Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático
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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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Phenotypic divergence of traits that mediate antagonistic and mutualistic interactions between island and continental populations of the tropical plant, Tribulus cistoides (Zygophyllaceae)

2023 , Reyes-Corral W.D. , Carvajal-Endara, Sofia , Hetherington-Rauth M , Chaves J.A , Grant P.R , Grant B.R. , Hendry A.P. , Johnson M.T.J.

Island systems have long served as a model for evolutionary processes due to their unique species interactions. Many studies of the evolution of species interactions on islands have focused on endemic taxa. Fewer studies have focused on how antagonistic and mutualistic interactions shape the phenotypic divergence of widespread nonendemic species living on islands. We used the widespread plant Tribulus cistoides (Zygophyllaceae) to study phenotypic divergence in traits that mediate antagonistic interactions with vertebrate granivores (birds) and mutualistic interactions with pollinators, including how this is explained by bioclimatic variables. We used both herbarium specimens and field-collected samples to compare phenotypic divergence between continental and island populations. Fruits from island populations were larger than on continents, but the presence of lower spines on mericarps was less frequent on islands. The presence of spines was largely explained by environmental variation among islands. Petal length was on average 9% smaller on island than continental populations, an effect that was especially accentuated on the Galápagos Islands. Our results show that Tribulus cistoides exhibits phenotypic divergence between island and continental habitats for antagonistic traits (seed defense) and mutualistic traits (floral traits). Furthermore, the evolution of phenotypic traits that mediate antagonistic and mutualistic interactions partially depended on the abiotic characteristics of specific islands. This study shows the potential of using a combination of herbarium and field samples for comparative studies on a globally distributed species to study phenotypic divergence on island habitats. © 2023 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Tritrophic web structure in montane Andean forests undergoing ecological restoration

2020 , Mazón M. , Jiménez M.D.C. , Reátegui J. , Donoso D.A.

Parasitism represents an important ecosystem service, reducing pest abundance. Since most hosts of parasitoids are herbivores, plant diversity likely shapes both herbivore and parasitoid assemblages. While restoration efforts are being adopted worldwide, mitigating habitat degradation, little is known about how tritrophic webs are organized among plant species in recovering ecosystems. Here we collected exposed herbivores (Coleoptera and Lepidoptera larvae) during four sampling months from five plant species in two restoration areas in Andean forests in southern Ecuador. Larvae were kept in the laboratory until the emergence of the adults or parasitoids. Herbivore and parasitoid diversity and parasitism rates were compared among plants. A total of 82 immature individuals (56 Lepidoptera and 26 Coleoptera—23 predatory and 3 herbivorous) were collected and 102 parasitoids emerged (all Hymenoptera except one tachinid fly). Herbivore and parasitoid assemblages showed a high species turnover between plant species. The mean parasitism rate was 35.14% and 46.67% in the two restoration sites, respectively, with no significant differences found within forests or plants. Long-term food web monitoring should be carried out to improve our understanding of how ecosystems under ecological restoration programs functionally recover. © 2018

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Associations among MHC genes, latitude, and avian malaria infections in the rufous‐collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)

2024 , Juan Rivero de Aguilar , Omar Barroso , Bonaccorso, Elisa , Hector Cadena , Lucas Hussing , Josefina Jorquera , Javier Martinez , Josué Martínez‐de la Puente , Alfonso Marzal , Fabiola León Miranda , Santiago Merino , Nubia E. Matta , Marilyn Ramenofsky , Ricardo Rozzi , Carlos E. Valeris‐Chacín , Rodrigo A. Vásquez , Juliana A. Vianna , John C. Wingfield

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a genetic region in jawed vertebrates that contains key genes involved in the immune response. Associations between the MHC and avian malaria infections in wild birds have been observed and mainly explored in the Northern Hemisphere, while a general lack of information remains in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we investigated the associations between the MHC genes and infections with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus blood parasites along a latitudinal gradient in South America. We sampled 93 rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) individuals from four countries, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, and estimated MHC-I and MHC-II allele diversity. We detected between 1–4 (MHC-I) and 1–6 (MHC-II) amino acidic alleles per individual, with signs of positive selection. We obtained generalized additive mixed models to explore the associations between MHC-I and MHC-II diversity and latitude. We also explored the relationship between infection status and latitude/biome. We found a non-linear association between the MHC-II amino acidic allele diversity and latitude. Individuals from north Chile presented a lower MHC genetic diversity than those from other locations. We also found an association between deserts and xeric shrublands and a lower prevalence of Haemoproteus parasites. Our results support a lower MHC genetic in arid or semi-arid habitats in the region with the lower prevalence of Haemoproteus parasites.

