A Brazilian anuran (Hylodes magalhaesi: Leptodactylidae) infected by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis: a conservation concern

Several studies have associated the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis with anuran population declines worldwide. To date, the fungus has been found in Africa, the Americas, Australia, and Europe. However, it has never been reported to occur in the Atlantic forest or Brazil. Based on morphological, histological, and molecular data, we encountered evidence of B. dendrobatidis infection in a high-altitude stream-dwelling Brazilian anuran species, Hylodes magalhaesi (Leptodactylidae). One population (Municipality of Camanducaia, State of Minas Gerais) was surveyed from 2001 to 2005. Tadpoles lacking teeth were observed and collected in 2004. Histological and molecular analyses identified infection by B. dendrobatidis. Although infected tadpoles seem nowadays to co-exist with the disease, our results are alarming due to the highly endangered situation of the Brazilian Atlantic forest and its fauna. Effects of the chytrid infection on the studied population are still unknown. Further investigations are needed to provide information on its distribution in relation to other populations of H. magalhaesi

Aspectos da morfologia e biologia reprodutiva de uma população de Scinax argyreornatus em Majé, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

This dissertation is about the morphology, natural history, reproduction and development of a population of Scinax argyreornatus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926) from Campo Escoteiro Geraldo Hugo Nunes, a property of União dos Escoteiros do Brasil, in Magé, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The morphology and the osteology of adults are described and discussed, as well as some notes on the natural history of the species including reproduction sites, breeding seasons, behavior, mating calls and clutch description. The morphology of the larvae is also described, with observations on its development in captivity. Comparisons with specimens from other localities, such as Linhares and Santa Teresa, in the state of Espírito Santo; Mangaratiba, Maricá, Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro and Seropédica, in the state of Rio de Janeiro; and Ubatuba, in the state of São Paulo, are made. The results are compared to the available literature information on this species and also on other species of the genus, specially those associated to the "catharinae" and the "perpusillus" groups.Esta dissertação trata de aspectos da morfologia, hábitos, reprodução e desenvolvimento de indivíduos de uma população de Scinax argyreornatus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926) numa propriedade da União dos Escoteiros do Brasil denominada Campo Escoteiro Geraldo Hugo Nunes, localizada no Município de Magé, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. São descritas e discutidas a morfologia externa e a osteologia dos adultos, assim como notas sobre os hábitos reprodutivos da espécie, incluindo sítios e épocas de reprodução, comportamento, vocalizações e descrição da desova. A morfologia e os hábitos das larvas também são descritos, com observações sobre seu desenvolvimento em laboratório. Algumas comparações são feitas com exemplares provenientes de outras localidades, como os municípios de Linhares e Santa Teresa, no Estado do Espírito Santo; Mangaratiba, Maricá, Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro e Seropédica, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro; e Ubatuba, no Estado de São Paulo. Os resultados são confrontados com os dados disponíveis em literatura para a espécie e outras do gênero, principalmente àquelas associadas aos grupos "catharinae" e "perpusillus"

Local adaptation in mainland anole lizards: Integrating population history and genome–environment associations

Environmental gradients constrain physiological performance and thus species’ ranges, suggesting that species occurrence in diverse environments may be associated with local adaptation. Genome–environment association analyses (GEAA) have become central for studies of local adaptation, yet they are sensitive to the spatial orientation of historical range expansions relative to landscape gradients. To test whether potentially adaptive genotypes occur in varied climates in wide‐ranged species, we implemented GEAA on the basis of genomewide data from the anole lizards Anolis ortonii and Anolis punctatus, which expanded from Amazonia, presently dominated by warm and wet settings, into the cooler and less rainy Atlantic Forest. To examine whether local adaptation has been constrained by population structure and history, we estimated effective population sizes, divergence times, and gene flow under a coalescent framework. In both species, divergence between Amazonian and Atlantic Forest populations dates back to the mid‐Pleistocene, with subsequent gene flow. We recovered eleven candidate genes involved with metabolism, immunity, development, and cell signaling in A. punctatus and found no loci whose frequency is associated with environmental gradients in A. ortonii. Distinct signatures of adaptation between these species are not associated with historical constraints or distinct climatic space occupancies. Similar patterns of spatial structure between selected and neutral SNPs along the climatic gradient, as supported by patterns of genetic clustering in A. punctatus, may have led to conservative GEAA performance. This study illustrates how tests of local adaptation can benefit from knowledge about species histories to support hypothesis formulation, sampling design, and landscape gradient characterization

Demographic processes in the montane Atlantic rainforest: Molecular and cytogenetic evidence from the endemic frog Proceratophrys boiei

Historical climatic refugia predict genetic diversity in lowland endemics of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. Yet, available data reveal distinct biological responses to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) conditions across species of different altitudinal ranges. We show that species occupying Brazil's montane forests were significantly less affected by LGM conditions relative to lowland specialists, but that pre-Pleistocene tectonics greatly influenced their geographic variation. Our conclusions are based on palaeoclimatic distribution models, molecular sequences of the cytochrome b, 16S, and RAG-1 genes, and karyotype data for the endemic frog Proceratophrys boiei. DNA and chromosomal data identify in P. boiei at least two broadly divergent phylogroups, which have not been distinguished morphologically. Cytogenetic results also indicate an area of hybridization in southern Sao Paulo. The location of the phylogeographic break broadly matches the location of a NW-SE fault, which underwent reactivation in the Neogene and led to remarkable landscape changes in southeastern Brazil. Our results point to different mechanisms underpinning diversity patterns in lowland versus montane tropical taxa, and help us to understand the processes responsible for the large number of narrow endemics currently observed in montane areas of the southern Atlantic forest hotspot. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq)National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation [DEB 0817035, DEB 1120487]Microsoft CorporationMicrosoft Corporatio

Divergence of thermal physiological traits in terrestrial breeding frogs along a tropical elevational gradient

Critical thermal limits are thought to be correlated with the elevational distribution of species living in tropical montane regions, but with upper limits being relatively invariant compared to lower limits. To test this hypothesis, we examined the variation of thermal physiological traits in a group of terrestrial breeding frogs (Craugastoridae) distributed along a tropical elevational gradient. We measured the critical thermal maximum (CTmax; n = 22 species) and critical thermal minimum (CTmin; n = 14 species) of frogs captured between the Amazon floodplain (250 m asl) and the high Andes (3,800 m asl). After inferring a multilocus species tree, we conducted a phylogenetically informed test of whether body size, body mass, and elevation contributed to the observed variation in CTmax and CTmin along the gradient. We also tested whether CTmax and CTmin exhibit different rates of change given that critical thermal limits (and their plasticity) may have evolved differently in response to different temperature constraints along the gradient. Variation of critical thermal traits was significantly correlated with species' elevational midpoint, their maximum and minimum elevations, as well as the maximum air temperature and the maximum operative temperature as measured across this gradient. Both thermal limits showed substantial variation, but CTmin exhibited relatively faster rates of change than CTmax, as observed in other taxa. Nonetheless, our findings call for caution in assuming inflexibility of upper thermal limits and underscore the value of collecting additional empirical data on species' thermal physiology across elevational gradients.National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: DBI-1103087; National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 1120487 and 1343578; American Philosophical Society; National Geographic Society, Grant/Award Number: 9191-12; Amazon Conservation Association; Swiss National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: #116305; Rufford Small Grants Foundation; Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund; Amphibian Specialist Group; Disney Worldwide Conservation Fun

Phylogenetic relationships of Amazonian anole lizards (Dactyloa):\ud Taxonomic implications, new insights about phenotypic evolution and\ud the timing of diversification

The ecology and evolution of Caribbean anoles are well described, yet little is known about mainland anole species. Lack of phylogenetic information limits our knowledge about species boundaries, morphological evolution, and the biogeography of anoles in South America. To help fill this gap, we provide an updated molecular phylogeny of the Dactyloa (Dactyloidae), with emphasis on the punctata species group. By sampling understudied Amazonian taxa, we (i) assess the phylogenetic placement of the ‘odd anole’, D. dissimilis; (ii) infer the relationships of the proboscis-bearing D. phyllorhina, testing the hypothesis of independent nasal appendage evolution within the anole radiation; and (iii) examine genetic and dewlap color variation in D. punctata and D. philopunctata. Combining multiple nuclear loci with a review of the fossil record, we also (iv) estimate divergence times within the pleurodont iguanian clade of lizards, including Amazonian representatives of Dactyloa and Norops (Dactyloidae) and of Polychrus (Polychrotidae). We recover the five Dactyloa clades previously referred to as the aequatorialis, heteroderma, latifrons, punctata and roquet species groups, as well as a sixth clade composed of D. dissimilis and the non-Amazonian D. neblinina and D. calimae. We find D. phyllorhina to be nested within the punctata group, suggesting independent evolution of the anole proboscis. We consistently recover D. philopunctata nested within D. punctata, and report limited genetic divergence between distinct dewlap phenotypes. The most recent common ancestor of Dactyloa, Anolis and Norops dates back to the Eocene. Most Amazonian taxa within both Dactyloa and Norops diverged in the Miocene, but some diversification events were as old as the late Eocene and late Oligocene. Amazonian Polychrus diverged in the Pliocene. Our findings have broad implications for anole biogeography, disputing recent suggestions that modern dactyloid genera were present in the Caribbean region during the Cretaceous.We thank all Brazilian collectors who made our study possible. Anna Penna, Josimar Silva, Junior Maciel, Pedro Peloso, Simone Matos, and many students in the Rodrigues lab provided field support. We thank Sergio Marques de Souza and Manoela Borges for rapidly preserving specimen MTR21474 after collection by Darth Vader, their cat. Ana Prudente and Teresa A. Pires provided key samples deposited in the herpetological collection at Museu Parense Emilio Goeldi. Annelise D’Angiolella examined specimens and provided pictures and locality information. Pictures of specimens were taken by Alejandro Arteaga (Tropical Herping), Bret Whitney, Julián Velasco, Mauro Teixeira (D. transversalis in the Graphical Abstract online), Pedro Peloso and Renato Recoder. Moisés Barbosa granted access to the Fazenda Experimental Catuaba, Carlos Rangel enabled our work in Parque Nacional Pacaás Novos, and Cleide Rezende facilitated collection in Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor. Suggestions by Danielle Rivera, Jason Brown, Maria Strangas, and one anonymous reviewer greatly improved this manuscript. Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade issued collection permits (SISBIO 36753-1, 36753-4 and 27290-3). AC acknowledges funding from NSF DEB 1035184 and CUNY’s Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering. MTR acknowledges funding from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Grants 03/10335-8 and 11/50146-6. This study is partially co-funded by FAPESP (BIOTA, 2013/50297-0), NSF (DOB 1343578), and NASA, through the Dimensions of Biodiversity Program. CUNY’s High Performance Computing Center, used in data analyses, is supported by NSF Grants CNS-0855217, CNS-0958379 and ACI-1126113

Seeing the forest through many trees: multi-taxon patterns of phylogenetic diversity in the Atlantic Forest hotspot

We combine phylogenetic and point locality data from selected lineages of the Atlantic Forest flora and fauna to compare spatial patterns of biodiversity sustained by the current configuration of forest remnants to a scenario of complete forest preservation. We then ask the question "how much biodiversity is likely lost, already"? Specifically, we assess how habitat loss likely impacted the climatic spaces occupied by the local species, the inferred composition of local communities and the spatial distribution of phylogenetic diversity and endemism

Comparative phylogeography in the Atlantic forest and Brazilian savannas: pleistocene fluctuations and dispersal shape spatial patterns in two bumblebees

Background: Bombus morio and B. pauloensis are sympatric widespread bumblebee species that occupy two major Brazilian biomes, the Atlantic forest and the savannas of the Cerrado. Differences in dispersion capacity, which is greater in B. morio, likely influence their phylogeographic patterns. This study asks which processes best explain the patterns of genetic variation observed in B. morio and B. pauloensis, shedding light on the phenomena that shaped the range of local populations and the spatial distribution of intra-specific lineages. Results: Results suggest that Pleistocene climatic oscillations directly influenced the population structure of both species. Correlative species distribution models predict that the warmer conditions of the Last Interglacial contributed to population contraction, while demographic expansion happened during the Last Glacial Maximum. These results are consistent with physiological data suggesting that bumblebees are well adapted to colder conditions. Intra-specific mitochondrial genealogies are not congruent between the two species, which may be explained by their documented differences in dispersal ability. Conclusions: While populations of the high-dispersal B. morio are morphologically and genetically homogeneous across the species range, B. pauloensis encompasses multiple (three) mitochondrial lineages, and show clear genetic, geographic, and morphological differences. Because the lineages of B. pauloensis are currently exposed to distinct climatic conditions (and elevations), parapatric diversification may occur within this taxon. The eastern portion of the state of São Paulo, the most urbanized area in Brazil, represents the center of genetic diversity for B. pauloensis

Historical climate modelling predicts patterns of current biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic forest

Aim: We aim to propose validated, spatially explicit hypotheses for the late Quaternary distribution of the Brazilian Atlantic forest, and thereby provide a framework for integrating analyses of species and genetic diversity in the region. Location: The Atlantic forest, stretching along the Brazilian coast. Methods: We model the spatial range of the forest under three climatic scenarios (current climate, 6000 and 21,000 years ago) with BIOCLIM and MAXENT. Historically stable areas or refugia are identified as the set of grid cells for which forest presence is inferred in all models and time projections. To validate inferred refugia, we test whether our models are matched by the current distribution of the forest and by fossil pollen data. We then investigate whether the location of inferred forest refugia is consistent with current patterns of species endemism and existing phylogeographical data. Results: Forest models agree with pollen records and predict a large area of historical forest stability in the central corridor (Bahia), as well as a smaller refuge (Pernambuco) along the Brazilian coast, matching current centres of endemism in multiple taxa and mtDNA diversity patterns in a subset of the species examined. Less historical stability is predicted in coastal areas south of the Doce river, which agrees with most phylogeographical studies in that region. Yet some widely distributed taxa show high endemism in the southern Atlantic forest. This may be due to limitations of the modelling approach, differences in ecology and dispersal capability, historical processes not contemplated by the current study or inadequacy of the available test data sets. Main conclusions: Palaeoclimatic models predict the presence of historical forest refugia in the Atlantic rain forest and suggest spatial variation in persistence of forests through the Pleistocene, predicting patterns of biodiversity in several local taxa. The results point to the need for further studies to document genetic and species endemism in the relatively poorly known and highly impacted areas of Atlantic rain forests of north-eastern Brazil