<p>U&nbsp; radu&nbsp; je&nbsp; izvr&scaron;en&nbsp; integrativno-taksonomski&nbsp; pristup analize&nbsp; kompleksa&nbsp; vrsta&nbsp; <em>Merodon</em>&nbsp; <em>avidus&nbsp; </em>(Diptera: Syrphidae),&nbsp; na&nbsp; geografski&nbsp; i&nbsp; vemenski&nbsp; obimnom materijalu.&nbsp; U&nbsp; okviru&nbsp; genetičke&nbsp; karakterizacije&nbsp; kriptičnih vrsta&nbsp; navedenog&nbsp; kompleksa,&nbsp; bazirane&nbsp; na&nbsp; 3&#39;&nbsp; i&nbsp; 5&#39;<br />fragmentima&nbsp; mitohondrijalnog&nbsp; COI&nbsp; gena,&nbsp; određeni&nbsp; su parametri&nbsp; genetičke&nbsp; varijabilnosti&nbsp; i&nbsp; utvrđeni&nbsp; jedinstveni&nbsp; i deljeni&nbsp; haplotipovi&nbsp; u&nbsp; okviru&nbsp; i&nbsp; između&nbsp; pretpostavljenih vrsta.&nbsp; Rezultati&nbsp; genetičke&nbsp; varijabilnosti&nbsp; COI&nbsp; DNK&nbsp; sekvenci pokazali&nbsp; su&nbsp; da&nbsp; jedinke&nbsp; sa&nbsp; ostrva&nbsp; Krf&nbsp; i&nbsp; Evia&nbsp; i&nbsp; poluostrva Peloponez,&nbsp; preliminarno&nbsp; identifikovane&nbsp; kao M. moenium, predstavljaju&nbsp; novu,&nbsp; endemsku&nbsp; vrstu&nbsp; proučavanog<br />kompleksa.&nbsp; Dijagnostički&nbsp; enzimski&nbsp; lokusi&nbsp; pokazali&nbsp; su&nbsp; da M.&nbsp; avidus&nbsp; i&nbsp; M.&nbsp; moenium&nbsp; predstavljaju&nbsp; sestrinske&nbsp; vrste, koje&nbsp; su&nbsp; se,&nbsp; u&nbsp; okviru&nbsp; kompleksa&nbsp; vrsta&nbsp;<em> M.&nbsp; avidus,&nbsp; </em>poslednje razdvojile.&nbsp; Zaključeno&nbsp; je&nbsp; da&nbsp; se&nbsp; kompleks&nbsp; vrsta&nbsp; M.&nbsp; avidus sastoji od 5 vrsta: <em>M. avidus, M. moenium, M. megavidus, M.&nbsp; ibericus&nbsp; i&nbsp; M.&nbsp; aff.&nbsp; moenium</em>.&nbsp; U&nbsp; nastavku,&nbsp; oslanjajući&nbsp; se na&nbsp; moderne&nbsp; tehnike&nbsp; ve&scaron;tačke&nbsp; inteligencije,&nbsp; izvr&scaron;eno&nbsp; je modelovanje&nbsp; distribucije&nbsp; vrsta&nbsp; i&nbsp; poređenje&nbsp; sličnosti utvrđenih&nbsp; ekolo&scaron;kih&nbsp; ni&scaron;a.&nbsp; U&nbsp; poslednjem&nbsp; segmentu istraživanja,&nbsp; prednosti&nbsp; ve&scaron;tačke&nbsp; inteligencije&nbsp; iskori&scaron;ćene su&nbsp; u&nbsp; modelovanju&nbsp; sistema&nbsp; za&nbsp; determinaciju&nbsp; jedinki sestrinskih vrsta u uzorku, na osnovu adekvatne varijable.Ovo&nbsp; istraživanje&nbsp; doprinelo&nbsp; je&nbsp; karakterizaciji&nbsp; biodiverziteta osolikih&nbsp; muva,&nbsp; rasvetljavanju&nbsp; taksonomskog&nbsp; statusa&nbsp; vrsta i&nbsp; kreiranju&nbsp; smernica&nbsp; za&nbsp; definisanje&nbsp; budućih konzervacionih&nbsp; programa&nbsp; za&scaron;tite&nbsp; biodiverziteta&nbsp; vrsta <em>Merodon avidus </em>kompleksa.</p> / <p>During this research, an integrative-taxonomic&nbsp; analysis of M. avidus species complex was performed. The study was based on geographically and temporally extensive material. Genetic characterisation of cryptic species, based on 5&rsquo; and 3&rsquo; regions of COI gene, defined parameters of genetic variability. Shared and unique haplotypes between and within of cryptic species were detected. The results of genetic variability analysis based on COI gene showed that specimens from the islands Corfu, Evia and half-island Peloponnese, which were preliminarily identified as M. moenium, represent a new, endemic species of the selected complex. Diagnostic enzyme loci showed that M. avidus and M. moenium represent sibling species, which were the last one who separated within M. avidus complex. According to current information, it was concluded that M. avidus complex consists of 5 species: M. avidus, M. moenium, M. megavidus, M. ibericus and M. aff. moenium. In the next&nbsp; chapter, relying on modern techniques of artificial&nbsp; intelligence, the species distribution modelling and the comparison of ecological niches were performed. In the last part of the research, the advantages of artificial intelligence were used in order to model a system that was able to determinate one of two sibling species, based on appropriate predictor. This research has generally contributed to a characterization of hoverfly diversity and helped resolving a taxonomic status of species in one of the most challenging groups in Syrphidae family. Genetic differentiation data represent directions for defining future conservation strategies for biodiversity protection of defined cryptic species of Merodon avidus complex</p>

The ability to accurately identify species is fundamental to ecological research and environmental monitoring. Current taxonomic identifications often rely on differentiation of morphologically ambiguous characters, and a process of categorization which is tedious and often leads to misidentifications. This is compounded by the presence of cryptic taxa, which may be prevalent among Polychaete worms (Polychaeta: Annelida). With increased access to genetic techniques, Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I has been suggested as a possible aid to assist in the discrimination of species resources. In this study, I tested the hypothesis that the mtDNA COI gene locus is effective in discriminating morphologically recognised species of Polychaete worms. A 543 base-pair fragment of the COI locus was successfully extracted for 111 individuals from 16 out