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Objective: This work evaluates the potential presence of bone disease in an extinct primate from late Pleistocene of Brazil., Materials: The skull and post crania of an extinct platyrrhine primate, curated by the Museu de Ciências Naturais PUC, Brazil., Methods: Pathological changes were noted via analysis of radiographic images and CT of the affected bones., Results: The lesions noted include cortical thickening, sclerosis, and coarse trabeculae in the skull and long bones., Conclusions: The features observed support the diagnosis of metabolic bone disease with lesions comparable to those seen in Paget's disease., Significance: This specimen appears to be the only case is of metabolic bone disease in an extinct New World monkey and adds data to the paleopathological record of South American primates., Limitations: The absence of other skeletal materials from individuals of the same genus for comparison makes differential diagnosis challenging, and conclusions must be drawn with caution., Suggestions for Further Research: A more complete comparative sample of images involving more genera of living and extinct platyrrhines can help to rule out morphological oddities and design a more accurate diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluates contamination and potential ecological risk in Ilha Grande Bay (BIG) in southeastern Brazil. To achieve these objectives, we analyzed physicochemical, sediment textural, and geochemical data from 134 stations distributed throughout the bay. The results reveal significant environmental degradation in the coastal areas of Paraty, Saco do Mamanguá, Angra dos Reis City, and Abraão Cove (at Ilha Grande island). These regions exhibit moderate to significant pollution from metals. High potential ecological risk was identified in approximately 87 stations (about 65 %), primarily due to Hg, Cd, and As, with additional contributions from Tl, Ni, and Cu. Evidence indicates that concentrations of these chemical elements have been increasing in recent years. Among these metals, Hg is particularly concerning because of its toxicity and persistence in the environment. The primary sources of contamination in BIG appear to be urban and industrial effluents, metalworks, the combustion of coal and oil, and the incineration of waste and sewage sludge, all of which have contributed to rising pollution levels over the past two decades. Sedimentary processes also facilitate the formation of pollution patches. It is crucial to address the recent escalation in contamination by effectively controlling pollution sources. This study recommends revising the methods and standards for metals established by national and international legislation to better assess sediment quality in marine environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Investigating the evolutionary trajectory of synapsid sensory and cephalic systems is pivotal for understanding the emergence and diversification of mammals. Recent studies using CT-scanning to analyze the rostral foramina and maxillary canals morphology in fossilized specimens of probainognathian cynodonts have contributed to clarifying the homology and paleobiological interpretations of these structures. In the present work, μCT-scannings of three specimens of Riograndia guaibensis, an early Norian cynodont from southern Brazil, were analyzed and revealed an incomplete separation between the lacrimal and maxillary canals, with points of contact via non-ossified areas. While the maxillary canal exhibits a consistent morphological pattern with other Prozostrodontia, featuring three main branches along the lateral region of the snout, the rostral alveolar canal in Riograndia displays variability in the number of extra branches terminating in foramina on the lateral surface of the maxilla, showing differences among individuals and within the same skull. Additionally, pneumatization is observed in the anterior region of the skull, resembling similar structures found in reptiles and mammals. Through this pneumatization, certain branches originating from the maxillary canal extend to the canine alveolus. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the functionality of this structure and its occurrence in other cynodont groups., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)

The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotope ratio has been widely used as an indicator of provenance and migration of aquatic animals, and has applications in other areas such as in environmental and forensic studies. However, the modeling of the spatial distribution in the Amazon basin is still incipient, preventing large-scale applications. In this study, we present a baseline of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotope ratio in surface waters of the Amazon basin to infer the provenance and migration patterns of fish. We have compiled an extensive 87 Sr/ 86 Sr database of water samples from the Amazon basin, with data obtained from scientific publications and from field surveys. Next, we developed a geostatistical model, based on spatial interpolation (IDW), to estimate the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in unsampled locations, considering the influence of geology. Surface river waters in the Amazon show a high isotopic heterogeneity, associated with the region's geology (p < 0.005). Lower isotope ratios are related to waters draining more recent structures, such as the sub-basins of the Andean region, while higher isotope ratios are related to waters draining older crystalline terrains, such as the Guiana and Brazilian Shields. We show a linear relationship between the predicted and observed values (r 2  = 0.81), demonstrating the high accuracy of the modeled data and its potential use in various other studies. The acquisition of additional 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data, along with the integration of new geospatial products, can improve estimates and accuracy in interpretations of strontium geospatial behavior in micro- and macroregions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Has patent pending to. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A reliable response of bioindicators to environmental variation is a cornerstone for effective bioassessment and biomonitoring. Fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates are widely used as bioindicators of different human impacts in freshwater ecosystems, but the cost-effectiveness of their usage can be improved through the use of surrogates. We investigated congruence patterns between using different taxonomic and numeric resolutions for aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish to assess community-environment relationships. We also tested whether dataset characteristics (e.g., area sampled, species pool) could explain the variation in the effectiveness of using different taxonomic and numerical resolutions. We used a Brazilian nationwide database encompassing multiple datasets with a gradient of riparian deforestation each. Our findings suggest that families and genera can effectively represent macroinvertebrate genera and fish species, respectively, when using community matrices for assessing community-environment relationships, with an acceptable loss of information. EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) and Characiformes or Siluriformes may be used as a surrogate, in some cases, for the entire assemblages of macroinvertebrates and fish, respectively, but their use may result in higher loss of information. Presence-absence data also presented a minimal loss of information compared to abundance data, for both macroinvertebrates and fish. The variation in congruence levels among macroinvertebrate datasets was less predicted by dataset characteristics than fish. Across distinct resolutions, on average, 10 % and 19 % of the variation in community composition of macroinvertebrates and fish, respectively, was explained by broad-scale environmental variables, and the effect size was negatively affected by the dataset's sample size and spatial extent for fish. Whereas identification at species (fish) and genus (macroinvertebrates) level and quantification of all individuals still provide the best scenario, we provide evidence that coarser taxonomical resolution and presence-absence data can be used as cost-effective alternatives to facilitate biomonitoring and bioassessment of freshwaters in the Neotropical region impacted by deforestation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Borrachudos Granitic Suite (BGS) comprises an acid magmatism that occurred in the west edge of Araçuaí orogen (Late Neoproterozoic), southeastern Brazil. Previous papers attributed the magma genesis to crustal thickening related to an older Paleoproterozoic, Transamazonian orogeny. However, geochronological data indicate that BGS is younger, dominated by about 1.7 Ga granitoids hosted in the archean basement. To investigate the nature of this magmatism, mineralogical, geochemical, Nd-Sr isotopic studies in the BGS and genetically related metarhyolites inside the fold belt were carried out. High SiO2, K, Fe, F, Nb, Y, Zr and REE contents characterize granitoids and metarhyolites. The suite has ENd(T) values of -10.10 and -6.17, with TDM of 2.6-3.0 Ga, and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7057, indicating features of alkaline and anorogenic (A-type) within plate granitic magmas, derived from a Proterozoic crustal source. Therefore, we argue that an orogenic model for this magmatism is not viable. We propose that BGS is associated to crustal melting induced by mantle diapirism or mantle derived magmas related to the Paleoproterozoic extensional tectonic that produced crustal rifting, westward, precursory to the Espinhaço Supergroup basin. Beryl- and topaz-rich pegmatites of NYF-type intruded the granites as well as nearby host gneisses during BGS evolution.

