Peru Basin Research Articles

Systematics of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species complex (Anura: Hylidae): Cryptic diversity and the description of two new species.

Genetic data in studies of systematics of Amazonian amphibians frequently reveal that purportedly widespread single species in reality comprise species complexes. This means that real species richness may be significantly higher than current estimates. Here we combine genetic, morphological, and bioacoustic data to assess the phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries of two Amazonian species of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species group: D. leucophyllatus and D. triangulum. Our results uncovered the existence of five confirmed and four unconfirmed candidate species. Among the confirmed candidate species, three have available names: Dendropsophus leucophyllatus, Dendropsophus triangulum, and Dendropsophus reticulatus, this last being removed from the synonymy of D. triangulum. A neotype of D. leucophyllatus is designated. We describe the remaining two confirmed candidate species, one from Bolivia and another from Peru. All confirmed candidate species are morphologically distinct and have much smaller geographic ranges than those previously reported for D. leucophyllatus and D. triangulum sensu lato. Dendropsophus leucophyllatus sensu stricto occurs in the Guianan region. Dendropsophus reticulatus comb. nov. corresponds to populations in the Amazon basin of Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru previously referred to as D. triangulum. Dendropsophus triangulum sensu stricto is the most widely distributed species; it occurs in Amazonian Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, reaching the state of Pará. We provide accounts for all described species including an assessment of their conservation status.

Development of carpels and ovules in Dialypetalanthus fuscescens Kuhlm. (Rubiaceae): an enigmatic taxon

ABSTRACT Dialypetalanthus is a monospecific genus that occurs in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru and occupies a controversial position among the Rubiaceae. We continue this taxonomic discussion with the overall aim of clarifying the systematic position of D. fuscescens within the Rubiaceae. To accomplish this, we analyzed the ontogeny of its gynoecium, in particular the floral meristem, as well as the development of the carpels and cauline placentation. Gynosporogenesis and the differentiation of the carpellary septa and ovules were also described. Dialypetalanthus fuscescens was classified according to evolutionary diagrams found in the literature. The following characteristics were observed in D. fuscescens: 1) permanence of the floral meristem in the central basal part of the early flower bud; 2) dual origin of carpellary septum; 3) trizonate ovular primordia with only one fertile gynospore per ovule; and 4) cellular proliferation in the chalazal region. Embryological results confirm the classification of D. fuscescens in the subfamily Ixoroideae. These results are distinct from any others previously proposed in the evolutionary diagram. Therefore, we conclude that this study has presented evidence strongly suggesting that Dialypetalanthus possesses new morphological-type of ovule we refer to as the Dialypetalanthus-type.

Bat consumption by Philodryas viridissima (Serpentes: Colubridae) in the Amazon Basin of southeastern Peru

Bat consumption by Philodryas viridissima (Serpentes: Colubridae) in the Amazon Basin of southeastern Peru

Description of the reproductive behavior of Symphysodon aequifasciatus (Cichlidae) in captivity

ABSTRACT The blue discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) is often sold for ornamental purposes. It is a neotropical cichlid from South America, which is native to the rivers of the Amazon basin of Brazil, Peru and Colombia. The purpose of this study was to characterize the reproductive behavior of S. aequifasciatus and identify features that can later be used by breeders to facilitate the handling and reproduction of this species in captivity. The experiment was divided into two stages: the first dealt with partner selection and couple formation to observe the behaviors of territoriality, pursuing, fleeing, biting, stay, protecting and cleaning of the substrate. The second stage documented mating behavior, nesting and parental care, to observe vibration, spawning, permanence with the offspring, aeration of eggs, cleaning of spawning, color change and shift-taking in parental care. The results of the study allowed identifying disputes for and establishment of territory, as well as the selection and cleaning of the substrate for spawning performed by both sexes. The parental care was observed from spawning in the substrate until the care for the larvae. It was found that the reproductive success of this species is closely linked to biparental care observed during the entire reproductive process and early stages of the hatchings.

