An extraordinary new species of Melanophryniscus (Anura, Bufonidae) from southeastern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The phylogenetic relationships of the charismatic poster frogs, Phyllomedusinae (Anura, Hylidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Is The amphibian tree of life really fatally flawed?

Wiens (2007, Q. Rev. Biol. 82, 55-56) recently published a severe critique of Frost et al.'s (2006, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 297, 1-370) monographic study of amphibian systematics, concluding that it is a disaster and recommending that readers simply ignore this study. Beyond the hyperbole, Wiens raised four general objections that he regarded as fatal flaws: (1) the sampling design was insufficient for the generic changes made and taxonomic changes were made without including all type species; (2) the nuclear gene most commonly used in amphibian phylogenetics, RAG-1, was not included, nor were the morphological characters that had justified the older taxonomy; (3) the analytical method employed is questionable because equally weighted parsimony assumes that all characters are evolving at equal rates; and (4) the results were at times clearly erroneous, as evidenced by the inferred non-monophyly of marsupial frogs. In this paper we respond to these criticisms. In brief: (1) the study of Frost et al. did not exist in a vacuum and we discussed our evidence and evidence previously obtained by others that documented the non-monophyletic taxa that we corrected. Beyond that, we agree that all type species should ideally be included, but inclusion of all potentially relevant type species is not feasible in a study of the magnitude of Frost et al. and we contend that this should not prevent progress in the formulation of phylogenetic hypotheses or their application outside of systematics. (2) Rhodopsin, a gene included by Frost et al. is the nuclear gene that is most commonly used in amphibian systematics, not RAG-1. Regardless, ignoring a study because of the absence of a single locus strikes us as unsound practice. With respect to previously hypothesized morphological synapomorphies, Frost et al. provided a lengthy review of the published evidence for all groups, and this was used to inform taxonomic decisions. We noted that confirming and reconciling all morphological transformation series published among previous studies needed to be done, and we included evidence from the only published data set at that time to explicitly code morphological characters (including a number of traditionally applied synapomorphies from adult morphology) across the bulk of the diversity of amphibians (Haas, 2003, Cladistics 19, 23-90). Moreover, the phylogenetic results of the Frost et al. study were largely consistent with previous morphological and molecular studies and where they differed, this was discussed with reference to the weight of evidence. (3) The claim that equally weighted parsimony assumes that all characters are evolving at equal rates has been shown to be false in both analytical and simulation studies. (4) The claimed strong support for marsupial frog monophyly is questionable. Several studies have also found marsupial frogs to be non-monophyletic. Wiens et al. (2005, Syst. Biol. 54, 719-748) recovered marsupial frogs as monophyletic, but that result was strongly supported only by Bayesian clade confidence values (which are known to overestimate support) and bootstrap support in his parsimony analysis was < 50%. Further, in a more recent parsimony analysis of an expanded data set that included RAG-1 and the three traditional morphological synapomorphies of marsupial frogs, Wiens et al. (2006, Am. Nat. 168, 579-596) also found them to be non-monophyletic.Although we attempted to apply the rule of monophyly to the naming of taxonomic groups, our phylogenetic results are largely consistent with conventional views even if not wth the taxonomy current at the time of our writing. Most of our taxonomic changes addressed examples of non-monophyly that had previously been known or suspected (e.g., the non-monophyly of traditional Hyperoliidae, Microhylidae, Hemiphractinae, Leptodactylidae, Phrynobatrachus, Ranidae, Rana, Bufo; and the placement of Brachycephalus within Eleutherodactylus, and Lineatriton within Pseudoeurycea), and it is troubling that Wiens and others, as evidenced by recent publications, continue to perpetuate recognition of non-monophyletic taxonomic groups that so profoundly misrepresent what is known about amphibian phylogeny. (C) The Willi Hennig Society 2007.

A phylogenetic analysis of Pleurodema (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Leiuperinae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, with comments on the evolution of anuran foam nests

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conserved Karyotypes in Cophomantini: Cytogenetic Analysis of 12 Species from 3 Species Groups of Bokermannohyla (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Teoria algébrica de processos da medida em sistemas quânticos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efeito da Idade da Vaca ao Parto e da Data Juliana de Nascimento sobre Características Pré-desmama de Bezerros da Raça Gir

