Papers by Leonora P I R E S Costa
PLOS ONE
Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris, Gray 1828) are widely distributed in tropical waters aro... more Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris, Gray 1828) are widely distributed in tropical waters around the world. Although they occur in large, pelagic groups in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, elsewhere in the Pacific they are found in small and genetically isolated populations associated with islands. This species is considered to be "Least Concern" (LC) by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). To assess genetic diversity and population structure of an island-associated population in the South Atlantic Ocean we surveyed 162 spinner dolphins throughout the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago of the northeast coast of Brazil using ten microsatellite loci and sequencing a 413-bp section of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. Eleven mtDNA haplotypes were identified and haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.3747 and 0.0060, respectively. Median-Joining Network revealed the presence of two very divergent haplotypes and F-statistics indicated some heterogeneity between two sampling years. All microsatellite loci were polymorphic (H o : 0.767; H e : 0,764) but, revealed no detectable substructure. We also compared the mtDNA haplotypes from Noronha to 159 haplotypes representing 893 individuals from 14 locations worldwide. We found that the two common haplotypes from the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago were absent in all other populations. These comparisons showed that Noronha spinner dolphins are likely more differentiated than other island populations, suggesting that they form societies with strong site fidelity mediated by females.
PLOS ONE, Apr 7, 2020
Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris, Gray 1828) are widely distributed in tropical waters aro... more Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris, Gray 1828) are widely distributed in tropical waters around the world. Although they occur in large, pelagic groups in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, elsewhere in the Pacific they are found in small and genetically isolated populations associated with islands. This species is considered to be “Least Concern” (LC) by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). To assess genetic diversity and population structure of an island-associated population in the South Atlantic Ocean we surveyed 162 spinner dolphins throughout the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago of the northeast coast of Brazil using ten microsatellite loci and sequencing a 413-bp section of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. Eleven mtDNA haplotypes were identified and haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.3747 and 0.0060, respectively. Median-Joining Network revealed the presence of two very divergent haplotypes and F-statistics indicated some heterogeneity between two sampling years. All microsatellite loci were polymorphic (Ho: 0.767; He: 0,764) but, revealed no detectable substructure. We also compared the mtDNA haplotypes from Noronha to 159 haplotypes representing 893 individuals from 14 locations worldwide. We found that the two common haplotypes from the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago were absent in all other populations. These comparisons showed that Noronha spinner dolphins are likely more differentiated than other island populations, suggesting that they form societies with strong site fidelity mediated by females.
Journal of Mammalogy
Oecomys tapajinus (Tapajós Oecomys) is currently a junior synonym of Oecomys roberti (Robert's Oe... more Oecomys tapajinus (Tapajós Oecomys) is currently a junior synonym of Oecomys roberti (Robert's Oecomys), a widely distributed Amazonian mouse, which probably represents a complex of cryptic species. We investigated the taxonomic status of O. tapajinus by integrating phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences and morphological analyses of museum specimens. We were able to confirm that O. tapajinus is a valid species from eastern Amazonia and the transition to the Brazilian Cerrado, where it is sympatric with O. roberti. Oecomys tapajinus is characterized by a unique combination of morphological traits, high morphological variation, and genetic differentiation and structure related to the complex system of the Amazon River. Potential additional entities within the O. roberti complex emerged from our analyses, and further investigation with larger series may shed light on the taxonomic status of this species complex. Oecomys tapajinus (rato-da-árvore do Tapajós) é atualmente considerado um sinónimo júnior de Oecomys roberti (rato-da-árvore de Robert), um roedor amplamente distribuído na Amazônia, e que provavelmente representa um complexo de espécies crípticas. Neste trabalho investigamos o status taxonômico de O. tapajinus, integrando análises filogenéticas de sequências de ADN e análises morfológicas de espécimes de museus. Confirmamos o status de O. tapajinus como uma espécie válida que ocorre no este da Amazônia e na transição com o Cerrado Brasileiro, onde é simpátrico com O. roberti. Oecomys tapajinus é caracterizado por uma combinação única de caracteres morfológicos, uma alta variação morfológica, e uma diferenciação e estrutura genética associada ao sistema complexo do Rio Amazonas. Este trabalho também revelou outras potenciais unidades dentro do complexo O. roberti que merecem investigação adicional com maiores séries amostrais e que irão ajudar a clarificar o status taxonômico deste complexo de espécies.
