Multiple approaches to understanding the taxonomic status of an enigmatic new scorpion species of the genus Tityus (Buthidae) from the biogeographic island of Paraje Tres Cerros (Argentina)

Andres Alejandro Ojanguren Affilastro (2017, [Artículo])

Tityus curupi n. sp., belonging to the bolivianus complex, is described from the biogeographically distinct area of Paraje Tres Cerros in north-eastern Argentina. We also present a molecular species delimitation analysis between Tityus curupi n. sp. and its sister species Tityus uruguayensis Borelli 1901 to confirm species integrity. Furthermore, a cytogenetic analysis is presented for these two species which contain different multivalent associations in meiosis, as a consequence of chromosome rearrangements, and the highest chromosome numbers in the genus. © 2017 Ojanguren-Affilastro et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Argentina, chromosome analysis, chromosome rearrangement, genus, human, meiosis, sister, species, anatomy and histology, animal, Argentina, chemistry, chromosome, classification, ecosystem, fluorescence in situ hybridization, genetics, geography, isl BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA DE INSECTOS (ENTOMOLOGÍA) BIOLOGÍA DE INSECTOS (ENTOMOLOGÍA)

Distribución de la variación genética de insectos asociados a Hesperoyucca whipplei en la península de Baja California

Distribution of genetic variation of insects associated with Hesperoyucca whipplei in the Baja California peninsula

Roberto Suárez Hernández (2024, [Tesis de maestría])

El tipo de interacción ecológica obligada entre plantas hospederas y sus insectos asociados ha demostrado tener un impacto en la diversidad genética de las especies involucradas. La yuca de chaparral, Hesperoyucca whipplei, presenta una relación de mutualismo obligado con la polilla polinizadora Tegeticula maculata, y de comensalismo obligado con la polilla Prodoxus marginatus. Ambos insectos depositan sus huevos en estructuras de la flor y se alimentan del fruto en desarrollo. Con el fin de determinar el efecto de la interacción ecológica sobre la diversidad genética de los insectos, en este estudio se evaluó el nivel de variación y estructura genética de ambas polillas a lo largo de la península de Baja California. Se amplificó el gen mitocondrial COI en 86 individuos de T. maculata y 120 individuos de P. marginatus. La diversidad haplotípica fue menor en T. maculata (Hd = 0.601) en comparación con P. marginatus (Hd = 0.966) mientras que la diversidad nucleotídica fue baja en ambas especies (Pi= 0.0018 y 0.007 respectivamente). Las redes haplotípicas, el AMOVA, la prueba mismatch y los valores D de Tajima en T. maculata indican un patrón de expansión poblacional, mientras que en P. marginatus indican una estabilidad demográfica. Estos hallazgos sustentan que el mutualismo obligado entre H. whipplei y T. maculata, en contraste con el comensalimo obligado con P. marginatus, tiene un impacto directo en el nivel de la diversidad genética de las polillas, más que en su estructura a lo largo del área de distribución.

The type of obligate ecological interaction between host plants and their associated insects has been showing to have an impact on the genetic diversity of the species involved. The chaparral yuca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) presents a relationship of obligate mutualism with the pollinating moth Tegeticula maculata, and obligate commensalism with the moth Prodoxus marginatus. Both insects deposit their eggs in flower structures and feed on the developing fruit. To determine the effect of ecological interactions on insects’ genetic diversity, this study evaluated the level of variation and genetic structure of both moths throughout the Baja California peninsula. The mitochondrial COI gene was amplified in 86 individuals of T. maculata and 120 individuals of P. marginatus. Haplotypic diversity was lower in T. maculata (Hd = 0.601) compared to P. marginatus (Hd = 0.966) while nucleotide diversity was low in both species (pi = .0018 and 0.007 respectively). Haplotype networks, AMOVA, mismatch test and Tajima’s D values in T. maculata indicate a pattern of population expansion, whereas in P. marginatus they indicate demographic stability. These findings support that obligate mutualism between H. whipplei and T. maculata, in contrast, to obligate commensalism with P. marginatus, has a direct impact on the level of genetic diversity of the moths, rather than on their structure across the distribution.

mutualismo, comensalismo, filogeografía comparativa, polillas mutualism, commensalism, comparative phylogeography, moth BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA DE INSECTOS (ENTOMOLOGÍA) ECOLOGÍA DE LOS INSECTOS ECOLOGÍA DE LOS INSECTOS

Variación morfológica de las hormigas Myrmecocystus de las dunas costeras de Baja California, México

Morphological variation of Myrmecocystus ants from the coastal dunes of Baja California, Mexico

Samuel Antonio Hernández Jiménez (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

La península de Baja California cuenta con dunas costeras aisladas sobre las cuales se distribuyen hormigas del género Myrmecocystus Snelling, 1976, cuya distribución se restringe en estos hábitats; la artropofauna de estas dunas es poco conocida. Se evaluaron las diferencias morfológicas de Myrmecocystus de seis poblaciones recolectadas a lo largo de la península de Baja California correspondientes a seis dunas. Para medir las diferencias morfológicas de las poblaciones, se analizaron 109 individuos, 20 por cada duna, a excepción de una duna en donde sólo se recolectaron nueve individuos. Para evaluar los cambios de forma intra e interpoblacionales, se analizaron dos estructuras morfológico-funcionales: 1) cabeza, incluyendo el clípeo relacionada con la competencia y alimentación y 2) tórax, incluyendo el propodeo, que muestra la diferencia de casta entre obreras. Con una cámara fija montada en un microscopio estereoscópico se tomaron 198 microfotografías digitales, para evaluar cambios de forma mediante un análisis de morfometría geométrica. Se detectaron diferencias asociadas al aislamiento geográfico. La variación observada en la cabeza puede ayudar a diferenciar las poblaciones del norte de la península (Santa Rosaliíta, Punta Mazo, Guerrero Negro y Punta Abreojos) y las del sur (Las Barrancas y Bahía Magdalena), la variación morfológica del tórax no mostró diferencias significativas. Existen variaciones intraespecíficas que podrían ser consecuencia de las condiciones ambientales (fenotípicas) o por procesos aleatorios como la deriva génica. El presente estudio arroja datos de la variación morfológica de seis poblaciones que representan dos especies de Myrmecocystus aun no descritas para la península de Baja California. Estos resultados repercutirán en la descripción y un aumento documentado de la biodiversidad de la artropofauna bajacaliforniana.

The Baja California peninsula has isolated coastal dunes on which ants of the genus Myrmecocystus Snelling, 1976 are distributed, whose distribution is restricted in these habitats; The arthropofauna of these dunes is poorly understood. The morphological differences of Myrmecocystus were evaluated from six populations collected along the Baja California peninsula corresponding to six dunes. To measure the morphological differences of the populations, 109 individuals were analyzed, 20 for each dune, except for one dune where only nine individuals were collected. To evaluate intra- and interpopulation shape changes, two morphological-functional structures were analyzed: 1) head, including the clypeus related to competition and feeding, and 2) thorax, including the propodeum, which shows the caste difference between workers. With a fixed camera mounted on a stereoscopic microscope, 198 digital microphotographs were taken to evaluate shape changes through a geometric morphometry analysis. Differences associated with geographic isolation were detected. The variation observed in the head can help to differentiate the populations of the north of the peninsula (Santa Rosaliíta, Punta Mazo, Guerrero Negro, and Punta Abreojos) and those of the south (Las Barrancas and Magdalena Bay), the morphological variation of the thorax did not show significant differences. There are intraspecific variations that could be a consequence of environmental conditions (phenotypic) or random processes such as gene drift. The present study yields data on the morphological variation of six populations representing two species of Myrmecocystus not yet described for the Baja California peninsula. These results will have an impact on the description and a documented increase in the biodiversity of the Baja Californian arthropofauna.

