The Roosevelt – Rondon expedition marmoset (Mico marcai) : unveiling the conservation status of a data deficient species

The Roosevelt-Rondon Expedition marmoset, Mico marcai, was collected in 1914 and to date, all information on this species comes from three skins brought back by the Expedition and two additional skins collected in the 1990s. It is no surprise then that M.marcai has been classified as Data Deficient (DD). Given that Mico marcai’s suspected range sits on the path of the advancing Brazilian “Arc-of-Deforestation”, it is urgent that relevant data be collected to assess this taxon. Here we present the first comprehensive field data on the distribution, population size and threats on M. marcai with the goal of removing the species from the DD category. From 2012 to 2015, we surveyed for the species in 11 localities, in and around the Marmelos-Aripuanã interfluve, and estimated density using distance sampling on 10 transects. We also used spatial predictive modelling to project the amount of habitat that will be lost within its range in 18 years under different deforestation scenarios. We found marmosets in 14 localities and calculated its Extent of Occurrence to be 31,073 km2. We walked 271 km and detected 30 marmoset groups, allowing us to estimate their density to be 8.31 individuals/km2 and a total population of 258,217.71 individuals. By a “Business as usual” scenario, 20,181 km2 of habitat will be lost in three marmoset generations (~18 years), compromising 33% of the species’ range. Accordingly, M. marcai should be classified as globally Vulnerable under category A3c. Following our study, we propose the Amazonian marmosets, genus Mico, should undergo similar re-assessment as their ranges all fall in the path of the Arc-of-Deforestation. Keywords: Amazonian marmosets, Conservation Status, Data Deficient, Habitat Loss, Southern Amazoni

Involving local communities for effective citizen science: determining game species' reproductive status to assess hunting effects in tropical forests

1. Involving communities in sustainable wildlife management in tropical forests can ensure food security and livelihoods of millions of forest dwellers that depend on wild meat, but also safeguard hunted species. Mathematical models have been developed to assess hunting sustainability; but these require empirical information on reproductive parameters of the prey species, often challenging to obtain. 2. Here, we suggest that if local people can accurately identify the reproductive status of hunted animals in the field, these data could fill the existing knowledge gap regarding species’ life-history traits and enable better assessments of hunting impacts. 3. We first tested whether local people in 15 rural communities in three Amazonian sites could accurately diagnose, before and after training, the pregnancy status of hunted pacas (Cuniculus paca), which we use as our model. We then applied the results from these tests to correct reproductive status data of hunted specimens, voluntarily collected over 17 years (2002-2018) as part of a citizen science project in one of our study sites. We ran generalized additive models to contrast these corrected reproductive rates with those obtained from the direct analysis of genitalia by researchers, and with indices describing game extraction levels (catch-per-unit-effort, CPUE, and age structure of hunted individuals). 4. Before training, interviewees correctly diagnosed pregnancy in 72.5% of tests, but after training, interviewees accurately diagnosed pregnancy in 88.2% of tests, with high improvements especially for earlier pregnancy stages. Monthly pregnancy rates determined by hunters and by researchers were similar. Reported annual pregnancy Page 3 of 45 Confidential Review copy Journal of Applied Ecology 4 rates were negatively correlated with CPUE, and positively correlated with the percentage of immatures in the hunted population, in accordance to an expected densitydependent response to variations in hunting levels. 5. We showed that the voluntary diagnosis of game species’ reproductive status by local people is a feasible method to obtain accurate life-history parameters for hunted tropical species, and to assess hunting effects on game populations. Given that almost half of the protected areas in the world are co-managed by local people, our results confirm the potential of integrating local communities in citizen science initiatives to ensure faster, low-cost, and more accurate data collection for wildlife management

LED flashlight technology facilitates wild meat extraction across the tropics

Hunting for wild meat in the tropics provides subsistence and income for millions 29 of people. Methods have remained relatively unchanged since the introduction of 30 shotguns and battery-powered incandescent flashlights, but due to the short life of batteries in such flashlights, nocturnal hunting has been limited. However, brighter, 32 more efficient light-emitting diode (LED) flashlights, have recently been adopted by 33 hunters. Brighter spotlights increase the freezing response of many species, and 34 greater battery life allows hunters to pursue game for longer and more frequently. 35 Hunters interviewed in African and South American forests, disclosed that LEDs 36 increase the frequency and efficiency of nocturnal hunting, and the number of kills 37 made. These changes were reflected in harvest data in Brazil. The drastic change in 38 efficiency brought about by LEDs, well known to hunters around the world, poses a 39 significant threat to wildlife. We consider the implications for communities, governments, 40 wildlife managers and conservationist

