Antelope performs a number of spatial statistics tasks that we have found useful in our teaching and research at UCSD. If you are using a Mac with a coprocessor, you should use the program called "Antelope". If you are using a Mac without a coprocessor and no color monitor (e.g. a Mac Plus, Classic, or SE), then you should use the program "Antelope.nc". If you are using a PowerMac with a color monitor, then use "Antelope.p". All programs have the requested memory set to 2400 kB. The minimum storage just to start up the program is about 1200 kB, and the program gobbles more as data are read in and analyses proceed. For most data sets, we find that we need at least 2000 kB and for bigger sets, 3000 kB. To adjust memory for the program, open the Get Info box and change the memory request allocation in the lower right corner. There are references and help boxes provided for all functions in the program. Look under the apple menu after starting the program.

Data must be input as text files with columns separated by tabs. Most stat and spreadsheet programs will output such files. Files may have a first line with the column names (a "header") or not as you choose. However, you should tell the program whether you expect a header or not when it asks you. X,Y files should have the x coordinate in the first column and the y in the second. Additional columns are OK, but will be used to set up categories for data subdivision. It is thus best not to put continuous variables into these columns (the program will deal with them, but using the Filter will be very slow). The program will also accept gridded data in which the first column is the row of the grid, the second column the grid column, and the third column the number of points in that grid square. Other details about data entry and analyses are given in the Help menu.

This version repairs some subtle bugs we discovered while running through our antelope data: some files would not tessellate or submit to grouping and either got into endless loops or just stopped. We think we have fixed most of these, but one never knows until lots of data sets are examined. The diversification of Mac models may also cause some problems; not all models have been tested with the program.

We are currently working on an improved version, but this is unlikely to be available before December 1996. We have begun adding the Regions Menu which will allow for computations of overlap of "patches" defined by grouping algorithms, home ranges, or externally. The program will currently save and reload "region files"; we have not yet implemented the overlap calculation box (but it is coming along). We are also setting up to convert the ugly boxes in the Fourier and Harmonic home range plots into contour plots (next version, we hope). Finally, we are working on a lacunarity module to complement the current fractal D unit.

No support is offered with this program. You are on your own. The help boxes (under the Apple Menu) provide references and indicate known problems with specific modules. If you find serious bugs, let me know. We hope to get around to improving it as time goes on. But time seems to be in increasingly short supply....

Jack Bradbury and Sandy Vehrencamp
Biology 0116
UCSD
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0116
e-mail:jbradbury@ucsd.edu