Leila Maria Pessôa

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro | UFRJ · Departamento de Zoologia

Red-nosed mice (genus Wiedomys) are restricted to the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, distributed along the São Francisco River (SFR). Until recently, Wiedomys was considered monotypic, but 2 species with poorly defined geographic and morphological limits have been recognized: W. cerradensis and W. pyrrhorhinos. Our study used morphological,...

Recent biogeographic studies have shown that geographically distant populations of different animal groups, including bats, can present genetic differentiation. Given this, the objective here was to study the composition of Molossidae species that occur in Brazil and investigate whether these species present karyotypic differences between populatio...

Flattened and flexible spiny hairs, the aristiforms, evolved independently in some lineages of rodents, but unlikely capable of causing severe damage to predators. Their biological roles are not yet clearly known and some different thermoregulatory functions have been proposed, often associated with severe climatic conditions but not yet tested. In...

Cerradomys goytaca is endemic to Brazil, found exclusively in restinga habitats, which are currently discontinuous, on the northern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro and the southern coast of the state of Espírito Santo. Although it is common where it occurs and is covered by a conservation unit, its Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is restricted, cal...

Fazer um levantamento de dados citogenéticos para as espécies da tribo Echimiyni, com a finalidade de analisar seus cariótipos. • Investigar se os caracteres cromossômicos estão evoluindo em congruência com a filogenia molecular proposta por Courcelle et al. (2019).

Os pequenos mamíferos não voadores constituem um grupo diverso de espécies de marsupiais e pequenos roedores que exercem importantes funções ecológicas nos ecossistemas neotropicais. O Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba (PNRJ) tem sido alvo de numerosos estudos com pequenos mamíferos, abordando desde a ecologia populacional das espécies até...

ESTUDOS CITOGENÉTICOS EM ROEDORES (RODENTIA: MAMMALIA) DAS REGIÕES PESTÍGENAS BRASILEIRAS. Isabela Bernardes Freitas da Silva Domingues, Margaret Maria de Oliveira Corrêa, João Alves de Oliveira, Alzira Maria Paiva de Almeida, Leila Maria Pessôa A peste é uma das mais antigas zoonoses da história da humanidade, estando ainda presente em diversas...

Molossus fluminensis is a species of the wide diversified family Molossidae. Representants of this family have evolved under pressures associated to two different behaviors — a high speed and efficient flight and a good quadrupedal ability. The aim of this study is to describe in detail the morphological characters of M. fluminensis, focusing on it...

Pelvic morphology in mammals is shaped by several factors, including the functional commitment with parturition. Due to this, some mammalian clades, like primates, show a detectable evolutionary relationship between the magnitude of pelvic sexual dimorphism and cranial morphology of neonates. However, this correlation is less understood within the...

The rodent family Echimyidae (spiny rats, hutias and coypu) is notable for its high phylogenetic and ecological diversity, encompassing ~100 living species with body mass ranging from 70 to 4500 g, including arboreal, epigean (non-arboreal or scansorial), fossorial and semi-aquatic taxa. In view of this diversity, it was hypothesized that echimyid...

The evolution of subterranean and fossorial rodents has been linked to the Neogene climatic shift to xeric conditions leading to open vegetation, like prairies and grasslands; most modern subterranean rodents occur in arid and open areas. Among South American spiny rats (family Echimyidae), the subfamily Euryzygomatomyinae includes both fossorial (...

Microglial cells play essential volume-related actions in the brain that contribute to the maturation and plasticity of neural circuits that ultimately shape behavior. Microglia can thus be expected to have similar cell sizes and even distribution both across brain structures and across species with different brain sizes. To test this hypothesis, w...

All evolutionary modifications of morphology in adult animals presuppose occurrence of changes in developmental programming. While some developmental changes affect rates of trait growth during the entire ontogeny, other developmental changes modify timing and growth rates during limited stages, usually in early development. Identifying which kind...

Long-term ecological studies have been developed in a Quaternary coastal plain in Southeastern Brazil (RLaC site), comprising the largest protected restinga remnant (144km2) in South America. Restingas are sandy areas spread along the Brazilian coast comprising a mosaic of open woodland vegetation, spots covered by dry or wet forests, swales and wa...