Late Archaic–Early Formative period microbotanical evidence for potato at Jiskairumoko in the Titicaca Basin of southern Peru

The data presented in this paper provide direct microbotanical evidence concerning the early use of potato (Solanum tuberosum) within its botanical locus of origin in the high south-central Andes. The data derive from Jiskairumoko, an early village site in the western Titicaca Basin dating to the Late Archaic to Early Formative periods (∼3,400 cal y BC to 1,600 cal y BC). Because the site reflects the transition to sedentism and food production, these data may relate to potato domestication and early cultivation. Of 141 starch microremains recovered from 14 groundstone tools from Jiskairumoko, 50 are identified as consistent with cultivated or domesticated potato, based on reference to published materials and a study of wild and cultivated potato starch morphology. Along with macro- and microbotanical evidence for chenopod consumption and grinding tool data reflecting intensive use of this technology throughout site occupation, the microbotanical data reported here suggest the intensive exploitation, if not cultivation, of plant resources at Jiskairumoko. Elucidating the details of the trajectory of potato domestication is necessary for an overall understanding of the development of highland Andean agriculture, as this crop is central to the autochthonous agricultural suite. A paucity of direct botanical evidence, however, has hindered research efforts. The results of the modern and archaeological starch analyses presented here underscore the utility of this method in addressing questions related to the timing, mode, and context of potato origins.

Late Preceramic Forager–Herders from the Copacabana Peninsula in the Titicaca Basin of Bolivia: A Bioarchaeological Analysis

AbstractThe Titicaca Basin of Peru and Bolivia has been occupied by humans for millennia and was home to one of the first major state societies in the Andes. Many foundations of state power, however, developed much earlier, during the Late Preceramic/Terminal Archaic Period (3000 – 1500 BC), when people initially began herding, marking territories, and creating new metallurgy technology. We present a skeletal analysis of 14 individuals dating between 3000 and 1500 BC from Muruqullu, an archaeological site on the Copacabana Peninsula of Bolivia. These are the first Preceramic burials documented for the peninsula and contribute to the relatively small sample of Preceramic bodies from the Andean highlands more broadly. From this sample, we suggest that highland foragers and early herders suffered little nutritional stress and had limited violent interactions, perhaps related to a relatively mobile lifestyle and utilisation of lake resources. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identification of Blood Meals from Potential Arbovirus Mosquito Vectors in the Peruvian Amazon Basin.

The transmission dynamics of many arboviruses in the Amazon Basin region have not been fully elucidated, including the vectors and natural reservoir hosts. Identification of blood meal sources in field-caught mosquitoes could yield information for identifying potential arbovirus vertebrate hosts. We identified blood meal sources in 131 mosquitoes collected from areas endemic for arboviruses in the Peruvian Department of Loreto by sequencing polymerase chain reaction amplicons of the cytochrome b gene. Psorophora (Janthinosoma) albigenu, Psorophora (Grabhamia) cingulata, Mansonia humeralis, Anopheles oswaldoi s.l., and Anopheles benarrochi s.l. had mainly anthropophilic feeding preferences; Aedes (Ochlerotatus) serratus, and Aedes (Ochlerotatus) fulvus had feeding preferences for peridomestic animals; and Culex (Melanoconion) spp. fed on a variety of vertebrates, mainly rodents (spiny rats), birds, and amphibians. On the basis of these feeding preferences, many mosquitoes could be considered as potential enzootic and bridge arbovirus vectors in the Amazon Basin of Peru.

Nematode communities inhabiting the soft deep-sea sediment in polymetallic nodule fields: do they differ from those in the nodule-free abyssal areas?

ABSTRACTThis study addresses whether or not nematode assemblages inhabiting the soft sediment in abyssal nodule fields are unique and differ from those occurring in the nodule-free abyssal areas. This question is important for the evaluation of possible diversity losses caused by nodule mining operations. The analysis involved seven datasets at genus-level of nematode assemblages from three nodule-bearing abyssal areas in the Pacific (the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone or CCFZ, and the Peru Basin) and the Indian Ocean (CIOB), and five datasets from nodule-free abyssal regions (the Atlantic Ocean). Only individuals identified to valid genera were used in the analysis. Overall, more than 20,000 nematode individuals from 90 samples were analysed. The analyses showed that the nematode communities in the nodule fields did differ from those in the nodule-free abyss. The nodule fields are characterized by a higher microhabitat heterogeneity, which resulted in a higher diversity of nematode communities inhabiting the nodule fields. However, one set of dominant taxa (Monhysteridae, Microlaimus, Acantholaimus, Theristus and Desmoscolex) was identical for both the nodule-bearing and nodule-free abyss, although some genera were strongly and significantly associated with either the nodule-free abyss (Microlaimus) or the nodule-bearing abyssal regions (Capsula). On the other hand, nematode assemblages at nodule-bearing and nodule-free sites within the nodule-bearing abyss proved to be similar at the genus level. This makes it possible for the nodule-free sites to serve as donors of colonizers for the mining-impacted nodule-bearing abyss. However, this suggestion has to be treated with caution, because the species-level differences have not been tested yet.

