NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

A New Species Of Branchiomaldane (polychaeta: Arenicolidae) From The State Of São Paulo, South-eastern Brazil

A new species of Branchiomaldane was identified in a collection of polychaetes living in colonies of a stony coral. Branchiomaldane maryae sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the presence of lensed eyes and 1-3 branchial filaments per parapodium. Comparisons between B. maryae sp. nov. and the other species of the genus are provided, together with some phylogenetic considerations on the position of the genus.813415421Arwidsson, I., Studien über die skandinavischen und arktischen Maldaniden. Nebst Zusammenstellung der übrigen, bisher bekannten Arten dieser Familie (1907) Zoologische Fahrbuecher Abteilung fuer Systematik Oekologie und Geographie der Tiere, 25, pp. 1-308Ashworth, J.H., (1912) Catalogue of the Chaetopoda in the British Museum. A. Polychaeta. Part I Arenicolidae, , London: British MuseumBartolomaeus, T., Structure and formation of the uncini in larval Pectinaria koreni, Pectinaria auricoma (Terebellida, Annelida) and Spirorbis spirorbis (Annelida): Implications for annelid systematics and the position of the Pogonophora (1995) Zoomorphology, 115, pp. 161-177Bartolomaeus, T., Chaetogenesis in polychaetous Annelida - Significance for annelid systematics and the position of the Pogonophora (1998) Zoology, 100, pp. 348-364Bartolomaeus, T., Meyer, K., Development and phylogenetic significance of hooked setae in Arenicolidae (Polychaeta, Annelida) (1997) Invertebrate Biology, 116, pp. 227-242Bartolomaeus, T., Meyer, K., Zur Phylogenie der Arenicolidae (1999) Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 215, pp. 23-29Berkeley, E., Berkeley, C., Some Capitellidae (Polychaeta) from the N.E. Pacific: With a description of a new genus (1932) Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 2, pp. 669-675Day, J.H., (1967) A monograph on the Polichaeta of southern Africa. Part 2. Sedentaria, , London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History)Fauchald, K., Rouse, G., Polychaete systematics: Past and present (1997) Zoologica Scripta, 26, pp. 71-138Fauvel, P., Sur les stades Clymenides et Branchiomaldane des arénicolides (1899) Bulletin Scientifique de la France et de la Belgique, 32, pp. 283-316Fauvel, P., Polychètes Sédentaires. Addenda aux Errantes, Archiannélides, Myzostomaires (1927) Faune de France, 16, pp. 1-494Fournier, J.A., Barrie, J., Revisionary commentary on Branchiomaldane (Polychaeta: Arenicolidae) with description of a new species from Labrador (1987) Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington, 7, pp. 97-107Holthe, T., Evolution, systematics, and distribution of the Polychaeta Terebellomorpha, with a catalogue of the taxa and a bibliography (1986) Gunneria, 55, pp. 1-236Imajima, M., Occurrence of Branchiomaldane simplex (Polychaeta: Arenicolidae) from Hokkaido, Japan (1988) Bulletin of the Natural Sciences Museum of Tokyo, A, 14, pp. 23-26Johnston, G., Illustrations in British Zoology (1835) Magazine of Natural History (London), 8, pp. 181-183Kristensen, R.M., Nørrevang, A., Description of Psammodrilus aedificator sp. n. (Polychaeta), with notes on the arctic interstitial fauna of Disko Island, West Greenland (1982) Zoologica Scripta, 11, pp. 265-279Lamarck, J.B., (1801), Système des animaux sans vertèbres ou tableau général des classes, des ordres et des genres de ces animauxprésentant leurs caractères essentiels et leur distribution, d'après la considération de leur rapports naturelles et de leur organisation, et suivant l'arrangement établis dans les gaieties du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle l'an 8 de la République. Paris: DétervilleLangerhans, P., Ueber einige canarische anneliden (1881) Kaiserlichen Leopoldinish-Carolinische Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher, Nova Acta, 42, pp. 93-142Linnaeus C. (1758) Systema naturae. Per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, , Holmiae: Laurentii SalviiMesnil, F., Les genres Clymenides et Branchiomaldane et les stades postlarvaires des arènicolides (1898) Zoologischer Anzeiger, Leipzig, 21, pp. 630-638Nonato, E.F., Sobre duas arenícolas da costa brasileira (Annelida, Polychaeta) (1958) Contribuições do Instituto Oceanográfico de São Paulo, 3, pp. 1-16Nonato, E.F., (1981) Contribuição ao conhecimento dos anelídeos poliquetas bentônicos da plataforma continental brasileira, entre Cabo Frio e o Arroio Chuí, , PhD thesis, Instituto Oceanográfico - Universidade de São Paulo, BrazilVerrill, A.E., Notice on the corals and echinoderms collected by Professor C.F. Hartt at the Abrolhos reefs, Province of Bahia, Brazil, 1867 (1868) Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1, pp. 351-36

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Testing in the United States Versus the Rest of the World

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-U.S. institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection