Elisa Bonaccorso

Speciation in the Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus Prasinus) Complex

Abstract We analyzed genetic variation in the Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus), a species complex that ranges primarily along the montane forests of southern and eastern Mexico south to Bolivia. Segments of three mitochondrial DNA genes (cytochrome b, ND2, and ND3) were sequenced for a total of 1,159 base pairs. Using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis, we found a set of seven differentiated populations that correspond to clear geographic breaks throughout the highlands of the Neotropics. These genetically distinct populations also correspond with the geographic breaks found in previous analyses of morphological data. Molecular evidence suggests species treatment for four of the Central American clades and three South American clades. Especiación en el Complejo de Aulacorhynchus prasinus

A NEW SPECIES OF GLASS FROG (CENTROLENIDAE: COCHRANELLA) FROM THE LOWLANDS OF NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR, WITH COMMENTS ON THE COCHRANELLA GRANULOSA GROUP

We describe a new species of Cochranella from the Montañas de Mache in the Chocó Ecoregion of the lowlands of northwestern Ecuador. The new species is placed in the Cochranella granulosa group and can be distinguished from all other species of Cochranella by having: (1) white parietal and visceral peritonea; (2) a snout that is gradually inclined in lateral aspect; (3) conspicuous dermal folds, and large, white tubercles on ventrolateral edges of Finger IV, forearms, elbows, tarsi, Toe V, and heels; (4) fleshy, tuberculate, ∩-shaped cloacal fold; and (5) dorsum green with small yellow dots in life. The new species shares several characters with C. daidalea, C. resplendens, C. savagei and C. solitaria, including dermal folds with white tubercles on the arms and legs, snout gradually inclined in profile, and cloacal ornaments. Finally, we briefly discuss the characters that define the Cochranella granulosa group.

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Neotropical toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus (Aves, Ramphastidae)

Bonaccorso, E., Guayasamin, J. M., Peterson, A. T. & Navarro‐Sigüenza, A. G. (2011). Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Neotropical toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus (Aves, Ramphastidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 336–349.

On the Origin of Pantepui montane biotas: A Perspective Based on the Phylogeny of Aulacorhynchus toucanets

To understand the origin of Pantepui montane biotas, we studied the biogeography of toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus. These birds are ideal for analyzing historical relationships among Neotropical montane regions, given their geographic distribution from Mexico south to Bolivia, including northern Venezuela (Cordillera de la Costa), and the Pantepui. Analyses were based on molecular phylogenies using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Topology tests were applied to compare alternative hypotheses that may explain the current distribution of Aulacorhynchus toucanets, in the context of previous hypotheses of the origin of Pantepui montane biotas. Biogeographic reconstructions in RASP and Lagrange were used to estimate the ancestral area of the genus, and an analysis in BEAST was used to estimate a time framework for its diversification. A sister relationship between the Pantepui and Andes+Cordillera de la Costa was significantly more likely than topologies indicating other hypothesis for the origin of Pantepui populations. The Andes was inferred as the ancestral area for Aulacorhynchus, and the group has diversified since the late Miocene. The biogeographic patterns found herein, in which the Andes are the source for biotas of other regions, are consistent with those found for flowerpiercers and tanagers, and do not support the hypothesis of the geologically old Pantepui as a source of Neotropical montain diversity. Based on the high potential for cryptic speciation and isolation of Pantepui populations, we consider that phylogenetic studies of additional taxa are important from a conservation perspective.

Maximizing species conservation in continental Ecuador: a case of systematic conservation planning for biodiverse regions

Ecuador has the largest number of species by area worldwide, but also a low representation of species within its protected areas. Here, we applied systematic conservation planning to identify potential areas for conservation in continental Ecuador, with the aim of increasing the representation of terrestrial species diversity in the protected area network. We selected 809 terrestrial species (amphibians, birds, mammals, and plants), for which distributions were estimated via species distribution models (SDMs), using Maxent. For each species we established conservation goals based on conservation priorities, and estimated new potential protected areas using Marxan conservation planning software. For each selected area, we determined their conservation priority and feasibility of establishment, two important aspects in the decision-making processes. We found that according to our conservation goals, the current protected area network contains large conservation gaps. Potential areas for conservation almost double the surface area of currently protected areas. Most of the newly proposed areas are located in the Coast, a region with large conservation gaps and irreversible changes in land use. The most feasible areas for conservation were found in the Amazon and Andes regions, which encompass more undisturbed habitats, and already harbor most of the current reserves. Our study allows defining a viable strategy for preserving Ecuadors biodiversity, by combining SDMs, GIS-based decision-support software, and priority and feasibility assessments of the selected areas. This approach is useful for complementing protected area networks in countries with great biodiversity, insufficient biological information, and limited resources for conservation.

Morphology, ultrastructure, and small subunit rDNA phylogeny of the marine heterotrophic flagellate Goniomonas aff. amphinema.

ABSTRACT. Marine goniomonads have a worldwide distribution but ultrastructural information has not been available so far. An isolate of the heterotrophic marine nanoflagellate Goniomonas (G. aff. amphinema) from North Wales (UK) has been studied, providing information on its morphology and cellular structure using video, electron, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and atomic force microscopy. Here, we describe a new feature, a granular area, potentially involved in particle capture and feeding. The binding of the lectin wheat germ agglutinin to the granular area of cells with discharged ejectisomes indicates the adhesive nature of this novel feature. The presence of a microtubular intracellular cytopharynx, apparently also used for feeding, has been revealed by LSCM. The small subunit rRNA gene of the isolate has been sequenced (1,788 bp). Phylogenetic results corroborate significant genetic divergence within the marine members of Goniomonas. This work highlights the need for integrated morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular investigation when describing and studying heterotrophic nanoflagellates.