Evaluación del nivel de estrés en leoncillos (<em>Cebuella pygmaea</em>) mediante la medición de cortisol en heces

El leoncillo (Cebuella pygmaea), es la especie más pequeña de primate platirrino. Habita en bosques de la Amazonía alta en Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia y Brasil. Aunque todas las especies de primates en el Ecuador están amenazadas por las actividades humanas, ésta es una de las más vulnerables, debido a la especificidad de su alimentación y hábitat. C. pygmaea actualmente ha sido incluida en la lista de especies vulnerables en el Ecuador. La alteración antropogénica de los hábitats es un factor de estrés para los leoncillos. En este contexto, los objetivos de esta investigación fueron establecer un protocolo para medir el cortisol en heces, como un indicador del nivel de estrés de los individuos, y realizar una comparación preliminar de los niveles de cortisol y estrés de tres poblaciones de leoncillos en la Amazonía ecuatoriana. Se analizaron 52 muestras provenientes de las poblaciones silvestres de Tiputini y San Pablo y de una población en cautiverio en Puyo. Las muestras analizadas tuvieron pesos secos entre 0.05 y 0.07 g. La validación biológica realizada con muestras de heces de un individuo en cuarentena, evidenció que los niveles de cortisol fueron más elevados en los días más próximos a su muerte. Los resultados preliminares sugieren que la población en cautiverio de Puyo tiene niveles de estrés significativamente más altos que los de las poblaciones silvestres. Estos resultados deben ser confirmados analizando un mayor número de muestras de las que se tenga información completa sobre la hora de deposición y sobre los individuos de los que se tomaron las muestras.

New species of Thelonema, Metasphaerolaimus, and Monhystrella (Nematoda, Monhysterida) from Kermadec Trench, Southwest Pacific

Three new species of the order Monhysterida are described based on specimens obtained at depths of 8081 and 9177 m in the Kermadec Trench. Thelonema clarki sp. nov. is characterised by a large body size (3230–4461 µm), short cylindrical buccal cavity, gubernaculum without apophyses, and long conico-cylindrical tail. This is the first record of the genus since its original description over two decades ago from the Peru Basin. Metasphaerolaimus constrictus sp. nov. is characterised by a relatively long body (1232–1623 µm), slightly arcuate spicules without gubernaculum, and conico-cylindrical tail with inner cuticle conspicuously thickened immediately anterior to cylindrical portion. Monhystrella kermadecensis sp. nov. is characterised by a circle of papillose outer labial sensillae slightly anterior to the four short cephalic setae, gubernaculum with caudal apophyses, the presence of distinct cuticularised piece along anterior vaginal wall, and a relatively short conical (males) or conico-cylindrical tail (females) with conical, ventrally-curved spinneret. M. kermadecensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of the genus, and, indeed, the entire family, based on the variable position of the anterior gonad relative to the intestine. The new species is classified within the Monhysteridae, and not the closely-related Xyalidae, based on the small body size, a smooth cuticle, and the presence of six outer labial papillae and only one testis. Further work is required to clarify the placement of M. kermadecensis sp. nov. relative to other monhysterid genera. A tabular key to all ten valid Metasphaerolaimus species is presented.

