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The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and is the largest and most biodiverse Seasonal Tropical Dry Forest in the world. Despite that, the mammalian fauna, especially small mammals, is the least studied of all Brazilian biomes. In order to fill gaps and provide detailed information on small mammals (Didelphimorphia, Rodentia) in the Caatinga biome, we compiled reliable records focusing on richness, composition and some biometric data. These records came from mammal collections, papers, theses, books, and unpublished data, prioritizing records with vouchers housed in scientific collections. We compiled a total of 3133 records from 816 locations, resulting in a richness of 47 native species (12 marsupials and 35 rodents, plus three exotic rodents, Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, and Mus musculus). This dataset includes records of three new species for the biome and its transition zone: the rodents Calomys mattevii, Holochilus oxe, and Nectomys squamipes. Of the total number of records, 1808 (57.71%) are from consulting activities, 95 (3.03%) are from zoonoses studies and 104 (3.32%) are from the National Plague Service (SNP). All nine Brazilian states with territory in the Caatinga have sampling data for small mammals, but the number of records and localities are unevenly distributed, with the state of Rio Grande do Norte having the lowest number of records and locations sampled. Our dataset is the first of its kind for the Caatinga biome and has considerable potential value for studies of habitat use, landscape ecology, macroecology, biogeography, and conservation. There are no copyright restrictions on the data. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

Variações polimórficas podem atuar nas alterações cromáticas, que, em excesso, causam a hiperpigmentação (indivíduos melânicos), e quando deficientes são responsáveis pela hipopigmentação (indivíduos albinos, leucísticos ou com piebaldismo) e podem estar associadas com aspectos ecológicos, fisiologia e outros processos biológicos. No Brasil, o leucismo foi observado em poucas espécies de carnívoros, podendo representar um evento esporádico nesse grupo de animais, uma vez que as alterações cromáticas de hipopigmentação podem causar efeitos negativos sobre os indivíduos, como vulnerabilidade aumentada à predação. Ainda assim, observou-se um indivíduo de Cerdocyon thous, nas dependências do Campus de Ciências Agrárias da UNIVASF, zona rural de Petrolina, Pernambuco, que apresentou leucismo. Ao ser avistado, o canídeo apresentou as mesmas características comportamentais de outros espécimes normais, com a fuga para áreas adjacentes com vegetação natural.