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Resistance Is Not Futile: Widespread Convergent Evolution of Resistance to Alpha-Neurotoxic Snake Venoms in Caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)

2023 , Mancuso M. , Zaman S. , Maddock S.T. , Kamei R.G. , Salazar Valenzuela, David , Wilkinson M. , Roelants K. , Fry B.G.

Predatory innovations impose reciprocal selection pressures upon prey. The evolution of snake venom alpha-neurotoxins has triggered the corresponding evolution of resistance in the post-synaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of prey in a complex chemical arms race. All other things being equal, animals like caecilians (an Order of legless amphibians) are quite vulnerable to predation by fossorial elapid snakes and their powerful alpha-neurotoxic venoms; thus, they are under strong selective pressure. Here, we sequenced the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha-1 subunit of 37 caecilian species, representing all currently known families of caecilians from across the Americas, Africa, and Asia, including species endemic to the Seychelles. Three types of resistance were identified: (1) steric hindrance from N-glycosylated asparagines; (2) secondary structural changes due to the replacement of proline by another amino acid; and (3) electrostatic charge repulsion of the positively charged neurotoxins, through the introduction of a positively charged amino acid into the toxin-binding site. We demonstrated that resistance to alpha-neurotoxins convergently evolved at least fifteen times across the caecilian tree (three times in Africa, seven times in the Americas, and five times in Asia). Additionally, as several species were shown to possess multiple resistance modifications acting synergistically, caecilians must have undergone at least 20 separate events involving the origin of toxin resistance. On the other hand, resistance in non-caecilian amphibians was found to be limited to five origins. Together, the mutations underlying resistance in caecilians constitute a robust signature of positive selection which strongly correlates with elapid presence through both space (sympatry with caecilian-eating elapids) and time (Cenozoic radiation of elapids). Our study demonstrates the extent of convergent evolution that can be expected when a single widespread predatory adaptation triggers parallel evolutionary arms races at a global scale. © 2023 by the authors.

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Urban soil management in the strategies for adaptation to climate change of cities in the Tropical Andes

2022 , Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago , Ángel Herrera, M. , Vaca, A. , Salazar, L. , Zalakeviciute, R. , Mejía, D. , López-Ulloa, M.

The unique characteristics of a city amplify the impacts of climate change; therefore, urban planning in the 21st century is challenged to apply mitigation and adaptation strategies that ensure the collective well-being. Despite advances in monitoring urban environmental change, research on the application of adaptation-oriented criteria remains a challenge in urban planning in the Global South. This study proposes to include urban land management as a criterion and timely strategy for climate change adaptation in the cities of the Tropical Andes. Here, we estimate the distribution of the soil organic carbon stock (OCS) of the city of Quito (2,815 m.a.s.l.; population 2,011,388; 197.09 km2) in the following three methodological moments: i) field/laboratory: city-wide sampling design established to collect 300 soil samples (0–15 cm) and obtain data on organic carbon (OC) concentrations in addition to 30 samples for bulk density (BD); ii) predictors: geographic, spectral and anthropogenic dimensions established from 17 co-variables; and iii) spatial modeling: simple multiple regression (SMRM) and random forest (RFM) models of organic carbon concentrations and density as well as OCS stock estimation. We found that the spatial modeling techniques were complementary; however, SMRM showed a relatively higher fit both (OC: r2 = 20%, BD: r2 = 16%) when compared to RFM (OC: r2 = 8% and BD: r2 = 5%). Thus, soil carbon stock (0–0.15 m) was estimated with a spatial variation that fluctuated between 9.89 and 21.48 kg/m2; whereas, RFM showed fluctuations between 10.38 and 17.67 kg/m2. We found that spatial predictors (topography, relative humidity, precipitation, temperature) and anthropogenic predictors (population density, roads, vehicle traffic, land cover) positively influence the model, while spatial predictors have little influence and show multicollinearity with relative humidity. Our research suggests that urban land management in the 21st century provides key information for adaptation and mitigation strategies aimed at coping with global and local climate variations in the cities of the Tropical Andes. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

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Feeding ecology of the Terciopelo pit viper snake (Bothrops asper) in Ecuador

2023 , Loaiza-Lange A. , Székely D , Torres-Carvajal O. , Tinoco N. , Salazar Valenzuela, David , Székely P.

Thoroughly documenting prey items and diet composition is crucial for understanding a predator’s role in the ecosystem. In gape restricted predators, such as snakes, documenting and analyzing the type and size of the prey is important to interpret their ecological role. We describe the diet patterns of a species of venomous snake, the Terciopelo pit viper (Bothrops asper), from its Ecuadorian populations. Examining the gastrointestinal contents of museum specimens collected over an extensive area of the Pacific lowlands of Ecuador, we encountered 69 identifiable prey items from four major taxonomic groups (amphibians, centipedes, mammals, and reptiles). We evaluated the observed composition of prey to check for differences between sexes and size-classes. To complement our observations of the Terciopelo species complex throughout their distribution, we carried out a systematic literature review. Our data show an ontogenetic shift in diet, with a transition from more diverse diet in juveniles towards a mammal-specialized diet in adults, and distinct proportion of prey taxa between the sexes in the juvenile size class. Copyright 2023 Loaiza-Lange et al.

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Range extensions and other noteworthy bird records from the Ecuadorian Andes

2011 , Bonaccorso, Elisa , Arzuza D. , Buitrón-Jurado G. , Charpentier A.L. , Juiña M. , Piedrahía P. , Freile J.F.

We present the results of nine ornithological expeditions aimed at documenting bird diversity in areas of Ecuador that remain relatively underexplored. The majority of new records were made along the western Andes, either in the central or the southern extensions of the outer slope, suggesting that several species may have more continuous distributions than previously thought. Among the most interesting records are those of Collared Inca Coeligena torquata in western Azuay, Tricoloured Brush Finch Atlapetes tricolor in the Cerro de CelicaGuachanamá, in Loja, and White-browed Spinetail Hellmayrea gularis and Bluish Flowerpiercer Diglossa caerulescens in the Cordillera de Chilla, in El Oro. These new records in the south-west of the country suggest that extensive sampling is still needed in this region. We also report new altitudinal records for several species and suggest that they may represent range extensions rather than occasional records. © British Ornithologists' Club 2011.

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Pristimantis tinguichaca Brito, Ojala-Barbour, Batallas & Almendariz, 2016 (Anura, Strabomantidae): Range extension and notes on variation in color pattern

2019 , Franco-Mena, Daniela , Reyes-Puig J.P. , Yánez-Muñoz M.H.

In this paper we extend the known distribution of the endemic and recently described Pristimantis tinguichaca Brito et al., 2016, a terrestrial robber frog characterized by its beige and brown to dark-brown dorsal coloration, flanks with longitudinal or diagonal cream-coloured bands which are separated by brown, and reddish iris. The new records, based on two specimens collected from the Cerro Candelaria and Cerro Mayordomo reserves of Fundación Ecominga in the upper Pastaza River watershed, Tungurahua province, east-central Ecuador, represent the northern limit of the species and extend this species to the Llanganates-Sangay ecological corridor. © 2019, Pensoft Publishers. All rights reserved.

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A new rainfrog of the Pristimantis myersi Group (Amphibia, Craugastoridae) from Volcán Pichincha, Ecuador

2014 , Rojas-Runjaic F.J.M. , Delgado C. J.A. , Guayasamin, Juan M.

A new frog of the Pristimantis myersi Group is described from a bamboo patch within the Reserva Ecológica Verdecocha (0°5'46.9″S, 78°36'15.3″W; 2851 m), located at northwestern flank of the Volcán Pichincha, in the vicinities of Quito, Ecuador. The new species is known from eight adult males, whereas the females remain unknown; it can be readily distinguished from all species of the P. myersi Group that inhabit the highlands of the Ecuadorian Andes by the unique combination of the following characters: body small (adult male SVL 14.9-19.7 mm; females unknown); dorsal skin shagreen, with a barely visible middorsal raphe, scapular and dorsolateral folds; tympanum small but well-defined; upper eyelid with one enlarged tubercle; males with prominent vocal slits, but without nuptial pads on thumbs; fold-like tarsal tubercles. With this new species, the number of Pristimantis assigned to the P. myersi Group raises to 16, of which, 12 are in Ecuador. We provide notes on morphology and color variation, advertisement call, and natural history of the new species. © 2014 Magnolia Press.

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