Check List
Here we present new records of the mouse opossum Marmosa (Stegomamosa) lepida (Thomas, 1888) coll... more Here we present new records of the mouse opossum Marmosa (Stegomamosa) lepida (Thomas, 1888) collected in the recently flooded region of the Xingu River during the construction of the Belo Monte hydropower dam in the state of Pará, Brazil. This taxon is rarely captured, and it has often been misidentified as other similar genera of arboreal marsupials, such as Gracilinanus. Our specimens were identified morphologically and genetically using partial DNA of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The new records increase the known distribution by about 250 km to the southeast.
Zootaxa
The Bahian giant tree rat Phyllomys unicolor (Wagner) was described from a single specimen collec... more The Bahian giant tree rat Phyllomys unicolor (Wagner) was described from a single specimen collected in the early nineteeth century, and it has not been recorded since. It was included on the Brazilian endangered species list, and considered extinct by some. Here we report the rediscovery of P. unicolor around the type locality in the Atlantic forest of southeastern Bahia, eastern Brazil. We trapped only one young individual during seven expeditions to ten localities in the area. The phylogenetic distinctiveness of this taxon based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene is clear, in spite of uncertainties regarding clade support. The evolutionary uniqueness of P. unicolor was confirmed by a high level of sequence divergence from congeneric species. We propose that the Bahian giant tree rat should be globally listed as Critically Endangered by the World Conservation Union. Phyllomys unicolor seems to be restricted to swamp forests and it does not occur in any protected area. Intensiv...
Ecology, 2018
Measures of traits are the basis of functional biological diversity. Numerous works consider mean... more Measures of traits are the basis of functional biological diversity. Numerous works consider mean species-level measures of traits while ignoring individual variance within species. However, there is a large amount of variation within species and it is increasingly apparent that it is important to consider trait variation not only between species, but also within species. Mammals are an interesting group for investigating trait-based approaches because they play diverse and important ecological functions (e.g., pollination, seed dispersal, predation, grazing) that are correlated with functional traits. Here we compile a data set comprising morphological and life history information of 279 mammal species from 39,850 individuals of 388 populations ranging from -5.83 to -29.75 decimal degrees of latitude and -34.82 to -56.73 decimal degrees of longitude in the Atlantic forest of South America. We present trait information from 16,840 individuals of 181 species of non-volant mammals (Ro...
PloS one, 2017
The aim of this study was to reevaluate the ecology of an area in the Atlantic Forest, southeast ... more The aim of this study was to reevaluate the ecology of an area in the Atlantic Forest, southeast Brazil, where Chagas disease (CD) has been found to occur. In a previous study, immediately after the occurrence of a CD case, we did not observe any sylvatic small mammals or dogs with Trypanosoma cruzi cruzi infections, but Triatoma vitticeps presented high T. c. cruzi infection rates. In this study, we investigated bats together with non-volant mammals, dogs, and triatomines to explore other possible T. c. cruzi reservoirs/hosts in the area. Seventy-three non-volant mammals and 186 bats were captured at three sites within the Guarapari municipality, Espírito Santo state. Rio da Prata and Amarelos sites exhibited greater richness in terms of non-volant mammals and bats species, respectively. The marsupial Metachirus nudicaudatus, the rodent Trinomys paratus, and the bats Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata were the most frequently captured species. As determined by positive h...
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 2016
The family Sciuridae is one of the most widespread and ecologically diverse lineages of rodents a... more The family Sciuridae is one of the most widespread and ecologically diverse lineages of rodents and represents an ideal model for investigating the evolution of locomotion modes and the historical biogeography of terrestrial mammals. We used a comprehensive database on locomotion modes, an updated phylogeny and novel biogeographic comparative methods to reassess the evolution of locomotion of squirrels and to investigate whether these locomotion modes evolved convergently in different continents. We found that locomotion changes occurred in different independent lineages of the family, including four reversals to terrestriality and one evolution of gliding. We also found evidence for Eurasia as the centre of origin of Sciuridae, challenging the classification of the oldest squirrel fossil records from the early Oligocene in North America. Additionally, Eurasia is also the possible centre of origin for most of squirrel subfamilies and tribes, and where locomotion changes have occurred. Parallel locomotion shifts could be explained by the adaptation towards different ecological niches followed by colonization of new continents.
