Continent-wide Patterns of Divergence in Acoustic and Morphological Traits in the House Wren Species Complex

Phenotypic traits are important for assessing differences between populations, especially in groups with poorly resolved taxonomy. One such group, the House Wren complex, presents extensive taxonomic controversy and is thought to comprise many independent evolutionary units. Although the songs and morphological features of House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) show extensive variation, differences between populations have not been quantified. We assessed variation in acoustic and morphometric traits within this complex and compared patterns of variation with currently recognized subspecies boundaries. First, we compared songs and morphology among eight recognized subspecies (T. a. aedon, T. a. parkmanii, T. a. cahooni, T. a. brunneicollis, T. a. nitidus, T. a. musculus, T. a. beani, and T. a. rufescens), controlling for significant effects of latitude. Second, we used variation in male song, a trait with an important role in mate choice and male–male competition, to assess divergence among subspecies. We compared variation among subspecies to variation across seven currently recognized Troglodytes species (T. hiemalis, T. pacificus, T. tanneri, T. sissonii, T. cobbi, T. rufociliatus, and T. ochraceus). Our results, based on broad sampling of songs (n¼786) and morphological traits (n ¼ 401) from 609 locations throughout the Americas, show that most of the subspecies examined diverge in song, morphology, or both. In addition, the acoustic differences between subspecies are similar to, and in some instances greater than, the divergence between pairs of currently recognized species. Our results suggest that at least four allopatric subspecies—T. a. nitidus, T. a. musculus, T. a. beani, and T. a. rufescens—are likely different species, and we identify many other vocally and morphologically differentiated subspecies that may, upon further detailed genetic analysis, result in new species

Fungos entomopatogênicos: catálogo de isolados.

Remessa do material; Informações contidas neste catálogo.bitstream/item/60080/1/Documentos-188.pd

Introduction: Examined Live – An Epistemological Exchange Between Philosophy and Cultural Psychology on Reflection

Besides the general agreement about the human capability of reflection, there is a large area of disagreement and debate about the nature and value of “reflective scrutiny” and the role of “second-order states” in everyday life. This problem has been discussed in a vast and heterogeneous literature about topics such as epistemic injustice, epistemic norms, agency, understanding, meta-cognition etc. However, there is not yet any extensive and interdisciplinary work, specifically focused on the topic of the epistemic value of reflection. This volume is one of the first attempts aimed at providing an innovative contribution, an exchange between philosophy, epistemology and psychology about the place and value of reflection in everyday life. Our goal in the next sections is not to offer an exhaustive overview of recent work on epistemic reflection, nor to mimic all of the contributions made by the chapters in this volume. We will try to highlight some topics that have motivated a new resumption of this field and, with that, drawing on chapters from this volume where relevant. Two elements defined the scope and content of this volume, on the one hand, the crucial contribution of Ernest Sosa, whose works provide original and thought-provoking contributions to contemporary epistemology in setting a new direction for old dilemmas about the nature and value of knowledge, giving a central place to reflection. On the other hand, the recent developments of cultural psychology, in the version of the “Aalborg approach”, reconsider the object and scope of psychological sciences, stressing that “[h]uman conduct is purposeful”

Fitness cost of resistance to bacillus thuringiensisin velvetbean caterpillar anticarsia gemmatalishübner (lepidoptera, noctuidae).

Selection pressure to obtain resistant genotypes can result in fitness cost. In this study, we report the effects of the selection pressure of a commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis on biological aspects of a Dipel-resistant strain of velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner. Comparisons of Dipel-resistant and susceptible individuals revealed significant differences in pupal weight and larval development time. Both strains (Dipel-resistant and susceptible) were susceptible to Cry1Ac toxin expressed in foliar cotton tissues. Resistant and susceptible strains showed low survival rates of 22.5% and 51.2%, respectively, when fed with Greene diet containing Bt-cotton. Larvae bioassayed after three laboratory generations presented lower survival and less instar numbers than individuals maintained in the laboratory for more than 144 generations. Pupal weight was 9.4% lower and larval development time was 1.9 days longer in the resistant population than in the susceptible strain. Other parameters, such as duration of pupal stage, adult longevity, number of eggs per female, oviposition period, and egg fertility, remained unaffected. Keywords: Anticarsia gemmatalis; toxin; Cry1Ac; Dipel-resistant; strain

