A second case of multivalent meiotic configurations in diploid species of Anura

We analyzed the meiotic chromosomes of specimens from the two karyological groups of Physalaemus petersi (Jiménez de la Espada, 1872) described in the literature. Multivalent configurations (rings or chains) were observed in both groups. This meiotic organization resulted from the terminal association of non-homologous chromosomes, and an analysis of C-banded multivalents indicated no involvement of heterochromatic regions in these associations. A possible explanation for such meiotic configurations is the occurrence of heterozygous translocations. Thus, multivalents may indicate the involvement of translocation events in the karyotypic evolution of P. petersi.Nós analisamos os cromossomos meióticos de espécimes dos dois grupos cariotípicos de Physalaemus petersi (Jiménez de la Espada, 1872) descritos na literatura. Configurações multivalentes (anéis e cadeias) foram descritas em ambos os grupos. Essa organização meiótica resultou da associação terminal de cromossomos não-homólogos e a análise de preparações meióticas submetidas ao bandamento C não indicou o envolvimento de regiões heterocromáticas nessas associações. Uma possível explicação para tais configurações meióticas consiste na presença de translocações heterozigotas. Nesse caso, os multivalentes observados evidenciariam o envolvimento de eventos de translocação na evolução cariotípica em P. petersi.131133Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Sexual Dimorphism In Ramphastos Toco And Ramphastos Dicolorus (piciformes, Aves).

Phenotypic sexual dimorphism seems to be rare in the Ramphastidae family, except in Pteroglossus viridis and in the genus Selenidera. Many breeders of wild birds believe that specimens of Ramphastos toco can be sexed using bill characteristics. In this study, various discriminant phenotypic variables were analyzed in birds which were sexed cytogenetically. Fifty-one specimens of R. toco and 20 R. dicolorus were studied. The statistically significant parameters which served to distinguish the sex in these species were the length of the culmen and tomium, length of the lower corneous beak and the cloaca. Using these parameters, captive bird breeders can determine sex of R. toco specimens by phenotypic analysis and form breeding couples more quickly.51241-

Cytogenetic Analysis Of Four Central Amazonian Species Of Colostethus (anura - Dendrobatidae) With A Diploid Complement Of 22 Chromosomes.

Colostethus marchesianus from the type locality and three related species had 2n = 22 chromosomes, which differed from most other Colostethus species that have 2n = 24 chromosomes. The species analyzed were morphologically similar and showed a conservative karyotype, although they could be distinguished from each other by their C-banding pattern. Additional NOR sites, heteromorphism in NOR size and heterochromatin, and an additional rDNA site detected by FISH, were observed. These data suggest that chromosomal rearrangements and hetrochromatin-related events may have contributed to the karyotype differentiation of these Colostethus.139189-9

Karyotypic characterization of Ramphastidae (Piciformes, Aves)

The karyotypes of nine species of the family Ramphastidae were determined and compared with that of the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), the only ramphastid karyotype so far reported in the literature. Differences in the morphology of the largest chromosomes allowed to identify three karyotype groups. The first group included the species R. toco, Baillonius bailloni, Pteroglossus castanotis, P. aracari and Selenidera maculirostris, in which only the first pair of chromosomes was metacentric. The second group included four Ramphastos species (R. dicolorus, R. ariel, R. vitellinus, R. tucanus cuvieri) with two pairs of metacentric macrochromosomes (the first and the seventh). The third group was represented by a single species, A. laminirostris, in which all the autosomal chromosomes were telocentric. All of the species had subtelocentric Z chromosomes, similar in size to homologues of the first pair. Sex chromosome W was a small chromosome. The chromosome number ranged from 2n = 62 in P. aracari to 114 in R. toco. The cytotaxonomic relationships among toucan species are discussed, based on chromosome analysis.139145Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Shell morphology and sperm ultrastructure of Solen tehuelchusHanley, 1842 (Bivalvia: Solenidae): new taxonomic characters

