Distribution and invasion progress of Eleutherodactylus coqui (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) introduced in Costa Rica

Universidad Nacional, Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica, Costa RicaUniversidade de São Paulo, BrasilRed Mesoamericana y del Caribe para la Conservación de Anfbios y ReptilesInstituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestr

CONVIVIENDO CON LOS MAPACHES: DEL CONFLICTO A LA COEXISTENCIA

Unplanned urban growth is directly associated with an increase of conflicts between humans and wildlife. Probably, rac­coons have been the most adaptable mammals to the conditions offered by urban centers. In the last five years, reports about these animals have increased in the Metropolitan Area of our country. Currently, raccoons represent an economic cost for all their damages caused to infrastructure, an investment of time repairing what was destroyed, and a potential risk to human and pets’ health. This paper aims to summarize the information generated in a forum held at the School of Biology at the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) in order to establish the necessary guidelines for a harmonious living with these animals. Clearly, it has become a problem that is beyond capacity for the institutions in charge of the man­agement of wildlife health in our country. Immediate actions are required by academic and government authorities in search for a solution according to the Costa Rican idiosyncrasy. El crecimiento urbano sin planificación está asociado directamente con un crecimiento en los conflictos entre los hu­manos y la fauna silvestre. Los mapaches son quizás los mamíferos más adaptables a las condiciones que ofrecen los centros urbanos; por lo tanto, los reportes de estos animales se han incrementado en los últimos cinco años en la Gran Área Metropolitana (GAM) de nuestro país. Actualmente representan un costo económico en daños a infraestructura e inversión de tiempo laboral en las reparaciones respectivas, así como un riesgo para la salud humana y de los animales domésticos. Este artículo pretende resumir la información generada en un foro realizado en la Escuela de Biología de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) con el fin de establecer las pautas necesarias para la convivencia armoniosa con estos animales. Es claro que se ha convertido en un problema que supera la capacidad de las instituciones responsables en el manejo y salud de vida silvestre en Costa Rica; de esta manera, es necesaria una intervención inmediata por parte de las autoridades académicas y gubernamentales en búsqueda de una solución acorde con la idiosincrasia costarricense.

Neogene and Quaternary tectonics of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: Active intraplate deformation inboard of flat-slab subduction

The ranges of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas are located >600 km east of the Andean Cordillera in central Argentina and have been interpreted to be a response to shortening related to flat-slab subduction of the Nazca plate. Uplift of the ranges has been broadly documented to occur during Neogene time, but many questions remain regarding the timing and style of deformation, and the subsurface structural configuration. In this study, we address these unknowns with observations at multiple scales, integrate our results into a tectonic model for the area, and discuss how our structural interpretation fits with more regional tectonic models. Our major findings are: (1) The range-bounding faults thrust late Proterozoic to Cambrian schist and gneiss over poorly dated Pliocene to Pleistocene alluvial strata. The timing of fault displacement and age of footwall strata suggest that deformation may have been active at least by Pliocene time. (2) Apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronometry exhibits cooling ages that range from Permian to Early Jurassic time and suggests that rock exhumation in the area is less than 2?3 km since that time. (3) Deploying a local seismic array allowed for locating seismicity and calculating receiver functions. These observations indicate that the Moho lies at a depth of 37 km and that a midcrustal discontinuity appears to correspond to a detachment zone between 15 and 20 km depth and aligns with a plane of seismicity. In our tectonic model, the craton appears to act as a rigid backstop to the eastward propagation of stresses from the shallowly subducting slab. Deformation then propagates back to the west via westward-verging faults along a midcrustal detachment.Fil: Richardson, T.. Purdue University. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Ridgway, K.. Purdue University. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Gilbert, H.. Purdue University. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Martino, Roberto Donato. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geologia Básica y Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Enkelmann, E.. University of Cincinnati. Department of Geology; Estados UnidosFil: Anderson, M.. Colorado College. Department of Geology; Estados UnidosFil: Alvarado, Patricia Monica. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Shear wave velocities in the Pampean flat-slab region from Rayleigh wave tomography: Implications for slab and upper mantle hydration

The Pampean flat-slab region, located in central Argentina and Chile between 29° and 34°S, is considered a modern analog for Laramide flat-slab subduction within western North America. Regionally, flat-slab subduction is characterized by the Nazca slab descending to ∼100 km depth, flattening out for ∼300 km laterally before resuming a more “normal” angle of subduction. Flat-slab subduction correlates spatially with the track of the Juan Fernandez Ridge, and is associated with the inboard migration of deformation and the cessation of volcanism within the region. To better understand flat-slab subduction we combine ambient-noise tomography and earthquake-generated surface wave measurements to calculate a regional 3D shear velocity model for the region. Shear wave velocity variations largely relate to changes in lithology within the crust, with basins and bedrock exposures clearly defined as low- and high-velocity regions, respectively. We argue that subduction-related hydration plays a significant role in controlling shear wave velocities within the upper mantle. In the southern part of the study area, where normal-angle subduction is occurring, the slab is visible as a high-velocity body with a low-velocity mantle wedge above it, extending eastward from the active arc. Where flat-slab subduction is occurring, slab velocities increase to the east while velocities in the overlying lithosphere decrease, consistent with the slab dewatering and gradually hydrating the overlying mantle. The hydration of the slab may be contributing to the excess buoyancy of the subducting oceanic lithosphere, helping to drive flat-slab subduction

Growth of Literature on Bradford's Law

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the literature produced on Bradford's Law from 1934 to June 2012. The study compiled 936 documents produced by 1,123 authors, working in sixteen languages to communicate the results of their research, with English the leading language, followed by Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese. The study reveals the fifteen most productive authors, all of which work in English in both academic journals and conference settings. This literature is growing exponentially (R2=0.974), at a rate of 5.4% per year and doubling in size every 13.2 years

Análise morfométrica comparada entre Anuros endêmicos do Brasil e a espécie invasora Lithobates catesbeianus

Anfíbios são indicadores ambientais potencialmente confiáveis e eficientes. Estudos referentes a morfologia de leucócitos de anuros são limitados, com poucos estudos morfometricos disponíveis em literatura. O presente estudo empregou técnicas morfometricas para caracterizar leucócitos de anuros Neotropicais brasileiros selecionados e compara-los com a espécie exótica rã-touro (Lithobates catesbeianus), família Ranidae. Esfregaços sanguíneos de 28 espécimes pertencentes a seis gêneros diferentes (Hyla, Phyllomedusa, Hypsiboas, Scinax, Physalaemus e Proceratophrys) foram comparados com amostras de esfregacos de L. catesbeianus. A média do diâmetro dos leucócitos foi calculada por um software de análise de imagens. One-way e teste de Bonferroni foram utilizados para avaliação estatística. Linfócitos, neutrófilos, eosinófilos e basófilos mostraram-se significativamente menores que os valores de referência reportados em outros gêneros de anfíbios, incluindo Lithobathes; por outro lado, a média do diâmetro dos monócitos não demonstrou variação significativa entre os gêneros. Esse e o primeiro estudo de avaliação morfometrica de leucócitos em espécies de anuros brasileiros. Nossos resultados sugerem que a separação geográfica possivelmente influencia a morfometria leucocitaria.Amphibians are potentially reliable and efficient bioindicators. Existing anuran white blood cell morphology studies are limited, with only a few morphometric studies available. We employed morphometric techniques to characterize leukocytes of selected Neotropical anurans from Brazil and compare our findings with the exotic American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), genus Ranidae. We compared blood smears of 28 specimens from six different genera (Hyla, Phyllomedusa, Hypsiboas, Scinax, Physalaemus, and Proceratophrys) with samples from L. catesbeianus. Leukocyte average diameter was calculated by an image analysis software. One-way analyses of variance and Bonferroni tests were used on statistical analyses. Lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils were significantly smaller than the reference ranges reported for other amphibian genera, including Lithobathes, whereas monocyte diameters did not differ significantly between genera. This is the first study to evaluate leukocyte morphometrics of Brazilian anuran species. Our findings suggest that geographical separation could possibly influence leukocyte morphometry