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The results of an ensemble of regional climate model (RCM) simulations over South America are presented. This is the first coordinated exercise of regional climate modelling studies over the continent, as part of the CLARIS-LPB EU FP7 project. The results of different future periods, with the main focus on (2071-2100) is shown, when forced by several global climate models, all using the A1B greenhouse gases emissions scenario. The analysis is focused on the mean climate conditions for both temperature and precipitation. The common climate change signals show an overall increase of temperature for all the seasons and regions, generally larger for the austral winter season. Future climate shows a precipitation decrease over the tropical region, and an increase over the subtropical areas. These climate change signals arise independently of the driving global model and the RCM. The internal variability of the driving global models introduces a very small level of uncertainty, compared with that due to the choice of the driving model and the RCM. Moreover, the level of uncertainty is larger for longer horizon projections for both temperature and precipitation. The uncertainty in the temperature changes is larger for the subtropical than for the tropical ones. The current analysis allows identification of the common climate change signals and their associated uncertainties for several subregions within the South American continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capability of a set of 7 coordinated regional climate model simulations performed in the framework of the CLARIS-LPB Project in reproducing the mean climate conditions over the South American continent has been evaluated. The model simulations were forced by the ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset for the period 1990-2008 on a grid resolution of 50 km, following the CORDEX protocol. The analysis was focused on evaluating the reliability of simulating mean precipitation and surface air temperature, which are the variables most commonly used for impact studies. Both the common features and the differences among individual models have been evaluated and compared against several observational datasets. In this study the ensemble bias and the degree of agreement among individual models have been quantified. The evaluation was focused on the seasonal means, the area-averaged annual cycles and the frequency distributions of monthly means over target sub-regions. Results show that the Regional Climate Model ensemble reproduces adequately well these features, with biases mostly within ±2 °C and ±20 % for temperature and precipitation, respectively. However, the multi-model ensemble depicts larger biases and larger uncertainty (as defined by the standard deviation of the models) over tropical regions compared with subtropical regions. Though some systematic biases were detected particularly over the La Plata Basin region, such as underestimation of rainfall during winter months and overestimation of temperature during summer months, every model shares a similar behavior and, consequently, the uncertainty in simulating current climate conditions is low. Every model is able to capture the variety in the shape of the frequency distribution for both temperature and precipitation along the South American continent. Differences among individual models and observations revealed the nature of individual model biases, showing either a shift in the distribution or an overestimation or underestimation of the range of variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of four regional climate models to reproduce the present-day South American climate is examined with emphasis on La Plata Basin. Models were integrated for the period 1991-2000 with initial and lateral boundary conditions from ERA-40 Reanalysis. The ensemble sea level pressure, maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation are evaluated in terms of seasonal means and extreme indices based on a percentile approach. Dispersion among the individual models and uncertainties when comparing the ensemble mean with different climatologies are also discussed. The ensemble mean is warmer than the observations in South Eastern South America (SESA), especially for minimum winter temperatures with errors increasing in magnitude towards the tails of the distributions. The ensemble mean reproduces the broad spatial pattern of precipitation, but overestimates the convective precipitation in the tropics and the orographic precipitation along the Andes and over the Brazilian Highlands, and underestimates the precipitation near the monsoon core region. The models overestimate the number of wet days and underestimate the daily intensity of rainfall for both seasons suggesting a premature triggering of convection. The skill of models to simulate the intensity of convective precipitation in summer in SESA and the variability associated with heavy precipitation events (the upper quartile daily precipitation) is far from satisfactory. Owing to the sparseness of the observing network, ensemble and observations uncertainties in seasonal means are comparable for some regions and seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fish fauna of the Pampa Plain, the southernmost distribution range of many Neotropical species, was barcoded in this study. COI sequences were analysed by means of distance ( K2 P/ NJ) and character-based ( ML) models, as well as the Barcode Index Number ( BIN). K2 P/ NJ analysis was able to discriminate among all previously identified species while