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Summary: Cipo Canastero Asthenes luizae is a relict ovenbird restricted to rocky outcrops at high elevations within the campo rupestre vegetation of the Espinhaço Range in the state of Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil. This poorly known species is considered 'Near Threatened', but recent studies have suggested that it should be listed under a higher category of threat. To contribute to the knowledge of this species and its conservation assessment and related planning, we compiled all literature records of the species distribution (n = 16 locations), collected new data on its occurrence (n = 72 locations), and calculated its geographic range using four different approaches. First, we defined the sky islands where the species occurs (nine units) using the lowest elevation value recorded (1,100 m asl) as a cut-off. Second, we performed species distribution modelling (SDM) across the sky islands and identified an area of 2,225.21 km2. Third, we measured the species' extent of occurrence (EOO = 24,555.85 km2) and used SDM to estimate its upper limit (EOOup = 30,697.58 km2). Fourth, we measured the area of occupancy (AOO = 228 km2) and used SDM to estimate its upper limit (AOOup = 1,827.39 km2). We analysed the Cipo Canastero sky islands in terms of landscape metrics including size, isolation, protected area coverage, shape index, core area index, and proportion covered by SDM. We observed a very fragmented distribution, especially in the North sector of the species distribution, composed of small and isolated populations (separated by up to 112 km); the South sector is the core of its distribution and is composed of larger, more connected patches with differences in shape complexity that are not strongly influenced by an edge effect. The range sizes calculated, along with other reported information regarding population and habitat trends, justifies the inclusion of the species in at least the 'Vulnerable' category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the evolutionary histories of two hummingbirds, Augastes scutatus and Augastes lumachella, endemic to the highlands of the Espinhaço Range in Brazil. These hummingbirds are considered relictual taxa with phylogenetic affinities to members of the genus Schistes from the Andean region. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships of Augastes through the use of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear sequences within the Polytminae hummingbird clade, and found that the inferred phylogenetic reconstructions placed A. scutatus as the sister species of A. lumachella and Augastes as sister to Schistes geoffroyi from the northern Andes, as previously suggested by similarities found in plumage and morphology. Our results are consistent with an initial divergence of Augastes and Schistes lineages in the Late Miocene, associated with geological and climatic changes across the South American landscape. A Late Pliocene vicariant event between A. scutatus and A. lumachella may be associated with climatically distinct environmental conditions influencing the local differentiation and adaptation of ancestral Augastes populations. Our findings represent additional important evidence of vicariant events between east and west in southern South America, and between north and south within the Espinhaço Range of Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we verified the power of DNA barcodes to discriminate Neotropical birds using Bayesian tree reconstructions of a total of 7404 COI sequences from 1521 species, including 55 Brazilian species with no previous barcode data. We found that 10.4% of species were nonmonophyletic, most likely due to inaccurate taxonomy, incomplete lineage sorting or hybridization. At least 0.5% of the sequences (2.5% of the sampled species) retrieved from GenBank were associated with database errors (poor-quality sequences, Nu MTs, misidentification or unnoticed hybridization). Paraphyletic species (5.8% of the total) can be related to rapid speciation events leading to nonreciprocal monophyly between recently diverged sister species, or to absence of synapomorphies in the small COI region analysed. We also performed two series of genetic distance calculations under the K2P model for intraspecific and interspecific comparisons: the first included all COI sequences, and the second included only monophyletic taxa observed in the Bayesian trees. As expected, the mean and median pairwise distances were smaller for intraspecific than for interspecific comparisons. However, there was no precise 'barcode gap', which was shown to be larger in the monophyletic taxon data set than for the data from all species, as expected. Our results indicated that although database errors may explain some of the difficulties in the species discrimination of Neotropical birds, distance-based barcode assignment may also be compromised because of the high diversity of bird species and more complex speciation events in the Neotropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the main biogeographic and phylogenetic hypotheses about the origin and distribution of the endemic birds from Brazilian mountaintops, a heterogeneous group composed of hummingbirds and passerines living in high-altitude open habitats ofcampos rupestres,campos de altitudeandcampos sulinosfrom southern to north-eastern Brazilian mountaintops (Espinhaço Range, Serra do Mar, Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra Geral). Some authors consider that these birds are probably closely related to other species distributed in cooler areas of South America. We used ranges of these birds, spatial pattern and discontinuities in the distribution of phytophysiognomies to determine potential geographic barriers to dispersal and centres of origin and speciation. We reanalysed biogeographical hypotheses regarding the evolution of the endemic birds from Brazilian mountaintops and their habitats in the light of recent phylogenetic reconstructions that included some of these species. The evolutionary histories of the speciesAugastes scutatus,Augastes lumachella,Formicivora grantsaui,Polystictus superciliarisandEmbernagra longicaudaare difficult to assess due to lack of phylogenies that establish their systematic position. ForAsthenes luizae,Asthenes moreirae,Cinclodes pabstiandC. espinhacensis, the phylogenies estimate also their lineage divergence times, which allows for inferences concerning connections between the biota of eastern Brazil, southern South America and the Andean mountains. We also identified 26 lowland regions between the mountains that were potentially barriers to dispersal. Phylogenetic relationships strongly highlight the importance of connecting paths and speciation through the south, especially in the cooler areas in South America. These patterns show that eastern Brazil, southern South America and the central and northern Andes are four important centres of origin and radiation for the endemic birds from the eastern Brazilian mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We describe Cinclodes espinhacensis (Furnariidae) , a new species discovered at high elevation in the southern portion of the Espinhaço Range, in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This new taxon is closely related to the Long-tailed Cinclodes Cinclodes pabsti, endemic to Serra Geral, southern Brazil. We present diagnostic morphological, genetic and vocal characters that support the rank of species for this allopatric taxon. It is readily distinguishable from C. pabsti by its much darker back, chest and flanks, lower body mass, shorter tarsus-length, lower frequency of vocalizations, and longer duration of calls. DNA sequence data estimate that the divergence time between this new species and Cinclodes pabsti occurred c. 220 000 years ago, during the late Pleistocene. This discovery illustrates remarkable biogeographical connections among the cold regions of South America. The new species has a restricted range and we suggest it meets the criteria of the IUCN Red List category of Endangered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the first time in Velloziaceae, in the endangered species Vellozia gigantea. Methods and Results: Using two different protocols, seven primer sets were characterized in three populations of V. gigantea. The primers amplified di- and trinucleotide repeats with six to 12 alleles per locus. These revealed high levels of genetic variation, presenting an average observed heterozygosity of 0.508 in V. gigantea. The seven primers were tested for cross-amplification in three Vellozia species. All primers successfully amplified in V. auriculata. Six primers amplified in V. compacta and three in V. hirsuta. Conclusions: The new marker set described here will be useful for studies of population genetics of V. gigantea. The cross-amplification results indicate the utility of primers for studies in other Vellozia species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]