Deformation within the Pisco Basin sedimentary record (southern Peru): Stratabound orthogonal vein sets and their impact on fault development

This outcrop-based study reports diffuse joints and veins, normal to strike-slip fault zones and minor folds that developed, from Miocene to Quaternary, within the clastic to siliceous sedimentary record of the forearc Pisco Basin of southern Peru. Patterns, orientations, dimensional parameters and other outcrop-scale characteristics of the various deformation features are illustrated and their genetic mechanisms and timing of development are inferred. These new structural data and interpretations allow a better constraint of the structural style and evolution of the Pisco Basin, and can represent useful guidelines for characterizing the outcrop-scale deformation affecting similar forearc basins along the Peruvian coast.Major results of this study are that the development of the documented deformation features, their patterns, dimensional parameters and kinematics seem influenced by local perturbations of the paleostress field by mechanic processes partly independent of plate tectonics forces. These processes include strain localization on both pre-existing and progressively forming new structural discontinuities, and cyclic switches of the horizontal, principal stress axes σ2 and σ3. In particular, we discuss how different normal fault patterns, from sub-parallel to multidirectional/polygonal, could form in a same deformation phase in response of the local σ2/σ3 magnitude ratio, as an evolution of stratabound, mutually orthogonal vein sets.

An in situ shelly fauna from the lower Paleozoic Zapla diamictite of northwestern Argentina: Implications for the age of glacial events across Gondwana

A shelly fauna from the upper part of the Zapla glacial diamictite includes the lingulate brachiopod Orbiculoidea radiata Troedsson, the rhynchonelliforms Dalmanella cf. testudinaria (Dalman) and Paromalomena sp., the bivalve Modiolopsis? sp., and the trilobite Dalmanitina subandina Monaldi and Boso. Both taphonomic and paleoecologic data indicate a lack of transport reflecting the original community. The assemblage is closely comparable to the widespread latest Ordovician Hirnantia-Dalmanitina fauna. The Hirnantian age of the Zapla diamictite is further corroborated by the record of the northern Gondwana chitinozoans Spinachitina cf. oulebsiri Paris and Desmochitina minor typica Eisenack. The graptolites and chitinozoans from the overlying Lipeón Formation indicate that the postglacial transgression took place in the earliest Llandovery (Parakidograptus acuminatus Biozone). According to the tectonosedimentary evidence, the Early Silurian age of the Cancañiri and San Gabán diamictites of north–central Bolivia and south Peru based on their palynological record is more likely the age of posglacial gravity flows and not that of the glaciation. We support the hypothesis that the weakly lithified glacigenic deposits of Hirnantian age were reworked and redistributed by high-energy marine processes during the postglacial transgression and then transported to the adjacent deep-marine trough. Iron-rich horizons have been recognized in many basins of southern South America reflecting eustatic and paleoclimatic fluctuations. Most of them formed during the early stages of the postglacial transgression at the Ordovician/Silurian transition and are associated with low sedimentation rates and condensed intervals. The mild maritime postglacial climate, the increasing atmospheric CO2, and possibly the presence of incipient vegetated areas led to extensive weathering of glacigenic sediments supplying iron into the marine system to form ferruginous deposits. The sea level fall related to the peak of glaciation is recorded by both paleovalley incision and a sharp subaerial to subglacial unconformity. The transgressive systems tract starts with fluvio-estuarine deposits within incised valleys followed by widespread deposition of subtidal to open marine organic-rich shales onlapping regionally the basement rocks. The recognition of key stratigraphic markers (e.g. sequence boundary, flooding surface, ferruginous beds), alongside reliable micro and macropaleontological evidence allow a more accurate correlation between the Central Andean Basin of Peru, Bolivia and NW Argentina, the W Puna region, the Paraguayan and Brazilian sectors of the Paraná Basin, the Precordillera Basin of W Argentina, and the Cape Basin of South Africa.

Taxonomic transfers in Neotropical Palicoureeae: new combinations in Rudgea and Palicourea

Two species previously classified in Rudgea Salisb. have stipules with the characteristic glandular appen-dages that characterise this genus, but also with a distinct bilobed form not found in Rudgea. Their characters agree with Palicourea s.l., and these two species are here transferred to this latter genus. P. parajusticioides C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on R. justicioides Standl., of the western Amazonian basin in Peru; and P. woronovii (Standl.) Bruniera & C. M. Taylor is based on R. woronovii Standl., also from the western Amazonian basin of Peru. Meanwhile, several Neotropical shrubs and trees classified in Psychotria subg. Heteropsychotria Steyerm. share the characteristic triangular to truncate stipule form with caducous glandular appendages that indicate they belong to Rudgea, and they are transferred here: R. coussareoides (Standl.) C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on Psychotria coussareoides Standl. from southern Venezuela, southern Guyana, and eastern Peru; R. pungens (Steyerm.) C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on Psychotria pungens Steyerm. from French Guiana; R. rondeletioides (Standl.) C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on Psychotria rondeletioides Standl., from Colombia; R. sanmartensis (Rusby) C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on Psychotria sanmartensis Rusby of northern Colombia and Venezuela; R. venezuelensis (Steyerm.) C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on Psychotria venezuelensis Steyerm., from southern Venezuela; and R. ventuariana (Standl. & Steyerm.) C. M. Taylor, Bruniera & Zappi is based on Psychotria ventuariana Standl. & Steyerm. of Cerro de la Neblina, on the southern border of Venezuela, and probably also occurs in Brazil.

