This study compared the performance of rhesus monkeys on six different manipulation tasks and four food-rewarded object displacement tasks before and after a large, single dose of whole-body X radiation. These experiments were paralleled by investigations of free cage behavior by McDowell (11,12).The demonstration by Davis, Settlage, and ITarlow (5) of differences between the performances of normal and brain-operated rhesus monkeys on a complex mechanical puzzle suggested the use of mechanical puzzles to compare irradiated and nonirradiated monkeys. Many tasks not reinforced by food were selected because of typical clinical findings of posfradiafion anorexia. MKTTfODS SubjectsSixteen rhesus monkeys with nearly identical training histories were used as .S' s in these experiments. After 324 days of training, the animals were randomly assigned to two groups, an experimental group of ten animals, subsequently radiated, arid a control group of six animals. A pparalusLxperimcnls were conducted either in the animal's living cage or in a modified Wisconsin General Test Apparatus (10). The animals were housed in four double-unit living cages constructed of steel bars and covered with corn cribbing. A pair of animals occupied a single cage unit measuring 3 ft. by 3 ft. by 3 ft., and all animals had an equal opportunity to enter outside living cages.

To complement a previous study relating to ear disease in temporal bones from South Dakota Indian burials, radiographs were made looking for altered mastoid development suggesting the presence of infections during the period of their growth. Infection has been implicated as a causative, accentuating, or precipitating factor in the disease otosclerosis. Theories relating to the development of the mastoids are discussed and a pertinent bibliography is presented. In total 417 temporal bones were examined. Of these 251 representing 130 individuals were from Arikara burials, and 166 representing 91 individuals, were from Middle Plains Woodland people, Sioux Historic, and other miscellaneous burials. One hundred eleven Arikara temporal bones (44%) showed evidence of altered pneumatization (diploic‐10, sclerotic‐13, mixed‐88), while 86 other culture temporal bones (51.8%) demonstrated similar changes (diploic‐4, sclerotic‐13, mixed‐69). Unilateral and bilateral variable air cell patterns were found. There was no age, sex, or ear lateralization of air cell patterns. No evidence of the effect of cholesteatoma, cancer, surgery, or other bone disease was found. These findings suggest that the people represented by these skulls must have had a significant amount of infectious middle ear disease during the period of the development of their mastoids.

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