Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático
Thumbnail Image
Parent Organisation

2024 2024 2023 2023 2022 2022 2021 2021 2020 2020 2019 2019 2018 2018 2017 2017 2016 2016 2015 2015 0 0 5 5 10 10 15 15 20 20 25 25

Filters

Reset filters

Settings
Now showing 1 - 10 of 186
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

Morphometric relations of freshwater fishes of the Suaza River (Huila department, Colombia)

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

The knowledge of freshwater fishes in remote Andean mountains is scarce and restricted to changes of occurrence distribution along a specific gradient. The high number of endemic fish species requires further studies regarding their biology and their conservation status. The present study aims to estimate the length-weight, length- length, and length-girth relations for nine native freshwater fish species representing five families (Loricariidae, Characidae, Heptapteridae, Crenuchidae, and Parodontidae): Chaetostoma thomsoni Regan, 1904; Lasiancistrus caucanus Eigenmann, 1912; Rineloricaria jubata (Boulenger, 1902); Bryconamericus huilae Román-Valencia, 2003; Gephyrocharax melanocheir Eigenmann, 1912; Pimelodella chagresi (Steindachner, 1876); Rhamdia guatemalensis (Quoy et Gaimard, 1824); Characidium fasciatum Reinhardt, 1867; Parodon suborbitalis Valenciennes, 1850. The fishes were collected in the Suaza River (Huila, Colombia). These are the first length-weight relations reported for all these species, mostly endemic to the Colombian Andes. The report also provides the new maximum size for four species. © 2016, Scientific Society of Szczecin. All rights reserved.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

New relevant chorological and conservation data on Carex (Cyperaceae) and Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from Ecuador

2023 , Jiménez-Mejías P. , Morales-Alonso A. , Oleas N.H. , Sánchez E. , Martín-Bravo S. , Masa-Iranzo I. , Meseguer A.S.

Background Knowledge of Carex L. (true sedges) and Hypericum L. (St. John's wort) in the Neotropics is fragmentary. New information As a result of a fieldwork campaign in Ecuador and revision of herbarium collections (K, QCA and QCNE), we present here relevant records of twelve Carex (Cyperaceae) and four Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species. Regarding Carex, we present the novel report for South America of C. aztecica, as well as the first Ecuadorian records for C. brehmeri, C. collumanthus, C. fecunda, C. melanocystis and C. punicola. The three later records have additional biogeographical significance, as they represent the new northern limit of these species. We also include observations for another five species included in the Ecuadorian Red List of Endemic Plants. As a result, the list of native Carex reported for Ecuador would now include 52 taxa. With regard to Hypericum, we include the new report of H. sprucei for the province of Bolívar, and the confirmation of the presence of three rare species (H. acostanum, H. matangense, H. prietoi) in their type localities, although with extremely low population sizes. We discuss their conservation status and implications © Jiménez-Mejías P et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

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.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

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.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

The complex evolutionary history of the tympanic middle ear in frogs and toads (Anura)

2016 , Pereyra M.O. , Womack M.C. , Barrionuevo J.S. , Blotto B.L. , Baldo D. , Targino M. , Ospina-Sarria J.J. , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Coloma L.A. , Hoke K.L. , Grant T. , Faivovich J.

Most anurans possess a tympanic middle ear (TME) that transmits sound waves to the inner ear; however, numerous species lack some or all TME components. To understand the evolution of these structures, we undertook a comprehensive assessment of their occurrence across anurans and performed ancestral character state reconstructions. Our analysis indicates that the TME was completely lost at least 38 independent times in Anura. The inferred evolutionary history of the TME is exceptionally complex in true toads (Bufonidae), where it was lost in the most recent common ancestor, preceding a radiation of >150 earless species. Following that initial loss, independent regains of some or all TME structures were inferred within two minor clades and in a radiation of >400 species. The reappearance of the TME in the latter clade was followed by at least 10 losses of the entire TME. The many losses and gains of the TME in anurans is unparalleled among tetrapods. Our results show that anurans, and especially bufonid toads, are an excellent model to study the behavioural correlates of earlessness, extratympanic sound pathways, and the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie the morphogenesis of TME structures. © The Author(s) 2016.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

Characterization of the Body Mass Index and Height for Age in adolescents in a central Andean area of Ecuador [Caracterización del Índice de Masa Corporal y Talla para la Edad en adolescentes de la zona andina central del Ecuador]

2018 , Jara Porras J. , Caicedo Jaramillo C. , García Guerra G. , Yánez Moretta P.

Introduction: The evaluation of the nutritional status and growth patterns in adolescents help to glimpse the eating habits and the quality of life that they lead. The standard of weight and height in Ecuador for this age group has not been well established yet, so it is useful to show the information collected in recent studies such as the present one. Objective: To determine, through nutritional indicators and anthropometric measures, the nutritional status of adolescents in a central Andean region of Ecuador. Methods: A mixed study of intentional and cross-sectional type was carried out in December 2017 in a sample of 238 men and 194 women from 13 to 17 years old, belonging to four Educational Centers in a central Andean area of Ecuador. The sample was stratified according to the age and sex. The indicators used were: body mass index (BMI) and height for age. The data were converted to z-scores and analyzed. Results: In BMI for age, the prevalence of risk of overweight reaches up to 30% in both groups women and men. In the categories obesity, emaciated and severely emaciated, the results reached a maximum of 10% in each group. In height for age, there is a minimum percentage of adolescents who have low height, which does not exceed 13% in the two groups. In severe short stature, only 3% were found in the group of 17-year-old women. In addition, it should be noted that in both groups there was generally a tendency toward the normal category in the nutritional indicators. Conclusions: Despite the fact that the vast majority of the observed groups is in a normal nutritional state, the present study documented the national reality of the double burden of malnutrition: the coexistence of emaciation cases together with risk of overweight, overweight and obesity cases. It is necessary to take actions that involve healthy eating habits from an early age to ensure optimal physical development and adequate school performance. © 2018 Sociedad espanola de dietetica. All rights reserved.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

The Natural History, Distribution, and Conservation of Lonely Rainfrogs, Pristimantis eremitus

2016 , Hutter C.R. , Liu V. , Kell T. , Lyons J.A. , Guayasamin, Juan M.

Natural history and behavioral information for species of the genus Pristimantis is scarce. We conducted an extensive study of Pristimantis eremitus, a vulnerable species for which there is scant biological information. We monitored 17 individuals for movements and intraspecific interactions for 13 mo. We describe the species' variation in dorsal color and pattern, which we used to uniquely identify individuals during the study. We also present results on the habitat utilization and home range of this species, providing evidence that this species shows a preference toward the bromeliad microhabitat when compared with other microhabitat types. We also describe the advertisement call and associated behaviors of the species. We update the known distribution of the species. Our data provide a baseline for future researchers to survey and identify individuals of P. eremitus, and which could be applied comparatively to other species where little of their natural history is known. We also show how an in-depth in situ study can provide useful information for species conservation. © 2016 by The Herpetologists' League, Inc.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

Patterns of avian haemosporidian infections vary with time, but not habitat, in a fragmented Neotropical landscape

2018 , De Aguilar J.R. , Castillo F. , Moreno A. , Peñafiel N. , Browne L. , Walter S.T. , Karubian J. , Bonaccorso E.

Habitat loss has the potential to alter vertebrate host populations and their interactions with parasites. Theory predicts a decrease in parasite diversity due to the loss of hosts in such contexts. However, habitat loss could also increase parasite infections as a result of the arrival of new parasites or by decreasing host immune defenses. We investigated the effect of habitat loss and other habitat characteristics on avian haemosporidian infections in a community of birds within a fragmented landscape in northwest Ecuador. We estimated Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasite infections in 504 individual birds belonging to 8 families and 18 species. We found differences in infection status among bird species, but no relationship between forest fragment characteristics and infection status was observed. We also found a temporal effect, with birds at the end of the five-month study (which ran from the end of the rainy season thru the dry season), being less infected by Plasmodium parasites than individuals sampled at the beginning. Moreover, we found a positive relationship between forest area and Culicoides abundance. Taken as a whole, these findings indicate little effect of fragment characteristics per se on infection, although additional sampling or higher infection rates would have offered more power to detect potential relationships. © 2018 Rivero de Aguilar et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

Early stages of speciation with gene flow in the Amazilia Hummingbird (Amazilis amazilia) subspecies complex of Western South America

2022 , Cowles, S.A. , Witt, C.C. , Bonaccorso, Elisa , Grewe, F. , Uy, J.A.C.

