Quantitative Biology

1907 Submissions

[34] viXra:1907.0319 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-16 16:42:09

Estudo Taxonômico da Tribo Cassieae (Leguminosae – Caesalpinioideae) no Parque Ecológico Engenheiro Ávidos, Cajazeiras–PB

Authors: Flávio Sousa Souto, Aclébia Alves Quaresma, Rubens Teixeira de Queiroz, Maria do Socorro Pereira
Comments: 21 Pages.

This work consists in a taxonomic study of the Tribe Cassieae in the Engenheiro Ávidos Ecological Park, Cajazeiras - Paraíba, carried out between February/2017 an April/2018. Twelve species were recorded in the area, distributed in two genera: Chamaecrista (6) and Senna (6). Among the species found, we highlight Chamaecrista pilosa, here cited as a new registry for the state of Paraíba and the occurrences of C. amiciella and C. duckeana, endemic species of the Caatinga. Analytical key for species identification, morphological descriptions and complementary information are presented. In this context, the relevant contribution of this study to the knowledge of the flora in the region is evidenced.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[33] viXra:1907.0318 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-16 16:44:47

Lista Atualizada da Flora Vascular do Parque Nacional (Parna) Serra de Itabaiana, Sergipe, Brasil

Authors: Ana Cecília da Cruz Silva, Eduardo Vinícius da Silva Oliveira, Marccus Alves, Marta Cristina Vieira Farias, Aline da Costa Mota, Christopher Anderson Santos Souza, Ana Paula do Nascimento Prata
Comments: 28 Pages.

The Serra de Itabaiana National Park is located in an ecotone between Atlantic Rainforest and Caatinga biomes. It is one of the main areas of scientific studies in Sergipe. There are works approaching botanical families and listings of vascular flora. However, there is a need to update and compile the lists to better knowledge of the diversity of local flora. Therefore, a checklist was prepared from previous publications and Herbarium database of the Federal University of Sergipe (ASE). In total 124 families and 830 species of vascular plants were recorded distributed between Angiosperm (803 species), Ferns and Lycophytes (26) and Gymnosperms (1). The families of greater richness were: Fabaceae (73 species), Poaceae (65), Cyperaceae (59), Rubiaceae (40) and Asteraceae (36). The most representative habits were herbs (41.2%), shrubs (24.7%) and tree (17.6%). One hundred and seventy species are new occurrences for Sergipe, there is a new species for science, six rare species, three endangered species, nine almost endangered and three vulnerable, in addition there are 80 endemic species of the Atlantic Forest and 13 endemic to the Caatinga.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[32] viXra:1907.0317 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-16 16:46:52

Estudo Taxonômico Das Subfamílias Cercidoideae e Detarioideae (Leguminosae) no Parque Ecológico Engenheiro Ávidos, Sertão Paraibano

Authors: Flávio Sousa Souto, Aclébia Alves Quaresma, Anaine Batista Araruna, Rubens Teixeira de Queiroz, Maria do Socorro Pereira
Comments: 7 Pages.

The subfamilies Cercidoideae and Detarioideae represent the basal lineages among the Leguminosae. In this work it is reported the occurrence of three species in the Engenheiro Ávidos Ecological Park, being two members of Cercidoideae, Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud. and B. pentandra (Bong.) D. Dietr. and one of Detarioideae, Tamarindus indica L. It is worth mentioning that B. pentandra occurs in Paraíba only in the municipalities that comprise the Sertão mesoregion, while B. cheilantha is distributed in all geographic regions of the state. Tamarindus indica is an exotic species, widely cultivated, due to its food potential. These floristic data are relevant because they contribute to the increase of the knowledge of the vegetal cover in the semiarid.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[31] viXra:1907.0299 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:45:04

Fragmentação Florestal na Área de Proteção Ambiental de Tambaba, Paraíba, Brasil

Authors: Saara Souza Rodrigues, Cleber Salimon, Saulo Roberto de Oliveira Vital
Comments: 8 Pages.

One of the most fragmented ecosystems in Brazil is the Atlantic Rain Forest, due to centuries of deforestation along the coast which holds one of the world’s greatest biodiversity. Landscape metrics and shape can impact on border effect on patterns and processes of a forested ecosystem. In this paper, we map and characterize the forest fragmentation of the Tambaba Environmental Protection Area (APA), on the coast of Paraíba State, Brazil, using landscape metrics to verify the effectiveness of this protected area. We conducted a land cover classification (supervised classification by maximum likelyhood, RapidEye imagery) into two categories (1) forest and (2) non forest. Landscape metrics (number of fragments, total core area, proportion of core area, among others) were calculated using ArcGis extension Patch Analyst. From the APA’s total 11.550 ha, 2.200 ha were classified as forest (19%), distributed in 1.364 fragments of different sizes. Total core area varied from 1.470 (10 m border effect) to 370 ha (50 m border effect), dependending on edge effect distance, which provides a true conservation of only 13 to 3% of the total APA. These results point to the necessity of an intense and rigorous surveillance of the compliance with laws, as well as a rational and participatory management, through the APA’s management council and public agencies, in order to protect the remnant fragments.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[30] viXra:1907.0298 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:48:04

Predation of Dermatonotus Muelleri (Anura, Microhylidae) by Guira Guira (Cuculiformes, Cuculidae) in the Coastline of the Sergipe State, Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Francis Luiz Santos Caldas, Bruno Jackson Melo de Almeida, Rafael Alves dos Santos
Comments: 4 Pages.

Predation can drive significant effect upon the community structure. However, the observation and documentation of this ecological interaction is occasional and yet scarce for many groups. Our goal here is to report the predation of Dermatonotus muelleri (Boettger, 1885) by Guira guira (Gmelin, JF, 1788). Because G. guira diet frequently includes small vertebrates we believe that this species may act as an important regulator of D. muelleri population. This predation report can input insights about the knowledge of interactions of Microhylidae Günther, 1858 (1843) members and others species.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[29] viXra:1907.0296 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:52:04

Occurrence of Amblyomma Sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) in Tropidurus Hispidus (Spix, 1825) (Squamata: Tropiduridae) in Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana, Sergipe, Brazil

Authors: Daniel Oliveira Santana, Francis Luiz Santos Caldas, Lucas Barbosa de Queiroga Cavalcanti, Fabíola Fonseca Almeida Gomes, Bruno Duarte da Silva, Rafael Alves dos Santos, Renato Gomes Faria
Comments: 5 Pages.

Lizards are often parasitized by Acari species (mites and ticks). In this study we report the occurrence of a specimen of tick (Amblyomma sp.) parasitizing a juvenile individual of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) in Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana (PNSI) in the state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[28] viXra:1907.0295 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:53:59

Aranhas Epígeas de um Fragmento de Mata em área Urbana em Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil

Authors: Raul Azevedo, Kamilla Gonçalves Menezes, Raissa Aguiar Barbosa, Joaquin Deusdedit Rocha Matos Neto, José Onofre Nascimento Monteiro, Alysson Guedes Coutinho, Luis Gonzaga Sales Júnior
Comments: 10 Pages.

Spiders are indicators of environment quality due fact of been sensible to environment changes. Their adaptions among the environment and their relations between vegetal communities make them have a special role in forest ecosystems. However, this relation makes spiders susceptible to effects of urban process and to defloration and ecosystem fragmentation process. A spider fauna survey was developed using 50 “pitfall traps”, annual sample process begun in 2010 and finished in 2011 (total samples = 600) in an urbanized patch. A total of 1238 individuals were collected, constituting 51 species belonged to 18 families which Zodariidae and Lycosidae were most abundant, and Salticidae and Theridiidae were the richest families. It´s also observed many rare species (Singletons and Doubletons). The richness estimators didn´t exhibit a trend do exhibit an asymptote and the relation between collected species and estimated species, suggesting more samples process also suggests a necessity of develop politics to preserve the local biodiversity.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[27] viXra:1907.0294 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:55:39

Críticas ao “Tree Thinking”: Elucidando O Significado Das Relações Filogenéticas

Authors: Rafael Gomes de Souza
Comments: 15 Pages.

The “Tree Thinking” is regarded as the dominant methodology in current Systematic Biology. However, criticisms of the procedures carried out by it are diverse. Here the criticisms made by Fitzhugh regarding its philosophical basis and the consequences of such modifications are presented and defended. Thus, the present work aims to demonstrate that “Tree Thinking”, as it has been used, is incomplete because it does not recognize that phylogenetic relationships are of the causal type previously summarized in an explanatory sketch (cladogram). In addition, to support such an argument, a discussion on the definition and objectives of Systematic Biology and “Tree Thinking” is provided. As a result, it is possible to observe confusion between classifying and systematizing the knowledge by those who follow "Tree Thinking". In addition, “Tree Thinking” fails to provide causal explanations regarding the origin and fixation of the characteristics studied. In this way, “Tree Thinking” can be considered an incomplete practice within Systematic Biology and, therefore, the application of the proposals of Fitzhugh are recommended.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[26] viXra:1907.0293 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:57:45

New Records and Geographic Distribution Map of Pseudopaludicola Pocoto (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Leiuperinae) in Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Charles de Sousa Silva, Igor Joventino Roberto, Robson Waldemar Ávila, Drausio Honorio Morais
Comments: 5 Pages.

We provide new records and an updated geographic distribution map of Pseudopaludicola pocoto Magalhães, Loebmann, Kokubum, Haddad & Garda, 2014 for the Brazilian states of Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Pernambuco. The present work helps to fill gaps in distribution of this recently described species in Caatinga Biome, which can be useful in future conservation plans.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[25] viXra:1907.0292 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 07:59:27

O Status Ecológico Das Comunidades de Fungos Coprófilos

Authors: Francisco J. Simões Calaça, Jéssica Conceição Araújo, Solange Xavier-Santos
Comments: 7 Pages.

We discuss the ecological status of coprophilous fungi communities lato sensu, presenting key points to the definition of scientific hypothesis and future studies aiming to understand the ecological factors that modulate the coprophilous lifestyle’s choice by these fungi. We present a new scientific term (copromycodiversity) that better describes the magnitude of this group, considering the comprehensiveness of this fungal group, including the morphological, physiological and ecological diversities to a coprophilous fungi population recorded to a specific geographical region. Furthermore, we raised some questions related to the life cycle of these fungi, taking into account recent studies as well as the traditionally accepted assumption that supports the spore passage through animals’s gut to its growth and development on dung. We expect that future research would best define these communities, avoiding uncertainties about the definition of the coprophilous lifestyle, even that some species would growth on others substrates (fimicolous fungi), but still displaying some connection with its animal host (coprophilia). While we are waiting for future directions, new hypothesis must be planned and tested aiming the predictors that truly modulates the occurrence of coprophilous fungi in different environments.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[24] viXra:1907.0291 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 08:01:27

Acidentes Causados Por Aranhas e Escorpiões no Estado do Ceará, Nordeste do Brasil: Casos Subnotificados e Superestimados Baseados na Distribuição Geográfica Das Espécies

Authors: Raul Azevedo, Francisco Roberto de Azevedo, Relrison Dias Ramalho, Paulo André Margonari Goldoni, Antonio Domingos Brescovit
Comments: 14 Pages.

The accidents caused by arachnids have increased its frequency along the years and the majority of accidents reports do not contain species identification, contributing to underreporting of data. In Ceará state, specific information about accidents with full notifications or accident description are scarce. In this present study, data about accidents involving spiders and scorpions in Ceará state from 2010 to 2015 period were correlated with geographic distribution based on data from main Brazilian scientific collections of arachnids. An increased number of accidents caused by spiders and scorpions was observed, mainly in 2013 for scorpions, and a constant number of municipalities reported scorpionic accidents to this period. According to Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação - SINAN, in Ceará state, many cases were credited to Phoneutria sp., Loxosceles sp., and Latrodectus sp., whoever this occurrence is not correlated with their geographic distribution supported on arachnid collections data. Therefore, knowledge on species geographic distribution with public health significance combined with properly notified records can contribute to reduction of accidents numbers and development of politics aimed to public health.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[23] viXra:1907.0285 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:29:00

Bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) from an Area of Caatinga in Southwestern Bahia, Brazil

Authors: Fábio Soares, Patrício Adriano da Rocha, Stephen Ferrari, Thiago Acioli, James Prado Pinto-Sobrinho
Comments: 9 Pages.

