Angelo P. Capparella

HISTORICAL DIVERSIFICATION OF BIRDS IN NORTHWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA : A MOLECULAR PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF VICARIANT EVENTS

Studies of South American biodiversity have identified several areas of endemism that may have enhanced historical diversification of South American organisms. Hypotheses concerning the derivation of birds in the Chocó area of endemism in northwestern South America were evaluated using protein electrophoretic data from 14 taxonomically diverse species groups of birds. Nine of these groups demonstrated that the Chocó area of endemism has a closer historical relationship to Central America than to Amazonia, a result that is consistent with phytogeographic evidence. Within species groups, genetic distances between cis‐Andean (east of the Andes) and trans‐Andean (west of the Andes) taxa are, on average, roughly twice that between Chocó and Central American taxa. The genetic data are consistent with the hypotheses that the divergence of most cis‐Andean and trans‐Andean taxa was the result of either the Andean uplift fragmenting a once continuous Amazonian‐Pacific population (Andean Uplift Hypothesis), the isolation of the two faunas in forest refugia on opposite sides of the Andes during arid climates (Forest Refugia Hypothesis), or dispersal of Amazonian forms directly across the Andes into the trans‐Andean region (Across‐Andes Dispersal Hypothesis). Disentangling these hypotheses is difficult due to the complexity of the Andean uplift and to the scant geologic and paleoclimatic information that elucidates diversification events in northwestern South America. Regarding the divergence of cis‐ and trans‐Andean taxa, the genetic, geologic, and paleoclimatic data allow weak rejection of the Andean Uplift Hypothesis and weak support for the Forest Refugia and Andean Dispersal Hypotheses. The subsequent diversification of Chocó and Central American taxa was the result of Pleistocene forest refugia, marine transgressions, or parapatric speciation.

Historical relationships among Neotropical lowland forest areas of endemism as determined by mitochondrial DNA sequence variation within the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae: Glyphorynchus spirurus)

Studies of the distribution of South American taxa have identified several areas of endemism that may have contributed to the historical diversification of the region. We constructed a phylogeny of Glyphorynchus spirurus (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae) populations using mtDNA sequence data from portions of cytochrome b, NADH dehydrogenase subunit II (ND2), and complete NADH dehydrogenase subunit III (ND3). Using this phylogeny we evaluate five previous hypotheses of area-relationships, two based on phylogenetic studies of morphological characters in birds and three based on parsimony analysis of endemism in birds and primates. Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses recovered two phylogenetic hypotheses that differed in the placement of one of the areas. Within each of the areas of endemism, the two analyses support the same clades. Neither of the phylogenetic hypotheses for Glyphorynchus exactly matches any of the five previous hypotheses of area-relationships, although ambiguous support exists for one of them. Five areas-Central America, Inambari, Napo, Pará, and Rondônia-are supported as composites with component taxa having phylogenetic affinities with more than one area. Data reported here also indicate high levels of sequence divergence within Glyphorynchus. Genetic breaks within Glyphorynchus are only partially congruent with subspecific taxonomy. The regional sampling design used makes this study the largest scale genetic assay of a widespread Neotropical avian taxon published to date.

A Forensic Investigation Into the Etiology of Bat Mortality at a Wind Farm: Barotrauma or Traumatic Injury?

Migrating bats have increased mortality near moving turbine blades at wind farms. The authors evaluated competing hypotheses of barotrauma and traumatic injury to determine the cause. They first examined the utility of lungs from salvaged bat carcasses for histopathologic diagnosis of barotrauma and studied laboratory mice as a model system. Postmortem time, environmental temperature, and freezing of carcasses all affected the development of vascular congestion, hemorrhage, and edema. These common tissue artifacts mimicked the diagnostic criteria of pulmonary barotrauma; therefore, lung tissues from salvaged bats should not be used for barotrauma diagnosis. The authors next compared wind farm (WF) bats to building collision (BC) bats collected near downtown Chicago buildings. WF bats had an increased incidence in fracture cases and specific bone fractures and had more external lacerations than BC bats. WF bats had additional features of traumatic injury, including diaphragmatic hernia, subcutaneous hemorrhage, and bone marrow emboli. In summary, 73% (190 of 262) of WF bats had lesions consistent with traumatic injury. The authors then examined for ruptured tympana, a sensitive marker of barotrauma in humans. BC bats had only 1 case (2%, 1 of 42), but this was attributed to concurrent cranial fractures, whereas WF bats had a 20% (16 of 81) incidence. When cases with concurrent traumatic injury were excluded, this yielded a small fraction (6%, 5 of 81) of WF bats with lesions possibly consistent with barotrauma etiology. Forensic pathology examination of the data strongly suggests that traumatic injury is the major cause of bat mortality at wind farms and, at best, barotrauma is a minor etiology.

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE GEOSITTA MINERS (FURNARIIDAE) AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS FOR AVIAN SPECIATION IN FUEGO-PATAGONIA

