Additional observations on the gross morphology and microstructure of Baccaconularia Hughes, Gunderson et Weedon, 2000, a Cambrian (Furongian) conulariid from the north-central USA

Baccaconularia Hughes, Gunderson et Weedon, 2000, from the Furongian Series (Cambrian System) of the north-central USA, has been interpreted as a conulariid cnidarian, based on a suite of gross morphological similarities shared only with other post-Cambrian genera currently assigned to this group. Closely spaced, squarish to subrectangular facial nodes of Baccaconularia are aligned in distinct longitudinal files. Nodes also display a subtler, more or less rectilinear transverse alignment, though this pattern commonly is disrupted by offset parallel to the longitudinal files. In their shape and pattern of arrangement, the nodes of Baccaconularia are most similar to the squarish to elongate nodes of Pseudoconularia Bouček, 1939. Longitudinal node files of Baccaconularia may also be compared with the longitudinal facial ridges of Conularia cambria Walcott, 1890 from the Furongian of Wisconsin. Apical angles of Baccaconularia range from approximately 13° to 14.5°. Scanning electron imaging of B. cf. robinsoni shows that its thin, phosphatic skeleton is finely lamellar, with the thickness of individual lamellae measuring approximately 1 μm. The skeleton also exhibits microscopic circular pores and crater-like pits that range from approximately 5 to 10 μm in diameter. These pores and pits are similar in size, geometry, areal density and pattern of arrangement to those of many post-Cambrian conulariids. Microscopic circular pores are documented here for the first time in the genus Archaeoconularia Bouček, 1939 from the Upper Ordovician of the Czech Republic. Although the origin of the pores and pits is open to alternative interpretations, the discovery of these features and fine lamination in Baccaconularia strengthens the argument that this genus is a Cambrian conulariid. © 2006 Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS.

Corumbataia britskii (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Hypoptopomatinae) a new species from the upper Rio Paraná basin, Mato Grosso do Sul, Central Brazil

A new Hypoptopomatinae, Corumbataia britskii, is described based on specimens recently collected in a tributary of the upper Rio Paraná basin, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Corumbataia britskii differs from its congeners by having a more depressed head profile (vs. a more rounded head profile in C. cuestae and C. tocantinensis), by having a more developed and conspicuous tuft of enlarged odontodes on the tip of the supraoccipital (vs. its reduced condition found in C. cuestae and C. tocantinensis), and by heaving a partially enclosed arrector fossae (vs. an almost completely enclosed arrector fossae in C. cuestae and C. tocantinensis). Copyright © 2007 Magnolia Press.

The igapó of the Negro River in central Amazonia: Linking late-successional inundation forest with fluvial geomorphology

Despite important progress on Amazonian floodplain research, the flooded forest of the Negro River igapó has been little investigated. In particular, no study has previously focused the linkage between fluvial geomorphology and the floristic variation across the course of the river. In this paper we describe and interpret relations between igapó forest, fluvial geomorphology and the spatial evolution of the igapó forest through the Holocene. Therefore, we investigate the effect of geomorphological units of the floodplain and channel patterns on tree diversity, composition and structural parameters of the late-successional igapó forest. Our results show that sites sharing almost identical flooding regime, exhibit variable tree assemblages, species richness and structural parameters such as basal area, tree density and tree heights, indicating a trend in which the geomorphologic styles seem to partially control the organization of igapó's tree communities. This can be also explained by the high variability of well-developed geomorphologic units in short distances and concentrated in small areas. In this dynamic the inputs from the species pool of tributary rivers play a crucial role, but also the depositional and erosional processes associated with the evolution of the floodplain during the Holocene may control floristic and structural components of the igapó forests. These results suggest that a comprehensive approach integrating floristic and geomorphologic methods is needed to understand the distribution of the complex vegetation patterns in complex floodplains such as the igapó of the Negro River. This combination of approaches may introduce a better comprehension of the temporal and spatial evolutionary analysis and a logic rationale to understand the vegetation distribution and variability in function of major landforms, soil distributions and hydrology. Thus, by integrating the past into macroecological analyses will sharpen our understanding of the underlying forces for contemporary floristic patterns along the inundation forests of the Negro River. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of cold fronts on MODIS-derived sensible and latent heat fluxes in Itumbiara reservoir (Central Brazil)

