- Associate Professor at Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminenseedit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Studies on functional performance are important to understand the processes responsible for the evolution of diversity. Morphological trait variation within species influences the energetic cost of locomotion and impacts life history... more
Studies on functional performance are important to understand the processes responsible for the evolution of diversity. Morphological trait variation within species influences the energetic cost of locomotion and impacts life history traits, with ecological and evolutionary consequences. This study examined wing morphology correlates of flight performance measured by energetic expenditure in the Seba's short‐tailed bat, Carollia perspicillata. In the flight experiments, nature caught bats (59 females, 57 males) were allowed to fly for 3 min in a room. After each flight, thermographic images were taken to measure body temperature, and biophysical models were used to calculate sensible heat loss as a measure of energetic expenditure. Wing morphological traits were measured for each individual and associated with heat loss and power required to fly on performance surfaces. Wing morphological traits explained 7–10% of flight energetic cost, and morphologies with the best performance would save the energy equivalent to 9–30% of total daily requirements. The optimal performance areas within the C. perspicillata morphospace were consistent with predicted selection trends from the literature. A trade‐off between demands for flight speed and maneuverability was observed. Wing loading and camber presented sexual dimorphism. These morphological differences are likely associated with more economical but less maneuverable flight in females, leading them to fly more often in open areas along the forest edge. Our findings demonstrate how small scale changes in wing morphology can affect life history strategies and fitness.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Macroevolution, Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and 15 moreMammalogy, Medicine, Ecomorphology, Phylogeny, Small Mammals, Adaptive Radiation, Animals, Skull, Neotropics, Mandible, South America, Biological evolution, Sigmodontinae, Allopatric Speciation, and Interspecific competition
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, Geometric Morphometrics, Functional Morphology, Biology, and 15 moreDiet, Ecology, Medicine, Rodentia, Natural Selection, Bite force, Phylogeny, Animals, Skull, Phylogenetic comparative methods, Biological evolution, Sigmodontinae, Rodent, Biomechanical Phenomena, and Herbivore
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Geometric Morphometrics, Biology, Bats (Mammalogy), and 14 moreMedicine, Chiroptera, Ecomorphology, Phylogeny, Adaptive Radiation, Heterochrony, Animals, Phylogenetic comparative methods, Biological evolution, Phenotype, Model System, Neutral Evolution, frugivore, and evolutionary model
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Summary 1. Bite force is an important performance measure for vertebrate and is related to a variety of ecological challenges. Phyllostomid bats present highly diversified feeding habits associated with extensive cranial shape divergence.... more
Summary 1. Bite force is an important performance measure for vertebrate and is related to a variety of ecological challenges. Phyllostomid bats present highly diversified feeding habits associated with extensive cranial shape divergence. Biomechanical models predict that the cranial shape changes are linked to dietary variation through bite force. However, the relationship of cranial shape, diet and bite force had not been explicitly tested before. 2. Here we use a combination of geometric morphometric techniques and comparative ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We describe the first known case of disproportionate dwarfism in bats. The specimen is an adult male Seba’s short-tailed bat, Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758), captured in a ground-level mist net during a survey in a lowland... more
We describe the first known case of disproportionate dwarfism in bats. The specimen is an adult male Seba’s short-tailed bat, Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758), captured in a ground-level mist net during a survey in a lowland Atlantic Forest area in southeastern Brazil. Examination of the specimen skull showed craniofacial anomalies, including microdontia in the upper incisors, oligodontia in the third upper molars, fusion of the nasal septum and the left ventral nasal concha, and a narrower foramen magnum. Post-cranial changes were mainly related to shortened radius, tibia, and metacarpals, compared to the reference sample in multivariate space. Given its unusual morphology with short wings and average body mass, the dwarf would have higher wing loading, fly faster, require more power to fly, and have a shorter flight range compared to the species pattern. Because it presented good body condition and reached adulthood, possible mechanisms of functional compensation are discus...
