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Despite increasing awareness of the ecological roles and ecosystem services that bats provide, spatiotemporal patterns in bat abundance and community assembly remain poorly understood outside of select sites in the tropics. We conducted systematic full-spectrum acoustic surveys of bats over the course of a year at eight permanent sites spanning nearly 50 km along Putah Creek, a stream in California’s Central Valley that has been subject to restoration efforts and changes to its in-stream flow regime over the past two decades. We surveyed all sites for 1 week each month. In 158 sampling nights over 11 months, we recorded 157,762 identifiable calls, thereby documenting a rich bat assemblage comprising 15 species from eight genera and two families. Seven species appeared to occur here year-round, whereas six others evidently migrated seasonally, and two were incidental visitors. Species richness and activity diversity were effectively invariant across this 50-km gradient, but assemblage composition varied both spatially and temporally. Spatial patterns suggest species-specific distributions that presumably reflect individualistic habitat preferences and responses to extrinsic factors. Species also varied temporally, with bat activity generally declining in winter, with an unexpected dip in richness and activity in late spring. For the three most commonly detected species, generalized linear models further highlighted the species-specific and individualistic nature of spatiotemporal activity patterns. When integrated with available data from other temperate sites, our results suggest that local species richness is high in temperate riparian systems. Additionally, our observations suggest that species responses to environmental variation are individualistic (e.g., “Gleasonian”) in nature and that local composition varies greatly over spatiotemporal gradients, but that emergent assemblage characteristics do not. The generality of these observations, and the underlying mechanism(s) leading to invariance in emergent characters, warrant further investigation. Similarly, the extent to which greater bat species richness provides complementary ecosystem services (hence, ecological insurance) is of both ecological and economic interest.

Interspecific hybridization is recognized as an important process in the evolutionary dynamics of both speciation and the reversal of speciation. However, our understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of hybridization that erode versus promote species boundaries is incomplete. The endangered, endemic koloa maoli (or Hawaiian duck, Anas wyvilliana) is thought to be threatened with genetic extinction through ongoing hybridization with an introduced congener, the feral mallard (A. platyrhynchos). We investigated spatial and temporal variation in hybrid prevalence in populations throughout the main Hawaiian Islands, using genomic data to characterize population structure of koloa, quantify the extent of hybridization, and compare hybrid proportions over time. To accomplish this, we genotyped 3,308 double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA (ddRAD) loci in 425 putative koloa, mallards, and hybrids from populations across the main Hawaiian Islands. We found that despite a population decline in the last century, koloa genetic diversity is high. There were few hybrids on the island of Kaua'i, home to the largest population of koloa. By contrast, we report that sampled populations outside of Kaua'i can now be characterized as hybrid swarms, in that all individuals sampled were of mixed koloa × mallard ancestry. Further, there is some evidence that these swarms are stable over time. These findings demonstrate spatial variation in the extent and consequences of interspecific hybridization, and highlight how islands or island-like systems with small population sizes may be especially prone to genetic extinction when met with a congener that is not reproductively isolated.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the standing long jump (SLJ) and the single-leg hop (SLH) tests to discriminate lower quadrant (low back and lower extremities) injury occurrence in female collegiate soccer players. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine associations between injury and off-season training habits or anthropometric measures. SLJ, SLH, and anthropometric measures were collected during a preseason screening clinic. Each subject completed a questionnaire providing demographic information and off-season training habits. Each athlete performed three SLJ and three SLH per leg. SLJ and SLH scores were not associated with an increased risk of a noncontact time-loss lower quadrant (LQ) injury. Athletes with a higher BMI or who reported less time training during the off-season were two times more likely to sustain an injury. Athletes who had both a higher body mass index (BMI) and lower off-season training habits were three times (relative risk = 3.1 (95% CI: 1.7, 5.5) p-value = 0.0001) more likely to sustain a noncontact time-loss lower quadrant injury. Preseason SLJ and SLH scores do not discriminate injury risk in female collegiate soccer players. Higher BMI and lower off-season training habits are associated with an increased risk of LQ injury.