also revealing the likely occurrence of two cryptic species that were further supported by BIN and ML analyses. On the other hand, both BIN and ML were not able to discriminate between two species of Rineloricaria. Despite the small genetic divergence between A. cf. pampa and A. eigenmanniorum, a tight array of haplotypes was observed for each species in both the distance and character-based methods. Deep intraspecific divergences were detected in Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (5%) and Salminus brasiliensis (6%). For Salminus brasiliensis, these findings were further supported by character-based ( ML) evidence and meristic and morphological data. Our results also showed that Pampa Plain representatives of Salminus brasiliensis, Rhamdia quelen, Hoplias malabaricus, Synbranchus marmoratus, Australoheros facetus, Oligosarcus jenynsii and Corydoras paleatus differed by more than 3% from their conspecifics from other parts of South America. Overall, this study was able to highlight the likely occurrence of a cryptic species in Salminus brasiliensis and also illustrate the strong geographical structure in the COI sequence composition of seven fish species from South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the performance of one stretched-grid atmospheric global model, five different regional climate models and a statistical downscaling technique in simulating 3 months (January 1971, November 1986, July 1996) characterized by anomalous climate conditions in the southern La Plata Basin. Models were driven by reanalysis (ERA-40). The analysis has emphasized on the simulation of the precipitation over land and has provided a quantification of the biases of and scatter between the different regional simulations. Most but not all dynamical models underpredict precipitation amounts in south eastern South America during the three periods. Results suggest that models have regime dependence, performing better for some conditions than others. The models’ ensemble and the statistical technique succeed in reproducing the overall observed frequency of daily precipitation for all periods. But most models tend to underestimate the frequency of dry days and overestimate the amount of light rainfall days. The number of events with strong or heavy precipitation tends to be under simulated by the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the Quaternary cingulates collected from two limestone caves in Aurora do Tocantins, northern Brazil. Osteoderms of Euphractus sexcinctus , Dasypus novemcinctus , Propraopus sulcatus , and Pachyarmaterium brasiliense were retrieved, representing an expansion on the known distribution of the taxa. The specimens are described herein, and their geographic and chronologic distributions in Brazil are reviewed. Numerical dates allied to the presence of biostratigraphically relevant taxa indicate a Late Pleistocene–middle Holocene age. Considering that E . sexcinctus and D . novemcinctus occupy the area nowadays, why did part of the past cingulate community survive and the other part became extinct? We believe that their distribution was affected by paleoclimatic shifts, especially during glacial/interglacial cycles. The colder and arid climate of the Pleistocene glacial periods favored the development of open forests and savannas in Brazil, whereas grasslands and steppes were predominant in higher latitudes. Probably, Propraopus and Pachyarmatherium (from south and north, respectively) took refuge in lower latitudes, including in Brazil. Later, during the interglacial cycle, warm and moist climates favored the development of an evergreen forest in central Brazil, leading Propraopus and Pachyarmatherium to extinction and positively selecting E . sexcinctus and D . novemcinctus . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum is an emerging bacterial plant pathogen that causes bacterial leaf streak on corn. First described in South Africa in 1949, reports of this pathogen have greatly increased in the past years in South America and in the United States. The rapid spread of this disease in North and South America may be due to more favorable environmental conditions, susceptible hosts and/or genomic changes that favored the spread. To understand whether genetic mechanisms exist behind the recent spread of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum , we used comparative genomics to identify gene acquisitions in X. vasicola pv. vasculorum genomes from the United States and Argentina. We sequenced 41 genomes of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum and the related sorghum-infecting X. vasicola pv. holcicola and performed comparative analyses against all available X. vasicola genomes. Time-measured phylogenetic analyses showed that X. vasicola pv. vasculorum strains from the United States and Argentina are closely related and arose from two introductions to North and South America. Gene content comparisons identified clusters of genes enriched in corn X. vasicola pv. vasculorum that showed evidence of horizontal transfer including one cluster corresponding to a prophage found in all X. vasicola pv. vasculorum strains from the United States and Argentina as well as in X. vasicola pv. holcicola strains. In this work, we explore the genomes of an emerging phytopathogen population as a first step toward identifying genetic changes associated with the emergence. The acquisitions identified may contain virulence determinants or other factors associated with the spread of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum in North and South America and will be the subject of future work.