Planning for Travel With Children in the Modern World

ou are part of a busy group, primary care, practice in a mid-sized college town that serves an economically and culturally diverse patient population. Your first patients of the day are two siblings, a 3-year-old girl and a 9-month-old boy who present with upper respiratory tract symptoms and about possible otitis media. The parents, both of whom emigrated approximately 4 years ago to the United States, mention that the family is home to next week to spend 2 weeks visiting the childrens' grandparents. Standing in the doorway on the way, the mother asks you if the children need any shots? A week later, a family of four comes in to discuss that they are moving to Thailand for an estimated 3 years to follow the parents' newest positions in a large non-governmental organ- ization (NGO). They include a 47-year-old father with no health problems, a 49-year-old mother who is on chronic therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, and three healthy children with the ages of 9, 14, and 16. They will reside in Bangkok, but will be working on a rural development project in the north near the city of Chiang Mai, will likely visit displaced persons camps near the Thailand-Cambodia border, and plan to travel extensively as a family in the region. Later that day, one of your routine physical exam appointments is a healthy 17-year-old female high-school student, who is going to work for 8 weeks at a rural church mission site in the Amazon basin of Peru. She will help staff a program that provides early childhood education in a community of subsistence farming families. She antici- pates traveling with another friend, planning to use any free time to extensively explore the region through hiking and kayaking. Each patient or family is asking the same questions, in general. can we do to reduce our risk of becoming ill or injured during our stay in these foreign sites? What should we do to prepare for our trips? Do you have any advice we should follow during travel? The family from Cameroon is not too concerned—after all, they are revisiting a country where they spent most of their lives, and have relatives who know their way around. They have however, not been back home in several years, and the health infrastructure of their country is limited. You are concerned about their lack of concern and casual attitude towards advanced preparation. The family moving with the NGO has already had a series of briefings and studied both written and web-based preparation materials. They are also receiving advice from a sponsoring family residing in their future county, arranged by their agency, to help orient them to the culture, challenges, and opportunities of living overseas. They will be residing in a large, rapidly developing country, with access to a modern health care system in most of the major population areas. They do plan to visit several remote sites, and are very proactive about their planning. The young missionary is highly enthused and very motivated, but is working with a small group of volunteers working under a newer agency, and does not seem to have as much institutional support for travel preparation. While all three sets of travelers are focuses their concerns on preventing infectious diseases, you note that their planned activities will include several other potential travel risks; including motor vehicle and water-sport hazards, extreme environmental condi- tions, crime, potential government stability issues, and the simple challenges of the travel infrastructure.

Impacts of satellite-based precipitation datasets on rainfall–runoff modeling of the Western Amazon basin of Peru and Ecuador

Summary Satellites are an alternative source of rainfall data used as input to hydrological models in poorly gauged or ungauged regions. They are also useful in regions with highly heterogeneous precipitation, such as the tropical Andes. This paper evaluates three satellite precipitation datasets (TMPA, CMORPH, PERSIANN), as well as a dataset based only on rain gauge data (HYBAM), and their impacts on the water balance of the Western Amazon basin, a region where hydrological modeling and hydrological forecasting are poorly developed. These datasets were used as inputs in the MGB-IPH hydrological model to simulate streamflows for the 2003–2009 period. The impacts of precipitation on model parameterization and outputs were evaluated in two calibration experiments. In Experiment 1, parameter sets were separately defined for each catchment; in Experiment 2, a single parameter set was defined for the entire basin. TMPA shows overestimated precipitation over the northern region, while CMORPH and PERSIANN significantly underestimate rainfall in the same that region and along the Andes. TMPA and CMORPH lead to similar estimates of mean evapotranspiration (∼2 mm/day) for different regions along the entire basin, while PERSIANN is the least accurate (∼0.5 mm/day). Overall, better scores for streamflow simulations are obtained with Experiment 1 forced by HYBAM and TMPA. Nevertheless, results using the three satellite datasets indicate inter-basin differences, low performance in the northern and high in the southern regions. Low model performances are mainly related to scale issues and forcing errors in small basins over regions that present very low rainfall seasonality.

