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The American eelgrass Vallisneria americana is a submersed rooted macrophyte that is widely distributed throughout North America. As a structured habitat, it shelters a high biodiversity of aquatic fauna and acts like a carbon sink. However, its populations have drastically decreased or disappeared in the free-flowing Usumacinta Fluvial System. Physicochemical parameters in water, measurements of quantitative habitat complexity, and records of fish collected were quantified for a V. americana patch. A low average density of 96 ± 48 stems/m2, 61.7 ± 0.9 gash free dry weight/m2 of biomass, and 192 ± 42.3 male inflorescences/m2 were recorded for this 14 m2 patch. Six fish species of the Poeciliidae and Cichlidae families were collected, with an average density of 19 ± 1.9 org/m2, all smaller than 6.3 cm standard length. This first record of V. americana in the transitional longitudinal zone (20–60 MASL) of the Usumacinta Fluvial System reinforces the importance of the Wanhá Biosphere Reserve (WBR), which was decreed mainly for its relict inland red mangrove populations and high diversity of tropical swamp woody communities. Moreover, the American eelgrass patch is a nursery area for at least six native poeciliids and cichlids. These are the two most diverse fish families in Mesoamerica. In addition, the cichlid fishery is an important component for environmental sustainability. Article highlights: First record of American eelgrass in the transitional zone of the largest fluvial system in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The American eelgrass patch shelter at least six fish species, four of these are included in the IUCN Red List. This finding opens the possibility of applying socio-ecohydrogeomorphological monitoring to design policies in key habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines relationships between the production of salt in the Basin of Mexico and the emergence of salt-making settlements during the Late Postclassic (ca. 1350–1521 CE) and Early Colonial (ca. 1521–1650 CE) periods. In archaeological practice, the veil that hides producers behind commodities becomes more difficult to pierce when the commodities themselves are invisible today, as is the case with an ephemeral good like salt. Nevertheless, archaeological and ethnohistoric data show how locally produced salt became a widely traded commodity in the expanding economy of the Triple Alliance and how its uses diversified within the early capitalist economy of New Spain. Contrary to the expectation that commodification leads to alienation, I find evidence that the work of producing salt also produced communities. In fact, these communities endured for centuries, adapting and adjusting to new demands and new consumers in the context of decreasing control of production and knowledge of markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the analysis of decapitation celebrated by ancient Mesoamericans with the purpose of knowing what the symbolism of this offering was within ancient Mesoamerican thought, as well as, to know the mythical reasons that legitimized its ritual recreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Japón is a 16th century hamlet site in the marshlands of the southern Basin of Mexico in central Mesoamerica. Radiocarbon (14C) dating and OxCal modeling of human bone collagen (n = 11) identifies a range of burials at El Japón cemetery from 1550–1650 cal. CE. The refined chronology identifies use of this rural settlement well after the onset of colonial government-sponsored relocation of Indigenous people to larger settlements (congregaciones). Historically documented information in this work supports chronological modeling beyond stand-alone calibration. Stable isotopic study of bone samples demonstrates similar sources of dietary protein and carbohydrates. The similarity of carbon sources for bone apatite (bioapatite) and collagen offers security that both bone fractions are viable 14C dating opportunities. Recent extension of this work examines bioapatite 14C dates (n = 5) from the same bone samples when quality parameters are met—atomic carbon-nitrogen ratios of 3.2–3.3 and collagen yield of 10–20%. No significant difference is found between collagen and bioapatite dates of the same individuals (p = 0.17, Mann-Whitney U test). 14C dates from human bone samples in this primarily terrestrial dietary context can be successfully acquired from either collagen or bioapatite fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Early colonial documents from central Mesoamerica detail raising and planting of European livestock and crops alongside native ones. The extent to which Indigenous people, especially of the rural commoner class, consumed newly introduced foods is less known. This gap in knowledge is addressed through stable isotope analysis and comparison to published archaeological botanical, human, and faunal data. Materials and Methods: Stable isotope analysis of bone collagen and bioapatite is applied to 74 skeletal samples of Indigenous human remains representing Colonial period individuals from El Japón—a farming hamlet in the Xochimilco area—to provide insight into long‐term individual dietary practices in the context of a rapidly transforming Mesoamerican world. Results: Carbon isotope ratios in collagen (δ13Ccollagen) average −8.10/00 VPDB (SD 0.55), while δ15N averages 8.90/00 AIR (SD 0.50). δ13Cbioapatite averages −2.90/00 VPDB (SD 0.60). Modest increase in carbon isotopic diversity is observed among more recent males from El Japón when compared to earlier males and females. Discussion: Based on the isotopic results, it is estimated that the individuals of El Japón consumed maize or other C4 plants as a central source of carbohydrates. Dietary protein was largely supplied through domestic maize‐fed fauna but potentially supplemented by wild terrestrial and aquatic fauna and fowl. Similarity in skeletal isotopic composition between precontact Mesoamericans from other sites and El Japón individuals of both earlier and later stratigraphy is interpreted as continuity in local diets and foodways despite potentially available European alternatives. Colonial taxation demands on preexisting agricultural regimes may have incentivized maize production, thus indirectly contributing to the maize‐centered aspect of local foodways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research conducted since 2003 in and around the regional center of Tres Zapotes, Veracruz documents the importance of aquatic resources and transportation routes for subsistence and settlement over more than two millennia. Systematic archaeological survey over more than 400 km2 in the surrounding Eastern Lower Papaloapan Basin details a persistent focus of major settlements on streams and other bodies of water that would have provided an abundance of food and opportunities for water-born transport. Excavations at Tres Zapotes further indicate that exploitation of aquatic fauna was a significant component of a mixed subsistence strategy for the Olmec and Epi-Olmec inhabitants of the site, who obtained fish, turtles, and waterfowl from streams, lakes, estuaries and coastal marine environments over a range extending no less than 20 km from the center. Artifact inventories and landscape features further suggest an associated subsistence technology that included weighted nets and retention ponds in seasonally flooded areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The names Coccoloba caracasana, C. caracasana f. glabra, C. cozumelensis, C. floribunda, C. humboldtii var. longipedicellata, and Campderia mexicana are lectotypified, and seventeen specimens with mature fruits are proposed as epitypes to facilitate the recognition and delimitation of Coccoloba species distributed in Mexico and Central America. The presence of fruits in these specimens allowed us to recognize and reinstate the names Coccoloba lapathifolia, C. euvelutina, and C. matudae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new estimate of the Epiclassic chronological interval (6th to 9th centuries) is proposed for the archaeological site of San José de Los Ranchos, located in Los Altos de Jalisco, near the city of Lagos de Moreno. This site is part of the cultural space of the western Mexico. The date was obtained through an archaeomagnetic analysis of ceramic materials from a cist-type