Eastern Coast Of South America Research Articles

Quaternary fossil diversity of stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes) from the eastern coast of South America, Brazil, southwestern Atlantic

Sharks, rays, and chimeras have a limited fossil record compared to other taxa due to their predominantly cartilaginous skeletal structure. Fossilization tends to preserve anatomic structures such as teeth, scales, cephalic and caudal fins, and other fins. The Myliobatiformes order, derived from rays, is characterized by viviparity and distinctive serrated stings, with some species exhibiting hexagonal dental plates. These marine organisms inhabit coastal zones globally. This study aims to enhance understanding of Quaternary biodiversity and paleoecology in southern Brazil, focusing on fossils from the Myliobatiformes order, specifically dental plates and stings. Material from biodetrital deposits at Concheiros and Hermenegildo beaches in Santa Vitória do Palmar, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were analyzed. Six taxa were identified from fossil teeth, including Myliobatis ridens, Myliobatis freminvillei, Myliobatis goodei, and Myliobatis sp. (Morphotypes 1 and 2), marking their first Pleistocene fossil record in Brazil. Most teeth couldn't be classified at the species level, but genera were discerned. Fossil stings were described, possibly associated with Myliobatiformes. Results revealed notable differences between identified fossil taxa and their modern counterparts in the western Atlantic Ocean, currently considered common. M. ridens was the most frequent species in the fossil samples, followed by M. freminvillei, with fewer records for M. goodei. Conversely, the current scenario shows M. goodei as the most abundant, followed by M. freminvillei, while M. ridens is Critically Endangered. This investigation expands knowledge of fossil species on the southern Brazilian coast, confirming the presence of M. ridens, M. freminvillei, and M. goodei during the Quaternary.

Qualitative Study of the Transport of Microplastics in the Río de la Plata Estuary, Argentina, through Numerical Simulation

Information about the sources, sinks, dynamics, and how environmental variables affect the transport of microplastics (MPs) from continental deposits to marine systems is still limited. Most of the knowledge about the distribution of plastic in the oceans comes from the use of numerical models to understand the routes of MPs moving in aquatic systems. The Río de la Plata (RdP) is an estuary located on the eastern coast of South America and is one of the most anthropized watercourses in the region. In this study, the trajectory of MPs in the RdP was examined through the implementation, for the first time for the region, of numerical simulation models. The impact of the estuary’s hydrodynamic characteristics, winds, and MP morphological properties on their trajectory was investigated. The simulations produced demonstrated a high correlation between the hydrodynamics of the Río de la Plata and the trajectory of positively buoyant MPs. The wind was identified as a significant driving force in the simulation of MP motion dynamics. Modifications in the size of the MPs have more influence on the trajectory than their morphology. The results constitute an initial step toward understanding the dynamics of these emerging pollutants in one of South America’s most important basins.

Genomic history of coastal societies from eastern South America.

Sambaqui (shellmound) societies are among the most intriguing archaeological phenomena in pre-colonial South America, extending from approximately 8,000 to 1,000 years before present (yr BP) across 3,000 km on the Atlantic coast. However, little is known about their connection to early Holocene hunter-gatherers, how this may have contributed to different historical pathways and the processes through which late Holocene ceramists came to rule the coast shortly before European contact. To contribute to our understanding of the population history of indigenous societies on the eastern coast of South America, we produced genome-wide data from 34 ancient individuals as early as 10,000 yr BP from four different regions in Brazil. Early Holocene hunter-gatherers were found to lack shared genetic drift among themselves and with later populations from eastern South America, suggesting that they derived from a common radiation and did not contribute substantially to later coastal groups. Our analyses show genetic heterogeneity among contemporaneous Sambaqui groups from the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast, contrary to the similarity expressed in the archaeological record. The complex history of intercultural contact between inland horticulturists and coastal populations becomes genetically evident during the final horizon of Sambaqui societies, from around 2,200 yr BP, corroborating evidence of cultural change.

Population genetic structure and morphological diversity of Cruzia tentaculata (Nematoda: Ascaridida), a parasite of marsupials (Didelphinae), along the Atlantic Forest on the eastern coast of South America.

