Edson Guilherme

THE ANHINGAS (AVES: ANHINGIDAE) FROM THE UPPER TERTIARY (MIOCENE–PLIOCENE) OF SOUTHWESTERN AMAZONIA

Abstract Two new species of anhingas are described from upper Miocene–Pliocene (Huayquerian) sediments of southwestern Amazonia, increasing the known diversity of these birds to two genera and at least three, perhaps four, species in these deposits. The new species described here are respectively the largest and the smallest species of Anhingidae known to date. The associated fossil fauna, including gigantic crocodiles and turtles, suggests a flooded paleoenvironment, with large bodies of fresh water surrounded by open vegetation, interspersed by forests.

Distribution, Behavior, and Conservation Status of the Rufous Twistwing (Cnipodectes superrufus)

Abstract The Rufous Twistwing (Cnipodectes superrufus), a newly described Amazonian tyrant-flycatcher, is known from five specimens and five localities in Cuzco and western Madre de Dios departments, Peru. We report three additional specimens and eight new localities extending the known range of the species east across Dpto. Madre de Dios, Peru, into Dpto. Pando, Bolivia, and Acre State, Brazil. The new localities increase the distribution from ∼3,400 to ∼89,000 km2. We collected biometric data from five individuals, made behavioral observations in the field, and recorded three separate types of vocalizations, two of which (including the song) were previously unknown. We provide quantitative description of these vocalizations, consider their function, and compare them with vocalizations of the only known congener, the Brownish Twistwing (Cnipodectes subbrunneus). Unique vocal repertoires support the classification of these two forms as sister species. The Rufous Twistwing resembles the Brownish Twistwing in producing loud vocalizations from regular song posts and both species appear to have a polygamous mating system. We provide further evidence consistent with the hypothesis the Rufous Twistwing is a Guadua bamboo specialist and recommend that it be listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORDS FROM A CAMPINA/CAMPINARANA ENCLAVE ON THE UPPER JURUA RIVER, ACRE, BRAZIL

Abstract We inventoried the bird fauna of an isolated enclave of white-sand vegetation, known locally as a campina/campinarana, in the western extreme of the Brazilian State of Acre between 22 and 31 January 2007 (wet season). A total of 114 bird species was registered in 1,425 net-hrs of mist-netting and 8 hrs of recordings of vocalizations. This included six species known to be associated with campinas and campinaranas in western Amazonia. A number of important records were made of species endemic to the southwestern Amazon Basin, but poorly-known in Brazil. Despite the relatively small size of the campina/campinarana enclave, these records indicate the area is extremely important for conservation of local biodiversity, and reinforces the need for further studies of both the avifauna and other groups of animals.

What is the avifauna of Amazonian white-sand vegetation?

White-sand vegetation (WSV) is a rare vegetation type in the Amazon basin that grows in nutrient impoverished sandy soils that occur as patches of variable size. Associated with this vegetation is bird assemblage that has not yet been fully characterized. Based on published species inventories and our own field data we compile a checklist of bird species recorded in WSV. In addition, we compared the avifauna of WSV with that found in savanna patches, another type of Amazonian open vegetation. WSV hosted a distinctive avifauna including endemic and threatened species. The number of bird species was lower in WSV compared to nearby terra firme forests, seasonally flooded forests and Amazonian savannas. Despite its low diversity, the avifauna of WSV has a distinctive species composition and makes a significant contribution to Amazonian beta diversity. At least 35 bird species can be considered as indicator species for this environment. Previously identified areas of endemism within the Amazon basin house at least one WSV indicator bird including cases of congeneric species with allopatric distributions. Seven of the WSV indicator species (20% of this avifauna) are in an IUCN threatened category, with one species Polioptila clementsi considered Critically Endangered. Their isolated distribution, small area occupied, and fragility to human-driven disturbances makes WSV one of the most threatened vegetation types in the Amazon basin. The study of WSV avifauna contributes to a better understanding of mechanisms that generate and maintain species diversity as well as of the environmental history of the most biologically diverse biome of the planet.

A new specimen of Caiman brevirostris (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae) from the late Miocene of Brazil

ABSTRACT Caiman brevirostris was described based on the basis of late Miocene materials that included a rostral fragment and a right mandibular ramus, but photographs were not provided at that time. In this study, for the first time, we present the holotype materials of this species and a new specimen from the late Miocene of southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. The diagnosis was expanded, and a phylogenetic analysis was conducted. The results from the analysis consistently recover Caiman brevirostris within a clade that includes Caiman latirostris, Caiman cf. C. lutescens, and Melanosuchus. The oldest fossil record of the genus Caiman is from the Oligocene of southeastern Brazil, but these materials are regarded in this study as a nomen dubium due to the absence of any diagnostic features for the specimen. Thus, the oldest record considered valid by this study derives from the middle Miocene of Colombia and may represent the initial radiation of the genus.

