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The Jacobson's vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a small, hollow, paired, and symmetrical organ associated with the sense of smell, which phylogenetically functions as a specialized receptor for detecting food odors present in the oral cavity and transmitting them via a separate branch of the olfactory nerve to the rhinencephalon. Phylogenetic data collection, discussions on the presence and functionality of the VNO, motivated us to perform a comparative analysis in specimens within our reach, focusing primarily on the human species. In this study, cranial skeletons from some regional species were utilized, including squamata-lacertilia (Salvator merianae), rodentia (Rattus norvegicus and Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), carnivora (Felis catus), platyrrhini primates (Alouatta caraya), and hominidae (Homo sapiens). These bone samples were analyzed from various perspectives to reveal openings and structures linking themto the VNO. Human specimens included: axial and sagittal histological sections of 15-micron thickness in fetal heads at 10 and 11 weeks of gestation, stained with Mallory's stain; as well as formalin-fixed cadaveric heads (4 adult specimens and 10 fetal specimens, from the 6th to the 8th month of development). Classic descriptions cite the VNO as a chemosensory organ, located ventrally at the base of the nasal septum, related to the palate through its communication with the nasopalatine duct (CNP) in most mammals. The incisive foramina and CNP connect the oral and nasal cavities, representing the peripheral part of the accessory olfactory system (critical in rodents and carnivores), which upon the entry of substances secreted by exocrine glands, urine, or feces, trigger VNO activation. Peripheral structures of the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system (incisive foramina, CNP, or vomeronasal sacs) were in the studied species along with their relationships. Through human fetal histology, weobserved the entrance orifice, tubes, and sacs of the VNO. The CNP was visualized through microscopy and fetal bone samples. The adult palate presents a CNP that, in cadaveric exploration, shows the access (incisive foramen) occupied by firm mucosa, with vessels and nasopalatine nerve traversing the duct. While our review is limited, the anatomical indications are consistent in human cadavers, and the measurements taken conform to the bibliographic references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El presente estudio es un aporte al conocimiento específico de la fauna de vertebrados de la finca Los Naranjos del SENA, Centro Agroindustrial del Meta, en Granada, Meta, Colombia. El área objeto de estudio fue de aproximadamente 89,9 hectáreas. Se agruparon observaciones casuales de anfibios, reptiles, aves y mamíferos realizadas a lo largo de seis años tanto del autor como del personal de la finca, las cuales fueron verificadas mediante fotografías para validarlas y datos de iNaturalist e eBird tomados a un máximo de diez kilómetros de la finca. No se contabilizaron las observaciones sino las especies observadas. El resultado muestra dos especies de anfibios de distinta familia, dieciocho reptiles de nueve familias repartidas en tres órdenes, 194 aves distribuidas en 54 familias de 23 órdenes y 10 especies de mamíferos de 9 familias en 5 órdenes. Tres de estas especies, una tortuga y dos mamíferos, tienen categoría de Vulnerables en la lista roja y una subespecie de primate se considera endémica del departamento. Se estima que la población de aves representa el 10% del total de la biodiversidad de esta clase en Colombia.