Introduction: The incidence of time-loss injury in male collegiate soccer players in the United States (US) is 6.4 per 1000 athletic exposures. With thousands of male athletes competing in soccer a...

OBJECTIVE To compare intraosseous pentobarbital treatment (IPT) and thoracic compression (TC) on time to circulatory arrest and an isoelectric electroencephalogram (EEG) in anesthetized passerine birds. ANIMALS 30 wild-caught adult birds (17 house sparrows [Passer domesticus] and 13 European starlings [Sturnus vulgaris]). PROCEDURES Birds were assigned to receive IPT or TC (n = 6/species/group). Birds were anesthetized, and carotid arterial pulses were monitored by Doppler methodology. Five subdermal braided-wire electrodes were used for EEG. Anesthetic depth was adjusted until a continuous EEG pattern was maintained, then euthanasia was performed. Times from initiation of euthanasia to cessation of carotid pulse and irreversible isoelectric EEG (indicators of death) were measured. Data (medians and first to third quartiles) were summarized and compared between groups within species. Necropsies were performed for all birds included in experiments and for another 6 birds euthanized under anesthesia by TC (4 sparrows and 1 starling) or IPT (1 sparrow). RESULTS Median time to isoelectric EEG did not differ significantly between treatment groups for sparrows (19.0 and 6.0 seconds for TC and IPT, respectively) or starlings (88.5 and 77.5 seconds for TC and IPT, respectively). Median times to cessation of pulse were significantly shorter for TC than for IPT in sparrows (0.0 vs 18.5 seconds) and starlings (9.5 vs 151.0 seconds). On necropsy, most (14/17) birds that underwent TC had grossly visible coelomic, pericardial, or perihepatic hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that TC might be an efficient euthanasia method for small birds. Digital pressure directly over the heart during TC obstructed venous return, causing rapid circulatory arrest, with rupture of the atria or vena cava in several birds. The authors propose that cardiac compression is a more accurate description than TC for this procedure.

The avifauna of Chile is relatively depauperate, comprising 469 extant species, of which 213 are terrestrial. However, the Coquimbo Region presents a broad ecological transition from the hyperarid Atacama Desert to the north, and the more mesic Chilean Mediterranean region of central Chile, resulting in relatively high species diversity. Approximately 130 species are found here, 8 of which are endemic to Chile although not to this region. Bosque Fray Jorge National Park is a 9959 ha Biosphere Reserve dominated by matorral habitat and hosting up to 123 bird species. Through avian surveys and banding over nearly a decade we have documented 63 terrestrial species and discerned predictable seasonal and interannual structure to avian assemblages, at least through an extended dry period. Recent studies in the matorral habitats of the park indicate seasonal patterns that fall into 4 patterns: year-round residents, winter visitors, summer breeders, and transients. Short-term banding studies demonstrate co-occurring wintering and breeding cohorts among species of Sierra-finches (Phrygilus) in the park; such assemblages and dynamics are reminiscent of North American Mediterranean avian assemblages and pose interesting ecological comparisons. In this period of surveys there appears to have been a gradual transition of the avifauna that may be a response to anthropogenic influence and/or climate change. Research on the foraging behavior of 2 insectivorous species indicate that one of these is convergent on better-known North American taxa while the other clearly is not; these efforts suggest useful avenues for further comparative research. A remarkable coevolutionary association between the Chilean Mockingbird (Mimus thenca) and endoparasitic mistletoes (Tristerix) provides insight into potential convergent ecologies in desert regions with different evolutionary histories. Less than 1% of the park comprises temperate forest remnants that subsist due to extensive water input from fog. Research in these remnants has emphasized the role of habitat fragmentation on avian assemblage composition and on reproductive ecology by forest-dependent species. The avifauna here comprises a subset of that found in intact Valdivian rainforest to the south, and forest remnant size alone explains over 90% of the variation in species numbers. One species has been particularly well studied; the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) is more abundant and has higher nestling survival in larger fragments. We summarize other work on stress responses and variation in song structure in this species. Finally, the role of birds in tree recruitment here has important implications in the face of a recent history of reduction in sizes of forest remnants; numerous birds consume the fruit of the dominant tree, olivillo (Aextoxicon punctatum), but they fail to promote successful recruitment because they defecate viable seeds in locations that provide poor survival of seedlings. Ornithological research in Chile is undergoing a modest renaissance, and while dryland avifaunas are characterized more by what is not known and has yet to be studied than by actual ecological understanding, they provide a baseline for many exciting studies ranging from natural history to the role of migration to comparative dynamics of independent lineages in North and South America.

