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Revising the taxonomy of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura: Odontophrynidae) from the Brazilian semiarid Caatinga: Morphology, calls and molecules support a single widespread species
No full textRecently, Proceratophrys cristiceps was redescribed along with the description of two species from the Caatinga biome: P. aridus and P. caramaschii. However, only a small fraction of the populations related to such species in Northeastern Brazil was examined, and most populations of central Caatinga were not contemplated in this analysis. Comparisons were also based exclusively on external morphology, precluding a more accurate delimitation of such taxa in the light of multiple characters. Such geographic paucity and reliance in only one data source caused the species status of most central Caatinga populations to be uncertain. Thus, the revision of Proceratophrys populations from the Caatinga biome is of utmost importance to establish a solid taxonomic background and to test the validity of the described species. Based on morphologic, morphometric, acoustic, and multilocus genetic data, we define the range of inter- and intrapopulation variation in the parameters we analyzed, establishing which ones are useful as diagnostic characters for Proceratophrys in the Caatinga. We found no evidence supporting P. aridus and P. caramaschii as distinct species and thus place them as junior synonyms of P. cristiceps. Our results reinforce the importance of using multiple lines of evidence to avoid taxonomic instability. © 2019 Blackwell Verlag Gmb
Chilling to the bone: Lower temperatures increase vertebrate predation by tonatia bidens (chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)
Full text linkThe greater round-eared bat, Tonatia bidens (Spix, 1823), is a medium-sized phyllostomid bat distributed in the north of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The diet and foraging patterns of this species are poorly known. We analyzed the composition of the diet of a population of T. bidens and how the temperature influences the consumption of vertebrates and invertebrates. To describe diet composition, we conducted weekly collections of food scrap from two monospecific night-perches. Data of temperature for the study period were taken from the meteorological station installed 300 m from the collection perches. The influence of temperature was evaluated using generalized linear models (GLMs) with negative binomial distribution. Tonatia bidens consumed 28 taxons (204 records), being at least 17 Artropods and 11 Passeriformes birds. Temperature explained a greater proportion of vertebrate abundance (R2 = 0.23) than invertebrate (R2 = 0.16) or to both pooled (R2 = 0.11). The relation with temperature was positive with invertebrates and negative with the vertebrates. The diet of the population of T. bidens comprised mainly invertebrates, which were the most frequent and diverse taxa. Data suggests that T. bidens has a diverse diet, with proportion of the item’s consumption varying temporally. Environmental factors, such as the temperature presented on this work, seems to be good proxies for the dietary traits of this species. © 2020 Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia
Sporepolinic morphology of fluvial terrace sediments in the Western Amazon
Full text linkMorphological descriptions were made for pollen grains and spores extracted from samples from three sedimentary sections - Chandless 1, Purus 10 and Purus 30 - from fluvial terraces on the Chandless and Purus rivers, Acre State, Brazil. Level CH1-12 at Chandless 1 was C14-dated to 4861 - 5050 cal yr BP, P10-3 of Purus 10 was dated through the OSL method at 8200 +/- 65 yr BP, while P30-6 at Purus 30 was C14 dated to 7845 - 7998 cal yr BP. For pollen analysis, 2 cm3 of each sample was removed, treated with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and acetolysed, followed by palymorph separation with bromoform/alcohol density 2.0 solution. A total of 49 palynomorphs were morphologically described (39 pollen types and 10 Pteridophyte spores). The most frequent pollen types belonged to Anacardiaceae, Arecaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Rutaceae and Amaranthaceae, while the most frequent spores belonged to Polypodiaceae and Pteridaceae. The pollen richness found in the studied samples reflects the current vegetation occupying the banks of the rivers
<i>Smicridea</i> ( <i>Smicridea</i> ) <i>nigripennis</i> species group (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from Brazil: new species, new distributional records and an identification key
No full textHidden in the DNA: How multiple historical processes and natural history traits shaped patterns of cryptic diversity in an Amazon leaf-litter lizard Loxopholis osvaldoi (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae)
No full textAim: To investigate the cryptic diversity and diversification timing in the putatively low-dispersal Amazonian leaf-litter lizard Loxopholis osvaldoi, and to ask how geography (rivers, isolation by distance, IBD), ecological drivers (isolation by environment, IBE) and historical factors (climatic refugia) explain intraspecific genetic variation. Location: Central Amazonia, Brazil. Taxon: Squamata; Gymnophthalmidae; Loxopholis osvaldoi. Methods: We sequenced two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers in 157 individuals. Phylogeographic structure and the occurrence of independent evolving lineages where explored through phylogenetic and coalescent analyses. A species tree and divergence dates of lineages were inferred with *BEAST, employing multiple DNA substitution rates. The potential genetic impacts of geographical distance among localities, the environment and the position of localities in relation to main rivers were tested by redundancy analysis (RDA). Results: We detected 11 independently evolving and largely divergent intraspecific lineages. Lineage distribution patterns are complex and do not match any conspicuous barrier to gene flow, except for the Amazon River. Most lineages appear to have originated in the lower Miocene and Pliocene, in disagreement with the Pleistocene refuge hypothesis. IBD, IBE and rivers appear to have acted in concert establishing and maintaining genetic structure. However, when controlling for other explanatory variables, IBD explains significantly more variation than rivers, IBE or historical factors. Main Conclusions: Our results strongly suggest that L. osvaldoi is a species complex. Future taxonomic work should use an integrative approach to explore whether morphological variation is present and congruent with the genetic data. While the use of a sensitive dating analysis allowed us to better describe the diversification history of L. osvaldoi, the lack of a spatial model of Neogene river dynamics prevents the test of specific, more informative river barrier hypotheses. The data suggest that nonlinear correlation analyses (e.g. RDA) should be preferred to detect factors that affect phylogeographic patterns in the Amazon, instead of linear multiple regressions (e.g. Mantel tests). Given the high level of cryptic diversity detected within this and other Amazonian species, we caution against hypothesis tests based solely on the distribution of nominal taxa, which can provide a rather incomplete view of the processes behind Amazonian diversity. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Lt
Control of heart mitochondrial respiration in Amazon fish with different respiratory strategies
No full textGradientes termográficos em indústria ceramista na Amazônia como ferramenta didática no processo de ensino tecnológico
No full textSistemática de Angiopolybia Araujo, 1946 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
No full textAngiopolybia is one of the Polistinae genera and is distributed from Costa Rica to south-central Brazil. It consists of the species Angiopolybia pallens (Lepeletier, 1836), A. zischkai Richards, 1978, A. paraensis (Spinola, 1851) and A. obidensis (Ducke, 1904), with morphological variations present. This taxon has a complex taxonomic history and since its original description as Rhopalidia, only one study of the phylogenetic relationships of the group has been carried out. The objectives of this study were to carry out a taxonomic review for Angiopolybia, to propose the phylogenetic relationships between between its species using morphological and molecular information and to produce a new identification key. The study was conducted with specimens from scientific collections of national and foreign institutions, and the phenotypic characters for the phylogenetic analyzes used were based on the specialized literature and the molecular data were composed of mitochondrial genes sequences Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I and ribosomal RNA 16S. Phylogenetic analyzes of Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference were performed to test monophilia and internal species relationships. The new species Angiopolybia maueensis sp. nov. and Angiopolybia nigra sp. nov. are described, increasing the number of species of the genus to six. Phylogenetic analyzes of Angiopolybia corroborated the monophyletism of the taxon, with the species forming two groups ((A. pallens + A. zischkai) + ((A. obidensis + A. maueensis) + A. nigra + A. paraensis)). This study contributes to the knowledge of the diversity of the taxon and the recognition of its species, and to the elucidation of its phylogenetic relationships.Angiopolybia é um dos gêneros de Polistinae e está distribuído da Costa Rica ao centro-sul do Brasil. É constituído de Angiopolybia pallens (Lepeletier, 1836), A. zischkai Richards, 1978, A. paraensis (Spinola, 1851) e A. obidensis (Ducke, 1904), com variações morfológicas presentes. Este táxon possui um histórico taxonômico complexo e desde sua descrição original como Rhopalidia, apenas um estudo das relações filogenéticas do grupo foi realizado. Os objetivos deste estudo foram realizar uma revisão taxonômica de Angiopolybia, propor as relações filogenéticas entre suas espécies utilizando informações morfológicas e moleculares e produzir uma nova chave de identificação. O estudo foi conduzido com espécimes de coleções científicas de instituições nacionais e estrangeiras, sendo que os caracteres fenotípicos para a análises filogenéticas utilizados foram baseados na literatura especializada e os dados moleculares foram compostos por sequências dos genes mitocondriais Citocromo Oxidase subunidade I e RNA ribossomal 16S. As análises filogenéticas de Máxima Parcimônia e Inferência Bayesiana foram realizadas para testar a monofilia e as relações internas das espécies. Foram descritas as novas espécies Angiopolybia maueensis sp. nov. e Angiopolybia nigra sp. nov., aumentando o número de espécies do gênero para seis. As Análises filogenéticas de Angiopolybia corroboraram o monofiletismo do táxon, com as espécies formando dois grupos ((A. pallens + A. zischkai) + ((A. obidensis + A. maueensis) + A. nigra + A. paraensis)). Este estudo contribui para o conhecimento da diversidade do táxon e o reconhecimento de suas espécies, e para a elucidação das suas relações filogenéticas
A new era in forest restoration monitoring
No full textMonitoring ecological restoration has been historically dependent on traditional inventory methods based on detailed information obtained from field plots. New paradigms are now needed to successfully achieve restoration as a large-scale, long-lasting transformative process. Fortunately, advances in technology now allow for unprecedented shifts in the way restoration has been planned, implemented, and monitored. Here, we describe our vision on how the use of new technologies by a new generation of restoration ecologists may revolutionize restoration monitoring in the coming years. The success of the many ambitious restoration programs planned for the coming decade will rely on effective monitoring, which is an essential component of adaptive management and accountability. The development of new remote sensing approaches and their application to a restoration context open new avenues for expanding our capacity to assess restoration performance over unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. A new generation of scientists, which have a background in remote sensing but are getting more and more involved with restoration, will certainly play a key role for making large-scale restoration monitoring a viable human endeavor in the coming decade—the United Nations' decade on ecosystem restoration. © 2019 Society for Ecological Restoratio