O presente artigo apresenta detalhes de um Produto Educacional (PE) resultado de uma pesquisa de Mestrado Profissional, do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ensino de Ciências, Matemática e Tecnologias (PPGECMT) da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Udesc). Trata-se de uma sequência didática (SD) embasada nos pressupostos metodológicos da engenharia didática de Michèle Artigue (1988), com o objetivo de analisar os aspectos culturais do universo surdo que podem ser aplicados no ensino de biologia, por meio da implementação de uma sequência didática na classe comum do ensino regular. Para tal, foi aplicada numa turma da 2ª série do ensino médio de um Colégio Estadual do Paraná. Contou com 29 participantes, sendo 26 alunos ouvintes, um aluno surdo, uma intérprete de Libras, e a professora regente da turma — primeira autora deste texto. A sequência didática foi organizada em quatro atividades, o conteúdo de estudo foi abordado considerando aspectos culturais do universo surdo, como a pedagogia visual (CAMPELLO, 2008) e a Libras, de modo a contribuir para a inclusão escolar e social do estudante surdo. Além disso, valeu-se do apoio de um minidicionário com os principais conceitos de vertebrados em Libras, buscando facilitar o acesso do estudante surdo ao vocabulário científico. Os resultados demonstraram o letramento visual dos discentes, que a SD permitiu consolidar os conhecimentos relacionados ao conteúdo de vertebrados, colocando os estudantes como protagonistas em sala de aula, com práticas que enriquecem as aulas e favorecem a imersão dos estudantes no universo surdo com o estreitamento de laços.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is an important and widely used tool for conservation assessment. The IUCN uses information about a species' range, population size, habitat quality and fragmentation levels, and trends in abundance to assess extinction risk. Genetic diversity is not considered, although it affects extinction risk. Declining populations are more strongly affected by genetic drift and higher rates of inbreeding, which can reduce the efficiency of selection, lead to fitness declines, and hinder species' capacities to adapt to environmental change. Given the importance of conserving genetic diversity, attempts have been made to find relationships between red‐list status and genetic diversity. Yet, there is still no consensus on whether genetic diversity is captured by the current IUCN Red List categories in a way that is informative for conservation. To assess the predictive power of correlations between genetic diversity and IUCN Red List status in vertebrates, we synthesized previous work and reanalyzed data sets based on 3 types of genetic data: mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites, and whole genomes. Consistent with previous work, species with higher extinction risk status tended to have lower genetic diversity for all marker types, but these relationships were weak and varied across taxa. Regardless of marker type, genetic diversity did not accurately identify threatened species for any taxonomic group. Our results indicate that red‐list status is not a useful metric for informing species‐specific decisions about the protection of genetic diversity and that genetic data cannot be used to identify threat status in the absence of demographic data. Thus, there is a need to develop and assess metrics specifically designed to assess genetic diversity and inform conservation policy, including policies recently adopted by the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the northeastern zone of the department of Boyacá, in the locality of Socha, areas with a high fossiliferous potential of microvertebrates and vertebrates, as fish, crocodiles and, particularly, turtles, of middle and upper Paleocene age of the Arcillolitas de Socha Formation have been identified. Along this sector, detailed stratigraphic sections and geological profiles were elaborated, which together with lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic techniques, allowed us to differentiate the formation into three members and to identify the prospecting areas of two fossiliferous levels of interest, as well as a group of key sandstones located in the intermediate levels. The paleoenvironments identified for the formation indicate a lagoonal, marshy, paludal, and deltaic sedimentation for the sandstones, generally sedimented in a continental depositional environment. All the information obtained could be applied for the eventual location of fossils in prospecting and exploration in subsequent research, as well as highlighting the imperative need to strengthen local laws in favor of the protection and preservation of these paleontological deposits in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La crisis de biodiversidad por la que atraviesa el planeta es uno de los retos más importantes a los que nos enfrentamos por lo que, también desde la educación, deben aportarse soluciones que permitan a la ciudadanía adquirir conocimiento y capacidad crítica suficientes para entender la realidad y poder actuar en consecuencia. El profesorado de los niveles más básicos del sistema educativo tiene la responsabilidad de aproximar distintos conceptos relacionados con la biodiversidad a su alumnado, así como de fomentar valores y actitudes de respeto hacia los seres vivos. En relación con la biodiversidad, uno de sus niveles más básicos e intuitivos para su abordaje en el sistema educativo es el nivel específico; si bien, diversas investigaciones ponen de manifiesto la dificultad para reconocer las especies. En la presente investigación se plantea como objetivo analizar la capacidad del profesorado de Primaria e Infantil en formación de reconocer e identificar aquellas especies del entorno cercano a través de la resolución de un cuestionario dividido en 4 bloques de preguntas sobre la identificación de 60 especies distintas, el origen de su conocimiento sobre especies y biodiversidad y su autopercepción sobre identificación y formación. Los resultados nos muestran que las especies de la fauna vertebrada cercana se reconocen con menor facilidad que otras especies más lejanas, pero con amplia presencia en los medios de comunicación. También se observa que el grupo de vertebrados que mejor se reconoce es el de los mamíferos. Ante este desconocimiento de lo cercano se concluye la necesidad de ofrecer a los futuros docentes otros contenidos que faciliten el conocimiento del entorno y especies más cercanas.

La aparente similitud entre las técnicas de extracción, así como el estudio de materiales pretéritos, parece que es lo que ha marcado la unidad del Patrimonio Paleontológico y Arqueológico en la normativa cultural. Sin embargo, debemos tener en cuenta las diferencias entre ellos y que su unidad en la legislación puede provocar una indefensión legal en algunos casos por la falta de ajuste a las necesidades concretas de cada tipo de Bien. Para realizar este estudio sobre la protección de un material tan sensible como es el Patrimonio Paleontológico, se han examinado las normas y las figuras de protección aprobadas por los convenios internacionales y nacionales de Patrimonio Cultural y Natural; así como la legislación autonómica castellano manchega y se han revisado los códigos profesionales. La conclusión a la que se ha llegado es que existe una clara indefinición en las distintas legislaciones que afecta negativamente al Patrimonio Paleontológico. En consecuencia, es necesario promulgar aquellas leyes y reglamentos que se ajusten a las características específicas de dicho patrimonio para garantizar, legalmente, una adecuada protección y conservación de este.