In the original publication of the article, the Acknowledgements section was published incorrectly. The correct Acknowledgements section is given in this Correction.

Background Male collegiate basketball (BB) players are at risk for musculoskeletal injury. The rate of time-loss injury in men's collegiate BB, for all levels of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition, ranges from 2.8 to 4.3 per 1000 athletic exposures (AE) during practices and 4.56 to 9.9 per 1000 AE during games. The aforementioned injury rates provide valuable information for sports medicine professionals and coaching staffs. However, many of the aforementioned studies do not provide injury rates based on injury mechanism, region of the body, or player demographics. Hypothesis/ purpose The purpose of this study is two-fold. The first purpose of this study was to report lower quadrant (LQ = lower extremities and low back region) injury rates, per contact and non-contact mechanism of injury, for a cohort of male collegiate basketball (BB) players. The second purpose was to report injury risk based on prior history of injury, player position, and starter status. Study design Prospective, descriptive, observational cohort. Methods A total of 95 male collegiate BB players (mean age 20.02 ± 1.68 years) from 7 teams (NCAA Division II = 14, NCAA Division III = 43, NAIA = 21, community college = 17) from the Portland, Oregon region were recruited during the 2016-2017 season to participate in this study. Each athlete was asked to complete an injury history questionnaire. The primary investigator collected the following information each week from each team's athletic trainer: athletic exposures (AE; 1 AE = game or practice) and injury updates. Results Thirty-three time-loss LQ injuries occurred during the study period. The overall time-loss injury rate was 3.4 per 1000 AE. Division III BB players had the highest rates of injury. There was no difference in injury rates between those with or without prior injury history. Guards had a significantly greater rate of non-contact time-loss injuries (p = 0.04). Conclusions Guards experienced a greater rate of LQ injury than their forward/center counterparts. Starters and athletes with a prior history of injury were no more likely to experience a non-contact time-loss injury than nonstarters or those without a prior history of injury. These preliminary results are a novel presentation of injury rates and risk for this population and warrant continued investigation. Level of evidence 2.

Winter habitat quality plays a key role in avian population regulation, and conservation of winter habitat is a priority for waterfowl, shorebirds, and Neotropical migrant landbirds. Yet, there has been little discussion of the importance of conserving temperate wintering habitat for landbirds, including the billions of Neotemperate migratory landbirds that winter in the United States. The value and impact of conservation initiatives in the U.S. could be maximized by accommodating the habitat requirements of bird communities throughout the full annual cycle, particularly in the southern and western U.S. where winter species richness is concentrated. To estimate the degree to which winter bird communities should be a conservation priority, we examined the temporal distribution of avian diversity using riparian habitat in the lower Cosumnes River and lower Putah Creek watersheds in California's Central Valley. We used hierarchical multispecies occupancy models to estimate seasonal species richness ...