Background Callithrix marmosets are a relatively young primate radiation, whose phylogeny is not yet fully resolved. These primates are naturally para- and allopatric, but three species with highly invasive potential have been introduced into the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest by the pet trade. There, these species hybridize with each other and endangered, native congeners. We aimed here to reconstruct a robust Callithrix phylogeny and divergence time estimates, and identify the biogeographic origins of autochthonous and allochthonous Callithrix mitogenome lineages. We sequenced 49 mitogenomes from four species (C. aurita, C. geoffroyi, C. jacchus, C. penicillata) and anthropogenic hybrids (C. aurita x Callithrix sp., C. penicillata x C. jacchus, Callithrix sp. x Callithrix sp., C. penicillata x C. geoffroyi) via Sanger and whole genome sequencing. We combined these data with previously published Callithrix mitogenomes to analyze five Callithrix species in total. Results We report the complete sequence and organization of the C. aurita mitogenome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that C. aurita was the first to diverge within Callithrix 3.54 million years ago (Ma), while C. jacchus and C. penicillata lineages diverged most recently 0.5 Ma as sister clades. MtDNA clades of C. aurita, C. geoffroyi, and C. penicillata show intraspecific geographic structure, but C. penicillata clades appear polyphyletic. Hybrids, which were identified by phenotype, possessed mainly C. penicillata or C. jacchus mtDNA haplotypes. The biogeographic origins of mtDNA haplotypes from hybrid and allochthonous Callithrix were broadly distributed across natural Callithrix ranges. Our phylogenetic results also evidence introgression of C. jacchus mtDNA into C. aurita. Conclusion Our robust Callithrix mitogenome phylogeny shows C. aurita lineages as basal and C. jacchus lineages among the most recent within Callithrix. We provide the first evidence that parental mtDNA lineages of anthropogenic hybrid and allochthonous marmosets are broadly distributed inside and outside of the Atlantic Forest. We also show evidence of cryptic hybridization between allochthonous Callithrix and autochthonous C. aurita. Our results encouragingly show that further development of genomic resources will allow to more clearly elucidate Callithrix evolutionary relationships and understand the dynamics of Callithrix anthropogenic introductions into the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Callithrix marmosets are a relatively young primate radiation, whose phylogeny is not yet fully resolved. These primates are naturally para- and allopatric, but three species with highly invasive potential have been introduced into the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest by the pet trade. There, these species hybridize with each other and endangered, native congeners. We aimed here to reconstruct a robust Callithrix phylogeny and divergence time estimates, and identify the biogeographic origins of autochthonous and allochthonous Callithrix mitogenome lineages. We sequenced 49 mitogenomes from four species (C. aurita, C. geoffroyi, C. jacchus, C. penicillata) and anthropogenic hybrids (C. aurita x Callithrix sp., C. penicillata x C. jacchus, Callithrix sp. x Callithrix sp., C. penicillata x C. geoffroyi) via Sanger and whole genome sequencing. We combined these data with previously published Callithrix mitogenomes to analyze five Callithrix species in total.ResultsWe report the complete sequence and organization of the C. aurita mitogenome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that C. aurita was the first to diverge within Callithrix 3.54 million years ago (Ma), while C. jacchus and C. penicillata lineages diverged most recently 0.5 Ma as sister clades. MtDNA clades of C. aurita, C. geoffroyi, and C. penicillata show intraspecific geographic structure, but C. penicillata clades appear polyphyletic. Hybrids, which were identified by phenotype, possessed mainly C. penicillata or C. jacchus mtDNA haplotypes. The biogeographic origins of mtDNA haplotypes from hybrid and allochthonous Callithrix were broadly distributed across natural Callithrix ranges. Our phylogenetic results also evidence introgression of C. jacchus mtDNA into C. aurita.ConclusionOur robust Callithrix mitogenome phylogeny shows C. aurita lineages as basal and C. jacchus lineages among the most recent within Callithrix. We provide the first evidence that parental mtDNA lineages of anthropogenic hybrid and allochthonous marmosets are broadly distributed inside and outside of the Atlantic Forest. We also show evidence of cryptic hybridization between allochthonous Callithrix and autochthonous C. aurita. Our results encouragingly show that further development of genomic resources will allow to more clearly elucidate Callithrix evolutionary relationships and understand the dynamics of Callithrix anthropogenic introductions into the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

RESUMO A Caatinga é um bioma exclusivamente brasileiro e um dos mais diversificados do mundo, abrigando grande variedade faunística. Este estudo objetivou relatar a presença de carrapatos em tamanduás Tamandua tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) atendidos no Centro de Conservação e Manejo de Fauna da Caatinga, Petrolina-PE, Brasil. De fevereiro de 2010 a fevereiro de 2016, 23 T. tetradactyla foram recebidos e inspecionados para avaliação da presença de carrapatos. A identificação foi realizada pela observação das características morfológicas e pela utilização de chaves taxonômicas. Aproximadamente 8,69% (2/23) dos animais apresentavam parasitismo por carrapatos. Os ixodídeos foram encontrados fixados nas regiões ventral e cervical, e identificados como Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (cinco fêmeas), Amblyomma auricularium (uma larva, 18 ninfas e uma fêmea) e Amblyomma sp. (seis larvas). Este estudo relata o parasitismo inédito de larva de A. auricularium em T. tetradactyla no semiárido pernambucano, bem como reafirma a maior afinidade por membros da superordem Xenarthra. O parasitismo de R. sanguineus s.l. em tamanduá-mirim pode estar relacionado ao compartilhamento do mesmo habitat com cães domésticos infestados. O parasitismo sobre animais silvestres em novas localidades onde não foi registrado previamente deve ser estudado para ampliação do conhecimento sobre a distribuição geográfica dos ixodídeos no Brasil. ABSTRACT The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome and one of the most diverse in the world, housing a great variety faunal. Southern Tamandua (Linnaeus, 1758), known as collared anteater, can be found throughout the country. The present study aimed to report the presence of ticks on anteaters treated at the Conservation Center and Wildlife Management of Caatinga, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. From February 2010 to February 2016, 23 T. tetradactyla from the municipalities of Juazeiro (BA) Casa Nova (BA), Sento Sé (BA), Nonato (PI), Petrolina (PE), Great Pond (PE ) and Willow (PE), have been received and inspected to evaluate the presence of ticks, which were later collected with the help of anatomical tweezer and stored in tubes containing 70% alcohol. The identification was carried out by observation of morphological characteristics in stereomicroscope and use of taxonomic keys. Approximately 8.69% (2/23) of the animals had parasitism by ticks. The Ixodids were found fixed on ventral and cervical regions and were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (five female), parasitizing the anteater 1 coming from Petrolina-PE; Amblyomma auricularium (one larva, 18 nymphs and a female) and Amblyomma sp. parasitizing the anteater 2 coming from Salgueiro-PE. This study reports the novel parasitism by larva of A. auricularium in T. tetradactyla in semiarid of Pernambuco ; and reaffirms the higher affinity of this ixodid by members of the superorder Xenarthra. It was possible to determine the parasitism of R. sanguineus s.l. in collared anteater, the which may be related to the sharing of the same habitat with domestic dogs infested. The parasitism of wild animals in new locations where they were not previously registered must be stimulated to expand the knowledge of the geographical distribution of ixodids in Brazil.

Hybridization is continually documented in primates, but effects of natural and anthropogenic hybridization on biodiversity are still unclear and differentiating between these contexts remains challenging in regards to primate evolution and conservation. Here, we examine hybridization effects on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of Callithrix marmosets, which provide a unique glimpse into interspecific mating under distinct anthropogenic and natural conditions. DNA was sampled from 40 marmosets along a 50-km transect from a previously uncharacterized hybrid zone in NE Brazil between the ranges of Callithrix jacchus and Callithrix penicillata. DNA was also collected from 46 marmosets along a 30-km transect in a hybrid zone in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, where exotic marmosets appeared in the 1980s. Combining Callithrix DNA sampled inside and outside of these hybrid zones, phylogenetic and network analyses show C. jacchus and C. penicillata being parental species to sampled hybrids. We expand limited Callithrix population genetics work by describing mtDNA diversity and demographic history of these parental species. We show ancient population expansion in C. jacchus and historically constant population size in C. penicillata, with the latter being more genetically diverse than the former. The natural hybrid zone contained higher genetic diversity relative to the anthropogenic zone. While our data suggest hybrid swarm formation within the anthropogenic zone due to removed physical reproductive barriers, this pattern is not seen in the natural hybrid zone. These results suggest different genetic dynamics within natural and anthropogenic hybridization contexts that carry important implications for primate evolution and conservation.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2014v27n2p217 Durante as atividades de resgate de fauna do Projeto de Integração do Rio São Francisco com as bacias do nordeste setentrional foram capturados 39 exemplares de Psychosaura agmosticha (Rodrigues, 2000) em localidades nos estados do Ceará, Paraíba e Pernambuco, região Nordeste do Brasil. Relacionamos estes registros aos encontrados na literatura e constatamos a espécie em quatro formações fitofisionômicas distintas: Dunas arenosas do rio São Francisco, caatinga arbustiva, caatinga arbórea e formações de florestas residuais e ecotonais. A ampliação da distribuição geográfica e os novos registros de ocorrência de P. agmosticha, bem como sua ocorrência em diferentes formações fitofisionômicas da Caatinga e em áreas de florestas residuais e ecótonos, demonstram que, apesar de sua distribuição geográfica ser mais ampla do que se conhecia, seu padrão de distribuição relictual ainda se mantém, em virtude da ocorrência de P. agmosticha estar relacionada à ocorrência de bromélias. Contudo, o endemismo da espécie para o bioma Caatinga parece não ser absoluto.