The present study provides an inventory of the bat species recorded in the municipality of Caetité, in southwestern Bahia, Brazil. Sixty-eight individuals were captured, belonging to nine species and three families. The Jackknife 1 procedure estimated a species richness of 9.9. The phyllostomid bats were the most abundant, and Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) was captured most frequently. Our results are consistent with previous studies conducted in Bahia and the Caatinga, providing data on the local bat community structure. It also highlights the importance of rapid inventories for the understanding of the diversity and distribution of the bat fauna.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[22] viXra:1907.0284 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:30:51

Note on bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in a Restinga area of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Authors: Fábio Soares, Marcela Daher, Raul Perrelli, José Armando Torres Moreno, Stephen Ferrari
Comments: 5 Pages.

Currently, forty-one species of bats are known to occur in the restingas of Brazil. However, most studies on restingas’ bats are limited to the south and southeastern regions of Brazil, leaving the northeastern region with a gap of knowledge. The present article presents data on bats captured in three areas of restinga of the municipality of Tibau do Sul, Rio Grande do Norte, collected from a short-term sampling. Mist nets were used to capture bats near the ground and the water bodies. Were captured 38 individuals of six species and two families: five Phyllostomidae and one Molossidae. The bat Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) was the most abundant species. We present here the first list of bats captured in the restinga area for the Rio Grande do Norte State.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[21] viXra:1907.0283 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:32:22

New Records of Albardia Furcata Van Der Weele, 1903 (Neuroptera, Ascalaphidae, Albardiinae) from Paraíba, with Notes on a Predator Species

Authors: Alessandre Pereira-Colavite, Izabela Souza Braga, Wellington Emanuel dos Santos
Comments: 5 Pages.

New records of the rare owlfly Albardia furcata van der Weele, 1903 are provided from the state of Paraiba, in the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest, including four new localities. A referential map is included to the recorded specimens. The first report of the predator fly Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830) on dead body of A. furcata is registered.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[20] viXra:1907.0282 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:33:40

Papel Das Moscas (Insecta, Diptera) na Entomologia Forense

Authors: Wellington Emanuel dos Santos
Comments: 8 Pages.

This paper presents a brief review of the role of flies (Insecta, Diptera) in Forensic Entomology. Discussions on presence in human cadavers and vertebrate carcasses, Postmortem Interval (PMI) estimations, studies carried out in Brazil and other countries, families of forensic importance and biological, ecological and distribution aspects of the main species are presented.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[19] viXra:1907.0281 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:36:23

Invasão Biológica Por Cryptostegia Madagascariensis: Uma Abordagem Voltada Para Estresses Abióticos

Authors: Jailma dos Santos de Medeiros, Francisco de Oliveira Mesquita, Leonaldo Alves de Andrade, Cleiton José de Oliveira, Edlânia Maria de Souza, Jânio Kleiber Camelo de Souza
Comments: 11 Pages.

The introduction, accidental or deliberate, of exotic species by different vectors is currently a major global changes, resulting in a number of local and global problems. Although not all introductions of non-native species have negative effects, many of the non-native species can have undesirable effects on biodiversity from the genetic level to the landscape. This work aimed to present the current knowledge on biological invasions by species and particularly on invasive Cryptostegia madagascariensis Bojer ex Decne. New introductions are made every year around the world and only a small part of these taxa become invasive, yet cause serious damage to ecosystems invaded. The success of weed plants is due to the intrinsic characteristics of these species that ensures the same competitive advantages with native species and the level of disruption in new niches which makes them totally supportive environments to establish new species and the emergence of monodominadas areas. In this context is C. madagascariensis, origin of climbing on the island of Madagascar in Africa, which was introduced in Brazil with ornamental purposes, becoming invasive in natural ecosystems, especially in riparian environments and humid lowlands, in the field of savanna and associated ecosystems.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[18] viXra:1907.0280 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:38:03

Diversity and Community Composition of Marine Mollusks Fauna on a Mainland Island of the Coast of Paraná, Southern Brazil

Authors: Marcos de Vasconcellos Gernet, Eduardo Colley, Elizângela da Veiga Santos, Carlos João Birckolz
Comments: 11 Pages.

Farol Island is a continental island in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. Due to its position in relation to the continent, three distinct environmental areas are observed: rocky shore area with open exposure to the sea (A); estuarine area (B); sandy beach area (C). Considering that the continental islands are excellent study models that reproduce the environmental conditions of the coastal zone in a smaller scale, the study aimed at surveying and researching the marine malacofauna on the Farol Island and comparing the diversity and shellfish composition. The sampling method was based on a monthly collection in three locations for two years (2011-2012). The survey found 91 species: 47 Gastropoda, 41 Bivalvia and three Scaphopoda. The highest abundance and species richness prevailed in environmental area A. The greatest equitability was observed in B and the highest dominance in C. There was a predominance of Gastropoda and Bivalvia in A, while the frequency of Scaphopoda did not vary among environments. The species composition of the three classes varied among the three areas. The variation of diversity and species composition in the three environments may be related to the natural characteristics of each side of the island, as salinity and wave action.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[17] viXra:1907.0279 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:39:33

New Records of Two Species of Acanthocarpus Stimpson, 1871 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Calappidae) in Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Flavio de Almeida Alves-Jr., Ângela Ferreira Pereira, Marina de Sá Leitão Câmara de Araújo
Comments: 7 Pages.

The gladiator box crab of the genus Acanthocarpus Stimpson, 1871 has benthonic habits, occurring in continental shelf on gravel or muddy substrates with occurrence in all oceans, especially between 20-522 m depth. In this paper we report the occurrence of Acanthocarpus alexandri Stimpson, 1871 and A. bispinosus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 from the Potiguar Basin (Rio Grande do Norte), located in the Brazilian northeast and increase the knowledge about the distributional aspects of this species from Brazilian coast.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[16] viXra:1907.0278 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 13:42:16

Predation of Hemidactylus Mabouia (Sauria: Gekkonidae) by a Vine Snake Oxybelis Aeneus (Serpentes: Colubridae) in an Atlantic Forest Fragment, Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Lissa Dellefrate Franzini, Carmem Karime Bacalháo Pedro, Lucas Barbosa de Queiroga Cavalcanti, Daniel Oliveira Mesquita
Comments: 4 Pages.

Oxybelis aeneus (Wagler, 1824) is an arboreal snake species that is widely distributed in the American continent whose diet is composed mainly by vertebrates, such as lizards. Several lizard species have already been reported as prey of this snake, including the alien species Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, 1818). Herein we describe in details a predation event of H. mabouia by O. aeneus, widening our knowledge regarding the natural history of both species to scientific literature.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[15] viXra:1907.0275 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:29:24

Efeito de Técnicas de Enriquecimento Ambiental no Comportamento de Leontopithecus Chrysomelas (Kuhl, 1820) (Primates: Callitrichidae)

Authors: Denise Costa Rebouças Lauton, Antônio de Oliveira Costa Neto
Comments: 8 Pages.

Environmental enrichment consists in techniques that modify the captive environment, in order to make it more dynamic. The adoption of the method, often, results in the reduction of abnormal behavior (stereotypies) and expression of a more typical behavioral repertoire. Believing in the effectiveness of environmental enrichment techniques and that it is possible to improve the condition of captives individuals, this work was proposed. There were applied techniques of Physical and Feed enrichment to groups and solitary individuals captives of Leontopithecus chrysomelas (Kuhl, 1820) kept in Tropical Laboratory of Primatology (TLP), of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB). The observations were made in three phases: Control; Enrichment of the Physical; and Nutritional. Individuals presented frequent abnormal behaviors during Control phase, such as pacing and excessive watching, especially the lonely individuals. During the experimental phase, only the act to guard presented significant difference for the family groups (Fr2 = 7.58; gl = 2; p = 0.023). The results show that L. chrysomelas of the TLP seem to be more resistant to change, possibly due to the long period of exposition of these to a conditioned environment to a routine and without stimuli. Aimed to modify this scenario, it is suggested to adopt methods of “routine break” concomitant to the techniques of environmental enrichment.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[14] viXra:1907.0274 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:31:38

Population Structure and Fecundity of Upogebia Omissa (Decapoda: Gebiidea: Upogebiidae) in an Estuarine Region in Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Rafael de Carvalho Santos, Luiz Filipe Santos Silva, Bruna dos Santos, Juliana Menezes Motta, Douglas Fernandes Rodrigues Alves
Comments: 9 Pages.

Upogebiidae mud shrimps are important organisms in soft-bottom communities, where they dig burrows acting as ecosystem engineers. The present study describes some parameters of the population structure and the reproductive biology of the mud shrimp Upogebia omissa. The mud shrimps were sampled in the Vaza-Barris estuarine river, Sergipe State, northeastern Brazil. In laboratory, specimens were sexed and measured for carapace length (CL). Ovigerous females had their total eggs counted. The body size ranged between 3.0 and 12.9 mm CL. Males were significantly smaller than females. The overall sex ratio was 0.34, female-biased (binomial test, P = 0.001). Fecundity ranged from 240 to 2339 eggs per female, and it was significantly affected by the bodysize. The sexual dimorphism evidenced by the mean size of each sex is a common pattern in decapods that incubate eggs, and in that case, fecundity normally varies in function of body size. Finally, we suggest that additional studies are needed, given the ecological importance of these mud shrimps and the scarcity of studies about them.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[13] viXra:1907.0273 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:33:27

Some Pycnogonida (Arthropoda: Chelicerata) from the “Paulo Young” Invertebrate Collection (CIPY) of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Brazil

Authors: Rudá Amorim Lucena, Martin Lindsey Christoffersen
Comments: 13 Pages.

Biodiversity studies are increasingly urgent, due mainly to the speed with which anthropic degredation is affecting the environment, marine localities in particular. Due to these human impacts, part of the marine biota is becoming increasingly unavailable in natural environments. Biological collections thus are of key importance, functioning as data bases for studies in Taxonomy, Systematics and Biogeography, as well as for several applied areas of research. Biological collections in Brazil suffer from lack of financial support, lack of human resources (both technical and scientific) and are difficult to access by the scientific cummunity. The Invertebrate Collection “Paulo Young” (CIPY) contains more than 18.000 identified and numbered samples of several marine invertebrates, from sponges to tunicates. The pycnogonid section, although less numerous than many other animal groups, has been the focus of attention in recent years. Several new species and new records have been reported from Brazil. The aim of the present paper is to disclose the CIPY reference collection, recording the Pycnogonida collection that was not the subject of previous publications.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[12] viXra:1907.0272 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:35:41

Relação Entre Massa Corporal e Taxa Respiratória em Arthropoda de Floresta Atlântica (Paraíba, Brasil)

Authors: Idalio Amaranto, Cleber Ibraim Salimon, Douglas Zeppelini
Comments: 10 Pages.

Respiratory rate studies in arthropods refer to important physiological data, since these animals perform important ecosystem functions and because they are the greatest diversity and abundance of animals present on Earth. This study measures and describes respiratory rates through the emission of CO2, and relates them to the body mass of arthropods. The study was carried out in remnant fragments of coastal Atlantic Forest of Paraíba, Brazil. The research encompasses all living subphyla of arthropods (Crustacea, Chelicerata, Myriapoda and Hexapoda) represented by 705 specimens actively collected and tested through respirometry and measured by Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA). As a result, we observed that among the studied arthropods, Hexapoda and Chelicerata showed higher rates of carbon dioxide emission, while Crustacea and Myriapoda had the lowest rates. Regarding its relationship with body mass, Hexapoda and Crustacea showed higher respiration by specific mass and, in general, all Arthropoda corroborated the pattern described by animal physiology, where body mass and animal respiratory rate are inversely correlated.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[11] viXra:1907.0271 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:37:35

Breve História da Sistemática de Agaricaceae (Fungi) e Distribuição no Brasil

Authors: Felipe Wartchow
Comments: 17 Pages.

The family Agaricaceae belongs to order Agaricales. In general the agaricoid species of this group are characterized by having squamulose pileus. This revision presents a brief history of the systematic of this group and distribution of their agaricoid species in Brazil since from early 19th Century to present days.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[10] viXra:1907.0270 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:39:19

Registro de Olivancillaria Vesica (Gastropoda, Olividae) Sinistrógira no Litoral do Estado do Paraná, Brasil

Authors: Marcos de Vasconcellos Gernet, Carlos Eduardo Belz, Carlos João Birckolz, Elizângela da Veiga Santos
Comments: 4 Pages.

Olivancillaria vesica (Gmelin, 1791) commonly inhabitant beaches in southern and southeastern Brazil, living semi-buried in sandy substrates from the intertidal zone to deeper areas in the sub-littoral. In this work, we report the meeting of a sinistral shell of O. vesica, characteristic that is rare for this species. Its main measurements are: 10.6 mm in height, 5.1 mm in width, 8.1 mm in height of the aperture and 2.1 mm in width of the aperture. It was collected in the municipality of Matinhos, coast of Paraná state, southernern Brazil, in biodetritic gravel.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[9] viXra:1907.0269 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:41:56

First Record of Calycuoniscus Goeldii (Lemos de Castro, 1967) (Oniscidea: Dubioniscidae) for the State of Piauí, Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Vanderley Ferreira Silva Costa, Daniela Correia Grangeiro, Carlos Anderson Soares Bezerra Pereira
Comments: 6 Pages.