Prestosuchus chiniquensis is an iconic non-crocodylomorph loricatan from the Brazilian Triassic beds and the best-known taxon, represented by several specimens. The completeness and preservation of its skeleton make it a valuable taxon for paleobiological studies. We explore the microstructure of bone tissues of appendicular elements and ribs of three specimens of Prestosuchus to access a variety of aspects of its paleobiology, such as histovariability, ontogeny, and growth patterns. Integrating our data and other osteohistologically studied P. chiniquensis specimens, we proposed for the first time an ontogenetic model for non-crocodylomorph loricatans. The model encompasses six distinct age classes (I-VI) that allow us to infer the growth patterns of P. chiniquensis and possibly expand to other phylogenetically close taxa. During early ontogeny (age classes I-II), sustained fast growth was maintained by a fibrolamellar complex. In mid ontogeny (age classes III-IV), highly vascularized parallel-fibered bone predominates, suggesting intermediary growth rates. A change for a poorly vascularized parallel-fibered/lamellar bone would mark the attainment of sexual (age classes IV-V) and skeletal maturity, comprising the age class VI. An external fundamental system (EFS) present in the outermost cortex is the main histological feature that characterize the age class VI. Major histovariability features are present between appendicular bones and ribs of skeletally immature individuals. The most prominent of them is the presence of fibrolamellar complex and highly vascularized parallel-fibered bone in appendicular bones and poorly vascularized parallel-fibered bone in ribs. In advanced ontogenetic stages, the histovariability between appendicular bones and ribs tends to be minor. Our data also support previous hypothesis of the presence of one new taxon among the specimens assigned to P. chiniquensis, increasing the diversity of non-crocodylomorph loricatans. The new taxon, represented by the specimen UFRGS-PV-0152-T, awaits a formal anatomical description. Our study advances the preliminary understand of the ontogeny and growth patterns of non-crocodylomorphs loricatans and Pseudosuchia as a whole., (© 2024 American Association for Anatomy.)

Despite their ecological importance, there has been insufficient investigation of reefs constructed by polychaetes of the family Sabellariidae in tropical regions. The present study compared macrofauna associated with Amazonian Sabellaria wilsoni reefs with focus on different morphologies (platform vs. hummock reefs) during distinct annual phases of structural development (preserved, eroded, and recuperation). The two types of reefs had dissimilar assemblages over the course of the structural phases. The platform reef had more muddy sediments and higher proportions of organic matter and phaeopigments, which favored soft-bottom infaunal groups, such as the polychaetes. The hummock reef had denser and taxonomically richer macrofauna, which was typical of consolidated substrates and dominated by crustaceans and bivalves. Temporal changes in the characteristics of the macrofauna were driven by physical disturbance of the reef morphology resulting from local increases in hydrodynamic intensity. The macrofauna associated with periods of reef growth (preserved and recuperation phases), which coincided with the rainy season, was less taxonomically rich in both reef types. In the erosion phase (in the dry season), degradation of the reef structure led to an increase in the complexity of the habitat and thus species richness. In the platform reef, erosion was accompanied by an increase in the density of the assemblage, while in the hummock reef, the density decreased. The present study offers important insights into the biodiversity and ecological function of this important marine habitat, as well as a baseline for future ecological research and the monitoring of tropical sabellariid reefs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The sun coral Tubastraea spp. is rapidly spreading worldwide. We report for the first time the occurrence of sun coral on the sculptured mitten lobster Parribacus antarcticus, a highly mobile species. In a dive into the monitoring program for sun coral in the mooring dolphins of Suape Harbor (Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil), we found several living polyps of Tubastraea spp. attached to the carapace of an adult lobster. This report points to a novel mode of dispersal of the sun coral by mobile organisms, given that these animals can carry epibionts, potentially enhancing the spread of invasive species. This newly recognized dispersal mechanism highlights the necessity of incorporating the inspection of living animals with hard-body structures in risk assessment and monitoring protocols for invasive non-native species like the sun coral., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The knowledge of metals concentration in upwelling areas are a concern due the higher productivity of these areas In Cabo Frio Upwelling-Downwelling System (CFUS) is high primary productivity area and has been identified as an Hg hotspot to biota in SE Brazil that has been susceptible to Hg inputs, due to growing industrialization in the region. To investigate the concentration of Hg and Se metals, as well as the trophic transfer of these metals, the present study investigated Hg and Se concentrations in 64 samples collected in net mesh of >20, >64, >150 and >300 μm, in 2012, in the region's water masses. Higher mean Hg concentrations were found in zooplankton, 0.15 ± 0.09 μg g -1 (>300 μm) and 0.18 ± 0.1 μg g -1 (>150 μm), compared to phytoplankton, 0.11 ± 0.11 μg g -1 (>64 μm) and 0.06 ± 0.07 μg g -1 (>20 μm), and the calculation of the biomagnification factor (BMF) indicated that there was a process of magnification and trophic transfer. An opposite trend was found for Se in phytoplankton: higher average Se concentrations were observed in phytoplankton, 93.0 ± 65.2 μg g -1 (>64 μm), 93.8 ± 96.4 μg g -1 (>20 μm), compared to zooplankton, 91.1 ± 67.3 μg g -1 (>300 μm), 97.3 ± 71.3 μg g -1 (>150 μm). A positive linear relationship for the Hg:Al vs P:Al ratios was identified and indicated intracellular incorporation of Hg according to plankton size. Anthropogenic Hg sources were identified in the plankton samples by comparison with the sediment background values for the CFUS. Upwelling waters probably increased the availability of Hg and Se, these elements tend to bioaccumulate 10 to 100 times more than in areas with the influence of upwelling, due to fertilization and the increase in primary production., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Amazon has environmental characteristics that make it unique, and the species that inhabit it have physiological features that demonstrate their adaptation to an Amazonian context. Amazonian ecosystems have been undergoing transformations that result from inadequate human actions, which have placed biodiversity at the limits of their biological abilities. Therefore, it is essential to identify organisms that reflect the conditions of the Amazon environment, considering the physiology of these species, and that they are established as bioindicators for this region. The fish Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus is distributed throughout the lower and middle Amazon basin. Aiming to contribute to the establishment of this species as a bioindicator, we carried out for the first time its karyotyping, Illumina sequencing and assembly of the nuclear genome and mitogenome, in addition to establishing a cell line for this species. Individuals of H. heterorhabdus have 48 chromosomes, a number that is held in the cell line. Sequencing and genomic assembly generated a draft genome that is useful for recovering species-specific coding and regulatory genomic sequences. The established cell line was responsive to environmental variables, reflecting in vivo observations. Thus, it was possible to present a set of resources (standard karyotype, centromeric marker, draft genome, mitogenome, and cell line) and their applications and relevance in ecotoxicology. The toolkit should contribute to further studies on the response of organisms to the natural conditions of the Amazon and the impacts that this region has been receiving., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Biomechanical studies in sauropod dinosaurs are mainly focused on neck posture and feeding strategy. Few works investigate other aspects such as tail movement and function, especially in the clade Titanosauria, the most diverse within Neosauropoda. This study applied biomechanical concepts of neutral pose (cartilaginous neutral pose) and range of motion to verify the shape and direction of the caudal region of the advanced titanosaurs Adamantisaurus mezzalirai and Baurutitan britoi, in addition to comparing it with other titanosaurs (e.g., Arrudatitan maximus, Lirainosaurus astibiae, and Trigonosaurus pricei). As a result, the tails analyzed have a sigmoidal-convex shape, probably close to the ground (but not touching it). The sigmoidal-convex shape could increase the moment arm for the M. caudofemoralis longus, making it possible to use the tail as a fifth stabilizing member. This work expands our knowledge about sauropod dinosaurs by exposing a diversity of shapes for the tails of titanosaur sauropods and brings new possibilities for how these dinosaurs could use their tails., (© 2024 Anatomical Society.)

Marajó Island, an environmental protection area for sustainable use in the Brazilian Amazon, was the first region in Brazil to apply the pesticide DDT, a persistent organic pollutant (POP), to control malaria outbreaks. This study investigated background levels of various POPs, including o,p'- and p,p'-DDT and their primary metabolites (o,p'- and p,p'-DDE, o,p'- and p,p'-DDD), as well as hexachlorocyclohexane (α-, β-, γ-, δ-HCH), using estuarine surface sediments and sediment cores from areas influenced by urbanization and agriculture. All samples were collected during the dry season (September 2014). Surface sediments exhibited ΣDDT concentrations up to 2.71 ng g⁻ 1 , with isomeric ratios indicating past DDT application and contributions from dicofol. Sediment profiles revealed alternating aerobic and anaerobic degradation processes of DDT. Other organochlorinated contaminants were not detected. The presence of γ-HCH as the main isomer (0.24 to 0.90 ng g⁻ 1 ) in surface samples suggests recent lindane application as a wood preservative or cattle parasite treatment. A dated sediment core revealed historical contamination of early DDT tests in the Amazon during the mid-1940s. Increasing ΣDDT concentrations (up to 12.3 ng g⁻ 1 ) were identified in the 1970s, coinciding with the intensification of DDT use for public health campaigns, which lasted until 2009 and reached the highest ΣDDT flux. Legal restrictions on the use and commercialization of POPs, along with natural degrading processes, likely led to decreased accumulation and limited ecological risks. Furthermore, the low concentrations of POPs suggested biodegradation and dispersion from northeast to southeast., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: This study was authorized by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity (ICMBio/SISBIO 49140–1). Consent to participate: The authors consent to participate in this study. Consent for publication: The authors consent to publish the study. Competing interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Paranaguá Estuarine System (PES) is an extensive subtropical estuarine system on the Southern Brazilian coast. It encompasses one of the last preserved areas of the Atlantic Forest and is recognized by UNESCO as a Natural Heritage site. This study evaluates the human impact of rapid and unplanned urbanization, an inefficient sewage system, and two port complexes by using linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) as a molecular marker for sewage input. The LAB analyses included Soxhlet extraction, clean-up, and quantification, which was performed using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. The concentrations of total LABs (∑LABs) in the dry-weight sediments of PES ranged from below detection limits to 42.7 ng g -1 , with an average of 6.5 ± 7.8 ng g -1 . The primary sources of LABs are rivers surrounding the city of Paranaguá, which receive sewage inputs. In contrast, the input of allochthonous organic carbon and fine sediments is primarily associated with discharges from the Antonina River watershed. The recent unplanned occupation of estuarine margins, with untreated or inadequately treated sewage discharged directly into the environment or cesspools, explains the low degradation levels of LABs found in some sectors of the PES. The current concentrations of LABs, lower than those along the Brazilian coast and in densely populated coastal countries, suggest good sediment quality. This study shows that LABs can serve as a geochemical tool for tracing sources and distinguishing impacts related to population density in one of the largest preserved subtropical estuarine areas in the Southern Hemisphere., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Climate change is among the principal threats to global terrestrial biodiversity, especially to megadiverse ecosystems such as the Amazon rainforest. In this study, we investigate how it could affect an iconic forest species-Bertholletia excelsa-(the Brazil nut) which has values in multiple dimensions in an Amazonian context. We used an ensemble from various distribution modeling methods designed for four different climate scenarios from CMIP6 by the end of the century. Then, we simulate how spatial dynamics under climate change, including explicitly dispersal events, can affect the persistence, colonization, and potential extinction of Bertholletia excelsa in the future. Our results show that by the end of the century there would be a generalized loss of suitability on the Amazon biome, regardless of the climate scenario evaluated, which could promote a significant loss (up to 94%) of the area available for the species via extinction. Our results also show that, in the future, the species would colonize higher altitudes in search of favorable conditions for its survival. Finally, we detected that areas that had previously become unsuitable because of climate change would have favorable conditions by the end of the century. Such an outcome could be useful in fostering an active restoration agenda that can mitigate the negative effects of climate change on species in this study., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Anjos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

A dearth of Mesozoic-aged, three-dimensional fossils hinders understanding of the origin of the distinctive skull and brain of modern (crown) birds 1 . Here we report Navaornis hestiae gen. et sp. nov., an exquisitely preserved fossil species from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. The skull of Navaornis is toothless and large-eyed, with a vaulted cranium closely resembling the condition in crown birds; however, phylogenetic analyses recover Navaornis in Enantiornithes, a highly diverse clade of Mesozoic stem birds. Despite an overall geometry quantitatively indistinguishable from crown birds, the skull of Navaornis retains numerous plesiomorphies including a maxilla-dominated rostrum, an akinetic palate, a diapsid temporal configuration, a small cerebellum and a weakly expanded telencephalon. These archaic neurocranial traits are combined with a crown bird-like degree of brain flexion and a bony labyrinth comparable in shape to those of many crown birds but substantially larger. Altogether, the emergent cranial geometry of Navaornis shows an unprecedented degree of similarity between crown birds and enantiornithines, groups last sharing a common ancestor more than 130 million years ago 2 . Navaornis provides long-sought insight into the detailed cranial and endocranial morphology of stem birds phylogenetically crownward of Archaeopteryx, clarifying the pattern and timing by which the distinctive neuroanatomy of living birds was assembled., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Sepetiba Bay (SB, SE Brazil) is a highly anthropized and industrialized area that has experienced severe environmental degradation in recent decades. This study applies a multiproxy approach to document the response of living benthic foraminifera to environmental stress and to infer the Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) in SB. Our methodology involved a comprehensive comparison of the density and percentage of benthic foraminiferal species with physicochemical, textural, and geochemical data, specifically the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). We also statistically compared two geochemical indices, the pollution load index (PLI) and the potential ecological risk index (PERI), with two ecological indices, the Tolerant Species Index (TSI) and the Exp(H'bc). The TSI and the Exp(H'bc) indices are significantly correlated with the environmental stressors in Sepetiba Bay, namely the PTEs concentrations (As, Cd, Pb, and Zn). The most tolerant species to the enrichment of PTEs and organic matter are Ammonia tepida (Cushman, 1926), Elphidium excavatum (Terquem, 1875), Ammonia buzasi Hayward and Holzmann, 2021 and Ammonia rolshauseni (Cushman and Bermúdez, 1946). The Exp(H'bc) and TSI reveal that most stations located in the inner zone and near the margins of the bay have poor and bad EcoQS, which agrees with the distribution of the environmental stressors. Thus, the current environmental conditions of the inner area of Sepetiba Bay are of great concern. This work also shows that using the TSI and the Exp(H'bc) indices, it is possible to classify EcoQS in transitional coastal environments in the North and South Atlantic transitional waters. This work has relevant scientific and social implications due to its importance in biomonitoring and the management of the coastal regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sand flies, vectors capable of transmitting Leishmania spp. and causing leishmaniasis, have been a concern in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, where canine leishmaniasis (CanL) has been documented since 1985. Notably, there has been a surge in CanL cases since 2017, with two autochthonous cases of human visceral leishmaniasis reported in the area in 2021. This study aimed to identify the sand fly fauna potentially involved in disease transmission. Modified Centers for Disease Control light traps were deployed in three neighborhoods of the city where CanL cases had been previously reported, spanning January 2021 to December 2022. Of the 89 collections conducted, 119 sand flies belonging to five species were captured: Pintomyia fischeri (76/119, 63.86%), Migonemyia migonei (23/119, 19.33%), Lutzomyia longipalpis (16/119, 13.45%), Brumptomyia sp. (2/119, 1.68%), and Psathyromyia lanei (2/119, 1.68%), predominantly between February and April in 2021 and 2022. Polymerase chain reaction testing on all female specimens yielded negative results for Leishmania spp. DNA. Although Leishmania spp. was not detected in these vectors, these findings underscore the imperative to implement measures aimed at curtailing the proliferation of these insects.

Forest ecosystems face increasing drought exposure due to climate change, necessitating accurate measurements of vegetation water content to assess drought stress and tree mortality risks. Although Frequency Domain Reflectometry offers a viable method for monitoring stem water content by measuring dielectric permittivity, challenges arise from uncertainties in sensor calibration linked to wood properties and species variability, impeding its wider usage. We sampled tropical forest trees and palms in eastern Amazônia to evaluate how sensor output differences are controlled by wood density, temperature and taxonomic identity. Three individuals per species were felled and cut into segments within a diverse dataset comprising five dicotyledonous tree and three monocotyledonous palm species on a wide range of wood densities. Water content was estimated gravimetrically for each segment using a temporally explicit wet-up/dry-down approach and the relationship with the dielectric permittivity was examined. Woody tissue density had no significant impact on the calibration, but species identity and temperature significantly affected sensor readings. The temperature artefact was quantitatively important at large temperature differences, which may have led to significant bias of daily and seasonal water content dynamics in previous studies. We established the first tropical tree and palm calibration equation which performed well for estimating water content. Notably, we demonstrated that the sensitivity remained consistent across species, enabling the creation of a simplified one-slope calibration for accurate, species-independent measurements of relative water content. Our one-slope calibration serves as a general, species-independent standard calibration for assessing relative water content in woody tissue, offering a valuable tool for quantifying drought responses and stress in trees and forest ecosystems., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

The Irati Formation (Paraná Basin) is a mixed carbonate and organic-rich shale sequence intruded by Jurassic-Cretaceous basic rocks, featuring Brazil's most important oil shale deposits with different maturity levels. For the first time, the distribution of oil shale biomarkers from an outcrop section (quarry) of the Irati Formation in the northernmost Paraná Basin was analyzed by GC-MS and GC-MS/MS to determine the thermal evolution, organic matter origin and the depositional paleoenvironment. The organic-rich shale at the northernmost border of the basin has high similarity with the central and southernmost areas, indicating a primary control able to induce cyclic sedimentation in a broad (106 km2) and restricted environment. PCA and HCA analysis of bulk and molecular parameters showed changes in the organic matter composition and paleoenvironmental conditions throughout the stratigraphic column. Nonetheless, there are significant differences compared to the central-eastern and southern areas of the basin. Contrasting with the southern region, the north, predominates biphytane, low and medium gammacerane index. Pr/n-C17, Ph/n-C18, HI and OI values suggest type II/III kerogen from marine organic matter with freshwater input. Among the steranes, those of stereochemistry ααα 20R predominate over ααα 20S, and the presence of βTm indicates the shales are less thermally evolved.

Uca maracoani is a fiddler crab found in estuaries along the western Atlantic coast, with a notable preference for euhaline environments. This study aimed to analyze the population structure and dynamics of this species in an estuary on the North Coast of Brazil, specifically in an area of the upper estuary where seasonal rainfall fluctuations result in significant changes in salinity. Monthly crab samples were taken from December 2013 to November 2015, together with measurements of environmental variables, such as water and climate parameters. The population maintains a balanced sex ratio; however, males are generally larger, with lower mortality rates and longer lifespans than females. Reproduction is continuous but mainly takes place in the dry season when salinity levels are higher (above 12‰). Higher crab densities have been observed during the rainy season when, despite lower salinity levels (below 10‰), the conditions for survival (food availability and milder climate) seem to be more favorable. The estimated average annual biomass and production for the population were 2.62 g AFDM m -2 and 5.43 g AFDM m -2 year -1 , respectively, characterized by a high turnover rate (P/B = 2.10 year -1 ). Our results suggest that U. maracoani has thriving populations in the Amazon coast's mangroves, benefiting from the vast muddy intertidal zone and the high organic content delivered by the estuaries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effects of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have local, regional, and global consequences for water regimes, causing floods or extreme drought events. Tropical forests are strongly affected by ENSO, and in the case of the Amazon, its territorial extension allows for a wide variation of these effects. The prolongation of drought events in the Amazon basin contributes to an increase in gas and aerosol particle emissions mainly caused by biomass burning, which in turn alter radiative fluxes and evapotranspiration rates, cyclically interfering with the hydrological regime. The ENSO effects on the interactions between aerosol particles and evapotranspiration is a critical aspect to be systematically investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the ENSO effect on a site located on the southern portion of the Amazonian region. In addition to quantifying and testing possible differences between aerosols and evapotranspiration under different ENSO classes (El Niño, La Niña and Neutrality), this study also evaluated possible variations in evapotranspiration as a function of the aerosol load. A highly significant difference was found for air temperature, relative humidity and aerosol load between the El Niño and La Niña classes. For evapotranspiration, significant differences were found for the El Niño and La Niña classes and for El Niño and Neutrality classes. Under the Neutrality class, the aerosol load correlated significantly with evapotranspiration, explaining 20% of the phenomenon. Under the El Niño and La Niña classes, no significant linear correlation was found between aerosol load and evapotranspiration. However, the results showed that for the total data set, there is a positive and significant correlation between aerosol and evapotranspiration. It increases with a quadratic fit, i.e., the aerosol favors evapotranspiration rates up to a certain concentration threshold. The results obtained in this study can help to understand the effects of ENSO events on atmospheric conditions in the southern Amazon basin, in addition to elucidating the role of aerosols in feedback to the water cycle in the region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The thorough redox alteration of a lava flow is an undescribed feature in intraplate basaltic provinces. The Early Cretaceous (134.5 Ma) Paraná Province displays that alteration in the major Muralha Flow. This oxidized and reduced flow from the southern part of the province was studied with satellite images, field surveying, petrography, and published whole rock geochemistry. The 100 x 100 km flow from the Cuesta de Haedo presents two hydrothermal tiers - lower Tier 1 is gray to white, upper Tier 2 is red. Iron oxyhydroxides characterize Tier 2. Tier 1 contains clay minerals, zeolites, pyrite and calcite, and agate (possibly amethyst) geodes. In a first event, the upper Tier 2 was oxidized by hot water from the underlying Guarani Paleoaquifer. The high water/rock ratio decreased due to porosity clogging by precipitation of secondary minerals, and the fluid became reducing. Lowering of Eh and pH was caused by reaction of water with reducing particles (calcite, organic molecules) present in the paleoerg sandstones and with fresh rock surfaces. A lower Tier 1 was then formed during slow, hot water percolation. Reduction was interrupted below 30 °C (calcite formation). Large scale, similar alteration occurred in all studied oceanic ridges and only rarely in continental environments.

Decuriasuchus quartacolonia is a middle-sized basal "rauisuchian" (Pseudosuchia, Loricata) from the Triassic beds of Brazil, whose original description was based on 10 specimens of equivalent size found in aggregation. In this contribution, we explore the osteohistology of its appendicular bones and a rib, aiming to infer growth patterns and ontogeny. In all analyzed bones (except in the rib) from three individuals, we found fibrolamellar bone (FLB) throughout the cortices, a pattern shared with other histologically sampled basal loricatans. We found evidence that suggests an early ontogenetic stage for all studied specimens: absence of secondary osteons, lack of transition from an inner highly vascularized FLB matrix to a poor vascularized parallel-fibred bone, one line of arrested growth, open vascular canals in the external surface of the cortex and absence of an external fundamental system. In addition, we observed that the neurocentral sutures in the caudal to cervical vertebrae of the holotype are unfused, strongly suggesting that these individuals were not skeletally mature, as had been previously assumed. In addition, our data support the prior hypothesis that Decuriasuchus is the oldest-known archosaur to show evidence of gregarious behavior and adds a probable cause of this as a strategy to obtain food and avoid predation until becoming independent as adults. Furthermore, our results open the possibility that Decuriasuchus may represent an earlier growth stage of the larger Prestosuchus chiniquensis, with two specimens recovered from the same stratigraphic level and paleontological site. Since the adult form of Decuriasuchus remains unknown, a deeper anatomical study is needed to discuss the validity of the species. This study case exemplifies the importance of paleohistology as an essential complementary tool to describe a new morphospecies in vertebrate paleontology., (© 2023 American Association for Anatomy.)

Prestosuchus chiniquensis is the best represented pseudosuchian archosaur from the Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence, Middle-Late Triassic (Ladinian/Carnian) of the Santa Maria Supersequence, Southern Brazil. Several incomplete specimens attributed to this species have been described, but the morphology of the postcranial skeleton of P. chiniquensis is poorly known. In this contribution we present the postcranial material of the UFRGS-PV-0629-T specimen, concluding its description, as its skull and endocast have already been described. Additionally, histological data provided new information on the poorly known ontogenetic series of P. chiniquensis, and on its growth patterns suggesting a longer period of slow growth when compared to other basal Loricata species. A phylogenetic analysis placed UFRGS-PV-0629-T in a group composed by the lectotype, paralectotype, and other described P. chiniquensis specimens, further corroborating our taxonomic hypothesis, that specimens of basal Loricata collected in Brazil are closely related to each other. Due to the association of characters found in the phylogenetic analysis, the specimen UFRGS-PV-0629-T is attributed as the most complete material ever found for P. chiniquensis. As such, it is clear that the material presented here provides important new information on P. chiniquensis. Based on the results presented here, we revised the diagnosis for P. chiniquensis. However, it also evidences the need for new discoveries and studies of other specimens seeking to understand this and other closely related species, which were important components of worldwide trophic webs of the Triassic biotas., (© 2024 American Association for Anatomy.)

In this contribution we describe a new genus and species of gomphodontosuchine cynodont from the Late Triassic Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone (AZ) of the Santa Maria Supersequence of southern Brazil, based on material collected 20 years ago. The new taxon, Santagnathus mariensis gen. et sp. nov., is based on numerous cranial and postcranial remains, which altogether provide data on several parts of the skeleton. Santagnathus mariensis is closely related to Siriusgnathus niemeyerorum and Exaeretodon spp. and expands the knowledge about gomphodontosuchine cynodonts. Morphologically, the new species has a skull bauplan particularly similar to S. niemeyerorum and E. riograndensis, differing from them by a unique combination of traits such as three upper incisors, the absence of a descending process in the jugal, a more posterior position of the postorbital bar and a preorbital region larger than the temporal one. The new traversodontid was found associated with the rhynchosaur Hyperodapedon sp., corroborating the assignment of the cynodont fossils to the Hyperodapedon AZ. We also provide comments on the status of the Argentine traversodontid cynodont Proexaeretodon vincei, typically considered a junior synonym of Exaeretodon argentinus, and here accepted as a valid taxon., (© 2023 American Association for Anatomy.)

Proterochampsidae is a clade of non-archosaurian archosauriforms restricted to the Middle to the Late Triassic of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin of Argentina and the Santa Maria Supersequence of Brazil. A reappraisal of proterochampsid specimens from the Brazilian Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone (AZ) of the Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence (late Ladinian-early Carnian) is presented here. One of the specimens was preliminary assigned to Chanaresuchus sp., whose type species comes from the Massetognathus-Chanaresuchus AZ of the Chañares Formation of Argentina. However, our revision indicates that it differs from Chanaresuchus, being more closely related to the middle-late Carnian Rhadinosuchus gracilis. We therefore propose the new taxon, Pinheirochampsa rodriguesi, to reallocate this specimen. Additionally, we present a revision of other putative Chanaresuchus occurrences in Brazil, including the only known specimen described for the Santacruzodon AZ (Santa Cruz do Sul Sequence; early Carnian), also proposing it as a new taxon: Kuruxuchampsa dornellesi. Both new species are characterized, among other features, by transverse expansion of the anterior end of the rostrum, similar to the condition present in Rhadinosuchus, but absent in Chanaresuchus, Gualosuchus, Pseudochampsa, and non-rhadinosuchine proterochampsids. These two new species expand the growing knowledge of the non-archosaurian archosauriform diversity during the Middle-Late Triassic in South America and enhance faunal and chronological comparisons between approximately coeval geological units between Argentina and Brazil., (© 2023 American Association for Anatomy.)

This study presents a new method to incorporate the No Net Loss (NNL) principle within corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks. This principle aims to ensure that biodiversity losses from human activities are fully offset. In this context, we tackle two main challenges: managing epistemic uncertainties in environmental modeling and accurately assessing compensatory areas needed to replace lost habitats. Focusing on Brazil's diverse biomes, which are undergoing rapid changes, we highlight the role of expert opinion surveys in addressing the uncertainties of the InVEST Habitat Quality, a model that simulates changes in landscape integrity under different land use scenarios. Our analysis across three of Brazil's regions - Caatinga Semi-arid, Cerrado Savanna, and Atlantic Forest - leverages open-source data to reveal substantial habitat losses due to activities like wind farm development, mining, and intensive agriculture, leading to a widespread decline in habitat quality. We introduce the Equivalent Biodiversity Area (EBA) metric to support NNL and Net Gain of Biodiversity efforts, measured in hectares. Findings show a reduction in EBA across all studied areas, highlighting the need for effective compensation strategies. Such strategies should merge Legal Reserves and ecological restoration into ESG policies, encourage landholder collaboration, and align with larger environmental efforts, such as watershed revitalization and Biodiversity Credits markets., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, the region surrounding Sepetiba Bay (SB; SE Brazil) has become a hub of intense urban expansion and economic exploitation in response to ore transport and industrial and port activities. As a result, contaminants have been introduced into the bay, leading to an overall worsening of the environmental quality. The present work applies for the first time a foraminiferal morphology-based approach (M) and eDNA-based metabarcoding sequencing (G), along with geochemical data to assess the ecological quality status (EcoQS) in the SB. Principal component analysis shows that the eDNA and morphospecies diversity as well as most of the taxa relative abundance decline in response to the environmental stress (ES) gradient related to total organic carbon (TOC) and metal pollution. Based on ecological indices, Exp(H' bc ) (G), Exp(H' bc ) (M), foraminifera ATZI marine biotic index (Foram-AMBI), Foram Stress Index (FSI), and geochemical indices (TOC and Potential Ecological Risk Index), the lowest values of EcoQS (i.e., bad to moderate) are inferred in the innermost part of the SB. Despite minor discrepancies among the six EcoQS indices, an agreement has been found for 63% of the stations. To improve the agreement between the ecological indices, it is necessary to fill the gap in species ecology; information on the ecology of many species is still unknown. This work reinforces the importance of molecular analysis and morphological methods in environmental impact studies and confirms the reliability of foraminiferal metabarcoding in EcoQS assessment. This is the first study evaluating the EcoQS in the South Atlantic by using combined foraminiferal eDNA metabarcoding with morphological data., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mangroves occur in the tropics and subtropics. This region is constantly covered by clouds and therefore highly challenging to map and monitor. Technological advances in remote sensing have increased the flexibility of performing such analyses. In this study, mapping and change detection were carried out for mangrove areas of the South and Southeast regions of Brazil between 2008 and 2016 using multisensor data and geographical object-based image analysis (GEOBIA). The 823.03 km² mangrove areas in study site in 2008 were reduced to 789.00 km² in 2016, representing a net loss of ~34 km². A change detection analysis of the mangrove areas showed a total gain of 138.21 km², a total loss of 172.24 km² and no change for 650.79 km². The GEOBIA classification accuracy was assessed by performing a statistical analysis of confusion matrix: (2008): global accuracy = 0.92, Kappa index = 0.84 and Tau index = 0.84; and (2016): global accuracy = 0.93, Kappa index = 0.86 and Tau index = 0.86. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the GEOBIA to map and analyze mangrove dynamics. The results exhibit an excellent accuracy. Furthermore, mangrove areas in the south and southeast Brazil were mapped from the same methodological approach.