Abstract Pleistocene glacial cycles have often been hypothesized to provide vicariant mechanisms leading to allopatric speciation in a wide range of southern South American (Fuegian and Patagonian) avian taxa. Few of those biogeographic hypotheses, however, have been rigorously tested using phylogenetic analysis. We examined sequence variation in three mitochondrial gene fragments (cytochrome b, ND2, and ND3) to construct a molecular phylogeny for the South American genus Geositta (Furnariidae) and to test the interrelated hypotheses that Geositta cunicularia and G. antarctica are sister species that originated from a common ancestor while isolated in glacial refugia during Pleistocene glacial events in Fuego-Patagonia. Sequence data were obtained for all 10 currently recognized species of Geositta as well as Geobates poecilopterus and two outgroup taxa (Upucerthia ruficauda and Aphrastura spinicauda). We found levels of sequence divergence among Geositta species to be high, ranging from 7.4% to 16.3%. Our phylogenetic reconstructions clearly indicate relationships among Geositta species that differ considerably from those of traditional Geositta phylogeny. These data also strongly suggest that Geositta, as currently defined, is paraphyletic, with Geobates being embedded within Geositta. Our data do not support the hypothesized sister relationship between G. antarctica and G. cunicularia. Instead, they suggest that Geositta consists of two distinct clades, with antarctica and cunicularia falling into different clades. The high levels of sequence divergence among Geositta species, lack of a sister relationship between cunicularia and antarctica, and placement of Fuego-Patagonian antarctica into a clade consisting of two high-Andean (saxicolina and isabellina) and one coastal-west-slope (maritima) species demonstrate that the evolutionary history of Geositta is much older and far more complex than a simple model of allopatric speciation in glacial refugia would suggest. Filogenia Molecular del Género Geositta (Furnariidae) e Implicaciones Biogeográficas para la Especiación de la Aves en Tierra del Fuego y Patagonia

Genetic differentiation and taxonomy in the House Wren species group

The current taxonomic status of the Troglodytes aedon (House Wren) species group was evaluated by examining levels and patterns of isozyme differentiation. Traditionally, three major taxonomic groups of continental House Wrens have been recognized : (1) aedon (Northern House-Wren) ; (2) brunneicollis (Brown-throated Wren) ; and ( 3) musculus (Southern House-Wren). The isozyme data were converted to genetic distances and analyzed using UPGMA, Distance Wagner, Fitch-Margoliash, minimum-evolution, and neighbor-joining algorithms. In addition, a cladistic frequency parsimony analysis (FREQPARS) was performed. All of these methods revealed that the Northern House-Wren and the Brown-throated Wren are sister taxa. There was little genetic differentiation (average Neis D = 0.010) among the seven subspecies of the Southern House-Wren analyzed. Average genetic distances between the Southern House-Wren, the Northern House-Wren, and the Brown-throated Wren are higher than any values reported for intraspecific variation in Nearctic birds, and are comparable to levels of divergence between other Nearctic and Neotropical species. Although the current taxonomy considers the three forms members of a single species, we recommend re-elevating the three groups to species status based on the genetic differences that indicate the three are distinct evolutionary units. We propose a vicariant hypothesis for the divergence ofthe Northern House-Wren and the Brown-throated Wren.

TWO NEW COCCIDIAN PARASITES FROM THE SLATE-COLORED GROSBEAK (PITYLUS GROSSUS) OF SOUTH AMERICA

In July and August 1990, fecal samples from 2 slate-colored grosbeaks were collected from the rain forest of Ecuador. Upon examination, 2 new species of coccidia were discovered. Oocysts of Isospora pityli n. sp. are spheroid or subspheroid, 20.1 x 18.8 (20-20.5 x 17-20) microns, with a shape index of 1.07 (1.0-1.18) but lacking a micropyle, oocyst residuum, and polar granules. Sporocysts are ovoid, 14.7 x 9.4 (12-17 x 8-11) microns, with small nipplelike Stieda bodies, no substieda bodies, and residua composed of an amorphous cluster of coarse, nonuniform granules. Sporozoites each possess a large refractile body at 1 end and appear to be enclosed in a thin membrane within the sporocyst along with the residuum. Oocysts of L. formarum n. sp. are spheroid or subspheroid, 24.6 x 23.5 (21-27 x 20-25) microns, with a shape index of 1.05 (1.0-1.09) but with no micropyle, oocyst residuum, or polar granules. Sporocysts are ovoid, 15.7 x 11.3 (14-17 x 10-13) microns, with small, nipplelike Stieda bodies and large triangular or conical-shaped substieda bodies with irregular lower edges. Sporozoites each possess an oblong refractile body at 1 end and appear packed together randomly and enclosed in a membrane along with a spheroid residuum composed of fine, uniform granules.

A STRIKING NEW SPECIES OF BARBET (CAPITONINAE: CAPITO) FROM THE EASTERN ANDES OF PERU

Abstract In 1996, an expedition of personnel from the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science and the Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos made a trail from the east bank of the upper Río Cushabatay, departamento Ucayali, Peru, northeast to the top of a 1,538-m peak at 7°05′S, 75°39′W. The peak supports cloud forest from 1,200 m to the summit, and this “island” of habitat may be among the most isolated areas of cloud forest in South America. Among the depauperate cloud-forest avifauna we discovered a striking new species of Capito barbet, which apparently is the only member of the genus restricted to this habitat.

Two new species of isospora (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the ocellated woodcreeper, Xiphorhynchus ocellatus (Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae)

Summary Two isosporan species are described from the feces of the ocellated woodcreeper, Xiphorhynchus ocellatus (Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae) collected in Ecuador. Isospora ocellatisp. n. sporulated oocysts are ovoidal, double-layered, 20×17 (18-21×15-19) pm with one polar body and no micropyle or residuum. The sporocysts are ovoidal, 12×8 (11-13×7-9) pm with dome-shaped Stieda bodies, compressed, bubble-shaped substieda bodies, and usually scattered residuum. Sporozoites are sausage-shaped with central nucleus and posterior refractile body. Isospora striata sp. n. oocysts are ovoidal, double-layered, 18x16 (16-20x15-17) pm with one polar body and no micropyle or residuum. The sporocysts are ovoidal 11×7 (11-12×7-8) Nm with nipple-shaped Stieda bodies, rectangular-shaped substieda bodies, and spherical, compact, residuum. Sporozoites are elongate, tapered anteriorly with large posterior refractile body, small central nucleus, and concentric rings around anterior half of body.