Research Interests:
Os processos evolutivos, como deri- va genética e seleção natural, emer- gem como modificações nas fre- quências gênicas em populações e espécies, a partir da interação entre organismos individuais e o ambien- te. O senso comum, no... more
Os processos evolutivos, como deri- va genética e seleção natural, emer- gem como modificações nas fre- quências gênicas em populações e espécies, a partir da interação entre organismos individuais e o ambien- te. O senso comum, no entanto, ca- racteriza a evolução como um pro- cesso sequencial com causas diretas, levando a dificuldades cognitivas e erros conceituais comuns, pois re- força ideias intuitivas como essen- cialismo e propósito evolutivo em relação às espécies. Esta discrepân- cia faz com que a evolução seja con- traintuitiva e um tema difícil de ser ensinado e ser aprendido. Durante o ensino de evolução, é preciso de- safiar o senso comum e as barreiras cognitivas, reforçar linguagem e con- ceitos corretos, um raciocínio popu- lacional baseado em probabilidade, e ajudar os alunos a reconhecer pro- cessos evolutivos como emergentes. Esta estratégia tem potencial para aumentar a compreensão e a aceita- ção da evolução biológica.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank M. Almeida for help in the laboratory. This research was funded by Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e... more
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank M. Almeida for help in the laboratory. This research was funded by Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ). This study was also financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. Abstract
Research Interests:
The Mammal Collection of UENF was created in 2013 to document the biodiversity of northern Rio de Janeiro, and house voucher specimens collected during field research held by professors from the university and collaborating institutions.... more
The Mammal Collection of UENF was created in 2013 to document the biodiversity of northern Rio de Janeiro, and house voucher specimens collected during field research held by professors from the university and collaborating institutions. The collection currently holds 440 physical vouchers, mostly bats, and includes noteworthy records, such as the first Promops nasutus reported for the state of Rio de Janeiro. To these physical vouchers, we recently added a digital bioacoustics collection (343 files of bat distress calls) and a camera-trap multimedia collection (2683 videos or photographs of small to large-sized mammals). In this paper, we provide an overview of these holdings, and highlight and discuss the importance of regional scientific collections, along with the fundamental role of publishing their records in online databases in order to increase their visibility and scientific use. Finally, we discuss the importance of natural history collections to society, emphasizing that ...
Research Interests:
Sturnira tildae de la Torre, 1959, Tilda’s yellow-shouldered bat, is a phyllostomid with wide geographic distribution across South America. It inhabits preferably lowland mature rainforests, but also has been captured in modified... more
Sturnira tildae de la Torre, 1959, Tilda’s yellow-shouldered bat, is a phyllostomid with wide geographic distribution across South America. It inhabits preferably lowland mature rainforests, but also has been captured in modified vegetation and tropical savannas, where it is less abundant. Globally, it is listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, but local red lists in southern Brazil have recorded this species as “Vulnerable,” mainly due to habitat destruction (Atlantic Forest deforestation).
Research Interests:
A família Phyllostomidae é o grupo de morcegos mais diverso em morfologia e hábitos alimentares, interagindo com diversas espécies de animais e vegetais. Morcegos têm papel relevante na dinâmica de florestas tropicais por atuar como... more
A família Phyllostomidae é o grupo de morcegos mais diverso em morfologia e hábitos alimentares, interagindo com diversas espécies de animais e vegetais. Morcegos têm papel relevante na dinâmica de florestas tropicais por atuar como dispersores de sementes, polinizadores e no controle de populações de insetos. A diversidade e composição de morcegos filostomídeos é, portanto, uma ferramenta importante para o monitoramento da “saúde” ambiental em áreas de conservação. O objetivo do trabalho foi realizar um inventário da assembleia de morcegos filostomídeos e avaliar sua variação sazonal por medidas de diversidade e composição da comunidade. Os morcegos foram capturados com o auxilio de redes de neblina posicionadas ao nível do solo. Após a captura foram acondicionados em sacos de pano e posteriormente triados para identificação e coleta de dados biométricos e reprodutivos. As amostragens foram bimestrais, envolvendo pelo menos três sessões noturnas de captura entre os períodos de agos...
Research Interests:
The individual identification of animals is essential for long-term population ecology studies. Injuries and tag loss can negatively impact animal welfare and parameter estimates. We used time-to-failure curves and multistate... more
The individual identification of animals is essential for long-term population ecology studies. Injuries and tag loss can negatively impact animal welfare and parameter estimates. We used time-to-failure curves and multistate mark-recapture models to estimate injury rates, body condition decline, tag loss and survival probabilities associated with two tags commonly used in bats: metallic arm bands and steel ball chain collars. We monitored two colonies of Carollia perspicillata at União Biological Reserve, southeastern Brazil, from 2013 to 2019. Every other month, we marked individuals with arm bands, collars or both. Collars did not cause noticeable injuries, but were lost at a higher rate than arm bands (1.5–2.5 times). The arm band-related injury probability between captures was ~ 0.2, and after 17 months half the marked animals developed injuries. Animals marked as juveniles were less likely to get injured than adults. Injuries were associated with a lower body condition in fema...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
For many vertebrate species, bite force plays an important functional role. Ecological characteristics of a species' niche, such as diet, are often associated with bite force. Previous evidence suggests a biomechanical trade-off... more
For many vertebrate species, bite force plays an important functional role. Ecological characteristics of a species' niche, such as diet, are often associated with bite force. Previous evidence suggests a biomechanical trade-off between rodents specialized for gnawing, which feed mainly on seeds, and those specialized for chewing, which feed mainly on green vegetation. We tested the hypothesis that gnawers are stronger biters than chewers. We estimated bite force and measured skull and mandible shape and size in 63 genera of a major rodent radiation (the myomorph sigmodontines). Analysis of the influence of diet on bite force and morphology was made in a comparative framework. We then used phylogenetic path analysis to uncover the most probable causal relationships linking diet and bite force. Both granivores (gnawers) and herbivores (chewers) have a similar high bite force, leading us to reject the initial hypothesis. Path analysis reveals that bite force is more likely influen...
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, Geometric Morphometrics, Functional Morphology, Biology, and 15 moreDiet, Ecology, Medicine, Rodentia, Natural Selection, Bite force, Phylogeny, Animals, Skull, Phylogenetic comparative methods, Biological evolution, Sigmodontinae, Rodent, Biomechanical Phenomena, and Herbivore
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Macroevolution, Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and 15 moreMammalogy, Medicine, Ecomorphology, Phylogeny, Small Mammals, Adaptive Radiation, Animals, Skull, Neotropics, Mandible, South America, Biological evolution, Sigmodontinae, Allopatric Speciation, and Interspecific competition
Research Interests:
The study analysed the niche breadth of nesting green turtles, Chelonia mydas, on Rocas Atoll, Brazil, through stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C), comparing samplings of egg yolk and carapace collected from two nesting groups (2017 and... more
The study analysed the niche breadth of nesting green turtles, Chelonia mydas, on Rocas Atoll, Brazil, through stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C), comparing samplings of egg yolk and carapace collected from two nesting groups (2017 and 2019). The mean δ15N values in egg yolk and carapace were 7.1‰ (2017) and 6.8‰ (2019), and 7.8‰ (2017) and 7.3‰ (2019), respectively. For δ13C, the mean values were -17.4‰ (2017) and -17.5‰ (2019) in egg yolk, and -18.4‰ (2017) and -17.9‰ (2019) in carapace. The results suggest herbivory in coastal-benthic environments as the main feeding pattern in this nesting population. The niche breadth was similar between 2017 and 2019 in both tissues. In general, the trophic diversity (NR, CR, CD and SEA) was comparable between years as well as the trophic redundancy (MNND and SDNND), which was overall high. The niche metrics pointed to a homogeneous feeding pattern in the two nesting groups (2017 and 2019). This study adds a piece to solve the puzzle of adult gr...
Research Interests:
The penaeid shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri is the second most important species of crustacean in Brazilian fisheries. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are chemical proxies to provide quantitative information about the consumer isotopic... more
The penaeid shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri is the second most important species of crustacean in Brazilian fisheries. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are chemical proxies to provide quantitative information about the consumer isotopic niche, which is associated with its feeding ecology and ecological niche in the environment. This study evaluated the niche dimensions of X. kroyeri from different stocks through stable isotopes determinations. Shrimps were sampled in four fishing areas from southeastern Brazil (Vitória and Anchieta, in Espírito Santo State, and Atafona and Farol de São Tomé, in Rio de Janeiro State). The stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were determined in the abdominal muscle. Quantitative metrics of the isotopic niche estimated the trophic diversity and trophic redundancy among stocks. Shrimp stocks from Espírito Santo State had highest trophic diversity, indicating greater variety of food sources and wider utilization of the available food sources. The s...
