Alfredo Langguth

A new species of titi monkey, Callicebus Thomas, from north-eastern Brazil (Primates, Cebidae)

A new species of titi monkey, Catticebus, is described based on five specimens obtained from the state of Sergipe, north-eastern Brazil. It is a member of the Personatus group, but is easily distinguished from the other forms. The most noticeable differences are in the pelage coloration, the forehead, crown, and ear being black, and having a zebra-like, striped pattern on the anterior half of the back. Distinct features of its dental morphology and craniometry are also described.

Allozymic characterization and evolutionary relationships in the BrazilianAkodon cursor species group (Rodentia-Cricetidae)

The present study involved an electrophoretic survey of 22 protein loci in 269 individuals belonging to three species of the genusAkodon, A. aff.cursor (2n=16),A. cursor (2n=14/15), andA. montensis (2n=24/25/26), collected in Eastern Brazil. The joint results of gene diversity, genetic distances, phenetic analyses, and phylogenetic trees suggested thatA. aff.cursor has recently separated fromA. cursor and that the three species have experienced a recent chromosomal divergence followed by low allozyme differentiation. These data are in agreement with their classification as sibling species.

T2AG3)n telomeric sequence hybridization indicating centric fusion rearrangements in the karyotype of the rodent oryzomys subflavus.

Chromosome preparations of 30 specimens of Oryzomys subflavus trapped in eight Brazilian localities were C-, and G-banded and analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Two karyotypes were found, 2n = 50/FN = 64, at three coastal localities of the Atlantic Forest domain, and 2n = 58/FN = 70 at two sites located in the Cerrado biome, Brazil Central. Two fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) patterns of the telomeric sequence (T2AG3)n were observed: in both karyotypes the probes hybridized to the telomeres of all chromosomes and also a hybridization signal in the centromeric regions of two autosome pairs was seen in the 2n = 50 karyotype. These results, together with the occurrence of other diploid numbers described in the literature, suggest that O. subflavus is a complex species, bearing fusion/fission rearrangements proper to the different biomes which it inhabits.

Karyotypes of Brazilian Species of Rhipidomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae)

Cytogenetic analyses were performed on representatives of four Brazilian species of Rhipidomys: R. leucodactylus from Amazonia, another species from Lagoa Santa, from the type locality of R. mastacalis , plus Rhipidomys sp. and R. cearanus from the Brazilian Atlantic forest. All four species had a diploid number of 44. The fundamental numbers (FN), however, were different: 48 in R. leucodactylus , 50 in Rhipidomys sp., and 74 in R. mastacalis . G-banding comparisons revealed that Rhipidomys sp. (FN = 50) and R. leucodactylus (FN = 48) differ by one pericentric inversion whereas Rhipidomys sp. and R. leucodactylus (FN = 74) differed by at least 7 inverted chromosomes.

Phylogenetic relationships and phylogeographic patterns in Monodelphis (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae)

Abstract Monodelphis (short-tailed opossums) is the most speciose South American marsupial genus, wtih species distributed from Panama to Argentina. The goal of the present study was to analyze levels and patterns of genetic variation in M. brevicaudata (Guianan short-tailed opossum), M. dimidiata (yellow-sided opossum), M. domestica (gray short-tailed opossum), and M. kunsi (pygmy short-tailed opossum) using sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) and nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) genes from individuals sampled in the Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga, Atlantic Forest, and Pampa biomes in Brazil. Species relationships also were analyzed using sequences of 9 other Monodelphis species retrieved from GenBank and representing 3 localities in Brazil and 17 sites in other South American countries. M. domestica and M. brevicaudata showed phylogeographic structure, but M. dimidiata and M. kunsi did not. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian algorithms showed similar topologies for estimated phylogenetic trees. Analyses of individual genes produced comparable results, but combined loci produced trees with higher support. All Monodelphis haplotypes were monophyletic, with M. emiliae (Emilias short-tailed opossum) sister to all other species, which form 2 groups. M. brevicaudata (from the Amazon) forms a well-supported clade with M. domestica (which occupies several biomes) and 2 unidentified Amazonian species. The other branch has M. kunsi (from the Cerrado) as sister to a well-supported clade of 5 Amazonian species.

