Evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic diagnostic test for the detection of rabies from brain material of European mammals

The surveillance of rabies relies on investigations conducted on dead suspected animals or animals showing clinical signs suggestive of rabies. An immunochromatographic method based on lateral flow principle has been evaluated against a collection of brain samples mainly of European mammals including bats. The performance of this new test has been compared to the conventional gold standard methods: the fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT) and the Rapid Tissue Culture Infection Test (RTCIT). This test enabled the detection of various rabies strains belonging to rabies species 1, 5, 6 and 7 and demonstrated an overall specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of more than 88% when compared to FAT and RTCIT. A total agreement between the Rapid Immunochromatographic Diagnostic Test and conventional technique results have been obtained for European bat samples.     

Using ecological niche modelling to evaluate niche stability in deep time

Aim To investigate relative niche stability in species responses to various types of environmental pressure (biotic and abiotic) on geological time‐scales using the fossil record. Location The case study focuses on Late Ordovician articulate brachiopods of the Cincinnati Arch in eastern North America. Methods Species niches were modelled for a suite of fossil brachiopod species based on five environmental variables inferred from sedimentary parameters using GARP and Maxent . Niche stability was assessed by comparison of (1) the degree of overlap of species distribution models developed for a time‐slice and those generated by projecting niche models of the previous time‐slice onto environmental layers of a second time‐slice using GARP and Maxent , (2) Schoener’s D statistic, and (3) the similarity of the contribution of each environmental parameter within Maxent niche models between adjacent time‐slices. Results Late Ordovician brachiopod species conserved their niches with high fidelity during intervals of gradual environmental change but responded to inter‐basinal species invasions through niche evolution. Both native and invasive species exhibited similar levels of niche evolution in the invasion and post‐invasion intervals. Niche evolution was related mostly to decreased variance within the former ecological niche parameters rather than to shifts to new ecospace. Main conclusions Although the species examined exhibited morphological stasis during the study interval, high levels of niche conservatism were observed only during intervals of gradual environmental change. Rapid environmental change, notably inter‐basinal species invasions, resulted in high levels of niche evolution among the focal taxa. Both native and invasive species responded with similar levels of niche evolution during the invasion interval and subsequent environmental reorganization. The assumption of complete niche conservatism frequently employed in ecological niche modelling (ENM) analyses to forecast or hindcast species geographical distributions is more likely to be accurate for climate change studies than for invasive species analyses over geological time‐scales.     

ModEco: an integrated software package for ecological niche modeling

ModEco is a software package for ecological niche modeling. It integrates a range of niche modeling methods within a geographical information system. ModEco provides a user friendly platform that enables users to explore, analyze, and model species distribution data with relative ease. ModEco has several unique features: 1) it deals with different types of ecological observation data, such as presence and absence data, presence‐only data, and abundance data; 2) it provides a range of models when dealing with presence‐only data, such as presence‐only models, pseudo‐absence models, background vs presence data models, and ensemble models; and 3) it includes relatively comprehensive tools for data visualization, feature selection, and accuracy assessment.     

Pheromone receptors in mammals

In most mammals, pheromone perception mediates intraspecies interactions related to reproduction, such as mate recognition, intermale aggressive behaviors, or exchanges between females and their offspring. Recent molecular findings, particularly the identification of two large pheromone receptor gene superfamilies, provide today invaluable tools to better understand the way mammals make sense of pheromonal information.     

Ecological niche modeling as a predictive tool: silver and bighead carps in North America

The silver carp and bighead carp (Cyprinidae), native to eastern Asia, have been introduced into the United States in attempts to improve water quality in aquaculture ponds, reservoirs, and sewage pools. Escaped or released specimens from fish farms have been reported in many states, and both species are already locally established and spreading further. We used the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP) to model the niches of these two carps in their native ranges using hydrologic and general environmental parameters in concert with native distributional data. The results accurately predicted native occurrence data withheld from the modeling process (P < 0.01). We then projected the niche models onto the North American landscape. Native niche range models significantly predicted known occurrence data from North American introductions (P < 0.001). Further, the models suggest that both species have the potential of spreading throughout the eastern U.S. and selected areas of the West Coast.     

