Chemical effects of diceCT staining protocols on fluid-preserved avian specimens

Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) techniques allow visualization of soft tissues of fluid-preserved specimens in three dimensions without dissection or histology. Two popular diceCT stains, iodine-potassium iodide (I2KI) dissolved in water and elemental iodine (I2) dissolved in 100% ethanol (EtOH), yield striking results. Despite the widespread use of these stains in clinical and biological fields, the molecular mechanisms that result in color change and radiopacity attributed to iodine staining are poorly understood. Requests to apply these stains to anatomical specimens preserved in natural history museums are increasing, yet curators have little information about the potential for degradation of treated specimens. To assess the molecular effects of iodine staining on typical museum specimens, we compared the two popular stains and two relatively unexplored stains (I2KI in 70% EtOH, I2 in 70% EtOH). House sparrows (Passer domesticus) were collected and preserved under uniform conditions following standard museum protocols, and each was then subjected to one of the stains. Results show that the three ethanol-based stains worked equally well (producing fully stained, life-like, publication quality scans) but in different timeframes (five, six, or eight weeks). The specimen in I2KI in water became degraded in physical condition, including developing flexible, demineralized bones. The ethanol-based methods also resulted in some demineralization but less than the water-based stain. The pH of the water-based stain was notably acidic compared to the water used as solvent in the stain. Our molecular analyses indicate that whereas none of the stains resulted in unacceptable levels of protein degradation, the bones of a specimen stained with I2KI in water demineralized throughout the staining process. We conclude that staining with I2KI or elemental I2 in 70% EtOH can yield high-quality soft-tissue visualization in a timeframe that is similar to that of better-known iodine-based stains, with lower risk of negative impacts on specimen condition

Prevalence and Diversity of Avian Hematozoan Parasites in Asia: A Regional Study

Tissue samples from 699 birds from three regions of Asia (Myanmar, India, and South Korea) were screened for evidence of infection by avian parasites in the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Samples were collected from November 1994 to October 2004. We identified 241 infected birds (34.0%). Base-on-sequence data for the cytochrome b gene from 221 positive samples, 34 distinct lineages of Plasmodium, and 41 of Haemoproteus were detected. Parasite diversity was highest in Myanmar followed by India and South Korea. Parasite prevalence differed among regions but not among host families. There were four lineages of Plasmodium and one of Haemoproteus shared between Myanmar and India and only one lineage of Plasmodium shared between Myanmar and South Korea. No lineages were shared between India and South Korea, although an equal number of distinct lineages were recovered from each region. Migratory birds in South Korea and India originate from two different migratory flyways; therefore cross-transmission of parasite lineages may be less likely. India and Myanmar shared more host species and habitat types compared to South Korea. Comparison between low-elevation habitat in India and Myanmar showed a difference in prevalence of haematozoans

Avifauna of the Southeastern Himalayan Mountains and neighboring Myanmar hill country

The northern Myanmar hill jungle and neighboring highlands found along the southeastern slopes of the Himalayas (Hkakabo Razi region, northern Kachin State, northernmost Myanmar) is almost untouched by humans, and can be considered as primary forest in the literal sense. Until the efforts reported on in this monograph, no ornithologist had the opportunity to visit this remote area since the late 1940s. Beginning in 1997, we made several visits to this extraordinary, species-rich area, and compiled an inventory of the regional avifauna while also studying the ecology, behavior, systematics, taxonomy, biogeography, and origin of the region’s birds. We report on these aspects for the 441 species found in the area and add data on species new to the area and those for which there are only a few representatives in the world’s specimen collections. In addition, we provide information on taxa that are likely endemic (Jabouilleia naungmungensis), suggest splits or revisions of subspecies and species, and describe two new subspecies from the area, Alcippe cinereiceps hkakaboraziensis ssp. nov. and Malacocincla abbotti kachinensis ssp. nov., based on plumage and morphometric differentiation. Last but not least, we analyze the species affinities (i.e. the biogeographic origin of the species occurring in Hkakabo Razi and surrounding areas). We found a lack of data in general for bird species in Southeast Asia, India and Tibet/China, but especially in the northern hill mountains of Kachin State around Hkakabo Razi National Park. Efforts by conservation organizations and ourselves has improved the situation, but much more work, particularly on ecology and global change effects, is warranted. We have added considerable information on the distribution, systematics, ecology, and biogeography of a number of species. Although much work remains to be done, our research provides significant new insights into the biology and biogeography of the region’s birds, and in particular, on delineation of major zoogeographic regions. We conclude that Ernst Mayr was correct in essence when he stated that the eastern border between the Oriental and Southeast Asian regions is roughly equivalent to the political boundary between Myanmar (Burma) and China. However, our work provides new understanding of the reasons, and challenges some of the fundamental assumptions on which the ‘zoogeographic region’ concept is based. In particular, such delineations often fail to take into account the geological and ecological history of a region. By evaluating in detail the subspecific relationships of the Hkakabo Razi rainforest avifauna, we were able to determine that the avifauna most similar is found in the temperate rainforests of northeastern India. We conclude that the likely reason for this similarity is that these two avifaunas shared the same refugium during the maximum of the last glacial period (18,000 years ago), and that other south and southeast Asian rainforest species shared different refugia during this time period, and probably during previous glacial events as well.Other parts of this work have been funded through six SYNTEHSYS grants (visits to BMNH, NMN, NMW, ZMUC, NRM, and Museo de la Historia Natural de Madrid: ES-TAF-2501; AT-TAF-2481; GB-TAF-108, SE-TAF-1312; NL-TAF-4369, AT-TAF-7), under the European Community’s 7th Framework Program (www.synthesys.info).Peer reviewe

New records for Guyana, with description of the voice of Roraiman Nightjar Caprimulgus whitelyi

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Pilot biodiversity assessment of the Hkakabo Razi passerine avifauna in northern Myanmar – implications for conservation from molecular genetics

The Hkakabo Razi region located in northern Myanmar is an Important Bird Area and part of the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot. Within the framework of the World Heritage Convention to enlist the site under criterion (ix) and (x), we conducted a biodiversity assessment for passerine birds using DNA barcoding and other molecular markers. Of the 441 bird species recorded, we chose 16 target species for a comparative phylogeographic study. Genetic analysis was performed for a larger number of species and helped identifying misidentified species. We found phylogeographic structure in all but one of the 16 study species. In 13 species, populations from northern Myanmar were genetically distinctive and local mitochondrial lineages differed from those found in adjacent regions by 3.9– 9.9% uncorrected genetic distances (cytochrome-b). Since the genetic distinctiveness of study populations will be corroborated by further differences in morphology and song as in other South-East Asian passerines, many of them will be candidates for taxonomic splits, or in case an older taxon name is not available, for the scientific description of new taxa. Considering the short time frame of our study we predict that a great part of undetected faunal diversity in the Hkakabo Razi region will be discovered

Avian Hematozoa in South America: a Comparison of Temperate and Tropical Zones

We used screening techniques based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to explore the avian hematozoan parasites (Plasmodium spp. and Haemoproteus spp.) of two previously uninvestigated regions of continental South America. Comparisons of tropical-zone Guyana and temperate-zone Uruguay revealed that overall prevalence of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus species detected in a diverse sampling of potential hosts was significantly higher in Guyana. The difference in prevalence between the two geographic zones appears to be attributable to ecological differences rather than taxonomic sampling artifacts. Diversity of hematozoan haplotypes was also higher in Guyana. We found no relationship between hematozoan haplotype and host family sampled within or between regions. We found very few Plasmodium and no Haemoproteus haplotypes shared between the two regions, and evidence of geographic structuring of hematozoan haplotypes between the two regions. We suggest that a lack of hematozoan haplotype transmission between the two regions may be attributable to the migratory patterns of each region\u27s avian hosts