Cruzia tentaculata is a helminth parasite of marsupials and has a wide geographic distribution from Mexico to Argentina. The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic population structure of this nematode along the Atlantic Forest biome. Cruzia tentaculata specimens were recovered from Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris and Philander quica in 9 localities. Morphological and morphometric data were investigated for phenotypic diversity among localities and hosts using multivariate discriminant analysis of principal components. Phylogenetic relationships of C. tentaculata were determined using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. The population structure was analysed by fixation indices, molecular variance analysis, Tajima's D and Fu's Fs neutrality tests, Mantel tests and Bayesian clustering analysis. A higher significant morphometric difference for males was observed between localities. In the haplogroup networks, 2 groups were recovered, separating locations from the north and from the south/southeast. The morphometric variation in C. tentaculata between different localities was compatible with this north and southeast/south pattern, suggesting adaptation to different ecological conditions. Population genetic analyses suggested a pattern of evolutionary processes driven by Pleistocene glacial refugia in the northeast and southeast of the Atlantic Forest based on the distribution of genetic diversity.

From a Shapiro–Keyser extratropical cyclone to the subtropical cyclone Raoni: An unusual winter synoptic situation over the South Atlantic Ocean

AbstractThe eastern coast of South America is a cyclogenetic region in terms of extratropical cyclones and, in lower number, of subtropical cyclones that are more frequent in austral summer and autumn. However, in June 2021, an unusual cyclone developed near the boundary of Uruguay and southern Brazil, initially having extratropical features and later undergoing a subtropical transition. At 1200 UTC 29 June, the Brazilian Navy named it as subtropical cyclone Raoni. This study aims to describe the synoptic evolution of the cyclone and address physical drivers for the subtropical transition based on the ECMWF‐ERA5 reanalysis and numerical experiments with the WRF model. The cyclone precursor of Raoni had its genesis at 1800 UTC 26 June 2021 forced by a trough at mid–upper levels that crossed the Andes Mountains and caused a rapid surface pressure drop. Less than 24 hr later, the cyclone presented a frontal T‐bone pattern and warm seclusion, following the Shapiro–Keyser development model. Strong surface heat fluxes, a deep moist troposphere, and the vertical alignment of the warm seclusion with an upper‐level cut‐off pattern provided the adequate environment for organising convection and, consequently, for subtropical transition at 0600 UTC 28 June. The fundamental role of the surface turbulent heat fluxes for the transition is confirmed through numerical experiments. This study is unprecedented in the sense that no subtropical cyclone originating from a warm seclusion has been documented over the South Atlantic before. These findings emphasise the need of monitoring cold‐season extratropical Shapiro–Keyser cyclones in the region since they can evolve to a subtropical or tropical cyclone and can cause damage to the maritime activities and coastal region due to the strong winds.

A New Method for Predicting Site-Specific Wave-Induced Hull Girder Loads Acting on Ship-Shaped Offshore Installations in Benign Conditions

The aim of this study is to establish an innovative method for predicting wave-induced hull girder loads acting on ship-shaped offshore installations. Unlike in trading ships, the determination of hull girder loads of ship-shaped offshore installations must consider site-specific environmental conditions. However, the accurate determination of wave-induced loads is not straightforward owing to uncertainties in the ocean environmental conditions and location-dependent complexities, among other factors. This study proposes a probabilistic approach to determine the site-specific design values of wave-induced loads acting on ship-shaped offshore installations that also accounts for the effects of mooring system type. Six target regions – the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, western coast of Africa, the eastern coast of South America, southeastern coast of Asia and northwestern coast of Australia – were studied to compare the results corresponding to various sea states. A set of wave scenarios representing all possible wave events for each target region were selected using the Latin hypercube sampling technique. To demonstrate this method, the design values of the wave-induced vertical bending moments were determined for a very large crude oil carrier (VLCC)-class structure with a hypothetical floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The effects of the mooring system type (e.g., single-point mooring versus spread mooring) on the wave-induced hull girder loads of the ship-shaped offshore installations were also evaluated. The validation of the developed method was made by comparison with existing results in the literature, its novelty is associated with a new methodology that can accurately determine wave-induced hull girder loads of ship-shaped offshore installations taking into account the effects of site-specific ocean environmental conditions and mooring system type, and its main contribution to the industry is to provide core technology for the safe and economical design of ship-shaped offshore hull structures.

Pabstiella hileiaensis (Orchidaceae Pleurothallidinae), a new species from the Atlantic Rainforest in southern Bahia, Brazil

Distributed along the eastern coast of South America and considered one of the world’s biological hotspots, the Atlantic Rainforest harbors outstanding levels of richness and endemism (Myers et al. 2000). Specifically, with 14,847 vascular plant species (Reginato & Michelangeli 2020), including 1,480 (1,100 endemics) belonging to the Orchidaceae (BFG, 2015), this biome is considered a priority for plant and orchid conservation in the Neotropics since more than 88% of its pre-Columbian area is already lost (Peres et al. 2020).

Long-term assessment of trace elements in franciscana dolphins from the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent Atlantic waters

The estuary of Río de la Plata, in the eastern coast of South America, is a highly anthropized area that brings a high load of contaminants to the surrounding waters, which may have detrimental effects on the local marine fauna. The franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is a small cetacean species endemic of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN red list. In this study, we assessed the concentrations of 13 trace elements in bone samples from 100 franciscana dolphins that were found stranded dead or incidentally bycaught in the Río de la Plata and adjacent coast between 1953 and 2015. Elements were, in decreasing order of mean concentrations: Zn > Sr > Fe > Al > Mn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > As > Hg > Cd > Se. The concentrations of Al, Cr and Fe were slightly higher in females than in males. The concentrations of As, Ni, and Pb significantly decreased with body length. Throughout the study period, the concentrations of Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni significantly increased, while the concentrations of As, Pb and Sr significantly decreased. The increasing trends may be due to increased inputs from river discharges, the leather industry and petroleum refineries, while the decrease in Pb may be due to the ban in the use of this element as an additive in gasoline and as component of car batteries. This investigation supports the validity of analysing trace element in bone, a tissue available in scientific collections and museums, to retrospectively examine variation over long temporal scales and thus assess long-term trends in pollution.

Influence of past and current factors on the beta diversity of coastal lagoon fish communities in South America

AbstractAimFish community composition is shaped by current and historical factors. In recently formed ecosystems, however, as the Quaternary coastal lagoons of South America, the influence of historical factors has less frequently been investigated. The low rate of endemism in these lagoons suggests a limited role for speciation while their dynamic formation history suggests local extinction and dispersal limitation could have affected present species composition. We aimed to assess the influence of past and current factors on the beta diversity of those communities and explore the main processes involved.LocationAtlantic coast of South America.TaxonFishes (173 species).MethodsWe built a dataset of species occurrence in 129 lagoons across eight freshwater ecoregions of the world (FEOWs) located between latitudes 0° and 36°, and calculated beta diversity (βjac) and its turnover (βjtu) and nestedness (βjne) components. We used a partial Mantel test and multiple regressions on distance matrices to evaluate the importance of past and current factors, and of geographical distance in determining beta diversity. Past variables were those representing the historical freshwater habitat during the last glacial maximum (LGM), and contemporary variables were those related to current habitat.ResultsWe found high values of βjac within the FEOWs, with βjtu prevailing over βjne. Both past (palaeodrainage) and current (drainage area, salinity and lagoon area) factors affected species dissimilarity (βjac = 46%) and its components (βjtu = 44% and βjne = 20%), although explanation was, in part, shared with geographical distance. Individually, the influence of past factors was prevalent in beta diversity and its components.Main conclusionsThe large influence of the past factors on beta diversity suggests that major changes in the availability of freshwater habitats and connectivity since the Pleistocene must have affected the colonization, extinction and recolonization processes of fishes along the eastern coast of South America. We suggest that the high beta diversity values result from limited dispersal after extinctions in the LGM. The dissimilar freshwater fish communities currently seen result from heterogeneous subsets of the regional species pool that persisted in landscape refuges during past sea level increases and then recolonized coastal lagoons.

A Bayesian assessment of the conservation status of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the western South Atlantic Ocean

The population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) wintering off the eastern coast of South America is referred to by the International Whaling Commission as ‘Breeding Stock A’ (BSA). This population was heavily exploited in 20th century modern commercial whaling operations. After more than 30 years of protection, its present status remains unknown. A deterministic sex and age-aggregated population dynamics model was used to estimate the pre-exploitation population size (K), the maximum net recruitment rate (rmax), the maximum depletion level (Nmin/K), and other quantities of interest of BSA. Input data included modern whaling catch series, absolute estimates of abundance, observed growth rates and indices of relative abundance. A Bayesian statistical method was used to calculate probability distributions for the model parameters. Prior distributions were set on rmax – an uninformative (Uniform [0, 0.106]) and an informative (Normal [0.067, 0.042]) – and on the population size in 2005 – N2005 (Uniform [500, 22,000]). A total of 10,000 samples were used to compute the joint posterior distribution of the model parameters using the Sampling-Importance-Resampling algorithm. Sensitivity of model outputs to the priors on rmax, a genetic constraint, data inclusion and catch allocation scenarios was investigated. Medians of the posterior probability distributions of quantities of interest for the base case scenario were: rmax = 0.069 (95% probability intervals [PI] = 0.013–0.104), K = 24,558 (95% PI = 22,791–31,118), Nmin/K = 2% (PI = 0.31%–12.5%), N2006/ K = 27.4% (PI = 18.3%–39.5%), N2020/K = 61.8% (PI = 23.8%–88.6%), and N2040/K = 97.3% (PI = 31.6%–99.9%). Despite apparent recovery in the past three decades, the western South Atlantic humpback whale population is still low relative to its pre-exploitation size and requires continued conservation efforts.

Migration and summer destinations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the western South Atlantic Ocean

Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from wintering grounds in tropical latitudes to feeding areas in the Antarctic Ocean. In 2003 and 2005, satellite transmitters were deployed on humpback whales on their wintering grounds off the eastern coast of South America (Breeding Stock A). Seven whales were tracked for a period of 16 to 205 days travelling between 902 and 7,258km. The tracks of these whales provided partial or full information on the migratory schedule, migration routes and location of the feeding ground in the Southern Oceans. Whales departed from the coast of Brazil from late October to late December between 20˚ and 25˚S and gradually moved away from the South American coast as they moved towards high latitudes. They followed a somewhat direct, linear path, with an approximate geographic heading of 170˚. Satellite telemetry data indicated that the migratory corridors are restricted to a relatively narrow (~500–800km) strip in the South Atlantic Ocean. Migration speed to the feeding grounds averaged 80.2km/day and lasted from 40–58 days. Four individuals arrived at the feeding ground located to the north of the South Sandwich Islands, where they were tracked up to 102 days. Movements in this area were erratic at a mean travelling speed of 22.3km/day. Satellite telemetry data indicate that the main feeding grounds for the population wintering off eastern South America lie between 22˚W and 33˚W and in the southern South Atlantic Ocean south of the Antarctic Convergence but north of 60˚S. This is only partially consistent with the currently proposed stock boundaries for this population on the feeding grounds.

Multi-model climate projections of the main cyclogenesis hot-spots and associated winds over the eastern coast of South America

In this study, multi-model ensembles are used to understand regional features of future climate trends of cyclones and associated winds in eastern South America. For this, we consider three cyclogenetic hot-spot regions located in south-southeastern Brazil, extreme southern Brazil-Uruguay, and southern Argentina, named, respectively, RG1, RG2 and RG3. The multi-model ensembles consist of four RegCM4 downscalings (RegCM4s) nested in three different global circulation models (GCMs) from CMIP5 under RCP8.5 for the period 1979–2100. ERA-Interim, and CFSR provide the reanalyses ensemble. For the present climate (1979–2005), RegCM4s and GCMs simulate the main characteristics of the cyclone’s genesis and propagation. There is greater agreement between RegCM4s and reanalyses regarding the magnitude and location of stronger winds associated with intense cyclones starting in RG1 and RG2. An important added value is the greater ability of RegCM4s to capture the observed features (phase and amplitude of the annual cycle, intensity, and near surface winds) of cyclogenesis starting in regions away from the boundary domain, such as in RG1 and RG2. In these regions, RegCM4s present smaller (higher) error (correlation) for the frequency of cyclones than GCMs, which improves the representation of cyclones for the whole southwestern South Atlantic domain. RegCM4s are able to simulate in greater agreement with reanalysis than GCMs, the initially stronger cyclones and associated low level winds. For these intense cyclones in the future climate, an intensification of low-level winds off the coast (south-southeast Brazil and south Argentina) and a shift to the south of the upper-level polar jet are projected. Furthermore, there is a clear trend towards decrease in the number of cyclogeneses in each hot-spot region, indicating that each intense cyclone will be associated with stronger low level winds near the eastern South America coast at the end of the twenty-first century.

Taxonomy and palaeobiogeography of the early and middle Albian (Early Cretaceous) bivalves and brachiopods from central Serbia (Topola, Oplenac Hill)

Sixteen early and middle Albian bivalve species, belonging to fourteen genera, eleven families and seven orders, and one brachiopod species are systematically described from the Mitrovčić section near Topola (Oplenac Hill), Vardar Zone of central Serbia. Four bivalve species: Acesta subrigida (Roemer, 1836), Acesta cf. dorbignyana (Mathéron, 1843), Neithea (Neithea) sexcostata (S. Woodward, 1833), “Cardium” cottaldinum d'Orbigny, 1844, and one terebratulide species, Praelongithyris rogeri Gaspard, 1974 are recorded from the lower and middle Albian rocks of central Serbia for the first time. The section comprises reddish ferruginous calcareous sandstones that are assigned to the lower Albian as indicated by the presence of the ammonite Douvilleiceras mammillatum (Schlotheim), while yellowish sandy wackestones/packstones located below the late Albian Mortoniceras (M.) inflatum (J. Sowerby), are middle Albian in age. Most of the identified bivalve taxa have a Tethyan affinity and seem to be closest to faunas from western and eastern Europe. This indicates that these regions were close to Serbia during the early–middle Albian. The occurrences of some of these Tethyan bivalves at the northern and western Pacific coast of South America and southern coast of North America is explained by dispersal through the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean during the Albian (Proto-North Atlantic Ocean). Meanwhile, the occurrence of some other Albian taxa along the eastern coast of South America (South Atlantic) was probably a result of the opening of the equatorial Atlantic gateway during that time. The faunas are not endemic, indicating that the larvae were long-lived and possessed a high dispersal potential, facilitated by seaways during the Albian.

Late Cretaceous paleobiogeography of Braarudosphaera bigelowii

Abstract The Late Cretaceous paleobiogeography of the coccolithophore Braarudosphaera bigelowii is reconstructed based on 331 stratigraphic occurrences and complemented by 307 neighboring absences. During the Cenomanian B. bigelowii was found throughout the European seaways, at the base of the North America Interior Seaway, at the paleo-Atlantic margin of South America, in the Neuquen Basin, on the southern tip of the Indian plate, and on the Kerguelen Plateau. During the Late Cretaceous, its range gradually expanded: northwards along the North Sea, into the North American Interior Seaway, eastwards through the interior European seaways, across central Russia, southeastwards into China, and along the Asian coast up to Japan. The Falkland Plateau appears to have played a pivotal role in the colonization of the eastern coast of South America, the Atlantic and Indian Ocean margins of Africa, Madagascar, India, western Antarctica, and Australia. By the end of the Maastrichtian, migration extended northwards towards the Arctic, but did not reach the northernmost regions of the North Atlantic. Because biogeographic information is scarce for the northern coast of South America, for several areas along the African margin, and for the overall Pacific coasts, it is difficult to resolve the biogeographic history in these areas. The presence of B. bigelowii could not be confirmed on the northern coast of South America or on the North Atlantic African margin. It is also not possible to ascertain whether the African margin facing the Indian Ocean was completely colonized by the end of the Cretaceous. Sparse observations suggest that the Pacific coast of North America was colonized by B. bigelowii during the Santonian. However, even though data suggests a subsequent northward colonization direction, it is not possible to accurately reconstruct the North Pacific migration paths of B. bigelowii between the Santonian and the Maastrichtian.

How the Inhomogeneity of Wet Sea Salt Aerosols Affects Direct Radiative Forcing

AbstractSea salt aerosols were assumed to be homogeneous spheres in most climate models. However, observations show that sea salt particles are inhomogeneous during the deliquesce and crystallization processes. Using a two‐layer sphere model, we found that backscattering of solar radiation associated with sea salts is underestimated in homogeneous sea salt models. The Community Earth System Model is used to assess the inhomogeneity effect on direct radiative forcing. For global climate model simulation, the inhomogeneity effect on radiative transfer is found to be small as high RHs over widespread oceans suppress the impact of inhomogeneity. On the other hand, in coastal regions, the inhomogeneity effect can cause up to 10% radiative forcing difference of sea salt aerosols. The inhomogeneity effect of sea salt aerosols has to be considered over coastal regions, especially in the Mediterranean, Australia, and the eastern coast of South America.