In this work we investigate the cold front passage effects on sensible and latent heat flux in a tropical hydroelectric reservoir. The study area, Itumbiara reservoir (Goiás State/Brazil) at the beginning of the austral winter, is characterized by the presence of a weak thermal stratification and the passage of several cold fronts from higher latitudes of South America. Sensible and latent heat fluxes were estimated considering the atmospheric boundary layer stability. In situ and MODIS water surface temperature data were used to adjust the coefficients for momentum and heat exchanges between water and atmosphere and spatialize the sensible and latent heat fluxes. The results showed that during a cold front event the sensible heat flux can be up to five times greater than the flux observed before. The latent heat flux tends to decrease during the cold front but increase again after the passage. The highest values of heat loss were observed at littoral zone and some Reservoir's embayment. The heat loss intensification can be separated in two moments: first, during the cold front passage, when the wind speed increases and the air temperature decreases; second, after the cold front passage, with air humidity decreasing. This can be considered a key process to understanding the heat loss in the Itumbiara reservoir. © 2013 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversidade florística e fenologia reprodutiva em fitofisionomias da reserva Pousada das Araras (município de Serranópolis, estado de Goiás, planalto central do Brasil)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Vegetal) - IBRC

Serologic survey of West Nile virus in horses from Central-West, Northeast and Southeast Brazil

Processo FAPESP: 08/50167-6

Microsatellite analysis supports clonal propagation and reduced divergence of Trypanosoma vivax from asymptomatic to fatally infected livestock in South America compared to West Africa

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Caracterização estrutural da porção central da Bacia de Santos e seu embasamento continental adjacente, através de interpretação de imagens de satélites e geofísicas

The Santos Basin is located in the Brazilian continental margin and includes the coast of Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states. Its northern limit is the Campos Basin through the High of Cabo Frio and the southern one with the Pelotas Basin through the Platform of Florianópolis, totaling an area of approximately 350,000 square kilometers in a water depth of 3,000 m. The Paranapanema Lineament has WNW / ESE direction, and extends from the area filled by the Paraná Basin, on the border between the states of Sao Paulo and Parana, lasting up to near the ocean floor along with the fracture zone of Rio de Janeiro. The Capricorn Lineament is a feature inherited from the separation between the continents of Africa and South America, and is the main structural feature NW / SE of the Santos Basin center-south region. These two structures together with other ones with continental origin may be associated with structural features in the sediments from the Santos Basin. This work aims to characterize the structures operating in the central portion of the Santos Basin based on subsurface data in the offshore area (2D seismic) together with data from the surface of the continental basement in a way to correlate the Santos Basin structures with the continental regional traits. This data interpolation showed that the structural features of the continent operates on the submerged zone, the seismic sections show these structural trends for the Paranapanema Lineament / Fracture Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Capricorn Lineament and two fault zones that exhibit structures typical of a transfer zone

Sindicalismo cidadão e economia solidária: uma análise da experiência política da Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Sociais - FFC

Defensive strategies of neonate nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum, in an oceanic archipelago of the Western Central Atlantic

Two defensive tactics of neonates of nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum, are reported based on underwater observations. Described as "hiding behaviour" and "substrate resemblance", the defensive strategies were categorized according to the predominant habitat in which the individuals were found and to the behaviour displayed by the sharks in the presence of the observer. In structurally more complex habitats with a wide availability of shelters, the preferential behaviour displayed by neonates is to hide inside holes or crevices. When in open areas deprived of refuges, neonates tend to resemble arborescent coverings as seaweed banks or colonies of octocorals, which allows the use of more exposed habitats without increasing the susceptibility of capture by predators. Both aspects are relevant for a better understanding of the behaviour of neonates of G. cirratum and have important implications for identifying important habitat in nursery areas, and also for the management of this vulnerable species off South America.

Implementing new northernmost records to modelling the distribution of Hypsiboas caingua (Anura: Hylidae) in South America

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Distribution and systematics of the freshwater genus Sirodotia (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) in North America

Multivariate morphometrics and image analysis were used to determine the number of well-delineated infrageneric taxa of Sirodotia in North America. Three groupings were distinguished from 25 populations examined from Newfoundland and Quebec in the north to central Mexico in the south. These groupings were statistically related to 10 type specimens, and the following species were recognized: Sirodotia huillensis (Welwitsch ex W. et G. S. West) Skuja (syn. S. ateleia Skuja), S. suecica Kylin (syn. S. acuminata Skuja ex Flint and S. fennica Skuja), and S. tenuissima (Collins) Skuja ex Flint. These species are differentiated on the basis of whorl shape and degree of separation at maturity (S. suecica, rounded and appressed; S. huillensis and S. tenuissima, truncated apex and separated), the density of spermatangia (S. huillensis, dense clusters, S. suecica and S. tenuissima, sparsely aggregated), and the mode of germination of the gonimoblast initial (S. suecica and S. tenuissima,from the nonprotuberant side of the fertilized carpogonium; S. huillensis from the protuberant side). Sirodotia huillensis was found only in the desert-chaparral, whereas S. suecica and S. tenuissima occurred from south-temperate to boreal regions in cool (temperature 8-18-degrees-C), low ion (specific conductance 10-99 muS.cm-1), and mildly acidic to neutral (pH 5.7-7.3) waters.