TOP DOG

Dog breeds are kind of like baby names—they come in and out of vogue. But why is that? Part of the answer can be found in—of all places—population genetics. Matthew Hahn, UC Davis evolution and ecology postdoc, assisted a team led by Harold Herzog of Western Carolina University in finding a mathematical model that explains the shift in breed popularity. The answer lies in a model borrowed from population genetics called “random drift”—the pattern seen when people copy each other. People select a breed of dog, like a baby name, not for its intrinsic characteristics, but because their neighbor has one or a friend or, especially, a character in a movie (we all remember what happened after 101 Dalmatians). What does this tell us—other than we’re not particularly thoughtful when selecting man’s best friend? It demonstrates that random drift is a useful tool for studying cultural change quantitatively, said Hahn. It can explain human behavior in a wide range of situations, from prehistoric pottery decorations to science journal citations.

GRAVE FINDING

The discovery of human bones at a UC Davis Medical Center excavation site has solved a longstanding mystery. Officials from the medical center and the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office believe they have found the site of an indigent cemetery dating back to the mid-1800s.
It was well known that an indigent cemetery had been located near the old Sacramento County Hospital. But little documentation existed, and its exact location was unknown. UC Davis took over the hospital grounds in 1973.

Then in March, during excavation for a 7,000-square-foot addition to the Cancer Center, bones from two bodies were found. A forensic anthropologist hired by the coroner’s office determined that the bones were not those of Native Americans but dated from the era of the Sacramento County Hospital cemetery.

Because of the finding’s archeological significance, the medical center hired an archeological consulting firm to monitor further excavation. When excavation resumed, another 28 graves—bones buried about five to six feet deep and about 15 to 18 feet apart—were discovered.
The medical center is now working with an independent firm to oversee the remainder of the excavation and removal of the bones. A detailed record is being created for each burial site, and the remains are being interred at St. Mary’s Cemetery on 21st Avenue in Sacramento.
And in memory of those people buried in the indigent cemetery, a bronze plaque has been placed near the water tower at 45th and V streets—installed last year by the medical center and the Sacramento County Cemetery Advisory Commission.

REC ROOM

Photo by Debbie Aldridge

Move over Rec Hall: There’s a new—and bigger—recreation facility on the block.

UC Davis’ new Activities and Recreation Center opened this April, adjacent and connected to the Rec Hall. The facility, known as the ARC, combines recreational and fitness areas with space for student clubs and conference facilities. The $46.5 million, 155,850-square-foot building includes a four-court gymnasium, a court for indoor hockey and soccer, a weight room and cardio area, group exercise studios, a running track and a climbing wall. On the ground level of the two-story center is a 5,000-square-foot ballroom, meeting rooms and an interior courtyard that can be used for receptions and intimate concerts. Upstairs, sports clubs have shared workspace near the facility’s administrative offices. Loudest among the student groups using the ARC is the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh!, which moved from cramped facilities in the old Fire House to 3,670 square feet of office, library, workroom and individual practice space. And what’s to happen with Rec Hall? The building, which opened in 1976, is getting a name change—it’s to be called The Pavilion at ARC—and a facelift: It will be renovated to better host intercollegiate competitions and other special events.

GRATITUDE—HEART HEALTHY

When gratitude comes from the heart, it not only keeps social relationships intact but can physically heal bodies, according to a new book that shines a spotlight on the emotion.

Edited by Robert Emmons of UC Davis and Michael McCullough of the University of Miami, The Psychology of Gratitude (Oxford University Press) looks at the emotion from perspectives ranging from the early Greek philosophers and religious scripture to modern primatologists, psychologists, biologists, philosophers and neuroscientists.

Gratitude—described as a sense of wonder, thankfulness and appreciation for life—“is a basic universal emotion, but it doesn’t fit the typical model that emotions like anger, jealousy or fear do,” said Emmons, a psychologist who has

been studying the effects of gratitude on people’s happiness and life balance for the past six years.

Unlike those other emotions, which are matched with universal facial expressions and corresponding physiological patterns, such as increased heart rates, gratitude can’t be recognized immediately by other people.

However, although it’s not visible, biologists can measure psychophysiological connections to the emotion. For instance, cultivating positive emotions such as appreciation and gratitude can improve the heart’s rhythmic functioning, say contributors Rollin McCraty of the HeartMath Research Center and Doc Childre of Quantum Intec Inc.

A well-functioning heart, in turn, sends signals to the cognitive and emotional centers in the brain. McCraty and Childre say by practicing positive emotions like gratitude, people can heal physically.
The study of positive emotions such as gratitude is a fairly new field in psychology, started in the late 1990s to look at human strengths and virtues.

“What is exciting about gratitude is that it contributes not only to individuals but collectively to society. It’s a civic virtue,” Emmons said.

— Susanne Rockwell