Historical connections among river basins and climatic changes explain the biogeographic history of a water rat

BackgroundThe water rat Nectomys squamipes (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) is a semiaquatic rodent from eastern South America that shows shallow genetic structure across space, according to some studies. We tested the influence of hydrography and climatic changes on the genetic and phylogeographic structure of this semiaquatic small mammal.MethodsDNA sequences of two mitochondrial genetic markers (Cyt b and D-loop) and six microsatellite loci from water rats were collected at 50 localities in five river basins in the Atlantic Forest along the eastern coast of South America. We evaluated the genetic structure within and among river basins, and we estimated divergence dates. Species distribution models for the present and past were built to identify possible gene flow paths.ResultsMitochondrial data and species distribution models showed coherent results. Microsatellite loci showed a more complex pattern of genetic differentiation. The diversification of N. squamipes haplotypes occurred during the Pleistocene and the river basin cannot explain most of the genetic structure. We found evidence of population expansion during the last glacial maximum, and gene flow paths indicate historical connections among rivers in the Atlantic Forest.DiscussionHistorical connections among rivers in the Atlantic Forest may have allowed N. squamipes to disperse farther across and within basins, leading to shallow genetic structure. Population expansions and gene flow through the emerged continental shelf during glacial period support the Atlantis forest hypothesis, thus challenging the forest refuge hypothesis.

Population genetic structure, introgression, and hybridization in the genus Rhizophora along the Brazilian coast.

Mangrove plants comprise plants with similar ecological features that have enabled them to adapt to life between the sea and the land. Within a geographic region, different mangrove species share not only similar adaptations but also similar genetic structure patterns. Along the eastern coast of South America, there is a subdivision between the populations north and south of the continent's northeastern extremity. Here, we aimed to test for this north‐south genetic structure in Rhizophora mangle, a dominant mangrove plant in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, we aimed to study the relationships between R. mangle, R. racemosa, and R. × harrisonii and to test for evidence of hybridization and introgression. Our results confirmed the north‐south genetic structure pattern in R. mangle and revealed a less abrupt genetic break in the northern population than those observed in Avicennia species, another dominant and widespread mangrove genus in the Western Hemisphere. These results are consistent with the role of oceanic currents influencing sea‐dispersed plants and differences between Avicennia and Rhizophora propagules in longevity and establishment time. We also observed that introgression and hybridization are relevant biological processes in the northeastern coast of South America and that they are likely asymmetric toward R. mangle, suggesting that adaptation might be a process maintaining this hybrid zone.

Findings of the silver lightfish Phosichthys argenteus (Phosichthyidae) at the Pulkovo Ridge (South-Central Pacific)

The findings of the silver lightfish Phosichthys argenteus at the Pulkovo Ridge (43°–45° S 155°–160° W) are documented. This is the easternmost margin of the species range in the Pacific Ocean. The morphological characteristics of Ph. argenteus are given with a more detailed description of the axial skeleton of the fish. The topography of homodynamic series of the intermuscular bones is specified, and a complex structure of the urostyle, including three autogenous ural centers, is revealed. The comparative morphological analysis did not show any significant differences between the silver lightfish from different parts of the range (New Zealand, Mill Rise, western coast of South Africa, and eastern coast of South America). It is assumed that Ph. argenteus can serve as an indicator species of the notal zone in the open waters of the South Pacific.

