Probable first record of a drinking seedsnipe (Family Thinocoridae) in the wild

Seedsnipes (family Thinocoridae, genera Attagis and Thinocorus with two species each) are strictly vegetarian shorebirds occurring in some of the coldest and driest habitats of southern South America. It has been hypothesised that they retrieve all their water from their food, mostly leaves and buds from (succulent) plants. According to Fjeldså (1996), none of the seedsnipes “are known to drink in natural conditions. However, they may do so in captivity.” In apparent contradiction, he also shows a photograph of a male Greybreasted seedsnipe Thinocorus orbignyianus leaning over at the edge of a pond suggesting that it may have been drinking. Therefore it is not completely sure if drinking in the wild never occurs.Fil: Edelaar, Pim. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Abril, Mónica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentin

Asymmetry in genitalia is in sync with lateralized mating behavior but not with the lateralization of other behaviors

Asymmetries in bilateral organisms attract a lot of curiosity given that they are conspicuous departures from the norm. They allow the investigation of the integration at different levels of biological organization. Here we study whether and how behavioral and asymmetrical anatomical traits co-evolved and work together. We ask if asymmetry is determined locally for each trait or at a whole individual level in a species bearing conspicuous asymmetrical genitalia. Asymmetric genitalia evolved in many species; however, in most cases the direction of asymmetry is fixed. Therefore, it has been rarely determined if there is an association between the direction of asymmetry in genitalia and other traits. In onesided livebearer fish of the genus Jenynsia (Cyprinodontiformes, Anablepidae), the anal fin of males is modified into a gonopodium, an intromittent organ that serves to inseminate females. The gonopodium shows a conspicuous asymmetry, with its tip bending either to the left or the right. By surveying 13 natural populations of Jenynsia lineata, we found that both genital morphs are equally common in wild populations. In a series of experiments in a laboratory population, we discovered asymmetry and lateralization for multiple other traits; yet, the degree of integration varied highly among them. Lateralization in exploratory behavior in response to different stimuli was not associated with genital morphology. Interestingly, the direction of genital asymmetry was positively correlated with sidedness of mating preference and the number of neuromasts in the lateral line. This suggests integration of functionally linked asymmetric traits; however, there is no evidence that asymmetry is determined at the whole individual level in our study species.Fil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. Universität Konstanz; AlemaniaFil: Rometsch, Sina J.. Universität Konstanz; AlemaniaFil: Aguilera, Gaston. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentina. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Dirección de Zoología. Instituto de Vertebrados. Sección Ictiología; ArgentinaFil: Goyenola, Guillermo. Universidad de la Republica. Centro Universitario Regional del Este.; UruguayFil: Meyer, Axel. Universität Konstanz; Alemani

Molecular and morphological convergence to sulfide-tolerant fishes in a new species of Jenynsia (Cyprinodontiformes: Anablepidae), the first extremophile member of the family

Freshwater sulfide springs have extreme environmental conditions that only few vertebrate species can tolerate. These species often develop a series of morphological and molecular adaptations to cope with the challenges of life under the toxic and hypoxic conditions of sulfide springs. In this paper, we described a new fish species of the genus Jenynsia, Anablepidae, from a sulfide spring in Northwestern Argentina, the first in the family known from such extreme environment. Jenynsia sulfurica n. sp. is diagnosable by the lack of scales on the pre-pelvic area or the presence of a single row of scales, continuous or not, from the isthmus to the bases of the pelvic fins. Additionally, it presents a series of morphological and molecular characteristics that appear convergent with those seen in other fish species (e.g., Poeciliids) inhabiting sulfide springs. Most notably, J. sulfurica has an enlarged head and postorbital area compared to other fish of the genus and a prognathous lower jaw with a hypertrophied lip, thought to facilitate respiration at the air-water interface. Analyses of cox1 sequence showed that J. sulfurica has two unique mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions convergent to those seen in Poeciliids from sulfide springs and known to provide a physiological mechanism related to living in sulfide environments. A phylogenetic analysis, including molecular and morphological characters, placed J. sulfurica as sister taxa to J. alternimaculata, a species found in nearby, non-sulfide habitats directly connected to the sulfide springs. Thus, it can be inferred that the selection imposed by the presence of H2S has resulted in the divergence between these two species and has potentially served as a barrier to gene flow.Fil: Aguilera, Gastón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Teran, Guillermo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Mirande, Juan Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Felipe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Rometsch, Sina. University Of Konstanz, Germany; AlemaniaFil: Meyer, Axel. University Of Konstanz, Germany; AlemaniaFil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. University Of Konstanz, Germany; Alemania. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentin

Molecular and morphological convergence to sulfide-tolerant fishes in a new species of Jenynsia (Cyprinodontiformes: Anablepidae), the first extremophile member of the family

Freshwater sulfide springs have extreme environmental conditions that only few vertebrate species can tolerate. These species often develop a series of morphological and molecular adaptations to cope with the challenges of life under the toxic and hypoxic conditions of sulfide springs. In this paper, we described a new fish species of the genus Jenynsia, Anablepidae, from a sulfide spring in Northwestern Argentina, the first in the family known from such extreme environment. Jenynsia sulfurica n. sp. is diagnosable by the lack of scales on the pre-pelvic area or the presence of a single row of scales, continuous or not, from the isthmus to the bases of the pelvic fins. Additionally, it presents a series of morphological and molecular characteristics that appear convergent with those seen in other fish species (e.g., Poeciliids) inhabiting sulfide springs. Most notably, J. sulfurica has an enlarged head and postorbital area compared to other fish of the genus and a prognathous lower jaw with a hypertrophied lip, thought to facilitate respiration at the air-water interface. Analyses of cox1 sequence showed that J. sulfurica has two unique mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions convergent to those seen in Poeciliids from sulfide springs and known to provide a physiological mechanism related to living in sulfide environments. A phylogenetic analysis, including molecular and morphological characters, placed J. sulfurica as sister taxa to J. alternimaculata, a species found in nearby, non-sulfide habitats directly connected to the sulfide springs. Thus, it can be inferred that the selection imposed by the presence of H2S has resulted in the divergence between these two species and has potentially served as a barrier to gene flow.Fil: Aguilera, Gastón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Teran, Guillermo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Mirande, Juan Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Felipe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Rometsch, Sina. University Of Konstanz, Germany; AlemaniaFil: Meyer, Axel. University Of Konstanz, Germany; AlemaniaFil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. University Of Konstanz, Germany; Alemania. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentin

Nest building materials used by the Picaflor Rubí (Sephanoides sephaniodes) in the Valdiviana forest, Chile.

El Picaflor Rubí nidifica en bosques australes entre Septiembre y Diciembre, encontrándose excepcionalmente nidos activos en Enero. Construye los nidos en ramas de árboles que cuelgan sobre cursos de agua, entre 1 y 8 m, generalmente con nidadas de dos huevos blancos. La forma del nido es de taza abierta, construida con fibras de helechos recubiertas con musgos; sin embargo, a la fecha, no hay información sobre las especies vegetales que utiliza para su construcción, salvo algunas menciones a nivel genérico. El presente trabajo cumple básicamente con dos objetivos: Identificar las especies vegetales que el Picaflor Rubí utiliza como sustrato de nidificación, y determinar el nivel de especificidad en helechos y musgos que utiliza como material para la construcción del nido, en un sector de la Cordillera de la Costa Chilena.Fil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Colorado State University ; Estados UnidosFil: Osorio, Felipe. Universidad Austral de Chile; ChileFil: Suarez, Guillermo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentin

Composition, structure and seasonal variation of the bird community in the Botanical Garden of Fundación Miguel Lillo

