Morphological characterization and sex-related differences of the mandible of the armadillos Chaetophractus vellerosus and Zaedyus pichiy (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae, with consideration of dietary aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora S. Sidorkewicj

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The morphological characteristics of the mandible of adult Chaetophractus vellerosus (Gray, 1865 and Zaedyus pichiy (Desmarest, 1804 were studied to establish its generalized design and to identify inter- and intra- (sexual specific differences. Morphological descriptions were complemented with the application of univariate and multivariate (analysis of correlation matrices, PCA, discriminant analysis techniques. The mandible of both species is very similar, and is characterized by elevated condyle, well developed angular process, distinct coronoid process, tooth row which extends to the rear end of the angle between body and ramus, and unfused but firm symphysis. Although both armadillos are omnivorous, a more slender configuration of the jaw in Z. pichiy could be indicative of a better adaptation of its masticatory apparatus to insectivory. The PCA showed an almost total segregation of both species on PC1 (47.7% of the total variance, with C. vellerosus being associated to mandibles taller and with wider body and ramus. Zaedyus pichiy was characterized by heavy loadings of length parameters on PC2 (22.6% of the variance. A small degree of sexual dimorphism was found, with size-based differences in C. vellerosus (larger mandibles in females and shape-based differences in Z. pichiy (taller mandibles in males, longer ones in females. Correlations between variables were higher in males of both species, indicating a more stable shape of the mandible than in females. The selected parameters to discriminate sexes were the body length of the mandible in C. vellerosus (correct classification: ca. 86% in males, 81% in females, and the height of the mandible at the level of the last tooth in Z. pichiy (near 85% of right assignment in both sexes. The inclusion of a new variable (body length in the latter species improved the classification of the females to 100%. Teeth are typically 10 in C. vellerosus and 9 in Z. pichiy, but aberrancies in this basic

Differentiation of Xenarthra (Mammalia species through the identification of their fecal bile acid patterns: An ecological tool Diferenciación de especies de Xenarthra (Mammalia a través de la identificación de sus patrones de ácidos biliares fecales: Una herramienta ecológica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. SOLEDAD ARAUJO

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The analysis of feces is a fundamental tool for field work, especially to identify the presence of certain species in an area. Fecal bile acids and their relative concentration follow patterns that are species-specific, and can be characterized by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC. This technique has been used for differentiating feces of several mammal species; however it has never been used for Xenarthra species. In this work, 96 feces of Xenarthra species were analyzed by TLC to determine the bile acid pattern. The species were: Zaedyus pichiy (n = 10, Chaetophractus vellerosus (n = 5, Chaetophractus villosus (n = 57, Dasypus kybridus (n = 4, Priodontes maximus (n = 2, Tamanduá tetradactyla (n = 14 and Myrmecophaga tridactyla (n = 4. There were differences between the bile acid patterns of all the species, but not between males and females, nor between wild and captive animals of the same species. We found seven known bile acids, cholesterol and seven unidentified compounds (X1-X7. All the species had taurocholic, glycochenodeoxycholic and lithocholic acids, and cholesterol. Only C. villosus had deoxycholic acid (Rf: 0.30 ± 0.01. Z. pichiy, C. vellerosus and C. villosus had two or three bands of dehydrocholic acid (Rf between 0.29 ± 0.06 and 0.45 ± 0.02, while the other species had one or two. Z. pichiy had two unidentified bile acids, X6 (Rf: 0.85 ± 0.06 and X7 (Rf 0.93 ± 0.03, that were almost indistinguishable in other species. D. hybridus differed from Z. pichiy, C. vellerosus and C villosus because it did not have chenodeoxycholic acid and X7. T. tetradactyla was the only species without cholic acid and it differed from M. tridactyla because it had dehydrocholic acid. D. hybridus was the species with the lowest number of compounds (seven, and differed from the others because it did not have the X1 and X5 unidentified compounds. These results are the first for Xenarthra and would be very important for fu ture studies about the

New light on R.E.G. Pichi Sermolli’s plants from the Lake Tana expedition in 1937 – an important collection from Ethiopia at the Centro Studi Erbario Tropicale (FT)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis, Ib

2015-01-01

At the age of 24, R.E.G. Pichi Sermolli (1912–2005) travelled to Ethiopia as botanist on the Missione di Studio al Lago Tana, staying in Eritrea and Ethiopia from early January to late April 1937. The expedition was organized by the Centro Studi per l’Africa Orientale Italiana under the Reale...... Accademia d’Italia and resulted in 2649 collections of flowering plants. During the subsequent years of war, Pichi Sermolli had no time for his Ethiopian collections, but in 1947 he was able to identify them on visits to Geneva, Paris, Kew and London. Erbario Tropicale (FT) received the first set...

Obituaries and biographical notes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vink, W.

1983-01-01

Beccari, Odoardo (1843-1920) R.E.G. Pichi Sermolli & C.G.G.J. van Steenis, Dedication, Fl. Males. I, 9 (1983) (6)-(44), 3 portr. Full biographical account of this versatile explorer in Sarawak, West New Guinea and Central Sumatra, and palm taxonomist, prolific writer in Italian whose work at

Co-cultivation of non-conventional yeast with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase the aroma complexity of fermented beverages

OpenAIRE

Rijswijck, van, Irma M.H.

2017-01-01

Yeast are used as workhorses to convert hopped wort into beer. Conventionally, such yeasts belong to the genus Saccharomyces and most research on fermentation of wort for the production of beer has focussed on the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus. Recently, there is an increasing interest in unravelling features of non-conventional yeast species for beer innovation. In this thesis, features of yeast isolates belonging to the species: Cyberlindnera fabianii, Pichi...

Inventario y evaluación semidetallada de los recursos naturales de la zona del río Pichis (Proyecto Pichis - Palcazu)

OpenAIRE

Oficina Nacional de Evaluación de Recursos Naturales

1981-01-01

Evalúa el potencial y grado de utilización de los recursos naturales de la cuenca del río Pichís, situada en el ámbito de la Selva Central del Perú, dentro del distrito de Puerto Bermúdez, provincia de Oxapampa del departamento de Pasco. Este estudio comprende los aspectos geológico-minero, de suelos y su capacidad de uso mayor, uso actual de la tierra, forestales y recursos hidroenergéticos. También incluye información, dentro de un contexto general, sobre aspectos geográficos, socio-económi...

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U15113-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available rev CAFH Pichia stipitis aerobic dextrose... 86 7e-25 4 ( FE856969 ) CAFU914.fwd CAFU Pichia stipitis oxygen...hia stipitis aerobic xylose ... 86 8e-25 4 ( FE846404 ) CAFI716.fwd CAFI Pichia stipitis aerobic dextrose...... 86 8e-25 4 ( FE844479 ) CAFH437.fwd CAFH Pichia stipitis aerobic dextrose... 86 8e-25 4 ( EC762481 ) PSE000...trose... 86 6e-25 4 ( FE851519 ) CAFP1757.fwd CAFP Pichi... FE856968 ) CAFU914.rev CAFU Pichia stipitis oxygen limited d... 86 6e-25 4 ( FE846403 ) CAFI716.rev CAFI Pichia stipitis aerobic dex

Paleomagnetism of ~635 Ma "Elatina Rhythmites," Reconsidered

Science.gov (United States)

Raub, T. D.; Raub, T. M.

2007-12-01

Extraordinary laminated sand-siltstone of South Australia's synglacial/deglacial Elatina Formation-equivalent at Pichi Richi Pass is an iconic outcrop for paleomagnetists, paleoclimatologists, and astrophysicists. Cyclic- bedded stacks of coarse/fine-grained doublets have been interpreted as rhythmites of semi-diurnal tidal origin in a deep-water delta front environment. Cycle analysis has yielded estimates of Earth's paleorotation and revolution periods and lunar distance. The reported 10 m (interpreted 60 year) record disagrees somewhat with coeval and younger biological "sediment-clocks," and Williams (2000) argues that the sedimentological context and extraordinary preservation of Elatina rhythmites makes that record preferable. A paleomagnetic "synsedimentary fold" test on 50 cm packages to culminate in unambiguous ladderback ripples. This shallowing-upward sequence reflects high sediment supply over 60 years and/or else significant sea level regression during (possibly longer) rhythmite deposition. The exceptional character of climbing-ripple rhythmites can be explained by pervasive microbial binding of sediment, in the anomalous mode characterizing many Ediacaran siliciclastic environments. Detrital magnetization seemingly should not around ripple crests. Either the interval of Snowball Earth deglaciation was characterized by unusually low geomagnetic field strength, biasing magnetization fidelity, or else Elatina rhythmites do not record DRM over a continuous 60-year timescale. This latter alternative may find support in the original studies, which document considerable dispersion, unexpected for a VGP. Kirschvink, 1992. in Schopf, J.W. and Klein, C., eds. The Proterozoic Biosphere, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 51-52. Schmidt and Williams, 1995. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 134, pp. 107-124. Sohl, Christie-Blick, and Kent, 1999. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 111, pp. 1120-1139. Sumner, Kirschvink, and Runnegar, 1987