5. Kožlí (S. Bohemia,Czech Republic)

When studying house‐dust biology, one deals with a huge amount of data. In order to work on the data in an orderly and efficient way a computerized database has been developed for storing data found in field experiments. Six levels in this biological database characterize the home, the room and the substrate from which the sample has been taken, the sample taken from the substrate, the analyzed fraction taken from the sample and the arthropodal, fungal, guanine and mite antigen content of the fraction. In total thirteen files are being used for storing the data. As a database management system dBASE II is used. Interfaces with other computer programs are possible such as SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), BMDP (Biomedical Computer Programs), Wordstar, Basic interpreter and SIR (Scientific Information Retrieval). With the aid of this software it is possible to store, revise and retrieve the data easily and to draw conclusions in the field of ecology. An example shows some features of this database.     

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum from Suruí Indian subjects, Brazilian Amazon

This investigation aimed at the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in the sputum of Suruí Indian subjects from Amazonia, Brazil. Polymerase chain reaction analyses were positive for 12 samples, five of which were also culture-positive (N = 147). Four MTB genotypes were identified, one of which showed resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid. The study also highlighted one village complex as of particular importance, considering the relatively high number of tuberculosis cases reported and of MTB isolates obtained.     

A new Eocaiman (Alligatoridae,Crocodylia) from the Itaboraí Basin,Paleogene of Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

A new small species of Eocaiman is described on the basis of three anterior left mandibular rami and one isolated tooth. The specimens came from the middle-upper Paleocene Itaboraí Basin (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil; Itaboraian South American Land Mammal Age). The new taxon differs from the other two Eocaiman species, such as its small size, likely participation of the splenial in the mandibular symphysis, a reduced angle between the longitudinal axis of the symphysis and the mandibular ramus, and enlarged ninth and tenth dentary teeth (in addition to the large first and fourth dentary teeth). The participation of the splenial in the mandibular symphysis is a unique character among caimanines (with the only possible exception being Tsoabichi greenriverensis). The new taxon provides new information on the taxonomic and anatomical diversity of the genus Eocaiman, a taxon of prime importance to understand the evolutionary origins of caimans given its position as the basalmost member of Caimaninae. Furthermore, the new taxon has a relatively small body size in comparison with other species of Eocaiman, a case paralleled by other Itaboraian reptilian groups (e.g. snakes), suggesting that this ecosystem provides critical data to test the relationship between reptilian body size and climate.

http://zoobank.org/83636F22-D121-4A77-9141-BE68987B6CBF     

Suspensory locomotion of Lagothrix lagothricha and Ateles belzebuth in Yasuní National Park,Ecuador

A comparative field study of the locomotion of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) and spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth) in undisturbed rainforest of northeastern Ecuador reveals substantial differences in their use of suspensory modes. Ateles performed both more brachiation (by forelimbs and tail, with trunk rotation), and forelimb swing (similar to brachiation, but without trunk rotation) than Lagothrix. In contrast, in Lagothrix 20% of suspensory movement was by pronograde forelimb swing, which resembles forelimb swing except that the body is held in a pronograde orientation due to the tail and/or feet intermittently grasping behind the trailing forelimb. Ateles never exhibited this mode. Both brachiation and forelimb swing by Ateles were more dynamic than in Lagothrix, consisting of higher proportions of full-stride bouts (versus single-step). Both species used smaller supports for suspensory than for quadrupedal locomotion, and Ateles used both smaller and larger supports for suspension than did Lagothrix. Analysis of support inclination shows that both species tended to perform more above-support movement on horizontal supports and more below-support (suspensory) movement from oblique supports. Our attempt to elucidate the aspects of canopy structure that favor suspension suggests the need for additional kinds of observational data, focusing on the "immediate structural context" of positional events.     

Length-weight relationships of four fish species from the Tucuruí Lake Conservation Units Mosaic,Tocantins River Basin,Amazon, Brazil

Length–weight relationships (LWR) were estimated for four fish species caught in the Tucuruí Lake Conservation Units Mosaic (03°48’15.7”S, 049°033’033,3”W; 04°13’18.2”S, 049°041’038.5”W and 04°17’57.1”S, 049°026’006.3”W). The samples were collected trimonthly between March 2013 and December 2014, using seven different gill nets (20 × 3.0 m; mesh size: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 mm between opposing knots) spending for twelve hours per day.     