tomb found at old hacienda located in the foothills of the Sierra Alta, next to the valley of the Lagos River. This archaeological site is a settlement of farmers, possibly linked to neighboring sites such as El Cerrito in the town of El Cuarenta; Los Cerritos in Lagos de Moreno and El Cóporo in the neighboring state of Guanajuato. The materials recovered in the tomb, consisting of pottery, shell beads and miniature zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figurines. The new periodization allows us to date the beginning of the Mesoamerican occupation of the Lagos River valley from the 6th century, in addition to dates obtained by previous investigations. In this way, it can be established that the villages in the valley date from the end of the Mesoamerican classic period, with its peak in the epiclassic era and possibly concluding at the beginning of the postclassic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the discovery of ceramic kilns in the archaeological complex of Atzompa in Monte Albán, Oaxaca. These kilns have similar characteristics to those of the ethnographic tradition of Atzompa and it is believed that they were used to produce large gray ceramic pots. An archaeomagnetic study conducted on one of the kilns indicates that it was used after the supposed abandonment of Monte Albán, suggesting that the inhabitants of Atzompa continued to manufacture ceramics. Additionally, evidence of specialization in ceramic production in Atzompa and a permanent relationship between Atzompa and Monte Albán were found. The study was funded by the CONAHCyT CF19-1761 project and UNAMDGAPA PAPIIT IN100224. [Extracted from the article]

The neotropical physaloid genera Witheringia and Brachistus have long been subject to taxonomic confusion. We obtained tissue from well-documented species of these genera, including multiple accessions from widespread taxa, to generate a molecular systematic framework. We present Bayesian phylogenies based on sequences of one chloroplast (trnL-trnF) and two nuclear loci (ITS and waxy). The major findings are that: 1) Witheringia and Brachistus together form a well-supported monophyletic group, 2) Brachistus is nested within Witheringia, 3) two Mexican endemic species represent the earliest diverging lineages of the clade, 4) several proposed synonyms represent distinct species, and 5) sequenced accessions include several new species awaiting description. The four currently recognized species of Brachistus are transferred to Witheringia, necessitating the new combination Witheringia knappiae, and Athenaea affinis is lectotypified. A list is also provided for names now excluded from Brachistus and recognized as belonging to other genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kiekie Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 is a Neotropical genus of Ctenidae, with most of its species occuring in Central America. In this study, we review the systematics of Kiekie and describe five new species and the unknown females of K. barrocolorado Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 and K. garifuna Polotow & Brescovit, 2018, and the unknown male of K. verbena Polotow & Brescovit, 2018. In addition, we described the female of K. montanense which was wrongly assigned as K. griswoldi Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 (both species are sympatric). We provided a modified diagnosis for previously described species based on the morphology of the newly discovered species and in situ photographs of living specimens. We inferred a molecular phylogeny using four nuclear (histone H3, 28S rRNA, 18S rRNA and ITS-2) and three mitochondrial genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I or COI, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) to test the monophyly of the genus and the evolutionary relationships of its species. Lastly, we reconstruct the historical biogeography and map diversity and endemism distributional patterns of the different species. This study increased the number of known species of Kiekie from 13 to 18, and we describe a new genus, Eldivo which is sister lineage of Kiekie. Most of the diversity and endemism of the genus Kiekie is located in the montane ecosystems of Costa Rica followed by the lowland rainforest of the Pacific side (Limon Basin). Kiekie originated in the North America Tropical region, this genus started diversifying in the Late Miocene and spread to Lower Central America and South America. In that region, Kiekie colonized independently several times the montane ecosystems corresponding to periods of uplifting of Talamanca and Central Cordilleras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To produce insights into the nature of butterfly communities in Belize and potential strategies for their conservation, we analyzed a data set of 31,539 occurrences representing 1047 species of butterflies. Most species in Belize are rarely encountered and 23% are known from one or two occurrences. Conversely, a few species (2%) are disproportionately abundant (19% of occurrences). Chao 1 and 1st-order Jackknife species richness estimates indicate a minimum of 101.6 ± 17.5 and 169.7 ± 24.9 additional species (respectively) in Belize. Most of the "missing species" are Lycaenidae, Riodinidae and Hesperiidae, groups that are difficult to identify and which have ecological traits that decrease detectability in the field. Seasonal and geographic weather patterns related to precipitation structure butterfly communities in the country. Species richness (alpha-diversity) is correlated to both average monthly temperature and precipitation for most, but not all families. During the dry season, both species numbers and densities are low, but both increase abruptly with the onset of rains. There are significant beta-diversity community differences between seasons (rainy and dry) as well. Precipitation decreases dramatically from south to north across the country and Chao 1 and rarefication estimates indicate that species richness is highest in southern Belize and declines northward corresponding with regional patterns of precipitation. Likewise, the three southern districts of Belize support significantly different butterfly communities (beta-diversity) than do the three northern districts. Implications for insect conservation: Because climate change will disrupt the status quo as ecological communities respond to changes that influence drought stress, actions that ensure that ecological connectivity is maintained or restored across ecological gradients, especially as reflected by precipitation patterns, will be critical for conserving butterfly and other phytophagous insect communities in Belize as communities respond to climate disruption. We make geographically explicit recommendations for conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancestral Maya engineered wetland fields and canals in floodplains for plant cultivation and water management. Canals and reservoirs, however, also provide aquatic resources to supplement agriculture. Maya created multi-trophic ecological aquaculture by modifying the waterscape to increase the amounts of foods and useful materials, such as fish, turtles, waterfowl, and reeds. While archaeological and ethnographic investigations across the Maya area explore aquatic constructions, technology, and foodstuffs, they have not focused on aquaculture. In the western Maya lowlands, including the site of Mensabak, Chiapas, Mexico, ancestral Maya modified floodplains around lakes and rivers for farming fish and aquatic resources near their settlements and fields. These extensive modifications for ecological aquaculture enhanced the productivity and resiliency of natural ecosystems. The domesticated waterscapes near the ritually important Mirador Mountain at Mensabak also followed pan-Mesoamerican beliefs in origin mountains that generated water, plants, and fish for humans. Importantly, Maya integrated subsistence is illuminated by research on domesticated landscapes and ecological aquaculture that examines a range of resources rather than just plants. Certainly across Mesoamerica, ecological aquaculture allowed people to intensify production of "farms" of aquatic species, particularly fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Middle Preclassic period (c. 1000-350 BCE), the people of the Maya lowlands transitioned fromamobile horticulturalist to sedentary farming lifestyle, exemplified by permanent houses arranged around patios and rebuilt over generations. Early evidence of this change has been found in northern Belize, in the Belize Valley, and at Ceibal, Guatemala. At Cuello and other sites in northern Belize, mortuary rituals tied to ancestor veneration created inequality from the beginning of sedentary life. There, relatively dense populations facilitated the emergence of competitive sociopolitical strategies. However, Maya communities in different regions adopted different aspects of sedentism at different times and employed different power strategies. Unlike Cuello, Ceibal was founded as a ceremonial center by semi-mobile people. Middle Preclassic ritual practices at Ceibal and in the Belize Valley were associated with more collective leadership. At the end of this period, increased population densities contributed to a shift to more exclusionary rituals and political strategies throughout the lowlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses its attention on Madrid, the Royal Botanical Garden (RBG), and the LatinX presence just as they were all coming into existence in the Spanish and European world. Pursuing a LatinX origin that exceeds humanness, this thought exploration tracks the Mesoamerican dahlia, transplanted to Spain in 1789. Acocoxochitl— what we now know as the dahlia, named after Swedish naturalist Andreas Dahl (1751–1789)—was one of the first plants to arrive at Madrid's RBG when it opened nearly three centuries ago. The flower was tested on, domesticated, and acclimated, making its botanical debut as the dahlia pinnata in 1791. The dahlia is a vector for an unanticipated life form, clueing us in on where the LatinX world-in-process was heading. It offers a glimpse of how the garden and the Latin find themselves arranged and come into being. How LatinX history is blurred—and how LatinX difference has been produced—in Madrid's iconography is disentangled here. The piece weighs in on these considerations: What does it mean to think alongside the dahlia? What might the plant mean to a human whose body has been tampered with; who asymmetrically became one of Carolus Linnaeus's Latin species; who has been "naturally" passed down to different kinds of nature; whose construction is both native and foreign; and who comes into being through a rather unnatural classificatory order? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Santander. Estudios de Patrimonio is the property of Santander Estudios de Patrimonio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent research conducted in southern Sonora, Mexico provides an opportunity to revisit debates about interaction between Mesoamerica and the North American Southwest (NAS). In the borderland between these traditions, communities show few signs of cultural amalgamation, instead exhibiting either an avoidance of overt identity markers or an emphasis on more local connections. This pattern contrasts with most discussions of Mesoamerican influence on the NAS that focus on regionally atypical centers of foreign goods consumption or evidence of foreign religious traditions in distant localities. By recentering on local contexts where cultural amalgamation is expected but minimal, we raise important questions about why more distant groups found Mesoamerican societies to be worthy of emulation. The results suggest researchers should devote equal attention to cases in which distinct identities are erased or suppressed as they do to cases in which social boundaries are maintained or created anew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the first groups of friars arrived in Mexico to Christianize the native inhabitants of Mesoamerica. This task was anything but easy, as explaining Christian doctrine to the Indigenous people posed both a linguistic and a theological challenge. The need to learn Indigenous languages and to prepare doctrinal materials dedicated specifically to the Christianization of this land was a task that might have seemed almost impossible to conduct in a short period of time, yet by the 1540s, the first printed catechisms (doctrinas) in Nahuatl began to appear. One of the earliest and broadest of these works is the 1548 Dominican Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Española y Mexicana, in which the friars attempted to explain all of the principles of Catholic theology to the Indigenous people. This paper analyses how through highly detailed descriptions and a meticulous choice of vocabulary, the authors strove to impart the tenets of Christian doctrine to the Nahuas in such a way as to make it both fully understandable and as unlikely as possible to be misinterpreted. It points to the sources on which the friars relied while writing the text. The article formulates a theory that the creation of the Doctrina Christiana would not have been possible without the participation of the native speakers of Nahuatl in the project, even though their role in writing the catechism would have had to be hidden from the religious authorities. The Indigenous authors served as cross-cultural bridges in the process of preparing the doctrinal materials. On the one hand, they could therefore help to explain crucial parts of the doctrine to the Indigenous audience. On the other hand, allowing Indigenous concepts to permeate the Christian discourse often led to the creation of ambiguity and provided a space of contestation that could influence the understanding of the Catholic concepts by the Indigenous audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Digital accessible biodiversity knowledge has the potential to greatly advance botanical research and guide conservation efforts. Evaluating its shortfalls is key to understanding its limits and prioritising regions in need of renewed survey efforts.We used the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew's World Checklist of Vascular Plants to parse publicly available occurrence data downloaded from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and quantify the spatial distribution of spatial, phylogenetic, and temporal data shortfalls across Mesoamerica.After processing 3578 777 occurrence records for 32 522 species of vascular plants across Mesoamerica, we found evidence of poor data coverage: incomplete characterisation of species diversity, old occurrence records, and low phylogenetic representation. One‐third of the region showed large gaps for at least one of these dimensions (hotspots) and < 15% had adequate data coverage across dimensions.Overall, the shortfalls we identified compromise the quality of digitally available occurrence data and hamper research on spatial phylogenetics and species dynamics under anthropogenic disturbances. Our analyses identified areas of opportunity for increased efforts in data digitisation, botanical exploration, sequencing, and biodiversity monitoring. These efforts would serve to increase and rejuvenate knowledge on the geographic distribution of vascular plants in Mesoamerica. This article is part of the Special Collection 'Global plant diversity and distribution'. See https://www.newphytologist.org/global-plant-diversity for more details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hot–cold classification system for things and concepts is widely used by many human groups in Mexico. We conducted a comprehensive review to understand the history, themes, and distribution of this system. Methods: We analyzed publications based on field work in Mexico, considering publication date, research approach, study depth, and conceptual domains. We identified the ethnic groups that use the system and the places where they live. A map illustrates the geographic and cultural distribution of the system. Results: The hot–cold system has been documented in 101 academic publications spanning almost a century, particularly for traditional medicine and food. Initially dominated by anthropological studies, ethnobotanists have increasingly contributed to the research. The hot–cold system is utilized by at least 56 indigenous ethnic groups (81% of the total) and mestizos (whose primary or sole language is Spanish) across most of Mexico. Discussion: Anthropologists laid the foundation for understanding the hot–cold system, on which current ethnobotany builds. However, there are still knowledge gaps, for example on some domains (human beings, landscape) and on patterns by regions or linguistic families. The geographic and cultural distribution presented here is approximate, as group ethnicity is imprecise. Conclusions: The hot–cold system is widely applied in Mexico, although some variations exist. Further exploration of understudied domains, and variations between ethnic groups and regions, would contribute to a comprehensive explanation of this interconnected worldview. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extreme weather that humanity has been confronting in recent years is the result of climate change. All over the world, unknown plant species are disappearing daily, which humankind has not discovered and will never know. Since 1900, the angiosperms and gymnosperms have been disappearing at a frequency of three species per year, but it is worrying that this rate of disappearance is up to 500 times higher currently. These data, correlated with the information provided by the United Nations (the world population will reach 10 billion by the year 2050) and FAO (food insecurity and the decrease of feedstock) lead to a crucial need to conserve and study plant germplasm. Therefore, plant germplasm conserved, especially in gene banks, can represent an important source for the development of varieties with an increased resistance to abiotic stress factors. Considering the origin of the current species of Phaseolus vulgaris L. as being in two distinct centers with different gene pools (Andean and Mesoamerica), the aim of the article is to infer the ancestry of 27 landraces according to their sampling geographical origin and morphological and molecular traits based on DNA sequences of three genes associated with abiotic stress tolerance (drought and thermal stress): PvREB5A, PvDREB6B, and PvRPS4. Phaseolus vulgaris L. has two different centers of origin: the Mesoamerican and the Andean basins. In this research, 27 landraces were evaluated from different counties in Romania. Three genes, PvREB5A, PvDREB6B, and PvRPS4, were amplified by the PCR reaction, sequenced by the Sanger technique, and the data obtained were analyzed using MEGA XI software. For morphological data, the GraphPad Prism 9 software was used. According to PvDREB5A, 81.5% of all studied landraces belong to the Mesoamerican gene pool and 18.5% belong to the Andean. PvDREB6B revealed a high nucleotide and amino acid diversity between the Andean and Mesoamerican genotypes compared to the other evaluated genes. Also, the PvRPS4 gene from the chloroplast genome showed one SNP within its coding region, different for those two gene pools, which is directly involved in a nonsynonymous substitution. The morphological characteristics, such as weight for 100 seeds, length, height, width, weight, seed flatness, flatness index, seed elongation, and eccentricity index were determined. European landraces of Mesoamerican origin indicated a large seed size compared to Andean genotypes. This work can be a foundation for the identification of interesting traits that establish plant adaptation to abiotic stress and conserve landraces of common beans from genetic depletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The role of migration in the cultural development of central Mexico has long been debated. Archaeological models suggest that central Mexico likely experienced increased migration during the Epiclassic period (600–900 CE) and that migrants may have originated in northwestern Mexico. While previous biodistance analyses of Classic and Postclassic populations have come to similar conclusions, none have incorporated Epiclassic skeletal populations. This study uses multi‐scalar biodistance analyses to directly evaluate archaeological Epiclassic migration models within central Mexico. Materials and Methods: This study uses finite mixture and relationship (R) matrix analyses of cervicometric tooth dimensions to reconstruct patterns of biological affinity among Classic and Epiclassic Mesoamerican populations (n = 333), including at the central Mexican Epiclassic shrine site of Non‐Grid 4 where the remains of at least 180 individuals were interred. Results: Estimated inter‐site phenotypic distances demonstrate support for some degree of both biological continuity and extra‐local gene flow within central Mexican populations during the Classic‐Epiclassic transition. Furthermore, estimated phenotypic distances and finite mixture posterior probabilities indicate central Mexican Epiclassic populations were biologically diverse, originating from various source populations throughout Mesoamerica, including the Bajío region, the Malpaso Valley, and the Oaxaca Valley. Discussion: Results suggest that emphasizing both local and extra‐local gene flow rather than population replacement may be more appropriate to understand central Mexican population structure during the Classic‐Epiclassic transition. Moreover, analyses support previous archaeological migration models positing that Epiclassic migrants into central Mexico originated in northwestern Mexico, but also find evidence of Epiclassic migrants originating from previously unanticipated locales like southern Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-cultural research on edible plants might include ecological and evolutionary perspectives to understand processes behind species selection and management. With a database of approximately 500 comestible plants of the Province of the Gulf of Mexico in Mesoamerica, phylogenetic analyses are conducted to identify convergence and phylogenetic signal of type of use and significant clustering in the resulting phylogenetic trees. Analyses considered type of management (wild/managed vs. cultivated), type of use (edible, condiment, for wrapping food) and organ utilized. Elevated phylogenetic diversity and signal are expected for wild comestible taxa, indicating that people are using lineages across the angiosperm tree for food, resulting in broadness in diet and use of their regional resources. Main results are: (i) condiment species were identified in groups with an elevated phylogenetic signal; (ii) hot nodes for lineages utilized for wrapping food were found in many monocot groups as well as in epiphytes of cloud forests with leathery leaves; (iii) edible taxa were identified with the highest significant clustering restricted to certain branches in the phylogeny; (iv) wild and cultivated edible plants belong to identical lineages with replacement of species, implying that same plant groups known for their comestible benefits are substituted by species distributed in the Province and (v) wild versus cultivated lineages for condiment are different. Most food species in the Province belong to four families, namely Fabaceae, Cactaceae, Solanaceae and Asparagaceae. Analyses discovered underutilized wild species in identical clades to managed/cultivated taxa that can be studied further to identify cultivation practices. Results suggest that people are utilizing different lineages in the angiosperm tree available locally, for particular uses, like condiment or for wrapping food. Evidence can be used to study further undervalued edible species closely related to the most common food taxa as well as for bioprospection of their nutritional content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diachronica is the property of John Benjamins Publishing Co. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Crested-tailed deer mouse, Habromys lophurus, is one of seven arboreal species within the genus Habromys. Species of this genus are monotypic, relatively rare, and occur in low densities. Their geographical distribution is highly fragmented due to being restricted to montane cloud forest in Mesoamerica and they are of conservation concern. All Habromys species are endemic to Mexico, except H. lophurus, which is also distributed in Guatemala and El Salvador. In this study, we obtained and characterized the first mitogenome and several thousand nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of H. lophurus to determine its phylogenetic position within neotomine-peromyscine mice. Its mitogenome sequence (16,509 bp) is only the second complete mitogenome obtained for this poorly known genus. We also obtained the first nuclear genomic data for H. lophurus, including 3,654 UCE loci, as well as a partial mitogenome of H. simulatus (6,349 bp), and 2,186 UCE for the outgroup Holochilus sciureus. Phylogenetic analyses that included our newly generated genomic data coupled with previously published data from other neotomine-peromyscine mice confirm the placement of H. lophurus, H. simulatus, and H. ixtlani within a highly supported clade. The Habromys clade was nested within a clade that also contains members of the genus Peromyscus and provides further support for the hypothesis of the paraphyly of Peromyscus. These genomic resources will contribute to future phylogenomic studies that aim to further elucidate the evolutionary history of this rare and critically endangered genus of rodents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban adaptation to climate change is a global challenge requiring a broad response that can be informed by how urban societies in the past responded to environmental shocks. Yet, interdisciplinary efforts to leverage insights from the urban past have been stymied by disciplinary silos and entrenched misconceptions regarding the nature and diversity of premodern human settlements and institutions, especially in the case of prehispanic Mesoamerica. Long recognized as a distinct cultural region, prehispanic Mesoamerica was the setting for one of the world's original urbanization episodes despite the impediments to communication and resource extraction due to the lack of beasts of burden and wheeled transport, and the limited and relatively late use of metal implements. Our knowledge of prehispanic urbanism in Mesoamerica has been significantly enhanced over the past two decades due to significant advances in excavating, analyzing, and contextualizing archaeological materials. We now understand that Mesoamerican urbanism was as much a story about resilience and adaptation to environmental change as it was about collapse. Here we call for a dialogue among Mesoamerican urban archaeologists, sustainability scientists, and researchers interested in urban adaptation to climate change through a synthetic perspective on the organizational diversity of urbanism. Such a dialogue, seeking insights into what facilitates and hinders urban adaptation to environmental change, can be animated by shifting the long-held emphasis on failure and collapse to a more empirically grounded account of resilience and the factors that fostered adaptation and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of word classes has a long-standing tradition in the European history of the language sciences. Amongst scholars of Otopamean languages there is a rather clear agreement that little positive evidence for the existence of a proper class of adjectives is to be found in this very language family. Such analyses are not at all rare for Mesoamerican languages. The paper will focus on the representation of this discussion in old colonial and postcolonial grammars, dictionaries and texts about the Pamean subgroup – works which mostly stem from the context of missionary writers in the first place. Specifically, it will try to illustrate the indecisiveness and sometimes seemingly hesitant treatment of how to deal with the European concept of 'adjectives' in those languages – even in postcolonial times. We will argue that the critical points brought up in the recent theoretical and descriptive discussion reflect problems that authors in the history up to the 20th century had with this very category (like overlaps with certain verb types or with nouns, according to adjective classes). With varying breadth and depth, the sources taken into account concern Pamean, namely Northern, Southern and Central Pame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Anuario de Historia Regional y de las Fronteras is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

High‐quality records of hydroclimate variability in central Mexico during the last 2000 years are necessary to better understand human–environment interactions in Mesoamerica. Of particular interest are the climatic conditions during the Epiclassic period (ad 600–900), as droughts have been associated with a cultural demise occurring around ad 900–1000. We reconstruct the hydroclimate history of the last 2000 years based on a sediment record from a drought‐sensitive lake located near one of the most important Epiclassic city‐states in Mesoamerica. Titanium concentrations, pollen and diatoms give a consistent environmental signal of five droughts occurring at about: (i) ad 50–250, (ii) ad 700–950, (iii) ad 1200–1300, (iv) ad 1450–1550 and (v) ad 1760–1820. Some droughts were associated with cooler climatic conditions, and all of them framed major historical events. Our results show that the great cultural development of the Epiclassic period (ad 600–900) was framed by a scenario of drought conditions followed by abandonment at ad 900–1000. A brief return to moister conditions is recorded before another drought during the time of the fall of the city‐state of Tula (1200). European contact (1521) and the War of Independence (1810–20) also occurred during times of drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies five manuscripts from the colonial period that are preserved in the National Library of Mexico. Firstly, it explores the concept of codex and its application in the Mesoamerican context, with the interest of locating the proposed documentary grouping criteria based on the remanence of indigenous record systems. Then comes the presentation of each of the copies that constitute the corpus, which includes a brief historical context as well as a select example of some of its graphic characteristics. Finally, the spatio-temporal location of the copies in the history of Mexican written culture is shown, and it concludes with some thoughts on the corpus addressed and the indigenous scriptural and iconographic manifestations in the colonial period. In this way, the purpose of the article is focused on presenting and describing five manuscripts as members of the corpus of Nahua codices held in the National Library of Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thousands of ballcourts are known throughout Mesoamerica, as they are usually a main component of public architecture at mostly high-ranking archaeological sites. These buildings appear in different designs and layouts and were deeply tied to politics, religion, sacred belief, ritual, ceremonies, and sport. Considering that the construction of public buildings followed well-established architectural standards in accordance with social norms and religious concepts, I hypothesize that ballcourts were designed using closed polygon layouts with lengths and areas that displayed significant worldview numbers and time counts. Analysis of the layouts of 28 ballcourts from 17 archaeological sites indicates that Mesoamericans intentionally plotted short- and long-term annual and ritual calendric counts, and lunar and Venus synodic cycles. It is concluded that these buildings hosted public events to commemorate the completion or beginning of a new time cycle and to honor the related deities for whom they were built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Theobroma from the Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica is described and illustrated. Theobroma flaviflorum is restricted to the Osa Peninsula, where it has been collected on stream banks. The new species shows an unusual combination of characters including yellow flowers and globose mature fruits without ribs that are slightly sunken toward the apex and borne on terminal leafy terminal branches. The new species is compared with T. angustifolium, T. cirmolinae, and T. stipulatum which also have flowers that are yellow or orange; and with T. grandiflorum, T. hylaeum, and T. subincanum, which have similarly shaped fruits. A key for the Mesoamerican species of Theobroma is provided, as well as some notes for two of the species of Theobroma also reported for this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake sediment composition depends on the environmental context where sediments are produced, transported, and deposited. Factors involved in sedimentary processes imprint specific signatures on sediments, thus providing evidence on the environmental context at the time of deposition. The interaction of the involved factors and processes, however, results in complex signals that in some instances are difficult to interpret. Here, we explore and quantify the relationships between commonly analyzed attributes of lake sediments and the geological, climatic, and