Morphometry, Bite-Force, and Paleobiology of the Late Miocene Caiman Purussaurus brasiliensis

Purussaurus brasiliensis thrived in the northwestern portion of South America during the Late Miocene. Although substantial material has been recovered since its early discovery, this fossil crocodilian can still be considered as very poorly understood. In the present work, we used regression equations based on modern crocodilians to present novel details about the morphometry, bite-force and paleobiology of this species. According to our results, an adult Purussaurus brasiliensis was estimated to reach around 12.5 m in length, weighing around 8.4 metric tons, with a mean daily food intake of 40.6 kg. It was capable of generating sustained bite forces of 69,000 N (around 7 metric tons-force). The extreme size and strength reached by this animal seems to have allowed it to include a wide range of prey in its diet, making it a top predator in its ecosystem. As an adult, it would have preyed upon large to very large vertebrates, and, being unmatched by any other carnivore, it avoided competition. The evolution of a large body size granted P. brasiliensis many advantages, but it may also have led to its vulnerability. The constantly changing environment on a large geological scale may have reduced its long-term survival, favoring smaller species more resilient to ecological shifts.

Zammara smaragdula walker, 1858 (hemiptera: Cicadidae): First record for Brazil

The present note reports the first record for Brazil of the cicada Zammara smaragdula Walker, 1858 (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Zammarini). This new record brings the number of reported Cicadidae species for Brazil to 153, including three species in the genus Zammara .

THE TOTAL STATION AS A TOOL FOR RECORDING PROVENANCE IN PALEONTOLOGY FIELDWORK: CONFIGURATION, USE, ADVANTAGES, AND DISADVANTAGES

Abstract:  Fossil data collecting is an essential stage of every paleontological undertaking. Although there is a consensus regarding the fundamental importance of sedimentary and stratigraphic context, there is still some debate surrounding the need to record the exact position of a fossil in relation to other elements within the same deposit (provenance). Here we provide a practical guide for the in-field use of the Total Station (TST, electronic equipment for xyz coordinates measurements), a tool that has seen wide application in archaeology but has been largely neglected in paleontology. With the TST, recording the provenance of in situ fossils can be done quickly and with great precision. We also present a configuration tutorial showing how to use the equipment, based on our experience in the Solimões Formation (upper Miocene, Acre basin, Brazil), highlighting both its advantages and disadvantages for recording fossil provenances.

A new rodent (Caviomorpha: Dinomyidae) from the upper Miocene of southwestern Brazilian Amazonia

Abstract Recently, the fossil record of rodents from southwestern Brazilian Amazonia has been reviewed with regards to its diversity as well as its ecological relationships. In the reviews, the necessity to report new specimens collected with stratigraphic control was stated. Here, a new dinomyid specimen collected during a 2015 expedition to the Niterói locality, Acre River, is reported. The material is a fragment of skull with the right P4–M1 and the left P4–M2 preserved. The cheek teeth are protohypsodont, a characteristic employed to differentiate Potamarchinae dinomyids from the euhypsodont dinomyids Eumegamyinae and Tetrastylinae. The occlusal surface of the cheek teeth is composed of lophs with interruptions, showing little wear, which suggests that the specimen is not fully ontogenetically developed. The specimen has a unique combination of characters (protohypsodont and pentalophodont cheek teeth, with the leading edges of similar thickness to the trailing edges, and presence of a groove on the bottom of the infraorbital foramen) not present in other known dinomyids, which led us to erect a new taxon. The abundant and diverse fossil record of protohypsodont dinomyids suggests that an important radiative event may have occurred during the middle–late Miocene of northern South America. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E082C3C6-47B6-4D83-9009-A64879AAFC7A http://www.zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/16235A7B-A261-445E-8DD4-940AB21DCB06

First record of the cf. Rufous-crested Coquette, Lophornis cf. delattrei (Aves, Trochilidae), from Brazil

The Rufous-crested Coquette, Lophornis delattrei (Lesson, 1839), and the Spangled Coquette, Lophornis stictolophus Salvin & Elliot, 1873, are 2 very similar species with a green back and orange forehead. On 9 August 2017, a hummingbird with an orange forehead was observed and photographed in the Serra do Divisor (Acre, Brazil). Analysis of the photographs revealed that the individual presented the diagnostic characteristics of a female of the Lophornis delattrei/stictolophus group. We assumed that the observed specimen represented Lophornis cf. delattrei, given the greater proximity of the geographic range of this species to the new locality. The presence of this Lophornis in Acre represents the occurrence of a new hummingbird taxon for Brazil.