Speciation is regarded primarily as a bifurcation from an ancestral species into two distinct taxonomic units, but gene flow can create complex signals of phylogenetic relationships, especially among different loci. We evaluated several hypotheses that could account for phylogenetic discord between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA) within Hawaiian duck (Anas wyvilliana), including stochastic lineage sorting, mtDNA capture and widespread genomic introgression. Our results best support the hypothesis that the contemporary Hawaiian duck is descended from an ancient hybridization event between the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis). Whereas mtDNA clearly shows a sister relationship between Hawaiian duck and mallard, nuDNA is consistent with a genetic mosaic with nearly equal contributions from Laysan duck and mallard. In addition, coalescent analyses suggest that gene flow from either mallard or Laysan duck, depending on the predefined tree topology, is necessary to explain contemporary genetic diversity in Hawaiian ducks, and these estimates are more consistent with ancient, rather than contemporary, hybridization. Time since divergence estimates suggest that the genetic admixture event occurred around the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, which is further supported by circumstantial evidence from the Hawaiian subfossil record. Although the extent of reproductive isolation from either putative parental taxon is not currently known, these species are phenotypically, genetically and ecologically different, and they meet primary criteria used in avian taxonomy for species designation. Thus, the available data are consistent with an admixed origin and support the hypothesis that the Hawaiian duck may represent a young hybrid species.

Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. Riyanto, Kurniati & Engilis English common name: Hitch���s Bent-toed Gecko Indonesia common name: Cicak Jari Lengkung Hitch (Figs 2���6) Holotype. MZB.Lace. 8642, an adult male from Camp 3, desa Tinukari, kecamatan Wawo, kabupaten Kolaka Utara, Mekongga Mountains (03.6399o S; 121.14974 o E, 936 m asl), South East Sulawesi Province, Indonesia; collected by Hellen Kurniati and Wahyu Trilaksono on 3 December 2010. Paratypes. MZB.Lace. 8635 ���36, 8640���41, 8643��� 48, MWFB 1054, 1116, from between 0 3.635943 ��� 0 3.63994 o S; 121. 148971 ��� 121.16268 o E; alt.; 934���1103 m asl collected 25 November ��� 7 December 2010. Diagnosis. A small-sized Cyrtodactylus with SVL up to 70.3 mm in males, 79.0 mm in females; 18���20 irregularly aligned rows of keeled tubercles; 27���30 paravertebral tubercles; 40���45 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds; ventrolateral folds with tubercles; no precloacal groove; no precloacal pores; no enlarged femoral and precloacal scales; no femoral pores; 18���20 lamellae beneath fourth toe; smooth transition between rows of large and small postfemoral and ventral femoral scales; and greatly enlarged transverse median subcaudal scales arranged in a single row. Description of Holotype. An adult male, SVL 70.39 mm; head moderately long (HL/SVL= 0.30), relatively narrow (HW/HL= 0.65), depressed (HH/HL= 0.39), distinct from neck; lores and interorbital regions concave; canthus rostralis prominent and rounded; frontonasal region concave; snout elongate (ES/HL= 0.44), relatively pointed, longer than ED (ED/ES= 0.63). Scales on snout and forehead small, rounded, granular, homogeneous; eye large (ED/HL= 0.28) with vertical pupil; supraciliaries short; ear opening oval, large (EarL/HL= 0.15); EE>ED (EE/ ED= 0.93); rostral incompletely divided dorsally by a shallow Y-shaped groove; two enlarged supranasals separated from one another by a three intersupranasals, the supranasals and intersupranasal completely surrounded by the smaller scales; naris oval, bordered by rostral anteriorly, first supralabial ventrally, one supranasal dorsally, and three small postnasals posteriorly; orbit separated from supralabials by a row of small scales; mental triangular, wider (2.9 mm) than deep (1.9 mm), bordered anterolaterally by first infralabials and posteriorly by paired elongate primary postmentals that contact medially for 40 % of their posterior sections (Fig. 4 A); primary postmentals bordered by two enlarged secondary postmentals and three slightly large gular scales (Fig. 4 A); both right and left sides consist of 12 supralabials counted to the rictus, 9 counted to the midpoint of the eye; 10 infralabial scales counted to the rictus. Body elongate (AGL/SVL= 0.45); ventrolateral folds small, with scattered rounded tubercles; ventral region with relatively homogeneous, smooth scales; dorsal scales small, granular, with scattered irregular, relatively enlarged keeled tubercles; 20 irregular longitudinal rows of tubercles at midbody; smallest tubercles on flanks and in the frontal region; 19 irregular transverse rows of tubercles between limbs. Ventral scales much larger than dorsal scales, smooth, round, subimbricate, largest posteriorly; 42 ventral scale rows at midbody between ventrolateral folds; no precloacal groove; no precloacal pores; no enlarged femoral scales; no femoral pores; smooth transition between rows of large and small postfemoral and ventral femoral scales (Fig. 5 A); scales on palmar surfaces granular, juxtaposed; scales on plantar surfaces and hind limbs granular, juxtaposed. Forelimbs and hind limbs relatively robust (FL/SVL= 0.18; TBL/SVL= 0.19); digits well developed, inflected at basal interphalangeal joints; subdigital lamellae transversely expanded proximal to joint inflections, all bearing slightly curved claws; basal subdigital lamellae nearly as broad as digits; subdigital lamellae on manus I(13) II(14) III(16) IV(17) V(15), not including ventral claw sheath; count of subdigital lamellae on pes I(16) II(15) III(19) IV(20) V(18), not including ventral claw sheath; relative length of fingers IV>III>V>II>I and toes IV>V> III> II> I, the first toe is very short. Tail cylindrical but broken at the tip; dorsally tubercles keeled from the base of tail to approximately 1 / 3 tail length. The tubercles are arranged in 11 irregular rings with each ring consisting of four tubercles with each separated by seven to nine small transverse scale rows; ventrally transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales arranged in a single row, these scales are smooth and hexagonal in form (Fig. 6 A); three postcloacal tubercles on each side of tail base. Coloration in Life. A strikingly marked Cyrtodactylus. Ground color of dorsum uniformly velvety brown, tubercles the same color as background. Four pairs of overlapping ��� > shaped irregular yellow transverse bands between nape and base of tail and 10 similar markings on the tail, the first three being more or less similar to the dorsal pattern, the remainder less distinct in form with yellow spots and crosses. The areas within the overlapping ��� > shaped marks are lighter compared to the dorsum. A yellow line borders the posterior margin of the head. Limbs with irregular yellow bands or spots at various angles; distinct yellow bars at the metacarpal-phalangeal joint; head coloration slightly lighter than dorsum, faintly marbled with yellow spots which are variable in size, a yellow line running along superciliaries to occiput, enclosing parietal region of head and posterior part of canthus rostralis; nape with a broad dark V-shaped bordered by yellow; rostral as dark as body coloration with yellow spots; iris greenish metallic during daylight (Fig. 3); lateral surfaces similar to dorsum but with yellow tubercles, sparsely arranged on the flanks, strongly contrasted with velvety black base color; venter and undersides of limbs uniformly blackish, ventral scales with numerous fine purple flecks covering otherwise pale scales. Pattern remains clearly evident in preserved specimens (Fig. 2), although yellow areas fade to white. Variation. For other detailed measurements and character states for the entire type series see Table 1. Natural History. All specimens were collected from secondary forest in various microhabitats such as on vegetation along streams, along rivers and foot paths, and on tree trunks and fallen logs (Fig. 7). Cyrtodactylus hitchi appears to have a relatively narrow elevational range corresponding to hill forest habitat ranging from 900���1100 m asl. We did not encounter the species above 1200 m asl and below 900 m asl. It is replaced below 500 m by C. jellesmae. Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive singular case, honoring Dr. Alan Thomas Hitch for his friendship and as the field leader of expeditions to the Mekongga. Species comparisons. Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. is distinguished from all other congeners from Sundaland, Wallacea, and Eastern Indonesia except C. batik, C. jellesmae, C. wallacei by having the following unique combination of characters: no precloacal groove, no precloacal or femoral pores and absent enlarged femoral scales. The new species differs from C. batik in having a smaller SVL (79 mm versus 114.6 mm), fewer dorsal tubercles (18���20 versus 23���26), fewer lamellae under fourth toe (18���21 versus 24���27) and transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales arranged in a single row (as opposed to transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales in single row mixed with paired median subcaudal scales, Fig. 6 A,B). It is distinguished from C. fumosus in having ���>C. jellesmae in having enlarged median subcaudal scales and ���>see Fig. 6 A,D). It is distinguished from C. spinosus in having fewer dorsal tubercles (18���20 versus 25���30), lacking a precloacal groove, lacking precloacal pores, lacking spines on the ventrolateral folds, and having primary postmentals in contact medially (as opposed to separated, see Fig. 4 A,D) and having ���>C. wallacei in having smaller maximum SVL (79 mm versus 113.6 mm), fewer lamellae under fourth toes (18���21 versus 24���25) and transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales with arrangement in a single row (as opposed to smaller, variable size scales, see Fig. 6 A,C). Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. lacks a precloacal groove which separates it from several species including: C. aurensis Grismer, C. astrum Grismer Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, C. autralotitiwangsaensis Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, C. bintangtinggi Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, C. bintangrendah Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, C. cavernicolus Inger & King, C. durio Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Muin, Onn, Grismer & Ahmad, C. fumosus, C. halmahericus (Mertens), C. hikidai Riyanto, C. klakahensis Hartmann, Mecke, Kieckbusch & Kaiser, C. langkawiensis Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, C. lekaguli Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, C. macrotuberculatus Grismer & Ahmad, C. marmoratus (Gray), C. metropolis Grismer, Wood, Onn, Anuar & Muin, C. nuaulu Oliver, Edgar, Mumpuni, Iskandar & Lilley, C. papuaensis (Brongersma), C. payacola Johson, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Wood, Grismer, Greer, Onn, Ahmad, Bauer & Grismer, C. pubisulcus Inger, C. pulchellus Gray, C. semenanjungensis Grismer & Leong, C. spinosus Linkem, McGuire, Hayden, Setiadi, Bickford & Brown, C. stresemanni R��sler & Glaw and C. trilatofasciatus Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels. Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. lacks precloacal pores which separates it from: C. aurensis, C. baluensis, C. batucolus Grismer, Onn, Grismer, Wood & Belabut, C. boreoclivus Oliver, Krey, Mumpuni & Richards, C. brevipalmatus (Smith), C. cavernicolus, C. consobrinus (Peters), C. deveti (Brongersma), C. durio, C. elok Dring, C. fumosus, C. halmahericus, C. hikidai, C. ingeri Hikida, C. irianjayaensis R��sler, C. lateralis (Werner), C. klakahensis, C. leegrismeri Chan & Norhayati, C. loriae (Boulenger), C. majulah Grismer, Wood & Lim, C. malayanus (de Rooij), C. marmoratus, C. novaguineae (Schlegel), C. seribuatensis Youmans & Grismer, C. matsuii Hikida, C. nuaulu, C. papuensis (Brongersma), C. pantiensis Grismer, Onn, Grismer, Wood & Belabut, C. peguensis Boulenger, C. petani Riyanto, Grismer & Wood, C. pubisulcus Inger, C. pulchellus, C. psarops Harvey, O���connell, Barraza, Riyanto, Kurniawan & Smith, C. quadrivirgatus Taylor, C. semicinctus Harvey, Barraza, Riyanto, Kurniawan & Smith, C. seribuatensis, C. stresemanni, C. wetariensis (Dunn) and C. yoshii Hikida. Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. lacks femoral pores in both sexes which differs from the condition seen in C. astrum, C. australotitiwangsaensis, C. baluensis (Mocquard), C. batucolus, C. bintangtinggi, C. bintangrendah, C. brevipalmatus, C. consobrinus, C. deveti, C. fumosus, C. halmahericus, C. irianjayaensis, C. klakahensis, C. lekaguli, C. loriae, C. macrotuberculatus, C. marmoratus, C. novaguineae, C. petani, C. pullchelus, C. seribuatensis, C. trilatofasciatus, C. wetariensis and C. zugi Oliver, Tjaturadi, Mumpuni, Krey & Richards, Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. possesses enlarged median subcaudal scales unlike C. batucolus, C. brevipalmatus, C. cavernicolus. C. durio, C. elok, C. fumosus, C. gunungsenyumensis Grismer, Wood, Anuar, Davis, Cobos & Murdoch, C. jarakensis, C. jellesmae, C. klakahensis, C. laevigatus, C. lateralis, C. loriae, C. majulah, C. marmoratus, C. matsuii, C. metropolis, C. naulu, C. novaguineae, C. pantiensis, C. papuaensis, C. payacola, C. petani, C. psarops, C. pubisulcus, C. quadrivirgatus, C. rosichonariefi Riyanto, Grismer & Wood, C. semenanjungensis, C. semiadii Riyanto, Bauer & Yudha, C. semicintus, C, seribuatensis, C. sermowaensis, C. stresemanni, C. wetariensis and C. yoshii. Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. lacks an abrupt transition between rows of large and small postfemoral and ventral femoral scales thus differing from C. astrum, C. australotitiwangsaensis, C. aurensis, C. baluensis, C. batucolus, C. bintangtinggi, C. bintangrendah, C. brevipalmatus, C. fumosus, C. gunungsenyumensis, C. klakahensis. C. leegrismeri, C. lekaguli, C. langkawiensis, C. macrotuberculatus, C. marmoratus, C. metropolis, C. seribuatensis, C. matsuii, C. pantiensis, C. payacola, C. petani, C. psarops, C. pulchellus, C. semicinctus, C. stresemanni, C. tebuensis, C. trilatofasciatus, C. wetariensis and C. zugi. Catal��g number M��B MWFB, Published as part of Riyanto, Awal, Kurniati, Hellen & Engilis, Andrew, 2016, A new Bent-toed gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Mekongga Mountains, South East Sulawesi, Indonesia, pp. 59-72 in Zootaxa 4109 (1) on pages 61-67, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4109.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/263615