The ostracod genus Bradleya Hornibrook is an important taxon of Cenozoic assemblages, occurring practically in all oceanic regions. The wide distribution both in shallow and deep waters turns Bradleya interesting for studies involving phylogeny and paleoceanography. The present work aims at the study of fossil and recent species in South America and adjacent regions, based on bibliographic review and the restudy of samples from the Brazilian continental margin, the Navidad Formation (lower Miocene) and El Peral Beds (meso-upper Miocene), both cropping out in the Central Chile. The chronostratigraphic, (paleo)bathymetric and (paleo)zoogeographic distribution of the species is reviewed and updated. The bridge composition was studied in all species recorded and revealed to be important taxonomic character. The taxa identified were gathered into three morphological groups: two proposed previously (i.e., the dictyon-group and the arata-group) and a new one in the present work (i.e., the normani-group). The dictyon-group and the arata-group gather deep-sea species, while the normani-group is predominantly neritic, including most of the species of Brazilian margin. Bradleya victorjarai sp. nov. is proposed for the Miocene of Chile, and Bradleya ybate (Bergue et al.) is reassigned to Rigracythere gen. nov. Questionable or misidentified species ascribed to Bradleya are briefly discussed.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) encompass a wide variety of substances capable of interfering with the endocrine system, including but not limited to bisphenol A, organochlorines, polybrominated flame retardants, alkylphenols and phthalates. These compounds are widely produced and used in everyday modern life and have increasingly been detected in aquatic matrices worldwide. In this context, this study aimed to carry out a literature review to assess the evolution of EDCs detected in different matrices in the last thirty years. A bibliometric analysis was conducted at the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Data were evaluated using the Vosviewer 1.6.17 software. A total of 3951 articles in English were retrieved following filtering. The results demonstrate a gradual and significant growth in the number of published documents, strongly associated with the increasing knowledge on the real environmental impacts of these compounds. Studied were mostly conducted by developed countries in the first two decades, 1993 to 2012, but in the last decade (2013 to 2022), an exponential leap in the number of publications by countries such as China and an advance in research by developing countries, such as Brazil, was verified., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aims to assess covid-19 morbidity, mortality, and severity from 2020 to 2021 in five Brazilian Amazon states with the highest records of wildfires., Methods: A distributed lag non-linear model was applied to estimate the potential exposure risk association with particulate matter smaller than 2.5-µm in diameter (PM2.5). Daily mean temperature, relative humidity, percentual of community mobility, number of hospital beds, days of the week, and holidays were considered in the final models for controlling the confounding factors., Results: The states of Para, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas have reported the highest values of overall cases, deaths, and severe cases of covid-19. The worrying growth in the percentual rates in 2020/2021 for the incidence, severity, and mortality were highlighted in Rondônia and Mato Grosso. The growth in 2020/2021 in the estimations of PM2.5 concentrations was higher in Mato Grosso, with an increase of 24.4%, followed by Rondônia (14.9%)., Conclusion: This study establishes an association between wildfire-generated PM2.5 and increasing covid-19 incidence, mortality, and severity within the studied area. The findings showed that the risk of covid-19 morbidity and mortality is nearly two times higher among individuals exposed to high concentrations of PM2.5. The attributable fraction to PM2.5 in the studied area represents an important role in the risk associated with covid-19 in the Brazilian Amazon region.

Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. It has high morbidity and mortality rates and mainly affects socially vulnerable populations. This is a cross-sectional study, with retrospective and prospective data collection. Using questionnaires applied to environmental surveillance coordinators, we characterized the status of CD surveillance activities in municipalities endemic for the disease in Northern Minas Gerais State (MG) and Jequitinhonha Valley (Vale do Jequitinhonha). Moreover, we spatialized the vulnerability index for chronic CD in the study area. The population consisted of 22 environmental surveillance coordinators, active in 2020, from Northern MG and Jequitinhonha Valley, 21 municipalities included in the SaMi-Trop research project, and Montes Claros municipality. After applying the questionnaires to the coordinators, a descriptive analysis of the variables was performed. To characterize the active municipalities, the explanatory variables collected in the questionnaire were compared with the dichotomous variable. Bivariate descriptive analysis was performed. Finally, geoprocessing techniques were used to spatialize the data and prepare maps. Regarding the team of endemic combat agents (ECA), 90.9% reported the lack of a specific team for CD vector control actions. Of the 22 municipalities participating in this study, nine were active (41.1%). Only 25% (n=2) of active municipalities (9% of the municipalities studied) met the target of visiting 50% of households per year. Finally, 81.1% of the coordinators stated that in their municipality, they developed actions linked to primary health care (PHC). The implementation of CD surveillance activities weakened in the endemic region. Few municipalities have a surveillance team, with low regularity of active surveillance and noncompliance with the program's goal. The results suggest insufficient recording of activities in the information system, considering that there are municipalities that report performing the activities, but no production record was observed in the system.

The improvement of water management requires monitoring techniques that accurately evaluate water quality status and detect the effects of land use changes on water chemistry. This study aimed to evaluate how multivariate statistical methods and water quality indices can be applied together to evaluate the processes controlling water chemical composition and the overall water quality status of a tropical watershed. Thirty-four water samples were collected in the Formoso River basin, located on the border of the Amazon Forest. Water parameters were measured in situ using a multiparameter and in the lab using spectroscopic and volumetric techniques. The water quality dataset was interpreted through principal component analysis, multivariate linear regression, and water quality indices. Statistical methods allowed us to identify the sources and geochemical processes controlling water quality chemistry, which were carbonate dissolution, runoff/erosion, nutrient input due to anthropogenic activities, and redox reactions in flooded zones. They were also used to create linear functions to evaluate the effects of land use changes on the geochemical processes controlling water chemistry. Conversely, the water quality indices provide information about the overall condition of the water. The Weight-Arithmetic Quality Index correctly evaluates water suitability for its multiple uses, according to the Brazilian guidelines. Conversely, the Ontario Water Quality Index is not suitable to evaluate the water quality of tropical rivers, since the usual higher water temperature and the low oxygen contents associated with tropical environments result in biased water quality evaluations by this index., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

