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Son factores naturales y no antropogénicos los que afectan a la distribución de mamíferos autóctonos y alóctonos en un parque nacional del Brasil En la actualidad, las zonas protegidas, que están concebidas para la conservación de la biodiversidad, se ven afectadas por especies invasoras, ya que en la mayoría de ellas se han documentado invasiones biológicas. Con el presente estudio tratamos de comprobar si la riqueza de especies de mamíferos alóctonos incide en la distribución local de mamíferos autóctonos y determinar la influencia de la distancia a asentamientos humanos, la altitud y las características de la vegetación en la riqueza de mamíferos autóctonos y alóctonos en un parque nacional del Brasil. Registramos 20 especies de mamíferos en el parque, de las que 17 eran autóctonas y tres, alóctonas. La riqueza de mamíferos autóctonos fue mayor en altitudes intermedias y en bosques poco densos y con escasa área basimétrica. La riqueza de mamíferos alóctonos fue mayor en altitudes intermedias y en bosques poco densos. Los mamíferos alóctonos no influyeron en la presencia de los mamíferos autóctonos. En conclusión, la altitud y la vegetación son los factores que afectaron a la distribución de las especies de mamíferos autóctonas y alóctonas, y no la distancia a asentamientos humanos.

Between May 2002 and May 2003, we studied a small mammal community from an Atlantic forest fragment surrounded by a coffee plantation in the municipality of Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo state, Brazil. We obtained a total of 300 captures of 114 individuals belonging to 11 mammal species. Seventy three percent of the species captured in the forest also used the coffee plantation, mainly males (90%) and young (80%) individuals of Marmosops incanus. The exceptionally low recapture rate in the coffee plantation suggests that it functions as a corridor between fragments, rather than as a habitat for these species. Understanding the role of matrix habitat use in fragmented landscapes is an important factor in small mammal conservation, as it asymmetrically affects the rate and mode of individual movements of different species.

Abstract Despite the ubiquity of domestic dogs, their role as zoonotic reservoirs and the large number of studies concerning parasites in urban dogs, rural areas in Brazil, especially those at the wildlife-domestic animal-human interface, have received little attention from scientists and public health managers. This paper reports a cross-sectional epidemiological survey of gastrointestinal parasites of rural dogs living in farms around Atlantic Forest fragments. Through standard parasitological methods (flotation and sedimentation), 13 parasite taxa (11 helminths and two protozoans) were found in feces samples from dogs. The most prevalent were the nematode Ancylostoma (47%) followed by Toxocara (18%) and Trichuris (8%). Other less prevalent (

Habitat loss can lead to biotic homogenization (decrease in β diversity) or differentiation (increase in β diversity) of biological communities. However, it is unclear which of these ecological processes predominates in human-modified landscapes. We used data on vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants to quantify β diversity based on species occurrence and abundance among communities in 1367 landscapes with varying amounts of habitat (<30%, 30-60%, or >60% of forest cover) throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Decreases in habitat amount below 30% led to increased compositional similarity of vertebrate and invertebrate communities, which may indicate a process of biotic homogenization throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. No pattern was detected in plant communities. We found that habitat loss was associated with a deterministic increase in faunal community similarity, which is consistent with a selected subset of species being capable of thriving in human-modified landscapes. The lack of pattern found in plants was consistent with known variation between taxa in community responses to habitat amount. Brazilian legislation requiring the preservation of 20% of Atlantic Forest native vegetation may be insufficient to prevent the biotic homogenization of faunal communities. Our results highlight the importance of preserving large amounts of habitat, providing source areas for the recolonization of deforested landscapes, and avoiding large-scale impacts of homogenization of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest., (© 2024 Society for Conservation Biology.)