Epilithic Diatoms as Indicators of Water Quality in the Gravataí River, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The potential use of epilithic diatoms as indicators of organic pollution was evaluated in Gravataí River, RS, (latitude 29°45′–30°12′ S; longitude 50°27′–51°12′ W). The river suffers agricultural impacts in its upper course and urban and industrial organic pollution in its lower course. Epilithic diatoms were sampled eight times from September 2000 to August 2002, at six sites. Species were identified and densities and relative abundances of populations were determined. Simultaneously, physical, chemical and microbiological variables were measured (water temperature, conductivity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand, ammonium, organic nitrogen, total nitrogen, ortho-phosphate, total phosphate, chloride and faecal coliforms). In order to interpret the environmental and biological variables, discriminant analysis and the TWINSPAN methods (Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis) were applied. The results indicated that the concentrations of ortho-phosphate, ammonium, total organic nitrogen, BOD₅ and faecal coliforms characterized a pollution gradient along the river, where changes in the abundance or species composition were observed. Species were classified into three groups: Group A, including species more tolerant to heavy organic pollution and eutrophication, represented by Luticola goeppertiana, L. mutica, Eolimna subminuscula, Nitzschia palea and Sellaphora pupula; Group B, comprised of tolerant and widely distributed species such as Eunotia bilunaris, Frustulia crassinervia, F. saxonica, Navicula cryptocephala, N. cryptotenella, Nitzschia palea var. tenuirostris, Surirella angusta, Pinnularia microstauron and Ulnaria ulna and Group C, with less pollution tolerant species represented by Eunotia sp. and Gomphonema parvulum.     

Therodamas Krøyer, 1863 (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) from the Piauí River estuary,State of Sergipe,Brazil

The pre-metamorphic female of Therodamas serrani Krøyer, 1863 is described for the first time based on new material collected from the upper reaches of Piauí River estuary, northeastern Brazil. Females are present in the plankton throughout the year, and are common during the rainy season. Five of the six currently accepted species of Therodamas are known only from metamorphic females, making identification of pre-metamorphic stages problematic. Identification of T. serrani was made on the basis of the leg setation and the very similar proportions of the two apical endopodal spines on leg 1.     

Preliminary inventory of mammals from Yurubí National Park, Yaracuy, Venezuela with some comments on their natural history

In Venezuela, mammals represent an important group of wildlife with high anthropogenic pressures that threaten their permanence. Focused on the need to generate baseline information that allows us to contribute to document and conserve the richness of local wildlife, we conducted a mammalogical inventory in Yurubí National Park, located in Yaracuy State in Venezuela. We carried out fieldworks in three selected vegetation types: an evergreen forest at 197m, a semi-deciduous forest ranging between 100-230m, and a cloud forest at 1 446m. We used Victor, Sherman, Havahart and pitfall traps for the capture of small non-volant mammals and mist nets for bats. In addition, we carried out interviews with local residents and direct-indirect observations for medium-large sized mammals. At least 79 species inhabit the area, representing 28% of the species recorded for the North side of the country. Chiroptera (39 spp.), Carnivora (13 spp.) and Rodentia (9 spp.) were the orders with the highest richness, as expected for the Neotropics. The evergreen forest had the greatest species richness (n=68), with a sampling effort of 128 net-hours, 32 bucket-days, 16 hours of observations, and three persons interviewed, followed by cloud forest (n=45) with 324 net-hours, 790 traps-night, 77 bucket-days, 10 hours of observations, and one person interviewed. The lowest richness value was in the semi-deciduous forest (n=41), with 591 traps-night, 15 net-hours, 10 hours of observations and three persons interviewed. Data and observations obtained in this inventory (e.g., endemism, species known as "surrogate species" threatened in Venezuela) give an important role at the Yurubí National Park in the maintenance and conservation of local ecosystems and wildlife, threatened by human pressures in the Cordillera de la Costa.     

Global Conservation Significance of Ecuador's Yasuní National Park

Background

The threats facing Ecuador''s Yasuní National Park are emblematic of those confronting the greater western Amazon, one of the world''s last high-biodiversity wilderness areas. Notably, the country''s second largest untapped oil reserves—called “ITT”—lie beneath an intact, remote section of the park. The conservation significance of Yasuní may weigh heavily in upcoming state-level and international decisions, including whether to develop the oil or invest in alternatives.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We conducted the first comprehensive synthesis of biodiversity data for Yasuní. Mapping amphibian, bird, mammal, and plant distributions, we found eastern Ecuador and northern Peru to be the only regions in South America where species richness centers for all four taxonomic groups overlap. This quadruple richness center has only one viable strict protected area (IUCN levels I–IV): Yasuní. The park covers just 14% of the quadruple richness center''s area, whereas active or proposed oil concessions cover 79%. Using field inventory data, we compared Yasuní''s local (alpha) and landscape (gamma) diversity to other sites, in the western Amazon and globally. These analyses further suggest that Yasuní is among the most biodiverse places on Earth, with apparent world richness records for amphibians, reptiles, bats, and trees. Yasuní also protects a considerable number of threatened species and regional endemics.

Conclusions/Significance

Yasuní has outstanding global conservation significance due to its extraordinary biodiversity and potential to sustain this biodiversity in the long term because of its 1) large size and wilderness character, 2) intact large-vertebrate assemblage, 3) IUCN level-II protection status in a region lacking other strict protected areas, and 4) likelihood of maintaining wet, rainforest conditions while anticipated climate change-induced drought intensifies in the eastern Amazon. However, further oil development in Yasuní jeopardizes its conservation values. These findings form the scientific basis for policy recommendations, including stopping any new oil activities and road construction in Yasuní and creating areas off-limits to large-scale development in adjacent northern Peru.     

Allozyme comparison of two populations of Rineloricaria (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the Ivaí River, upper Paraná River basin, Brazil

Two allopatric morphotypes of the genus Rinelocaria were compared through the allozyme electrophoresis technique: one morphotype, R. pentamaculata, from the Keller River in the middle stretch of the Ivaí River basin and the other, R. aff. pentamaculata, from the São João River in the upper portion of the Ivaí River basin. The morphotype from the São João River was collected upstream from the São João waterfall, which is about 80 m deep. Twelve enzymatic systems (AAT, ADH, EST, GCDH, G3PDH, GPI, IDH, LDH, MDH, ME, PGM and SOD) were analyzed, which allowed to score 22 loci. Only lociAat-2, Est-3 and Mdh-C showed polymorphism. The two samples differed in allele frequencies at the three polymorphic loci. The average expected heterozygosity for all loci was 0.0806 ± 0.0447 in the Keller River sample. For the São João River morphotype, this value was 0.0489 ± 0.0350. Nei'' s genetic identity and distance between the two populations were respectively 0.9789 and 0.0213. Wright''s F_IS , F_IT and F_ST over all loci were estimated as 0.3121, 0.4021 and 0.1309, respectively. We consider that the two morphotypes represent species in statunascendi.     

Ungulate carcass transport strategies at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Abric Romaní (Capellades,Spain)

We evaluated the skeletal profiles from several levels of the Neanderthal site of Abric Romaní, focusing on the methodology proposed by Faith and Gordon (2007): differences in the skeletal distribution of animals in accordance with their size and weight; the statistical correlation between the skeletal profiles and standard food utility index; and the anatomical diversity of size-weight categories. Results indicate an unconstrained transport strategy in all levels and all size-weight categories. However, we also found differences in the skeletal distribution of medium-sized and large animals, which may be due to different transport strategies. These characteristics suggest that the superposition of transport and occupation events could be responsible for our results. In addition, we applied the same analysis to Hadza assemblages, which revealed similar results to those found at Abric Romaní. The most striking feature of the Hadza assemblages examined is the superposition of transport events as a result of successive occupation/deposition events. This suggests that the transport strategies used by Neanderthals at Abric Romaní are also characterized by a high degree of diversity in transport decisions.     

Spatial heterogeneity of the Tucuruí Reservoir (State of Pará, Amazonia, Brazil) and the distribution of zooplanktonic species

With the purpose of analyzing the horizontal distribution of the zooplankton community of the Tucuruí Reservoir in the State of Pará, Brazil, collections were made at 16 stations during August 1988. The stations cover the regions called Caraipé (C), Ara?agi (B) and Arar?o (A), and represent the different compartments of this ecosystem in regard to the morphometry and the presence or absence of "flooded forest". Our findings showed the existence of three compartments with different limnological characteristics determined as a function of the system's morphometry, a factor that may have influenced the horizontal circulation of the reservoir's water and, consequently, led to physical, chemical and biological differences at each of the sampled stations. All the stations presented physical and chemical stratification and layers of total anoxia or reduced concentrations of oxygen dissolved at depths corresponding to the limit of the euphotic zone. With regard to the zooplankton, a differentiated distribution that was mainly quantitative was found among the compartments (density of organisms and proportion among the species) in the case of Cladocera and Copepoda, and basically qualitative in the case of Rotifera. On the other hand, the greatest densities of organisms for all the groups were recorded at the Caraipé stations. As for the spatial distribution, some species were more restricted or more abundant at given stations. Among the Cladocera, there was a greater abundance of Moina minuta, Bosmina hagmani and Bosminopsis deitersi at the Ara?agi stations, while C. cornuta intermedia, C. cornuta rigaudi and C. cornuta cornuta were more plentiful in the Caraipé and Diaphanosoma birgei in the Arar?o. Among the Rotifera, Trochosphaera aequatoriales and Lecane proiecta, Ascomorpha ecaudis, besides Polyartha cf vulgaris were restricted, respectively, to the Caraipé, Ara?agi and Arar?o stations, while the others, such as Keratella americana and Collotheca sp., were more broadly distributed. As regards Copepoda Calanoida, the dominating species was found to be Notodiaptomus maracaibenses, followed by Notodiaptomus henseni and Argyrodiaptomus azevedoi. The most abundant Cyclopoda species was Thermocyclops minutus, although Thermocyclops decipiens, Mesocyclops longisetus, Mesocyclops meridianus e Metacyclops sp. were also found.