Disentangling the factors underlying the diversification of geographically variable species with a wide geographical range is essential to understanding the initial stages and drivers of the speciation process. The Amazilia Hummingbird, Amazilis amazilia, is found along the Pacific coast from northern Ecuador down to the Nazca Valley of Peru, and is currently classified as six phenotypically differentiated subspecies. We aimed to resolve the evolutionary relationships of the six subspecies, to assess the geographical pattern and extent of evolutionary divergence, and to test for introgression using both a mtDNA marker and a genome-by-sequencing dataset from 86 individuals from across the species range. The consensus phylogenetic tree separated the six subspecies into three distinct clades, corresponding with the Ecuador lowlands (A. amazilia dumerilii), the Ecuador highlands (A. amazilia alticola and A. amazilia azuay), and the Peruvian coast (A. amazilia leucophoea, A. amazilia amazilia, and A. amazilia caeruleigularis). However, an unresolved mtDNA network suggests that the diversification of the subspecies was recent and rapid. We found evidence of gene flow among the subspecies A. amazilia dumerilii, A. amazilia alticola, and A. amazilia leucophoea, with strong genetic isolation of the subspecies A. amazilia azuay in the isolated Yunguilla Valley of Ecuador. Finally, environmental data from each subspecies’ capture locations were concordant with the three distinct clades. Overall, our results suggest that both expansions into new habitats and geographic isolation shaped the present-day phylogeny and range of the A. amazilia subspecies, and that A. amazilia azuay may be genetically divergent enough to be considered a separate species. © 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

View
No Thumbnail Available
Publication

Molecular phylogenetics of stream treefrogs of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion group (Anura: Hylidae), and description of two new species from Ecuador

2012 , Coloma L.A. , Carvajal-Endara S. , Dueñas J.F. , Paredes-Recalde A. , Morales-Mite M. , Almeida-Reinoso D. , Tapia E.E. , Hutter C.R. , Toral E. , Guayasamin, Juan M.

We review the systematics of frogs of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion group. A new phylogenetic tree inferred from mitochondrial DNA (partial sequences of 12S rRNA, valine-tRNA, and 16S rRNA genes; ∼2.3 kb) of eleven species of the H. larinopygion group is provided, based on maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses. Our phylogeny confirms the close relationship of members of the H. larinopygion group with Andean relatives of the H. armatus group, which also occurs in the Andes. Hyloscirtus tapichalaca is placed as sister species to the rest of the H. larinopygion group, in which two clades (A+B) are evident. Although ingroup relationships are well supported, the monophyly of the H. larinopygion group and placement of H. tapichalaca require additional testing. Genetic divergences among species of the H. larinopygion group are shallow compared to those observed in many other anurans, with genetic distance among sister species (H. princecharlesi and H. ptychodactylus) as low as 1.31%. However, this pattern is concordant with radiations in other highland Andean lineages of anurans that show marked morphological or behavioral differentiation, but low divergence in mitochondrial markers. Divergence-time analyses (using BEAST) indicate that the Hyloscirtus clade is a relatively ancient lineage that appeared in the Eocene, at a minimum age of 51.2 million years ago (MYA), while the H. larinopygion group originated in the Middle-Late Eocene at a minimum age of 40.9 MYA. Our results might suggest a rapid radiation of Hyloscirtus starting in the Miocene into the Pliocene, from at least 14.2 MYA to the most recent divergence between sister taxa at ∼2.6 MYA. We also describe two sympatric new species of Hyloscirtus from northwestern Ecuador: H. criptico sp. nov. and H. princecharlesi sp. nov. We diagnose them by their phylogenetic position (they are not sister to each other), genetic divergence, and a unique combination of color patterns, and other morphological features. Additionally, we describe the suctorial tadpoles and the extreme ontogenic color changes in H. larinopygion, H. lindae, H. pantostictus, H. princecharlesi, H. psarolaimus, and H. tigrinus. Furthermore, we describe the osteology of H. criptico, H. lindae, H. pacha, H. pantostictus, H. princecharlesi, H. psarolaimus, H. ptychodactylus, and H. staufferorum. We describe vocalizations of H. lindae, H. pacha, H. pantostictus, H. pasarolaimus, H. staufferorum, and H. tapichalaca. Hyloscirtus tigrinus is recorded for the first time in Ecuador and its range is extended 62.4 km (airline distance), from its southernmost locality record in Departamento de Nariño, Colombia. Most species of the H. larinopygion group are currently severely threatened by extinction, after surviving the catastrophic extinctions in the 1980s and 1990s that led to the disappearance of many other sympatric anurans that bred in swiftly flowing water and had lotic water tadpoles in the Andean highlands. Research and conservation actions are urgently needed for these species. In order to better call attention to these conservation issues, we name one of the new species in honor of Prince Charles of Wa l e s, who is contributing significantly to the growth of awareness in the battle against tropical deforestation, climate change, and the catastrophic extinction of rainforest amphibians. Copyright © 2012 · Magnolia Press.

View