The present work provides the first record of Calycuoniscus goeldii (Lemos de Castro, 1967) from the municipality of Picos, state of Piauí, northeastern Brazil. In addition, this paper contributes to increase the knowledge about the biodiversity of terrestrial isopods of the state of Piauí and distribution of the family Dubioniscidae in northeastern Brazil.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[8] viXra:1907.0268 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:44:04

Exploração e Utilização do Potencial Madeireiro da Caatinga no Município de Aurora – Estado do Ceará

Authors: Amanda Pereira de Souza, Francisco Carlos Pinheiro da Costa, Rosana Ferreira de Alencar, Silvio Felipe Barbosa Lima
Comments: 10 Pages.

Plant species of the Caatinga have considerable logging and economic potential. This paper addresses the extraction and use of Caatinga wood in the municipality of Aurora (state of Ceará, Brazil) as well as residents’ conceptions regarding the origins and environmental impacts of the exploitation of this resource. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the origin and the forms of wood used. The data showed that, even when recognizing the risks of these actions, the interviewees extract wood from the Caatinga in a destructive manner, which is used for making furniture, doors, sculptures, instruments and fences as well as for fuel in cooking activities in homes, bakeries and pizzerias. The following species were more cited: Mimosa tenuiflora (jurema-preta), Croton sonderianus (marmeleiro), Mimosa caesalpiniifolia (sabiá), Amburana cearensis (cumaru), Combretum leprosum (mufumbo), Myracrodruon urundeuva (aroeira) and Handroanthus impetiginosus (pau-d’arco). The results point to the need for implementation of actions for the supervision and control of the exploitation of the Caatinga vegetation as well as adequate management guidelines for this important natural resource.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[7] viXra:1907.0267 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:46:27

Guia Ilustrado Dos Echinodermata da Porção Sul do Embaiamento Sul Brasileiro

Authors: Maristela de Lima Bueno, Renata Aparecida dos Santos Alitto, Pablo Damian Borges Guilherme, Maikon Di Domenico, Michela Borges
Comments: 68 Pages.

The present guide describes 57 species of Echinodermata Bruguière, 1791 [ex Klein, 1734] from the southern portion of the Brazilian South Estuary (BSE), which includes the following coasts: the Southern of the State of São Paulo, entire of the State of Paraná and Northern of the State of Santa Catarina. We designed this guide for students and researchers providing a valuable resource for the identification and appreciation of shallow-water echinoderms. The guide describes the general features of the phylum Echinodermata, has a brief presentation of the study area and the techniques of collection and preservation of the specimens. For each class, the main morphological structures are illustrated, followed by the diagnoses of the species recorded in the BSE. Within each class, the species are organized by family, then alphabetically according to genus and species. For each species, we provide diagnoses, photos, geographic distribution and habitat when available in the literature. This work is the first illustrated guide of echinoderms in Brazil and complements the knowledge of biodiversity this group and provide support for future interventions, management and maintenance of the diversity of this wonderful group of marine animals.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[6] viXra:1907.0266 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-15 19:52:39

Ocorrência de Dentes Fossilizados de Tubarões em Cascalhos Biodetríticos na Praia Dos Amores, Matinhos, Paraná, Brasil

Authors: Marcos de Vasconcellos Gernet, Elizângela da Veiga Santos, Esther Valentina da Veiga de V. Gernet
Comments: 4 Pages.

The coastal plain of Paraná originated in the Quaternary Period from cyclical movements of transgression and marine regression from the Holocene climatic oscillations. The sediments of the coastal plain present dates that vary from Pleistocene to Holocene. Along the coast of Paraná, several points are found that present deposits of biodetritic gravel, with great accumulation of fossiliferous material coming from this geologic period, among them shark teeth. The site chosen for collecting the fossilized teeth was in the gravel bank located in front of the Farol Island, located in the Amores Beach, in the municipality of Matinhos, Paraná. In total, 563 fossilized shark teeth were found, from six different species of two families. These data are very important to better understand this past biodiversity.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[5] viXra:1907.0243 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-14 09:30:12

O Gênero Amanita (Fungi): Sistemática e Distribuição no Brasil

Authors: Felipe Wartchow
Comments: 16 Pages.

