Physical maturity of the vertebral column of Tursiops truncatus (Cetacea) from Southern Brazil

A idade, o sexo e o comprimento total são variáveis importantes para a análise da ontogenia, dimorfismo sexual e variação geográfica dos cetáceos. A maturidade física dos cetáceos pode ser determinada através da fusão de epífises vertebrais. Quando todas as epífises estiverem fusionadas ao corpo da vértebra, o crescimento corporal cessará e o animal será considerado fisicamente maduro. Tendo Tursiops truncatus como foco de estudo, objetivou-se determinar a maturidade física da coluna vertebral comparando-a com as idades obtidas pelas leituras de G.L.G. (em português, Grupo de Linhas de Crescimento, de acordo com Schultz (1996)). Foram analisados 24 exemplares de acordo com o grau de fusão das epífises. Três padrões de amadurecimento vertebral foram diagnosticados: Padrão 1 - coluna vertebral sem fusão de epífises ou estas iniciando apenas nas cervicais (de zero a dois anos); Padrão 2 - coluna com os quatro graus de fusões de epífises (de dois a onze/doze anos); e Padrão  - coluna completamente fusionada (mais de onze/doze anos). Para T. truncatus do litoral de Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil, a fusão das epífises vertebrais inicia-se rapidamente a região cervical, seguida da região caudal, sendo as vértebras torácicas e lombares as últimas a fusionarem. O dimorfismo sexual pode estar presente durante o processo de amadurecimento desses animais, os quais se tornam fisicamente maduros entre os onze e quinze anos. Palavras-chave: boto-da-tainha, crescimento, epífises vertebrais, idade.Age, sex and total length are important variables for the analysis of ontogeny, sexual dimorphism and geographic variation among cetaceans. The physical maturity of cetaceans can be determined through analysis of the fusion of vertebral epiphyses. The animal is considered physically mature when all the epiphyses are fused to the vertebral body and the body growth ceases. The focus of the study is to determine physical maturity of the spine of Tursiops truncatus and compare with the age of individuals, which was obtained from the counting of Growth Layer Groups (G.L.G.). Twenty-four specimens were analyzed for the degree of epiphyseal fusion. As a result three vertebral maturation patterns were identified: Pattern 1 - vertebral column without fusion of epiphyses or fusion initiating only in cervical epiphyses (from zero to two years old); Pattern 2 - column with four degrees of fusion of epiphyses (from two to eleven/twelve years old); and Pattern 3 - column completely fused (more than eleven/twelve years old). For T. truncatus from the coast of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, the fusion of vertebral epiphyses begins rapidly in the cervical region, followed by the caudal region, with the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae being the last to undergo fusion. Sexual dimorphism may be present during the maturation process of these animals, which became physically mature between eleven and fifteen years old. Key words: bottlenose dolphin, growth, vertebral epiphyses, age

Variations and anomalies in the axial skeleton of the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Cetacea, Delphinidae) from southern Brazil

This paper describes cases of morphological variation and bone anomalies in the axial skeleton of the bottlenose dolphin, with emphasis on the vertebral column and considering the physical maturity of those specimens

Bottlenose dolphin populations from the southern Brazilian coast: do they exchange genes or are they just neighbors?

The genetic structure of bottlenose dolphin communities found along the southern Brazilian coast is reported in this study. Genetic structure analysis using biopsy samples from free ranging dolphins and tissue samples from stranded dolphins revealed a fine-scale population structure among three distinct groups. The first genetically distinct group was composed of resident dolphins of Laguna with a high degree of site fidelity. The second group was composed of one photo-identified dolphin, previously recognised by its interaction with fishermen, and dolphins that stranded near the mouth of Tramandaí Lagoon. Moderate nuclear and low mitochondrial gene diversity was found in dolphins of those coastal communities, whereas most of the dolphins stranded along the coast showed markedly higher levels of gene diversity at both markers. These stranded dolphins of unknown origin formed the third distinct group, which may be part of a larger offshore community. These results demonstrate the presence of at least three bottlenose dolphin clusters along this portion of the Brazilian coast, with the coastal specimens appearing to be only neighbours of a larger offshore community that eventually strands along the coast, highlighting the importance of the establishment of management and conservation measures for the species at a local scale

