The karyotype of Blarinomys breviceps (Mammalia: Rodentia: Cricetidae) with comments on its morphology and some ecological notes

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1907 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
LENA GEISE ◽  
HELENA G. BERGALLO ◽  
CARLOS E. L. ESBÉRARD ◽  
CARLOS F. D. ROCHA ◽  
MONIQUE VAN SLUYS

The geographic distribution of Blarinomys breviceps (Winge) includes few localities in forested areas in the Atlantic Rainforest from Bahia state in Brazil up to Misiones province in Argentina. Here we add 14 new records for the species in the region of southeastern Brazil. These findings provided information on morphology, natural history and the first karyological data for the species. During two short surveys, one in Santuário da Serra da Concórdia, Valença municipality and another in Fazenda Marimbondo, Mauá municipality, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, six specimens were collected in pit fall traps. The specimen trapped in Serra da Concórdia was a sub adult male (age class 3 according to the upper molar row wear). In Fazenda Marimbondo, four adult males and one adult female were captured. Serra da Concórdia is a secondary vegetation in a semideciduous forest type, being a small fragment of 220 ha. The second locality, Fazenda Marimbondo is a high montane forest in an evergreen forest type. Karyotype of the specimen collected in the first locality presented a diploid number of 28 chromosomes and an autosomal number of 50. The specimen collected in Serra da Concórdia was kept alive for seven days. During this period it was fed with live arthropods, what confirms their insectivorous feeding habit, consistent with the molar teeth morphology.

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Aurélio Pizo

ABSTRACTThe seed dispersal system of a neotropical tree,Cabralea canjerana(Meliaceae), was studied in two forested areas in southeastern Brazil. The first study site, Parque Estadual Intervales (PEI), is a 49,000-ha reserve composed mostly of old-growth Atlantic rain forest. The second site, Mata de Santa Genebra (MSG), is a 250-ha fragment of old-secondary semideciduous forest whose present bird fauna differs markedly from the original, in part as a consequence of forest fragmentation. At PEI 35 bird species ate the diaspores ofC. canjerana. Black-tailed tityra (Tityra cayana, Tyrannidae) was the main seed disperser, but several other species were also important seed dispersers. In contrast, at MSGC. canjeranadiaspores were eaten by 14 bird species. At this area, the red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus, Vireonidae) was the most important seed disperser, but it was also a ‘waster’ which dropped seeds beneath parent plants, or carried them to sites unsuitable for germination. At PEI, exposed seeds on the forest floor were heavily preyed upon by rodents and insects. Insects destroyed mainly seeds deposited near to parent plants. Insect predation was less intense at MSG than at PEI. The rodent density at MSG was unusually small, and part of the post-dispersal seed predation may be done by terrestrial birds, such as doves and tinamous, which are especially common at MSG. Some of the differences recorded between the seed dispersal systems ofC. canjeranaat PEI and MSG may have been the result of the fragmentation and isolation of the latter area.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 942
Author(s):  
Isabela Freitas Oliveira ◽  
Fabricio Beggiato Baccaro ◽  
Fernanda P. Werneck ◽  
Thamara Zacca ◽  
Torbjørn Haugaasen

Amazonia comprises a mosaic of contrasting habitats, with wide environmental heterogeneity at local and regional scales. In central Amazonia, upland forest (terra firme) is the predominant forest type and seasonally flooded forests inundated by white- and black-water rivers (várzea and igapó, respectively) represent around 20% of the forested areas. In this work, we took advantage of a natural spatial arrangement of the main vegetation types in central Amazonia to investigate butterfly assemblage structure in terra firme, várzea and igapó forests at the local scale. We sampled in the low- and high-water seasons, combining active and passive sampling with traps placed in both the understory and canopy. Terra firme supported the highest number of butterfly species, whereas várzea forest provided the highest number of butterfly captures. The high species richness in terra firme may reflect that this forest type is floristically richer than várzea and igapó. Várzea is a very productive environment and may thus support a higher number of butterfly individuals than terra firme and igapó. Most butterfly species (80.2%) were unique to a single forest type and 17 can be considered forest type indicator species in this landscape. Floodplain forest environments are therefore an important complement to terra firme in terms of butterfly species richness and conservation in Amazonia.


2009 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-804 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAL. Pontes ◽  
RC. Pontes ◽  
CFD. Rocha

We studied and compared parameters of the snake community of the Serra do Mendanha, Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil (22º 48'-22º 51' S and 43º 31'-43º 28' W), such as: abundance distribution, richness, species diversity and biomass, between forested areas, areas under regeneration and agriculture areas (banana plantations); to obtain information about the natural history and facilitate the development of future research. For capturing the snakes we used: pitfall traps, drift-fences and visual search (diurnal and nocturnal) along four transects for each habitat. The captured snakes were measured with a tape and caliper, weighed with dynamometers and sexed with the use of a catheter. The animals marked (with ventral scales cut) were released for posterior recapture. One individual per species was fixed and deposited at the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. We undertook an effort of 840 man/hour, and captured a total of 207 snakes belonging to 25 species (Colubridae 80.2%, Elapidae 12.6%, Viperidae 6.3% and Boidae 0.9%). The most abundant were: Liophis miliaris (n = 33), Micrurus corallinus and Chironius fuscus (both with n = 26); the least abundant: Elapomorphus quinquelineatus, Siphlophis compressus and Tropidodryas serra (all with n = 1). The species that contributed the greatest biomass were Spilotes pullatus (7,925 g), Chironius laevicollis (4,694 g), Liophis miliaris (3,675 g) and Pseustes sulphureus (3,050 g); those that contributed the lowest biomass were: Siphlophis compressus, Tropidodryas serra (both with 4 g) and Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (3 g). We found significant differences between the sampled habitats at the Serra do Mendanha (undisturbed forest, secondary forest and banana plantations). The results showed that a great reduction in the abundance, richness, diversity and biomass of the snakes occurs when the native forest is replaced by banana plantations.


Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.L. Thomas ◽  
J.K. Liu ◽  
J.L. Rubenstein ◽  
P.T. Sharpe

Dlx2, a member of the distal-less gene family, is expressed in the first branchial arch, prior to the initiation of tooth development, in distinct, non-overlapping domains in the mesenchyme and the epithelium. In the mesenchyme Dlx2 is expressed proximally, whereas in oral epithelium it is expressed distally. Dlx2 has been shown to be involved in the patterning of the murine dentition, since loss of function of Dlx1 and Dlx2 results in early failure of development of upper molar teeth. We have investigated the regulation of Dlx2 expression to determine how the early epithelial and mesenchymal expression boundaries are maintained, to help to understand the role of these distinct expression domains in patterning of the dentition. Transgenic mice produced with a lacZ reporter construct, containing 3.8 kb upstream sequence of Dlx2, led to the mapping of regulatory regions driving epithelial but not mesenchymal expression in the first branchial arch. We show that the epithelial expression of Dlx2 is regulated by planar signalling by BMP4, which is coexpressed in distal oral epithelium. Mesenchymal expression is regulated by a different mechanism involving FGF8, which is expressed in the overlying epithelium. FGF8 also inhibits expression of Dlx2 in the epithelium by a signalling pathway that requires the mesenchyme. Thus, the signalling molecules BMP4 and FGF8 provide the mechanism for maintaining the strict epithelial and mesenchymal expression domains of Dlx2 in the first arch.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Pavan Sabino ◽  
Vitor de Andrade Kamimura ◽  
Renan Borgiani ◽  
Rafael Konopczyk ◽  
Ernesto Pedro Dickfeldt ◽  
...  

Abstract: The Porto Ferreira State Park (PFSP) is located in the State of São Paulo southeastern Brazil, in an intriguing transitional area between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado - both hotspots of biodiversity - represented mainly by the cerradão (CER), and the seasonal semideciduous forest (SSF), with its alluvial variation vegetation type (riparian forest - RP). Ecotonal areas play an important role in providing ecological and phytogeographic knowledge regarding the flora and vegetation of this region. Despite various studies on the PFSP, knowledge of this region remains fragmented. In this study, we aim to conduct an updated checklist of the PFSP vascular flora, including a compilation of all the studies conducted in this protected area, plus field work carried out by the authors from 2014 to 2017. In addition, given its ecotonal characteristics, we completed a floristic similarity analysis between the PFSP and other floristic surveys that examined the same vegetation types present in this study, to gain a better understanding of their phytogeographic relationships. Overall, 684 species, belonging to 387 genera and 107 families, were recorded. The SSF presented the richest vegetation type (478 species), followed by the CER (418) and the RP (231). The most diverse families were Fabaceae (64 species), Myrtaceae (41), Orchidaceae (39), Rubiaceae (37), Asteraceae (35), Bignoniaceae (26) and Malvaceae (20). Moreover, eight threatened species, at regional and national levels, were found. To date, 412 species have been added to the floristic list produced for the PFSP. The life forms with the highest number of species were trees (286 species), herbs (176) plus shrubs and subshrubs (123). Our research findings indicate floristic patterns with higher levels of similarity among species in geographical proximity, including those in ecotonal areas encompassing different vegetation types. These results rank the PFSP among some of the most species-rich conservation units with seasonal climates, and therefore is of great importance for plant conservation in the southeast of Brazil.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4779 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-354
Author(s):  
JODI J. L. ROWLEY ◽  
DUONG THI THUY LE ◽  
HUY DUC HOANG ◽  
TRUNG TIEN CAO ◽  
VINH QUANG DAU

We describe a new species of phytotelm-breeding rhacophorid frog from central Vietnam. Gracixalus trieng sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by a combination of (1) body size medium (37.2–41.4 mm in five adult males), (2) snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views, (3) dorsal surface brown or yellowish with a darker brown interorbital crossbar and inverse-Y shape on the back, (4) throat and chest yellow or yellowish brown with pinkish mottling and belly and ventral surfaces of limbs including hands and feet pinkish, (5) tympanum and supratympanic fold distinct, (6) iris pale gold with darker gold radiating out from anterior and posterior edges of pupil, (7) majority of dorsal body and limb surfaces smooth in adults, with some individuals having sparsely distributed low, irregular tubercles, (8) nuptial pads on fingers I and II in adult males, and (9) eggs deposited as a tightly spaced array of non-pendent eggs on the wall of a phytotelmon. The species occurs in syntopy with G. lumarius. At present, Gracixalus trieng sp. nov. is known only from montane bamboo and evergreen forest (>1700 m) on Mount Ngoc Linh and adjacent peaks; and it is likely to be restricted to high-elevation forest with an estimated geographical distribution of <1000 km2. 


Author(s):  
Luciana Falci Theza Rodrigues ◽  
Felipe Silveira Leite ◽  
Roberto Da Gama Alves

<p>Aquatic oligochaetes can be found associated with different types of substrates; including bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) adhered to stones in lotic ecosystems. However, little information is available on the association between oligochaetes and bryophytes in tropical region. Therefore, the aims of this study were: to investigate whether the assemblages of oligochaetes respond to variation in the biomass of bryophytes and quantity of particulate organic matter (POM) present on these plants; verify differences in the composition of oligochaetes in streams flowing through areas with two phytophysiognomies (rocky field and seasonal semideciduous forest). The samples were collected from five first-order streams in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais. Six samples of bryophytes adhered to stones were obtained from each stream. A total of 1586 oligochaetes were collected and 11 taxa were identified, belonging to the families Naididae and Enchytraeidae. The most abundant taxa were <em>Bothrioneurum</em> (37.95%) and Enchytraeidae (33.01%). A positive relation was observed between oligochaete abundance and POM in two streams (Ibitipoca I and Ibitipoca III) and a positive relation was found between oligochaete abundance and bryophyte biomass in one stream (Ibitipoca I). The composition of the fauna varied within and between the phytophysiognomies studied. The results show that the oligochaetes find favorable conditions to establish themselves in bryophytes, evidencing the ecological importance of these plants as habitat for invertebrates.</p>


Biotropica ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ary T. Oliveira-Filho ◽  
Arquimedes A. Camisao-Neto ◽  
Margarete M. L. Volpato

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2792 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUCAS SILVEIRA LECCI ◽  
CLAUDIO GILBERTO FROEHLICH

The genus Gripopteryx is revised and two new species are described, G. japi n. sp. from southeastern Brazil, and G. clemira n. sp. from northeastern Brazil. The male of G. brasiliensis Šámal, 1921 and the female of G. flinti Froehlich, 1993 are described. New figures for G. maculosa Jewett, 1960, for the male of G. reticulata Brauer, 1866, and for the female of G. brasiliensis are provided. Keys to adult males and to nymphs are provided.


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