Alometría, Especiación, Morfometría Geométrica, Forma, Especies no descritas Allotometry, Speciation, Geometric Morphometry, Shape, Undescribed Species BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA DE INSECTOS (ENTOMOLOGÍA) MORFOLOGÍA DE LOS INSECTOS MORFOLOGÍA DE LOS INSECTOS

Voter´´´'s dilemma between honest and competent candidates in the 2018 elections in Mexico and Brazil

José Daniel Sousa Oliva (2023, [Artículo, Artículo])

This article is dedicated to understanding and explaining the electoral dilemma “Dishonest, but competent” and “Honest, but incompetent” in the elections of legislators, governors and municipal presidents in 2018 in Mexico and Brazil. The research questions that guided the investigation are: Why are there voters in Mexico and Brazil who vote for “dishonest” candidates? And how do the voters of those countries decide their vote in the face of this dilemma? The theoretical approach of this work is Social Psychology through two analytical tools: the Funnel of Causality and the Tripartite Model of Attitudes. The methodology is mixed, quantitative and qualitative, using statistical models with data from the international surveys World Values Survey and Comparative Studies of Electoral Systems, as well as the application of Focus Groups in the distance modality. In this way, four categories of voter are proposed: moralist, moralist-moderate, pragmatic-moderate and pragmatic. The arguments of this work are: first, that regardless of cultural differences, there is an “affective voter” “non-rational” who makes decisions based on emotions and intuition, demonstrating that the affective components of attitudes are more relevant than the cognitive ones in electoral choice; second, that voting for “dishonest” candidates is determined under a greater influence of “short-term factors” such as candidate characteristics and short-term events rather than “long-term factors” such as party loyalties and ideology.

politics, electoral behavior, political culture, democracy, public opinion. política, comportamiento electoral, cultura política, democracia, opinión pública. CIENCIAS SOCIALES CIENCIAS SOCIALES

Voter´´´'s dilemma between honest and competent candidates in the 2018 elections in Mexico and Brazil

José Daniel Sousa Oliva (2023, [Artículo, Artículo])

This article is dedicated to understanding and explaining the electoral dilemma “Dishonest, but competent” and “Honest, but incompetent” in the elections of legislators, governors and municipal presidents in 2018 in Mexico and Brazil. The research questions that guided the investigation are: Why are there voters in Mexico and Brazil who vote for “dishonest” candidates? And how do the voters of those countries decide their vote in the face of this dilemma? The theoretical approach of this work is Social Psychology through two analytical tools: the Funnel of Causality and the Tripartite Model of Attitudes. The methodology is mixed, quantitative and qualitative, using statistical models with data from the international surveys World Values Survey and Comparative Studies of Electoral Systems, as well as the application of Focus Groups in the distance modality. In this way, four categories of voter are proposed: moralist, moralist-moderate, pragmatic-moderate and pragmatic. The arguments of this work are: first, that regardless of cultural differences, there is an “affective voter” “non-rational” who makes decisions based on emotions and intuition, demonstrating that the affective components of attitudes are more relevant than the cognitive ones in electoral choice; second, that voting for “dishonest” candidates is determined under a greater influence of “short-term factors” such as candidate characteristics and short-term events rather than “long-term factors” such as party loyalties and ideology.

politics, electoral behavior, political culture, democracy, public opinion. política, comportamiento electoral, cultura política, democracia, opinión pública. CIENCIAS SOCIALES CIENCIAS SOCIALES

Estudios de genética en poblaciones de abulón y sus aplicaciones en ordenamiento pesquero

RICARDO PEREZ ENRIQUEZ NOE DIAZ VILORIA JOSE LUIS GUTIERREZ GONZALEZ ALEJANDRA ARCINIEGA DE LOS SANTOS ADRIANA MAX AGUILAR Pedro Cruz Hernández Fernando Aranceta Garza (2016, [Artículo])

"Se presenta la integración de más de 10 años de investigación científica en genética de las poblaciones de abulón en México realizada en el CIBNOR. Esta investigación muestra cómo se pueden aplicar los marcadores genéticos tanto en estudios de genética poblacional como en identificación forense con la finalidad de contribuir al conocimiento aplicado para manejo de la pesquería. Se desarrollaron marcadores genéticos tipo microsatélites de ADN enfocados tanto al abulón azul Haliotis fulgens como amarillo Haliotis corrugata para diferenciación de poblaciones y análisis de parentesco. Un análisis de estructura genética de las poblaciones silvestres de ambas especies de abulón mostró homogeneidad genética en la costa del Pacífico en la región centro-sur de la Península de Baja California, México, pero con diferenciación genética en localidades distantes debido a un flujo genético limitado producto del aislamiento reproductivo. Por ello, no existen elementos que den soporte a un manejo pesquero delimitado por bancos en ambas especies. De manera particular, el abulón amarillo mostró una menor de diversidad genética que el azul, posiblemente debido a una mayor explotación pesquera histórica. Los resultados obtenidos en pruebas de parentesco han indicado que la retención larvaria en bancos específicos es reducida, por lo que ni la agregación de reproductores ni la liberación de larvas han mostrado ser estrategias eficientes para favorecer el incremento de reclutas en bancos definidos. Un análisis de perfiles genéticos con el gen de la lisina permitió la identificación de las especies de abulón que se capturan y enlatan en México. El análisis comparativo de perfi les genéticos, basado en el gen nuclear 18S de abulón y otros moluscos, detectó producto enlatado conteniendo especies de moluscos comercializadas falsamente como abulón, lo que puede constituirse como una herramienta forense en futuras disputas legales. Este tipo de aplicación es potencialmente utilizable con otros productos comestibles en los cuales se sospecha de prácticas fraudulentas, ya sea por captura o comercialización ilegal o por sustitución de contenidos en productos procesados."

"This is an integrative work of more than 10 years of research in population genetics of abalone in Mexico performed at CIBNOR. It shows how molecular tools have the potential to support abalone fisheries management through population genetics and forensic analyses. Microsatellite DNA markers were developed on blue (green for its name in English) Haliotis fulgens and yellow abalone (pink for its name in English) H. corrugata to be used for genetic differentiation on populations and for parentage analysis. The analysis of genetic structure on wild populations of both species revealed genetic homogeneity in the Pacific coast of the central region of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, with genetic differentiation on distant localities due to a limited gene flow as a result of reproduction isolation. From this result we suggest that no evidences were found supporting the management of the fishery based on individual abalone beds. Pink abalone shows lower genetic diversity than green abalone, possibly due to higher historical fishery exploitation. The parentage analysis suggested that larval retention within beds is reduced, indicating that neither broodstockaggregation nor the release of abalone larvae for stock enhancement are efficient strategies to increase recruitment in specific beds.

An analysis of the genetic profiles with the lysine gene allowed the identification of abalone species captured and processed in Mexico. The comparative analysis, based on the 18S gene, among abalone and other mollusks, detected canned product containing mollusks that are commercialized allegedly as abalone or ‘abalone type’, which could constitute a forensic tool in future legal disputes. This type of application can also be used with other edible products in which fraudulent practices are suspected either because of illegal catch or commercialization or substitution in processed products."

Análisis forense, diversidad genética, gen 18S, genética de poblaciones, marcadores genéticos, retención larvaria Forensic analysis, genetic diversity, 18S gene, genetic markers, population genetics, larval retention BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA GENÉTICA GENÉTICA DE POBLACIONES GENÉTICA DE POBLACIONES

Biodiversity conservation in an anthropized landscape: Trees, not patch size drive, bird community composition in a low-input agroecosystem

ERIC MELLINK BIJTEL (2017, [Artículo])

One of the most typical agro-ecosystems in the Llanos de Ojuelos, a semi-arid region of central Mexico, is that of fruit-production orchards of nopales (prickly pear cacti). This perennial habitat with complex vertical structure provides refuge and food for at least 112 species of birds throughout the year. Nopal orchards vary in their internal structure, size and shrub/ tree composition, yet these factors have unknown effects on the animals that use them. To further understand the conservation potential of this agro-ecosystem, we evaluated the effects of patch-size and the presence of trees on bird community composition, as well as several habitat variables, through an information-theoretical modelling approach. Community composition was obtained through a year of census transects in 12 orchards. The presence of trees in the orchards was the major driver of bird communities followed by seasonality; bird communities are independent of patch size, except for small orchard patches that benefit black-chin sparrows, which are considered a sensitive species. At least 55 species of six trophic guilds (insectivores, granivores, carnivores, nectivores, omnivores, and frugivores) used the orchards. Orchards provide adequate habitat and food resources for several sensitive species of resident and migratory sparrows. The attributes that make orchards important for birds: trees, shrubs, herb seeds, and open patches can be managed to maintain native biodiversity in highly anthropized regions with an urgent need to find convergence between production and biological conservation. © 2017 Mellink et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

agroecosystem, carnivore, chin, conservation biology, driver, frugivore, granivore, habitat, human, insectivore, landscape, nonhuman, omnivore, orchard, resident, seasonal variation, shrub, sparrow, theoretical model, agriculture, animal, biodiversit CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA

Trophic ecology of Mexican Pacific harbor seal colonies using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes

MARICELA JUAREZ RODRIGUEZ (2020, [Artículo])

There is limited information that provides a comprehensive understanding of the trophic ecology of Mexican Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) colonies. While scat analysis has been used to determine the diet of some colonies, the integrative characterization of its feeding habits on broader temporal and spatial scales remains limited. We examined potential feeding grounds, trophic niche width, and overlap, and inferred the degree of dietary specialization using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) in this subspecies. We analyzed δ13C and δ15N on fur samples from pups collected at five sites along the western coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Fur of natal coat of Pacific harbor seal pups begins to grow during the seventh month in utero until the last stage of gestation. Therefore pup fur is a good proxy for the mother's feeding habits in winter (∼December to March), based on the timing of gestation for the subspecies in this region. Our results indicated that the δ13C and δ15N values differed significantly among sampling sites, with the highest mean δ15N value occurring at the southernmost site, reflecting a well-characterized north to south latitudinal 15N-enrichment in the food web. The tendency identified in δ13C values, in which the northern colonies showed the most enriched values, suggests nearshore and benthic-demersal feeding habits. A low variance in δ13C and δ15N values for each colony (<1‰) and relatively small standard ellipse areas suggest a specialized foraging behavior in adult female Pacific harbor seals in Mexican waters. © 2020 Juárez-Rodríguez et al.

carbon, delta carbon 13, delta nitrogen 15, isotope, nitrogen, unclassified drug, carbon, nitrogen, Article, correlational study, feeding behavior, latitude, Mexico, nonhuman, organism colony, Pinnipedia, population abundance, species richness, troph BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA ANIMAL (ZOOLOGÍA) BIOLOGÍA ANIMAL (ZOOLOGÍA)

Protein retention assessment of four levels of poultry by-product substitution of fishmeal in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) diets using stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) as natural tracers

DANIEL BADILLO ZAPATA (2014, [Artículo])

This is second part from an experiment where the nitrogen retention of poultry by-product meal (PBM) compared to fishmeal (FM) was evaluated using traditional indices. Here a quantitative method using stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N values) as natural tracers of nitrogen incorporation into fish biomass is assessed. Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed for 80 days on isotopically distinct diets in which 0, 33, 66 and 100% of FM as main protein source was replaced by PBM. The diets were isonitrogenous, isolipidic and similar in gross energy content. Fish in all treatments reached isotopic equilibrium by the end of the experiment. Two-source isotope mixing models that incorporated the isotopic composition of FM and PBM as well as that of formulated feeds, empirically derived trophic discrimination factors and the isotopic composition of fish that had reached isotopic equilibrium to the diets were used to obtain a quantitative estimate of the retention of each source of nitrogen. Fish fed the diets with 33 and 66% replacement of FM by PBM retained poultry by-product meal roughly in proportion to its level of inclusion in the diets, whereas no differences were detected in the protein efficiency ratio. Coupled with the similar biomass gain of fishes fed the different diets, our results support the inclusion of PBM as replacement for fishmeal in aquaculture feeds. A re-feeding experiment in which all fish were fed a diet of 100% FM for 28 days indicated isotopic turnover occurred very fast, providing further support for the potential of isotopic ratios as tracers of the retention of specific protein sources into fish tissues. Stable isotope analysis is a useful tool for studies that seek to obtain quantitative estimates of the retention of different protein sources. © 2014 Badillo et al.

nitrogen 15, nitrogen, protein intake, animal behavior, animal experiment, animal food, animal tissue, aquaculture, Article, biomass, controlled study, energy metabolism, food composition, juvenile animal, nonhuman, poultry by product meal, protein a CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO OCEANOGRAFÍA OCEANOGRAFÍA