Patterns of Seasonal Variation in Diet, Abundance, and Movement of the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) in southern Belize

This study was conducted in 2008 and 2009 to determine if Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao), in subtropical southern Belize, Central America, are seasonal and elevational migrants and if their movement is influenced by seasonally abundant food. Reports from southern Belize indicated strongly seasonal sightings of macaws (N ≈ 200) in two separate areas of considerable difference in elevation. I monitored plant phenology plots (2 m x 500 m) in low (N = 6) and high (N = 6) elevation areas for a year to compare fruit abundance with macaw sightings in point counts on the plots and nearby. My point count data and historical sightings indicate strongly seasonal patterns of macaw movement between the low eastern foothills of the Maya Mountains, notably at Red Bank Village, and the higher Chiquibul area to the west, over the Maya Mountains. Other researchers have recorded macaw flights over the Maya Mountains. In the Chiquibul, their high-elevation breeding grounds, my sightings of macaws occurred year-round, but dropped at the beginning of the breeding season in January. At that time, sightings of likely non-breeders rose in low-elevation areas, peaking in February and March with abundant Sloanea tuerckheimii, Pera arborea, and Xylopia frutescens. At that elevation, no macaws were sighted from April through November. At Red Bank, ripe X. frutescens was strongly correlated with Scarlet Macaws; the abundance of both dropped to zero by April. Fruit availability peaked in the Chiquibul in May, whereas macaw sightings peaked in June and dropped in July; low numbers of macaws were sighted in August, September, and October. I reviewed the natural history of Scarlet Macaws in Belize and determined that they have a generalist diet, numerous natural limiting factors, and limited populations and distribution due to habitat destruction and the pet trade. In response, I am advocating for anti-poaching efforts and new protected areas in Beliz

Prevalence of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in the 24 cancer genes of the ACMG Secondary Findings v2.0 list in a large cancer cohort and ethnicity-matched controls

Abstract Background Prior research has established that the prevalence of pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants across all of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Secondary Findings (SF) genes is approximately 0.8–5%. We investigated the prevalence of P/LP variants in the 24 ACMG SF v2.0 cancer genes in a family-based cancer research cohort (n = 1173) and in cancer-free ethnicity-matched controls (n = 982). Methods We used InterVar to classify variants and subsequently conducted a manual review to further examine variants of unknown significance (VUS). Results In the 24 genes on the ACMG SF v2.0 list associated with a cancer phenotype, we observed 8 P/LP unique variants (8 individuals; 0.8%) in controls and 11 P/LP unique variants (14 individuals; 1.2%) in cases, a non-significant difference. We reviewed 115 VUS. The median estimated per-variant review time required was 30 min; the first variant within a gene took significantly (p = 0.0009) longer to review (median = 60 min) compared with subsequent variants (median = 30 min). The concordance rate was 83.3% for the variants examined by two reviewers. Conclusion The 115 VUS required database and literature review, a time- and labor-intensive process hampered by the difficulty in interpreting conflicting P/LP determinations. By rigorously investigating the 24 ACMG SF v2.0 cancer genes, our work establishes a benchmark P/LP variant prevalence rate in a familial cancer cohort and controls