IL-17RA Signaling Amplifies Antibody-Induced Arthritis

Objective: To investigate the role of IL-17RA signaling in the effector phase of inflammatory arthritis using the K/BxN serumtransfer model. Methods: Wild-type and Il17ra 2/2 mice were injected with serum isolated from arthritic K/BxN mice and their clinical score was recorded daily. Mice were also harvested on days 12 and 21 and ankles were analyzed for cytokine and chemokine mRNA expression by qPCR on day 12 and for bone and cartilage erosions by histology on day 21, respectively. The induction of cytokine and chemokine expression levels by IL-17A in synovial-like fibroblasts was also analyzed using qPCR. Results: Il17ra 2/2 mice were partially protected from clinical signs of arthritis and had markedly fewer cartilage and bone erosions. The expression of several pro-inflammatory mediators, including the chemokines KC/CXCL1, MIP-2/CXCL2, LIX/ CXCL5 MIP-1c/CCL9, MCP-3/CCL7, MIP-3a/CCL20, the cytokines IL-1b, IL-6, RANKL and the matrix metalloproteinases MMP2, MMP3, and MMP13 were decreased in the ankles of Il17ra 2/2 mice compared to wild-type mice. Many of these proinflammatory genes attenuated in the ankles of Il17ra 2/2 mice were shown to be directly induced by IL-17A in synovial fibroblasts in vitro. Conclusions: IL-17RA signaling plays a role as an amplifier of the effector phase of inflammatory arthritis. This effect is likel

Nocturia, Sleep-Disordered Breathing, and Cardiovascular Morbidity in a Community-Based Cohort

Background: Nocturia has been independently associated with cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality, but such studies did not adjust for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which may have mediated such a relationship. Our aims were to determine whether an association between nocturia and cardiovascular morbidity exists that is independent of SDB. We also determined whether nocturia is independently associated with SDB. Methodology/Principal Findings: In order to accomplish these aims we performed a cross-sectional analysis of the Sleep Heart Health Study that contained information regarding SDB, nocturia, and cardiovascular morbidity in a middle-age to elderly community-based population. In 6342 participants (age 63±11 [SD] years, 53% women), after adjusting for known confounders such as age, body mass index, diuretic use, diabetes mellitus, alpha-blocker use, nocturia was independently associated with SDB (measured as Apnea Hypopnea index >15 per hour; OR 1.3; 95%CI, 1.2-1.5). After adjusting for SDB and other known confounders, nocturia was independently associated with prevalent hypertension (OR 1.23; 95%CI 1.08-1.40; P = 0.002), cardiovascular disease (OR 1.26; 95%CI 1.05-1.52; P = 0.02) and stroke (OR 1.62; 95%CI 1.14-2.30; P = 0.007). Moreover, nocturia was also associated with adverse objective alterations of sleep as measured by polysomnography and self-reported excessive daytime sleepiness (P<0.05). Conclusions/Significance: Nocturia is independently associated with sleep-disordered breathing. After adjusting for SDB, there remained an association between nocturia and cardiovascular morbidity. Such results support screening for SDB in patients with nocturia, but the mechanisms underlying the relationship between nocturia and cardiovascular morbidity requires further study. MeSH terms: Nocturia, sleep-disordered breathing, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep apnea, polysomnography, hypertension

Antibodies for Assessing Circadian Clock Proteins in the Rodent Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Research on the mechanisms underlying circadian rhythmicity and the response of brain and body clocks to environmental and physiological challenges requires assessing levels of circadian clock proteins. Too often, however, it is difficult to acquire antibodies that specifically and reliably label these proteins. Many of these antibodies also lack appropriate validation. The goal of this project was to generate and characterize antibodies against several circadian clock proteins. We examined mice and hamsters at peak and trough times of clock protein expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In addition, we confirmed specificity by testing the antibodies on mice with targeted disruption of the relevant genes. Our results identify antibodies against PER1, PER2, BMAL1 and CLOCK that are useful for assessing circadian clock proteins in the SCN by immunocytochemistry

Which Factors Determine Spatial Segregation in the South American Opossums (Didelphis aurita and D. albiventris)? An Ecological Niche Modelling and Geometric Morphometrics Approach

Didelphis albiventris and D. aurita are Neotropical marsupials that share a unique evolutionary history and both are largely distributed throughout South America, being primarily allopatric throughout their ranges. In the Araucaria moist forest of Southern Brazil these species are sympatric and they might potentially compete having similar ecology. For this reason, they are ideal biological models to address questions about ecological character displacement and how closely related species might share their geographic space. Little is known about how two morphologically similar species of marsupials may affect each other through competition, if by competitive exclusion and competitive release. We combined ecological niche modeling and geometric morphometrics to explore the possible effects of competition on their distributional ranges and skull morphology. Ecological niche modeling was used to predict their potential distribution and this method enabled us to identify a case of biotic exclusion where the habit generalist D. albiventris is excluded by the presence of the specialist D. aurita. The morphometric analyses show that a degree of shape discrimination occurs between the species, strengthened by allometric differences, which possibly allowed them to occupy marginally different feeding niches supplemented by behavioral shift in contact areas. Overlap in skull morphology is shown between sympatric and allopatric specimens and a significant, but weak, shift in shape occurs only in D. aurita in sympatric areas. This could be a residual evidence of a higher past competition between both species, when contact zones were possibly larger than today. Therefore, the specialist D. aurita acts a biotic barrier to D. albiventris when niche diversity is not available for coexistence. On the other hand, when there is niche diversification (e.g. habitat mosaic), both species are capable to coexist with a minimal competitive effect on the morphology of D. aurita