Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático
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Spatial distribution patterns of fish assemblages relative to macroinvertebrates and environmental conditions in Andean piedmont streams of the Colombian Amazon

2016 , Tobes I. , Gaspar S. , Peláez-Rodríguez M. , Miranda R.

This work provides insight into an Andean–Amazonian river system by conducting a comprehensive study of the biodiversity and ecological processes in a poorly studied neotropical freshwater ecosystem. Hacha River in western Colombia harbours a rich and largely unknown biodiversity and is experiencing an increase in anthropogenic impacts from the city of Florencia. Changes in natural habitat characteristics and environmental quality were analysed and related to the distribution of fish and macroinvertebrates. Four environmental quality indices were applied, and concentrations of potential water pollutants were measured. All environmental quality indices used were reliable because they produced similar assessments of the ecological integrity of the study sites and were inversely related to the potential water pollutant concentrations. Fish and macroinvertebrate communities notably changed in response to differences in environmental quality, reinforcing the ecological integrity assessments. Nevertheless, natural gradients that influence fish and macroinvertebrate distributions showed an overlap with changes in environmental quality, thereby confounding the ability to discern the influence of natural and anthropogenic-induced alterations and to confirm an initials hift in fish assemblages due to anthropogenic impacts. © International Society of Limnology 2016.

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A revision of species diversity in the neotropical genus Oreobates (Anura: Strabomantidae), with the description of three new species from the amazonian slopes of the andes

2012 , Padial J.M. , Chaparro J.C. , Castroviejo-Fisher S. , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Lehr E. , Delgado A.J. , Vaira M. , Teixeira M. , Aguayo R. , Riva I.D.L.

We revisit species diversity within Oreobates (Anura: Strabomantidae) by combining molecular phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA amphibian barcode fragment with the study of the external morphology of living and preserved specimens. Molecular and morphological evidence support the existence of 23 species within Oreobates, and three additional candidate species (Oreobates sp. [Ca JF809995], Oreobates sp. [Ca EU368903], Oreobates cruralis [Ca EU192295]). We describe and name three new species from the Andean humid montane forests of Departamento Cusco, southern Peru: O. amarakaeri New Species from Río Nusinuscato and Río Mabe, at elevations ranging from 670 to 1000 m in the Andean foothills; O. machiguenga, new species, from Río Kimbiri (1350 m), a small tributary of the Apurimac River, in the western versant of Cordillera Vilcabamba; and O. gemcare, new species, from the Kosipata Valley at elevations ranging from 2400 to 2800 m. The three new species are readily distinguished from all other Oreobates by at least one qualitative morphological character. Three species are transferred to Oreobates from three genera of Strabomantidae: Hypodactylus lundbergi Pristimantis crepitans, and Phrynopus ayacucho (for which the advertisement call, coloration in life, and male characteristics are described for first time). Oreobates simmonsi is transferred to the genus Lynchius. Hylodes verrucosus is considered a junior synonym of Hylodes philippi. In addition, H. philippi is removed from the synonymy of O. quixensis and considered a nomem dubium within Hypodactylus. The inclusion of Phrynopus ayacucho in Oreobates extends the ecological range of the genus to the cold Andean puna. Oreobates is thus distributed from the Amazonian lowlands in southern Colombia to northern Argentina, reaching the Brazilian Atlantic dry forests in eastern Brazil, across an altitudinal range from ca. 100 to 3850 m. © American Museum of Natural History 2012.

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Reproductive traits associated with species turnover of amphibians in Amazonia and its Andean slopes

2017 , Jiménez-Robles O. , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Ron S.R. , De la Riva I.

Assembly of ecological communities is important for the conservation of ecosystems, predicting perturbation impacts, and understanding the origin and loss of biodiversity. We tested how amphibian communities are assembled by neutral and niche-based mechanisms, such as habitat filtering. Species richness, β-diversities, and reproductive traits of amphibians were evaluated at local scale in seven habitats at different elevation and disturbance levels in Wisui Biological Station, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador, on the foothills of the Cordillera del Kutukú; and at regional scale using 109 localities across evergreen forests of Amazonia and its Andean slopes (0–3,900 m a.s.l.). At local scale, species composition showed strong differences among habitats, explained mainly by turnover. Reproductive modes occurred differently across habitats (e.g., prevalence of direct developers at high elevation, where breeding in ground level water disappears). At regional scale, elevation was the most important factor explaining the changes in species richness, reproductive trait occurrences, and biotic dissimilarities. Species number in all groups decreased with elevation except for those with lotic tadpoles and terrestrial reproduction stages. Seasonality, annual precipitation, and relative humidity partially explained the occurrence of some reproductive traits. Biotic dissimilarities were also mostly caused by turnover rather than nestedness and were particularly high in montane and foothill sites. Within lowlands, geographic distance explained more variability than elevation. Habitat filtering was supported by the different occurrence of reproductive traits according to elevation, water availability, and breeding microhabitats at both scales, as well as other assembly mechanisms based in biotic interactions at local scale. Human-generated land use changes in Amazonia and its Andean slopes reduce local amphibian biodiversity by alteration of primary forests and loss of their microhabitats and the interaction network that maintains their unique amphibian assemblages with different reproductive strategies. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Population genomics of parallel hybrid zones in the mimetic butterflies, H. melpomene and H. erato

