Phylogenetic analysis of PRP8 intein in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis species

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

Phylogenetic analysis reveals a high level of speciation in the Paracoccidioides genus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A new genus and two new species of Stevardiinae (Characiformes: Characidae) with a hypothesis on their relationships based on morphological and histological data

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

New species of Moenkhausia Eigenmann, 1903 (Characiformes: Characidae) with comments on the Moenkhausia oligolepis species complex

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

Phylogenetic analysis of the order Pleuronectiformes (Teleostei) based on sequences of 12S and 16S mitochondrial genes

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

Spermiogenesis and spermatozoa ultrastructure in the Serrasalminae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) with further evidence on the relationships of the piranhas and pacus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Competition and phylogeny determine community structure in Mullerian co-mimics

Until recently, the study of negative and antagonistic interactions (for example, competition and predation) has dominated our understanding of community structure, maintenance and assembly(1). Nevertheless, a recent theoretical model suggests that positive interactions (for example, mutualisms) may counterbalance competition, facilitating long-term coexistence even among ecologically undifferentiated species(2). Mullerian mimics are mutualists that share the costs of predator education(3) and are therefore ideally suited for the investigation of positive and negative interactions in community dynamics. The sole empirical test of this model in a Mullerian mimetic community supports the prediction that positive interactions outweigh the negative effects of spatial overlap(4) (without quantifying resource acquisition). Understanding the role of trophic niche partitioning in facilitating the evolution and stability of Mullerian mimetic communities is now of critical importance, but has yet to be formally investigated. Here we show that resource partitioning and phylogeny determine community structure and outweigh the positive effects of Mullerian mimicry in a species-rich group of neotropical catfishes. From multiple, independent reproductively isolated allopatric communities displaying convergently evolved colour patterns, 92% consist of species that do not compete for resources. Significant differences in phylogenetically conserved traits (snout morphology and body size) were consistently linked to trait-specific resource acquisition. Thus, we report the first evidence, to our knowledge, that competition for trophic resources and phylogeny are pivotal factors in the stable evolution of Mullerian mimicry rings. More generally, our work demonstrates that competition for resources is likely to have a dominant role in the structuring of communities that are simultaneously subject to the effects of both positive and negative interactions.

Cladistic analysis of the suborder Conulariina Miller and Gurley, 1896 (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa; Vendian-Triassic)

Results of a cladistic analysis of the suborder Conulariina Miller and Gurley, 1896, a major extinct (Vendian-Triassic) group of scyphozoan cnidarians, are presented. The analysis sought to test whether the three conulariid subfamilies (Conulariinae Walcott, 1886, Paraconulariinae Sinclair, 1952 and Ctenoconulariinae Sinclair, 1952) recognized in the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology ( TIP) are monophyletic. A total of 17 morphological characters were scored for 16 ingroup taxa, namely the genera Archaeoconularia, Baccaconularia, Climacoconus, Conularia, Conulariella, Conularina, Ctenoconularia, Eoconularia, Glyptoconularia, Metaconularia, Notoconularia, Paraconularia, Pseudoconularia, Reticulaconularia, Teresconularia and Vendoconularia. The extant medusozoan taxa Cubozoa, Stauromedusae, Coronatae and Semaeostomeae served as outgroups. Unweighted analysisof the data matrix yielded 1057 trees, and successive weighting analysis resulted in one of the 1057 original trees. The ingroup is monophyletic with two autapomorphies: (1) the quadrate geometry of the oral region; and (2) the presence of a mineralized (phosphatic) periderm. Within the ingroup, the clade (Vendoconularia, Teresconularia, Conularina, Eoconularia) is supported by the sinusoidal longitudinal geometry of the transverse ridges, and the much larger clade (Baccaconularia, Glyptoconularia, Metaconularia, Pseudoconularia, Conularia, Ctenoconularia, Archaeoconularia, Notoconularia, Climacoconus, Paraconularia, Reticulaconularia) is supported by the presence of external tubercles, which, however, were lost in the clade (Notoconularia, Climacoconus, Paraconularia, Reticulaconularia). As proposed by Van Iten et al. (2000), the clade (Notoconularia, Climacoconus, Paraconularia, Reticulaconularia) is supported by the termination and alternation of the transverse ribs in the corner sulcus. The previously recognized subfamilies Conulariinae, Paraconulariinae and Ctenoconulariinae were not recovered from this analysis. The diagnostic features of Conulariinae (continuation of the transverse ornament across the corner sulcus and lack of carinae) and Ctenoconulariinae ( presence of carinae) are symplesiomorphic or homoplastic, and Paraconulariinae is polyphyletic. The families Conulariellidae Kiderlen, 1937 and Conulariopsidae Sugiyama, 1942, also recognized in the TIP, are monogeneric, and since they provide no additional phylogenetic information, should be abandoned.

Ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium of Meliponinae larvae with different developmental stages and diets

The comparative study of the ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium of stingless bee larvae that eat plant protein (pollen) and animal protein (carrion) throughout the larval phase, shows variations in the digestive cells that are only relative to larval aging and not to the type of larval diet. The cells of older larvae present a cytoplasm with empty spaces that result from emptying of lipid and glycogen stocks, and the presence of autophagic vacuoles. These results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that variations in the digestive tract of insects may be associated with different diets or phylogeny. We conclude that different diets do not determine cell morphology adaptations in the studied species. As the variations in the ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium are the same in all studied species, including the necrophagous species Trigona hypogea, throughout the larval stage, this sequence of changes seems to be due to different physiological state during larval development.

Cladistic analysis of Abracrini genera (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Floral anatomy of Bromeliaceae, with particular reference to the evolution of epigyny and septal nectaries in commelinid monocots

Floral anatomy is described in ten genera of Bromeliaceae, including three members of subfamily Bromelioideae, three Tillandsioideae, and four genera of the polyphyletic subfamily Pitcairnioideae (including Brocchinia, the putatively basal genus of Bromeliaceae). Bromeliaceae are probably unique in the order Poales in possessing septal nectaries and epigynous or semi-epigynous flowers. Evidence presented here from floral ontogeny, vasculature, and the relative positions of nectary and ovules indicates that there could have been one or more reversals to apparent hypogyny in Bromeliaceae, although this hypothesis requires a better-resolved phylogeny. Such evolutionary reversals probably evolved in response to specialist pollinators, and in conjunction with other aspects of floral morphology of Bromeliaceae, such as the petal appendages of some species. The ovary is initiated in an inferior position even in semi-epigynous or hypogynous species. The ovary of all so-called hypogynous Bromeliaceae is actually semi-inferior, because the septal nectary is infralocular; in these species the nectaries have a labyrinthine surface and many vascular bundles. Brocchinia differs from most other fully epigynous species in that each carpel is secretory at the apex and reproductive, rather than secretory, at the base.

Embryology and seed development of Blastocaulon scirpeum and Paepalanthus scleranthus (Eriocaulaceae)

The embryology and seed structure of Blastocaulon scirpeum (Mart.) Giul. and Paepalanthus scleranthus Ruhland were studied in order to contribute to the embryology of Eriocaulaceae and supply data for future taxonomic studies. Both species present: anther with 4-layered wall; conspicuous endothecium with fibrous thickenings; secretory tapetum with uninucleate cells; successive microsporogenesis forming isobilateral microspore tetrads; bicellular pollen grains; orthotropous, bitegmic and tenuinucellate ovule; micropyle formed by the inner integument alone; megagametophyte of the Polygonum type, with a conspicuous antipodal cyst; nuclear and starchy endosperm; reduced, undifferentiated, and bell-shaped embryo; operculate and endotestal seed; seed coat derived from the two ovule integuments; and tanniniferous endotegmen. In addition, Blastocaulon scirpeum shows a bisporangiate anther and a 3-layered ovary wall, while P. scleranthus presents a tetrasporangiate anther that becomes bisporangiate at maturity, and a 2-layered ovary wall. This investigation shows that the bisporangiate condition does not suffice to separate Blastocaulon from Paepalanthus, since it is common to both. It also indicates, based on several embryological aspects, the proximity of Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae, which comply mainly with the features presented by the other commelinid families. These results may be used in future cladistic analysis of the family, and contribute to a better understanding of its phylogeny.

Reproductive biology of Abolboda pulchella and A. poarchon (Xyridaceae: Poales)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morphology and anatomy of inflorescence and inflorescence axis in Paepalanthus sect. Diphyomene Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae, Poales) and its taxonomic implications

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Proventriculus of Cephalotes ants: A structural and comparative analysis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)