Background: Hybrids are expected to show greater phenotypic variation than their parental species, yet how hybrid phenotype expression varies with genetic distances in closely-related parental species remains surprisingly understudied. Here, we investigate pelage and morphometric trait variation in anthropogenic hybrids between four species of Brazilian Callithrix marmosets, a relatively recent primate radiation. Marmoset species are distinguishable by pelage phenotype and morphological specializations for eating tree exudates. In this work, we (1) describe qualitative phenotypic pelage differences between parental species and hybrids; (2) test whether significant quantitative differences exist between parental and hybrid morphometric phenotypes; and (3) determine which hybrid morphometic traits show heterosis, dysgenesis, trangression, or intermediacy relative to the parental trait. We investigated cranial and post-cranial morphometric traits, as most hybrid morphological studies focus on the former instead of the latter. Finally, we estimate mitogenomic distances between marmoset species from previously published data., Results: Marmoset hybrid facial and overall body pelage variation reflected novel combinations of coloration and patterns present in parental species. In morphometric traits, C. jacchus and C. penicillata were the most similar, while C. aurita was the most distinct, and C. geoffroyi trait measures fell between these species. Only three traits in C. jacchus x C. penicillata hybrids showed heterosis. We observed heterosis and dysgenesis in several traits of C. penicillata x C. geoffroyi hybrids. Transgressive segregation was observed in hybrids of C. aurita and the other species. These hybrids were also C. aurita-like for a number of traits, including body length. Genetic distance was closest between C. jacchus and C. penicillata and farthest between C. aurita and the other species., Conclusion: We attributed significant morphometric differences between marmoset species to variable levels of morphological specialization for exudivory in these species. Our results suggest that intermediate or parental species-like hybrid traits relative to the parental trait values are more likely in crosses between species with relatively lesser genetic distance. More extreme phenotypic variation is more likely in parental species with greater genetic distance, with transgressive traits appearing in hybrids of the most genetically distant parental species. We further suggest that fewer developmental disturbances can be expected in hybrids of more recently diverged parental species, and that future studies of hybrid phenotypic variation should investigate selective pressures on Callithrix cranial and post-cranial morphological traits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Cerrado domain and its biodiversity has suffered several anthropogenic influences. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of biotic and anthropic variables on the mammal community in a protected area in the Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone. For this we sampled the mammals using camera traps (4,072 days/trap) for 16 months. We used generalized mixed linear models (GLMM) with model selection via Akaike's Information Criteria corrected for small sample size (AICc) to assess the influence of variables on richness, abundance and functional groups of mammals. We made a total of 663 photographic records of 16 species of medium and large mammals. The richness and number of mammals was negatively influenced by the distance to human settlements while carnivores were not affected by any of the variables evaluated, herbivores and generalists were more common in areas closer from human habitation. Despite the presence of large areas of native vegetation, our results show that there is a dominance of common and generalist species. The protected area is vulnerable to different sources of human pressure and the design and implementation of a management plan can be a key tool for protecting biodiversity and regulating the use of natural resources by local communities.