Andean Forearc Dynamics, As Recorded By Detrital Zircon From the Eocene Talara Basin, Northwest Peru

Research Article| June 01, 2015 Andean Forearc Dynamics, As Recorded By Detrital Zircon From the Eocene Talara Basin, Northwest Peru Angela M. Hessler; Angela M. Hessler 1The Deep Time Institute, 8711 Bluegrass Drive, Austin, Texas 78759, U.S.A. e-mail: ahessler@deeptimeinstitute.org Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrea Fildani Andrea Fildani 2Statoil Research, Development and Innovation Center, 6300 Bridge Point Parkway, Suite 2–500 Austin, Texas 78730, U.S.A. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Journal of Sedimentary Research (2015) 85 (6): 646–659. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2015.45 Article history received: 07 Oct 2014 accepted: 24 Mar 2015 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Angela M. Hessler, Andrea Fildani; Andean Forearc Dynamics, As Recorded By Detrital Zircon From the Eocene Talara Basin, Northwest Peru. Journal of Sedimentary Research 2015;; 85 (6): 646–659. doi: https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2015.45 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyJournal of Sedimentary Research Search Advanced Search Abstract: Eocene strata of the Talara forearc basin of northwest Peru contain detrital-zircon (DZ) populations that, when integrated with other provenance indicators, record paleogeographic shifts in the Andean forearc that can be linked to larger-scale tectonic drivers such as subduction erosion, plate convergence rate, and regional accretion events. Because forearc basins along the western margin of South America are particularly difficult to preserve, the new DZ results provide rare insight into the trench–arc dynamics associated with the Andean orogenic cycle. The Talara basin tapped into both the Andean volcanic arc and older basement, and the DZ populations subsequently reflect long-lived plate interactions and progressive crustal growth along the northwestern edge of Amazonia, Gondwana, and South America. Dominant U–Pb zircon age populations include: 36–110 Ma (Andes convergence); 215–285 Ma (western Gondwana extension); 460–625 Ma (Rodinia extension and western Gondwana convergence); 950–1250 Ma (Grenville orogeny); and > 1250 Ma (Amazonia assembly). The data corroborate previous geochronology on pre-Andean basement and support the existence of a Famatinian arc (∼ 480 Ma) and Carboniferous–Triassic magmatism along northwestern Gondwana. Pre-Andean and Amazonian DZ likely was recycled from Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Andean Cordillera and Amotape terrane, although the data do not preclude delivery of Amazonian detritus directly into the forearc via a large-scale, westward drainage. The Andean DZ population constrains the timing of arc activity and quiescence, with two peaks at ∼ 75 Ma and ∼ 50 Ma, and a gap at ∼ 70 Ma, linked to accretion of the Caribbean Oceanic Plateau against northwest South America. Arc volcanism was concurrent with Eocene forearc deposition, and syndepositional DZ is used to revise maximum depositional age for the upper Eocene Helico Member and Verdun Formation. Progressive subsidence and arc shut-down in the late Eocene coincide with arc collision to the north, uplift of the Amotape block, subduction erosion, and slab shallowing. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Mixed signals? Morphological and molecular evidence suggest a color polymorphism in some neotropical polythore damselflies.

The study of color polymorphisms (CP) has provided profound insights into the maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations. We here offer the first evidence for an elaborate wing polymorphism in the Neotropical damselfly genus Polythore, which consists of 21 described species, distributed along the eastern slopes of the Andes in South America. These damselflies display highly complex wing colors and patterning, incorporating black, white, yellow, and orange in multiple wing bands. Wing colors, along with some components of the male genitalia, have been the primary characters used in species description; few other morphological traits vary within the group, and so there are few useful diagnostic characters. Previous research has indicated the possibility of a cryptic species existing in P. procera in Colombia, despite there being no significant differences in wing color and pattern between the populations of the two putative species. Here we analyze the complexity and diversity of wing color patterns of individuals from five described Polythore species in the Central Amazon Basin of Peru using a novel suite of morphological analyses to quantify wing color and pattern: geometric morphometrics, chromaticity analysis, and Gabor wavelet transformation. We then test whether these color patterns are good predictors of species by recovering the phylogenetic relationships among the 5 species using the barcode gene (COI). Our results suggest that, while highly distinct and discrete wing patterns exist in Polythore, these “wingforms” do not represent monophyletic clades in the recovered topology. The wingforms identified as P. victoria and P. ornata are both involved in a polymorphism with P. neopicta; also, cryptic speciation may have taking place among individuals with the P. victoria wingform. Only P. aurora and P. spateri represent monophyletic species with a single wingform in our molecular phylogeny. We discuss the implications of this polymorphism, and the potential evolutionary mechanisms that could maintain it.

Overview of Amazon Basin Forest Roads Manual

A forest roads manual is being written to aid the Brazilian Forest Service in its tropical forestry operations and timber sale concessions in the Amazon basin. The objective of the manual is to develop standards, guidelines, and operational information that will help forest road operations meet best management practices. The manual includes information on transportation planning in conjunction with strategic and tactical timber sale planning; road design; road drainage considerations; roadway materials use; slope stabilization issues; road maintenance issues; and environmental issues, including water quality protection, erosion control, and pollution management. Discussion of each of these typical transportation system planning and design issues considers the unique circumstances and resources found in the Amazon basin. This project grew from the involvement of the Office of International Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and the newly created Brazilian Forest Service in the process of helping the new agency manage its large long-term logging concessions throughout the Amazon basin through use of prudent, sustainable management practices. Forest road design and operation are significant parts of overall forest management and major cost items. The manual development is based on many training courses that have been held over the past 10 years across the Amazon basin in the states of Pará, Acre, and Rondonia. In addition, many courses have been conducted and lessons learned in portions of the upper Amazon basin of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. This paper discusses the development of the Amazon Basin Forest Roads Manual and presents an overview of its content as well as many of the unique aspects of building roads in Amazon basin forests.

Three trepanned skulls from the Copacabana Peninsula in the Titicaca Basin, Bolivia (800 BC–AD 1000)

This paper presents three trepanned skulls from the Copacabana Peninsula in the Titicaca Basin, dating from 800 BC to AD 1000. Trepanation has been practiced for two millennia in the Andes, with the earliest specimens coming from the coastal Paracas culture (circa 400 BC). Trepanned skulls have been found throughout the Andes, displaying a variety of techniques. This modification was practiced as surgical intervention after injury and treatment for headaches and other ailments, among other reasons (Verano, 2003: 234). With the exception of four examples from the Island of the Sun, few early cases of trepanation have been found in the Titicaca Basin of Peru and Bolivia. The three skulls presented here are important for several reasons: (1) they originate from a region under-represented in the literature on Andean trepanation, (2) they represent a variety of trepanation techniques, and (3) they confirm the practice of trepanation in the lake basin during the Early Horizon.

A new synonym for Pristimantis luscombei (Duellman and Mendelson 1995) and the description of a new species of Pristimantis from the upper Amazon basin (Amphibia: Craugastoridae).

We consider Pristimantis achuar as junior synonym of P. luscombei, based on morphological and genetic evidence. Paratype specimens of P. luscombei are part of a new species, which lead to taxonomic confusion regarding the identity of P. luscombei. We describe and name this new species as Pristimantis miktos sp. nov. from Juyuintza, Pastaza province, eastern lowlands of Ecuador. Morphological diagnostic characters used to distinguish the new species from other brownish Amazonian Pristimantis are: (1) skin of dorsum shagreen with scattered tubercles or pustules; (2) tympanum prominent; (3) a thick X-shaped scapular dermal ridge in males; and (4) an orange iris in life. Pristimantis miktos is an inhabitant of the lowlands forests of the Pastaza and Napo drainages in eastern Ecuador and northern Loreto in Peru, reaching elevations of up to 350 m; P. luscombei is widely distributed in the upper Amazon Basin of Ecuador, northern Peru and extreme western Brazil, up to 1000 m. Phylogenetic analyses reveals that P. luscombei and the new species are not closest relatives, as also deduced from morphological evidence.