This article presents details of an Educational Product (EP) resulting from a Professional Master's degree research, from the Pós-Graduate program in Science, Mathematics and Technology Teaching (PPGECMT) at the State University of Santa Catarina (Udesc). This is a didactic sequence (SD) based on the methodological assumptions of Michèle Artigue's didactic engineering (1988), with the objective to analyze the cultural aspects of the deaf universe that can be applied in the teaching of biology, through the application of a didactic sequence in mainstream education class. To this end, it was applied to a 2nd-grade high school class at a State College in Paraná. It had 29 participants, 26 hearing students, one deaf student, a Libras interpreter, and the class teacher — the first author of this text. The didactic sequence was organized into four activities, the content of the study was approached considering cultural aspects of the deaf universe, such as visual pedagogy (Campello, 2008) and Libras, in order to contribute to the school and social inclusion of deaf students. Furthermore, it is worth supporting a mini-dictionary with the main concepts of vertebrates in Libras, facilitating student access to scientific vocabulary. The results revealed the students' visual literacy, which DS allowed to consolidate knowledge related to vertebrate content, placing students as protagonists in the classroom, with practices that enrich classes and favor the integration of students in the deaf universe with the narrowing of ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity crisis is one of the most important challenges we face. In this sense, education must provide solutions that allow citizens to acquire sufficient knowledge and critical capacity to understand reality and to be able to act accordingly. Teachers, at the most basic levels of the education system, are, responsible for bringing different concepts related to biodiversity closer to their students, as well as for fostering values and attitudes of respect towards living beings. In relation to biodiversity, one of the most basic and intuitive levels for its approach in the educational system is the organism level. However, there are researches that show the difficulties that people have in recognizing certain species through the resolution of a questionnaire of 60 species of vertebrates. The objective of this initial research is to analyse the ability of pre-service teachers to recognize and identify those species in their immediate environment. The results show that closer vertebrate species are recognized much more difficult than other species far away but well known because of their presence in the media. In addition, it is also observed that mammals are the best recognized vertebrates. Because of this lack of knowledge about closer species, we should consider the possibility and convenience of offering to future teachers other contents that facilitate knowledge of the closer species and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O principal objetivo deste artigo é salientar por meio de breve revisão da evolução do sistema nervoso iniciando com invertebrados e alcançando os principais vertebrados e tentar estabelecer uma ponte ligando com educação. Faz-se breve exame das condições físico-químicas do ambiente nos primórdios do planeta Terra e o surgimento das primeiras formas de organismos primitivos. Analisa-se a interação das estruturas receptoras de variações ambientais e períodos de tempos como afetaram os animais primitivos. São explorados redes e circuitos neurais e funções do neurônio no mecanismo de aprendizagem dos espongiários, cnidários, artrópodes, moluscos, cordados, peixes, anfíbios, répteis, vertebrados superiores e primatas. São sugeridas implicações educacionais.

Irreplaceability is a concept used to describe how close a site is to being essential for achieving conservation targets. Current methods for measuring irreplaceability are based on representative combinations of sites, giving them an extrinsic nature and exponential computational requirements. Surrogate measures based on efficiency (complementarity) are often used as alternatives, but they were never intended for this purpose and do not measure irreplaceability. Current approaches used to estimate irreplaceability have key limitations. Some of these are a result of the tools used, but some are due to the nature of the current definition of irreplaceability. For irreplaceability to be stable and useful for conservation purposes and to resolve limitations, irreplaceability measures should adhere to five axioms; baseline coherence, monotonic responsiveness, proportional responsiveness, intrinsic stability, and bounded outputs. We designed a robust method for measuring a site's proximity to irreplaceability that adheres to these requirements and used it to develop the first systematic global map of irreplaceability based on data for terrestrial vertebrates (n = 29,837 species, >1 million grid cells). At least 3.5% of land surface was highly irreplaceable, and 47.6% of highly irreplaceable cells were contained in 12 countries. More generous thresholds of irreplaceability flag greater portions of land surface that would still be realistic to protect under current global objectives. Irreplaceable sites should form a critical component of any global conservation plan and should be part of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity's post2020 Global Biodiversity Framework strategy, forming part of the 30% protection by 2030 target that is gaining support. The reliable identification of irreplaceable sites will be crucial to halting extinctions. Article impact statement: A novel proximity‐based measure of irreplaceability is robust, scalable, and updatable, facilitating its adoption in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because we aimed to identify trends in wildlife health literature with the potential to affect conservation outcomes, we focused on wildlife health studies in which a combination of complementary methods were used to provide a comprehensive overview on the health status of an individual and its population. Health assessment methods used in wildlife health assessment studies All included studies used at least 2 health assessment methods. Trend topics and health assessment methods used in wildlife health assessment studies Blood analysis was the most common health assessment method, followed by body composition assessment, physical examination, and fecal analysis (Figure 5). Studies conducted in Costa Rica were most represented (78 studies/M km SP 2 sp ), followed by studies conducted in Ecuador (36 studies/M km SP 2 sp ), Denmark (24 studies/M km SP 2 sp ), Slovakia (21 studies/M km SP 2 sp ), and the United Kingdom (21 studies/M km SP 2 sp ). [Extracted from the article]

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Introducción: Existen iniciativas de investigación participativa y educación ambiental en el corredor biológico AmistOsa, Costa Rica, pero aún no está clara la integración de estos procesos comunitarios. Objetivo: Proponer y probar un marco conceptual que integre la investigación participativa con la educación ambiental. Métodos: Consultamos a la comunidad para identificar la fauna y sus amenazas; produjimos un currículo para niños; y desarrollamos una estrategia de comunicación. Resultados: Identificamos 19 especies de vertebrados amenazados por la cacería, la deforestación y otros. Produjimos y probamos un programa educativo adaptado al contexto de 14 escuelas locales. Actualmente estamos desarrollando habilidades de comunicación para llegar tanto a escolares como a personal de investigación (por ejemplo, talleres de fotografía). Conclusión: Los resultados de este abordaje son satisfactorios y podrían ser aplicados a otras comunidades del Corredor Biológico AmistOsa.

Road networks cause great impacts on the environment, from the direct mortality of wild animals that are hit by moving vehicles to the reduction of connectivity in the landscape and the isolation of natural populations. In Colombia, studies on wildlife roadkill are incipient, and there are still many gaps in the generation of primary information, especially on the roads of the Caribbean coast. For this reason, we selected two road stretches in the Colombian Caribbean region: 1) Isla Salamanca National Natural Park highway (45 km) and 2) Tayrona National Natural Park highway (34 km). On both roads, monthly trips were made on board a vehicle at a maximum speed of 30 km/h during 5 months, between October 2016 and January 2017. We recorded a total of 208 roadkills (46 identified species), being reptiles and mammals the most affected groups in segments 1 and 2, respectively. Finally, we calculated the roadkill rate (TA) for each species. The species Boa constrictor and Procyon cancrivorus stand out because they obtained highest TA values reported in Latin America

[ES] La colección de vertebrados del Departamento de Zoología de la Facultad de Biología forma parte del Patrimonio Educativo de la Universidad de Sevilla y sin lugar a dudas tiene un elevado valor faunístico y museístico. Están representadas unas 470 especies (naturalizadas, disecadas o conservadas en fluido) además de material anatómico y morfológico integrado en el estudio de la arquitectura animal. Existen especies exóticas, vulnerables e incluso algunas en peligro de extinción. En esta colección parte del escaso material de un antiguo Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de Sevilla del siglo XIX, aún se mantiene bien conservado. [EN] The vertebrate collection of the Department of Zoology of the Faculty of Biology is part of the Educational Heritage of the University of Seville and has a high faunistic and museum value. It is composed of some 470 species (naturalized, dissected or preserved in fluid) along with material integrate into the study of animal architecture. There are exotic, vulnerable, and even some endangered species. In this collection part of the material of an old Natural History Museum of the University of Seville, which was very important in the nineteenth century, still remains well preserved.

