Ecomorphology of orbit orientation and the adaptative significance of binocular vision in primates and other mammals

HEESY, C.P. 2008. Ecomorphology of orbit orientation and the adaptative significance of binocular vision in primates and other mammals. Brain, Behaviou and Evolution 71:54-67. doi: 10.1159/000108621

Abstract. Primates are characterized by forward-facing, or convergent, orbits and associated binocular field overlap. Hypotheses explaining the adaptive significance of these traits often relate to ecological factors, such as arboreality, nocturnal visual predation, or saltatory locomotion in a complex nocturnal, arboreal environment. This study re-examines the ecological factors that are associated with high orbit convergence in mammals. Orbit orientation data were collected for 321 extant taxa from sixteen ordens of metatherian (marsupial) and eutherian mammals. These taxa were coded for activity pattern, degree of faunivory, and substrate preference. Results demonstrate that nocturnal and cathemeral mammals have significantly more convergent orbits than diurnal taxa, both within and across ordens. Faunivorous eutherians (noth nocturnal and diurnal) have higher mean orbit convergence that opportunistically foraging or non-faunivorous taxa. However, substrate preference is not associated with higher orbit convergence and, by extension, greater binocular visual field overlap. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that mammalian predators evolved higher orbit convergence, binocular vision, and stereopsis to counter camouflage in prey inhabiting a nocturnal environment. Strepsirhine primates have a range of orbit convergence values similar to nocturnal or cathemeral prodatory non-primates mammals. These data are entirely consistent with the nocturnal visual predation hypothesis of primate origins.

Journals: Iheringia, Série Zoologia

Iheringia, Série Zoologia

- Abreviatura: Iheringia Sér. Zool.

- Home Page: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_serial&pid=0073-4721&lng=en&nrm=iso

- Qualis CAPES: B2 (Biodiversidade), B5 (Ciências Biológicas I, II e III).

- Taxa de Publicação: Não há.

- Idiomas: Português, Espanhol, Inglês.

- Disponibilidade: Restrito. Alguns artigos são divulgados no site e de acesso livre, mas a maioria é de acesso restrito.

- Submissão: Online, pelo Portal Scielo, com acesso na home page.

O periódico Iheringia, Série Zoologia, editado pelo Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, publica pesquisas originais em Zoologia, com ênfase em taxonomia e sistemática, morfologia, história natural e ecologia de comunidades e populações de espécies da fauna Neotropical contemporânea. Notas científicas não são aceitas para publicação. Listas de espécies normalmente não serão aceitas sem uma abordagem taxonômica, ou que não sejam o resultado de um estudo em ecologia ou história natural de comunidades, assim como chaves de identificação de grupos de táxons definidos por limites políticos. Autores que desejam questionar a respeito do escopo do periódico ou a adequação de um tópico em particular são encorajadas a contatar o Conselho Editorial antes da submissão. Em adição, artigos com foco principal em agronomia, veterinária, zootecnia ou outra área envolvendo zoologia aplicada não serão aceitos. Manuscritos que não obedeçam as diretrizes do periódico serão devolvidos aos autores antes de serem avaliados pelo Conselho Editorial e os revisores.

Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) Glyptodont and Pampathere (Xenarthra, Cingulata) from Sonora, Mexico

MEAD, J.I.; SWIFT, S.L.; WHITE, R.S. MCDONALD, H.G.; BAEZ, A. 2007. Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) Glyptodont and Pampathere (Xenarthra, Cingulata) from Sonora, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciências Geológicas 24(3):439-449.

Abstract. The fossil-rich deposits of Térapa (east-central Sonora) contain more than 60 zoological taxa, many with tropical affinities such as Crocodylus (crocodylian), Hydrochaeris (capybara), and many birds. The deposits also contain the dermal ossicles (osteoderms) of two extinct xenarthrans, a glyptodont (Glyptotherium cylindricum) and a pampathere (giant armadillo; Pampatherium cf. mexicanum). Glyptodont remains are also known from other less-well studied localities in Sonora. The faunas from these localities also contain the genus Bison, which indicates that the deposits are of the Rancholabrean Land Mammal Age, late Pleistocene. The presence of Pampatherium at Térapa and the presence of Glyptotherium at Térapa and the Río Mayo/Río Yaqui sites represent the first published accounts of these species from Sonora, and greatly extends their known geographical distribution during the Rancholabrean by about 1,100 km into northwestern Mexico.

Interactions between Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas, 2003-2007

MELILLO, K.E.; DUDZINSKI, K.M.; CORNICK, L.A. 2009. Interactions between Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas, 2003-2007. Aquatic Mammals 35(2):281-291. DOI: 10.1578/AM.35.2.2009.281

Abstract. Interspecific interactions have been observed in a variety of social animal. Functional explanations include foraging, anti-predatory, and social advantages. These behaviours are poorly understood in marine mammals but are increasingly studied phenomena in sympatric populations. Resident Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) off Bimini, The Bahamas, have been the subject of ongoing photo-identification and behavioural studies since 2001. A lesser-known population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) has been observed interacting with these S. frontalis since 2003. To examine the functional significance of these interactions, interspecific behaviours were documented with underwater video using focal animal sampling. Mating or sexual play were the primary activities observed in nearly 50% of interactions, with male T. truncatus as the initiators. Therefore, the most likely functional explanation for these interactions is social. We hypothesize that male T. truncatus which lack acess to T. truncatus females because of sexual immaturity or low social status seek copulations with S. frontalis females as an alternative.

Journals: Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology

- Abreviatura: Braz. Arch. Biol. Techn.

- Home Page: http://www.babt.tecpar.br/babt2/index.asp

- Qualis CAPES: B2 (Biodiversidade), B4 (Ciências Biológicas I, II e III).

- Taxa de Publicação: Nenhuma.

- Idiomas: Inglês.

- Disponibilidade: Restrita. Não há artigos disponíveis no site. Alguns estão disponíveis no site da Scielo Brazil (http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_issues&pid=1516-8913&lng=en&nrm=iso).

- Submissão: Online, através de um sistema próprio, com acesso na home page.

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology – BABT é um periódico internacional que publica artigos originais de pesquisa, comunicações curtas e artigos de revisão nas seguintes áreas: agricultura, agronegócios, biotecnologia, saúde humana e animal, ciências biológicas e aplicadas, ciência e tecnologia de alimentos, ciências ambientais, engenharia, tecnologia e técnicas. O periódico publica seis números ao ano, cada um com 25 artigos.

Artibeus lituratus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae): biologia e dispersão de sementes no Parque do Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão, Santa Teresa (ES)

PASSOS, J.G.; PASSAMANI, M. 2003. Artibeus lituratus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae): biologia e dispersão de sementes no Parque do Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão, Santa Teresa (ES). Natureza on line 1(1):1-6.

Abstract. Artibeus lituratus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae): biology and seed dispersion in the park of Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello leitão, Santa Teresa, ES. Aspects of biology and seed dispersion by Artibeus lituradus were studied in the Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão (MBML) from August 2000 to March 2002. Pregnant females were collected from October to February. Fruits were the main food consumed, including native and exotic species. Fruits of Cecropiaceae were largely dispersed by A. lituratus. There was no significant difference in the forearm size between sexes, neither correlation between forearm size and number of seeds dispersed.