Large expansion of oil industry in the Ecuadorian Amazon: biodiversity vulnerability and conservation alternatives.

Abstract Ecuador will experience a significant expansion of the oil industry in its Amazonian region, one of the most biodiverse areas of the world. In view of the changes that are about to come, we explore the conflicts between oil extraction interests and biodiversity protection and apply systematic conservation planning to identify priority areas that should be protected in different oil exploitation scenarios. First, we quantified the current extent of oil blocks and protected zones and their overlap with two biodiversity indicators: 25 ecosystems and 745 species (whose distributions were estimated via species distribution models). With the new scheme of oil exploitation, oil blocks cover 68% (68,196 km2) of the Ecuadorian Amazon; half of it occupied by new blocks open for bids in the southern Amazon. This region is especially vulnerable to biodiversity losses, because peaks of species diversity, 19 ecosystems, and a third of its protected zones coincide spatially with oil blocks. Under these circumstances, we used Marxan software to identify priority areas for conservation outside oil blocks, but their coverage was insufficient to completely represent biodiversity. Instead, priority areas that include southern oil blocks provide a higher representation of biodiversity indicators. Therefore, preserving the southern Amazon becomes essential to improve the protection of Amazonian biodiversity in Ecuador, and avoiding oil exploitation in these areas (33% of the extent of southern oil blocks) should be considered a conservation alternative. Also, it is highly recommended to improve current oil exploitation technology to reduce environmental impacts in the region, especially within five oil blocks that we identified as most valuable for the conservation of biodiversity. The application of these and other recommendations depends heavily on the Ecuadorian government, which needs to find a better balance between the use of the Amazon resources and biodiversity conservation.

Bottlenecks in the Open-Access System: Voices from Around the Globe

Abstract A level playing field is key for global participation in science and scholarship, particularly with regard to how scientific publications are financed and subsequently accessed. However, there are potential pitfalls of the so-called “Gold” open-access (OA) route, in which author-paid publication charges cover the costs of production and publication. Gold OA plans in which author charges are required may not solve the access problem, but rather may shift the access barrier from reader to writer. Under such plans, everyone may be free to read papers, but it may still be prohibitively expensive to publish them. In a scholarly community that is increasingly global, spread over more and more regions and countries of the world, these publication access barriers may be quite significant. In the present paper, a global suite of colleagues in academe joins this debate. The group of colleagues, a network of researchers active in scholarly publishing, spans four continents and multiple disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences, as well as diverse political and economic situations. We believe that this global sampling of researchers can provide the nuance and perspective necessary to grasp this complex problem. The group was assembled without an attempt to achieve global coverage through random sampling. This contribution differs from other approaches to the open-access problem in several fundamental ways. (A) It is scholar-driven, and thus can represent the ‘other side of the coin’ of scholarly communication. (B) It focuses on narrative report, where scholars were free to orient their responses as they saw fit, rather than being confined to binary or scalar choices. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, (C) it distinguishes among institutions and countries and situations, highlighting inequalities of access among wealthy and economically-challenged nations, and also within countries depending on the size and location of particular institutions.

Understanding the evolutionary history of a high Andean endemic: the Ecuadorian hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo)

Geographic isolation has been proposed as the factor driving subspecific diversity of the Ecuadorian hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo), a highland species restricted to the naturally fragmented paramos of Ecuador and southern Colombia. Current taxonomy recognizes three subspecies: O. c. chimborazo (from the Chimborazo volcano), O. c. soderstromi (from the Quilotoa volcano), and O. c. jamesonii (along the paramos of Ecuador and southern Colombia). To understand the origin of this morphological diversity, we explored the genetic variation along the species range based on analyses of two mitochondrial genes (ND2 and ND4), and one nuclear intron (MUSK). Subspecies O. c. soderstromi was not included in the analysis, as it was not registered at or around its type locality, the Quilotoa volcano. Instead, only O. c. jamesonii was encountered in that area. We found no evidence of genetic structure corresponding to subspecies or physiographic units, aside from some inconclusive evidence in putatively isolated populations. Ecological niche modeling predicted continuous and homogeneous environmental space between the two volcanos, and field expeditions showed evidence of a potential contact zone between O. c. jamesonii and O. c. chimborazo. Also, our data suggest that the only specimen described as O. c. soderstromi may have been an intergrade. We discuss our results in the light of possible range shifts in the past, resulting from climatic fluctuations around the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.

On geographic barriers and Pleistocene glaciations: Tracing the diversification of the Russet-crowned Warbler (Myiothlypis coronata) along the Andes

We studied the phylogeography and plumage variation of the Russet-crowned Warbler (Myiothlypis coronata), from Venezuela to Bolivia, with focus on populations from Ecuador and northern Peru. We analyzed sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, geographic distributions, as well as photographs of specimens deposited at museum collections. Phylogenetic analyses identified three major lineages formed by populations from: Venezuela and Colombia (M. c. regulus), Ecuador and northern Peru (M. elata, M. castaneiceps, M. orientalis, M. c. chapmani), and central Peru and Bolivia (M. c. coronata). We found further population structure within M. c. regulus and M. c. coronata, and population structure and complexity of plumage variation within the Ecuador-northern Peru lineage. Time-calibrated trees estimated that most intraspecific variation originated during the Pleistocene; however, this pattern may not be attributed to an increase in diversification rate during that period. We discuss these results in the context of the importance of geographic-ecological barriers in promoting lineage diversification along the Andes and put forward a preliminary taxonomic proposal for major lineages identified in this study.