ecological context of the corresponding catchment basins. For this purpose, we analyzed the geochemical composition and modern pollen spectra of 132 lakes, and characterized each locality in terms of climate, topography, vegetation cover, geology, and human activities in the catchment basin. The studied lakes included areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, thus encompassing Mesoamerica, a culturally defined region. Multivariate statistics and regression techniques were used to assess the quantitative relationships between environmental and sedimentary variability. According to our results, the inorganic sediment chemistry is strongly influenced by basin geology, reflecting the contrasting nature of karstic versus other sediments. Conversely, the organic components are likely controlled by local factors, such as lake trophic status. Pollen assemblages reflect the regional biogeographic gradient from temperate to tropical vegetation with a strong modulation by topographic and climatic gradients. Our study confirms that whereas pollen spectra reflect regional conditions, sediment geochemistry captures local variability, highlighting the importance of a multiproxy approach for conducting paleoenvironmental reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fortified sites, sanctuaries, deities, and community were interconnected in Mesoamerican warfare practices and theology. This article examines the archaeological patterning and Indigenous religious beliefs regarding fortifications, sanctuaries, and deity communication. Ethnohistoric and ethnographic information points to the importance of deities and ancestors for community well-being and success in war. Mesoamerican combatants protected deities, including their images and sanctuary homes, for they were often captured or destroyed during sieges. Site fortification was based not only on pragmatic military purposes, but on culturally practical decisions related to protecting deities and divine intercession that influenced human behavior and community practices. As in other areas, Mesoamerican people maintained covenants with spiritual forces in close proximity at sacred "communicating places" in wartime, such as temples in settlements and sanctuaries at hills and caves. Hence, fortifications protected people, their shrines, and their gods, as well as militarily strategic places. This study calls attention to additional religious behaviors in Mesoamerican war besides sacrifice to war gods and for cosmic renewal, which went hand-in-hand with political, military, and community concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To characterize host risk factors for infectious disease in Mesoamerican populations, we interrogated 857,481 SNPs assayed using the Affymetrix 6.0 genotyping array for signatures of natural selection in immune response genes. We applied three statistical tests to identify signatures of natural selection: locus-specific branch length (LSBL), the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH), and the integrated haplotype score (iHS). Each of the haplotype tests (XP-EHH and iHS) were paired with LSBL and significance was determined at the 1% level. For the paired analyses, we identified 95 statistically significant windows for XP-EHH/LSBL and 63 statistically significant windows for iHS/LSBL. Among our top immune response loci, we found evidence of recent directional selection associated with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) signaling pathway. These findings illustrate that Mesoamerican populations' immunity has been shaped by exposure to infectious disease. As targets of selection, these variants are likely to encode phenotypes that manifest themselves physiologically and therefore may contribute to population-level variation in immune response. Our results shed light on past selective events influencing the host response to modern diseases, both pathogenic infection as well as autoimmune disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis is a top predator in aquatic ecosystems from North, Central, and South America and is subjected to substantial environmental distress due to historic and contemporary anthropogenic disturbance. Currently, L. longicaudis is considered 'near threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. This study renders the first genomic resource for L. longicaudis; its mitochondrial genome was assembled and characterised in detail. The AT-rich mitochondrial genome of L. longicaudis was 16,436 bp in length and encoded 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a 994 bp long putative control region (CR). The heavy use of CTA (Leu), ATA (Met), and ATC (Ile) codons in PCGs contributes to the AT-rich nature of this genome. Out of 22 tRNAs, tRNA-Ser (AGY) (trnS1) lacked a typical 'cloverleaf' secondary structure. In the CR, numerous microsatellites and two tandem repeats were detected as well as multiple 'hairpin' structures. Ka/Ks values estimated for all but one PCG were < 1, indicating purifying selection in most PCGs. atp8 experienced neutral selection. A phylogenomic analysis based on PCGs confirms the monophyly of the family Mustelidae and also supports the monophyletic status of the subfamilies Guloinae, Helictidinae, Melinae, Mustelinae and Lutrinae; Ictonychinae was found to be polyphyletic. In the Lutrinae, L. longicaudis had an early branching position. The characterisation of a complete mitochondrial genome in the Neotropical otter L. longicaudis constitutes the first step towards supporting conservation efforts using genomic tools in this and other mustelids inhabiting aquatic neotropical environments under considerable contemporary anthropogenic disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Teotihuacan civilisation was the largest one in ancient Mesoamerica. The Teotihuacan city was born in the north-eastern Basin of Mexico around the second century BC, reached its peak in the fourth century AD, and had cultural influence throughout Mesoamerica. At its peak, the size of the city reached more than 20 km2, and the total population is estimated to have increased from 100,000 to 200,000. However, knowledge of the genetic background of the Teotihuacan people is still limited. We aimed to determine the mitogenome sequences of the Teotihuacan human remains and compare the ancient and present Mesoamericans. In addition, we aimed to identify the food habits of ancient Teotihuacans. We determined the mitogenome sequences of human remains dated to 250–636 cal AD using target enrichment-coupled next generation sequencing. We also performed stable isotope analysis. We successfully obtained nearly full-length sequences newly unearthed from a civilian dwelling in the Teotihuacan site. Teotihuacan mitochondrial DNA was classified into the haplogroups in present and ancient Mesoamericans. In addition, Teotihuacan individuals had a diet dependent on C4 plants such as maize. Genetic diversity varied among the Teotihuacans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Ocote is a pre-Hispanic settlement distributed on the top and slopes of Los Tecuanes hill, to the southwest of the capital of the State of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Early archaeological survey pointed out that the site was developed during the Epiclassic period, between 650 and 900 AD. Still, the site lacks reliable absolute chronological data. An archaeomagnetic sampling involved two fire pits located on the site. 98 cubic specimens were prepared and the natural remanent magnetization of all of them was measured. Subsequently, a demagnetization process was carried out by alternating fields up to 90 mT to eliminate secondary magnetizations and obtain their primary, characteristic mean archaeodirections. Additionally, rock-magnetic experiments were carried out that included: thermomagnetic curves, hysteresis cycles and isothermal remanent magnetization curves, obtained using a Curie Balance, in order to define the nature of the magnetic carriers responsible for thermoremanent magnetization. The mean directions were calculated for both fire pits and compared to the global geomagnetic model SHA.DIF.14K, yielding time intervals 914 AD - 1079 AD and 924 AD - 1102 AD for the first and second fire pits respectively, which represent the most probable age of their last use. In addition, the directions obtained were also compared with the SHAWQ2k global geomagnetic model and the local paleosecular variation curve of Mahgoub et al., 2019. Six radiometric ages are also reported for first time. The radiometric ages belong to carbon remains located in different fire pits located on the site and also correspond to the Mesoamerican Epiclassic period. The ages obtained for both fire pits show rather good agreement with the chronology proposed for the time of abandonment of the site and of the entire region, supporting the proposal of an almost simultaneous collapse in the northern section of the western Mesoamerican border between 900 AD. and 1100 AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing the Malpighiaceae treatment for an upcoming volume of the Flora Mesoamericana has revealed a number of new species, new combinations, and typifications of taxa from different genera of Neotropical Malpighiaceae requiring publication. Nine new species are proposed in this paper from the Mesoamerica flora area: three Bunchosia Kunth (B. bifurcata A. Pool, B. chiapensis A. Pool, and B. heterotricha A. Pool), one Carolus W. R. Anderson (C. yucatanensis A. Pool), one Glicophyllum R. F. Almeida (G. mortonianum A. Pool), two Malpighia L. (M. inclinata A. Pool and M. verrucifolia A. Pool), one Psychopterys W. R. Anderson & S. Corso (P. nicaraguensis A. Pool), and one Tetrapterys Cav. (T. argyrophylla A. Pool). A lectotype and epitype are selected for Malpighia polystachia Andrews [≡ Bunchosia polystachia (Andrews) DC.], lectotypes for Heteropterys beecheyana A. Juss. var. beecheyana f. glabriuscula Nied. [= Heteropterys brachiata (L.) DC.] and Tritomopterys albida (Schltdl. & Cham.) Nied. var. subtomentosa Nied. [≡ Gaudichaudia albida Schltdl. & Cham. var. subtomentosa (Nied.) Nied.], and a neotype for Gaudichaudia chamorrii Ram. Goyena [= G. albida var. albida]. Three generic transfers are proposed: Bunchosia squarrosa Griseb. [≡ Tetrapterys squarrosa (Griseb.) Griseb.] to Glicophyllum as G. squarrosum (Griseb.) A. Pool, Banisteria sanguinea Rusby to Heteropterys Kunth as H. sanguinea (Rusby) A. Pool, and Mascagnia macrobracteata Lundell to Tetrapterys, as T. macrobracteata (Lundell) A. Pool. Finally, one combination is made to elevate Heteropterys laurifolia (L.) A. Juss. var. brevibracteolata Cuatrec. & Croat to the rank of species as H. brevibracteolata (Cuatrec. & Croat) A. Pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Artibeus aztecus is a Mesoamerican montane bat with three currently recognized, allopatric subspecies. No study has evaluated the phylogenetic status of the subspecies. However, through an analysis of its ecological niche and its geographic distribution, here we analyze whether there is differentiation of the climatic requirements for each subspecies, assessing whether niche evolution is a potential factor in subspecies differentiation. We assayed ecological niche models for each subspecies, analyzed the response curves for the most important climatic variables of each model, and generated the potential distribution model for each subspecies. We assayed a background similarity test between the subspecies to determine how similar their niches were. We found differences in climatic requirements for the three allopatric subspecies and the most important variables and their response curves. Potential distribution models concur with Mesoamerican highlands and highlight the lowlands of the isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Nicaraguan depression as possible geographic barriers. Differences found between ecological niches for each subspecies contrast with previous findings for the species and other phyllostomid bats. Niche conservatism may have caused geographic isolation in the past, and differences in environmental requirements may have appeared later. Molecular and morphological analyses are necessary to clarify the taxonomic status of these populations and the evolutionary processes involved in their diversification. Artibeus aztecus es un murciélago montano mesoamericano, cuyas tres poblaciones alopátricas son reconocidas como subespecies. Sin embargo, no hay estudios filogenéticos que permitan aclarar su situación taxonómica, por lo que, a través del análisis de su nicho ecológico y distribución geográfica, se analizó si existe diferenciación en los requerimientos climáticos para cada subespecie, evaluando si la evolución del nicho es un factor potencial en la diferenciación de las subespecies. Se llevaron a cabo modelos de nicho ecológico para cada subespecie, se analizaron las curvas de respuesta de las variables más importantes y, se generó el modelo de distribución potencial para cada subespecie. Adicionalmente se realizaron pruebas de similitud de background entre las tres subespecies para determinar qué tan similares son sus nichos. Se encontraron diferencias en los requerimientos climáticos entre las tres subespecies, así como en las variables más importantes y sus curvas de respuesta. Los modelos de distribución potencial coinciden con las tierras altas de Mesoamérica y destacan las zonas bajas del istmo de Tehuantepec y la depresión de Nicaragua como posibles barreras geográficas. Las diferencias encontradas en los nichos ecológicos de las subespecies contrastan con los hallazgos previos para la especie y otros murciélagos filostómidos. Conservadurismo de nicho ecológico pudo provocar aislamiento geográfico en el pasado y las diferencias en los requerimientos climáticos pudieron aparecer después. Son necesarios análisis moleculares y morfológicos que permitan conocer de manera más amplia los patrones evolutivos involucrados en la diversificación de la especie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary conservation is a strategy developed by international conservation organizations to safeguard biodiversity along and across borders and to enhance peace-building among nation-states and border communities. Currently, there are over 200 transboundary conservation cases worldwide, suggesting that the strategy is a significant yet under-researched area in International Relations. Based on empirical research and mapping, this article examines the relationship between transboundary conservation and international relations in the case of the Maya Forest, which refers to the tropical rainforest borderlands between Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. By analyzing transboundary conservation and its international relations, the article reveals how the strategy reinforces nature states. As a strategic complex composed of heritage sites and biosphere reserves, the Maya Forest is constructed as a shared biocultural landscape. However, national borders are simultaneously fostered by internationally adjoining protected areas to maintain the status quo. In conclusion, this strategy assists in building complex and subtle environmental international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The travertine-lined irrigation canal networks of the Tehuacán Valley, Mexico allowed pre-Hispanic indigenous communities to overcome risks of crop failures in an arid setting. Segments of these systems are still in use today, therefore understanding when and how these irrigation networks functioned allows us to identify which attributes of a coupled socio-hydrological system are important for maintaining the long-term resilience of irrigation systems in drylands. This paper summarizes the results of an interdisciplinary study of this prehispanic irrigation network involving mapping, radiometric dating, and diatom analyses of materials extracted from the travertine lined canals. All of the canal networks were functioning by ca. 2000 BC, at the transition from the Late Archaic to the Formative period, which is before archeological evidence for widespread community-level aggregation. Provocatively, some canals are potentially as old as 6000–4000 BC, which would mean that hunter-gatherers initiated irrigation coevally with the introduction of semi-domesticated maize, a tropical species which would require supplemental water in this arid context. The canals both facilitated agricultural intensification and enhanced the distribution of aquatic ecosystems. The resilience of these systems to their unique spring dependent context demanded frequent maintenance and the integration of multiple canal networks to mitigate geohydrological vulnerabilities of reduced discharge. These conditions set up a long-term reciprocal dynamic between