Introduction: Rice-field rats are one of the most important pests because it can give large losses in all planting seasons including the storehouse. Synthetic rodenticide is the most commonly used of chemical technique for controlling rice-field rats. The application of these materials indirectly causes negative impacts; one of them is for the environment. As an alternative for controlling rice-field rats, natural materials can be used as a repellent. Objective: to examine the effects of methanol extract of Plumeria rubra leaves on metabolism, daily activity patterns, and its potency as a repellent of the rice-field rat. Methods: The experiments were conducted at the Laboratory of Pests, Universitas Padjadjaran involves choice test (T-maze arena), and the Laboratory of Rats, Indonesian Center for Rice Research involves no-choice test (metabolic cage) from February until May 2019. The observations including food (g), water consumption (ml), feces production (g), urine production (ml), body weight (g), and its changes (%), also the daily activities (time spent for locomotion, foraging, and resting).The treatment was done with three replications for twelve mature male and twelve mature non-pregnant females. Data experiments analysis followed by a T-test. Results: Rice-field rats on the T-Maze arena avoided consuming food and beverage that close to methanol extract of Plumeria rubra leaves treatment. The treatment of methanol extract of Plumeria leaves in metabolic cage caused metabolic disorder of rice-field rat, which was significantly indicated by the decrease of the average consumption of food by 2.28 g and excretion of feces by 0.34 g, and also the increase of average consumption of beverage by 3.89 ml, excretion of urine by 3.15 ml, and body weight by 6.67 g. The treatment also caused daily activity patterns disorder of rice-field rats, which was significantly indicated by the increase of the average percentage of time for movement activities (locomotion) by 7.64% and the decrease of time for eating and drinking activities (foraging) by 16.46%. Conclusion: Methanol extract of Plumeria leaves affects a repellent for the rice-field rat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se estudió la fauna asociada a Attalea butyracea en un agroecosistema de Galeras, Sucre, Colombia. Se efectuaron muestreos en junio de 2016 en la nca Mi Ranchito, donde se revisaron 42 palmas. De las palmas se extrajeron artrópodos y se buscaron vertebrados. Posteriormente, el material se identi có y se registraron 13 órdenes, con las siguientes frecuencias de aparición y abundancias: Hymenoptera (100 %; 232), Coleoptera (97,62 %; 240), Araneae (95,24 %; 169), Blattodea (88,09 %; 143), Hemiptera (88,09 %; 82), Amblypygi (85,71 %; 166), Polydesmida (78,57 %; 103), Lepidoptera (73,81 %; 69), Archaeognatha (71,43 %; 81), Orthoptera (69,04 %; 31), Scorpiones (69,04 %; 30), Ixodida (66,66 %; 34) y Opiliones (66,66 %; 57). Se identi caron las siguientes 18 especies: Arachnida: Charinus sp., Hapalopus sp., Phrynus barbadensis y Tityus tayrona; Insecta: Phileurus sp., Rhodnius pallescens y Triatoma dimidiata; Amphibia: Elachistocleis pearsei y Rhinella humboldti; Sauropsida: Bothrops asper, Cnemidophorus lemniscatus, Gonatodes albogularis, Gymnophthalmus speciosus y Mabuya sp.; y Mammalia: Artibeus lituratus, Didelphis marsupialis, Molossus sp. y Mus musculus. En conclusión, la palma de vino, por su arquitectura, funciona como microambiente para artrópodos y vertebrados pequeños; es utilizada como vivienda, dormitorio o refugio ocasional, lo que hace de esta planta un sitio importante en las interacciones de animales silvestres.

El trabajo ofrece una revisión bibliográfica actualizada relacionada con la caracterización de los principales insectos plaga, invertebrados y vertebrados que pueden afectar al cultivo del arroz, así como los daños que ocasionan y medidas para su control en Ecuador. La mayor afectación en el cultivo del arroz es ocasionada por la sogata (Tagosodes orizicolus Muir.), que provoca daños directos, producidos por la picadura al momento de alimentarse, o indirectos, al transmitir el virus de la hoja blanca del arroz (RHBV); la mosca minadora, la cual arriba a las zonas arroceras de manera inesperada y el mejor método para su control es el uso de insecticidas; la chinche vaneadora, la que se ha convertido en una plaga de alta importancia ya que puede generar pérdidas económicas de un 30 a 65% del valor total de la producción; el acaro blanco (Steneotarsonemus spinki )que puede originar daños directos, debido a su alimentación e indirectos por la inyección de toxinas o la diseminación de organismos fitopatógenos como el hongo Sarocladium oryzae provocando la pudrición de la vaina; o puede encontrarse en asociación con la bacteria Burkholderia glumae (Añublo bacterial de la panícula del arroz), el caracol manzana que provoca daños significativos en arrozales bajo riego; la rata arrocera, que causa los daños al construir sus nidos con hojas y tallos de arroz por encima de la superficie de la lámina de agua; y las aves que constituyen una amenaza permanente al producir daños considerables en la fase de maduración y en el proceso industrial del arroz. Palabras clave: Insectos, vertebrados, invertebrados, arroz, producción.

The morphological study of the chondrichthyes teeth represents an important taxonomic characteristic used for the classification and identification of different species. The teeth of four different species of selacimorphs (Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo cuvier, Rhizoprionodon longurio and Sphyrna sp.) were diaphonized in order to standardize a dental technique for their transparency. By standardizing the Okumura-Aprile technique applied for the dental diaphonization of humans, an optimal diaphonization was obtained in the four species treated with 7 % HCl where the pulp chamber was clearly observed. Therefore, we may conclude that the Okumura-Aprile technique is efficient in shark dental diaphonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic land‐use change causes substantial changes in local and global biodiversity. Rare and common species can differ in sensitivity to land‐use change; rare species are expected to be affected more negatively. Rarity may be defined in terms of geographic range size, population density, or breadth of habitat requirements. How these 3 forms of rarity interact in determining global responses to land use is yet to be assessed. Using global data representing 912 vertebrate species, we tested for differences in responses to land use of species characterized by different types of rarity. Land‐use responses were fitted using generalized linear mixed‐effects models, allowing responses to vary among groups of species with different forms of rarity. Species considered rare with respect to all 3 forms of rarity showed particularly strong declines in disturbed land uses (>40% of species and 30% of individuals in the most disturbed land uses). In contrast, species common both geographically and numerically and with broad habitat requirements showed strong increases (up to 90% increase in species and 40% in abundance in some land uses). Our results suggest that efforts to understand the vulnerability of species to environmental changes should account for different types of rarity where possible. Our results also have potentially important implications for ecosystem functioning, given that rare species may play unique roles within ecosystems. Article impact statement: Rare species show stronger negative responses to anthropogenic land use than common species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The San José de Gracia Quarry, located within the Municipality of Molcaxac, southern Puebla, Mexico, is a new paleontological site discovered about a decade ago. This paper is the first formal scientific contribution of this site. The quarry occupies an area no larger than the two hectares that is exploited for commercial purposes, where slabs are extracted from a marine sequence of cream-brown strata of poorly carbonated clays, with centimetric thickness. Although the upper and lower limits of this sequence are not known; the characteristic lithology and fossil content do not correspond with those of the regional geological units previously reported. Although the fossil association recovered from the San José de Gracia Quarry is composed mostly of fish remains; it also contains ammonites, belemnites, inoceramids, indeterminate ostreids, reptiles and few plant remains. In this work, the first fossil fish remains from this locality are described, including representatives of Enchodus and clupeid both previously known from Mexico; as well as the first record of Dercetis and Xenyllion from this country. In addition, a yaguarasaurine mosasaur is also reported. Based on its fossil content and its lithology, the fossil-bearing strata of the San José de Gracia quarry can be possibly referred to the Mexcala Formation (Morelos- Guerrero Basin) of Turonian age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El depósito paleontológico Las Llanadas es un manantial con sedimento rico en materia orgánica. Estudios del sitio a principios del siglo XX, dieron a conocer materiales fósiles de perezosos, cocodrilos, tortugas terrestres, y jutías. Dos especies de perezosos, Acratocnus antillensis y Neocnus gliriformis, fueron nuevas para la ciencia. En el presente trabajo se dan a conocer nuevos registros fósiles de anuros, un reptil y aves para el depósito: Peltophryne empusus, Osteopilus septentrionalis, Cyclura nubila, Tyto alba, Buteogallus borrasi y Boromys ofella. Huesos recientes de Lithobates catesbeianus y Capromys pilorides se encontraron entre los materiales, lo que indica que el depósito se mantiene activo en la recepción de especímenes. De un total de 2030 piezas solo 3% pudo ser identificado taxonómicamente, debido al alto nivel de fragmentación.