Participação, cultura política e cidades

Este trabalho faz uma apresentação comentada dos cinco artigos que constituem o presente dossiê, à luz de referências teóricas e bibliográficas sobre os temas da participação, da cultura política e das cidades. A intenção é contribuir com o debate acerca da democracia participativa e suas implicações na teoria sociológica atual. A apresentação está estruturada de forma a permitir um encadeamento dos temas tratados pelos artigos, iniciando por um resgate do contexto histórico e das referências teóricas sobre as dimensões envolvidas nos conteúdos que estruturam o dossiê.This introductory text makes a commented presentation of the five articles that comprise the present dossier in the light of theoretical and bibliographical references on the topics of participation, political culture and cities. Our aim is contributing to the debate regarding deliberative democracy and its repercussions on the current sociological theory. The text is structured so that to allow linking the themes worked out in the articles, beginning by retrieving the historical context and theoretical references of the dimensions involved in the contents of the dossier

Impactos da tecnologia de informação sobre o trabalho de "colarinho branco" Impacts of information technology on "white collar" work

Grandes investimentos em tecnologia de informação (TI) vêm sendo canalizados para a melhoria dos processos empresariais. Esses investimentos limitam-se, em geral, à automação pura e simples dos processos já existentes na companhia, os quais continuam sendo realiza-dos pelos mesmos profissionais e regidos pelos mesmos princípios anteriores à TI. Um corolário deste tipo de automação é o pequeno ganho de produtividade do trabalho de colarinho branco. Uma alternativa para este problema é a reengenharia de processos, que por meio do uso criativo da TI e da gestão por processos procura estabelecer novas formas muito mais eficientes de realizar o trabalho. Entretanto, tais formas alteram, freqüente e fundamentalmente, o perfil do profissional e a natureza de seu trabalho. É sobre estes impactos que estaremos discorrendo ao longo deste artigo.<br>Huge investiments in information technology (IT) have been directed to business process improvements. Generally, such investments are limited to the sole automation of already existing processes, which continue to be performed according to the same rules and by the same professionals prior to IT. A consequence of this kind of automation is the low producti-vity increase in white collar work. An alternative to this problem is business process reengi-neering, which, via the creative use of IT, strives to establish much more effective ways of performing work. However, very often such new ways affect the professional skills and the nature of the work. This paper discusses the impacts of IT on white collar work

Bottlenose dolphin communities from the southern Brazilian coast: do they exchange genes or are they just neighbours?

The genetic structure of bottlenose dolphin communities found along the southern Brazilian coast is reported in this study. Genetic structure analysis using biopsy samples from free ranging dolphins and tissue samples from stranded dolphins revealed a fine-scale population structure among three distinct groups. The first genetically distinct group was composed of resident dolphins of Laguna with a high degree of site fidelity. The second group was composed of one photo-identified dolphin, previously recognised by its interaction with fishermen, and dolphins that stranded near the mouth of Tramandaí Lagoon. Moderate nuclear and low mitochondrial gene diversity was found in dolphins of those coastal communities, whereas most of the dolphins stranded along the coast showed markedly higher levels of gene diversity at both markers. These stranded dolphins of unknown origin formed the third distinct group, which may be part of a larger offshore community. These results demonstrate the presence of at least three bottlenose dolphin clusters along this portion of the Brazilian coast, with the coastal specimens appearing to be only neighbours of a larger offshore community that eventually strands along the coast, highlighting the importance of the establishment of management and conservation measures for the species at a local scale

Resumos concluídos - Neurociências

Resumos concluídos -  Neurociência

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Núcleos de Ensino da Unesp: artigos 2008

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq