Productivity and impact of the Unisinos’ Postgraduate Program in Biology and the consequences of its interruption for Brazilian science

On 22 July 2022, the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos), a private institution and community university in southern Brazil, announced the interruption of 12 of its postgraduate programmes, including the Postgraduate Program of Biology (PPG Biologia), whose professors founded the journal, Neotropical Biology and Conservation. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of papers published by PPG Biologia in the past 20 years to assess its impact on biological research at a national level. The number of publications and citations increased constantly over the years, with publications growing exponentially. Although most collaborations with other research programmes occurred inside Brazil, a significant number of studies were co-authored by researchers from other countries from at least four continents. The main research lines focused on biological sciences, ecology, sociology, education, environmental sciences and genetics. Despite being affected by the decrease in research funding and the reduction of personnel, PPG Biologia kept its high impact score according to the national evaluation, above that of most programmes in private universities and similar to public ones. With a team of renowned researchers working on different and sometimes unique research lines, the interruption of PPG Biologia will harm the progress of biological research and conservation across the Neotropical realm

Regeneration in a Neotropical land planarian (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)

Planarians are known for their ability to regenerate missing body parts. However, little is known about the regeneration ability of land planarians, especially regarding Neotropical species. Herein, we investigated the regeneration in the Neotropical land planarian Luteostriata abundans. Specimens were cut in two at different points along the body and monitored for 50 days. Larger and anterior pieces survived more than smaller posterior pieces. Anterior pieces that retained the pharynx continued to feed normally as intact animals, while posterior pieces that retained the pharynx lost its function temporarily. The growth rate was similar amongst all pieces across 50 days. Anterior mouthless pieces regenerated the pharynx and mouth significantly faster than posterior mouthless pieces. After 50 days, the relative position of the mouth along the body reached values close to intact animals in all regenerating pieces. In general, anterior pieces showed higher survival and regenerated faster than posterior fragments, which agrees with observations with other planarian species. However, surviving posterior pieces were able to retain the proportions of intact animals as well. Our results suggest that L. abundans has a good regenerative capacity similar to many freshwater planarians

Platyhelminthes ou apenas semelhantes a Platyhelminthes? Relações filogenéticas dos principais grupos de turbelários

The phylum Platyhelminthes has been traditionally subdivided into four classes, viz. Turbellaria, Trematoda, Monogenea e Cestoda. However, phylogenetic analyses indicated that the class Turbellaria was not well defined due to the lack of clear synapomorphies. Those studies were initially performed on the basis of morphological data. They indicated that the phylum Platyhelminthes encompasses three monophyletic groups: Acoelomorpha, Catenulida and Rhabditophora. Molecular analyses, as well as studies combining morphological and molecular data, have indicated that the acoelomorphs are not members of the Platyhelminthes. This article is intended to discuss the phylogenetic relationships of the main groups comprising the turbellarians based on morphological and molecular characters, as well as the position of acoelomorphs in relation to other invertebrates.Key words: acoels, catenulids, rhabditophorans, phylogeny, invertebrates.Tradicionalmente, o filo Platyhelminthes era subdividido em quatro classes, Turbellaria, Trematoda, Monogenea e Cestoda, mas estudos filogenéticos apontaram que a classe Turbellaria não estava bem definida devido à ausência de sinapomorfias claras. Tais estudos, inicialmente realizados considerando dados morfológicos, indicaram que o filo Platyhelminthes apresenta-se constituído por três grupos monofiléticos: Acoelomorpha, Catenulida e Rhabditophora. Análises moleculares, bem como estudos combinando dados morfológicos e moleculares, têm indicado que os acelomorfos não são integrantes do filo Platyhelminthes. O presente artigo de revisão tem como objetivo discutir as relações filogenéticas dos principais grupos que integram os turbelários, com base em caracteres morfológicos e moleculares, bem como a posição dos acelomorfos em relação aos demais invertebrados.Palavras-chave: acelos, catenulidos, rabditóforos, filogenia, invertebrados

Figure 4 in Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian

Figure 4. Obama ladislavii capturing Deroceras laeve: (A) planarian encountering the slug; (B) planarian attaching its anterior end to the slug; (C, D) planarian moving towards the slug's head to prevent escape; (E–H) slug surrounded by the planarian and pressed against the substrate.Published as part of Boll, Piter Kehoma & Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria, 2014, Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian, pp. 983-994 in Journal of Natural History 49 (17) on page 989, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2014.981312, http://zenodo.org/record/400588

Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian

Boll, Piter Kehoma, Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria (2014): Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian. Journal of Natural History 49 (17): 983-994, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2014.98131

Two new land planarian species (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) from protected areas in southern Brazil

Boll, Piter Kehoma, Amaral, Silvana Vargas Do, Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria (2019): Two new land planarian species (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) from protected areas in southern Brazil. Zootaxa 4664 (4): 535-550, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4664.4.