The figure of Juan Sebastián de Elcano is little and badly known, but it is possible to recover new information that makes his biography intelligible. In 2015 his personal archive was discovered, and in spite of being modest, it is of... more
The figure of Juan Sebastián de Elcano is little and badly known, but it is possible to recover new information that makes his biography intelligible. In 2015 his personal archive was discovered, and in spite of being modest, it is of great value. One of the most important aspects to study about the feat that Elcano accomplished with Magellan is the way in which the story has been transmitted until today and to explore new elements that illustrate the circumstances, forms and contents in which it occurred. It is very important to inquire about the information economy in 1522, about the scholarly and humanist circles that collect the oral testimonies of the survivors and edit them, first in Latin and then in romance. Elcano was ignored in the first published versions of the story (Transilvano, Anghiera, Pigafetta) but the cultural and social context of the moment gives us clues for possible reasons.
A substantial amount of information on the Brazilian estuarine fishes has been collected, but is still largely fragmented into different sources. This study presents a summary of the available knowledge on the biodiversity of estuarine... more
A substantial amount of information on the Brazilian estuarine fishes has been collected, but is still largely fragmented into different sources. This study presents a summary of the available knowledge on the biodiversity of estuarine fishes in Brazil, a brief analysis of the historical development of estuarine ichthyology and identifies current research gaps in the country. A total of 796 fish species were inventoried, representing about 2.3% of current valid fish species and about 17.6% of the Brazilian fish fauna. Data evidenced the existence of large coastal stretches inadequately sampled and a lack of human resources and infrastructure in parts of the coast. Large gaps in basic knowledge about the biology and ecology of the species were also detected. Reducing these deficiencies is of utmost importance for the study, documentation and conservation of the Brazilian biodiversity.