The study of the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity is important to understand the relationship between nature and humans as well as offer important information to support the conservation of threatened biological groups. Amphibians perform different functions in ecosystems, which can lead to ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being. The aim of this study was to identify the contributions of amphibians to ecosystem services in Mexico, using the classification proposed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Additionally, the ecological and indigenous zones of Mexico with reports of services were determined and the conservation status and the distribution range of the species were analyzed. A literature review was performed including 24 scientific publications with information related to the ecosystem services or uses of amphibians. In these publications, 98 reports of 40 species that provide ecosystem services were found (58.1% provisioning services, 37.8% cultural services and 4.1% regulating services). These services occur mainly in central and southern Mexico where forested regions (e.g. humid temperate, subhumid tropical and humid tropical) converge with numerous indigenous communities. Half of the contributing species are endemic to Mexico and a third is in some risk category of national and international institutions, which coincides with the current panorama of amphibians worldwide. Our results highlight the importance of developing conservation and sustainable management plans that contribute to the maintenance or recovery of amphibian populations and their ecosystem services. Finally, these results suggest that the evaluation of traditional knowledge from an ecosystem services approach can offer useful information to develop conservation strategies and responsible management of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this investigation, we determined the diversity of archaeology, flora, vertebrates and the water availability of the village of Caray, district and province of Viru, region of La Libertad, Peru. The records were registered between 800 and 1500 m of altitude, during seven visits between January and March 2019. In ten transects of 25 x 10 m, we collected flora species and registered fauna respectively. There were 104 species of plants belonging to 39 families and 88 genera. Fourteen endemic species were registered, among them Browallia mionei [critically endangered (CR)], Lomanthus truxillensis, Lepidium pubescens, Austrocylindropuntia pachypus and Haageocereus pseudoversicolor [endangered (EN)], Heliotropium ferreyrae, Espostoa melanostele, Apodanthera ferreyrana and Dioscorea chancayensis [near threatened (NT)], and the remaining endemic species are located in the least concern (LC) category. Likewise, 54 species of vertebrates were registered: 2 amphibians, 7 reptiles, 44 birds and 1 mammal. Microlophus koepckeorum is endemic to Peru. In reference to the water resource, the samples were collected in the different stations in springs and in the Condornada waterfalls for the determination of water quality, for agricultural use and human consumption. In relation to the water quality, the study area has ideal characteristics for the preservation of natural resources because it presents the water resource available throughout the year, and preliminarily we can say that it has a pH close to neutral, water springs exempt of pollution; the volumes of water and the speed of flow, as well as its strong slope, are ideal conditions for the self-purification of the waters and to conserve the dissolved oxygen within the normal values for human consumption, agriculture, recreation and conservation of flora and fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road networks cause great impacts on the environment, from the direct mortality of wild animals that are hit by moving vehicles to the reduction of connectivity in the landscape and the isolation of natural populations. In Colombia, studies on wildlife roadkill are incipient, and there are still many gaps in the generation of primary information, especially on the roads of the Caribbean coast. For this reason, we selected two road stretches in the Colombian Caribbean region: 1) Isla Salamanca National Natural Park highway (45 km) and 2) Tayrona National Natural Park highway (34 km). On both roads, monthly trips were made on board a vehicle at a maximum speed of 30 km/h during 5 months, between October 2016 and January 2017. We recorded a total of 208 roadkills (46 identified species), being reptiles and mammals the most affected groups in segments 1 and 2, respectively. Finally, we calculated the roadkill rate (TA) for each species. The species Boa constrictor and Procyon cancrivorus stand out because they obtained highest TA values reported in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

O conhecimento ecológico local (CEL) tem sido abordado em suas dimensões cognitivas, históricas e de interface com a ciência normativa. Para uma compreensão mais aprofundada das potencialidades presentes nos estudos sobre o CEL é imprescindível uma visão mais abrangente dos marcos teóricos que pontuaram a história das etnociências, notadamente da etnobiologia. Assim, o presente artigo traz uma síntese dos debates centrais na etnobiologia e dos seus desdobramentos em linhas de pesquisa correntes e também incipientes, sobretudo no Brasil. As transformações no CEL e as comparações deste com o conhecimento científico também são aqui abordadas. Também é desenvolvido o argumento de que, mais do que nas similaridades, são nas divergências entre esses conhecimentos que reside o maior potencial para se aprofundar no entendimento do CEL. Trazer à luz a parcela de seu repertório que lhe é particular alimenta novas hipóteses de interesse tanto etnoecológico quanto antropológico sobre seu processo de aquisição individual.

José de Jesús González fue uno de los principales oftalmólogos de México de finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX; entre sus obras, se encuentra esta, acerca del fondo de ojo de algunos vertebrados. Hombre de gran valer, debe ser recordado por las generaciones venideras.

