Mitochondrial phylogeography and demographic history of the vicuña: implications for conservation

The vicu?a (Vicugna vicugna; Miller, 1924) is a conservation success story, having recovered from near extinction in the 1960s to current population levels estimated at 275,000. However, lack of information about its demographic history and genetic diversity has limited both our understanding of its recovery and the development of science-based conservation measures. To examine the evolution and recent demographic history of the vicu?a across its current range and to assess its genetic variation and population structure, we sequenced mitochondrial DNA from the control region (CR) for 261 individuals from 29 populations across Peru, Chile and Argentina. Our results suggest that populations currently designated as Vicugna vicugna vicugna and Vicugna vicugna mensalis comprise separate mitochondrial lineages. The current population distribution appears to be the result of a recent demographic expansion associated with the last major glacial event of the Pleistocene in the northern (18 to 22 degrees S) dry Andes 14-12,000 years ago and the establishment of an extremely arid belt known as the 'Dry Diagonal' to 29 degrees S. Within the Dry Diagonal, small populations of V. v. vicugna appear to have survived showing the genetic signature of demographic isolation, whereas to the north V. v. mensalis populations underwent a rapid demographic expansion before recent anthropogenic impacts.     

Habitat use and preference by guanacos,vicuñas,and livestock in an altitudinal gradient in northwest Argentina

Distribution of ungulates is regulated by natural factors, such as presence of other species, climate, and habitat variability, as well as human activities, including livestock grazing and mining. Understanding the spatial dynamics of landscape use can help solve problems of access to key resources by native herbivores. Laguna Brava Reserve is a protected area of Argentina where the two wild South American camelids, guanacos and vicuñas, coexist with cattle, mules, horses, and goats. Information about the effects of livestock and mining activities, which are widespread throughout the region, on wild camelids is scarce. We used variable-width transects to determine the distribution of guanacos, vicuñas, equids, and cattle in relation to five habitat types defined according to vegetation and topography in the reserve. We carried out a correspondence analysis between the proportion of groups observed in and the proportion of area occupied by each habitat, and a χ ² goodness of fit test to establish if camelids and livestock selected a particular habitat type. Vicuñas were associated with grasslands at high altitudes while guanacos and livestock were associated with shrublands at lower elevations. This coevolutionary segregation between guanacos and vicuñas possibly reduced competition between the two species. Competition between camelids and livestock is probably low because of the low density of livestock. Vegas were preferred by all species year round but used more intensively in summer. In order to conserve the wild camelids of the region, governments must implement measures to conserve the critical habitat provided by the vegas.     

Analisis de la craneometria diferencial entre la vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) y la alpaca (Lama guanicoë pacos)

Using a total of 43 craneological data obtained from any of 73 vicugna and 25 alpaca skulls, three problems were analyzed:

• Identification of skulls

• Taxonomic situation of the vicugna

• Origin of the alpaca.

For rapid identification of New World cameloid skulls it is recommended to use the condilobasal length, the length to heigth ratio and the presence of the Fissura nasolacrimalis.

Some characteristics of the skulls considered essential for the evaluation of domestication processes exclude the vicugna from the alpaca's ancestors.     

Prokaryotic community dynamics and nitrogen-cycling genes in an oxygen-deficient upwelling system during La Niña and El Niño conditions

Dissolved oxygen regulates microbial distribution and nitrogen cycling and, therefore, ocean productivity and Earth's climate. To date, the assembly of microbial communities in relation to oceanographic changes due to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains poorly understood in oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). The Mexican Pacific upwelling system supports high productivity and a permanent OMZ. Here, the spatiotemporal distribution of the prokaryotic community and nitrogen-cycling genes was investigated along a repeated transect subjected to varying oceanographic conditions associated with La Niña in 2018 and El Niño in 2019. The community was more diverse during La Niña and in the aphotic OMZ, dominated by the Subtropical Subsurface water mass, where the highest abundances of nitrogen-cycling genes were found. The largest proportion of the Gulf of California water mass during El Niño provided warmer, more oxygenated, and nutrient-poor waters towards the coast, leading to a significant increase of Synechococcus in the euphotic layer compared with the opposite conditions during La Niña. These findings suggest that prokaryotic assemblages and nitrogen genes are linked to local physicochemical conditions (e.g. light, oxygen, nutrients), but also to oceanographic fluctuations associated with ENSO phases, indicating the crucial role of climate variability in microbial community dynamics in this OMZ.     