Bacterial leaf streak of corn, caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum , has been present in South Africa for over 70 years, but is an emerging disease of corn in North and South America. The only scientific information pertaining to this disease on corn came from work done in South Africa, which primarily investigated host range on other African crops, such as sugarcane and banana. As a result, when the disease was first reported in the United States in 2016, there was very limited information on where this pathogen came from, how it infects its host, what plant tissue(s) it is capable of infecting, where initial inoculum comes from at the beginning of each crop season, how the bacterium spreads from plant to plant and long distance, what meteorological variables and agronomic practices favor disease development and spread, how many other plant species X. vasicola pv. vasculorum is capable of infecting or using as alternate hosts, and if the bacterium will be able to persist in all corn growing regions of the United States. There were also no rapid diagnostic assays available which initially hindered prompt identification prior to the development of molecular diagnostic tools. The goal of this synthesis is to review the history of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum and bacterial leaf streak in South Africa and its movement to North and South America, and highlight the recent research that has been done in response to the emergence of this bacterial disease.

Rivers and lake systems in the southern cone of South America have been widely influenced by historical glaciations, carrying important implications for the evolution of aquatic organisms, including prompting transitions between marine and freshwater habitats and by triggering hybridization among incipient species via waterway connectivity and stream capture events. Silverside fishes (Odontesthes) in the region comprise a radiation of 19 marine and freshwater species that have been hypothesized on the basis of morphological or mitochondrial DNA data to have either transitioned repeatedly into continental waters from the sea or colonized marine habitats following freshwater diversification. New double digest restriction-site associated DNA data presented here provide a robust framework to investigate the biogeographical history of and habitat transitions in Odontesthes. We show that Odontesthes silversides originally diversified in the Pacific but independently colonized the Atlantic three times, producing three independent marine-to-freshwater transitions. Our results also indicate recent introgression of marine mitochondrial haplotypes into two freshwater clades, with more recurring instances of hybridization among Atlantic- versus Pacific-slope species. In Pacific freshwater drainages, hybridization with a marine species appears to be geographically isolated and may be related to glaciation events. Substantial structural differences of estuarine gradients between these two geographical areas may have influenced the frequency, intensity and evolutionary effects of hybridization events., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: It is currently recommended that after return of spontaneous circulation following cardiac arrest, fever should be prevented using TTM through a servo-controlled system. This technology is not yet available in many global settings, where manual physical measures without servo-control is the only option. Our aim was to compare feasibility, safety and quality assurance of servo-controlled system versus no servo-controlled system cooling, TTM protocols for cooling, maintenance and rewarming following return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest in children., Design: Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized, study., Setting: PICUs of 20 hospitals in South America, Spain, and Italy, 2012-2014., Patients: Under 18 years old with a cardiac arrest longer than 2 minutes, in coma and surviving to PICU admission requiring mechanical ventilation were included., Methods: TTM to 32-34°C was performed by prospectively designed protocol across 20 centers, with either servo-controlled system or no servo-controlled system methods, depending on servo-controlled system availability. We analyzed clinical data, cardiac arrest, temperature, mechanical ventilation duration, length of hospitalization, complications, survival, and neurologic outcomes at 6 months., Primary Outcome: feasibility, safety and quality assurance of the cooling technique and secondary outcome: survival and Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category at 6 months., Measurements and Main Results: Seventy patients were recruited, 51 of 70 TTM (72.8%) with servo-controlled system. TTM induction, maintenance, and rewarming were feasible in both groups. Servo-controlled system was more effective than no servo-controlled system in maintaining TTM (69 vs 60%; p = 0.004). Servo-controlled system had fewer temperatures above 38.1°C during the 5 days of TTM (0.1% vs 2.9%; p < 0.001). No differences in mortality, complications, length of mechanical ventilation and of stay, or neurologic sequelae were found between the two groups., Conclusions: TTM protocol (for cooling, maintenance and rewarming) following return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest in children was feasible and safe with both servo-controlled system and no servo-controlled system techniques. Achieving, maintaining, and rewarming within protocol targets were more effective with servo-controlled system versus no servo-controlled system techniques.

