Intergroup loud calls,range size,and spacing in Callicebus torquatus

Observations are reported on the response of a free-ranging group of Callicebus torquatus to recordings of loud intergroup calls. When the recording consisted of the call of a solo adult male, the group fled from the recording. When the recording consisted of the adult male and female duetting together, the group remained in place and called back to the recording. These results contrast with previously described vocal and spatial responses of C. moloch and suggest that range size influences the mechanisms that regulate between-group spacing. The consequence of intergroup loud calls in C. moloch is to define and reinforce the location of boundaries, whereas in C. torquatus, homologous calls maintain spacing between groups.     

Sequences from the 5′ flanking region of the ϵ‐globin gene support the relationship of Callicebus with the pitheciins

The purpose of this study was to determine nucleotide sequences from the 5′ flanking region of the ϵ‐globin gene of selected platyrrhine primates and to analyze the data for phylogenetic information and estimated times of divergence. We report new sequence data for two species of New World monkeys, Callicebus torquatus and Pithecia irrorata. We analyzed these data in conjunction with homologous sequences from other primate species. The data support the hypothesis that the titi monkeys (Callicebus) and seed predators (Tribe Pitheciini) form a clade (Subfamily Pitheciinae), and also provide limited support for that subfamily being allied with the atelines. We also present estimated dates of divergence for the Callicebus and pitheciin lineages. Am. J. Primatol. 48:69–75, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Trypanoxyuris croizati n.sp. andT. callicebi Hugot & Vaucher, 1985 (Nematoda: Oxyuridae), two vicariant forms parasitic inCallicebus spp. (Primatia,Cebidae)

Trypanoxyuris croizati n. sp., a parasite ofCallicebus torquatus from Venezuela, is described. The following characters differentiate the new species from the nearest species,Trypanoxyuris callicebi Hugot & Vaucher, 1985 fromCallicebus moloch in Paraguay: inT. callicebi, (i) the hexagonal feature of the cephalic outline is less marked; (ii) crests forming the lateral alae are more developed; (iii) the body is less than half as wide; (iv) the oesophagus is much shorter and the oesophageal bulb less voluminous; (v) the excretory pore and the vulva are closer to the anterior extremity; (vi) the tail is much longer; and (vii) the eggs are more voluminous and their major axis is more elongate.T. callicebi andT. croizati n. sp. are considered to be vicariant forms, stemming from the same species when two populations and their respective hosts were isolated by a geographical barrier, the Amazon. The distribution of these two parasites, which closely matches the zoogeography of hosts, reinforces the hypothesis of Cameron (1929) who postulated a strict co-evolution of primates and their oxyurid parasites.

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Résumé Trypanoxyuris croizati n. sp., parasite d'unCallicebus torquatus du Venezuela, est décrite. La nouvelle espèce diffère de l'espèce la plus proche,T. callicebi Hugot & Vaucher, 1985, décrite chez unCallicebus moloch du Paraguay, pour les caractères suivants: chezT. callicebi, (i) la forme hexagonale du contours céphalique est moins marquée; (ii) les crêtes constituant les ailes latérales sont plus développées; (iii) la largeur du corps est inférieure presque de moitié, (iv) l'oesophage est relativement beaucoup plus court et le bulbe oesophagien moins volumineux; (v) le pore excréteur et la vulve sont plus rapprochés de l'apex; (vi) la queue est beaucoup plus longue; (vii) les oeufs sont plus volumineux et leur grand axe est plus allongé.T. callicebi etT. croizati n. sp. sont interprétées comme des formes vicariantes, issues d'une même espèce parasites dont deux populations, et leurs hôtes respectifs, se sont trouvés isolés par un obstacle géographique, le cours de l'Amazone. La répartition de ces parasites, qui souligne de façon étroite la zoogéographie de hôtes, renforce l'hypothèse de Cameron (1929), qui supposait l'existence d'un phénomène d'étroite co-évolution entre les Primates et leurs oxyures.

     

A preliminary field investigation of the yellow handed titi monkey,Callicebus torquatus torquatus,in Northern Peru

A three month field study was conducted onCallicebus torquatus near the Nanay River in northern Peru. Data were collected primarily by the time sampling method. Information on daily movement, vocalizations, population density, and social behavior is presented. The titi monkeys we studied have a family unit pattern of social organization, territoriality accompanied by vocal activity, and a home range of about 20 hectares. There is a high degree of parental investment in care of the infant on the part of the adult male. A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the 73rd Annual meeting, American Anthropological Association, Mexico City, November, 1974.     