This study presents the first integrated study on total Hg (THg) level in surface soil (SS), bottom soil (BS), stream sediments (SD), lake sediments (LS), stream water (SW), and lake water (LW) of Itacaiúnas River Watershed (IRW), Brazil to investigate the source and distribution of Hg in different environmental media considering contrasts of geological domains and sub-basins and its potential ecological and human risk. Hg content in most of the soils and sediments were above the upper crustal average values (56 μg/kg), however, when compared to the legal limits set by the Resolution CONAMA (Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente: soil 500 μg/kg; sediment 486 μg/kg), only 1 soil sample from Parauapebas sub-basin and 4 sediment samples from Violão Lake exceeded the limit. None of the SW and LW samples (<0.2 μg/L; CONAMA limit for Class II freshwater) are markedly contaminated by Hg. The SS and BS show similar contents and spatial distribution of Hg with higher contents being registered mostly in the Itacaiúnas and Parauapebas sub-basins, which are closely correlated with SD. This suggests that Hg levels are largely of geogenic origin and anthropogenic effect is highly limited. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results show that Hg is strongly associated with total organic carbon (TOC), loss on ignition (LOI), and SO 3 , indicating organic matter as the main factor controlling the distribution of Hg and this is the major cause of accentuated Hg enrichment in lake sediments. The ecological risk index revealed a low pollution risk for most of the solid samples, except 11% LS and <1.5% SS and SD samples, which registered moderate risk. Health risk assessment indicated no adverse non-carcinogenic health effect on either adults and children in terms of Hg contamination. This information will be useful for Hg risk assessment in the Carajás region and future environmental research in this direction in the Amazonia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Given the ecological and socioeconomic importance of the mangroves of the Brazilian Amazon coast, RapidEye satellite images were analyzed to recognize mangrove forest and salt flat changes to different land use through human activities. Results show that mangroves are still very well preserved, with less than 1% of the total converted to other uses, primarily urban areas and roads. These human activities have been the principal causes of use in the mangrove forest, driven by local anthropogenic pressures resulting from human settlements in the transition zone between the mainland and tidal flats. In contrast, aquaculture, the principal driver of the loss of mangroves in other regions of South America and in Asian countries, plays only a secondary role in habitat conversion on the Amazon coast. However, these human activities demand more attention and policies need to be supported by Brazilian legislation.

Recent fossil discoveries in Western Amazonia revealed that two distinct anthropoid primate clades of African origin colonized South America near the Eocene/Oligocene transition ( ca. 34 Ma). Here, we describe a diminutive fossil primate from Brazilian Amazonia and suggest that, surprisingly, a third clade of anthropoids was involved in the Paleogene colonization of South America by primates. This new taxon, Ashaninkacebus simpsoni gen. et sp. nov., has strong dental affinities with Asian African stem anthropoids: the Eosimiiformes. Morphology-based phylogenetic analyses of early Old World anthropoids and extinct and extant New World monkeys (platyrrhines) support relationships of both Ashaninkacebus and Amamria (late middle Eocene, North Africa) to the South Asian Eosimiidae. Afro-Arabia, then a mega island, played the role of a biogeographic stopover between South Asia and South America for anthropoid primates and hystricognathous rodents. The earliest primates from South America bear little adaptive resemblance to later Oligocene-early Miocene platyrrhine monkeys, and the scarcity of available paleontological data precludes elucidating firmly their affinities with or within Platyrrhini. Nonetheless, these data shed light on some of their life history traits, revealing a particularly small body size and a diet consisting primarily of insects and possibly fruit, which would have increased their chances of survival on a natural floating island during this extraordinary over-water trip to South America from Africa. Divergence-time estimates between Old and New World taxa indicate that the transatlantic dispersal(s) could source in the intense flooding events associated with the late middle Eocene climatic optimum (ca. 40.5 Ma) in Western Africa.

This work reports the quantification of total mercury in sediments collected in periods with and without rain from the Joanes River, Bahia, Brazil. Determinations were made using Direct Mercury Analysis (DMA), the accuracy of which was confirmed with two certified reference materials. The highest total mercury concentrations were found at the sampling point close to commercial areas and large residential condominiums. On the other hand, the lowest levels were found in the site close to a mangrove region. The geoaccumulation index was applied to the total mercury results, evidencing low contamination in the region studied. The contamination factor showed that of the seven stations investigated, four samples collected in the rainy season showed moderate contamination. The results of the ecological risk assessment were utterly consistent with the contamination factor data. This study showed that the smaller sediment particles concentrate more mercury, corroborating what has been predicted by the adsorption processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The mineral wealth of the Amazon region is prone to intense exploration with consequent metals mobilization in ecosystems. Besides that, a number of other anthropogenic activities contribute to the imbalance of this important environment. The Pará River is an important water body in the Amazon basin and is under multiple anthropogenic influences, including disorderly urbanization, port activities and processing of minerals such as bauxite and kaolin. In this study, metals concentrations (Al, Cr, Pb, Ba, Ni, and Mn) in water, sediment and organisms (the fish Cheirocerus goeldii and the shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum) and biochemical biomarkers (total antioxidant capacity, ACAP and lipid peroxidation, LPO) were analyzed along five points in the Para River with different distances to a center of anthropogenic activity, in three seasonal periods (rainy, transition and dry). Metals concentrations were similar among sites in each seasonal period but Aluminium (Al) presented the highest concentrations among all analyzed metals both in sediment and water considering all sampling points and all seasonal periods. In the dissolved fraction, Al had values above those established by the local environmental agency, especially during the rainy season. In the biotic compartment, both fish and shrimps showed higher concentrations of metals (Al and Ba) in the rainy season compared to the other seasons. Shrimp was more responsive to metal accumulation than fish, showing an adaptive response of biomarkers. Fish showed an increase of LPO in gills for individuals from the point of greater anthropogenic interference during the rainy season, but no differences in metal accumulation. We conclude that there is a seasonal pattern of metals concentration in different environmental compartments. Metal concentration in organisms and biomarkers responses, showed the effect of anthropogenic influences, which was not evident in results from chemical analyses alone, due to the intensive hydrodynamics in the region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An old electroplating plant in Sepetiba Bay discharged metal-enriched wastes into the surrounding mangroves for 30 years (from the 1960s to 1990s), resulting in a hotspot zone of legacy sediments highly concentrated in toxic trace metals. This study applies Cu and Pb isotope systems to investigate the contributions of past punctual sources relative to emerging modern diffuse sources. The electroplating activity imprinted particular isotopic signatures (average δ 65 Cu SRM-976 : 0.4 ‰ and 206 Pb/ 207 Pb: 1.14) distinct from the natural baseline and urban fluvial sediments. The isotopic compositions of tidal flat sediments show intermediate isotope compositions reflecting the mixing of Cu and Pb from the hotspot zone and terrigenous materials carried by rivers. Oyster isotope fingerprints match legacy sediments, attesting that anthropogenic Cu and Pb are bioavailable to the biota. These findings confirm the interest in combining two or more metal isotope systems to discriminate between modern and past metal source emissions in coastal environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Areas set aside for conservation within private lands may be key to enhancing biodiversity-friendly landscapes. This conservation strategy should be especially effective in highly threatened regions that are poorly protected by public lands, such as the Brazilian Cerrado. Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law has included set-aside areas within private properties, but their relevance to conservation has not been evaluated. We assess whether private lands are contributing to biodiversity in the Cerrado, a global biodiversity conservation priority and major region for food production, where land use conflicts are often at odds with conservation objectives. We determined that private protected areas accommodate up to 14.5% of threatened vertebrate species ranges, which increases to 25% when considering the distribution of remaining native habitat. Moreover, the spatial spread of private protected areas benefits a large number of species. Ecological restoration of private protected lands would improve the benefits of this protection system, especially in the Southeastern Cerrado, where a large economic hub meets a threat hotspot.