2014 , Nadeau N.J. , Ruiz M. , Salazar P. , Counterman B. , Medina J.A. , Ortiz-Zuazaga H. , Morrison A. , McMillan W.O. , Jiggins C.D. , Papa R.

Hybrid zones can be valuable tools for studying evolution and identifying genomic regions responsible for adaptive divergence and underlying phenotypic variation. Hybrid zones between subspecies of Heliconius butterflies can be very narrow and are maintained by strong selection acting on color pattern. The comimetic species, H. erato and H. melpomene, have parallel hybrid zones in which both species undergo a change from one color pattern form to another. We use restriction-associated DNA sequencing to obtain several thousand genome-wide sequence markers and use these to analyze patterns of population divergence across two pairs of parallel hybrid zones in Peru and Ecuador. We compare two approaches for analysis of this type of data - alignment to a reference genome and de novo assembly - and find that alignment gives the best results for species both closely (H. melpomene) and distantly (H. erato, ∼15% divergent) related to the reference sequence. Our results confirm that the color pattern controlling loci account for the majority of divergent regions across the genome, but we also detect other divergent regions apparently unlinked to color pattern differences. We also use association mapping to identify previously unmapped color pattern loci, in particular the Ro locus. Finally, we identify a new cryptic population of H. timareta in Ecuador, which occurs at relatively low altitude and is mimetic with H. melpomene malleti. © 2014 Nadeau et al.

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Friend or foe? Social system influences the allocation of signals across functional categories in the repertoires of the New World jays

2016 , Rosa G.L.M. , Ellis J.M. , Bonaccorso, Elisa , Dos Anjos L.

Many factors could influence repertoire size and function. Here, we provide a review of the descriptions of vocal repertoires of New World jays and a unifying terminology for function of their vocalizations. We summarized 19 different functional types of vocal behaviour shared by at least two species, for review purposes. Comparing the 14 studied species, we also classified vocalizations into four major classes defined a priori: 'Social Integration', 'Conflict Resolution', 'Predator-related', and 'Breeding'. Cooperative breeding, as well as group size, are related not only to repertoire size, but to how species allocate their vocalizations into functional classes. We discuss the tendencies of Conflict Resolution and Social Integration and the possibility of the existence and implications of a trade-off between those functional classes. We identified gaps in the current knowledge on vocalizations of the studied species, and emphasize the importance of empiric evidence of vocalization function in the New World jays. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2016.

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A striking, critically endangered, new species of hillstar (Trochilidae: Oreotrochilus) from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador

2018 , Sornoza-Molina F. , Freile J.F. , Nilsson J. , Krabbe N. , Bonaccorso, Elisa

We describe a new species of the genus Oreotrochilus from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador. The new species is most similar in adult male plumage to O. stolzmanni and O. chimborazo. However, male and female show unique combinations of plumage characters that are likely to act as social signals. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA indicate that this new taxon is closely related to O. stolzmanni and O. melanogaster, whereas genetic distances and preliminary comparisons of vocalizations suggest a sister relationship with O. stolzmanni. The geographic distribution of the new species seems to be restricted to cordillera Chilla-Tioloma-Fierro Urcu, in the southwestern highlands of Ecuador, an area historically poorly explored by ornithologists. Thus, based on its restricted distribution, apparently low population size, and lack of protection of its habitat, we evaluate it as critically endangered. © 2018 American Ornithological Society.

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Systematics of south american snail-eating snakes (Serpentes, dipsadini), with the description of five new species from ecuador and peru

2018 , Arteaga A. , Salazar Valenzuela, David , Mebert K. , Peñafiel N. , Aguiar G. , Sánchez-Nivicela J.C. , Alexander Pyron R. , Colston T.J. , Cisneros-Heredia D.F. , Yánez-Muñoz M.H. , Venegas P.J. , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Torres-Carvajal O.

