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Herbivores obtain nutrients mostly from the vegetation they consume, but may obtain additional minerals during periods of nutritional stress by consuming bones (osteophagia), a behavioral strategy that has been reported for many wild ungulate species, including the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Here we document multiple records (n = 183 camera-trap records) of osteophagia by white-tailed deer chewing sea turtle remains (resulting from jaguar [Panthera onca] predation) near a nesting beach in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica during January-September 2017. Females with fawns, males with hard and velvet-covered antlers, and non-spotted fawns reached a peak of sea turtle bone consumption during June to August. We hypothesize that seasonality, sex, age, and individual growth stage influence the frequency of osteophagy as a strategy to cope with environmental changes and food resource scarcity. Finally, these observations highlight the role of an apex predator as indirectly influencing rare but important ecological processes.

Introduction: The horse (Equus caballus) is an adaptable large herbivore distributed in a wide range of terrestrial biomes that negatively affects ecosystems around the world. Most research on horse–ecosystems interactions have been focused on plants and soils, whereas horse effects on vertebrate species are poorly understanded. Objective: We aimed to synthesize, at a global scale, the effects of free-roaming horses on wild mammals. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review that included these words; "feral horses + competition ", "feral horses + interactions", "feral horses + impacts", "feral horses + effects", based on the “Web of Science” internet search engine. Results: We located 366 articles in our search, but only 14 peer-reviewed documents described the effects of horses on local wild mammals. Most studies were published in the last decade (64%), and were located in United States (64%). Additional information showed most studies used correlational approaches while experimental approaches were used less. The effect of horses on mammal taxonomic groups varied significantly, suggesting changes on habitat structure mostly affects vertebrate species such as small rodents. Nevertheless, large ungulates exhibited interference competition derived from presence of free-roaming horses. Conclusion: This review identified patterns and gaps in our current knowledge about the effect of horse presence on wild mammals, and can help to readdress further research. Therefore, we recommend careful monitoring of horses and their potential effects on wildlife by using species proxies such as ungulates and rodents to determine if the presence of horses in protected areas affects conservation objectives

El objetivo de esta investigación es emplear los métodos de ajuste, estimación y homogeneización de datos climáticos para elaborar el índice de humedad de Lang en la provincia Manabí. Los métodos empleados fueron: sustitución por el promedio, interpolación lineal y la racha. Los parámetros tratados fueron temperatura y precipitación, cuya información estuvo disponible en anuarios meteorológicos del Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología. Una vez normalizados los datos climáticos, el procedimiento fue: cruce algorítmico de los mapas de precipitación y temperatura para generar el índice, calibración con el mapa de isolíneas de la cuenca del río Portoviejo. Se concluyó que el índice se ajustó en 90 % a la realidad. Casi no hay variaciones de temperatura debido a la ubicación isotermal, mientras se registran considerables diferencias en las precipitaciones, desde 1 hasta 2 500 mm aproximadamente. Palabras clave: estimación por interpolación lineal, índice de humedad de Lang, Manabí, método de la racha, método de sustitución por promedio.

Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste Province, protects one of the largest remnants of dry forest in Mesoamerica. It is considered an example of how to regenerate forest in an area that for many years was used for cattle. A proper management requires knowledge of trends in mammal populations. We chose species that demand high ecologic integrity. the jaguar (Panthera onca ) and other felines, and their potential prey. Using trace count we assessed abundance on seven trails systematically sampled in 2001 and later in 2011. In 2011 we found more traces of jaguars, less of cougars and the same number for ocelots. In the second sampling we found less herbivores and frugivores, and more omnivores. We believe that the trace method is reliable, rapid and cheap.

In recent years different types of structural variants (SVs) have been discovered in the human genome and their functional impact has become increasingly clear. Inversions, however, are poorly characterized and more difficult to study, especially those mediated by inverted repeats or segmental duplications. Here, we describe the results of a simple and fast inverse PCR (iPCR) protocol for high-throughput genotyping of a wide variety of inversions using a small amount of DNA. In particular, we analyzed 22 inversions predicted in humans ranging from 5.1 kb to 226 kb and mediated by inverted repeat sequences of 1.6-24 kb. First, we validated 17 of the 22 inversions in a panel of nine HapMap individuals from different populations, and we genotyped them in 68 additional individuals of European origin, with correct genetic transmission in ∼ 12 mother-father-child trios. Global inversion minor allele frequency varied between 1% and 49% and inversion genotypes were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. By analyzing the nucleotide variation and the haplotypes in these regions, we found that only four inversions have linked tag-SNPs and that in many cases there are multiple shared SNPs between standard and inverted chromosomes, suggesting an unexpected high degree of inversion recurrence during human evolution. iPCR was also used to check 16 of these inversions in four chimpanzees and two gorillas, and 10 showed both orientations either within or between species, providing additional support for their multiple origin. Finally, we have identified several inversions that include genes in the inverted or breakpoint regions, and at least one disrupts a potential coding gene. Thus, these results represent a significant advance in our understanding of inversion polymorphism in human populations and challenge the common view of a single origin of inversions, with important implications for inversion analysis in SNP-based studies.

En la península de Osa, al sur de Costa Rica, la cacería y el comercio de la fauna silvestre son prácticas extendidas que ponen en riesgo su conservación. Los líderes religiosos podrían ser actores importantes si se integra en sus discursos ideas sobre esta problemática, pues ellos tienden a crear enlaces profundos con la comunidad. Con el objetivo de conocer la percepción de los líderes religiosos frente a la problemática ambiental local, se realizaron entrevistas a profundidad. En general mostraron sensibilidad hacia la naturaleza y los problemas ambientales actuales. Existió una aceptación sobre la caza de subsistencia, pero no así de la caza deportiva ni comercial. Se encontró una buena disposición de aprender sobre la problemática ambiental y las vías para su mitigación, así como elementos en sus doctrinas que pueden usarse para canalizar estrategias de educación ambiental. ABSTRACT Perception of wildlife from various religious views: A tool to promote environmental education in the Osa Peninsula. In the Osa peninsula in southern Costa Rica, hunting and wildlife trade are common practices that threaten biodiversity conservation. Religious leaders could play an important role if they integrate in their speeches ideas about these issues, as they tend to create deep links with the community. In order to understand the perception of religious leaders against local environmental issues they were interviewed in depth. In general they showed sensitivity to nature and the current environmental problems. They showed an acceptance on subsistence hunting, but not for commercial or sport hunting. Also religious leaders showed a willingness to learn about environmental issues and ways to mitigate them, as well as elements in their doctrines that can be used to channel environmental education strategies.