"Awful Doubt": Milton and Darwin in the Land of Fire

"Awful Doubt":Milton and Darwin in the Land of Fire Ian Bickford "Jemmy believed in dreams, though not, as I have said, in the devil." —Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839 "With regard to 'Paradise Lost,'" Henry James mused in 1876, "some of the cargo must be thrown overboard to save the ship."1 The problem for James is not the size, length, or volume of a poem that, as Samuel Johnson groused, "none ever wished … longer than it is."2 It is instead, I will venture, a problem of reading John Milton after Charles Darwin, for whom, in precedent, Milton presented both a problem and a provisional solution. James's remark was an elaboration upon the French intellectual Edmond Schérer's estimation that Paradise Lost could be appreciated "only in fragments," and it was a fragment of Milton's epic that returned to Darwin as the HMS Beagle "drove before her bows two billows of liquid phosphorous" off the eastern coast of South America: "It is impossible to behold this plain of matter, as it were melted & consuming by heat, without being reminded of Milton's description [End Page 103] of Chaos and Anarchy."3 That reminder is also an important remainder, surviving in a process of textual selection as Darwin, concluding his first full year at sea, begins casting Milton's creationist cargo overboard. The remaining fragments are anything but relics, rudiments, or vestiges. In a Darwinian sense, to survive is to proliferate, and as Darwin confronted a world more abundant, more chaotic, and more mutable than he could have anticipated in his medical studies at Christ's College, the fragmented Milton was always with him: he brought Milton everywhere, and found him everywhere. As Gillian Beer, Joan Richardson, Joseph Wittreich, Robert Richards, and others have remarked, the chronically seasick Darwin carried his copy of Paradise Lost ashore whenever he disembarked, often for long stretches on foot and horseback or Galapagosian tortoise-back, meeting the Beagle at each subsequent port.4 "But what was Milton … doing in the hands of the incipient evolutionist?," asks George Levine—a good but also a guileless question; it would be more surprising for Milton to be missing altogether from Darwin's hands.5 Whether or not Milton's nineteenth century readers were fit to his own poetic standards and political and theological priorities, they were far from few, and "the incipient evolutionist," as Beer and Levine illustrate, possessed an enormous literary knowledge and appetite. What begs attention is not the isolated fact but the insistent repetition—the recursive, iterative, and sustained habit—of Darwin's reading of Milton. "When I could take only a single small volume," he wrote of his excursions in South America, "I always chose Milton."6 He was choosing from a shipboard collection of approximately 400 volumes, large enough for Captain Fitz Roy to "flatter" himself in a letter to his sister, dated March 16, 1826, for having assembled "a complete library in miniature."7 To a catalog dominated by travel narratives and volumes of geology and natural history, Darwin added his own copies of Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology and Paradise Lost. The former, famously, provided the framework for reconsidering geological time, a necessary step in Darwin's realizing the longue durée of evolutionary change. The [End Page 104] latter is either an oddity aboard ship, finding its place with very few literary works—Samuel Richardson's Charles Grandison and the works of William Shenstone—along with the King James Bible and two copies of the New Testament in Greek and German; or else, in the company of Carl Linnaeus, Alexander von Humboldt, and Charles Lyell, it achieves a new provisional category, opening, in Darwin's reading, to a generic reconfiguration that would profoundly disrupt its internal argument and essential paradigm, that is, what it seeks to "justify." While serving as a theological contrast and counterpoint to the radically emended version of created reality emerging into Darwin's view, the poem also, if perhaps against its own interests, makes a substantial contribution to that process of emendation, offering up its own substantial interest in and attention to the workings of the natural...

Fossil Cetaceans (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Neogene of Colombia and Venezuela

There are significant geographic gaps in our knowledge of marine mammal evolution because most fossils have been found and described from Northern Hemisphere localities and a few other high-latitude areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we describe fossil cetacean remains from five geological units in the South American tropics (Urumaco, Codore, Castilletes, Cantaure, and Querales formations) generally representing marginal marine depositional environments (estuaries, deltas, and tidal flats). While fossil cetaceans from Venezuelan Neogene localities have been previously studied, this paper includes the first descriptions of fossil cetaceans from Colombia, including a diverse assemblage of mysticetes and odontocetes. We identified and provisionally referred fragmentary remains to the iniid Ischyrorhynchus vanbenedeni and to the platanistid Zarhachis flagellator. The latter suggests the presence of Platanistidae in the eastern coast of South America during the early-middle Miocene, representing the second record of Platanistidae in South America and the first record of Platanistidae in eastern South America. Other less-diagnostic specimens are characterized by features commonly seen in longirostrine odontocetes such as Iniidae, Platanistidae, Pontoporiidae, Lipotidae, Eoplatanistidae, and Squalodelphinidae.