Submitted by Jairo Amaro (jairo.amaro@sibi.ufrj.br) on 2019-07-04T16:00:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_COTTA_CNME_v26_p1417-1434-min.pdf: 590631 bytes, checksum: 810055efdc402f6d2a744085fcefbe9e (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2019-07-04T16:00:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_COTTA_CNME_v26_p1417-1434-min.pdf: 590631 bytes, checksum: 810055efdc402f6d2a744085fcefbe9e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-28 Indisponível. A hybrid numerical–analytical solution based on the generalized integral transform technique is proposed to handle the two‐dimensional Navier–Stokes equations in cylindrical coordinates, expressed in terms of the streamfunction‐only formulation. The proposed methodology is illustrated in solving steady‐state incompressible laminar flow of Newtonian fluids in the developing region of a circular tube. The flow modeling also considers two limiting inlet conditions, namely, uniform velocity profile representing a parallel flow, and zero vorticity that characterizes irrotational inlet flow. The integral transform analysis for such a full cylindrical region brings up singularities at the channel centerline, and, as previously described in a work dealing with the boundary‐layer formulation, a way to alleviate this difficulty is to adopt a recently introduced fourth‐order eigenvalue problem as the basis for the eigenfunction expansion. A thorough convergence analysis of the proposed expansion is then undertaken, for different values of Reynolds number, and a set of reference results for the velocity distributions and friction factors are then presented in tabular and graphical forms.

Zoonotic pathogens that cause leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae) and tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, MTBC) continue to impact modern human populations. Therefore, methods able to survey mycobacterial infection in potential animal hosts are necessary for proper evaluation of human exposure threats. Here we tested for mycobacterial-specific single- and multi-copy loci using qPCR. In a trial study in which armadillos were artificially infected with M. leprae, these techniques were specific and sensitive to pathogen detection, while more traditional ELISAs were only specific. These assays were then employed in a case study to detect M. leprae as well as MTBC in wild marmosets. All marmosets were negative for M. leprae DNA, but 14 were positive for the mycobacterial rpoB gene assay. Targeted capture and sequencing of rpoB and other MTBC genes validated the presence of mycobacterial DNA in these samples and revealed that qPCR is useful for identifying mycobacterial-infected animal hosts., Author Summary Mycobacterial pathogens that cause tuberculosis and leprosy can be detected in wild animal populations using non-invasive cheek swab samples and quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays that target specific portions of mycobacterial genomes. A preliminary study in armadillos confirms that using multiple assays in tandem is optimal for surveying infection in animals, and a case study identifies some mycobacterial infection in wild marmosets from Brazil. These validated methods can be used to advance our understanding of the distribution and impact of zoonotic pathogens on wild animal populations.

Animal hybridization is well documented, but evolutionary outcomes and conservation priorities often differ for natural and anthropogenic hybrids. Among primates, an order with many endangered species, the two contexts can be hard to disentangle from one another, which carries important conservation implications. Callithrix marmosets give us a unique glimpse of genetic hybridization effects under distinct natural and human-induced contexts. Here, we use a 44 autosomal microsatellite marker panel to examine genome-wide admixture levels and introgression at a natural C. jacchus and C. penicillata species border along the São Francisco River in NE Brazil and in an area of Rio de Janeiro state where humans introduced these species exotically. Additionally, we describe for the first time autosomal genetic diversity in wild C. penicillata and expand previous C. jacchus genetic data. We characterize admixture within the natural zone as bimodal where hybrid ancestry is biased toward one parental species or the other. We also show evidence that São Francisco River islands are gateways for bidirectional gene flow across the species border. In the anthropogenic zone, marmosets essentially form a hybrid swarm with intermediate levels of admixture, likely from the absence of strong physical barriers to interspecific breeding. Our data show that while hybridization can occur naturally, the presence of physical, even if leaky, barriers to hybridization is important for maintaining species genetic integrity. Thus, we suggest further study of hybridization under different contexts to set well informed conservation guidelines for hybrid populations that often fit somewhere between "natural" and "man-made."

This study investigated rickettsial infection in Amblyomma auricularium ticks from the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. An engorged female of A. auricularium collected from a skunk (Conepatus semistriatus) was sent alive to the laboratory, where the female was found through molecular analysis to be infected by Rickettsia amblyommii. This engorged female oviposited, and its offspring was reared through three consecutive generations, always using tick-naïve rabbits to feed the ticks. PCR performed on five egg pools, 10 larvae, 10 nymphs, and 10 adults of each of the three generations always yielded rickettsial DNA, indicating maintenance of rickettsial infection in the ticks by transstadial and transovarial passages. DNA sequences of random PCR products from eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults were identified as R. amblyommii. All infested rabbits seroconverted to R. amblyommii antigens at the 21(st) day after infestation, indicating that larvae, nymphs, and adults transmitted R. amblyommii through parasitism. However, no infested rabbit presented fever or any clinical alteration during the experimental period. Rickettsiae were successfully isolated from the two A. auricularium females, and the isolates were established in Vero cell culture. Molecular characterization of the isolates confirmed R. amblyommii by sequencing partial gltA, ompA, and ompB genes. From another sample of 15 A. auricularium adult ticks collected from two armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus), eight (53.3%) were infected by R. amblyommii. This study reports R. amblyommii infecting the tick A. auricularium for the first time. This is also the first report of rickettsia infecting ticks in the northeastern region of Brazil.