The anatomy of appendicular bones has been demonstrated to be informative for taxonomic, paleontological, and functional studies of bats. Its use in such studies, however, is limited by the small number of skeletons available for this taxonomic group in scientific collections. Here we describe a protocol for the extraction of the femur from fluid-p...

Fisheries statistics of many countries are still limited by the use of common names in multispecific captures, where little is known about the correct taxonomic identification of captured species. Homonymy is a known obstacle for commercially exploited Pleuronectiformes, traditionally grouped as flatfishes in Brazilian fisheries statistics. The pre...

The occurrence of anomalous coloration (albinism, leucism and melanism) in mammals is a rare phenomenon in nature, but this phenomenon has been reported for several species of mammals. In this study, we report on the occurrence of leucism in Eira barbara by examining three road-killed individuals and two sightings of live animals in Reserva Particu...

Two species of Callithrix, C. jacchus (Linnaeus, 1758) and C. penicillata (É. Geoffroy, 1812), are considered invasive in Rio de Janeiro. This study determined the genetic and morphological diversity and verified the species involved in the hybridization of 10 individuals from the municipalities of Silva Jardim (N = 9) and Rio das Ostras (N = 1). W...

Online access available at http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/WwqYDYYiXszZmBDVv7V2/full ABSTRACT—A new genus of echimyid rodent, Ullumys, from the uppermost Miocene of northwestern Argentina is described. It includes two species, U. pattoni sp. nov. and Ullumys intermedius nov. comb. Ullumys pattoni is known from a skull fragment and the correspondi...

In the effort to understand the evolution of mammalian brains, we have found that common relationships between brain structure mass and numbers of nonneuronal (glial and vascular) cells apply across eutherian mammals, but brain structure mass scales differently with numbers of neurons across structures and across primate and nonprimate clades. This...

The genus Cerradomys, comprising eight species, is distributed mainly in transitional, dry, open and inland South American biomes like Caatinga, Cerrado, and Chaco. However, Cerradomys goytaca is restricted to very harsh ecosystems along the Quaternary coast sandy plains (restingas) of the Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo states, in southeastern B...

Analysis of ontogenetic development is crucial for understanding the emergence of phenotypic discrepancies between animal taxa. The study of allometric trajectories within a phylogenetic context is a feasible approach to assess morphological change across different evolutionary lineages. Here we report the disparity of multivariate ontogenetic allo...

Trinomys is a very diverse mammalian genus of eastern Brazil, comprising ten species. Eight of them have remained in their original biome, the Atlantic Forest, while two others occupy the semi-arid Caatinga. One of the species from the Atlantic Forest, T. eliasi, also inhabits adjacent restingas, an open vegetation ecosystem on sandy sediments of m...

Resumo: É comum encontrarmos séries inteiras de espécimes de pequenos mamíferos preservados em meio líquido, mesmo não sendo o procedimento mais indicado. A técnica aqui proposta trata da preparação de exemplares fixados por um longo período de tempo em meio líquido e sobre particularidades no processo de taxidermia. O protocolo foi aplicado com su...

Reportamos os resultados de inventários de pequenos mamíferos conduzidos na região de Jaíba, norte de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil, entre 1990 e 1995. Essa região está localizada no limite sul do bioma Caatinga, e abriga um conjunto único de ecossistemas naturais e extensas áreas cultivadas. Com um esforço total de 2964 armadilhas-noite e 44 ses...

Within the neotropical bat family Phyllostomidae, species of the subfamilies Glossophaginae and Lonchophyllinae have many derived traits adapted to nectarivory, including elongated snouts and jaws and the ability to perform hovering flight. We compared patterns of cranial variation within and between these groups with respect to within-group allome...

We report new records of eight species of phyllostomid bats for the state of Mato Grosso. Two of them, Micronycteris microtis and Platyrrhinus bra­ chycephalus, also represent new records for the Cerrado biome. Furthermore, we provide measurements and comment on their taxonomy and conservation. With these records, the Mato Grosso state and the Cerr...

