Small mammals from the Caatinga: A dataset for the Brazilian semiarid biome.

The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and is the largest and most biodiverse Seasonal Tropical Dry Forest in the world. Despite that, the mammalian fauna, especially small mammals, is the least studied of all Brazilian biomes. In order to fill gaps and provide detailed information on small mammals (Didelphimorphia, Rodentia) in the Caatinga biome, we compiled reliable records focusing on richness, composition and some biometric data. These records came from mammal collections, papers, theses, books, and unpublished data, prioritizing records with vouchers housed in scientific collections. We compiled a total of 3133 records from 816 locations, resulting in a richness of 47 native species (12 marsupials and 35 rodents, plus three exotic rodents, Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, and Mus musculus). This dataset includes records of three new species for the biome and its transition zone: the rodents Calomys mattevii, Holochilus oxe, and Nectomys squamipes. Of the total number of records, 1808 (57.71%) are from consulting activities, 95 (3.03%) are from zoonoses studies and 104 (3.32%) are from the National Plague Service (SNP). All nine Brazilian states with territory in the Caatinga have sampling data for small mammals, but the number of records and localities are unevenly distributed, with the state of Rio Grande do Norte having the lowest number of records and locations sampled. Our dataset is the first of its kind for the Caatinga biome and has considerable potential value for studies of habitat use, landscape ecology, macroecology, biogeography, and conservation. There are no copyright restrictions on the data. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

Trophic position, altitudinal distribution, and water dependence as determining factors for mercury concentrations in tropical montane anurans.

Mercury (Hg) is a widespread and toxic contaminant with potential for long-range atmospheric transport. Previous work has shown that temperate and subtropical montane ecosystems have great potential for deposition of this element. However, little information exists regarding Hg dynamics in tropical mountains. In present study, we evaluated the influence of altitudinal distribution, size, trophic position, and degree of water dependence on Hg concentration in amphibians. For this purpose, we determined the mercury concentration in topsoil and amphibian samples collected at 32 points distributed between 327 and 2181 m above sea level in Serra dos Órgãos, a mountainous complex located in southeastern Brazil. We analyzed the concentration of mercury in whole body samples of 200 individuals of 30 amphibian species. Trophic position of the specimens was estimated by nitrogen stable isotope (δ15N) composition in muscle tissues. We observed a positive relationship between elevation and Hg concentration in topsoil samples from rainforest sites. However, in samples from nebular forest and campos de altitude (highland grasslands) sites, the concentration of Hg was considered lower than expected by the trend in rainforest points, indicating that the vegetation structure plays an important role in the deposition of atmospheric mercury. Mercury concentration in amphibians varies according to the functional characteristics of the species and the environment in which the individual is inserted. Elevation, trophic level and water dependence explained at least some degree of variation in Hg concentration in amphibian tissues. Thus, this community-level analysis suggests that mountainous areas in the tropical region, as recorded for temperate and subtropical mountains, act as regional convergence and deposition sites for atmospheric mercury.

Musculoskeletal anatomy and nomenclature of the mammalian epipubic bones.

Despite the well-established anatomy nomenclature for the marsupial skeleton, there are no names for the epipubic bone structures. Epipubic bones are paired bones articulating with the pubis and projecting cranially in the ventral body wall, present on the pelvic girdle of cynodonts, monotremes and marsupials. These bones were commonly thought to be related to pouch support in marsupials and more recently associated with locomotion. The parts of the epipubic bones have not been named and this has impeded proper morphological analysis. We analyzed the epipubic bones of 302 skeletons comprising American and Australian marsupials, as well as 27 monotreme skeletons, and dissected 10 marsupials for myological attachments analysis. We suggest the following nomenclature for the epipubic bone structures: crest for the cranial end, shaft for the body of the bone, lateral tubercle and the medial articular process. Some markings on the epipubic bone include the oblique line, pertaining to the attachment of external abdominal oblique muscle from the opposite side. The pyramidalis line is the suggested nomenclature for the pyramidalis muscle attachment and the inguinal ligament line for the inguinal ligament attachment. Regarding myology and attachments, based on dissections and review of the literature, the muscles pyramidalis, pectineus, external and internal abdominal oblique, transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis and the structures linea alba, linea semilunaris and the inguinal ligament are connected to the epipubic bone. As has been previously noted, anatomically, epipubic bones are so named due to their position (epi-above, pubic-pubis), and the same applies to structures such as the "epipubic process" or "epipubic cartilage" in amphibians and reptiles. While testing epipubic bone homology in vertebrates is beyond the scope of this work, we believe that using "epipubic bones" or epipubic cartilage/process as standardized terms for the structures found in the most cranial part of the superior ramus of the pubis would facilitate better anatomical communication. This should be valid for other similar terms, such as "epipubes" or "prepubis", that might occur in the literature in relation to this same physiographic position, and it should also be named as epipubic. We believe that this nomenclature will help in future morphologic studies.

Neotropical carnivores: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non‐detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non‐governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peerreviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non‐detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio‐temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other largescale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.

ATLANTIC-PRIMATES: a dataset of communities and occurrences of primates in the Atlantic Forests of South America.

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1-6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co-occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

Helminth metacommunity structure of wild rodents in a preserved area of the Atlantic Forest, Southeast Brazil / Estrutura da metacomunidade de helmintos de roedores silvestres em uma área preservada da Floresta Atlântica, sudeste do Brasil

Abstract The helminth fauna and metacommunity structure of eight sympatric sigmodontine rodents were investigated at the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, an Atlantic Forest reserve located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. Rodents of the species Abrawayaomys ruschii, Akodon montensis, Blarinomys breviceps , Delomys dorsalis, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oxymycterus quaestor and Thaptomys nigrita were found infected with helminths. Akodon montensis presented the highest total helminth species richness, with six different species of helminths. The nematode Stilestrongylus lanfrediae was the most abundant and prevalent helminth species observed. The host-parasite network analysis showed little interactions among host species. Akodon montensis seems to act as a keystone-species in the rodent community. This species shared the nematodes Stilestrongylus aculeata with A. ruschii and Protospirura numidica criceticola with T. nigrita, and the cestode Rodentolepis akodontis with D. dorsalis. The congeners host species O. flavescens and O. nigripes shared the nematodes Guerrerostrongylus zetta and S. lanfrediae. The rodents B. breviceps and O. quaestor did not share any helminths with other hosts. The helminth metacommunity showed a random pattern on both infracommunity and component community levels, indicating different responses by each helminth species to the environmental gradient.

Resumo Foram investigadas a helmintofauna e suas estruturas da metacomunidade em oito roedores sigmodontíneos simpátricos ao longo do Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, uma reserva de Mata Atlântica no estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Roedores das espécies Abrawayaomys ruschii, Akodon montensis, Blarinomys breviceps, Delomys dorsalis, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oxymycterus quaestor e Thaptomys nigrita foram infectados por helmintos. Akodon montensis apresentou a maior riqueza total de espécies de helmintos, com seis espécies. O nematoide Stilestrongylus lanfrediae foi a espécie de helminto com maior abundância e prevalência. A análise de rede parasito-hospedeiro mostrou poucas interações entre as espécies hospedeiras e A. montensis atuou como uma espécie-chave na comunidade de roedores. Esta espécie compartilhou os nematoides Stilestrongylus aculeata com A. ruschii e Protospirura numidica criceticola com T. nigrita, e o cestoide Rodentolepis akodontis com D. dorsalis. As espécies congêneres O. flavescens e O. nigripes compartilharam os nematoides Guerrerostrongylus zetta e S. lanfrediae. Os roedores B. breviceps e O. quaestor não compartilharam helmintos com outros hospedeiros. A metacomunidade de helmintos mostrou um padrão aleatório em ambos os níveis, comunidade componente e infracomunidade, indicando diferentes respostas de cada espécie de helminto ao gradiente ambiental.

Helminth metacommunity structure of wild rodents in a preserved area of the Atlantic Forest, Southeast Brazil.

The helminth fauna and metacommunity structure of eight sympatric sigmodontine rodents were investigated at the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, an Atlantic Forest reserve located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. Rodents of the species Abrawayaomys ruschii, Akodon montensis, Blarinomys breviceps , Delomys dorsalis, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oxymycterus quaestor and Thaptomys nigrita were found infected with helminths. Akodon montensis presented the highest total helminth species richness, with six different species of helminths. The nematode Stilestrongylus lanfrediae was the most abundant and prevalent helminth species observed. The host-parasite network analysis showed little interactions among host species. Akodon montensis seems to act as a keystone-species in the rodent community. This species shared the nematodes Stilestrongylus aculeata with A. ruschii and Protospirura numidica criceticola with T. nigrita, and the cestode Rodentolepis akodontis with D. dorsalis. The congeners host species O. flavescens and O. nigripes shared the nematodes Guerrerostrongylus zetta and S. lanfrediae. The rodents B. breviceps and O. quaestor did not share any helminths with other hosts. The helminth metacommunity showed a random pattern on both infracommunity and component community levels, indicating different responses by each helminth species to the environmental gradient.

The genus Abrawayaomys Cunha and Cruz, 1979 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae): geographic variation and species definition

Abrawayaomys is a genus endemic to the Atlantic Forest with unique craniodental attributes within the radiation of sigmodontine rodents. Recent data hypothesized the existence of 2 species of Abrawayaomys, namely A. ruschii (from the Brazilian states of Espfrito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo) and A. chebezi (from the Argentinean province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana), as well as a possible undescribed species (from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais). Herein, based on a large series of recently collected specimens, we assessed the congruence between morphologic and molecular characters to search for discontinuities on these features across geography to delimit species within the genus, testing the aforementioned hypothesis. Morphological analyses, both qualitative and quantitative, showed that all characters are polymorphic throughout the geographic range of the genus. Results from phylogenetic analyses of cytochrome b (Cytb) data showed the topology (Misiones (Minas Gerais (Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro))), which is better explained as geographic rather than taxonomic variation, based on low values of genetic divergence observed between all specimens. Therefore, we reject the hypothesis of a polytypic Abrawayaomys, synonymizing A. chebezi to A. ruschii, and do not recognize specimens from Minas Gerais state as representing a distinct species.

Abrawayaomys é um gênero endêmico da Floresta Atlântica que apresenta características crânio-dentais exclusivas dentre os roedores sigmodontíneos. Dados recentes sugerem a existência de duas espécies distintas de Abrawayaomys, A. ruschii (com ocorrência nos estados brasileiros do Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo) e A. chebezi (ocorrendo na Província de Misiones, Argentina, e no Estado do Paraná, Brasil), além de uma possível espécie não descrita (espécimes do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil). No presente estudo, com base em uma série expressiva de espécimes recentemente coletados, avaliamos a congruência entre caracteres morfológicos e moleculares buscando encontrar possíveis descontinuidades discretas associadas à geografia, a fim de delimitar as espécies do gênero com base na hipótese taxonômica acima mencionada. As análises morfológicas qualitativas e quantitativas mostraram que todos os caracteres são polimórficos ao longo da geografia e não apresentam descontinuidades discretas que favoreçam o reconhecimento de distintas entidades taxonômicas. Os resultados das análises filogenéticas a partir de sequências de cytb mostraram a seguinte topologia (Misiones (Minas Gerais (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro))), que é melhor explicada como uma variação geográfica e não taxonômica, com base nos baixos valores de divergência genética observados entre todos os espécimes. Portanto, nós rejeitamos a hipótese de um gênero Abrawayaomys politípico, reconhecendo A. chebezi como sinônimo júnior de A. ruschii e não reconhecendo os espécimes de Minas Gerais como uma nova espécie.