Research Interests:
The aim of this study was to analyse the morphology and allometry of larvae belonging to five potamodromous species. Five breeding species belonging to the order Characiformes [Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier, 1816), Leporinus... more
The aim of this study was to analyse the morphology and allometry of larvae belonging to five potamodromous species. Five breeding species belonging to the order Characiformes [Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier, 1816), Leporinus steindachneri, Eigenmann, 1907, Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1837), Prochilodus vimboides (Kner,1859) and Brycon insignis, Steindachner, 1877] were used to obtain larvae samples during the pre-flexing, post-flexing, and juvenile developmental stages. When we observed the degree-hour (DH) amplitude time values, we found three developmental groups based on allometry and morphometrics within the period between the pre-flexing and post-flexing phases. Group 1 consists of the species S. brasiliensis and B. insignis, Group 2 consists of P. lineatus and P. vimboides, and Group 3 consists of L. steindachneri. Group 1 requires less development time and has more slender larvae. Group 2 has a moderate development time and larvae with a more rounded shape. Group 3 pr...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract; Ontogenetic variation in the skull of reptiles has barely been explored, although such variation may be associated with some functional and evolutive changes often observed among this group. Corallus caninus and C. enydris show... more
Abstract; Ontogenetic variation in the skull of reptiles has barely been explored, although such variation may be associated with some functional and evolutive changes often observed among this group. Corallus caninus and C. enydris show marked ontogenetic variation in skull and in body color, making them very interesting for growth studies. Cranial growth was quantified using multivariate allometric coefficients. The growth rates proved to be allometrically similar in both species. Most measured characters showed negative ...
The ontogenetic development of the scapula of Euphractus sexcinctus and Dasypus novemcinctus was studied using geometric morphometrics techniques. The relative importance of uniform, large, and small scale shape changes on ontogenetic... more
The ontogenetic development of the scapula of Euphractus sexcinctus and Dasypus novemcinctus was studied using geometric morphometrics techniques. The relative importance of uniform, large, and small scale shape changes on ontogenetic development was assessed both by multivariate regression of shape on size and by relative warps analysis. The scapular development in both species is very similar and is characterized (and dominated) by an enlargement of the teres major process. This ...
Research Interests:
Herein, we report the occurrence of Molossus pretiosus in the region of Jaíba, northern part of the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This is the second Brazilian record for this molossid, and it is the first documentation from... more
Herein, we report the occurrence of Molossus pretiosus in the region of Jaíba, northern part of the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This is the second Brazilian record for this molossid, and it is the first documentation from the Caatinga biome. This bat is a common roof dweller in Jaíba, and was frequently captured in nets set near bodies of water. Numbers of individuals found at roosts were small (< 10), and included reproductively active females in a harem-like formation (single-male with multi-females). Reproductive ...
Research Interests:
THORPE, R. S., AND RP BROWN. 1989a. Testing hypothesised causes of within-island variation in the colour of lizards. Experientia 45:397-400. . 1989b. Microgeographic variation in the colour pattern of the lizard Gallotia galloti within... more
THORPE, R. S., AND RP BROWN. 1989a. Testing hypothesised causes of within-island variation in the colour of lizards. Experientia 45:397-400. . 1989b. Microgeographic variation in the colour pattern of the lizard Gallotia galloti within the island of Tenerife. Distribution, pattern and ...
The use of geometric techniques and concepts in combination with multivariate statistical techniques for the analysis of variation has been a major advance for the statistical analysis of shape during the last decade. Fundamental to the... more
The use of geometric techniques and concepts in combination with multivariate statistical techniques for the analysis of variation has been a major advance for the statistical analysis of shape during the last decade. Fundamental to the formalism of what has become known as geometric morphometrics, we find a Riemannian shape manifold with a particular metric called Procrustes distance. This metric measures shape differences in configurations of reference points, represented by sets of rectangular coordinates. The use of Procrustes ...