Trinomys eliasi is an endangered species of spiny rat endemic to a small area in the lowlands of Rio de Janeiro state (Brazil). Limited data on its biology and variation are available for designing conservation policies. Here, we provide data on genetic variation of T. eliasi, elucidating aspects of its evolutionary differentiation based on analysi...

Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae) species are popularly known in Brazil as embaúbas. This genus consists of dioecious, pioneer and medicinal trees. The leaves and inflorescences of Cecropia are part of the diet of various animals, mainly frugivorous mammals. Little is known about the chemical profile of the reproductive parts of embaúbas, the benefits o...

Reports about albinism in rodents are common. In the family Echimyidae, however, albinism is very rare. This is the second case of coat color variation reported within Echimyidae and the first for the genus Thrichomys. The pelages of Thrichomys pachyurus individuals with normal and variant coat color were observed under a fluorescent artificial lig...

Kerodon rupestris (Wied, 1820) is the most specialized species among caviid rodents and is endemic to the extensive rocky outcrops in the semi-arid region in Brazil. Herein we describe different karyotypes for K. rupestris, based on samples collected in Itapajé, Ceará (CE), Iraquara in Bahia (BA), and Botumirim in Minas Gerais (MG). Our samples inc...

Glossophaga soricina soricina (Pallas, 1766) plays an important role in the ecosystems where it is found, taking part in the pollination of hundreds of plant species. Here, we statistically compared 12 external characters of 169 specimens collected in three Brazilian biomes: 82 in the Pantanal (Mato Grosso), 45 in the Atlantic Forest (Ilheus, Bahia...

Rodents of the subfamily Sigmodontinae comprise a highly diversified group in the Atlantic Forest, with semifossorial, terrestrial, semiaquatic, scansorial, and arboreal forms. In this study, we analyzed morphometric variation in humerus, scapula, ulna, radius, femur, tibia, and pelvis to investigate its possible relationship with the different typ...

A new species of Cerradomys is described from the sandy plains of the northeastern littoral of Rio de Janeiro State and the southern littoral of Espírito Santo State, southeastern Brazil. Morphological and karyological characters were used to distinguish the new taxon from the 3 closest related species: C. subflavus, C. vivoi, and C. langguthi. Sku...

Recent cytogenetic and molecular studies changed the monotypic status of the genus Thrichomys, recognizing at least four species. In this study we analyzed cranial and dental characters throughout ontogeny to investigate morphological differences between three species from Brazil: Thrichomys laurentius, from Caruaru, Pernambuco State; Thrichomys in...

A new karyotype of Wiedomys pyrrhorhinus (Wed, 1821) is described, including G- and C-banding and Ag-NOR sites from specimens collected in the municipality of Morro do Chapeu, situated in the northern region of the Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia. Karyological studies of W. pyrrhorhinus have shown a constant diploid number (2n) of 62 with two di...

Recent cytogenetic and molecular studies changed the monotypic status of the genus Thrichomys, recognizing at least four species. In this study we analyzed cranial and dental characters throughout ontogeny to investigate morphological differences between three species from Brazil: Thrichomys laurentius, from Caruaru, Pernambuco State; Thrichomys in...

Qualitative aspects of the bacular morphology and variation are surveyed in the seven subspecies currently recognized for Proechimys iheringi (Rodentia: Echimyidae). Each form has a distinct bacular morphology, although the degree of distinctiveness varies among the subspecies. Bacula in P. i. denigratus, P. i. panema, P. i. gratiosus, P. i. bonafi...

Chromosomes have been a useful tool to address systematical issues of Neotropical bats and can be applied to evaluate certain degrees of radiation exposure, but some basic cytogenetical data is needed in this case. Nothing is known about cytogenetics of bats from the zone of influence of nuclear power plants around the world. In this study we prese...

The complete karyotype of Noctilio albiventris cabrerai is described on the basis of specimens from the northern Pantanal region of central Brazil. The G-banded karyotype comprises a diploid number (2n) of 34, an autosomal fundamental number (FNa) of 62, and respectively submetacentric and acrocentric X and Y chromosomes. Active nucleolar organizer...

