Systematics and Taxonomy of Tonatia saurophila Koopman & Williams, 1951 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)

The Stripe-headed Round-eared bat, Tonatia saurophila, includes three subspecies: Tonatia saurophila saurophila (known only from subfossil records in Jamaica), Tonatia saurophila bakeri (distributed from southeastern Mexico to northern Colombia, Venezuela west and north of the Cordillera de Mérida, and northwestern Ecuador), and Tonatia saurophila maresi (distributed in Venezuela east and south of the Cordillera de Mérida, the Guianas, Trinidad and Tobago, northeastern Brazil, and along the upper Amazon basin in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). The last two subspecies are an attractive example to test predictions about the historical role of the Andes in mammalian diversification. Based on morphological descriptions, morphometric analyses, and phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial gene Cyt-b and the nuclear exon RAG2, this study evaluates the intraspecific relationships within Tonatia saurophila and the taxonomic status of the taxon. The three subspecies of T. saurophila are recognizable as full species: Tonatia bakeri, Tonatia maresi, and Tonatia saurophila. The latter is restricted to its type locality and possibly is extinct. Tonatia bakeri, in addition to being larger than T. maresi, is morphologically distinguishable by possessing an acute apex at the posterior edge of the skull, a well-developed clinoid process, and relatively robust mandibular condyles, and by lacking a diastema between the canine and the first lower premolar. The genetic distance between T. bakeri and T. maresi is 7.65%.

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The role of dispersal for shaping phylogeographical structure of flightless beetles from the Andes

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.7226 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e7226 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sofia I. Muñoz-Tobar ◽

Michael S. Caterino

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Ground Beetle ◽

Population Level ◽

Population Subdivision ◽

Dispersal Ability ◽

Population Isolation ◽

Small Areas ◽

Maximum Entropy Models ◽

The Andes

Background Páramo is a tropical alpine ecosystem present in the northern Andes. Its patchy distribution imposes limits and barriers to specialist inhabitants. We aim to assess the effects of this habitat distribution on divergence across two independently flightless ground beetle lineages, in the genera Dyscolus and Dercylus. Methods One nuclear and one mitochondrial gene from 110 individuals from 10 sites across the two lineages were sequenced and analyzed using a combination of phylogenetics, population genetic analyses, and niche modeling methods. Results The two lineages show different degrees of population subdivision. Low levels of gene flow were found in Dyscolus alpinus, where one dominant haplotype is found in four out of the six populations analyzed for both molecular markers. However, complete population isolation was revealed in species of the genus Dercylus, where high levels of differentiation exist at species and population level for both genes. Maximum entropy models of species in the Dercylus lineage show overlapping distributions. Still, species distributions appear to be restricted to small areas across the Andes. Conclusion Even though both beetle lineages are flightless, the dispersal ability of each beetle lineage appears to influence the genetic diversity across fragmented páramo populations, where Dyscolus alpinus appears to be a better disperser than species in the genus Dercylus.

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Rudolf Schlechter's South-American orchids III. Schlechter's "network": North and Northeast Brazil, The Guianas

Lankesteriana ◽

10.15517/lank.v20i2.42849 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Ossenbach ◽

Rudolf Jenny

Keyword(s):

Amazon Basin ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

South American ◽

Northeast Brazil ◽

History Of Botany ◽

The Third ◽

History Of ◽

Tocantins River ◽

Northern Territories ◽

The Guianas

The third chapter of the series about Rudolf Schlechter’s South-American orchids presents concise biographical information about those botanists and orchid collectors who were connected to Schlechter and worked in north and northeastern Brazil, as well as in the three Guianas. As an introduction, a brief geographical outline is presented, dividing the northern territories in four zones: the Amazon basin, the Araguaia-Tocantins river basin, the Northeast region and the Guianas. It is followed by a short mention of the historical milestones in the history of orchids in these regions during the preceding centuries. Key words: Amazon River, biography, history of botany, Orchidaceae, Roraima, Tocantins River

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Discrimination of species and populations of the genus Cichla (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) in rivers of the Amazon basin using otolithic morphometry

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-2020-0149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Marcos A. Mereles ◽

Raniere G. C. Sousa ◽

Lorenzo S. A. Barroco ◽

Caroline P. Campos ◽

Marc Pouilly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amazon Basin ◽

Fourier Coefficients ◽

Diverse Group ◽

Fish Stocks ◽

Otolith Shape ◽

Morphometric Analyses ◽

Sagittal Otolith ◽

Shape Indices ◽

Biotic Effects

ABSTRACT The genus Cichla is a highly diverse group, with 16 species already described. Externally, some species are very similar and discriminating between them may be very difficult. Nevertheless, discrimination of fish stocks is essential for management purposes. Morphometric analyses of otoliths have been successfully used to distinguish species and fish stocks, especially in marine environments. This study evaluated whether sagittal otolith shape can be used to discriminate among the species Cichla temensis, C. monoculus, and C. orinocensis, as well as within populations of C. temensis in rivers of the Amazon. Shape indices and Fourier coefficients were used to describe the shape of the otoliths. Among the groups of species, the morphology of the sagittal otolith of C. temensis was totally distinct from the species C. monoculus and C. orinocensis. While among populations of C. temensis, individuals from the Negro and Jatapú Rivers were different, regardless of the methods used. These results confirm the ability to differentiate species and populations by using the morphology of otoliths. However, more research is needed to verify the role of genetic versus environmental and biotic effects, and thus be able to explain the discrimination observed in otoliths.

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Multilocus phylogenetic analysis helps to untangle the taxonomic puzzle of chubs (genus Squalius: Cypriniformes: Actinopteri) in the Adriatic basin of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society ◽

10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz133 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 189 (3) ◽

pp. 953-974

Author(s):

Ivana Buj ◽

Zoran Marčić ◽

Kristina Čavlović ◽

Marko Ćaleta ◽

Pero Tutman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽

Middle Miocene ◽

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Mediterranean Area ◽

Freshwater Habitats ◽

Recombination Activating Gene ◽

Adriatic Basin ◽

High Diversity

Abstract Fish of the genus Squalius inhabit various freshwater habitats across Europe and Asia, with a particularly high diversity in the Mediterranean area, but the taxonomic status of many populations is still a matter of debate. This study aims to resolve the taxonomic uncertainties of chubs distributed in the Adriatic basin of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on the mitochondrial gene for cytochrome b and two nuclear genes, the recombination activating gene 1 and the rhodopsin gene, reveal high diversity of chubs in the investigated area. Two evolutionary independent groups are revealed: the first comprising the species Squalius illyricus, S. microlepis, S. svallize, S. tenellus and S. zrmanjae, and a second group corresponding with S. squalus. Genetic distinctiveness of species belonging to different groups is high due to their divergence that began in the Middle Miocene. In addition to allopatric speciation as the main force of divergence of Adriatic Squalius species, several instances of natural hybridizations were detected, contributing to the observed diversity. A comparison of phylogenetic scenarios using Bayesian factors corroborated the molecular basis for recognition of six Squalius species in the Adriatic basin, while Squalius janae is confirmed to be a junior synonym of S. squalus.

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Historical Role Of The Council On Religious Affairs In Soviet Religious Policy

10.15405/epsbs.2020.10.05.91 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Irina Maslova

Keyword(s):

Religious Policy ◽

Historical Role

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The Historical Role of Leviticus 25 in Naturalizing Anti-Black Racism

Religions ◽

10.3390/rel12080570 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 570

Author(s):

James W. Watts

Keyword(s):