of 20 morphologically recognised species. Average intraspecific divergences were 0.8 %, ranging from 0 % to 5 %. Average interspecific variation was 26.4 %, ranging from 13.8 % to 36.8 %. The lowest divergences were found between two Nereid species (13.8 %), and two Glycera americana species (17.2 %). Relatively high maximum divergences of over 30 % suggest that some species may have reached a divergence saturation level, which may partially explain why familial groupings in constructed trees were not monophyletic. Divergences within the different Nereid species - a group previously known to have morphologically cryptic species - did not reveal the presence of any cryptic taxa. Pairwise comparisons showed a clear divide between percentages of intra- and interspecific divergences, and the suggested threshold of 11 % is effective for the taxa investigated here. On the basis of these results, I conclude that sequence variation in the mtDNA COI gene locus is effective in discriminating morphologically recognised species of Polychaete worms, but may not be appropriate for deeper (e.g. generic or familial) phylogenetic relationships among taxa.

<p>The evolutionary goal of individuals is reproduction and sexual selection favours traits improving reproductive success. When males invest less than females in offspring, males have potentially a higher reproductive rate than females. This typically results in sex-specific reproductive strategies of male-male competition and female choice of mating partner. Under polyandry, sexual selection can continue after copulation as sperm competition and cryptic female choice. This thesis focuses on male and female pre- and post-copulatory reproductive strategies in the promiscuous red junglefowl, <i>Gallus</i> <i>gallus ssp.</i>, and its domestic subspecies the domestic fowl, <i>Gallus gallus</i> <i>domesticus</i>. Males impose high re-mating rates on females, which triggers female resistance in copulations. In addition, when sexual harassment increases, females re-mate at times of day when male mating propensity is lower, to avoid intense sexual harassment. Males allocate sperm supplies differentially according to (i) variation in female polyandry and own competitive ability, (ii) earlier sperm investment in a female, and (iii) female reproductive quality, signalled by female comb size. Males also perform ‘aspermic’ copulations (i.e. copulations with no semen transfer), which inhibit polyandry and in turn reduce sperm competition. In mating opportunities with relatives, males do not avoid inbreeding. However, females avoid inbreeding before copulation through kin recognition and after copulation by selecting against related males’ sperm. These results show that selection on males to re-mate at higher rates than females and copulate indiscriminately according to partner relatedness, trigger counteracting female responses, creating the potential for sexual conflict over fertilisation. Teasing apart pre- and post-copulatory strategies and the contribution of each sex therefore becomes crucial in order to understand the evolution of reproductive strategies and the mechanisms affecting paternity.</p>

The evolutionary goal of individuals is reproduction and sexual selection favours traits improving reproductive success. When males invest less than females in offspring, males have potentially a higher reproductive rate than females. This typically results in sex-specific reproductive strategies of male-male competition and female choice of mating partner. Under polyandry, sexual selection can continue after copulation as sperm competition and cryptic female choice. This thesis focuses on male and female pre- and post-copulatory reproductive strategies in the promiscuous red junglefowl, Gallus gallus ssp., and its domestic subspecies the domestic fowl, Gallus gallus domesticus. Males impose high re-mating rates on females, which triggers female resistance in copulations. In addition, when sexual harassment increases, females re-mate at times of day when male mating propensity is lower, to avoid intense sexual harassment. Males allocate sperm supplies differentially according to (i) variation in female polyandry and own competitive ability, (ii) earlier sperm investment in a female, and (iii) female reproductive quality, signalled by female comb size. Males also perform ‘aspermic’ copulations (i.e. copulations with no semen transfer), which inhibit polyandry and in turn reduce sperm competition. In mating opportunities with relatives, males do not avoid inbreeding. However, females avoid inbreeding before copulation through kin recognition and after copulation by selecting against related males’ sperm. These results show that selection on males to re-mate at higher rates than females and copulate indiscriminately according to partner relatedness, trigger counteracting female responses, creating the potential for sexual conflict over fertilisation. Teasing apart pre- and post-copulatory strategies and the contribution of each sex therefore becomes crucial in order to understand the evolution of reproductive strategies and the mechanisms affecting paternity.