Activity pattern of the masked titi monkey,Callicebus personatus

A group of six masked titi monkeys was studied at the Sooretama Biological Reserve, Espírito Santo, Brazil. The family group consisted of adult male and female, three juvenile-subadult offspring, and an infant carried by the father. Two patterns of activity were identified: one in which two major feeding peaks were separated by a single long rest period and a relatively long travel distance between the two major feeding sites; and a second in which three major feeding peaks were separated by rest periods and travel was more evenly dispersed throughout the day.Callicebus personatus was similar toC. moloch in the folivorous supplementation of its frugivorous diet, and in having marked daily peaks in feeding and resting activities.C. personatus was similar toC. torquatus in the location of sleeping position on a large open bough, and the habit of calling from well within the territorial boundary. All three species are known to live in monogamous family units with parental care by the adult male, defend territories with loud intergroup vocalizations, and feed primarily upon a small number of widely dispersed fruits.     

A Plains‐wanderer (Pedionomidae) that did not wander plains: a new species from the Oligocene of South Australia

The remarkable fauna of Australia evolved in isolation from other landmasses for millions of years, yet understanding the evolutionary history of endemic avian lineages on the continent is confounded by the ability of birds to disperse over geographical barriers even after vicariance events. The Plains‐wanderer Pedionomus torquatus (Charadriiformes) is an enigmatic, predominantly sedentary, quail‐like bird that occurs exclusively in sparse native grasslands of southeastern Australia. It is the only known species of its family (Pedionomidae), and its closest relatives are the South American seedsnipes (Thinocoridae). Here we describe a further representative of this lineage, Oligonomus milleri gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Oligocene of South Australia (26–24 Ma), which pre‐dates the earliest record of P. torquatus by c. 22 Ma and attests to the presence of this lineage during Australia's period of isolation (50–15 Ma). Based on the morphology of the coracoid and the palynological record, we propose that O. milleri and P. torquatus were ecologically disparate taxa and that, similar to coeval marsupials, O. milleri inhabited well‐wooded habitats, suggesting that the preference for grassland in the extant P. torquatus and thinocorids is likely to be convergent and not ancestral. The speciation event leading to the evolution of the extant Plains‐wanderer was probably triggered by the spread of grasslands across Australia in the Late Miocene–Pliocene, which this record pre‐dates. The presence of a pedionomid in the Late Oligocene of Australia strengthens the hypothesis of a Gondwanan divergence of the lineages giving rise to Thinocoridae and Pedionomidae.     

Preliminary Report on the Distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Callicebus oenanthe</Emphasis> on the Eastern Feet of the Andes

In 2007 we conducted a field study of almost 6 mo to determine the distribution of Callicebus oenanthe, formerly known as the Andean titi monkey. There previously has been no extensive study on the distribution and status by other fieldworkers. We visited a total of 96 localities within or around the presumed distribution of this rare primate species to determine the distribution of Callicebus oenanthe. We collected additional information on group size and threats to the species. Our expeditions revealed that the species is not endemic to the Alto Mayo Valley, as earlier authors suggested, but that its distribution extends into the Bajo Mayo and Huallaga Central. The study area is heavily deforested, and to date only one area was found where a viable population might live, although further research is needed to confirm this. The species lives in the southern part of its distribution in sympatry with another, undescribed species of Callicebus. We will continue the study to determine more precisely the distribution and conservation status of the Callicebus oenanthe, to determine if conservation measures are necessary for this species. This is the first activity of a long-term project for the conservation of Callicebus oenanthe initiated by La Vallée des Singes Primate park.     

Territorial shift in the yellow-handed titi monkey (Callicebus torquatus)

In this study, the ranging pattern of a single group of monogamous and territorial Callicebus torquatus was recorded over a 7-year period from 1974 to 1980. Data on ranging pattern were recorded by direct observation; daily movement patterns were plotted on an accurate, scaled map of the territory. Data were obtained during 1–3-month studies each year from 1974 to 1978 and in 1980, as well as during a 12-month study in 1979-1980. These studies show that the exclusive territory maintained by the group was not spatially stable over the 7-year period. The group gradually moved its territory to the northeast, to the extent that the territory used in 1980 was completely noncoincident with the territory used in 1974 by the same group. Analysis of the ranging pattern from the 12-month study indicates that the group did not exhibit seasonal preferences for different parts of its range. Seasonal ranging patterns, therefore, are not likely to account for the observed territorial shift. It is suggested that territorial shifting may be related to the need for monogamous groups to find new territories for their offspring.     