We report the first occurrence in South America of spinosaurid specimens belonging to the clade Baryonychinae. The material comprises three tooth crowns recovered from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian-Valanginian) of the Feliz Deserto Formation, State of Sergipe, northeast Brazil. The three specimens have the typical conidont condition, displaying a fluted morphology, veined enamel texture and carinae extending to the cervix region, conditions similar to those shared among spinosaurid theropods. Furthermore, a notable feature is the presence of a serrated carinae composed of 6-7 diminutive denticles per millimetre, a key feature shared by baryonychine spinosaurids. Phylogenetic and multivariate analyses performed on dentition-based and crown-based datasets of theropod taxa confirm the relationship of the three tooth crowns described here with the well-supported spinosaurid clade. Our results retrieve the taxa which comprise the "classically" baryonychine clade as individual branches within a polytomy which includes the three tooth crowns and a subclade of spinosaurines (Spinosaurus + Angaturama/Irritator). Additionally, the discriminant and cluster analyses suggest that the materials are more similar to Suchomimus than to Baryonyx morphometrically, but clearly bearing similarities with baryonychines (sharing a similar morphospace). These new findings paleogeographically expand the occurrence of this clade to western Gondwana, and comprise one of the oldest spinosaurid records worldwide, which brings implications on hypotheses for the emergence and evolution of the clade. Furthermore, these new records indicate the presence of more than one spinosaurid taxon in the Lower Cretaceous deltaic paleoenvironment of the Feliz Deserto Formation.

Elpidium is the most common ostracod genus occurring in phytotelmata in the Neotropical region, with distributions ranging from Florida, USA in the north to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in the south. However, the genus remains poorly known both in terms of diversity and of the distributional pattern of its species. Here, we describe six new species of Elpidium, E. oxumae n. sp., E. cordiforme n. sp., E. picinguabaense n. sp., E. eriocaularum n. sp., E. higutiae n. sp., E. purium n. sp., all from phytotelm environments in the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. In addition, we discuss the distributional pattern and endemicity levels of Elpidium species in the light of these new taxonomic results and argue about possible misunderstandings on the distribution of the type species E. bromeliarum.

This study, performed during 2003-2005 and 2008-2009, investigated metals (Al, Fe, Ba, Zn, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd) content in seston at Cabo Frio Bay, SE-Brazil. This study may serve as a baseline of seston metal distribution to guide biogeochemical and ecological models. The seston fractions (> 20 µm, > 64 µm, > 100 µm, and > 150 µm) were sampled in sub-surface horizontal hauls. Metals were determined by ICP-MS. The metals range: Al (62.5-56,867.6 µg g -1 ), Fe (23.5-25,384.0 µg g -1 ), Mn (2.7-336.8 µg g -1 ), Ba (< 0.005-356.3 µg g -1 ), Zn (0.5-94.2 µg g -1 ), Cr (0.7-35.5 µg g -1 ), Cu (4.3-41.7 µg g -1 ), Ni (< 0.005-19.1 µg g -1 ) and Cd (< 0.0004-2.4 µg g -1 ). Aluminium, Fe, Mn, Ba, and Zn showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the seston fraction. The results obtained in this study suggest that the elements (Fe, Mn, Ba) in the seston were strongly influenced by the abiogenic source. In contrast, Zn, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni can be biogenic/anthropogenic sources. The significant positive linear correlation of Zn:P, Cd:P, and Cu:P can indicate an intracellular concentration higher than the external adsorption in the plankton community., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This study characterized the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) from light- (LDV) and heavy-duty (HDV) vehicles based on two traffic tunnel samplings carried out in the megacity of São Paulo (Brazil), which has >7 million vehicles and intense biofuel use. The samples were collected with high-volume samplers and analyzed using chemical characterization techniques (ion and gas chromatography, thermal-optical analysis, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy). Chemical source profiles (%) were calculated based on the measurements performed inside and outside the tunnels. Identifying a high abundance of Fe and Cu for traffic-related PM in the LDV-impacted tunnel was possible, linked with the emission of vehicles powered by ethanol and gasohol (gasoline and ethanol blend). We calculated diagnostic ratios (e.g., EC/Cu, Fe/Cu, pyrene/benzo[a]pyrene, pyrene/benzo[b]fluoranthene, and fluoranthene/benzo[b]fluoranthene) characteristic of fuel exhausts (diesel/biodiesel and ethanol/gasohol), allowing their use in the assessment of the temporal variation of the fuel type used in urban sites. Element diagnostic ratios (Cu/Sb and Fe/Cu) pointed to the predominance of LDVs exhaust-related copper and can differentiate LDVs exhaust from brake wear emissions. The carbonaceous fraction EC3 was suggested as an HDV emission tracer. A higher total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) fraction of traffic-related PM 2.5 was observed in the HDV-impacted tunnel, with a predominance of diesel-related pyrene and fluoranthene, as well as higher oxy-PAHs (e.g., 9,10-anthraquinone, associated with biodiesel blends) abundances. However, carcinogenic species presented higher abundances for the LDV-impacted tunnel (e.g., benzo[a]pyrene). These findings highlighted the impact of biofuels on the characteristic ratios of chemical species and pointed to possible markers for LDVs and HDVs exhausts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This work aims to carry out an analysis of the evolution of the civil defense protection policy in Brazil, as well as to present an overview of research related to public policies on natural disasters in the world. The research was developed by documentary analysis of Brazilian policies on the protection of civil defense and bibliometric analysis of the global data. The evolution of public policy on natural disasters in Brazil was divided into four different moments: a) military civil defense (1942-1946), b) disaster assistance policy (1967-1988), c) Civil Defense system in construction (1988-2005), and d) consolidation of the civil defense system (2005- to the present). The structuring of public policy reflected in 4 different stages in relation to the recording of information about disasters. Bibliometric analysis showed that the first works related to public civil defense policies in the world appeared only in 1980, and are mainly concentrated in the United States, which accounts for 42.56% of the works, while Brazil is the 6th country with 3.76% of global searches. Thus, it is possible to conclude that public policies and databases have a recent evolution both in Brazil and in the world, especially in developing countries.

The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) for oil spills was developed to assist coordinators to evaluate oil spill impact along shorelines and also to coordinate the allocation of resources during and after the incident, aiming to reduce environmental damage and consequences. Recently, Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) are being used in a wide range of areas, since they complement traditional remote sensing data (e.g., satellite images) and offer a rapidly, precise, detail and high-resolution images that fit well for environmental studies. Herein, the use of high-resolution RPAS images for ESI analysis of rocky shores in the Brazilian territory was performed. Using RPAS images, with their higher-resolution compared with ArcGIS Pro Basemap satellite images, increased the detailed of ESI analysis for oil spills, increasing the number of regions in the rocky shore that are more sensitive to oil spills. The RPAS images were able to decrease the number of areas that were less sensitive to oil spills, and increase areas that are more sensitive to oil spills. This increase is important, since they were not detected in the ESI analysis using conventional ArcGIS Pro Basemap satellite images. The RPAS images permit to delineate precisely rocky shores, improving ESI interpretation in rocky shores.

Biodiversity assessment is a mandatory task for sustainable and adaptive management for the next decade, and long-term ecological monitoring programs are a cornerstone for understanding changes in ecosystems. The Brazilian Long-Term Ecological Research Program (PELD) is an integrated effort model supported by public funds that finance ecological studies at 34 locations. By interviewing and compiling data from project coordinators, we assessed monitoring efforts, targeting biological groups and scientific production from nine PELD projects encompassing coastal lagoons to mesophotic reefs and oceanic islands. Reef environments and fish groups were the most often studied within the long-term projects. PELD projects covered priority areas for conservation but missed sensitive areas close to large cities, as well as underrepresenting ecosystems on the North and Northeast Brazilian coast. Long-term monitoring projects in marine and coastal environments in Brazil are recent (<5 years), not yet integrated as a network, but scientifically productive with considerable relevance for academic and human resources training. Scientific production increased exponentially with project age, despite interruption and shortage of funding during their history. From our diagnosis, we recommend some actions to fill in observed gaps, such as: enhancing projects' collaboration and integration; focusing on priority regions for new projects; broadening the scope of monitored variables; and, maintenance of funding for existing projects., Competing Interests: Juan P. Quimbayo is a PeerJ Academic Editor. The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Cordeiro et al.)