Nemertodermatida is a group of microscopic marine worm-like animals that live as part of the marine meiofauna in sandy or muddy sediments; one species lives commensally in a holothurian. These benthic worms were thought to disperse passively with ocean currents, resulting in little speciation and thus wide or even cosmopolitan distributions. Individuals occur in low abundance and have few light microscopically available characters, which altogether may explain why only eight species had been described between the discovery of the taxon in 1930 and this thesis. We used molecular methods to address the diversity and phylogeny of this group for the first time. In a study of two nominal species with samples from all around the world, a high degree of cryptic speciation was discovered and several new species described. Diagnoses were based on molecular data complemented by morphological characters, where available. Given the patchy geographical record it can be assumed that the majority of the biodiversity of Nemertodermatida is yet to be described. A phylogenetic study including all but three known species revealed a deep divergence between the two families of Nemertodermatida but non-monophyly of the taxon was rejected by an Approximately Unbiased test. Confocal laser scanning microscopic studies of several species show that the pattern of the body-wall musculature and the nervous system are specific for different genera. The muscular system of all species consists of a basic orthogonal grid with specific diagonal musculature and specialized muscles associated with body openings. The mouth appears to be transient feature in Nemertodermatida, developing only after hatching and being reduced again in mature worms. The nervous system is highly variable with very different ground patterns between the genera, such as an epidermal net, a centralized neuropile or a commissural brain. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4. Manuscript.</p>

Τα ισόποδα αποτελούν τα πιο ποικίλα σε δομή και τα πλουσιότερα σε είδη Καρκινοειδή της υπέρταξης των Περακαρίδων. Πρόκειται για κοινούς κατοίκους όλων σχεδόν των οικοσυστημάτων. Η οικογένεια Sphaeromatidae (Latreille, 1825) ανήκει στην υπόταξη Flabellifera (μια από τις 10 υποτάξεις των ισοπόδων). Δύο εκπρόσωποι της οικογένειας αυτής είναι τα είδη Sphaeroma serratum (Fabricius, 1787) και Lekanesphaera hookeri (Leach, 1814), που είναι κοσμοπολιτικά, εντοπίζονται σε πολλές περιοχές της Ελλάδας και αποτέλεσαν τα πειραματόζωα στην παρούσα μελέτη. Οι φυλογενετικές μελέτες στον ελλαδικό χώρο περιορίζονται κυρίως στη μελέτη ειδών χερσαίων ισοπόδων, κυρίως λόγω των πολλών ενδημικών ειδών. Ωστόσο εντοπίζονται και άλλα είδη, τα οποία διαβιούν τόσο στη θάλασσα όσο και σε περιοχές με γλυκά και υφάλμυρα νερά, τα οποία δεν έχουν μελετηθεί ακόμη, αν και θα μπορούσαν να δώσουν απαντήσεις σε ερωτήματα σχετικά με τους μηχανισμούς απομόνωσης των πληθυσμών αλλά και την οικολογία, καθώς και την παλαιογεωγραφία της περιοχής. Η παρούσα εργασία αποτελεί την πρώτη απόπειρα μελέτης των φυλογενετικών σχέσεων των δύο αυτών ειδών τόσο στον ελλαδικό όσο και στον ευρωπαϊκό χώρο γενικότερα. Ο σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας ήταν ο προσδιορισμός της γενετικής δομής και των φυλογενετικών σχέσεων ειδών της οικογένειας Sphaeromatidae. Για τη μελέτη χρησιμοποιήθηκαν μοριακοί δείκτες από 18 πληθυσμούς του είδους Sphaeroma serratum και 2 πληθυσμούς του είδους Lekanesphaera hookeri (ως εξωομάδα). Η πειραματική προσέγγιση περιελάμβανε τον πολλαπλασιασμό αλληλουχιών των μιτοχονδριακών γονιδιακών τόπων 16S rDNA και COI (δείκτες που χρησιμοποιούνται ευρέως για μελέτες σε επίπεδο πληθυσμών και ειδών) με τη μέθοδο της PCR, τον προσδιορισμό των αλληλουχιών αυτών και, ακολούθως, τη στατιστική και φυλογενετική τους ανάλυση με τις μεθόδους της Σύνδεσης Γειτόνων (Neighbor Joining), της Μέγιστης Φειδωλότητας (Maximum Parsimony) και της Μπεϊεσιανής Συμπερασματολογίας (Bayesian Inference). Το τελικό μήκος των αλληλουχιών μετά την επεξεργασία ήταν 396 θέσεις για το γενετικό τόπο 16S και 500 θέσεις για το γενετικό τόπο COI. Τα δεδομένα από τους δύο γενετικούς τόπους ήταν δυνατό να συνδυαστούν, επομένως πραγματοποιήθηκε τόσο ανεξάρτητη όσο και συνδυασμένη ανάλυση. Τα αποτελέσματα που προέκυψαν από τη χρήση των μιτοχονδριακών μοριακών δεικτών και την εφαρμογή των φυλογενετικών μεθόδων που προαναφέρθηκαν, τόσο όσον αφορά τις νουκλεοτιδικές αποκλίσεις όσο και τα φυλογενετικά δέντρα που προέκυψαν, επιβεβαιώνουν τη μεγάλη γενετική διαφοροποίηση μεταξύ των δύο ειδών και αναγνωρίζουν επίσης μεγάλη γενετική διαφοροποίηση μεταξύ των πληθυσμών του είδους Sphaeroma serratum. Η διαφοροποίηση αυτή δεν ακολουθεί κάποιο σαφές γεωγραφικό πρότυπο, ωστόσο φαίνεται να συνδέεται με τα διαφορετικά επίπεδα αλατότητας που παρατηρούνται στις διάφορες περιοχές συλλογής. Οδηγούμαστε συνεπώς στην υπόθεση ότι είναι πιθανή η ύπαρξη κρυπτικών ειδών μέσα στους πληθυσμούς του είδους. / Isopods, the most diverse in form and the most species-rich crustaceans of the superorder Peracarida, have successfully settled all possible habitats. The family Sphaeromatidae (Latreille, 1825) is classified in the suborder Flabellifera (one of the 10 suborders of isopods). Two representatives of this family are the species Sphaeroma serratum (Fabricius, 1787) and Lekanesphaera hookeri (Leach, 1814). They are both cosmopolitan species and have colonized widely the Greek marine shorelines and lagoons. The phylogenetic relations studies in Greece regard only terrestrial isopods, due to the large variety of endemic species. However, there are also non terrestrial species that haven’t been studied yet. This type of studies could give answers to questions about the isolation mechanisms of the populations, about ecological factors and the palaeogeography of Greece. The present study is the first attempt to resolve the phylogenetic relations of the two species mentioned above, in Greece and generally in Europe. In order to resolve those relations, we used two mitochondrial markers (16S rDNA and COI) from 18 populations of Sphaeroma serratum and 2 populations of Lekanesphaera hookeri (outgroup). Our experimental approach included PCR amplification, sequencing and computational statistic and phylogenetic analyses using Neighbor Joining, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference methods. Regardless of the method used, the results verify the great genetic divergence between the two species and also indicate great divergence among the populations of Sphaeroma serratum. Divergence patterns do not show any clear geographic structure, although they seam to be related somehow with the different salinity levels observed in the sampling regions, implicating the existence of cryptic species.

Submitted by FERNANDA CRERES ROSA null (fer_creres@hotmail.com) on 2016-04-04T19:15:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernanda Rosa - Dissertação Mestrado.pdf: 2522596 bytes, checksum: e6a718a620bc5e59e8744c6971a6c1c1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-06T14:43:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rosa_fc_me_assis.pdf: 2522596 bytes, checksum: e6a718a620bc5e59e8744c6971a6c1c1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-06T14:43:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rosa_fc_me_assis.pdf: 2522596 bytes, checksum: e6a718a620bc5e59e8744c6971a6c1c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / Chrysaora é um dos gêneros mais ricos de espécies dentro da subclasse Discomedusae Haeckel, 1880. Na América do Sul existem duas espécies do gênero Chrysaora, Chrysaora lactea (Eschscholtz, 1829) e Chrysaora plocamia (Lesson 1830). A cifomedusa C. lactea é uma das mais comuns e amplamente distribuídas medusas de Scyphozoa na costa. A distribuição dessa espécie é contínua desde o Golfo do México até a costa norte da Argentina (Morandini e Marques 2010). Já a espécie C. plocamia apresenta um incomum padrão de distribuição, ocorrendo em ambos os lados do sul da América do Sul; região oriental do Pacífico Sul (Peru, Chile) e oeste do Atlântico Sul (Argentina), sofrendo forte influência das correntes oceânicas. Assim, o objetivo principal do projeto foi realizar um levantamento da distribuição do gênero Chrysaora na América do Sul. Adicionalmente buscou-se confirmar a ocorrência da espécie C. plocamia no litoral do Uruguai, analisar a estrutura morfológica e molecular das populaçõesde C. lactea distribuídas ao longo do Atlântico Sul Ocidental e comparar os indivíduos entre as diferentes regiões. Foram realizadas análises morfológicas e morfométricas, o estudo da composição dos nematocistos através das medidas e análises estatísticas, além de análises moleculares, através da avaliação do marcador molecular mitocondrial (16S) dos indivíduos da espécie C. lactea e C. plocamia, de diferentes localidades. Os resultados apontam que a distribuição da espécie C. lactea é continua desde o Uruguai até o norte do Brasil e que possivelmente não há incidência de espécies crípticas nessa região analisada. Já a espécie C. plocamia está associada às águas frias neríticas do Atlântico e Pacífico, notando-se a presença dessa espécie também na região do Uruguai. / Chrysaora is one of the richest genera within the subclass Discomedusae Haeckel, 1880. In South America, there are two species of the genus Chrysaora, Chrysaora lactea (Eschscholtz, 1829) and Chrysaora plocamia (Lesson 1830). The scyphomedusa C. lactea is one of the most common and widely distributed Scyphozoa jellyfish on the coast. The distribution of this species is continuous from the Gulf of Mexico to the north coast of Argentina (Morandini e Marques 2010). C. plocamia has an unusual distribution pattern, occurring on both sides of southern South America, eastern South Pacific (Peru, Chile) and western South Atlantic (Argentina). The objective of this study was to promote a survey of the distribution of the genus Chrysaora in South America. Additionally, we confirmed the occurrence of C. plocamia in Uruguay coast, analyzed the morphological and molecular structureof C. lactea distributed over Western South Atlantic comparing individuals between different regions, especially looking for the incidence of cryptic species. Morphological and morphometric analyzes were performed, as well as the study of the composition of nematocysts by measurements and statistical analysis, in addition to molecular analysis by evaluating the mitochondrial molecular markers 16S of individuals of C. lactea and C. plocamia from different locations. The results showed that the distribution of the species C. lactea is continuous from the Uruguay to the Northern Brasil and there was no incidence of cryptic species. Also, C. plocamia is associated with cold inshore waters of the Atlantic and Pacific, noting the presence of this species also in Uruguay.

O canto de anúncio dos anuros apresenta importância fundamental como mecanismo primário de isolamento reprodutivo. Em decorrência disto, estes cantos têm se mostrado altamente valiosos para a determinação da identidade das espécies, para assegurar uma diagnose confiável, e adicionalmente, têm contribuído para revelar espécies crípticas nos mais variados complexos de espécies. Apesar de alguns estudos na literatura terem investigado o padrão de evolução do canto com uma abordagem comparada incorporando a estrutura filogenética do grupo estudado, apenas na última década têm emergido os primeiros estudos utilizando uma abordagem filogenética para a investigação da evolução do canto em anuros. Pererecas do gênero Scinax Wagler, 1830 são um dos mais abundantes e conspícuos grupos de anuros dos Neotrópicos, sendo reconhecido atualmente como o segundo gênero mais especioso dentre os hilídeos (Hylidae), i.e. 111 spp. descritas. O monofiletismo, a ampla distribuição geográfica, riqueza de espécies, heterogeneidade de ambientes ocupados e a variação morfológica e acústica das espécies de Scinax faz deste um clado interessante para o estudo da evolução da comunicação acústica. No presente estudo os principais objetivos foram contribuir com a taxonomia e zoogeografia do gênero Scinax através da descrição detalhada dos caracteres do canto de anúncio de espécies dos clados S. ruber e S. catharinae, melhorando assim a caracterização biológica (diagnose) destas espécies, e identificar e caracterizar a variação acústica intra-específica para parte das espécies estudadas. Como consequência desta primeira etapa do trabalho, era esperada a produção de uma base de dados acústicos de alta qualidade, de maneira padronizada e detalhada para seu uso subsequente em estudos comparados utilizando uma abordagem comparada filogenética (i.e. segunda etapa do trabalho). Espécies/populações de Scinax foram acusticamente amostradas em 60 localidades (dados inéditos), concentrando-se principalmente nas regiões sudeste, central e sul do Brasil, dentro dos biomas Mata Atlântica e Cerrado. No total, foram analisados cerca de 3.500 cantos de anúncio, pertencentes a 387 indivíduos - 332 indivíduos do clado Scinax ruber e 55 indivíduos do clado S. catharinae (grupo S. catharinae), a maior parte consistindo de dados inéditos (aprox. 75% dos dados). A análise destes dados permitiu a caracterização acústica detalhada de 40 espécies nominais do clado Scinax (i.e. 32 spp. clado S. ruber; 8 spp. clado S. catharinae) - o que corresponde a 36% das espécies atualmente conhecidas do gênero. Diferenças inter-específicas reportadas nas características do canto de anúncio destas espécies forneceram suporte robusto para a diagnose acústica de quase todas as espécies estudadas. Adicionalmente, esta amostragem acústica intensiva para o gênero revelou elevados níveis de diversidade críptica em Scinax, i.e. 33 espécies não descritas. A maior parte dessa diversidade críptica encontrada está oculta sob os nomes S. squalirostris (7 espécies crípticas) e S. fuscomarginatus (4 espécies crípticas). Desta forma, a análise acurada e detalhada dos dados acústicos do canto de anúncio revelaram um profundo impacto sobre a taxonomia do grupo. A base de dados interespecíficos de alta qualidade produzidos e a disponibilidade de hipóteses filogenéticas para Scinax na literatura permitiram a investigação da evolução dos sinais acústicos no grupo, e.g. reconhecer e diferenciar a magnitude de fatores filogenéticos sobre a diversificação inter-específica do canto de anúncio, avaliar se caracteres acústicos associados a morfologia ou comportamento-fisiologia apresentam diferentes níveis de sinal filogenético e investigar o padrão evolutivo dos caracteres acústicos (canto de anúncio) e do CRC em Scinax através do procedimentos de otimização/mapeamento. Estas análises conduzidas revelaram altos níveis de sinal filogenético para a maioria dos caracteres do canto de anúncio investigados (i.e. 16 de 21 caracteres, com ? não diferindo de 1 nesses caracteres), sobre uma topologia de 31 spp. do gênero. A intensidade elevada de sinal filogenético encontrado foi similar aos níveis observados em caracteres morfológicos na literatura, não confirmando a hipótese de que caracteres comportamentais seriam mais lábeis em relação a caracteres morfológicos. As análises de mapeamento de caráter evidenciaram dois padrões principais de canto de anúncio em Scinax, cada padrão associado a um dos grandes clados do grupo, além fornecerem evidência robusta para o suporte de sinapomorfias acústicas para cada clado. / The advertisement call of frogs presents fundamental importance as a primary mechanism of reproductive isolation. As a result, these calls have proven to be highly valuable in determining the species identity, to ensure reliable diagnosis, and additionally, the advertisement calls has helped to reveal cryptic species in various species groups. Although some studies in the literature have investigated the pattern of evolution of the calls with a comparative approach incorporating information about the group phylogeny under study, only in the last decade studies using a phylogenetic approach to investigate the evolution of anurans calls have emerged. Treefrogs of the genus Scinax Wagler, 1830 is one of the most abundant and conspicuous groups of frogs in the Neotropics, actually being recognized as the second most specious genus among the hylids (Hylidae), i.e .111 spp described. The monophyletism, wide geographic distribution, richness of species, heterogeneity of environments occupied and the morphological and acoustic variation makes Scinax an interesting group to the investigation of the evolution of acoustic communication. The main aims of the present study were to contribute to the taxonomy and zoogeography knowledge of the genus Scinax through a detailed description of the characters of the advertisement calls of the species from the clades S. ruber and S. catharinae. Thus, it was possible make better the biological characterization (diagnosis) of these species and allowed to identify and characterize the intra-specific acoustic variation to part of the genus. As a consequence, the first part of this study permitted to produce a high-quality acoustic database, in a detailed and standardized manner to being used in a subsequent comparative phylogenetic approach (second part of the study). Species/populations of Scinax were acoustically sampled at 60 locatilies (original data), mainly concentrated in the southeastern, central, and southern of Brazil, in Atlantic Rain forest and Cerrado biomes. In total, about 3,500 advertisement calls were analyzed from 387 individuals (332 of Scinax ruber clade; and 55 of S. catharinae clade) - the most part consisting of new data (ca. 75%). Data analysis allowed the detailed acoustic characterization of 40 nominal species of the clade Scinax (i.e. 32 spp. of S. ruber clade; 8 spp. of S. catharinae clade), what correponds to 36% of currently known diversity of the genus. Inter-specific differences in the reported characteristics of the advertisement calls provided robust support to acoustic diagnosis for almost all species. Additionally, this intensive acoustic sampling to the genus revealed high levels of cryptic diversity in Scinax, i.e. 33 undescribed species. Most part of these cryptic diversity were under the nominal species S. squalirostris (7 cryptic species) and S. fuscomarginatus (4 cryptic species). Thus, accurate and detailed analysis of acoustic data of the advertisement call revealed a profound impact on the group taxonomy. The interspecific high-quality database here generated, and the availability of phylogenetic hypotheses for Scinax in the literature allowed the investigation of the evolution of acoustic signals in the genus, e.g. to recognize and differentiate the magnitude of phylogenetic factors on the inter-specific diversification of advertisement calls; to assess if acoustic characters related to morphology or behavior-physiology present different levels of phylogenetic signal; and to investigate the pattern of evolution of acoustic characters (advertisement call) and SVL in Scinax through optimization/mapping procedures. These analyses revealed high levels of phylogenetic signal for most of the characters of the advertisement call investigated (i.e. 16 of 21 characters with ?=1), based on a topology of 31 terminals species. The high intensity of phylogenetic signal found was similar to the levels observed for morphological characters in the literature, what is in disagree with the hypothesis that behavioral characters would be more labile than morphological characters. The character mapping analysis revealed two main patterns in Scinax, each one associated with one of the main clades of the genus, besides provide strong evidence to support acoustic synapomorphies for each clade.

Estudo da termitofauna (Insecta, Isoptera) da região do alto Rio Madeira, Rondônia. Na região conhecida como alto Rio Madeira, no município de Porto Velho, Rondônia, estão sendo criadas as Usinas Hidrelétricas (UHEs) de Santo Antônio e Jirau. As construções das represas das UHEs estão inundando grandes porções de floresta ao longo das duas margens do rio Madeira. Desta forma o conhecimento da biota local, especialmente de sua distribuição no espaço, é extremamente importante, ainda mais porque o alinhamento dos rios Amazonas-Madeira-Mamoré separa a região Neotropical em duas áreas de endemismo para diversos grupos de animais. Essa tese tem por objetivo apresentar os resultados gerais obtidos ao longo de três anos de monitoramento de cupins nas áreas de influência da UHE de Jirau e dois anos nas áreas de influência da UHE de Santo Antônio, assim como desenvolver um estudo de comunidades e análise da distribuição espacial dos cupins presentes nas áreas de influência da UHE de Jirau (Capítulo 1). Outro objetivo é o estudo da estrutura genética das populações de Heterotermes tenuis (Rhinotermitidae) ao longo das áreas de influência das duas UHEs, visando investigar a existência de fluxo gênico entre as populações de cada margem do Rio Madeira (Capítulo 2). Foram amostrados doze módulos, sete na margem esquerda do rio e cinco na margem direita. Cada um era compostos por transectos de 3 ou 4 km e parcelas perpendiculares a cada 1km, e as amostragens foram realizadas em subparcelas de 5x2m dentro das parcelas. Durante um total de 20 campanhas foram investigadas 1121 subparcelas, totalizando 7875 amostras de cupins e pelo menos 169 espécies. Esse é provavelmente o trabalho com maior esforço amostral já empregado e também o que registrou o maior número de espécies de cupins até hoje. Para o estudo de comunidades, foram aleatorizadas 20 subparcelas nos seis módulos da UHE de Jirau, sendo cinco subparcelas dentro das parcelas marcadas nas seguintes distâncias em relação à margem do rio: P1 - 50 m, P2 - 1 km, P3 - 2 km e P4 - 3 km. A composição de cupins não está relacionada com o lado do rio. O estimador que mais se aproximou do provável número real de espécies foi o Jackknife 2. Como resultado das análises de diversidade beta utilizando a composição de espécies de cupins houve um agrupamento dos módulos com o mesmo tipo de solo, sugerindo que algumas espécies de cupins estejam distribuídas de acordo com esta variável. Em relação à distância para o rio, a parcela mais próxima do rio foi a mais singular, tanto em relação à composição de espécies quanto à riqueza e abundância, sendo que existem espécies restritas à P1 e outras praticamente ausentes nessas parcelas. Das dez variáveis ambientais analisadas, a riqueza de cupins se mostrou correlacionada com a altitude, concentração de argila e silte no solo e estratificação vegetal entre 1 e 5 m. Para o estudo da estrutura genética das populações de H. tenuis foram utilizadas 84 sequências dessa espécie dos 12 módulos de monitoramento, seis de colônias do Cerrado e três do GenBank (de Manaus, Guiana Francesa, e Equador), além de uma de H. longiceps como grupo externo. Nas análises iniciais, foi encontrada uma forte estruturação genética entre as sequências: todas as análises filogenéticas (máxima parcimônia, máxima