Chromosome plasticity in Ctenomys (Rodentia Octodontidae): chromosome 1 evolution and heterochromatin variation

A chromosome 1 (Cr1) pericentric inversion is described in six of seven species in the genus Ctenomys (tuco-tucos) from Uruguay. The inversion was inferred from G-band analyses of subtelocentric Cr1 hypothesised to be derived from the ancestral metacentric condition. Cr1 varies across species in heterochromatin amount and localisation including a metacentric chromosome without positive C-bands in C. torquatus, a subtelocentric chromosome with heterochromatic short arms in C. rionegrensis, and a subtelocentric chromosome negative after C-banding in five of the species analysed here. Pachytene chromosomes from C. rionegrensis, a species with the highest heterochromatin content, and C. torquatus, one of the species with the lowest heterochromatin content, were analysed in order to assess possible mechanisms of heterochromatin evolution. This analysis revealed the presence of three heterochromatic chromocenters in C. rionegrensis where bivalents converge, while in C. torquatus only one chromocenter was observed. In both species, highly repetitive DNA was observed, localised in chromocenters after “in situ” hybridisation. Heterochromatin associated protein M31 was localised in chromocenters of both species after immuno-detection. The spread of heterochromatin in Ctenomys chromosomes could be produced by chromatin exchanges at the chromocenter level. We propose the exchange of this DNA associated proteins between non-homologous chromosomes in pachytene to be the responsible for the spread of heterochromatin through the karyotypes of species like C. rionegrensis     

Asexual and Sexual Stages of a Malaria Parasite in the Thrombocytes of Tropidurus torquatus (Iguanidae) Infected with Plasmodium tropiduri*

SYNOPSIS. Sexual and asexual stages of a parasite found in the thrombocyte-like cells of some Tropidurus torquatus infected with Plasmodium tropiduri are described. The strong ultrastructural similarities between the gametocytes of this parasite and the gametocytes of P. tropiduri, and the finding of this parasite in lizards inoculated with P. tropiduri suggest that this malaria parasite can develop both in erythrocytes and thrombocytes. Evidence in favor of this hypothesis is discussed.     

Evidence for ecological divergence across a mosaic of soil types in an Amazonian tropical tree: Protium subserratum (Burseraceae)

Soil heterogeneity is an important driver of divergent natural selection in plants. Neotropical forests have the highest tree diversity on earth, and frequently, soil specialist congeners are distributed parapatrically. While the role of edaphic heterogeneity in the origin and maintenance of tropical tree diversity is unknown, it has been posited that natural selection across the patchwork of soils in the Amazon rainforest is important in driving and maintaining tree diversity. We examined genetic and morphological differentiation among populations of the tropical tree Protium subserratum growing parapatrically on the mosaic of white‐sand, brown‐sand and clay soils found throughout western Amazonia. Nuclear microsatellites and leaf morphology were used to (i) quantify the extent of phenotypic and genetic divergence across habitat types, (ii) assess the importance of natural selection vs. drift in population divergence, (iii) determine the extent of hybridization and introgression across habitat types, (iv) estimate migration rates among populations. We found significant morphological variation correlated with soil type. Higher levels of genetic differentiation and lower migration rates were observed between adjacent populations found on different soil types than between geographically distant populations on the same soil type. P_ST‐F_ST comparisons indicate a role for natural selection in population divergence among soil types. A small number of hybrids were detected suggesting that gene flow among soil specialist populations may occur at low frequencies. Our results suggest that edaphic specialization has occurred multiple times in P. subserratum and that divergent natural selection across edaphic boundaries may be a general mechanism promoting and maintaining Amazonian tree diversity.     

Amazonian lowland, white sand areas as ancestral regions for South American biodiversity: Biogeographic and phylogenetic patterns in Potalia (Angiospermae: Gentianaceae)

Present-day white sand areas in South America are thought to be relictual areas of earlier, widespread habitats now covered by more recent sediments mainly from the Andean orogeny. These ancient, nutrient-poor areas have been suggested to be possible ancestral regions for neotropical plant diversity. Members of the genus Potalia of the Gentianaceae grow in the New World tropics from Costa Rica in the north to southern Bolivia. Until recently, only one Potalia species was accepted, but a new revision identifies eight others. Three species are endemic to lowland, white sand areas in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and share morphological characteristics with Anthocleista, the African – Malagasy sister group to Potalia. To resolve phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns in Potalia, morphological characters and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the 5S non-transcribed spacer (5S-NTS) of the ribosomal nuclear DNA were collected and used for phylogenetic reconstruction using Bayesian and parsimony-based methods. Potalia species restricted to ancient, nutrient-poor white sand areas of the Amazon Basin and Guayana Shield were placed basal to other Potalia taxa from finer, lateritic, and younger soils, further suggesting that lowland white sand areas may be ancestral seats of neotropical diversity.     

Color Vision Variation and Foraging Behavior in Wild Neotropical Titi Monkeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Callicebus brunneus</Emphasis>): Possible Mediating Roles for Spatial Memory and Reproductive Status

The selective advantages to primates of trichromatic color vision, allowing discrimination among the colors green, yellow, orange, and red, remain poorly understood. We test the hypothesis that, for primates, an advantage of trichromacy over dichromacy, in which such colors are apt to be confused, lies in the detection of yellow, orange, or red (YOR) food patches at a distance, while controlling for the potentially confounding influences of reproductive status and memory of food patch locations. We employ socially monogamous titi monkeys (Callicebus brunneus) which, like most platyrrhine primates, have polymorphic color vision resulting in populations containing both dichromatic and trichromatic individuals. Wild Callicebus brunneus spent most foraging time in YOR food patches, the locations of most of which were likely to have been memorable for the subjects. Overall, both dichromatic and trichromatic females had significantly higher encounter rates than their dichromatic male pair mates for low-yield ephemeral YOR food patches whose locations were less likely to have been remembered. We detected no difference in the encounter rates of dichromatic and trichromatic females for such patches. However, the data suggest that such a difference may be detectable with a larger sample of groups of Callicebus brunneus, a larger sample of foraging observations per group, or both. We propose that a trichromatic advantage for foraging primates may be realized only when individuals’ energy requirements warrant searching for nonmemorable YOR food patches, a context for selection considerably more limited than is often assumed in explanations of the evolution of primate color vision.     

Thermoregulatory behaviour in Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) from Brazilian coastal populations: an estimate of passive and active thermoregulation in lizards

Geographical variation in the degree of thermoregulatory behaviour of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus was studied in 10 restinga populations along approximately 1500 km of Brazilian coast. An index of thermoregulation was estimated using the difference between body and environmental (air and substrate) temperatures and the percentage of negative values for these differences (proportion of body temperatures lower than environmental temperatures). In most populations, the lizards primarily used active thermoregulation, through behavioural means, and mainly in relation to substrate temperatures. Along the restingas, the degree of active thermoregulation increased as a function of the increase in the local environmental temperatures along the restingas. Behavioural thermoregulation of T. torquatus helps the lizards to maintain their body temperatures within an optimal range in which to perform their normal daily activities.     

Comparative Phylogeography of the Atlantic Forest Endemic Sloth (Bradypus torquatus) and the Widespread Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) (Bradypodidae, Xenarthra)

The comparative phylogeographic study of the maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) and the three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) was performed using a segment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. We examined 19 B. torquatus from two regions and 47 B. variegatus from three distant regions of Atlantic forest. This first characterization of molecular diversity indicates a great diversity (B. torquatus: h = 0.901 ± 0.039 and π = 0.012 ± 0.007; B. variegatus: h = 0.699 ± 0.039 and π = 0.010 ± 0.006) and very divergent mitochondrial lineages within each sloth species. The different sampled regions carry distinct and non-overlapping sets of mtDNA haplotypes and are genetically divergent. This phylogeographic pattern may be characteristic of sloth species. In addition, we infer that two main phylogeographic groups exist in the Atlantic forest representing a north and south distinct divergence.     