The geometric methods for the statistical analysis of biological shape have traditionally been based on landmarks: points of reference in a biological structure that presented a degree of correspondence (or homology) within and across... more
The geometric methods for the statistical analysis of biological shape have traditionally been based on landmarks: points of reference in a biological structure that presented a degree of correspondence (or homology) within and across samples. After the morphometric synthesis and the geometric" revolution" in morphometries, the contours of biological structures were considered unsatisfactory for biological purposes, because the coordinates of points along the outline of an object lack the biological correspondence of ...
Studies of evolutionary divergence using quantitative genetic methods are centered on the additive genetic variance–covariance matrix (G) of correlated traits. However, estimating G properly requires large samples and complicated... more
Studies of evolutionary divergence using quantitative genetic methods are centered on the additive genetic variance–covariance matrix (G) of correlated traits. However, estimating G properly requires large samples and complicated experimental designs. Multivariate tests for neutral evolution commonly replace average G by the pooled phenotypic within-group variance–covariance matrix (W) for evolutionary inferences, but this approach has been criticized due to the lack of exact proportionality between genetic and phenotypic matrices. In this study, we examined the consequence, in terms of type I error rates, of replacing average G by W in a test of neutral evolution that measures the regression slope between among-population variances and within-population eigenvalues (the Ackermann and Cheverud [AC] test) using a simulation approach to generate random observations under genetic drift. Our results indicate that the type I error rates for the genetic drift test are acceptable when using W instead of average G when the matrix correlation between the ancestral G and P is higher than 0.6, the average character heritability is above 0.7, and the matrices share principal components. For less-similar G and P matrices, the type I error rates would still be acceptable if the ratio between the number of generations since divergence and the effective population size (t/Ne) is smaller than 0.01 (large populations that diverged recently). When G is not known in real data, a simulation approach to estimate expected slopes for the AC test under genetic drift is discussed.
Research Interests:
For many vertebrate species, bite force plays an important functional role. Ecological characteristics of a species' niche, such as diet, are often associated with bite force. Previous evidence suggests a biomechanical trade-off between... more
For many vertebrate species, bite force plays an important functional role. Ecological characteristics of a species' niche, such as diet, are often associated with bite force. Previous evidence suggests a biomechanical trade-off between rodents specialized for gnawing, which feed mainly on seeds, and those specialized for chewing, which feed mainly on green vegetation. We tested the hypothesis that gnawers are stronger biters than chewers. We estimated bite force and measured skull and mandible shape and size in 63 genera of a major rodent radiation (the myomorph sigmodontines). Analysis of the influence of diet on bite force and morphology was made in a comparative framework. We then used phylogenetic path analysis to uncover the most probable causal relationships linking diet and bite force. Both granivores (gnawers) and herbivores (chewers) have a similar high bite force, leading us to reject the initial hypothesis. Path analysis reveals that bite force is more likely influenced by diet than the reverse causality. The absence of a trade-off between herbivores and granivores may be associated with the generalist nature of the myomorph condition seen in sigmodontine rodents. Both gnawing and chewing sigmodontines exhibit similar, intermediate phenotypes, at least compared to extreme gnawers (squirrels) and chewers (chinchillas). Only insectivorous rodents appear to be moving towards a different direction in the shape space, through some notable changes in morphology. In terms of diet, natural selection alters bite force through changes in size and shape, indicating that organisms adjust their bite force in tandem with changes in food items.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We report on an additional evidence of bat predation by Chrotopterus auritus. Our record was obtained during a single net session, when a female C. auritus was captured with a partially eaten Carollia perspicillata. Preliminary data... more
We report on an additional evidence of bat predation by Chrotopterus auritus. Our record was obtained during a single net session, when a female C. auritus was captured with a partially eaten Carollia perspicillata. Preliminary data suggest that this latter species is very abundant in the region (a lowland Atlantic Forest area in northern Rio de Janeiro state), corroborating the view of C. auritus as an opportunistic feeder.