Alexandra M. R. Bezerra

Use of Regurgitated Pellets of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) for Inventorying Small Mammals in the Cerrado of Central Brazil

Analysis of regurgitated pellets of one barn owl (Tyto alba ; Strigiformes, Tytonidae) collected in the Cerrado of central Brazil yielded remains of 12 vertebrate species comprising eight rodents, two marsupials, one passerine bird and one lizard. A survey of small mammals in the same region with 3,367 trap nights revealed 11 rodent and two marsupial species. Seven of the 16 small mammal species found in the region were sampled by both methods. Two marsupial and one rodent species in regurgitated pellets were not captured with traps while two marsupial and four rodent species captured with traps were not found in regurgitated pellets showing that these two survey methods are complementary. Regurgitated pellets of T. alba can be a good source of information for assessing the species richness of small mammals but are biased by the feeding habits of the bird hunting predominantly small mammals in open habitats. Together with the results of trappings our study revealed a prominent richness of small mammal species in the Cerrado of south-western Bahia.

Colonization Process of the Brazilian Common Vesper Mouse, Calomys expulsus (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae): A Biogeographic Hypothesis

Riverine barriers have been associated to genetic diversification and speciation of several taxa. The Rio São Francisco is one of the largest rivers in South America, representing the third largest river basin in Brazil and operating as a geographic barrier to gene flow of different taxa. To evaluate the influence of the Rio São Francisco in the speciation of small rodents, we investigated the genetic structure of Calomys expulsus with phylogenetic and network analyses of cytochrome b DNA. Our results suggested that C. expulsus can be divided into 3 subpopulations, 2 on the left and another one on the right bank of this river. The time of divergence of these subpopulations, using a Bayesian framework, suggested colonization from the south to the north/northeast. Spatial analysis using a clustering method and the Monmoniers algorithm suggested that the Rio São Francisco is a biogeographic barrier to gene flow and indicated that this river may play a role in the incipient speciation process of these subpopulations.

Integrative taxonomy of the Italian pine voles, Microtus savii group (Cricetidae, Arvicolinae)

The Italian endemic voles belonging to the Microtus savii group (de Sélys‐Longchamps, 1838) include five controversial taxa, namely M. savii savii, M. s. niethammericus Contoli ; M. s. tolfetanus Contoli , M. s. nebrodensis (Minà‐Palumbo, 1868) and M. brachycercus (Lehamann, 1961). A previous mtDNA phylogenetic analysis revealed three main mtDNA lineages that do not correspond to the recognized taxa. Here, we perform a comprehensive univariate and multivariate analysis of craniodental measurements in 151 specimens from 54 geographic samples belonging to the three main phylogroups. Qualitative data on the skull of 126 specimens were also obtained from 54 localities. Moreover, we sequenced the nuclear DNA β‐fibrinogen intron 7 (β‐fibint7) of 23 specimens from 12 localities and Cyt b sequences of 11 new specimens from seven localities. The pattern of morphological and cytogenomic divergence does not corroborate the current taxonomic framework and indicates that M. nebrodensis is a Sicilian endemic species.

First record of Thyroptera discifera (Chiroptera: Thyropteridae) in the Cerrado of Central Brazil

only one genus, Thyroptera Spix, 1823, and three extant species: T. tricolor Spix, 1823, T. discifera (Lichtenstein and Peters, 1854), and T. lavali Pine, 1993. The disk-winged bats inhabit the Neotropical region, from Mexico to Southern Brazil (Wilson, 1978; Koopman, 1993; Pine, 1993), and its main generic diagnostic character is the presence of circular suction disks with short stalks on the soles of the feet and at the base of the well-developed claw of the thumb, which are histological and anatomically different from the Old World sucker-footed bat (Myzopoda sp.; see Nowak, 1999). Thyroptera tricolor is widely distributed through the Neotropical region occurring from southern Mexico to Bolivia, Trinidad, and southern Brazil, whereas T. discifera occurs from Nicaragua southwards to the Guianas and to at least 10°S in Peru, at 13°10’S and 64°13’W in Bolivia, and Belém, Pará State, and Aripuanã, Mato Grosso State, Brazil (e.g., Wilson and Findley, 1977; Wilson, 1978; Mok et al., 1982; Torres et al., 1988; Pine, 1993; Anderson, 1997; Herrera-Bernal et al., 1999; Nowak, 1999; Tschapka et al., 2000). Both species apparently occur in lowland forest areas. Thyroptera lavali is known from a few localities, including the type locality, Yavari Mirim River, Loreto Department (Pine, 1993), and at Camisea, Cuzco Department, and Alto Madre de Dios River, in Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru (Solari et al., 2004), Orinoco Delta, Venezuela (Linares, 1998), Yasuni National Park, Napo Province, Ecuador (Reid et al., 2000), and Alter do Chão, Pará State, Brazil (Bernard and Fenton, 2002). Thyroptera tricolor and T. discifera may be distinguished by their size, the number of cartilaginous projections in the calcar and their fur color (Wilson and Findley, 1977; Wilson, 1978). Thyroptera lavali differs from both T. tricolor and T. discifera mainly by its larger size, larger free tail portion, wrist suction disk oblong, and more or less Acta Chiropterologica, 7(1): 165–188, 2005 PL ISSN 1508–1109

Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Vampyrodes caraccioli (Thomas, 1889): range extension and revised distribution map

The present note reports the first record of the bat Vampyrodes caraccioli (Thomas, 1889) for the state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil, based on the collection of one adult specimen in Nucleo Sao Sebastiao, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, at the Atlantic Forest domain.

Pattern of chromosomal changes in 'beta' Anolis (Norops group) (Squamata: Polychrotidae) depicted by an ancestral state analysis

BackgroundNeotropical lizards, genus Anolis (Polychrotidae), with nearly 380 species, are members of one of the most diversified genera among amniotes. Herein, we present an overview of chromosomal evolution in ‘beta’ Anolis (Norops group) as a baseline for future studies of the karyotypic evolution of anoles. We evaluated all available information concerning karyotypes of Norops, including original data on a recently described species, Anolis unilobatus. We used the phylogeny of Norops based on DNA sequence data to infer the main pattern of chromosomal evolution by means of an ancestral state analysis (ASR).ResultsWe identified 11 different karyotypes, of which 9 in the species had so far been used in molecular studies. The ASR indicated that a change in the number of microchromosomes was the first evolutionary step, followed by an increase in chromosome numbers, likely due to centric fissions of macrochromosomes. The ASR also showed that in nine species, heteromorphic sex chromosomes most probably originated from six independent events.ConclusionsWe observed an overall good correspondence of some characteristics of karyotypes and species relationships. Moreover, the clade seems prone to sex chromosome diversification, and the origins of five of these heteromorphic sex chromosome variants seem to be recent as they appear at the tip nodes in the ancestral character reconstruction. Karyotypic diversification in Norops provides an opportunity to test the chromosomal speciation models and is expected to be useful in studying relationships among anole species and in identifying cryptic taxa.

The amazon bamboo rat Dactylomys dactylinus (Rodentia: Echimydae: Dactylomyinae) in the cerrado of central Brazil

Bezerra, A.M.R., da Silva Jr, N.J. & Marinho-Filho, J. The amazon bamboo rat Dactylomys dactylinus (Rodentia: Echimyidae: Dactylomyinae) in the cerrado of central Brazil. Biota Neotrop. Jan/Apr 2007 vol. 7, no. 1 http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v7n1/pt/abstract?short-communication+bn03507012007 ISSN 1676-0603. Until recently, the distribution of Dactylomys dactylinus was considered to be restricted to forest habitats from the western Amazon to the east of the Xingu River in Brazil. Individuals of D. dactylinus were rescued in January 1997 from the rising waters of the hydroelectric dam of Serra da Mesa, in Central Brazil. This record extends the southern limit of the distribution of D. dactylinus, and represents also the first occurrence of this species in the Cerrado biome. The specimens were collected in patches of gallery forest of the Tocantins River and its tributaries. The Tocantins is the main river of the Araguaia-Tocantins basin. Its headwaters are located in the Cerrado biome and it is a tributary of the delta of the Amazonas River. The presence of D. dactylinus, a characteristic Amazonian lowland forest species, in the core area of the Cerrado is an evidence of the role of forested environments as mesic corridors that have been contributing to the increase of mammalian diversity in this biome.

Clyomys laticeps (Rodentia: Echimyidae)

Abstract: Clyomys laticeps (Thomas, 1909), the broad-headed spiny rat, is a medium-sized semifossorial rodent with spinous pelage, reduced tail, short limbs, and long powerful claws. These characteristics and its very conspicuous tympanic bullae make C. laticeps unique among echimyid rodents. It primarily inhabits the Cerrado domain of central and southwestern Brazil, where it occurs in open grasslands and savannas, and also in the Paraguayan Chaco. Presently, C. laticeps is listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, although some populations inhabit localities under strong habitat change due to urbanization and conversion of Cerrado vegetation to pastures.

Subsidies for a poorly known endemic semiarid biome of Brazil: non-volant mammals of an eastern region of Caatinga

BackgroundThe mammalian fauna of the eastern Caatinga, a Brazilian semiarid biome, was surveyed in the dry and wet seasons aiming to contribute to the knowledge of this poorly known region. Complementary live-trap survey methods were employed for sampling small non-volant mammals and transects along roads for medium and large mammals.ResultsSeventeen mammalian species were recorded, with five new records for Sergipe state, two being endemic to Caatinga. More individuals were captured in the dry season, although species number was the same for both seasons. Medium- and large-sized mammalian species were not encountered in the region, which was also true for some small-sized species hunted for consumption.ConclusionsThese findings corroborate the importance of using complementary methods for sampling small non-volant mammals in the Caatinga and indicate that the mammalian fauna of this region, suffering a severe anthropogenic pressure, requires strong measures for its preservation.

Kunsia tomentosus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)

Abstract: Kunsia tomentosus (Lichtenstein, 1830), the woolly giant rat, is a semifossorial cricetid typically associated with the Cerrado and Beni domains in central South America. Kunsia was recently revised and includes only 1 species. It is the largest extant sigmondontine and is readily distinguishable by its size, a body covered with dark-gray fur that is coarse and dense, moderately short tail, short limbs, bicolored manus and pes, and long, powerful claws. It inhabits primarily open grasslands and savannas from central and southwestern Brazil and northern Bolivia. K. tomentosus presently is not considered threatened; however, westernmost populations have presumably been extirpated in the past 2 centuries.