Injuries are inherent in basketball with lower extremity (LE) injury rates reported as high as 11.6 per 1000 athletic exposures (AEs); many of these injuries result in time loss from sport participation. A recent trend in sports medicine research has been the attempt to identify athletes who may be at risk for injury based on measures of preseason fitness.The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to determine if the standing long jump (SLJ) and/or the single-leg hop (SLH) for distance functional performance tests (FPT) are associated with non-contact time loss lower quadrant (LQ, defined as lower extremities or low back) injury in collegiate male basketball players. It was hypothesized that basketball players with shorter SLJ or SLH measures would be at an increased risk for LQ injury.Seventy-one male collegiate basketball players from five teams completed a demographic questionnaire and performed three SLJ and six SLH (three per lower extremity) tests. Team athletic trainers tracked non-contact LQ time loss injuries during the season.Prospective cohort.Mean SLJ distance (normalized to height) was 0.99 (± 0.11) and mean SLH distances for the right and left were 0.85 ± 0.11 and 0.87 ± 0.10, respectively. A total of 29 (18 initial, 11 subsequent) non-contact time loss LQ injuries occurred during the study. At risk athletes (e.g., those with shorter SLJ and/or SLH) were no more likely to experience a non-contact time loss injury than their counterparts [OR associated with each FPT below cut scores = 0.9 (95% CI: 0.2, 4.9)]. The results from this study indicate that preseason performance of the SLJ and the SLH were not associated with future risk of LQ injury in this population.Preseason SLJ and SLH measures were not associated with non-contact time loss injuries in male collegiate basketball players. However, the descriptive data presented in this study can help sports medicine professionals evaluate athletic readiness prior to discharging an athlete back to sport after a LQ injury.2.

Collecting biological specimens for scientific studies came under scrutiny when B. A. Minteer et al. [“Avoiding (re)extinction,” Perspectives, 18 April, p. [260][1]] suggested that this practice plays a significant role in species extinctions. Based on a small number of examples (rare birds

An adult Buteo was found dead as a road-kill south of Sacramento, California, and was thought to represent the first state record of the eastern Red-shouldered Hawk (B. lineatus lineatus; Pyle et al. 2004). It is now a specimen in the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology (WFB 4816) at the U. of California, Davis. We examined this specimen and found that many of its plumage characters differed from all other adult Red-shouldered Hawks examined, including nominate adults. Plumage markings and measurements were intermediate between Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis, ssp calurus) and Red-shouldered Hawk (ssp elegans), leading us to hypothesize that the bird was a hybrid. However, mtDNA sequences and nuDNA microsatellites proved definitively that the bird was a Red-shouldered Hawk, most likely of eastern origin. This case illustrates that apparent hybrids or apparent vagrants could be individuals with anomalous phenotypes caused by rare genetic variation or novel epigenetic effects.

The species composition of the Chilean avifauna is well-defined taxonomically but is not well known ecologically. We sampled avian communities at a biosphere reserve in coastal north-central Chile in three seasons over six years (18 surveys total) and characterized them in terms of community structure and composition. The avifauna (S = 56 species) was dominated by insectivores (S = 20), carnivores (S = 14), and granivores (S = 13), with lesser contributions by omnivores (S = 5), nectarivores (S = 2), folivores (S = 1), and one vagrant piscivore. The fauna varied greatly between summer and winter, and in most years the breeding season also was distinct. Eighteen species constituted a core group of residents observed in nearly all surveys, but at least 15 species were nomadic or migratory. Our site supported more insectivorous species in winter but more granivores and omnivores in the breeding season, although this observation may be confounded by species' detectability. The structure of the set o...

On 10 August 2005, a Mount Lyell shrew (Sorex lyelli) was collected at 3,630 m elevation in Humphreys Basin, John Muir Wilderness Area, Fresno County, California. This specimen extends the known range of S. lyelli to the south by 55 km, increases its upper elevational range by ca. 500 m, and is the first alpine record. Prior to our finding, S. lyelli had been collected only in Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolomne counties, at elevations of 2,100–3,156 m, typically in sub-alpine herbaceous vegetation along fast-running streams associated with riparian shrubs, and less frequently in thickets of sub-alpine sagebrush. This record is from an alpine lakeshore well above treeline, with vegetation limited to sedges, grasses, and forbs. This specimen represents the highest elevational record for Sorex in the Sierra Nevada of California.

We studied foraging behavior of Tufted Tit-Tyrants (Anairetes parulus) in Matorral (shrubland) habitat of northcentral Chile. This species is a generalist insectivore feeding in most shrubs of Matorral habitat at our study site, although they favored three of the dominant plant species. Their foraging is typical of small tyrannid flycatchers, using rapid perch gleans coupled with hover gleans and supplemented by flycatching. They use relatively long search periods (3–5 sec) followed by rapid gleans, which is typical for small tyrannids. Their active foraging (3.1 ± 1.8 prey attacks/min) coupled with a longer search time distinguishes them from parids or regulids of the Holarctic with which they often are compared. They generally forage singly or in pairs and aggressively defend what appears to be foraging territories in winter and summer. Densities of Tufted Tit-Tyrants at our study site were higher than reported in other studies from Chile and Argentina, presumably reflecting resource availability.

Habitat loss, introduced predators, and hybridization with feral Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) continue to threaten the existence of the endangered Hawaiian Duck or Koloa maoli (A. wyvilliana). Protection and management of core breeding areas is a recovery objective, but lack of quantitative information on the species' habitat needs hinders recovery efforts. We conducted bi-monthly surveys of 48 wetlands on private lands on the Island of Hawai`i from March 2002 to June 2003. We compared Koloa use between seasons, wetland types, and study regions and modeled how use varied with 14 site and landscape variables. Koloa occupied 54% of the surveyed wetlands; use was higher on wetlands enhanced or created for Koloa primarily through the USDA's Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) than on ponds created for agriculture (81 vs. 41%) and on wetlands in the Kohala than in the Mauna Kea region (93 vs. 38%). Koloa were more likely to use wetlands farther (>600 m) from houses, larger (>0.23 ha) wetlands, and those s...