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOSolen tehuelchus Hanley, 1842 is currently the only razor-clam reported from Brazilian waters. Although its shell is well known and similar to the other Solenoidea, their anatomical aspects are poorly studied. Recently some living specimens of S. tehuelchus were obtained from a Brazilian beach, allowing the removal of their testes for an ultrastructural analysis. In order to add a new anatomical feature for this species and provide a brief comparison between some related taxa, the shell and sperm ultrastructure were described in detail. The present study showed that characteristics of the spermatozoa of S. tehuelchus are similar to those of other solenids, although certain sperm ultrastructural characteristics such as a short acrosome with an electron-dense base and rounded nucleus are also similar to the species Tagelus plebeius (Lightfoot, 1786) (Solecurtidae). Herein, we have added new anatomic and taxonomic data hitherto unknown to science. The sperm morphology of S. tehuelchus, might in the near future bring new insights into the systematic of Solenidae.Solen tehuelchusHanley, 1842 is currently the only razor-clam reported from Brazilian waters. Although its shell is well known and similar to the other Solenoidea, their anatomical aspects are poorly studied. Recently some living specimens ofS. tehuelchus3427378FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO2010/15486-81106/2010sem informaçã

Non-random distribution of microsatellite motifs and (TTAGGG)n repeats in the monkey frog Pithecopus rusticus (Anura, Phyllomedusidae) karyotype

The monkey frog, Pithecopus rusticus (Anura, Phyllomedusidae) is endemic to the grasslands of the Araucarias Plateau, southern Brazil. This species is known only from a small population found at the type locality. Here, we analyzed for the first time the chromosomal organization of the repetitive sequences, including seven microsatellite repeats and telomeric sequences (TTAGGG)n in the karyotype of the species by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization. The dinucleotide motifs had a pattern of distribution clearly distinct from those of the tri- and tetranucleotides. The dinucleotide motifs are abundant and widely distributed in the chromosomes, located primarily in the subterminal regions. The tri- and tetranucleotides, by contrast, tend to be clustered. with signals being observed together in the secondary constriction of the homologs of pair 9, which are associated with the nucleolus organizer region. As expected, the (TTAGGG)n probe was hybridized in all the telomeres, with hybridization signals being detected in the interstitial regions of some chromosome pairs. We demonstrated the variation in the abundance and distribution of the different microsatellite motifs and revealed their non-random distribution in the karyotype of P. rusticus. These data contribute to understand the role of repetitive sequences in the karyotype diversification and evolution of this taxon424COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação2016/07717-

Chromosomal characterization of Hyla bischoffi and Hyla guentheri (Anura, Hylidae)

Hyla bischoffi and H. guentheri share some morphological and call characters with the H. pulchella and H. polytaenia groups. The inclusion of these two species in one of these two groups is still controversial. This study showed that both species have 2n = 24 chromosomes, consisting of five metacentric, five submetacentric, and two subtelocentric chromosome pairs. The nucleolus organizer region (NOR) was located on the long arm of chromosome 10, which also presented a block of heterochromatin in both species. The pericentromeric region of all the chromosomes was positively C-banded. There were no conspicuous differences in the karyotypes of these two species, except for an additional heterochromatic C-band on the short arms of chromosome 6 in H. bischoffi. The karyotypes of these two species were very similar to those of the H. pulchella group and indicate that neither species can be excluded from that group

Extensive Cryptic Diversity Within the Physalaemus cuvieri - Physalaemus ephippifer Species Complex (Amphibia, Anura) Revealed by Cytogenetic, Mitochondrial, and Genomic Markers

Previous cytogenetic and phylogenetic analyses showed a high variability in the frog taxa Physalaemus cuvieri and Physalaemus ephippifer and suggested the presence of undescribed diversity in this species complex. Here, by 1) adding specimens from the Brazilian Amazon region, 2) employing sequence-based species delimitation approaches, and 3) including RADseq-style markers, we demonstrate that the diversity in the P. cuvieri–P. ephippifer species complex is even greater than previously suspected. Specimens from Viruá and Western Pará, located at the Guiana Amazonian area of endemism, were recovered as distinct from all previously identified lineages by the phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA and RAD markers, a PCA from RAD data, and cytogenetic analysis. The sequence-based species delimitation analyses supported the recognition of one or two undescribed species among these Amazonian specimens and also supported the recognition of at least three other species in the P. cuvieri–P. ephippifer species complex. These new results reinforce the need for a comprehensive taxonomic revision.Fil: Nascimento, Juliana. Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Biología; BrasilFil: Lima, Jucivaldo D.. Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do Estado do Amapá; BrasilFil: Suarez, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Baldo, Juan Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Andrade, Gilda V.. Universidade Federal Do Maranhao.; BrasilFil: Pierson, Todd W.. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Fitzpatrick, Benjamin M.. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Baptista Haddad, Célio Fernando. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Recco Pimentel, Shirlei M.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Biología; BrasilFil: Lourenço, Luciana B.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Biología; Brasi