Primates are affected by fluctuations in ambient temperatures, mostly through thermoregulatory costs and changes in the availability of food. In the present study, we investigate whether the ambient temperature and proxies of food availability affect the activity period of marmosets (Callithrix spp.). We predicted that: (i) at colder sites, marmosets would spend more time at sleeping sites; (ii) midday resting bouts would be longer at hotter sites; (iii) the onset/cessation of activity and resting behavior at midday would be more closely related to temperature than food availability, and (iv) highly exudativorous groups would have higher total levels of resting. We compiled data on the onset and cessation of activity and the time spent resting at midday from seven marmoset studies from sites with a wide range of temperatures. We used generalized linear mixed models to verify the relationship between the dependent variables (lag between dawn and the onset of activities, lag between cessation of activities and dusk, and proportion of resting during midday) and the minimum and maximum temperatures at the respective study sites, together with proxies of food availability (exudativory rates, the amount of habitat available per individual, and net primary productivity) using each sample month as a sampling unit and the identity of the study as a categorical random factor. At colder sites and during colder months, the marmosets left sleeping trees later in the morning and ceased their activities earlier, while at hotter sites and during hotter months, they spent more time resting during midday. More exudativorous groups become active later in the morning, but also ceased their activities later. The abundance of food did not affect the timing of activities. We provide evidence that both low and high temperatures affect marmosets' activities, and that their activity period appears to be more influenced by the thermal environment than food availability., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The diversity of endotherms and ectotherms may be differently affected by ambient temperature and net primary productivity (NPP). Additionally, little is known about how these drivers affect the diversity of guilds of different trophic levels. We assessed the relative role of temperature and NPP in multitrophic guilds of ectothermic (arthropods: ants, ground beetles, spiders, and harvestmen) and endothermic (large mammals) animals along a tropical elevational gradient. We sampled arthropods at eight elevation belts and large mammals at 14 elevation belts in Atlantic rainforest (ranging from 600 to 2450 m.a.s.l.) of Itatiaia National Park, Southeast Brazil. Overall arthropod species richness was more associated with temperature than overall large-mammal species richness, while the latter was more associated with NPP. When separated into trophic guilds, we found that the species richness associated with NPP increased across arthropod trophic levels from herbivores to predators. Conversely, although NPP influenced large-mammal herbivore species richness, its effects did not seem to accumulate across large-mammal trophic levels since the species richness of large-mammal omnivores was more associated with temperature and none of the variables we studied influenced large-mammal predators. We suggest that thermal physiological differences between ectotherms and endotherms are responsible for the way in which arthropods and large mammals interact with or are constrained by the environment. Furthermore, the inconsistency regarding the role of temperature and NPP on species richness across multitrophic guilds of ectotherms and endotherms could indicate that thermal physiological differences might also interfere with energy use and flux in the food web., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Callithrix marmosets are a relatively young primate radiation, whose phylogeny is not yet fully resolved. These primates are naturally para- and allopatric, but three species with highly invasive potential have been introduced into the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest by the pet trade. There, these species hybridize with each other and endangered, native congeners. We aimed here to reconstruct a robust Callithrix phylogeny and divergence time estimates, and identify the biogeographic origins of autochthonous and allochthonous Callithrix mitogenome lineages. We sequenced 49 mitogenomes from four species (C. aurita, C. geoffroyi, C. jacchus, C. penicillata) and anthropogenic hybrids (C. aurita x Callithrix sp., C. penicillata x C. jacchus, Callithrix sp. x Callithrix sp., C. penicillata x C. geoffroyi) via Sanger and whole genome sequencing. We combined these data with previously published Callithrix mitogenomes to analyze five Callithrix species in total., Results: We report the complete sequence and organization of the C. aurita mitogenome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that C. aurita was the first to diverge within Callithrix 3.54 million years ago (Ma), while C. jacchus and C. penicillata lineages diverged most recently 0.5 Ma as sister clades. MtDNA clades of C. aurita, C. geoffroyi, and C. penicillata show intraspecific geographic structure, but C. penicillata clades appear polyphyletic. Hybrids, which were identified by phenotype, possessed mainly C. penicillata or C. jacchus mtDNA haplotypes. The biogeographic origins of mtDNA haplotypes from hybrid and allochthonous Callithrix were broadly distributed across natural Callithrix ranges. Our phylogenetic results also evidence introgression of C. jacchus mtDNA into C. aurita., Conclusion: Our robust Callithrix mitogenome phylogeny shows C. aurita lineages as basal and C. jacchus lineages among the most recent within Callithrix. We provide the first evidence that parental mtDNA lineages of anthropogenic hybrid and allochthonous marmosets are broadly distributed inside and outside of the Atlantic Forest. We also show evidence of cryptic hybridization between allochthonous Callithrix and autochthonous C. aurita. Our results encouragingly show that further development of genomic resources will allow to more clearly elucidate Callithrix evolutionary relationships and understand the dynamics of Callithrix anthropogenic introductions into the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data., (© 2020 The Authors. Ecology © 2020 The Ecological Society of America.)

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data., (© 2020 The Authors. Ecology © 2020 The Ecological Society of America.)

Xenarthrans-anteaters, sloths, and armadillos-have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data., (© 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of America.)

The name of the species tetradactyla means "four digits." In the literature, the hand of the lesser anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla) is described as having four digits (I, II, III and IV) with the absence of a fifth digit. The purpose of this study was to carry out an update adequately proposing an anatomical description of the T. tetradactyla hand. The present findings were analysed on the validation of Morse's law for this species. In total, seven male cadavers were radiographed and dissected. We observed that the hand of the T. tetradactyla was formed by a carpus containing four bones in the proximal row, which in the medium lateral direction was the radial, intermediate, ulnar and accessory bones of the carpus, and the distal row was formed by carpal bones I, II, III and IV. There were five metacarpal bones (I, II, III, IV and V). The presence of five digits was verified but not confirmed with the literature. Digit I had two phalanges, the proximal and distal; digits II, III and IV had three phalanges: proximal, middle and distal. Digit five had only one phalanx, the proximal, but it was not externally visible. According to the findings of this study, the presence of the fifth digit raises the question of whether the term tetradactyla is the most appropriate to describe this species. This rudimentary fifth digit and the presence of a functional first digit show that the Morse's law does not applies for the T. tetradactyla species., (© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1-6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co-occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data., (© 2018 by the The Authors. Ecology © 2018 The Ecological Society of America.)

Niche conservatism, i.e. the retention of a species' fundamental niche through evolutionary time, is cornerstone for biological invasion assessments. The fact that species tend to maintain their original climate niche allows predictive maps of invasion risk to anticipate potential invadable areas. Unravelling the mechanisms driving niche shifts can shed light on the management of invasive species. Here, we assessed niche shifts in one of the world's worst invasive species: the wild boar Sus scrofa. We also predicted potential invadable areas based on an ensemble of three ecological niche modelling methods, and evaluated the performance of models calibrated with native vs. pooled (native plus invaded) species records. By disentangling the drivers of change on the exotic wild boar population's niches, we found strong evidence for niche conservatism during biological invasion. Ecological niche models calibrated with both native and pooled range records predicted convergent areas. Also, observed niche shifts are mostly explained by niche unfilling, i.e. there are unoccupied areas in the exotic range where climate is analogous to the native range. Niche unfilling is expected as result of recent colonization and ongoing dispersal, and was potentially stronger for the Neotropics, where a recent wave of introductions for pig-farming and game-hunting has led to high wild boar population growth rates. The invasive potential of wild boar in the Neotropics is probably higher than in other regions, which has profound management implications if we are to prevent their invasion into species-rich areas, such as Amazonia, coupled with expansion of African swine fever and possibly great economic losses. Although the originally Eurasian-wide distribution suggests a pre-adaptation to a wide array of climates, the wild boar world-wide invasion does not exhibit evidence of niche evolution. The invasive potential of the wild boar therefore probably lies on the reproductive, dietary and morphological characteristics of this species, coupled with behavioural thermoregulation., (© 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.)

Despite the ubiquity of domestic dogs, their role as zoonotic reservoirs and the large number of studies concerning parasites in urban dogs, rural areas in Brazil, especially those at the wildlife-domestic animal-human interface, have received little attention from scientists and public health managers. This paper reports a cross-sectional epidemiological survey of gastrointestinal parasites of rural dogs living in farms around Atlantic Forest fragments. Through standard parasitological methods (flotation and sedimentation), 13 parasite taxa (11 helminths and two protozoans) were found in feces samples from dogs. The most prevalent were the nematode Ancylostoma (47%) followed by Toxocara (18%) and Trichuris (8%). Other less prevalent (<2%) parasites found were Capillaria, Ascaridia, Spirocerca, Taeniidae, Acantocephala, Ascaris, Dipylidium caninum, Toxascaris, and the protozoans Cystoisospora and Eimeria. Mixed infections were found in 36% of samples, mostly by Ancylostoma and Toxocara. Previous deworming had no association with infections, meaning that this preventive measure is being incorrectly performed by owners. Regarding risk factors, dogs younger than one year were more likely to be infected with Toxocara, and purebred dogs with Trichuris. The number of cats in the households was positively associated with Trichuris infection, while male dogs and low body scores were associated with mixed infections. The lack of associations with dog free-ranging behavior and access to forest or villages indicates that infections are mostly acquired around the households. The results highlight the risk of zoonotic and wildlife parasite infections from dogs and the need for monitoring and controlling parasites of domestic animals in human-wildlife interface areas.

Background: Despite the crucial role of domestic dogs as reservoirs for zoonosis and some of the most threatening diseases for wild carnivores such as distemper and parvovirosis, little is known about the epidemiological features and the risk factors involved in pathogen exposure of dogs that live in human/wildlife interfaces and actually contacts wildlife. Through a cross-sectional serological approach and questionnaire survey, we assessed the prevalence along with individual and environment-associated risk factors for four important viral diseases of rural dogs living in households around six Atlantic Forest fragments in southeast Brazil., Results: Widespread exposure to canine parvovirus (97%), canine distemper virus (15%) and canine adenovirus (27%) was detected, but none for canine coronavirus. Dogs from small private reserves were more exposed to parvovirus and canine distemper virus than those from larger state parks. Exposure was associated with dog sex and age, lack of health care and the number of people in the households. Remarkably, factors linked to free-ranging behaviour of dogs were associated with the exposure for all pathogens detected., Conclusions: According to identified associations, reducing viral pathogen exposure in dogs will require inhibiting dog's movements and access to nearby forests and villages and improving veterinary assistance. Promoting dog vaccination and population control through sterilization around protected areas is also necessary. The study provides support for preventive management actions aimed to protect the health of rural dogs, and consequently of Atlantic Forest's wild carnivores.

The forest refuge hypothesis (FRH) has long been a paradigm for explaining the extreme biological diversity of tropical forests. According to this hypothesis, forest retraction and fragmentation during glacial periods would have promoted reproductive isolation and consequently speciation in forest patches (ecological refuges) surrounded by open habitats. The recent use of paleoclimatic models of species and habitat distributions revitalized the FRH, not by considering refuges as the main drivers of allopatric speciation, but instead by suggesting that high contemporary diversity is associated with historically stable forest areas. However, the role of the emerged continental shelf on the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot of eastern South America during glacial periods has been ignored in the literature. Here, we combined results of species distribution models with coalescent simulations based on DNA sequences to explore the congruence between scenarios of forest dynamics through time and the genetic structure of mammal species cooccurring in the central region of the Atlantic Forest. Contrary to the FRH predictions, we found more fragmentation of suitable habitats during the last interglacial (LIG) and the present than in the last glacial maximum (LGM), probably due to topography. We also detected expansion of suitable climatic conditions onto the emerged continental shelf during the LGM, which would have allowed forests and forest-adapted species to expand. The interplay of sea level and land distribution must have been crucial in the biogeographic history of the Atlantic Forest, and forest refuges played only a minor role, if any, in this biodiversity hotspot during glacial periods.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis is an important zoonosis in Brazil. However, infection patterns are unknown in some scenarios such as rural settlements around Atlantic Forest fragments. Additionally, controversy remains over risk factors, and most identified patterns of infection in dogs have been found in urban areas. We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological survey to assess the prevalence of leishmaniasis in dogs through three different serological tests, and interviews with owners to assess features of dogs and households around five Atlantic Forest remnants in southeastern Brazil. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models and Chi-square tests to detect associations between prevalence and variables that might influence Leishmania infection, and a nearest neighbor dispersion analysis to assess clustering in the spatial distribution of seropositive dogs. Our findings showed an average prevalence of 20% (ranging from 10 to 32%) in dogs. Nearly 40% (ranging from 22 to 55%) of households had at least one seropositive dog. Some individual traits of dogs (height, sterilization, long fur, age class) were found to positively influence the prevalence, while some had negative influence (weight, body score, presence of ectoparasites). Environmental and management features (number of cats in the households, dogs with free-ranging behavior) also entered models as negative associations with seropositivity. Strong and consistent negative (protective) influences of the presence of chickens and pigs in dog seropositivity were detected. Spatial clustering of cases was detected in only one of the five study sites. The results showed that different risk factors than those found in urban areas may drive the prevalence of canine leishmaniasis in farm/forest interfaces, and that humans and wildlife risk infection in these areas. Domestic dog population limitation by gonadectomy, legal restriction of dog numbers per household and owner education are of the greatest importance for the control of visceral leishmaniasis in rural zones near forest fragments.

Habitat fragmentation leads to isolation and reduce habitat areas, in addition to a series of negative effects on natural populations, affecting richness, abundance and distribution of animal species. In such a context, habitat corridors serve as an alternative for connectivity in fragmented landscapes, minimizing the effects of structural isolation of different habitat areas. This study evaluated the richness, composition and abundance of small mammal communities in forest fragments and in the relevant vegetation corridors that connect these fragments, located in Southern Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Ten sites were sampled (five forest fragments and five vegetation corridors) using the capture-mark-recapture method, from April 2007-March 2008. A total sampling effort of 6 300 trapnights resulted in 656 captures of 249 individuals. Across the 10 sites sampled, 11 small mammal species were recorded. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) ordinations and ANOSIM based on the composition of small mammal communities within the corridor and fragment revealed a qualitative difference between the two environments. Regarding abundance, there was no significant difference between corridors and fragments. In comparing mean values of abundance per species in each environment, only Cerradomys subflavus showed a significant difference, being more abundant in the corridor environment. Results suggest that the presence of several small mammal species in the corridor environment, in relatively high abundances, could indicate corridors use as habitat, though they might also facilitate and/or allow the movement of individuals using different habitat patches (fragments).