Objetivou-se com este trabalho estimar a influência da idade da vaca ao parto (IDV) e da data juliana de nascimento (DJN) sobre o peso à desmama (PD) e a média do ganho diário no período pré-desmama (GMD) de bezerros Gir, determinando fatores de correção para estes efeitos. Foram analisados 10.685 e 18.339 dados de PD e GMD de bezerros Gir, provenientes do Arquivo da Associação Brasileira dos Criadores de Zebu (ABCZ), pertencentes a 1229 e 1979 grupos contemporâneos (GC), respectivamente. PD e GMD foram pré-ajustados para o efeito da idade do bezerro à desmama. O efeito de IDV sobre PD e GMD foi modelado como polinômio segmentado quadrático-quadrático-quadrático, com nós, ou pontos de junção aos 4,1; 12,7 e 4,0; 8,2 anos, respectivamente, para machos e como polinômio segmentado quadrático-quadrático, com nó, ou ponto de junção aos 3,8 anos, para fêmeas sobre as duas características. A DJN foi modelada como um polinômio segmentado quadrático-quadrático com nó aos 126 dias para PD e 167 dias para GMD. Os resultados mostraram que a determinação dos fatores de correção para IDV deve ser feita, separadamente, para machos e fêmeas e, para DJN, deve-se considerar cada estação do ano, para que as diferenças entre elas sejam bem observadas. Os fatores de correção para o efeito da idade da vaca variaram de 0,94750 a 1,08033 sobre PD e 0,91714 a 1,07689 sobre GMD, para machos, e de 0,90937 a 1,07415 sobre PD e 0,96055 a 1,14007 sobre GMD, para fêmeas. Para o efeito de DJN, a amplitude foi de 0,9256 a 1,0340 sobre PD e 0,9112 a 1,0551 sobre GMD.

Antitumor activity of extracts from Peperomia elongata

The cytotoxic potential of ethanol extracts from Peperomia elongata H. B. & K. (Piperaceae) were evaluated against human cancer cell lines by the MTT method. The samples considered cytotoxic were tested for antimitotic activity with the sea urchin egg development test and for hemolytic activity using mice erythrocytes. The extracts from leaves (hexane), stems (ethanol, hexane, hexane: AcOEt, AcOEt, and MeOH: H2O insoluble), and roots (R4) presented potential cytotoxic action. The stems extracts showed the highest toxicity in all tumor cell lines tested, with an IC50 <= 9.0 mu g/mL for ethanol extract, IC50 <= 11.6 mu g/mL for MeOH:H2O insoluble, IC50 <= 7.3 mu g/mL for hexane extract, IC50 <= 11.4 mu g/mL for hexane: AcOEt, and IC50 <= 16.2 mu g/mL for AcOEt extract. All extracts considered cytotoxic for tumoral cell lines presented antimitotic activity. The samples from roots (R4) and stems (ethanol, MeOH: H2O insoluble, and hexane extract from leaves) were found to possess lytic activity in mice erythrocytes but in higher doses (> 125 mu g/mL). Further studies for the isolation and identification of the active principles of these extracts should be undertaken.

Virulence of Rhodococcus equi isolated from cats and dogs

Nine cat isolates and nine dog isolates of Rhodococcus equi from clinical material were investigated for the presence of the virulence-associated antigens (VapA and VapB) and virulence plasmids. Five of the cat isolates and one dog isolate were VapA positive and contained an 85-kb type I or an 87-kb type I plasmid. The remaining 12 isolates were avirulent R. equi strains and contained no virulence plasmids.

A New Species of the Scinax perpusillus Group (Anura: Hylidae) from Espirito Santo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A new species of Hypsiboas from the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil (Amphibia : Anura : Hylidae)

We describe a new species of Hypsiboas of the Hypsiboas pulchellus species group from highland streams of the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Vocalizations, egg-mass, and tadpole are also described. We compared the new species with other species of the Hypsiboas pulchellus species group. The new species is most similar to Hypsiboas semiguttatus, its sister species, and Hypsiboas curupi, from which it differs in advertisement call and larval morphology. We provide information on natural history, phylogenetic relationships, embryos, geographic distribution, and conservation.

Comparative larval morphology of eight species of Hypsiboas Wagler (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae) from Argentina and Uruguay, with a review of the larvae of this genus

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A NEW SPECIES of THE BOKERMANNOHYLA MARTINSI GROUP FROM CENTRAL BAHIA, BRAZIL WITH COMMENTS on BOKERMANNOHYLA (ANURA: HYLIDAE)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Indolizidine 239Q and quinolizidine 275I. Major alkaloids in two Argentinian bufonid toads (Melanophryniscus)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Selênio orgânico na alimentação de matrizes de tilápia-do-Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus)

Organic selenium in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock. The aim of this study to test the effect of organic selenium supplementation in the diets of Nile tilapia broodstock. Growth, reproductive performance and performance of fingerlings were evaluated. Eighty adult fish were used, with average weight of 121.7 g and divided into groups of four animals (3 female and 1 male) stocked in 20 tanks with 1.5 cubic meters. The fish were fed five diets containing different levels of organic selenium (0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 mg kg-1 ration). In the experimental period, females from all tanks were captured and the eggs collected. The experimental design was entirely randomized, with five treatments and four replicates. To evaluate progeny performance, the fingerlings were shared in four aquariums and fed during 30 days with commercial diet (45% CP). The supplementation with organic selenium did not affect the productive performance as with the reproductive parameters of the broodstock (p > 0.05). on the other hand, the broodstock fed with 0.50 mg of organic selenium produced fingerlings that presented improved weight gain (p < 0.05) compared to fish fed the control diet.