Aquatic insects and water quality in Peñas Blancas watershed and reservoir

The aquatic insects have been used to evaluate water quality of aquatic environments. The population of aquatic insects and the water quality of the area were characterized according to the natural and human alterations present in the study site. During the monthly-survey, pH, DO, temperature, water level, DBO, PO4 and NO3 were measured. Biological indexes (abundance, species richness and the BMWP-CR) were used to evaluate the water quality. No relation between environmental and aquatic insects was detected. Temporal and spatial differences attributed to the flow events (temporal) and the presence of Pe?as Blancas reservoir (spatial). In the future, the investigations in Pe?as Blancas watershed need to be focused on determining the real influence of the flows, sediment release and the possible water quality degradation because of agriculture activities.     

El Niño,volcanism, and global climate

The June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines produced one of the greatest volcanic aerosols in the last hundred years. The estimated net decrease of radiation may have peaked at 10% in the tropics. What was the impact of the Pinatubo aerosol on regional and global climate? Besides the expected net cooling of the average global surface temperature, correlation studies indicate that other types of climate anomalies may also be expected. These include the appearance of an El Niño event, decreased Indian monsoon rainfall, fewer tropical storms in the north Atlantic Ocean in 1991–1993, and normal to above normal winter rainfall in California in 1991/92, all of which were observed. A proposed physical mechanism for the almost-simultaneous occurrence of this constellation of climate anomalies is presented. The results of correlation studies between low-latitude volcanic aerosols and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation are presented in some detail as one example. The correlation between Indian monsoon rainfall and tropical storms in the north Atlantic Ocean is also shown and is updated for the most recent 5 years.     

The El Niño / Southern Oscillation and Australian vegetation

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon has a marked effect on Australia's rainfall. The tendency for major Australian droughts to coincide with ENSO “events” (i.e. anomalously warm sea surface temperatures in the east equatorial Pacific), and for extensive wet periods to accompany “anti-ENSO” events, is well documented. Also well-known is the partial predictability of Australian rainfall anomalies provided by ENSO. Some other ENSO-related characteristics of interannual fluctuations of Australian rainfall are lesswidely recognised, viz:

- rainfall variability is very large

- droughts and wet periods have time scales of about one year

- they exhibit very large (continental) spatial scales

- they tend to be phase-locked with the annual cycle

- they are often followed/preceded by the opposite rainfall anomaly.

The character of Australian rainfall fluctuations is thus very different from that of areas where the influence of ENSO is weak, Europe for instance. Rainfall in some other areas, notably southern Africa and India and parts of the Americas, is also strongly affected by ENSO and shares some of the above characteristics. The relevance of these ENSO-related characteristics of Australian rainfall to its vegetation will be discussed. Australian native vegetation is adapted to these characteristics, especially in the semi-arid inland where ENSO's influence is strong. Most introduced plants are not adapted to ENSO and this has sometimes complicated their use here. The combination of ENSO-related rainfall fluctuations and European land-use strategies has resulted in some very rapid, unpredicted and undesirable changes in vegetation in the past two centuries. It has also increased the risk of soil erosion. Recognition of the real character of Australian rainfall fluctuations may help avoid further degradation of soil and vegetation.     

On optimality,physiology and honeybees — a reply to Varjú and Núñez

The analysis of foraging behaviour with optimization models has been used widely in recent years. Studies on nectar collection in the honeybee have been among the examples cited repeatedly in favour of the approach. These studies (based on the energy-maximizing hypothesis) have now been challenged in a recent paper by Varjú and Núñez (1991). These authors claim that the observed behaviour can be explained without reference to this hypothesis and even without energetic considerations. Moreover, they maintain that the observations support the information-exchange hypothesis, an alternative preferred by the authors. In this paper the arguments used by Varjú and Núñez (1991) are shown to be erroneous in several respects. A recurrent problem results from confusing causal and functional questions. In addition, their analysis fails to distinguish between statistically inferred and normative models, misinterprets the nature of observations and misrepresents the predictions of the energy-maximizing hypothesis. Whereas the information-exchange hypothesis is a plausible alternative, the evidence cited by the authors cannot distinguish between the two competing explanations but rather suggests that energy is important. Varjú and Núñez (1991) do not specify the meaning of information so that their hypothesis cannot generate specific predictions.     