The use of forest inventory data for a National Protected Area Strategy in Guyana

Forest inventories are largely neglected in the debate of national parks selection in Guyana (and probably elsewhere). Because taxonomic data are often scant and biased towards are as of high collecting effort, large scale forest inventory data can be a useful tool adding to a knowledge database for forests. In this paper the use of forest inventories to select national parks in Guyana is assessed. With the data of a large scale inventory five forest regions could be distinguished and two were added on the base of existing other information. Forest composition in Guyana is largely determined by geology at a national level and soil type at regional level. Species diversity is higher in the south of Guyana, possibly due to higher disturbance and is also higher on the better soils. It is concluded that a selection of national parks in Guyana should include a sample of all seven regions, including as much soil variation as possible. Because of land use conflicts in central Guyana, this area is in need of quick attention of Guyana's policy makers.     

利用GARP生态位模型预测桔小实蝇(Bactrocera dorsalis)在中国的适生区域

桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis(Hendel)是一种多食性害虫,明确其可能适生的区域对该虫的科学监测及防治意义重大。利用桔小实蝇在我国的已知分布点数据和亚洲地区的14个环境地理变量图层,运用GARP生态位模型结合GIS空间分析模块预测了该虫在亚洲的地理分布。结果表明桔小实蝇可分布在中国、日本、菲律宾、马来西亚、泰国北部、越南、柬埔寨、老挝、缅甸、尼泊尔、巴基斯坦、孟加拉国和斯里兰卡,这与EPPO报道的分布区域一致。将拟合过程中获得的生态位运算法则投影到我国,并考虑模型间的一致性,预测桔小实蝇在我国各省及市县范围的分布:云南大部、四川南部和东部、贵州大部、重庆大部、广西、广东、台湾、香港、澳门、海南、福建、江西、浙江大部、湖南大部、湖北大部、上海、江苏南部、河南局部及安徽部分地区为桔小实蝇的适生区。次适生区沿适生区周围分布,为四川、贵州、重庆、湖北北部、河南南部和江苏南部的一些零星地区。适生区和次适生区大多有较高密度的寄主果树,为桔小实蝇的生存提供了条件。预测结果经独立验证数据的适合性测验表明,选择的最优模型具有显著的统计学意义,显示了很好的预测能力。GARP生态位模型可以解决生态学、生物地理学和环境保护方面的一系列问题,具有广泛的应用前景,为物种已知基础分布点资料的综合分析以及有害生物的适生性分析、监测和防治提供了技术平台。     

Analyzing niche stability and biogeography of Late Ordovician brachiopod species using ecological niche modeling

Gauging the potential impacts of environmental change on the geographic distributions of species is a central area of modern biogeographic analysis, often involving complex models of species–environment interactions. The geographic distribution of fossil species can also provide a framework to test the impact of environmental change on biogeography and ecological niches of species, yet few paleontological analyses have attacked this question in deep time. Herein we present a quantitative biogeographic analysis to examine the stability of ecological niches and geographic ranges of rhynchonelliform brachiopods during an interval of sea level change preserved in Upper Ordovician strata of the Cincinnati Arch.The intensive sampling, excellent preservation, and numerous prior paleoecological and sedimentological analyses within the tri-state region of Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio provide a robust framework for detailed paleobiogeographic study. Quantitative biogeographic modeling methods incorporating GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are utilized in order to spatially analyze the geographic ranges of brachiopod species of the Corryville and Mt. Auburn Formations of the C3 (uppermost Maysvillian) depositional sequence.This study employs the ecological niche modeling program GARP (Genetic Algorithm using Rule-set Prediction) to predict the geographic distribution of eight brachiopod species during three time slices within the C3 sequence. This method estimates a species’ geographic range by modeling the ecological niche of the species based on a set of known species occurrence data coupled with environmental data inferred from sedimentologic proxies. Once environmental tolerances for a species are modeled; the species is predicted to occur wherever its preferred set of environmental conditions occurs within the study region.Distributional patterns were reconstructed for three time slices during the C3 sequence. Recovered range predictions were quantitatively analyzed for evidence of temporal range changes. Results indicate that average species range within the study area decreased and species tracked their preferred niche with high fidelity during the transition from the early to middle portions of the C3 depositional sequence, an interval of rapid relative sea level change. However, during the transition from the middle to late portions of the sequence, gradual shallowing within the basin and development of discontinuous habitat patches correlates with niche evolution of five of the eight species modeled. The average area a species occupied within the basin increased during this interval, but there is a mixed response including both increases and decreases in range size within the study group. In general, the species that exhibit niche evolution increased their geographic range size while those that continue to track their niche with high fidelity experience a decrease in geographic range size. During the latter half of the C3 sequence, previously continuous habitats become fragmented, thereby isolating individual populations and providing a mechanism for niche evolution. The rate of sea level change and the corresponding fragmentation of previously continuous habitats into isolated patches appear to be the primary controls on both mean geographic range size and relative degree of niche evolution.     

Predicting the geography of species' invasions via ecological niche modeling

Species' invasions have long been regarded as enormously complex processes, so complex as to defy predictivity. Phases of this process, however, are emerging as highly predictable: the potential geographic course of an invasion can be anticipated with high precision based on the ecological niche characteristics of a species in its native geographic distributional area. This predictivity depends on the premise that ecological niches constitute long-term stable constraints on the potential geographic distributions of species, for which a sizeable body of evidence is accumulating. Hence, although the entire invasion process is indeed complex, the geographic course that invasions are able to take can be anticipated with considerable confidence.     

Primate Community Structure in Guyana: A Biogeographic Analysis

Studies of primate community structure increase our understanding of behavior, adaptation, and evolution. However, there are few biogeographic data on specific composition and association patterns in primate communities. I conducted a biogeographic analysis of the community structure of primate species at 16 sites in Guyana. I used data from 1725 km of line-transect censuses to determine specific composition and association patterns of 220 primate groups . Of the 18 polyspecific groups, 94.1% (N = 16) included squirrel monkeys. There was an overall trend towards positive specific associations among Guyanese primates. The only species that exhibited a negative pattern of interspecific associations were brown and wedge-capped capuchins. The sighting rate for wedge-capped capuchins at sympatric sites was particularly depressed compared to that for brown capuchins. Low plant productivity in Guyanese forests may reduce the diversity of feeding niches and result in a low incidence of polyspecific associations and scramble competition between wedge-capped and brown capuchins.     

A new species of Oryctina (Loranthaceae) from Guyana

A new species ofOryctina (Loranthaceae) from Guyana,O. atrolineata Kuijt is described and illustrated. It possesses one-flowered inflorescences, the flowers being hexamerous and each subtended by a bract and two minute bracteoles. A peculiarity of the style is a distinctive fusiform, subterminal swelling.Oryctina atrolineata is closely related, and similar to,O. myrsinites (Eichler) Kuijt.     

Floristic composition and diversity of three swamp forests in northwest Guyana

This paper reviews the floristic composition, vegetation structure, and diversity of three types of swamp forest that cover a considerable part of Guyana's North-West District. Trees, shrubs, lianas, herbs, and hemi-epiphytes were inventoried in three hectare plots: one in Mora forest, one in quackal swamp, and one in manicole swamp. The Mora forest, flooded annually by white water, was dominated by relatively few, large individuals of Mora excelsa. The very dense, thin-stemmed quackal forest, almost permanently flooded by black water, was characterized by Tabebuia insignis and Symphonia globulifera and contained few palms. The somewhat less dense manicole swamp, flooded regularly by brackish water, was distinguished by large numbers of Euterpe oleracea. Although the three swamps showed little overlap in floristic composition and densities of dominant species, they represent some of the lowest diversity forest in the Neotropics, with an -diversity of 7.4 for the Mora forest, 8.2 for the quackal forest and 5.7 for the manicole swamp. When compared with similar vegetation types in the Guiana Shield, the swamp forests in this study show some interesting differences in species composition and density. The wetlands of the North-West District form the last stretch of natural coastline in Guyana and play an important role in the protection of riverine ecosystems. Furthermore, there is commercial potential for the extraction of non-timber forest products from these low-diversity forests. Nevertheless, in prolonged dry periods, large tracts of quackal forest are being burnt to give way to almost treeless, flooded savannas. For these reasons, adequate management and conservation strategies must be developed for the area.     

