Sapillo moteado mediterráneo – Pelodytes hespericus Díaz- Rodríguez, Gehara, Márquez, Vences, Gonçalves, Sequeira, Martínez-Solano y Tejedo, 2017

Anfibios - Orden Anura - Familia Pelodytidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/.A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Mediterranean Parsley Frog Pelodytes hespericus Díaz-Rodríguez et al., 2017 in Spain.Peer reviewe

Niche diversification of Mediterranean and southwestern Asian tortoises

Background Tortoises of the genus Testudo are widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean region and southwestern Asia. However, the evolutionary mechanisms of diversification in this genus are still poorly understood. Methods In this study, we assessed the evolutionary patterns in the climate niches of five species and 11 subspecies of the genus Testudo using ecological niche models and evaluated the niche overlap based on species phylogenetic distances. Results The ecological models indicated that most species differ in their climate niches, but show overlap, with gradual transitions at range boundaries. As expected, the ecological divergence among subspecies was lower than that among species. Evaluation of the phylogenetic signal indicated that climate niches have been weakly conserved, but sister species also show high evolutionary divergence

Microclimatic variation in multiple Salamandra algira populations along an altitudinal gradient: phenology and reproductive strategies

Salamandra algira is one of the southernmost species of the genus, and most of its ecology remains poorly known. We studied the microhabitat conditions of the sites occupied by several populations of S. algira along an altitudinal gradient, and the use of water bodies for reproduction. The microclimate conditions were analysed at six sites in northern Morocco: one site in Beni Snassen massif (S. algira spelaea), two in the Middle Atlas and central Rif mountains (S. algira splendens), and three in the western Rif mountains and Peninsula Tingitana (S. algira tingitana), where a viviparous population also occurs. The microclimate was characterized using temperature and relative humidity data loggers for a period of two years. We also measured the surface area and depth of the water bodies where we found S. algira larvae. Our results showed an autumn-winter reproductive period for all ovoviviparous populations studied. In most of the aquatic habitats examined, larvae appeared between November and March, although this period could extend to May at higher altitudes. Larval abundance and their size variability did not correlate with water body size or microclimate conditions. The decrease in the number of larvae per water body coincided with the existence of suitable conditions for post-metamorphic dispersal. Salamandra algira occurred in regions with moist conditions (annual average relative humidity greater than 64 %) and with mean annual temperatures of 13.6-18.6 °C, but populations were largely segregated along a gradient of humidity, with some showing higher and more constant values than others. The viviparous population occurs in a region with maritime influence and greater microclimate stability than the other sites studied

Estanys de l’Albera i basses dels secans de Lleida: quines característiques ambientals determinen les seves comunitats i la seva biodiversitat?

En aquest estudi, hem realitzat una comparació de les comunitats biològiques dels estanys i les basses temporànies de dues àrees de clima diferenciat, al massís de l’Albera (Alt Empordà) i als secans de Lleida (Segrià). L’objectiu del treball ha estat identificar les variables ambientals que determinen la composició d’aquestes comunitats, com la biodiversitat, la dinàmica temporal i la congruència taxonòmica en termes de riquesa d’espècies que es pugui donar entre els grups florístics i faunístics seleccionats. S’han observat diferències entre regions pel que fa a la dinàmica al llarg del cicle d’inundació, essent més marcada als estanys de l’Albera que no pas a les de Lleida, per a tots els grups d’organismes. Quant als patrons de congruència taxonòmica en termes de riquesa d’espècies, s’ha observat que la majoria de relacions no es mantenien entre regions. En conseqüència, suggerim que el clima pot trencar, a nivell regional, patrons de biodiversitat que es donen a nivell local.In this study we have compared the biological communities inhabiting seasonal pools in two different areas in Catalonia: the Albera mountain range and the Lleida steppes. We aimed at identifying the environmental variables that determine community composition in those habitats, as well as at describing the biodiversity attributes, the dynamics throughout the hydroperiod, and eventual relationships among taxonomic groups in terms of species richness. We observed interregional differences in community dynamics, with higher change between subsequent visits being observed in Albera rather than in Lleida seasonal pools, a pattern consistent across all the study groups. Regarding species richness patterns, we observed that most of the relationships across taxonomic groups did not hold when considering both regions. Therefore, we suggest climate may break, at a regional level, eventual biodiversity patterns existing at the local scale

Guía de cribado del cáncer de cuello de útero en España, 2014

Justificación de la Guía de cribado del cáncer de cuello de útero en España, 2014 El cáncer de cuello uterino (CCU) es la tercera neoplasia más frecuente en el mundo en las mujeres. El cribado de mujeres sanas mediante citología cervical ha demostrado claramente su eficacia, puesto que su aplicación de forma adecuada y sistemática en determinados países ha conseguido reducir en un 70-80% la incidencia y mortalidad por CCU. Este beneficio se debe a la detección de lesiones premalignas asintomáticas cuyo diagnóstico y tratamiento evita su progresión a carcinoma invasor..

Sapillo moteado occidental - Pelodytes atlanticus Díaz-Rodríguez, Gehara, Márquez, Vences, Gonçalves, Sequeira, Martínez-Solano y Tejedo, 2017

Anfibios - Orden Anura - Familia Pelodytidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/.A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Atlantic Parsley Frog Pelodytes punctatus Díaz Rodríguez et al., 2017 in Spain.Peer reviewe

Factors regulating the invasion of two Mediterranean anurans. The role of niche conservatism, species interaction and habitat selection

Amphibians are a group in worldwide decline. The factors that are causing this decline are not well known, but could be multifactorial, related to the recent expansion of pathogens and habitat disturbance. One of these factors related to the loss of habitat quality is the introduction of alien species. These species can compete with or prey on species of the recipient community, producing deep changes in the structure of these communities. For this reason it is a priority to know which factors act by facilitating the invasion process and which species could be more affected by the presence of this alien species. In Catalonia has become established an alien frog, the painted frog. Introduced in the extreme south of France in the early XXth century, this species has expanded gradually, reaching the Llobregat delta to the south and Llanguedoc to the north. This region is rich in native species of amphibians, some of them endemic, and therefore it is necessary to know how this newcomer species interacts with each of these species. We have used a novel approach when analyzing these interactions, applying the theory of morphospaces. The morphospace is the range of morphological variation observed within a community. This morphology is correlated with the use of a niche, and hence the morphological similarities between the invasive and native species serve as a proxy to assess the functional overlap. These analogies in morphospace were evaluated also in the area of native species and among other species of Discoglossus. The question asked is "Does the invasive species occupy a vacant niche, maintaining a similar morphological gap than that observed in the source assemblage and in the case of other species of the genus Discoglossus?”.Els amfibis són un grup en declivi a nivell mundial. Els factors que estan causant aquest declivi no són coneguts, però podria ser multifactorial, en relació amb l'expansió recent de certs patògens i les alteracions dels hàbitats. Un d'aquests factors que es relacionen amb la pèrdua de qualitat dels hàbitats és la introducció d'espècies exòtiques. Aquestes espècies poden competir o depredar sobre les espècies de la comunitat recipient, produint profundes alteracions en l'estructura d'aquestes comunitats. Per aquesta raó és prioritari conèixer que factors actuen facilitant el procés invasiu i quines espècies es poden veure més afectades per la presència d'una espècie exòtica. A Catalunya s'ha establert una espècie de anur d'origen africà, la granota pintada. Introduïda a l'extrem sud de França a inicis del segle XX, aquesta espècie s'ha anat expandint de forma progressiva, fins a arribar pel sud al delta del Llobregat i pel nord el Llenguadoc. Aquesta regió és rica en espècies natives d'amfibis, algunes d'elles endèmiques, i per tant cal conèixer com interacciona aquesta espècie recent arribada amb cadascuna d'aquestes espècies. Nosaltres hem utilitzat un enfocament nou en el moment d'analitzar aquestes interaccions, aplicant la teoria dels morfoespais. El morfoespai és el rang de variació morfològica que s'observa dins d'un acoblament. Aquesta morfologia es correlaciona amb l'ús d'un nínxol, i per tant les analogies morfològiques entre l'espècie invasora i les espècies natives poden servir com una aproximació per valorar el solapament funcional. Aquestes analogies en el morfoespai s'han avaluat també en l'area nativa de l'espècie i entre altres espècies de Discoglossus. La pregunta formulada és "ocupa l'espècie invasora un nínxol vacant, mantenint una distància morfològica similar que a l'acoblament d'origen i que altres espècies del gènere Discoglossus?"

Sapillo moteado septentrional - Pelodytes punctatus (Daudin, 1802)

Anfibios - Orden Anura - Familia Pelodytidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/. Versión 4-10-2017A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Parsley Frog in Spain.Peer reviewe

Is Hyalosaurus koellikeri a true forest lizard?

Hyalosaurus koellikeri is the only member of the family Anguidae found on the African continent. It has been suggested that its distribution is dependent on forest habitats. Here, we investigated habitat selection of this secretive species in Morocco, at a fine spatial resolution. We examined the association between the presence of H. koellikeri and vegetation cover, substrate, topography, and climate. We then compared the habitat selection of this species and that of other lizards in the same region. Our results indicate that the proportion of tree crown cover is the variable that best explains the occurrence of this species, and to lesser extents, the climatic, substrate, and topographic conditions. However, this species is not associated with a particular class of forest and is present in both dry assemblages of evergreen oaks and junipers and in humid deciduous forests. Hyalosaurus koellikeri occupies forests more frequently than other genera of lizards, though it coexists with several generalist species in these habitats. This association with forest/woodland habitats could explain the sparse distribution of this species in Morocco and suggests that some isolated populations, like those of the Atlantic Plain, are vulnerable to extinction.Peer reviewe

Ship rats and island reptiles: patterns of co-existence in the Mediterranean

Background The western Mediterranean archipelagos have a rich endemic fauna, which includes five species of reptiles. Most of these archipelagos were colonized since early historic times by anthropochoric fauna, such as ship rats (Rattus rattus). Here, I evaluated the influence of ship rats on the occurrence of island reptiles, including non-endemic species. Methodology I analysed a presence-absence database encompassing 159 islands (Balearic Islands, Provence Islands, Corso-Sardinian Islands, Tuscan Archipelago, and Galite) using Bayesian-regularized logistic regression. Results The analysis indicated that ship rats do not influence the occurrence of endemic island reptiles, even on small islands. Moreover, Rattus rattus co-occurred positively with two species of non-endemic reptiles, including a nocturnal gecko, a guild considered particularly vulnerable to predation by rats. Overall, the analyses showed a very different pattern than that documented in other regions of the globe, possibly attributable to a long history of coexistence