Las alteraciones ambientales causadas por las actividades humanas impactan negativamente en la biodiversidad. Entre ellas, se espera que la transformación de ambientes naturales en urbanizaciones, se incremente durante este siglo por la rápida tasa de crecimiento poblacional humano. Esta predicción ha despertado el interés por determinar el rol que juegan en la conservación de la biodiversidad los espacios verdes dentro de las ciudades. La explotación agrícola y las urbanizaciones han remplazado casi completamente la Selva Pedemontana original (Yungas) de la Provincia de Tucumán, Argentina. Sin embargo, las ciudades de esta provincia presentan espacios verdes que difieren unos de otros en la estructura de su vegetación. El Jardín Botánico de la Fundación Miguel Lillo, en San Miguel de Tucumán, fue creado aproximadamente 60 años atrás y hoy se encuentra inserto en una matriz urbana con escasa vegetación. Este JBFML, de 0,7 hectáreas, presenta todos los estratos de vegetación del ambiente original. Durante dos años muestreamos la comunidad de aves del JBFML, realizando conteos de punto de radio fijo. Registramos 85 especies: dos exóticas, 14 de Yungas, y el resto especies autóctonas de amplia distribución y de origen Chaco-Pampeano. La comunidad fue dividida en cuatro ensambles según las tácticas de forrajeo. El ensamble con mayor diversidad y número de especies es el que busca el alimento desplazándose por la vegetación. Estos resultados, y otros estudios realizados en la misma ciudad, sugieren que las características estructurales de la vegetación juegan un rol importante en la conservación de las especies nativas de aves en la ciudad.Environmental disturbances caused by human activities have a negative impact on biodiversity. Among these, it is expected that changes from natural to urban environments will increase during this century due the high rate of human population growth. This prediction has generated an interest in determining the role that urban green spaces play in preser ving biodiversity. Most of the original Premontane Subtropical Forest (Yungas) of the Tucumán Province, Argentina, has been replaced by urbanization and agriculture. However, cities in this province present a series of green spaces that differ from one another in the structure of its vegetation. The Botanical Garden of the Fundación Miguel Lillo, in San Miguel de Tucumán, was created approximately 60 years ago and is now surrounded by an urban matrix with scarce vegetation. This garden which covers 0,7 hectares, presents all the typical vegetation strata of the original forest. We sampled the bird community within this botanical garden for two years, using the fixed-radius point counts. We recorded 85 bird species: two exotic species, 14 species from the original Yungas forest, and the rest native species of ample distribution or species from the Chaco-Pampeana region. The community was divided into four assemblages based on trophic strategies. The assemblage with the highest diversity and the most species is that of birds that search for food in the vegetation. These results, combined with other studies done in the same city, suggest that the structure of the vegetation plays a major role in preserving native bird species within cities.Fil: Echevarría, Ada Lilian. Fundación Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Lobo Allende, I. R.. Universidad Nacional de Chilecito; ArgentinaFil: Juri. María D.. Universidad Nacional de Chilecito; ArgentinaFil: Chani, José María. Universidad Nacional de Chilecito; ArgentinaFil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. State University of Colorado - Fort Collins; Estados UnidosFil: Martín, Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentin

Genetic assimilation and the evolution of direction of genital asymmetry in anablepid fishes

Phylogenetic comparative studies suggest that the direction of deviation from bilateral symmetry (sidedness) might evolve through genetic assimilation; however, the changes in sidedness inheritance remain largely unknown. We investigated the evolution of genital asymmetry in fish of the family Anablepidae, in which males' intromittent organ (the gonopodium, a modified anal fin) bends asymmetrically to the left or the right. In most species, males show a 1: 1 ratio of left-to-right-sided gonopodia. However, we found that in three species left-sided males are significantly more abundant than right-sided ones. We mapped sidedness onto a new molecular phylogeny, finding that this left-sided bias likely evolved independently three times. Our breeding experiment in a species with an excess of left-sided males showed that sires produced more left-sided offspring independently of their own sidedness. We propose that sidedness might be inherited as a threshold trait, with different thresholds across species. This resolves the apparent paradox that, while there is evidence for the evolution of sidedness, commonly there is a lack of support for its heritability and no response to artificial selection. Focusing on the heritability of the left: right ratio of offspring, rather than on individual sidedness, is key for understanding how the direction of asymmetry becomes genetically assimilated.Fil: Torres Dowdall, Julián Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Rometsch, Sina J.. Universität Konstanz; AlemaniaFil: Velasco, Jacobo Reyes. Universität Konstanz; AlemaniaFil: Aguilera, Gaston. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Kautt, Andreas F.. Universität Konstanz; AlemaniaFil: Goyenola, Guillermo. Universidad de la Republica; Uruguay. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Petryna, Ana Mabel. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Deprá, Gabriel C.. Universidade Estadual de Maringá. Departamento de Engenharia Química.; BrasilFil: da Graça, Weferson J.. Universidade Estadual de Maringá. Departamento de Engenharia Química.; BrasilFil: Meyer, Axel. University of Konstanz; Alemani