Virtue perspectivism, externalism, and epistemic circularity

Virtue perspectivism is a bi-level epistemology according to which there are two grades of knowledge: animal and reflective. The exercise of reliable competences suffices to give us animal knowledge; but we can then use these same competences to gain a second-order assuring perspective, one through which we may appreciate those faculties as reliable and in doing so place our first-order (animal) knowledge in a competent second-order perspective. Virtue perspectivism has considerable theoretical power, especially when it comes to vindicating our external world knowledge against threats of scepticism and regress. Prominent critics, however, doubt whether the view ultimately hangs together without succumbing to vicious circularity. In this paper, I am going to focus on circularity-based criticisms of virtue perspectivism raised in various places by Barry Stroud, Baron Reed and Richard Fumerton, and I will argue that virtue perspectivism can ultimately withstand each of them

Simple, compact source for low-temperature air plasmas

A simple, compact source of low-temperature, spatially and temporally uniform air plasma using a Telsa induction coil driver is described. The low-power ionization discharge plasma is localized (2 cm X 0.5 cm X 0.1 cm) and essentially free of arc channels. A Teflon coated rolling cylindrical electrode and dielectric coated ground plate are essential to the source’s operation and allow flat test samples to be readily exposed to the plasma. The plasma is a copious source of ozone and nitrogen oxides. Its effects on various microbes are discussed

Tolerância de Noctuideos a proteína CRY1AC expressa no algodão Bollgard.

A introdução da soja Bt no cenário agrícola nacional é acompanhada pela preocupação da seleção de populações resistentes de lepidópteros suscetíveis e tolerantes às toxinas de Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). A pressão de seleção poder ser exercida pela soja-Bt, assim como por o algodão-Bt, que expressam a mesma toxina, Cry1Ac. Portanto a avaliação da suscetibilidade/tolerância das diferentes espécies de noctuideos é de fundamental importância para definir estratégias para monitorar e prevenir os possíveis casos de resistência a Cry1Ac. Folhas de algodão (Delta Opal e da cultivar convencional NuOpal) provenientes de plantas com 30 dias de germinadas foram desidratadas, moídas e incorporadas na proporção de 2g de peso seco em 40 ml de dieta de Greene. A dieta com e sem tecidos de algodão foi oferecida como alimento para lagartas de Pseudoplusia includens, Spodoptera cosmioides e S. eridania e uma população de Anticarsia gemmatalis resistente e duas populações suscetíveis (uma população de laboratório e outra de Cruz Alta, RS) ao inseticida biológico a base de Bt, Dipel. A sobrevivência de lagartas de A. gemmatalis suscetíveis e resistentes (taxa de resistência = 103x) ao Dipel foi afetada pela presença de algodão convencional na dieta. Mas também foi significativamente afetada pela presença da toxina Cry1Ac. A sobrevivência de P. includens foi menos afetada que A. gemmatalis pela presença da toxina na dieta e também foi afetada pela presença das folhas de algodão convencional. A sobrevivência das espécies de Spodoptera não foi afetada pela presença da toxina na dieta. O ganho de peso das espécies de Spodoptera foi menos afetado pela presença da toxina, sendo esse efeito negativo mais pronunciado em A. gemmatalis, tanto nas populações suscetíveis como na resistente. As populações de A. gemmatalis provenientes de Cruz Alta encontravam-se na 3ª geração, provavelmente, menos adaptadas às condições de criação em laboratório resultando em menor sobrevivência. S. eridania, S. cosmioides e P. includens, foram as espécies mais tolerantes a toxina expressa em folhas de algodão. Lagartas de A. gemmatalis resistentes a uma formulação comercial de B. thuringiensis foram suscetíveis a toxina Cry1Ac.SICONBIOL 2011