verossimilhança e inferência bayesiana), assim como a rede de haplótipos, formaram dois grupos consistentes, mas sem qualquer relação espacial. A partir disso, passou-se a trabalhar com a hipótese de que há duas espécies crípticas (chamadas Ht. A e Ht. B). Desta forma, todas as análises para testar se o Rio Madeira funcionava como barreira biogeográfica foram testadas separadamente para cada uma das supostas duas espécies crípticas, entretanto, não foi constatada qualquer influência do rio como barreira ao fluxo gênico entre as populações de cada margem. / The Santo Antônio and Jirau hydroelectrics plants (HP) are being built in the Madeira River region, in Porto Velho, RO, Brazil. The HPs will flood large portions of native forest, and thus knowledge of the local biota and its distribution in space is extremely important for the formulation of management plans for creation of protected areas. This region in particular is unique, since the alignment of Amazonas-Madeira-Mamoré Rivers divides the Neotropical region into two areas of endemism for a diversity of taxa. The main objective of this thesis was to monitor termites for three years in areas near the Jirau HP and two years in areas near the Santo Antônio HP. As well as conduct a community level study and analyze the spatial distributions of termites from the areas influenced by Jirau HP (Chapter 1); and investigate the population genetic structure of Heterotermes tenuis (Rhinotermitidae), for the two areas influenced by the HPs, to test whether there is genetic flow between the populations on either bank of the Madeira River (Chapter 2). Twelve modules were marked, seven on the left bank of the river and five on the right bank. Each module was composed of 3 or 4 km transects and perpendicular parcels every 1 km. The sampling was conducted in sub parcels of 5 x 2 m inside each main parcels. During 20 expeditions, 1121 subparcels were investigated and a total of 7875 samples were collected and identified to 169 species. This study incorporates greater sampling effort than already employed by other published studies to date and also registered the highest number of termites species of any similar study. For the community study, 20 subparcels were randomized in the six modules of the Jirau HP, with five subparcels marked in relation to distance from the river margin (P1 - 50 m, P2 - 1 km, P3 - 2 km, and P4 - 3 km). The termite species composition was not related to side of the river bank. The richness estimator Jackknife 2 was the best estimator of the real number of species diversity. The beta diversity analysis with termite species composition clustered for modules with the same soil type, suggesting that some termite species may be distributed according to the soil type. Parcels closest to the river were the most unique, both in terms of termite species composition and abundance patterns, with some species restricted to the P1 and others absent. Of the ten environmental variables measured, termite species richness was correlated with altitude, clay and silt concentration in the soil, and vegetation stratification between 1 and 5 m, among. For the study of the genetic structure of Heterotermes tenuis, 84 sequences of this species were used from the 12 monitoring modules, six from colonies from the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna), three from GeneBank (from Manaus, French Guiana and Ecuador), and one of H. longiceps as outgroup. In the initial analysis, relatively strong genetic structure within the samples was found: all phylogenetic analysis (maximum parsimony and likelihood, and Bayesian inference), and haplotype networks, consistently clustered two groups of haplotypes, but without any spatial relationships. Thus was assumed that there were two cryptic species (here called Ht. A and Ht. B), and all the analysis to test whether the Madeira River was a biogeographic barrier were conducted separately for each putative species. However, it was not possible to detect any influence of the river to genetic flow between the populations from either side of the river.

In recent years, due to the development of molecular methods, a great level of cryptic diversity across multiple taxa was discovered. One of these groups are freshwater amphipods. Amphipods due to lower dispersal and recolonization abilities present a suitable model system for studying potential ecological interactions among genetically distant lineages during their secondary contact. In this thesis, I studied the cryptic species complex Gammarus fossarum in a contact zone of several genetically divergent lineages known from the previous research in the Vsetin region. I focused on two main questions: Firstly, whether there are preferences among individuals from different lineages for sexual partners from the same lineage rather than from the different one (i.e., I test for the potential existence of prezygotic reproduction barrier between the lineages). I tested this hypothesis by collecting pairs from natural contact zone and also (in a limited extent) by an aquarium experiment. Secondly, I tested whether these lineages differ in mesohabitat (pool versus riffle) distribution in syntopy, which may indicate competition among lineages and potential diversification of their ecological niches. Animals from nine localities (with expected contact of two lineages per locality) were examined. In more than...