The El Niño southern oscillation and malaria epidemics in South America

A better understanding of the relationship between the El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the climatic anomalies it engenders, and malaria epidemics could help mitigate the world-wide increase in incidence of this mosquito-transmitted disease. The purpose of this paper is to assess the possibility of using ENSO forecasts for improving malaria control. This paper analyses the relationship between ENSO events and malaria epidemics in a number of South American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). A statistically significant relationship was found between El Ni?o and malaria epidemics in Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. We demonstrate that flooding engenders malaria epidemics in the dry coastal region of northern Peru, while droughts favor the development of epidemics in Colombia and Guyana, and epidemics lag a drought by 1 year in Venezuela. In Brazil, French Guiana, and Ecuador, where we did not detect an ENSO/malaria signal, non-climatic factors such as insecticide sprayings, variation in availability of anti-malaria drugs, and population migration are likely to play a stronger role in malaria epidemics than ENSO-generated climatic anomalies. In some South American countries, El Ni?o forecasts show strong potential for informing public health efforts to control malaria.     

Slashing the Complacent Eye: Luis Buñuel and the Surrealist Documentary

Land Without Bread [1932] has always been misunderstood. The film incorporates both documentary and Surrealist traditions and has been considered highly problematic as an ethnographic film. Viewers are still perplexed and even outraged by the insensitivity of the portrayal of the residents of Las Hurdes, a remote region in the western interior of Spain where living conditions in the 1930s resembled those in the Third World. In this article I examine the history of the film's creation in the contexts of both documentary/ethnographic film and Surrealism. I argue that the point of the film is to mock both the complacent viewer and filmmakers who construct colonialist documents; and also that ethnographic filmmaking today still has not fully rid itself of an inherent colonialism that has always characterized the genre.     

Inheritance of unique fruit and foliage color mutation in NuMex piñata

The inheritance of mature fruit color in peppers (Capsicum spp.) is controlled by several genes. However, the inheritance of the transition of colors the fruit undergo during ripening has not been described extensively. The authors describe the inheritance of a unique gene which affects foliage color and fruit color transition occurring in the jalape?o cultivar NuMex Pi?ata. The gene responsible is designated the tra gene.     

Species Richness and Distribution of Copepods and Cladocerans and their Relation to Hydroperiod and Other Environmental Variables in Doñana, South-west Spain

Twenty-five sites located in five wetland zones within Doñana, south-west Spain were studied for copepod and cladoceran species richness and composition in relation to habitat characteristics from January to March 2004. The γ-diversity of copepods and cladocerans combined varied between wetland zones, which differed significantly in conductivity, surface area and abundance of vegetation. However, there were no significant differences between zones in local species richness of either copepods or cladocerans or the two combined. Species richness was significantly higher in sites with intermediate hydroperiods (duration between 3 and 5 months) than in sites with shorter or longer hydroperiods. CCA analyses performed separately for copepods and cladocerans extracted conductivity, surface area, and vegetation cover as the main factors structuring species composition of both groups. Ours is one of the first studies of zooplankton in the natural marshes of the Doñana World Heritage Site, and we recorded five species new to the Doñana area.     

A Re-Analysis of the Routes of Coronado and Oñate into the Plains in 1541 and 1601

Abstract

A re-study based upon translations of the original documents is made of the many published routes suggested for Coronado’s and Oñate’s routes into the Plains. The point is made that disagreements among historians stem from the differing initial point of reference, a bridge thrown across a large river. Others have identified this river as the Pecos but Schroeder feels the evidence shows this is the Canadian River. Coronado’s route is then traced across the Plains to the Cimarron River. From this point to Quivira Schroeder is in agreement with other historians that the route was along the Arkansas River. He also agrees with Wedel’s archaeological location of Quivira as being in the Rice-McPherson County area of Kansas. The separate routes of Coronado’s army and party are then traced back to the Pecos Pueblo along what Schroeder deduces to have been more or less a straight line across the Oklahoma-Texas Panhandles.

Oñte’s later trip into the Plains is compared with Coronado’s. Considered in some detail are the intervening location of the Apachean and Plains Caddoan groups in relation to each other as suggested by the statements of the various chroniclers. The conclusion is reached that Oñate’s Quivira was located farther south than that visited by Coronado. Schroeder feels that Wedel’s archaeological work supports this view and concludes that Oñate’s Quivira extended slightly farther south along the Chicaskia River near Ponca City, Oklahoma.     

El Niño droughts and their effects on tree species composition and diversity in tropical rain forests

In this study I investigated the effects of the extreme, 1997/98 El Niño related drought on tree mortality and understorey light conditions of logged and unlogged tropical rain forest in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan (Borneo). My objectives were to test (1) whether drought had a significant effect on tree mortality and understorey light conditions, (2) whether this effect was greater in logged than in undisturbed forest, (3) if the expected change in tree mortality and light conditions had an effect on Macaranga pioneer seedling and sapling densities, and (4) which (a)biotic factors influenced tree mortality during the drought. The 1997/1998 drought led to an additional tree mortality of 11.2, 18.1, and 22.7% in undisturbed, old logged and recently logged forest, respectively. Mortality was highest in logged forests, due to extremely high mortality of pioneer Macaranga trees (65.4%). Canopy openness was significantly higher during the drought than during the non-drought year (6.0, 8.6 and 10.4 vs 3.7, 3.8 and 3.7 in undisturbed, old logged and recently logged forest, respectively) and was positively correlated with the number of dead standing trees. The increase in light in the understorey was accompanied by a 30 to 300-fold increase in pioneer Macaranga seedling densities. Factors affecting tree mortality during drought were (1) tree species successional status, (2) tree size, and (3) tree location with respect to soil moisture. Tree density and basal area per surface unit had no influence on tree mortality during drought. The results of this study show that extreme droughts, such as those associated with El Niño events, can affect the tree species composition and diversity of tropical forests in two ways: (1) by disproportionate mortality of certain tree species groups and tree size classes, and (2) by changing the light environment in the forest understorey, thereby affecting the recruitment and growth conditions of small and immature trees.     

Reproductive and larval cycle of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus (Ostreoida: Pectinidae), during El Niño-La Niña events and normal weather conditions in Antofagasta, Chile

Seasonality, amplitude, and magnitude of spawning events were determined for Argopecten purpuratus in the La Rinconada marine reserve, Antofagasta, Chile, between December 1995 and January 2004. During the same period, samples of scallop larvae were obtained in vertical plankton hauls recovered within this reserve in an area routinely exposed to circular, gyre-like currents which helped retain the larvae within the bay. The reproduction of this population in normal or cool (e.g. "La Ni?a", 1998-2000) years occurred throughout the year, with a more active period between September and April, declining in June and August; this contrasted with the warmer "El Ni?o" oceanographic period of 1997-98 in which reproductive activity was more intense and prolonged throughout the entire year. The reproductive events in this population were mostly synchronous, although one asynchronous period occurred each year following the more intense March to May spawnings. This reproductive activity generated a continuous presence of larvae in the area in which no strict relation could be found between the intensities of spawning and numbers of larvae in the water. Larval presence was, however, generally correlated with active spawning periods. Important increases in larval numbers recorded at the end of 1999 and the beginning of 2003 were correlated with census data showing a higher percentage presence of broodstock over 90 mm in shell length during these years. An adequate stock of this size class is needed for a successful seed capture program in the reserve (for mass culture).     

Characterization of commercial and biological growth curves in the Segureña sheep breed

Non-linear models were analysed to describe both the biological and commercial growth curves of the Segureña sheep, one of the most important Spanish breeds. We evaluated Brody, von Bertalanffy, Verhulst, logistic and Gompertz models, using historical data from the National Association of Segureña Sheep Breeders (ANCOS). These records were collected between 2000 and 2013, from a total of 129 610 weight observations ranging from birth to adulthood. The aim of this research was to establish the mathematical behaviour of body development throughout this breed’s commercial life (birth to slaughter) and biological life (birth to adulthood); comparison between both slopes gives important information regarding the best time for slaughter, informs dietary advice according to animals’ needs, permits economical predictions of productions and, by using the curve parameters as selection criteria, enables improvements in growth characteristics of the breed. Models were fitted according to the non-linear regression procedure of statistical package SPSS version19. Model parameters were estimated using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. Candidate models were compared using the determinative coefficient, mean square error, number of iterations, Akaike information coefficient and biological coherence of the estimated parameters. The von Bertalanffy and logistic models were found to be best suited to the biological and commercial growth curves, respectively, for both sexes. The Brody equation was found to be unsuitable for studying the commercial growth curve. Differences between the parameters in both sexes indicate a strong impact of sexual dimorphism on growth. This can emphasize the value of the highest growth rate for females, indicating that they reach maturity earlier.     

Seed and seedling ecology of piñon and juniper species in the pygmy woodlands of western North America

Knowledge of the seed and seedling ecology of the piñon and juniper woodlands of western North America is essential for understanding both the northward migration and expansion of the woodlands during the Holocene (< 11,500 B.P.), and the accelerated expansion of the woodlands since settlement of the West by Anglo-Americans around 200 years ago. We follow the fates of seeds and seedlings of the different piñon and juniper species within the woodlands from seed development to seedling establishment, and discuss the implications of this information for the past and present expansion of the woodlands. While seed development requires about two and one-half years in pinons, it is species-dependent in junipers and can take one, two, or even three years. Substantial seed losses can occur during seed development due to developmental constraints, and before or after seed maturation as a result of insects, pathogens, or predatory animals. In piñon pines, the primary seed dispersers are scatterhoarding birds (corvids) and rodents that harvest seeds from the trees or after seed fall and cache them in the soil. In contrast, most junipers appear to be dispersed primarily by frugivorous birds and mammals that ingest the seeds and defecate them onto the soil surface. We have recently documented that scatter-hoarding rodents also disperse juniper seeds. Disperser effectiveness, or the contribution a disperser makes to the future reproduction of a plant population, may vary among species of piñons and especially junipers. Piñon seeds are short-lived and exhibit little dormancy, and they probably only germinate the spring following dispersal. Juniper seeds are long-lived and seed dispersal can occur over one or more years. Seed germination can be delayed for several years due to impermeable seed coats, embryo dormancy, or the presence of inhibitors. Seedling establishment of piñon pines is facilitated by nurse plants but, while junipers often establish beneath nurse plants, they are capable of establishing in open environments. In the southwestern United States, higher establishment of juniper occurs in open environments due to more favorable precipitation, and competition may be more important than facilitation in determining establishment. When considering the mechanisms involved in the past and present expansion of the woodlands, short-distance dispersal, local population growth, and long-distance dispersal are all important. Different classes of dispersers, some of which appear to have coevolved with the tree species, appear to be responsible for local (short-distance) vs. long-distance dispersal in pinons and junipers. Because ecotones form the interface between the woodlands and adjacent communities, they can provide valuable information on both the seed dispersal and seedling establishment processes responsible for tree expansion. Disturbance regimes and, recently, the effects of humans on those regimes have major effects on the expansion and contraction of the woodlands. Before Anglo-American settlement, fires occurred as frequently as every 50–100 years throughout much of the woodlands. During this century, fire frequencies have been reduced due to the indirect effects of livestock grazing and the direct effects of removing Native Americans from the ecosystem and implementing active fire-prevention programs. The result has been an increase in tree-dominated successional stages at the expense of grass-dominated stages. Various management techniques, including controlled burning and chaining, have been implemented to reduce tree dominance, but their effects depend largely on the life histories of the tree species and the disturbance characteristics. Several areas relating to the seed and seedling ecology of the piñon and juniper require additional research if we are to truly understand the dynamics of the woodlands.     

Variable interaction outcomes of local disturbance and El Niño-induced heat stress on coral microbiome alpha and beta diversity

Coral Reefs - Emerging evidence indicates that individual stressors can modify the coral microbiome; however, few studies have examined the impacts of multiple stressors through natural climatic...     

Incidence of 1/29 translocation in Bolivian Creole and Brahman Yacumeño cattle

In Bolivia, four different Creole cattle breeds can be found, as well as other European and Zebu breeds adapted to local environments. The relationship between the occurrence of the 1/29 translocation and subfertility is well known, and analysis of Y chromosome morphology is useful to determine a possible introgression with Bos indicus. The incidence of the 1/29 translocation was analyzed in four Bolivian Creole cattle breeds and the Brahman Yacume?o population, as well as on four farms with phenotypical Creole-type cattle. In 259 (164 dams and 95 sires) Bolivian Creole cattle, 10.42% of the individuals demonstrated the 1/29 translocation, with a variation from 0 to 28.20% between the breeds. In contrast, 43 (19 dams and 24 sires) Yacume?o Brahman and the Creole-type cattle did not show the centric fusion. The highly significant differences between Creole cattle breeds in relation to the incidence of 1/29 translocation could be a consequence of factors such as founder group, genetic drift, and selection. The low frequency observed in the Saavedre?io Creole dairy cattle might be explained by its breeding under a more intensive system, and selection according to milk yield and fertility traits. Finally, no relation between acrocentric Y chromosomes and 1/29 translocation was observed.