A molecular phylogeny of the Neotropical snail-eating snakes (tribe Dipsadini) is presented including 43 (24 for the first time) of the 77 species, sampled for both nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Morphological and phylogenetic support was found for four new species of Dipsas and one of Sibon, which are described here based on their unique combination of molecular, meristic, and color pattern characteristics. Sibynomorphus is designated as a junior subjective synonym of Dipsas. Dipsas latifrontalis and D. palmeri are resurrected from the synonymy of D. peruana. Dipsas latifasciata is transferred from the synonymy of D. peruana to the synonymy of D. palmeri. A new name, D. jamespetersi, is erected for the taxon currently known as Sibynomorphus petersi. Re-descriptions of D. latifrontalis and D. peruana are presented, as well as the first photographic voucher of an adult specimen of D. latifrontalis, along with photographs of all known Ecuadorian Dipsadini species. The first country record of D. variegata in Ecuador is provided and D. oligozonata removed from the list of Peruvian herpetofauna. With these changes, the number of Dipsadini reported in Ecuador increases to 22, 18 species of Dipsas and four of Sibon. © 2018, Pensoft Publishers. All rights reserved.

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Isolation and Characterisation of 11 Microsatellite Loci in the Ecuadorian Hillstar Oreotrochilus chimborazo

2017 , Oleas Gallo, Nora Helena , Harvey N. , Rodríguez-Saltos C.A. , Bonaccorso E.

The Ecuadorian Hillstar Oreotrochilus chimborazo is a high Andean hummingbird that inhabits paramo ecosystems from extreme southern Colombia to southern Ecuador. The species is currently divided into three subspecies that differ in morphology and geographic distribution but no molecular differences have been found between them using mitochondrial markers. The aim of this study was to isolate and test microsatellite loci to further explore possible genetic variability between and within these subspecies. Screening an enriched genomic library of O. chimborazo we obtained eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci. These markers will be used to further elucidate evolutionary patterns in the species.

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Molecular Markers and Conservation of Plant Species in the Latin-America: The Case of Phaedranassa viridiflora (Amaryllidaceae)

2013 , Oleas Gallo, Nora Helena , Meerow A.W. , Francisco-Ortega J.

Phaedranassa viridiflora (Amaryllidaceae) is an endemic and endangered plant restricted to the Northern Andes in Ecuador. It is known in three locations where it is sympatric with other Phaedranassa species. Phaedranassa viridiflora is the only species of the genus with yellow flowers. We analyzed 13 microsatellite loci to elucidate the genetic structure of the populations of P. viridiflora. Our results provided the first evidence of natural hybridization in the genus (between P. viridiflora and P. dubia in the Pululahua crater of northern Ecuador). The central and southern populations did not show hybridization. Genetic diversity was the highest in the Pululahua population. Central and southern populations have a higher proportion of clones than Pululahua. Bayesian and cluster analysis suggest that the yellow flower type evolved at least three times along the Ecuadorean Andes. In contrast to other Phaedranassa species, Phaedranassa viridiflora shows lower genetic diversity, which is likely related to a vegetative reproductive strategy. © 2013 The New York Botanical Garden (outside the USA).

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The impact of termites on soil sheeting properties is better explained by environmental factors than by their feeding and building strategies

2022 , Jouquet, P. , Harit, A. , Hervé, V. , Moger, H. , Carrijo, T. , Donoso, David , Eldridge, D. , Ferreira da Cunha, H. , Choosai, C. , Janeau, J.-L. , Maeght, J.-L. , Thu, T.D. , Briandon, A. , Skali, M.D. , van Thuyne, J. , Mainga, A. , Pinzon Florian, O.P. , Issa, O.M. , Podwojewski, P. , Rajot, J.-L. , Henri-des-Tureaux, T. , Smaili, L. , Labiadh, M. , Boukbida, H.A.

Termites are key soil bioturbators in tropical ecosystems. Apart from mound nests constructed by some advanced lineages, most of the species use their faeces, oral secretions, debris, or soil aggregates to protect themselves from predators and desiccation when they go out to forage. Although this soil ‘sheeting’ is considered to play a key role in soil functioning, the properties of this termite-made material has been poorly studied. The few available data showed that sheeting properties are highly variable with positive, neutral or negative impacts on soil C and clay content, and consequently on soil aggregate stability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the factors controlling the physical (particle size fractions and structural stability) and chemical (pH, electrical conductivity and carbon content) properties of soil sheeting produced by termite species encompassing all feeding and building categories using a dataset representative of an important diversity of biotopes coming from 21 countries from all continents colonized by termites. We showed that sheeting properties were explained by the properties of their environment, and especially by those of the bulk soil (linear relationships), followed in a lesser extent by the mean annual precipitation and biotope. Classic hypotheses related to termite feeding and building strategies were not hold by our analysis. However, the distinction of termites into fungus-growing and non-fungus growing species was useful when differentiating the impact of termites on soil electrical conductivity, C content, and structural stability. The large variability observed suggests the need to redefine termite functional groups based on their impacts on soil properties using a trait-based approach from morphological, anatomical and/or physiological traits. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

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