While roads are indispensable for modern civilization and beneficial for many wildlife species, they have been causing mortality from collisions since high speed chariots were invented 4 000 years ago. Most scientific work about road kill has been done in temperate ecosystems, but some authors have suspected that they have different characteristics in tropical ecosystems. In this review, I summarize publications that focus on road kills in tropical countries from Africa, America, Asia and Oceania. I found 73 studies that focus on tropical road kills. Output increased after 2011 and the most productive countries, in articles per capita, are Costa Rica, Colombia and Brazil. Most studies report that mammals are the main victims, but bird deaths are severely underestimated and amphibians suffer mass mortality in reproductive concentrations. Every road victim is itself a small ecosystem that contains thousands of microscopic species, but "Road Kill Microbiology" is yet to be developed as a new branch of research. No generalization can be made about the role of season or habitat in road kills because pooled data hide individual trends: researchers should keep separate records by age, sex, species, time of day, season and place; otherwise important patterns will be missed. There is not a single study, tropical or temperate, that can completely answer how many animals are killed, where, or when, because many victims are removed by scavengers, end outside the road or are too small to be noticed. Significant contributions from the tropics include emphasis on the ethical use of road kill for research, inclusion of species other than wild vertebrates, study of often overlooked phenomena like hour of day and failed versus successful crossing attempts, and the value of speed control in mitigation. The so-called "citizen science" can identify the most affected species but produces data that are very different from those generated by professional scientists in terms of the proportion of affected groups. Real speed limitation is the simplest effective mitigation measure. Tropical scientists should concentrate on monitoring and experimental studies to fully understand the ecology of road kills and to make a contribution that matches what rich countries do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the environmental contributors to population structure is of paramount importance for conservation in urbanized environments. We used spatially explicit models to determine genetic population structure under current and future environmental conditions across a highly fragmented, human-dominated environment in Southern California to assess the effects of natural ecological variation and urbanization. We focused on 7 common species with diverse habitat requirements, home-range sizes, and dispersal abilities. We quantified the relative roles of potential barriers, including natural environmental characteristics and an anthropogenic barrier created by a major highway, in shaping genetic variation. The ability to predict genetic variation in our models differed among species: 11-81% of intraspecific genetic variation was explained by environmental variables. Although an anthropogenically induced barrier (a major highway) severely restricted gene flow and movement at broad scales for some species, genetic variation seemed to be primarily driven by natural environmental heterogeneity at a local level. Our results show how assessing environmentally associated variation for multiple species under current and future climate conditions can help identify priority regions for maximizing population persistence under environmental change in urbanized regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fauna associated with Attalea butyracea was studied in an agroecosystem of Galeras, Sucre, Colombia. Samplings were carried out during June 2016 in the farm Mi Ranchito, where 42 palms were checked. From the palms, arthropods were extracted and vertebrates were searched for. Subsequently, the material was identified and 13 orders were recorded with appearance frequencies and abundances as follows: Hymenoptera (100%; 232), Coleoptera (97.62%; 240), Araneae (95.24%; 169), Blattodea (88.09%; 143), Hemiptera (88.09%; 82), Amblypygi (85.71%; 166), Polydesmida (78.57%; 103), Lepidoptera (73.81%; 69), Archaeognatha (71.43%; 81), Orthoptera (69.04%; 31), Scorpiones (69.04%; 30), Ixodida (66.66%; 34) and Opiliones (66.66%; 57). Eighteen species were identified as follows: Arachnida: Charinus sp., Hapalopus sp., Phrynus barbadensis and Tityus tayrona; Insecta: Phileurus sp., Rhodnius pallescens and Triatoma dimidiata; Amphibia: Elachistocleis pearsei and Rhinella humboldti; Sauropsida: Bothrops asper, Cnemidophorus lemniscatus, Gonatodes albogularis, Gymnophthalmus speciosus and Mabuya sp.; and Mammalia: Artibeus lituratus, Didelphis marsupialis, Molossus sp. and Mus musculus. In conclusion, the Wine Palm functions as a microenvironment for arthropods and small vertebrates due to its architecture; it is used as a dwelling, dormitory or occasional refuge, making it an important site for interactions of wild animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anuario do Instituto de Geociencias is the property of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Geociencias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

El presente trabajo es el resultado de observaciones de campo y estudios realizados en Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina entre los años 1980 y 2016. El Cacholote castaño ( Pseudoseisura lophotes ) es una especie residente y común en el área de estudio. Su dieta es variada y se compone de invertebrados, vertebrados y vegetales. Como resultado se encontró un importante número de nuevos ítems en su alimentación. Se amplió el número de familias y especies de insectos conocidos. Se hallaron seis nuevas clases de animales hasta la fecha no reportados: 1— Anélidos (Haplotaxida); 2— Moluscos (Pulmonata); 3— Arácnidos (Araneae y Scorpiones); 4— Crustáceos (Isopoda); 5— Anfibios (Anura); y 6— Reptiles (Squa- mata). El Cacholote castaño resulto ser de gran utilidad en la ciudad, dado el importante consumo que realiza sobre invertebrados y vertebrados plagas perjudiciales para el hombre, plantas, árboles ornamentales y césped.

Copyright of Iheringia. Série Zoologia is the property of Fundacao Zoobotanica do Rio Grande do Sul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The La Meseta Formation crops out in Seymour/Marambio Island, Weddell Sea, northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula and contains one of the world's most diverse assemblages of Weddellian marine/coastal verte-brates of Early Eocene (Ypresian) age. The La Meseta Formation is composed of poorly consolidated, marine sandstones and siltstones which were deposited in a coastal, deltaic and/or estuarine environment. It includes marine invertebrates and vertebrates as well as terrestrial vertebrates and plants. The highly fossiliferous basal horizon (Cucullaeashell bed, Telm 4 of Sadler 1988) of the CucullaeaI Allomember is a laterally extensive shell bed with sandy matrix. The fish remains, including 35 species from 26 families, of the Ypresian Cucullaeabed represent one of the most abundant and diverse fossil vertebrate faunas yet recorded in southern latitudes. Stratigraphic distribution and phylogenetic relationships of the Weddellian sphenisciforms are consistent with a first radiation of this group in the Early Eocene. The first inquestionable archaeocete from Antarctica is recorded in this unit and is referred to a new taxon.