people and water in the Tehuacán Valley. The results demonstrate that rigidities inherent to tightly coupled socio-hydrological systems in dryland settings were overcome by institutional arrangements first developed by indigenous communities deep in prehistory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Dendropanax (Araliaceae) endemic to Costa Rica are described. Dendropanax aberrans J.F. Morales resembles D. grandiflorus but differs by the inflorescence structure (panicle of umbels vs. single umbel), and the smaller sizes of both the hypanthium and the petals. Dendropanax zarratu J.F. Morales is unique among Central America and West Indian taxa. It is recognized by its panicle of umbels, with the peduncles agglomerate, flowers 8-9-merous, hypanthium 7-8 mm long, and fruits 1.2-1.4 cm long. Illustrations of the new species and a key to the four Dendropanax having elongated hypanthia (= 4 mm long) in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and Colombia are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesoamerican Postclassic and Epiclassic were periods of drastic change and transformation related to social, political and economic aspects as well as settlement patterns. Mexico's northern boundary expansion, rise, and subsequent demise is a matter of debate which remains essentially unsolved. Possible causes include climatic changes, landscape degradation or prolonged bellicose relations with nomadic groups. Still, no consensus exists on why such apparent instability and decline occurred at major archaeological settlements on the northern Mesoamerican border, also known as the septentrional frontier. The scarcity of absolute chronological constraints is definitively a handicap that impedes the assessment of northern Mesoamerica's development from its apogee to its decline. The archaeomagnetic method has been used during the last decades to analyze burned archaeological artifacts belonging to Mesoamerica's north and central-west frontiers, including different Mexican states. Namely, high-resolution studies were carried out at Aguascalientes (El Ocote), Guanajuato (El Cóporo, Lo de Juárez and Plazuelas), Jalisco (Cerro de Los Agaves, La Palma and El Palacio de Ocomo) and Zacatecas (La Quemada). It was successfully proved that archaeomagnetic dating might greatly contribute to refining the chronology and development of major pre-Hispanic settlements. These studies were based on available geomagnetic curves at the time of publication. However, global geomagnetic models have experienced substantial improvement with the development of local/regional reference archaeomagnetic curves during the last few years. Hence, the need arises for a critical reassessment of reported age intervals and corresponding chronological contexts. Updated archaeomagnetic ages are recalculated considering the geomagnetic models SHA.DIF.14K and SHAWQ.2K as well as the two regional paleosecular variation curves for Mesoamerica. A bootstrap resampling method is used to obtain an optimal age range for each studied structure. These new absolute chronologies indicate that the last fire exposure of the vast majority of the analyzed artifacts unequivocally corresponds to the Mesoamerican early Postclassic related to the depopulation stage apparently caused by environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multimethod archaeometry study (zooarchaeological, isotopic, ancient DNA, paleobotanical, and radiocarbon dating) of a spider monkey sacrificed in the ceremonial center of Teotihuacan, Mexico (1 to 550 CE) is interpreted as a diplomatic gift exchange with neighboring Maya. Not only does this spider monkey provide the earliest known instance of primate translocation and captivity in Mesoamerica, it helps date incipient modes of interregional diplomacy between two major powers during Early Classic Mesoamerica: Teotihuacan and the Maya. Details of human–primate interaction include age at capture and transport (before ~3 y of age), captive duration (over 2 y), anthropogenic diet (staple was maize, though secondary resources unique to anthropogenic diet including arrowroot and chili pepper were also found), context of sacrifice (tethered and associated with complete golden eagle and an array of other statecrafts), and general site context (including presence of Maya vessels and Maya-style murals). The timing of the spider monkey’s sacrifice (250 to 300 CE) and its life history suggest a reconsideration of epigraphically attested militaristic involvement of Teotihuacan at certain Maya sites. We propose that a period of more multilateral and fluid ritual exchange with Maya dignitaries preceded the Teotihuacan state’s eventual ascent to prominence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales), is a member one of the most endangered seed plant groups. Species of Ceratozamia grow from near sea level up to 2,100 meters in Mexico and Mesoamerica. We present a modern taxonomic treatment of Ceratozamia, based on fieldwork combined with detailed study of herbarium specimens in and from Mexico and Central America. This new revision is based on incorporation of morphological, molecular and biogeographic data that have been previously published in circumscriptions of species complexes by our group. Detailed morphological descriptions of the 36 species of Ceratozamia are provided and relevant characters for the genus are discussed and described. A majority are endemic to Mexico and are concentrated at high elevations in mountainous areas. Synonymies, lectotypifications, etymologies, taxonomic notes, distribution maps, illustrations and detailed species-level comparisons are included, as well as a dichotomous key for identification of all species. Data on distributional ranges and habitats of all species are summarized. Ceratozamia osbornei D.W.Stev., Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor., sp. nov. is described from evergreen tropical forests of Belize and we highlight new populations and distributional ranges for C. subroseophylla Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor. and C. vovidesii Pérez-Farr. & Iglesias in the Mesoamerican region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The proximate ecological and evolutionary processes underlying the high biodiversity of neotropical montane cloud forests are still very poorly understood. Climatic oscillations may have contributed to vicariance and cladogenesis, but also promoted secondary contact and erosion of genetic divergence. Here we tested whether geographical diversification – or its lack thereof – in a complex of arboreal alligator lizards is explained by range shifts during Quaternary climatic oscillations. Location: Pine–oak and cloud forests, central Mexico. Taxon: Abronia taeniata–graminea species complex (Squamata: Anguidae: Gerrhonotinae). Methods: We generated genomic data (ddRADseq) to infer patterns of geographical diversification in the complex, reconstruct its demographic history, estimate the timing of lineage split, and test for the presence of contemporary and/or historical hybridization. We evaluated whether the tempo and mode of diversification (i.e. strict isolation vs. secondary contact with introgression) are explained by the contemporary distribution of suitable habitats and/or range shifts experienced by the complex since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), as inferred from environmental niche modelling (ENM). Results: Genomic data supported a marked genetic structure within the complex, and phylogenomic and dating analyses revealed cryptic lineage diversification starting at the onset of the Pleistocene followed by secondary contact with limited introgression. ENM pointed to considerable range expansions of the complex during the LGM and a marked fragmentation and scarce connectivity among contemporary populations, which was supported by genomic‐based demographic reconstructions. Main Conclusions: The geographical diversification of the complex has been moulded by vicariant events promoted by Pleistocene geologic and climatic changes impacting the distribution of their pine–oak and cloud forest habitats. Our data supported a model of divergence with introgression, indicating that pulses of population fragmentation and expansion during the Quaternary have led to multiple opportunities for both allopatric isolation and secondary contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]