The objective of our work was to verify the value of the vegetation corridor in the conservation of small mammals in fragmented tropical landscapes, using a model system in the southeastern Minas Gerais. We evaluated and compared the composition and structure of small mammals in a vegetation corridor, forest fragments and a coffee matrix. A total of 15 species were recorded, and the highest species richness was observed in the vegetation corridor (13 species), followed by the forest fragments (10) and the coffee matrix (6). The absolute abundance was similar between the vegetation corridor and fragments (F = 22.94; p = 0.064), and the greatest differences occurred between the vegetation corridor and the matrix (F = 22.94; p = 0.001) and the forest fragments and the matrix (F = 22.94; p = 0.007). Six species showed significant habitat preference possibly related to the sensitivity of the species to the forest disturbance. Marmosops incanus was the species most sensitive to disturbance; Akodon montensis, Cerradomys subflavus, Gracilinanus microtarsus and Rhipidomys sp. displayed little sensitivity to disturbance, with a high relative abundance in the vegetation corridor. Calomys sp. was the species least affected by habitat disturbance, displaying a high relative abundance in the coffee matrix. Although the vegetation corridors are narrow (4 m width), our results support the hypothesis in which they work as a forest extension, share most species with the forest fragment and support species richness and abundance closer to forest fragments than to the coffee matrix. Our work highlights the importance and cost-effectiveness of these corridors to biodiversity management in the fragmented Atlantic Forest landscapes and at the regional level.

Between May 2002 and May 2003, we studied a small mammal community from an Atlantic forest fragment surrounded by a coffee plantation in the municipality of Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo state, Brazil. We obtained a total of 300 captures of 114 individuals belonging to 11 mammal species. Seventy three percent of the species captured in the forest also used the coffee plantation, mainly males (90%) and young (80%) individuals of Marmosops incanus. The exceptionally low recapture rate in the coffee plantation suggests that it functions as a corridor between fragments, rather than as a habitat for these species. Understanding the role of matrix habitat use in fragmented landscapes is an important factor in small mammal conservation, as it asymmetrically affects the rate and mode of individual movements of different species.

The home range of one group of the Geoffroy's marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi) was studied in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, between February 1993 and January 1994. The total home range was 23.3 ha and the area used in the dry season was significantly larger than that of the wet season. The smallest distance travelled by group was 480 m/day in May and the longest was 1,980 m/day in March, but with no significant differences between seasons. The total home range used for this species agrees with the ecological grouping of the genus Callithrix proposed by Rylands & Faria (1993) and may be associated with the habitat structure, the limit of the fragment and the inexistence of neighbouring groups.

We report on the diet and feeding behaviour of a group of Geoffroy's marmosets (Callithrix geoffroyi) in an Atlantic forest fragment in south-eastern Brazil, studied during the period February 1993 to Januaray 1994. Major food categories were gums (68.6%) fruits (15%), and small animal prey (invertebrates 14.6% and vertebrates 0.8%). Dietary changes were observed between the wet and dry seasons, although they were not statistically significant. Insects and gums were consumed throughout the year but fruits were more prevalent in the diet in the wet season. Plant species exploited for their gums includedInga stipularis, followed byAcacia paniculata, Paulinia carpopodia, andBauhinia angulosa. Chemical analysis of the gum of the four species most used all presented high values for carbohydrates and crude proteins. Fruits of an unidentified species of Myrtaceae (sp. 2) were consumed the most. Animal prey consisted mainly of insects, arachnids, snails, and in three cases, lizards and frogs, with orthopterans being the most prevalent insect prey. This study demonstrates thatC. geoffroyi efficiently exploits resources typically available in secondary and disturbed forest habitat. The main threat to the species is forest destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, but the management of small forest fragments may be an effective corservation strategy.

This report describes the activity budget of a group of Callithrix geoffroyi in a patch of Atlantic forest on the Brazilian coast, between February 1993 and January 1994, using the scan sampling methods. On average, the group rested for 29% of the daylight hours, fed for 21%, moved for 20%, and foraging and gouging occupied 14% and 13% of this period, respectively. A greater proportion of time was spent resting during the wet seasons (32.1%) than the dry seasons (17.8%), but the reverse observed for time spent foraging (9.7% and 20.6% of the group's daylight hours during wet and dry seasons, respectively). The time allocated to feeding was greater in the first hours of the day. Gum consumption showed two peaks, a larger one in the early morning and a minor one in the afternoon. Animal prey foraging occurred throughout the day, but was more intense during the hottest hours. The increase in foraging and decrease in resting during the dry season was related to a decrease in the availability of insects.