We conducted a capture-mark-release study of small mammals in an urban forest fragment at the Par... more We conducted a capture-mark-release study of small mammals in an urban forest fragment at the Parque das Mangabeiras, in the city of Belo Horizonte, southeastern Brazil. Four marsupials-Didelphis albiventris Lund, Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister), Marmosops incanus (Lund), Philander frenatus (Olfers)-and four rodents-Sciurus aestuans Linnaeus, Akodon montensis Thomas, Rhipidomys mastacalis (Lund) and Mus musculus Linnaeus-were found between March 2003 and February 2004. The most abundant species were M. incanus and S. aestuans, representing respectively 50% and 20% of the individuals recorded. Terrestrial habits were detected for A. montensis and D. albiventris, scansorial habits for G. agilis, M. incanus, P. frenatus, and S. aestuans, while R. mastacalis was exclusively arboreal. There was positive correlation between rainfall and population abundance for D. albiventris, and positive correlation between recruitment rates and rainfall for M. incanus. Rapid turnover rates suggested short residence time for most species. Three reproductive patterns were identified: prolonged reproduction during both seasons in R. mastacalis, reproduction during the dry season in G. agilis, and reproduction during the wet season in the remaining species. Only individuals of D. albiventris, M. incanus, R. mastacalis, and S. aestuans were detected across the paved road that runs through the fragment, suggesting that the road may be a barrier to the other species.
Check List, 2012
Furipterus horrens has its distribution restricted to the Neotropics. In the coastal states of So... more Furipterus horrens has its distribution restricted to the Neotropics. In the coastal states of Southeastern Brazil covered by Atlantic Forest, few records are known and the Espírito Santo state has never been included as an area of occurrence of the species. Here, we report the collection and identification, using morphological and molecular data, of a single individual from Floresta Nacional do Rio Preto, Conceição da Barra, which is the first record in Espírito Santo and fills in a gap in the known geographical distribution of this bat in the Atlantic Forest.
Oecologia Australis, 2016
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016
Oecologia Australis, 2015
Research on the biology of Neotropical small mammals has increased in recent decades, and many st... more Research on the biology of Neotropical small mammals has increased in recent decades, and many studies have emphasized ecological and population attributes, but information on reproduction is still scarce. Reproduction is one of the most important natural history attributes because it is related to almost every structural, physiological and behavioral adaptation of an individual or a species. Most research on rodent reproduction concentrates in temperate areas and there is an evident lack of data from the Neotropical region. We compared reproductive patterns of sigmodontine and echimyid rodents using necropsy data from 135 specimens collected in the field and belonging to 22 species of sigmodontine and 8 species of echimyid rodents. We estimated embryonic litter size by counting the number of embryos or the number and placement of placental scars in pregnant and parous females. Although smaller in body size, sigmodontines have larger litter sizes (3.6 ± 1.2) than echimyids (2.1 ± 0.7), indicating a tendency toward r and K reproductive strategies, respectively. Embryonic litter size in pregnant females was not statistically different from the number of placental scars, so the latter is a reliable estimate of the former in both sigmodontines and echimyids. Embryo implantation is asymmetric regarding uterine horns in sigmodontines, with predominance in the right horn, but not in echimyids. The data obtained in this study are relevant in understanding the life history of two of the most diverse clades of neotropical mammals.
Small mammals and herpetofauna were surveyed in the Amazonia/Cerrado ecotone and the capture effe... more Small mammals and herpetofauna were surveyed in the Amazonia/Cerrado ecotone and the capture effectiveness in terms of capture rates and species richness of live traps (Sherman and Tomahawk) and pitfalls (30 L and 60 L) was compared. We also evaluated if these methods alone could accurately estimate local species richness, by using additional methods. Sixty-five small vertebrate species were captured, 29 amphibian, 18 lizard and 18 small mammal species. Larger pitfalls captured significantly more individuals than the smaller ones, but did not capture more species of any taxonomic group. When comparing live traps, sherman traps captured significantly more cricetids, while Tomahawk traps captured more didelphids and teiids. Pitfalls captured significantly more small mammal species than live traps. Pitfalls were the less selective method and reveal to be very useful even in short-term biodiversity surveys. Additional sampling methods substantially increased the number of recorded speci...
The Journal of heredity, Jan 6, 2015
The riverine barrier model suggests that rivers play a significant role in separating widespread ... more The riverine barrier model suggests that rivers play a significant role in separating widespread organisms into isolated populations. In this study, we used a comparative approach to investigate the phylogeography of 6 didelphid marsupial species in central Brazil. Specifically, we evaluate the role of the mid-Araguaia River in differentiating populations and estimate divergence time among lineages to assess the timing of differentiation of these species, using mitochondrial DNA sequence data. The 6 didelphid marsupials revealed different intraspecific genetic patterns and structure. The 3 larger and more generalist species, Didelphis albiventris, Didelphis marsupialis, and Philander opossum, showed connectivity across the Araguaia River. In contrast the genetic structure of the 3 smaller and specialist species, Gracilinanus agilis, Marmosa (Marmosa) murina, and Marmosa (Micoureus) demerarae was shaped by the mid-Araguaia. Moreover, the split of eastern and western bank populations ...
The History and Geography of Recent Neotropical Mammals, 2012
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Papers by Leonora P I R E S Costa