Spirometry at different Latin American altitudes: a Global Lung Function Initiative project.

Aim: Approximately 20% of people in Latin America live more than 2500 m above sea level. In this ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population, it is challenging to differentiate the effects of altitude from population differences in lung function. The aim of the present study was to quantify the contribution of altitude on the variability in lung function measured by spirometry in Latin America.

New Amber Fossils Indicate That Larvae of Dermestidae Had Longer Defensive Structures in the Past.

Representatives of Dermestidae (skin, larder, and carpet beetles) play a crucial role as decomposers in global ecosystems, facilitating the recycling of animal and plant biomass to sustain nutrient cycling. Despite their widespread ecological presence and functional importance, the fossil record of their larval stages has remained sparse, with previous documentation limited to occasional discoveries. This study significantly expands the larval fossil record by identifying 36 amber-preserved specimens from the Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene time slices, obtained from deposits distributed globally.