Seventeenth Century ◽

Early Modern ◽

High Probability ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

American Colonies ◽

History Of ◽

Historical Role ◽

Permanent Property

Leviticus 25:39–46 describes a two-tier model of slavery that distinguishes Israelites from foreign slaves. It requires that Israelites be indentured only temporarily while foreigners can be enslaved as chattel (permanent property). This model resembles the distinction between White indentured slaves and Black chattel slaves in the American colonies. However, the biblical influence on these early modern practices has been obscured by the rarity of citations of Lev. 25:39–46 in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources about slavery. This article reviews the history of slavery from ancient Middle Eastern antiquity through the seventeenth century to show the unique degree to which early modern institutions resembled the biblical model. It then exposes widespread knowledge of Leviticus 25 in early modern political and economic debates. Demonstrating this awareness shows with high probability that colonial cultures presupposed the two-tier model of slavery in Leviticus 25:39–46 to naturalize and justify their different treatment of White indentured slaves and Black chattel slaves.

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Majolica in the Early Colonial Andes: The Role of Panamanian Wares

Latin American Antiquity ◽

10.2307/971756 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 45-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Ross W. Jamieson

Keyword(s):

Spanish Colonial ◽

Important Indicator ◽

The Andes ◽

Early Colonial ◽

The Pacific ◽

Elite Status ◽

Set Up ◽

The City ◽

Made In

As one of the most common artifact categories found on Spanish colonial sites, the wheel-made, tin-glazed pottery known as majolica is an important chronological and social indicator for archaeologists. Initially imported from Europe, several manufacturing centers for majolica were set up in the New World by the late sixteenth century. The study of colonial majolica in the Viceroyalty of Peru, which encompassed much of South America, has received less attention than ceramic production and trade in the colonial Caribbean and Mesoamerica. Prior to 1650 the Viceroyalty of Peru was supplied with majolica largely produced in the city of Panama Vieja, on the Pacific. Panama Vieja majolica has been recovered from throughout the Andes, as far south as Argentina. Majolica made in Panama Vieja provides an important chronological indicator of early colonial archaeological contexts in the region. The reproduction of Iberian-style majolica for use on elite tables was symbolically important to the imposition of Spanish rule, and thus Panamanian majolicas also provide an important indicator of elite status on Andean colonial sites.

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Metabolic Surgery and Cancer Risk: An Opportunity for Mechanistic Research

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13133183 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 3183

Author(s):

Edward R. Sauter ◽

Brandy Heckman-Stoddard

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Dramatic Improvement ◽

Role Of Government ◽

Sustained Weight Loss ◽

Historical Role ◽

Cancer Risk Reduction

Metabolic (bariatric) surgery (MBS) is recommended for individuals with a BMI > 40 kg/m2 or those with a BMI 35–40 kg/m2 who have one or more obesity related comorbidities. MBS leads to greater initial and sustained weight loss than nonsurgical weight loss approaches. MBS provides dramatic improvement in metabolic function, associated with a reduction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk. While the number of MBS procedures performed in the U.S. and worldwide continues to increase, they are still only performed on one percent of the affected population. MBS also appears to reduce the risk of certain obesity related cancers, although which cancers are favorably impacted vary by study, who benefits most is uncertain, and the mechanism(s) driving this risk reduction are mostly speculative. The goal of this manuscript is to highlight 1) emerging evidence that MBS influences cancer risk, and that the potential benefit appears to vary based on cancer, gender, surgical procedure, and likely other variables; 2) the role of the NIH in MBS research in T2DM and CV risk for many years, and more recently in cancer; and 3) the opportunity for research to understand the mechanism(s) by which MBS influences cancer. There is evidence that women benefit more from MBS than men, that MBS may actually increase the risk of colorectal cancer in both women and men, and there is speculation that the benefit in cancer risk reduction may vary according to which MBS procedure an individual undergoes. Herein, we review what is currently known, the historical role of government, especially the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in driving this research, and provide suggestions that we believe could lead to a better understanding of whether and how MBS impacts cancer risk, which cancers are impacted either favorably or unfavorably, the role of the NIH and other research agencies, and key questions to address that will help us to move the science forward.

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