We report a new karyotype for Macrophyllum macrophyllum, based on one specimen collected nearly 600 km from the type-locality in Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. The new karyotype is described and depicted with conventional Giemsa staining and C-banding. It is characterized by a diploid number (2n) of 34, a fundamental autosomal number (FNa) of 62...

A subfamília Sigmodontinae é altamente diversificada, contendo 29% das espécies de mamíferos da região Neotropical. Ocorre em toda a Mata Atlântica, uma das ecorregiões mais ricas no planeta em termos de endemismo e riqueza de espécies (Myers et al. 2000). A diversidade de ambientes em que os sigmodontíneos vivem é refletida na ocupação de diversos...

The complete karyotype of Noctilio albiventris cabrerai is described on the basis of specimens from the northern Pantanal region of central Brazil. The G-banded karyotype comprises a diploid number (2n) of 34, an autosomal fundamental number (FNa) of 62, and respectively submetacentric and acrocentric X and Y chromosomes. Active nucleolar organizer...

Species of the didelphid genera Gracilinanus and Cryptonanus are morphologically and cytogenetically very similar. Several qualitative characters, some of which exhibit intraspecific polymorphisms, have been used to distinguish these genera, but more data are needed to characterize them better. Samples of G. agilis and Cryptonanus spp. from nine lo...

In order to assess the immunotherapeutic potential on canine visceral leishmaniasis of the Leishmune vaccine, formulated with an increased adjuvant concentration (1mg of saponin rather than 0.5mg), 24 mongrel dogs were infected with Leishmania (L.) chagasi. The enriched-Leishmune vaccine was injected on month 6, 7 and 8 after infection, when animal...

The karyotype of Dasyprocta azarae has not been described previously. In this article we describe the karyotype of D. azarae from Northern Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. D. azarae has a diploid number 2n=64 and a number of autosomal arms NA=122. The 2n and NA are the same as those reported for other Brazilian species of Dasyprocta, but diff...

ABSTRACT: A morphometric discrimination analysis was performed for Trinomys minor (Reis & Pessôa, 1995) and Trinomys albispinus (Is. Geoffroy, 1838). The samples used in this study are from localities in the Chapada Diamantina, a vast plateau in central Bahia State, Brazil. A specimen recently obtained near the type-locality of Trinomys minor was a...

A recently obtained series referable to Bibimys labiosus (Winge, 1887) from Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, represents the first documented record for this species from a Brazilian locality since the original specimen was collected at nearby Lagoa Santa in 1837. We designate a lectotype and redescribe the species, introducing additional morphologica...

The key to understanding evolution lies in the elucidation of mechanisms responsible for the observed underlying patterns and in the observation of sequences that emerge from those evolutionary landmarks. The comparative development can be used to access the derivation of form and the homology versus the convergence of evolution features. Phylogene...

Models of evolutionary quantitative genetics were employed to analyze cranial phenotypic evolution in the echimyid rodent Proechimys iheringi Thomas. The hypothesis that cranial differentiation among populations and subspecies of P. iheringi resulted from random drift was rejected. The completely selective model was then used to reconstruct the for...

4, 5 RESUMO: A variação geográfica em caracteres cranianos de nove amostras populacionais recentes e uma amostra sub-fóssil foi investigada através da amplitude de distribuição do roedor histricomorfo Kerodon rupestris (Wied, 1820), endêmico do semi-árido brasileiro. Análises univariadas e multivariadas foram baseadas em 22 caracteres medidos em 31...

A recently obtained series referable to Bibimys labiosus (Winge, 1887) from Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, represents the first documented record for this species from a Brazilian locality since the original specimen was collected at nearby Lagoa Santa in 1837. We designate a lectotype and redescribe the species, introducing additional morphologica...

ABSTRACT: Ten species of spiny rats of the genus Trinomys are currently recognized in eastern Brazil. Although most taxa known in the genus Trinomys have been characterized on the basis of craniodental, pelage, and bacular traits, data on chromosomal morphology are available for only four taxa, two from the State of Bahia, one from the State of São...