We sequenced the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of 59 peccaries (44 white-lipped peccaries, Tayassu pecari, and 15 collared peccaries, Pecari tajacu). We also genotyped 3 DNA microsatellites from 78 white-lipped peccaries representing the 4 putative morphological subspecies (i.e., spiradens, aequatoris, pecari, and albirostris) present in northwestern South America (i.e., Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). Our results showed: 1) the estimated diversity of the mtDNA control region in the T. pecari population was extremely high, whereas the average genetic diversity for the microsatellites was medium to high and similar to that observed in European pig breeds; 2) there was no significant genetic heterogeneity among the quoted putative morphological subspecies at the mitochondrial marker, but we did detect significant (although relatively small) genetic heterogeneity using microsatellites, indicating that T. pecari albirostris is a uniquely differentiated group; and 3) the phylogenetic mtDNA trees showed that haplotypes were intermixed independent of their "a priori" subspecies classification. In addition, the microsatellite assignation analyses yielded low percentages of well-classified individuals when the analysis considered the geographic morphology of the subspecies. Thus, the molecular results do not support the putative morphological subspecies of T. pecari in northwestern South America. Finally, our results did not detect clear historical demographic changes using the mtDNA control region sequences. These genetic results are discussed in the context of the ecological and social characteristics of T. pecari.

The morphological systematics of the tufted capuchins is confusing. In an attempt to clarify the complex systematics and phylogeography of this taxon, we provide a first molecular analysis. We obtained mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II (mtCOII) gene sequences from 49 tufted capuchins that had exact geographic origins from diverse lineages in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, French Guyana, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay and that belonged to clearly recognized morphological taxa. This project had 4 main findings: (1) we determined 2 established and related taxa in the northern Amazon River area, which we named C. a. apella and C. a. fatuellus. C. a. apella is distributed from French Guyana until, at least, the Negro River in the northern Brazilian Amazon, whereas C. a. fatuellus is distributed throughout the Colombian Eastern Llanos and the northern Colombian Amazon. We also determined 2 other southern C. apella taxa, which we named C. a. macrodon and C. a. cay. C. a. macrodon has a western and southern Amazon distribution, while C. a. cay has a more southern distribution outside the Amazon basin. (2) In the upper Amazon basin, there is a unique lineage (C. a. macrocephalus) with 1 widely distributed haplotype. The 4 morphological subspecies (C. a. maranonis, C. a. macrocephalus, C. a. peruanus, C. a. pallidus), and maybe a fifth unknown subspecies, described in this area were molecularly undifferentiated at least for the mitochondrial gene analyzed. (3) Our molecular analysis determined that 1 individual of C. robustus fell into the lineage of C. a. macrocephalus. Therefore, this form does not receive any specific name. (4) The animals classified a priori as C. nigritus and C. xanthosternos (because of their morphological phenotypes and by their geographical origins) were clearly differentiated from the other specimens analyzed with the molecular marker employed. Therefore, we consider that these 2 lineages could be assigned the status of full species following the biological species definition. (5) In 2001, Groves described 4 tufted capuchin species (C. apella, C. libidinosus, C. nigritus and C. xanthosternos), while Silva Jr. determined 7 species (C. apella, C. macrocephalus, C. libidinosus, C. cay, C. nigritus, C. robustus and C. xanthosternos). The tests of Swofford-Olsen-Waddell-Hillis, of Shimodaira and Hasegawa and of Templeton did not fit with either of these two classificatory schemes, although Groves' scheme was better with regard to our data than that of Silva Jr. (6) All the temporal splits among the tufted capuchin taxa studied were estimated to have occurred during the last phase of the Pleistocene by using the ρ statistic applied to the median joining haplotype network., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

A total of 696 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial COII gene were sequenced from 118 individuals of Cebus albifrons (plus an individual of Cebus olivaceus) sampled from diverse geographical areas of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. These animals represented all of the C. albifrons's taxa described by Hershkovitz (1949) in Colombia and Peru (10 out of 13 subspecies are described by this author). The sequences analyzed demonstrate the existence of three well defined groups in northern Colombia (trans-Andean): malitosus, versicolor-pleei-cesarae and leucocephalus. They arose from at least, three distinct migrations from different Amazonian groups. Five different Amazonian and Eastern Llanos C. albifrons's groups (I, II, III, IV, and V) were also found. In many Amazonian localities, some of these groups live in sympatry probably by secondary expansion after their respective formations. Amazonian group I is closely related to the versicolor-pleei-cesarae group, malitosus is closely related to Amazonian group V, while leucocephalus is closely related to Amazonian group IV. Nevertheless, our genetic analysis could not resolve the genetic relationships among the main C. albifrons groups. The ρ-statistic applied to the median-joining network yielded that the major part of the temporal splits estimated occurred in the Pleistocene, reinforcing the importance of the Pleistocene refugia during the evolution of C. albifrons., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)