Oligochaetes (Naididae,Tubificidae, Enchytraeidae and Alluroididae) of Guyana,Peru and Ecuador

More than 41 species in 23 genera of the microdrile oligochaete families Tubificidae, Naididae, Opistocystidae, and Enchytraeidae and the freshwater megadrile family Alluroididae have been identified in recent collections made in Peru, Guyana and Ecuador. Just less than 70% of our species records are new for one or more of these countries and one is a new, albeit tentative, generic record for the South American continent. About 16 species new to science remain to be described. One of these is only the second reported species of Brinkhurstia (Alluroididae) and possesses unusual, single, very elongate penial setae. All of our species records are pertinent to tests of different hypotheses about historical and phylogenetic relationships among organisms of northern and southern South America and North America. The species, including new ones, with limited distributions are of particular significance to such hypotheses.     

Oligochaetes (Naididae, Tubificidae, Opistocystidae, Enchytraeidae, Sparganophilidae and Alluroididae) of Guyana

About 50 species in more than 20 genera of the microdrile oligochaete families Tubificidae, Naididae, Opistocystidae, and Enchytraeidae and the freshwater megadrile families Sparganophilidae and Alluroididae were identified in recent collections made in Guyana. Only seven species in these families were previously recorded from Guyana. The aquatic oligochaete fauna has similar components to those of the southeastern United States, other locations in South America, and across lower latitudes in the northern hemisphere. A high diversity of species is found in the naidids especially in the genera Pristina and Pristinella, especially considering the small number of locations that have been sampled. The collections include approximately 12 new species of rhyacodrilines (Tubificidae), Dero, Pristina, Pristinella (Naididae), Brinkhurstia (Alluroididae), Hemienchytraeus and Aspidodrilus (Enchytraeidae). This is the first record of Aspidodrilus from outside of Africa and the first new record since 1952.     

Studies on the distribution of PHI in mammals

We have developed a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay to PHI and investigated its distribution in four mammalian species (man, cat, guinea-pig and rat). PHI was present in high concentrations, not only in intestine but also in brain, respiratory tract, urogenital tract and other peripheral tissues. Its distribution was similar to that of VIP and in each tissue examined there was always a significant correlation between the concentrations of these two peptides. In a survey of endocrine tumours, PHI was found to be produced only in those tumours that also produced VIP. In addition PHI was only elevated in the plasma of patients that also had high plasma VIP concentrations. This parallel distribution and release was found to be due to the co-synthesis of VIP and PHI in the same pro-hormone peptide. However, the variable ratio of VIP/PHI in different anatomical areas suggest that in these areas there is a different post-translational enzyme processing of the precursor protein.     

Testing the use of specimen collection data and GIS in biodiversity exploration and conservation decision making in Guyana

This paper presents the results of a study conducted at the request of the Government of Guyana by the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity at the University of Guyana, and the Smithsonian Institution. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the utility of using systematic collections in identifying areas with a high priority for conservation. A biodiversity database and a gazetteer were assembled and interpreted primarily through the use of maps generated in ARC/INFO and ArcView. The data were examined to determine coverage and completeness, and while in general the results support a continued use of the methodology for making informed decisions in conservation related issues, several recommendations are offered in order to enhance the data. The primary use of the results of this study is in the identification of areas of interest for conservation and in the location of eleven areas covering most ecoregions in Guyana that are in need of additional study. The eleven areas have been chosen to avoid areas that are already allocated to logging and mining concessions or Amerindian lands. While it is true that this study would benefit from additional data and further analysis of those data, it is also true that decisions concerning areas for conservation in Guyana are being made in the near future, and if any data are to be used in this process, it will be those data presented in this paper.     

Evolution of the interleukin-1 gene family in mammals

The phylogeny of interleukin-1 family genes shows that human interleukin-1 (IL-1) is more closely related to IL-1 of the bovine than to IL-1 of the mouse, whereas human interleukin-1 (IL-1) is more closely related to IL-1 of the mouse than to IL-1 of the bovine. The IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1) shows homology to the C-terminal region of both IL-1 and IL-1. In the C-terminal region, the IL-1 genes of human and mouse have diverged more from each other at nonsynonymous sites than have either IL-1 or IL-1; because the same pattern is not seen at synonymous sites, it must be due not to a difference in mutation rate but rather to a greater degree of functional constraint on this region in the IL-1 and IL-1 proteins than in the IL-1 protein. But synonymous sites in IL-1 of mouse have evolved more rapidly than in IL-1 of human, indicating a higher rate of mutation in the former gene. In the N-terminal region of the protein, nonsynonymous sites have evolved at similar rates in IL-1 and IL-1. The first exon of the IL-1 gene, which encodes the leader peptide, shows evidence of homology with the first exon of IL-1, which is not translated. Thus, it seems likely that IL-1 evolved by duplication of an IL-1 gene and loss of expression of exons 2–4. Correspondence to: A.L. Hughes     

Evolution of protamine P1 genes in mammals

Prolamine P1 genes have been sequenced following PCR amplification from 11 mammals representing five major mammalian orders: Rodentia (rat and guinea pig), Carnivora (cat and bear), Proboscidea (elephant), Perissodactyla (horse), and Artiodactyla (camel, deer, elk, moose, and gazelle). The predicted amino acid sequence for these genes together with previously reported sequences results in a data set of 25 different P1 genes and 30 different P1 amino acid sequences. The alignment of all these sequences reveals that prolamines are amongst the most rapidly diverging proteins studied. In spite of the large number of differences there are conserved motifs that are also common to birds such as the N-terminal ARYR followed by the triple alternating SRSRSR phosphorylation site. The central region contains 3 arginine clusters consisting of 5–6 arginines each. The C-terminus appears to be the most variable region of the protamines. Overall the molecular evolution of P1 genes is in agreement with the expected species evolution supporting that these genes have evolved vertically.Correspondence to: R. Oliva     

Birds as indicators of wetland status and change in the North Rupununi,Guyana

In financially and human capacity poor countries, there is an important need to monitor the status of resource rich ecosystems in the face of growing extractive activities in simple and inexpensive ways. In this study we explore the potential of using birds as indicators of ecosystem change in the wetland systems of the North Rupununi, Guyana, where local communities rely heavily on wetland resources for their subsistence activities. This is done by (1) assessing what environmental factors determine bird communities at different spatial and temporal scales; and (2) identifying indicator groups and/or species for ecosystem status. We surveyed 31 wetland sites over 2 years, taking monthly recordings of both the environmental features of waterbodies using a modified version of the River Habitat Survey and bird species counts. Using multivariate analyses, we found that large-scale habitat type, namely forest and savanna, and waterbody type, namely pond or main river channel, were the main factors affecting bird species distribution. At the smaller scale, habitat features around the waterbody and seasonality become important factors. We were able to identify lists of bird species associated with different waterbody types, and we present this as a checklist for future monitoring. We hope these findings can be integrated into the adaptive management and sustainable livelihood goals of the local stakeholders through linking monitoring with tourism and local school curriculum activities.     

Species diversity of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Iwokrama Forest, Guyana, and the Guianan subregion: implications for conservation

Fourteen species of bats are reported for the first time from Guyana (Saccopteryx gymnura, Micronycteris brachyotis, M. homezi, Lichonycteris obscura, Anoura latidens, Vampyressa pusilla, Vampyrodes caraccioli, Eptesicus chiriquinus, Cynomops paranus, Molossops neglectus, Molossus sp., Molossus coibensis, Molossus sinaloae, and Promops centralis) bringing the known bat diversity for the country to 121 species. Information including measurements, reproductive data, distribution, and taxonomy are provided for these species. Seven of these new records were collected in the Iwokrama International Rain Forest Programme site in central Guyana. Eighty-six bat species are now documented from Iwokrama Forest which is the highest species diversity for bats reported from any protected area in the world. There are, however, few tropical sites that have relatively complete inventories. A summary for bat species diversity in southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana indicates that at least 146 species of bats are known from the Guianan subregion. Intense inventory surveys, especially in the often neglected subcanopy, suggest that species richness is probably underestimated in most Neotropical areas. Likewise, species-level diversity in the Guianan subregion is higher than previously suggested. Surveying and monitoring biodiversity are critical to developing a National Protected Areas System in Guyana.