Phylogeographical structure of the neotropical forest tree Hymenaea courbaril (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) and its relationship with the Vicariant Hymenaea stigonocarpa from Cerrado.

The phylogeography of Hymenaea courbaril var. stilbocarpa from Atlantic Forest and riverine forests of the Cerrado biome in central and southeastern Brazil was investigated. The data were compared with those of its congeneric Hymenaea stigonocarpa, a typical tree from savanna. In the Cerrado, H. courbaril var. stilbocarpa is found in sites contiguous with those of H. stigonocarpa, and they share common life-history attributes. The psbC/trnS3 region of the chloroplast DNA was sequenced in 149 individuals of H. courbaril var. stilbocarpa. High genetic variation was found in this species, with the identification of 18 haplotypes, similarly to what was found in H. stigonocarpa with 23 haplotypes in the same geographic region. Populations of H. courbaril var. stilbocarpa could be structured in 3 phylogeographic groups. Spatial analysis of molecular variation indicated that 46.4% of the genetic variation was due to differences among these groups. Three haplotypes were shared by H. courbaril var. stilbocarpa and H. stigonocarpa, and only 10.5% of the total genetic variation could be attributed to between-species difference. We surmise that during the glacial times, H. courbaril var. stilbocarpa populations must have gone extinct in most parts of the southern of its present-day occurrence area. After climate amelioration, these areas were probably recolonized from northern and eastern. The relatively similar phylogeographic structure of vicariant Hymenaea species suggests that they were subjected to the same impacts during the Quaternary climatic fluctuations. The sharing of haplotypes and the genetic similarity between the 2 Hymenaea species suggest the existence of ancestral polymorphism and/or hybridization.

Phylogeography of the tree Hymenaea stigonocarpa (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) and the influence of quaternary climate changes in the Brazilian cerrado.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hymenaea stigonocarpa (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) is an endemic tree from the Brazilian cerrado (savanna vegetation), a biome classified as a hotspot for conservation priority. This study investigates the phylogeographic structure of H. stigonocarpa, in order to understand the processes that have led to its current spatial genetic pattern. METHODS: The polymorphism level and spatial distribution of variants of the plastid non-coding region between the genes psbC and trnS were investigated in 175 individuals from 17 populations, covering the greater part of the total distribution of the species. Molecular diversity indices were calculated and intra-specific relationships were inferred by the construction of haplotype networks using the median-joining method. Genetic differentiation among populations and main geographical groups was evaluated using spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA). KEY RESULTS: Twenty-three different haplotypes were identified. The level of differentiation among the populations analysed was relatively high (F(ST) = 0.692). Phylogeographic analyses showed a clear association between the haplotype network and geographic distribution of populations, revealing three main geographical groups: western, central and eastern. SAMOVA corroborated this finding, indicating that most of the variation can be attributed to differences among these three groups (58.8 %), with little difference among populations within groups (F(SC) = 0.252). CONCLUSIONS: The subdivision of the geographic distribution of H. stigonocarpa populations into three genetically differentiated groups can be associated with Quaternary climatic changes. The data suggest that during glacial times H. stigonocarpa populations became extinct in most parts of the southern present-day cerrado area. Milder climatic conditions in the north and eastern portions of the cerrado resulted in maintenance of populations in these regions. Thus it is inferred that the most southern part of the present-day cerrado was re-colonized by different lineages from northern parts of this biome, after postglacial climate amelioration.

Benefits of a memory game as a didactic strategy in the learning of human physiology / Benefícios de um jogo de memorização como estratégia didática no aprendizado da fisiologia humana

The diversification of teaching strategies helps students to learn by a more effective way of understanding and assimilating the themes seen in the classroom. This study aimed to develop an educational model of human physiology, based on memory stimulation, and evaluate the effectiveness of this model for undergraduate and high school students. The effectiveness of the model was evaluated by the application of two questionnaires in order to verify the assimilation of the theme seen in the classroom and the perception of the individuals about the model. The results confirm the effectiveness of this model pointing out the importance of these resources as motivational educational devices as well as the need to use innovative methodologies. Furthermore, the use of models with visual appeal and which do the learning in a playful way could improve the efficiency in the process of teaching and learning together with the traditional classroom model

A diversificação das estratégias de ensino ajuda os alunos a aprender através de uma forma mais eficaz para compreender e assimilar os temas vistos em sala de aula. Este trabalho teve por objetivo conceber e avaliar o uso de um jogo de memorização como estratégia auxiliar no processo de ensino e aprendizagem de alunos do ensino médio e do ensino superior, abordando o conteúdo de Fisiologia Humana, com foco no Sistema Excretor e Fisiologia Renal, respectivamente. A eficácia do modelo foi avaliada por meio da aplicação de dois questionários para verificar a assimilação dos conteúdos abordados em sala de aula e a percepção dos indivíduos sobre o modelo. Os resultados confirmam a eficiência do modelo apontando para a importância destes recursos como dispositivos educativos motivacionais, bem como a necessidade de utilizar metodologias inovadoras. Ademais, a utilização de modelos com apelo visual e que trabalhem o aprendizado de forma lúdica, podem agregar eficiência ao processo de ensino e aprendizagem ao tradicional modelo de sala de aula