Biology subjects

Farias, I. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Farias, I. P..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

The impact of Quaternary Amazonian river dynamics on patterns and process of diversification in uakari monkeys (genus Cacajao)

AimWestern Amazonia is a region that underwent several landscape changes during the Quaternary. While Riverine Barrier Hypothesis is traditionally used to explain the influence of rivers on speciation, processes such as river rearrangements have been overlooked to explain the geographic distribution and evolutionary history of the Amazonia biota. Here we test how river rearrangements in western Amazonia influenced the evolutionary history of uakari monkeys, a primate group most associated with seasonally flooded forests in western Amazonia. LocationWestern Amazonia TaxonThe uakari monkey (genus Cacajao) MethodsWe performed a continuous phylogeographic analysis using 77 cytochrome b sequences and used digital elevation models to identify the role of landscape and riverscape characteristics in the geographic distribution of Cacajao. Finally, we used genome-wide SNPs variation (ddRADseq) to investigate population structure, gene flow and demographic history in three Cacajao species that were impacted by river rearrangements. ResultsOur continuous phylogeographical reconstruction points that the ancestral Cacajao lineage occupied the flooded forests of the Solimoes River at [~]1.7 Mya, and descendant lineages dispersed throughout western Amazonia more recently. We identified gene flow among both black and bald-headed uakari populations, even across rivers considered barriers (e.g., the Negro River). Landscape analysis showed that river rearrangements influenced the geographic distribution and population structure in Cacajao. The demographic analysis indicates that C. calvus, C. amuna, and C. rubicundus went through a population decline in the last 70 Kya and have a low effective population size. Main conclusionOur results support that the river rearrangements have shaped the geographic distribution and divergence of recently diverged Cacajao lineages. Landscape and riverscape changes, along with retractions of the flooded forests, isolated some Cacajao populations in floodplain areas. Our study also suggests that these events led to the recent population decline in species with a restricted geographic distribution.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Genomics resolves historical uncertainties on phylogenetics and accommodates the systematics of marmosets and Goeldi's monkey (Primates: Platyrrhini)

Marmosets, with a total of 24 species classified into four genera (Callithrix, Cebuella, Mico and Callibella), are the smallest of the anthropoids and one of the most diverse and widespread groups of primates in South America. In contrast, the Goeldis monkey (Callimico goeldii) is represented by a single species of black, small, fungi-eating primates, endemic to west Amazonia. The phylogenetic relationships of marmoset genera and the phylogenetic position of Goeldis monkey, and consequently their systematics, remain uncertain and subject to debate because earlier studies revealed incongruent conclusions. Here we tackle this issue by first reviewing the systematics and the history of phylogenetic studies of marmosets and Goeldis monkey. We then explore their phylogenetic relationships by reconstructing a time-calibrated phylogeny using a genome-wide sampling of all lineages of marmosets, tamarins, Goeldis monkey, lion tamarins, capuchins, and squirrel monkeys. Our results clearly demonstrate that historical disagreements on phylogenetics and systematics of marmosets are due to incomplete lineage sorting, low phylogenetic signal of morphological and ecological characters, and low sampling at the DNA level. We show that Goeldis monkey is a sister lineage to marmosets and suggest that past incongruencies between studies on its phylogenetics and systematics are due to homoplasy of morphological characters traditionally used to infer primate relationships. Accordingly, we accommodate a genus-level classification for marmosets based on a fully-resolved phylogeny and multiple biological traits, redefine the genus Mico, update the definitions of Callibella, Callithrix, and Cebuella, and sediment the family-level classification of Goeldis monkey.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2023

A dataset of new occurrence records of primates from the arc of deforestation, Brazil

The arc of deforestation, located between the southern Amazonia and the northern Cerrado of Brazil, is a top deforestation frontier worldwide. The high deforestation rates in this region are caused by human activities and threatens a rich diversity of primates that are still poorly-known and therefore investments into taxonomy and distribution research are urgent to support science-driven conservation of primates of this region. Here we present a dataset of 192 new occurrence records for 22 species of primates of the genera Alouatta, Aotus, Ateles, Cebus, Chiropotes, Lagothrix, Leontocebus, Pithecia, Plecturocebus, Saimiri, and Sapajus, collected during 10 field expeditions carried out across the arc of deforestation between 2015-2018. Based on these occurrence records we extend the ranges of Saimiri collinsi, Sapajus apella, and Alouatta puruensis, identify a potential hybridization zone between A. puruensis and Alouatta discolor, and redefine the range of Plecturocebus moloch. Moreover, this dataset is a useful source of information otherwise scarce for further researches on species distributions and habitat use patterns, on the effect of environmental variables on such patterns, for estimating population sizes, evaluating habitat suitability, for predicting effects of climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation on populations, and for assessing species extinction risks. The ranges of primates endemic to the arc of deforestation, with a few exceptions, are fragile hypotheses, which hampers the establishment of effective conservation efforts for species increasingly threatened on a global deforestation frontier.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2022

Landscape configurations determining the genetic structure of the Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) in Brazilian Amazonia

ContextWaterfalls and rapids of Amazon basin have been suggested as causing the speciation and genetic structure of many freshwater species, including turtles. The species behavior affects the way waterfalls and rapids limit gene flow. The Yellow-spotted River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), a widely distributed and endangered Amazonian turtle, does not show the habit to migrate long distances for breeding or eating, but has a complex geographic pattern of genetic variation. ObjectivesHere, we investigate isolation by distance and by resistance of P. unifilis. We analyzed if the species ecological niche and waterfalls explain the genetic distance in Brazilian Amazonia. MethodsWe evaluated the P. unifilis spatial distribution of genetic variability and diversity using the control region of mitochondrial DNA. We tested the hypotheses of isolation either by distance and resistance through an integrative approach using genetic, geographic, and ecological data. We created a resistance matrix using species niche modeling. We compared the explanation power of geographical distance (both linear and in-water distance) and resistance distance on genetic distance ({Phi}ST fixation index) using multiple regressions and Mantel tests. ResultsWe found a high genetic diversity and pattern of genetic structure proved to be geographically complex. The population structure followed some watersheds but also showed structuring within different rivers. We found that landscape resistance better explains genetic distance than linear and in-water distance. ConclusionsThe resistance of the landscape influences the displacement of individuals by aquatic, vegetational, biological, and geomorphological variables, and efforts to species conservation need to be applied throughout its distribution considering landscape genetics.

molecular biology↗