This revision presents topic related to the iconic mushrooms belonging to fungal genus Amanita. A brief story regarding to the Systematic and Taxonomy and the distribution of the species in Brazil are also presented.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[4] viXra:1907.0242 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-14 09:31:50

Checklist of the Holothuroidea (Echinodermata) from the State of Paraíba, Brazil

Authors: Jéssica Prata, Martin Lindsey Christoffersen
Comments: 14 Pages.

The study presents the first species list for holothurians from the coast of the State of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. The list was made based on the study of specimens deposited in the Invertebrate Collection Paulo Young, Federal University of Paraíba. A total of 16 species from seven families of Holothuroidea were recorded. This paper contributes to the biodiversity studies from the northeast coast of Brazil.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[3] viXra:1907.0241 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-14 09:33:30

Lizard Predation Tropidurus Hispidus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) by False Coral Snake Oxyrhopus Trigeminus (Squamata, Dipsadidae) in the Caatinga, in Northeastern Brazil

Authors: Jefferson Simanas Mikalauskas, Daniel Oliveira Santana, Stephen Francis Ferrari
Comments: 8 Pages.

The predation of lizards is rarely observed in the wild, and events involving snakes are scarcer still. Here we document in detail the predation of a lizard (Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825)) by a snake (Oxyrhopus trigeminus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854). Many studies have identified Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 lizards as prey for Brazilian snakes. Thus, this record provides important insights into the natural history of both species, especially O. trigeminus, which are essential for the understanding of their ecology.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[2] viXra:1907.0240 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-14 09:35:07

Physical, Biological and Human-Induced Effects on the Reef Fishes of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil

Authors: Paulo Roberto de Medeiros, Ana Maria Alves de Medeiros
Comments: 15 Pages.

Several factors have the potential to influence the distribution and composition of reef fish communities. Amongst the most important are rugosity, wave exposure, substrate cover and human activities. The present study evaluated the influence of these factors on reef fishes from sites following a gradient of human-induced effects on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, northeast Brazil and determined their relative importance to reef fish ecology. Rugosity did not influence fish richness, but had a positive influence on number of individuals, juveniles and endemic species, whereas benthic cover did not seem to be an important determinant for any fish variable evaluated. These results suggest that availability of shelter (physical protection) is more limiting than availability of food (i.e. benthic cover). Furthermore, water flow showed somewhat low values, but even so, had negative effects on fish numbers. Recreational activities, albeit seemingly non-impacting, had a negative effect on fish abundance with the partially protected site (Atalaia) showing a similar community structure to the unrestricted site (Porto). These results suggest that human presence, even when supervised, may interfere on reef fish structure. Low-impact tourism practices are required especially in partially protected and unprotected areas.
Category: Quantitative Biology

[1] viXra:1907.0090 [pdf] submitted on 2019-07-05 15:22:57

Thresholding for Population-Level Polygenic Scores to Maximize Predictive Accuracy: iq and Educational Abilities.

Authors: Davide Piffer
Comments: 16 Pages.

Polygenic scores (PGS) are being used to predict group-level traits across time and space, hence proving useful to detect recent selection. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of different p value thresholds on signal to noise ratio and predictive validity of polygenic scores, using the largest GWAS of educational attainment and cognition to date. Signal to noise ratio linearly decreases with p value, but this phenomenon is limited to Eurasians. There is a linear degradation of validity and population differentiation in allele frequencies with higher p values. However, compounded polygenic scores have a quadratic relationship with p value. A thresholding at or below the conventional GWAS significance (p<5*10-8) seems to maximize validity, corroborating earlier results. The highest correlation with population IQ is achieved by the Highest Math Class completed and the EDU MTAG PGS (r= 0.90 and 0.89, respectively). Using random SNPs, it is shown that correlations of this magnitude occur only once out of 46k trials. A table provides an empirical estimate of the rarity of the correlation coefficients and it is shown that they are a function of PGS size. Finally, an analogy between the noise contained in polygenic scores and physical instruments is put forward.
Category: Quantitative Biology