The B chromosome system in the varying lemming <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dicrostonyx torquatus</Emphasis> Pall., 1779 from natural and laboratory populations

In varying lemmings from seven natural populations (from Bolshezemelskaya tundra to Chukotka Peninsula), the number of B chromosomes ranged from 0 to 15. In populations surveyed for several years, B chromosome frequencies were stable. Two laboratory colonies (founded by Dicrostonyx torquatus torquatus from the Polar Urals and D. t. chionopaes from Yakutia) produced more than 3000 animals, of which 1699 were karyotyped. A small excess of B chromosomes in the progeny over that in their parents was observed in each generation. Coefficients of transmission k ₁ of additional chromosomes were on average 0.519 in D. t. torquatus and 0.511 in D. t. chionopaes. In oocytes I and II, an accumulation of B chromosomes was observed as compared to somatic cells ( k₂ = 0.66). The reproductive output of animals from both laboratory colonies did not depend on size of the B genome. The reduction of body and scull sizes observed in animals carrying numerous B chromosomes may confer negative selective value in the conditions of the Extreme North. In general, the system of B chromosomes in D. Torquatus is well balanced and very stable, being apparently under strong genetic control.Translated from Genetika, Vol. 40, No. 12, 2004, pp. 1686–1694.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Gileva.     

Karyotypic and molecular polymorphisms in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ctenomys</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">torquatus</Emphasis> (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae): taxonomic considerations

The rodent genus Ctenomys (tuco-tucos) comprises more than 60 described species, and shows extraordinary inter- and intraspecific karyotypic variation. The most widely distributed species of Ctenomys in Brazil is C. torquatus. Although several cytogenetic studies have been done, the karyotypic variability of this species is still poorly known. In this paper we report two new diploid numbers for C. torquatus: 2n = 40 and 2n = 42, both showing AN = 72. The new distribution limits of C. torquatus here reported include localities in the southern, central and western parts of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) State in southern Brazil. The phylogenetic relationship between C. torquatus from Alegrete, RS, and Ctenomys sp. from Corrientes, Argentina, is described by means of mtDNA cytochrome b analysis. Although both entities share similar karyotypes and sperm morphology, these two species are not phylogenetically close.     

Phylogeography of the Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is widely distributed in temperate to subtropical regions of the Palaearctic realm. Populations of Common Pheasant have been classified into five subspecies groups based on morphological variations in male plumage. Previous phylogeographical studies have focused on limited sets of subspecies groups in the eastern Palaearctic and knowledge on subspecies in the western Palaearctic region is still poor. In this study, we undertake the first comprehensive analysis of subspecies from all five defined subspecies groups across the entire Palaearctic region. Two mitochondrial (CYTB and CR) and two nuclear (HMG and SPI) loci were used to investigate genetic relationships of these subspecies groups and to infer their dispersal routes. Our results revealed that the subspecies elegans, with its range in northwestern Yunnan, China, was in the basal position among 17 studied subspecies, supporting a previous hypothesis that the Common Pheasant most probably originated in forests in southeastern China. Subspecies in the western Palaearctic region nested within the most subspecies‐rich torquatus group (‘Grey‐rumped Pheasants’), indicating that the torquatus group is not a clade but instead forms a gradation with other subspecies and subspecies groups. Our dating analysis suggested that the initial divergence among populations of Common Pheasant originated around 3.4 Mya with subsequent dispersal into the Western Palaearctic region during the Late Pliocene–Lower Pleistocene approximately 2.5–1.8 Mya. We propose two possible east‐to‐west colonization routes for the Common Pheasant and suggest conservation implications for some regional subspecies. Overall, this study demonstrates the lack of concordance between morphology‐based subspecies delimitation and their genetic relationships. This is likely to be a consequence of initial isolation due to historical vicariance followed by population admixture due to recent range expansion of Common Pheasant in the western Palaearctic region.     

Characterization of microsatellite markers for the endemic sand dune lizard,Sceloporus arenicolus

Here we characterize and report on the genetic variability of eight microsatellite loci for the endemic sand dune lizard, Sceloporus arenicolus, that amplified consistently for individuals throughout the species’ range. The number of alleles per locus was high (mean = 13.25) and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.354 to 0.808. With the exception of a single locus, the loci did not deviate from Hardy–Weinberg expectations. This set of markers is currently being used to examine population structure and landscape genetics in S. arenicolus, a habitat specialist with a restricted range and patchy distribution.