Genetic diversity and relatedness within and between species of the genus Oligoryzomys (Rodentia; Sigmodontinae)

A RAPD analysis on six species of the rodent genus Oligoryzomys trapped in a wide area (ranging from 01 degrees N to 32 degrees S) of Brazilian territory was performed in order to determine the levels of genetic variability within and between its populations and species. One-hundred and ninety-three animals were collected in 13 different sites (corresponding to 17 samples) located at Pampas, Atlantic Rain Forest, Cerrado, and Amazon domains. Oligoryzomys sp., O. nigripes (8 populations), O. flavescens (4 populations), O. moojeni, O. stramineus, and O. fornesi were the taxa analyzed. Of the 20 primers tested, 4 generated a total of 75 polymorphic products simultaneously amplified in 151 specimens. Various diversity estimators analyzed showed considerable differences between species and populations, indicating a great genetic variation occurring in the Oligoryzomys taxa investigated. A cluster analysis was made using Neis standard genetic distances, however, it did not correlate the genetic heterogeneity of the species and populations with the geographical areas.

Use of space and temporal distribution of Trichechus manatus manatus Linnaeus in the region of Sagi, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil (Sirenia, Trichechidae)

The marine manatee Trichechus manatus manatus Linnaeus, 1758 is endangered in the Brazilian Atlantic coast due to indiscriminate hunting practiced in the past, and to the low reproductive rate of the species. This work studies its use of space and temporal occurrence in the coastal area of Sagi, Northeastern Brazil. Daily observations from the beach of the animals in the sea were made during daytime from 1990 through 1993. The presence of reefs covered with marine algae is a determinant factor in the occurrence of the manatee. They were sighted feeding on algae that grow over the reefs close to beaches that were of high energy during high tide. The range used by manatees shifted according to tide. They occur in depths of 0.4 to 3.8 m; the distance from the beach varies according to the tide level. They show marked seasonality of occurrence, with higher frequencies in December - January and lowest in June - July. Two possible causes of the seasonal occurrence are discussed. Sagi is important for the conservation of the species in Northeastern Brazil as feeding and reproductive grounds.

Distribution of Tolypeutes Illiger, 1811 (Xenarthra: Cingulata) with Comments on Its Biogeography and Conservation

This study reviews the data available on the distribution of three-banded armadillos of the genus Tolypeutes, identifying potential geographic barriers and evaluating possible biogeographic processes that may account for the present-day distribution of the species and its conservation status. The database was derived from published records, interviews, and voucher specimens, over a timescale ranging from the fossil record to specimens collected in 2013. A total of 236 localities were recorded, with 68 attributed to Tolypeutes matacus and 168 to Tolypeutes tricinctus. The vegetation within the range of the genus is predominantly a xerophytic mosaic of grassland, savannas, open woodland, and xeric thorn forest. The marine transgressions of the Miocene and the uplifting of the Brazilian Shield may have contributed to the vicariant separation of the ancestral populations of T. matacus, to the west and south, and T. tricinctus, to the north and east. The three-banded armadillo is possibly one of the most threatened of Brazilian mammals, considering the low number of recent records and the fact that it is hunted intensively throughout its range.

Food Sharing in Lion Tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas): Does Foraging Difficulty Affect Investment in Young by Breeders and Helpers?

Food sharing with immatures is an important and relatively well studied aspect of infant care in many cooperative species. A key point that has not yet been fully addressed, however, is how increasing the difficulty of obtaining food influences the willingness of breeders and helpers to provision immature offspring. We used captive golden headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) to examine how breeders and helpers differ in provisioning juvenile individuals according to the level of difficulty of obtaining food. The level of difficulty in obtaining food was varied by placing the food inside tubes that allowed access only by adults. When food acquisition became more difficult, food sharing with juveniles and breeding females increased significantly. Begging calls by breeding females and juveniles increased during the experimental condition, which probably led to increases in food sharing. Breeders and helpers did not differ in their contribution to provisioning when food was easily available, nor did they differ in their contribution when food was difficult to obtain. Breeding males in callitrichids have a prominent role in transferring food to offspring, but contrary to our expectations, they did not increase food transfer in the experimental condition. An unexpected result was the increased investment of the breeding female into her current offspring when the level of difficulty of obtaining food was higher. We suggest that breeding lion tamarin females are not as constrained by reproductive costs as breeding females of other callitrichids. Degree of reproductive skew is hypothesized as a factor affecting the contribution of breeders and helpers to offspring care in cooperative breeding mammals, though we suggest that more studies are needed to validate such a generalization.

The genus Hylaeamys Weksler, Percequillo, and Voss 2006 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: geographic variation and species definition

Abstract Seven species are included in the genus Hylaeamys. Their limits and distribution, however, are uncertain. We used morphometric analyses performed in univariate (Dice–Leraas diagrams) and multivariate (size-free principal component analysis) approaches, along with qualitative analysis, as well as information on the karyology, to make an assessment on the status of populations of the genus in the Atlantic Forest. On the basis of the evidence we found, it was possible to corroborate the hypothesis that there are actually 2 species in this biome: H. oniscus, a species distributed on the northern bank of the São Francisco River, from the State of Alagoas to the State of Paraíba; and H. seuanezi, which occurs on the southern bank of the São Francisco River, from the southern portion of Bahia State to the northern part of Rio de Janeiro State. Hylaeamys laticeps, the name formerly used for this entity, was allocated to the synonymy of H. megacephalus, a species that inhabits the Cerrado and Amazon Forest biomes. Hylaeamys oniscus exhibits a longer and more robust skull, with a longer rostrum and the 1st upper molar narrower, and a karyotype with 2n = 52 chromosomes and fundamental number (FN) = 62 autosomic arms, whereas H. seuanezi is smaller and more delicate, with a karyotype of 2n = 48 and FN = 60. The São Francisco River and the associated dry vegetation probably have played an important role in the origin of these species and today may still play a role as a barrier to gene flow between these species. Resumo Atualmente, sete espécies estão alocadas no gênero Hylaeamys, mas as suas delimitações e respectivas distribuições ainda permanecem incertas, principalmente na Floresta Atlântica brasileira. Através de análises morfométricas, realizadas através de abordagens univariadas (diagramas de Dice-Leraas) e multivariadas (análise canônica discriminante), somadas a análises qualitativas e a informações citogenéticas avaliamos a variação existente entre as populações do gênero ao longo da Floresta Atlântica. Foi possível corroborar a hipótese de que existem duas espécies do gênero neste bioma: H. oniscus, que encontra-se distribuída na margem norte do Rio São Francisco, na Floresta Atlântica ao norte do Rio São Francisco, desde o Estado de Alagoas até o Estado da Paraíba, e H. seuanezi, que se distribuí na margem sul do Rio São Francisco, desde o sul do Estado da Bahia até o norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Hylaeamys laticeps, o nome empregado anteriormente para esta entidade, foi alocado à sinonímia de H. megacephalus, uma espécie que habita os biomas Cerrado e Floresta Amazônica. A primeira espécie possui um crânio maior e mais robusto, com rostro mais longo e o primeiro molar superior mais estreito, e um cariótipo com 2n = 52 cromossomos e NF = 62 braços autossômicos, quando comparada a H. seuanezi, que é uma espécie menor, com rostro mais curto e molares levemente mais largos e cariótipo com 2n = 48 cromossomos e NF = 60 braços autossômicos. O Rio São Francisco, bem como a vegetação mais seca associada à foz deste rio, pode ter desempenhado um papel importante na origem destes táxons, ou pode desempenhar um papel de barreira ao fluxo gênico para as populações atuais, mantendo-as como unidades evolutivas independentes. Palavras - Chave: América do Sul, citogenética, morfologia, morfometria, Oryzomyini, Taxonomia, variação geográfica.