Zoonotic pathogens that cause leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae) and tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, MTBC) continue to impact modern human populations. Therefore, methods able to survey mycobacterial infection in potential animal hosts are necessary for proper evaluation of human exposure threats. Here we tested for mycobacterial-specific single- and multi-copy loci using qPCR. In a trial study in which armadillos were artificially infected with M. leprae, these techniques were specific and sensitive to pathogen detection, while more traditional ELISAs were only specific. These assays were then employed in a case study to detect M. leprae as well as MTBC in wild marmosets. All marmosets were negative for M. leprae DNA, but 14 were positive for the mycobacterial rpoB gene assay. Targeted capture and sequencing of rpoB and other MTBC genes validated the presence of mycobacterial DNA in these samples and revealed that qPCR is useful for identifying mycobacterial-infected animal hosts.

Prunus brasiliensis (pessegueiro-bravo) é a principal fonte alimentar de Brachyteles arachnoides durante o período de frutificação.Dois lotes de sementes de Prunus brasiliensis foram coletados, neste estudo, um diretamente do solo e outro triado das fezes de Brachyteles arachnoides. As sementes foram acondicionadas em caixas do tipo gerbox, entre vermiculita umedecida com água destilada, e mantidas em câmaras de germinação tipo B.O.D., às temperaturas constantes de 20, 25 e 30 ºC. As checagens foram feitas diariamente, e os resultados foram expressos em porcentagem de germinação e índice de velocidade de germinação. Pelos resultados obtidos, concluiu-se que a faixa ótima de temperatura para a germinação de sementes de Prunus brasiliensis é de 30 ºC. Não foram observadas diferenças na germinação de sementes provenientes do solo ou das fezes de Brachyteles arachnoides, demonstrando que a espécie se comporta como dispersora de sementes,sendo que a dormência das sementes não é quebrada com a passagem destas pelo trato digestório.

We provide new records of Acratosaura mentalis from three localities in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, these records extending the known geographical distribution of the species to the municipalities of Sertânia, Custódia and Floresta. We also report A. mentalis from the municipality of Mauriti, which is the first record for the state of Ceará, Brazil.

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) has a wide geographic distribution. However, in Brazil, there is still a lack of information on their population status and, in the Caatinga, little is known about its occurrence. This paper aims to register the new occurrence of Leopardus pardalis in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil.

Tropidurus cocorobensis Rodrigues, 1987. Brazil. Pernambuco, municipality of Floresta (08º36’04” S; 38º34’07” W; 316 m asl). 29 July 2009. Collectors: Rescue team. Scientific Collection of the Centro de Conservação e Manejo de Fauna da Caatinga - CEMAFAUNA-Caatinga/UNIVASF, Petrolina, Brazil (LPE 998). From July 2009 to February 2010, during the rescue activities of wildlife from the Project of Integration of São Francisco river (PISF) with the basins of setentrional northeastern, 55 specimens of T. cocorobensis were collected in the municipality of Floresta, Pernambuco (Itaparica microregion), on the left bank of the São Francisco river. The sampling sites represent areas of Caatinga characterized by shrub vegetation with a sandy soil. Voucher specimens are deposited at the Scientific Collection of the Centro de Conservação e Manejo de Fauna da Caatinga (CEMAFAUNA-Caatinga/UNIVASF), in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. The finding reported here extends the known geographical distribution of T. cocorobensis about 70 km northeastern from the municipality of Rodelas (08°51’3” S, 38°45’21” W; Paulo Afonso microregion), on the right bank of the São Francisco river, in the state of Bahia, and about 120 km west from the nearest record in the state of Pernambuco, in the municipality of Buíque (microregion of Vale do Ipanema; 08°37’24” S, 37°09’23” W; 798 m asl)., Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA)