Un caso de xantismo en larvas de Pelobates cultripes en la Península Ibérica

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Ocular anomaly in Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae) from Cerro Jesús, Nueva Segovia, Northern Nicaragua

Rhinella marina is a common and resilient species. Occasionally, it can be vector of different diseases due to its dispersion ability. Ocular alteration can be produced by abiotic and biotic factors. One of these factors, are the diseases, such as chytridiomycosis (produced by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which in some cases produces stratum corneum hyperkeratinisation. In field-work carried out in August 2011, we found an individual of R. marina with a whitish epidermal ocular anomaly. We swab the toad, which tested negative to Bd. We consider relevant to highlight these anomalies, which on occasions could reflect some diseases. This is especially important in Cerro Jesús, where we confirmed the presence of some endangered amphibians species.Peer reviewe

Predation behavior with individuals aggregation on streetlights in Tarentola mauritanica (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Southern Spain

Tarentola mauritanica is the most common gecko species in the Iberian Peninsula. It is widespread in most of the anthropogenic areas, where it shows predating behavior and male territoriality, especially during breeding season. In this note, we report an atypical aggregation of this species found in the streetlamps of the most frequented area of a campsite in Ronda, Malaga, Spain. There are previously reported T. mauritanica diurnal aggregations in retreat sites, but not much information can be found related to the interaction among reptiles in small places with high prey availability. This unusual tolerance to the presence of other males in such a reduced but suitable place for predating as a spotlight near humid facilities could be explained as an adaptive strategy to increase their success in hunting. © Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2014.Peer reviewe

Ecological and evolutionary drivers of chemical communication dynamics in lizards

Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, leída el 23-01-2017Históricamente, a pesar de que la comunicación química es considerada como la forma más antigua y extendida de transmitir información, las hipótesis ecológicas y evolutivas sobre la historia animal han sido principalmente construidas sobre interacciones visuales y acústicas. Sin embargo, la última década ha sido testigo del importante papel que juegan las señales químicas en las comunidades animales y de este modo, el número de estudios que investigan rasgos relacionados con la comunicación química se ha incrementado significativamente. En reptiles, por ejemplo, múltiples trabajos sobre comunicación química han revelado que el sistema químiosensorial influencia numerosos procesos subyacentes a su ecología y evolución. Aun así, debido a que la mayoría de los estudios han sido basados en un número reducido de especies, la comunicación química en reptiles continua siendo no del todo bien comprendida. Multitud de perspectivas deben ser tenidas en cuenta para entender totalmente cómo y por qué esta forma de comunicación opera en reptiles. Sin embargo, solo unas pocas metodologías basadas en técnicas químico-analíticas han sido testadas en lagartos. Por tanto, la descripción de metodologías analíticas alternativas a las usadas hasta ahora podría ayudar a responder múltiples preguntas que hasta ahora permanecen sin contestar. En concreto, sabemos muy poco sobre cómo la señalización química es influenciada por factores ecológicos y evolutivos...Historically, despite of chemical communication is considered the oldest and widespread mode of conveying information, ecological and evolutionary hypothesis about animal life-history have chiefly been constructed on visual and acoustic interactions. However, the last decade has witnessed the important role that chemical signaling plays in animal communities and, thus, the number of studies investigating chemical signaling traits has increased significantly. In lizards, for instance, multiple works on chemical communication have revealed that chemical senses lead numerous processes underlying to their ecology and evolution. Even so, since most of studies have been focused on a small number of species, how and why this form of communication operates in lizards remains still poorly understood. In this context, the lower number of methodologies based on analytical chemistry approaches and tested in lizards might be a handicap to broad the spectrum of questions to be answered in the field of lizardś chemical communication. Therefore, the description of alternative methodologies to those used hitherto might help to disentangle multiple questions that so far, remain unsolved. Concretely, we know remarkable little about how chemical signaling of lizards is influenced by ecological and evolutionary factors...Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y EvoluciónFac. de Ciencias BiológicasTRUEunpu

Coloración atípica en una hembra de Iberolacerta cyreni en la Sierra de Guadarrama (Madrid)

El trabajo se financió por el proyecto MICIIN-CGL2011-24150/BOSPeer reviewe

Perception costs of reproduction can magnify sexual selection

We outline two avenues for future research:(1) in model organisms (for example, D. melanogaster), manipulating perception costs in males of varying quality and subsequently testing whether this results in an increase or decrease of male fitness variance; and (2) comparing short-term (that is, no perception costs) versus long-term estimations of male fitness variance in single cohorts via meta-analysis or ad hoc behavioural experiments

Heterogeneous tempo and mode of evolutionary diversification of compounds in lizard chemical signals

Important part of the multivariate selection shaping social and interspecific interactions among and within animal species emerges from communication. Therefore, understanding the diversification of signals for animal communication is a central endeavor in evolutionary biology. Over the last decade, the rapid development of phylogenetic approaches has promoted a stream of studies investigating evolution of communication signals. However, comparative research has primarily focused on visual and acoustic signals, while the evolution of chemical signals remains largely unstudied. An increasing interest in understanding the evolution of chemical communication has been inspired by the realization that chemical signals underlie some of the major interaction channels in a wide range of organisms. In lizards, in particular, chemosignals play paramount roles in female choice and male–male competition, and during community assembly and speciation. Here, using phylogenetic macro-evolutionary modeling, we show for the very first time that multiple compounds of scents for communication in lizards have diversified following highly different evolutionary speeds and trajectories. Our results suggest that cholesterol, α-tocopherol, and cholesta-5,7-dien-3-ol have been subject to stabilizing selection (Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model), whereas the remaining compounds are better described by Brownian motion modes of evolution. Additionally, the diversification of the individual compounds has accumulated substantial relative disparity over time. Thus, our study reveals that the chemical components of lizard chemosignals have proliferated across different species following compound-specific directions

Predation behavior with individuals aggregation on streetlights in Tarentola mauritanica (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Southern Spain

Abstract. Tarentola mauritanica is the most common gecko species in the Iberian Peninsula. It is widespread in most of the anthropogenic areas, where it shows predating behavior and male territoriality, especially during breeding season. In this note, we report an atypical aggregation of this species found in the streetlamps of the most frequented area of a campsite in Ronda, Malaga, Spain. There are previously reported T. mauritanica diurnal aggregations in retreat sites, but not much information can be found related to the interaction among reptiles in small places with high prey availability. This unusual tolerance to the presence of other males in such a reduced but suitable place for predating as a spotlight near humid facilities could be explained as an adaptive strategy to increase their success in hunting

Revisión de la distribución y abundancia de la herpetofauna en las Islas Chafarinas: datos históricos vs. tendencias poblacionales

El estudio fue financiado por contratos del Organismo Autónomo de Parques NacionalesPeer reviewe