Stings also increase in frequency during the summer (to a maximum in August), but this is probably the result of the greater number of bathers. The lesser weever can be found from the southern North Sea to the Mediterranean, and is common around the south coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Atlantic coast of France, Portugal and Spain, and the northern coast of the Mediterranean. The high number of bathers found on popular tourist beaches in these areas means stings are common, although individual chances of being stung are low. The South Wales Evening Post stated (on 8 August 2000) that around 40 weever stings are recorded in
1353-404: The taxon. Most biologists, zoologists , and botanists are in practice neontologists, and the term neontologist is used largely by paleontologists referring to non- paleontologists . Stephen Jay Gould said of neontology: All professions maintain their parochialisms , and I trust that nonpaleontological readers will forgive our major manifestation . We are paleontologists, so we need
1394-571: The term "the Lazarus effect", or are also called a Lazarus species . For example, a study determined that 36% of supposed mammalian extinction had been proven, while the other 64% had insufficient evidence to be declared extinct or had been rediscovered. Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers a taxon to be recently extinct if the extinction occurred after 1500 C.E. A recently considered extinct mammal
1435-422: The treatment should be continued. Once the pain has eased, the injury should be checked for the remains of broken spines, and any found need to be removed. Over-the-counter analgesics , such as aspirin or ibuprofen , may be of assistance in management of pain and can also reduce edema . Medical advice should be sought if any of the symptoms listed above as rare or severe are observed, if swelling spreads beyond
1476-406: The underlying genetic mechanisms that influence this variation between nonhuman primates and humans, neontological methods are applied to the research method. By incorporating neontology with different biological research methods, it can become clear how genetic mechanisms underlie major events in processes such as primate evolution. Gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by
1517-716: The weever is known as peixe-aranha , which translates to 'spider-fish', and in Catalan as aranya , which is identical to the word for 'spider'. The 9 extant species in two genera are: Most human stings are inflicted by the lesser weever, which habitually remains buried in sandy areas of shallow water and is thus more likely to come into contact with bathers than other species (such as the greater weever, which prefers deeper water); stings from other species are generally limited to anglers and commercial fishermen. Even very shallow water (sometimes little more than damp sand) may harbour lesser weevers. The vast majority of injuries occur to
1558-516: The word is unrelated. In fact the word 'weever' is believed to derive from the Old French word wivre , meaning serpent or dragon , from the Latin vipera . It is sometimes also known as the viperfish, although it is not related to the viperfish proper (i.e. the stomiids of the genus Chauliodus ). In Australia sand perches of the family Mugilidae are also known as weevers. In Portugal
1599-566: Was the Bouvier's red colobus monkey, who was considered extinct up until 2015 when it was rediscovered after 40 years with no recorded sightings. Neontology's fundamental theories rely on biological models of natural selection and speciation that connect genes, the unit of heredity with the mechanism of evolution by natural selection. For example, researchers utilized neontological and paleontological datasets to study nonhuman primate dentition compared with human dentition. In order to understand
1640-623: Was used as a baton ). The disease spread to his leg, but the composer refused to have his toe amputated , which eventually led to his death in March of that year. French King Louis XIV died of gangrene in his leg on 1 September 1715, four days prior to his 77th birthday. Sebald Justinus Brugmans , Professor at Leyden University , from 1795 on Director of the Medical Bureau of the Batavian Republic, and inspector-general of
1681-570: Was very well received and was instrumental in convincing most later authors that gangrene was a contagious disease. John M. Trombold wrote: "Middleton Goldsmith, a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War, meticulously studied hospital gangrene and developed a revolutionary treatment regimen. The cumulative Civil War hospital gangrene mortality was 45%. Goldsmith's method, which he applied to over 330 cases, yielded