Protein variation at 20 loci was analyzed by starch gel electrophoresis in population samples of Ctenomys flamarioni, C. torquatus, C. sp., and C. minutus collected in 25 localities of Southern Brazil. Results show that these four species exhibit higher levels of genetic variability (He = 0.11-0.17) than those reported for most other fossorial rodents. Estimates of similarity coefficients indicate that C. minutus and C. sp. (S = 0.91) are the closest species, while C. flamarioni (S = 0.77) is the most distant from the others. The data presented here support the hypothesis of a relatively recent disjunction of C. minutus from C. sp. Within-species similarity indices are of the same order of magnitude as those found between species. The relatively high levels of heterozygosity observed are not in accordance with the view that subterranean taxa should be less variable than aboveground species due to the uniformity of their environment.

The aim of this work was to observe and describe the feeding habits and available food resources of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macroura. The study was carried out in a municipal park located in the city of Taubaté, in the state of São Paulo. The observations took place between December 2003 and October 2004, recording the following variables: 1) the plant species visited for feeding and territorial defense; 2) the kinds of food resources; and 3) the kinds of flight to procure and obtain food. E. macroura visited 12 plant species. For territorial defense, Mangifera indica was the most visited, whereas Malvaviscus arboreus was most visited for feeding. The foliage was the plant part that received the most frequent visits. In order to obtain nectar, the only species visited was M. arboreus; to obtain arthropods, the species most visited were Mangifera indica and Hymenaea stilbocarpa. In the dry season, the hummingbirds visited flowers, whereas in the rainy season they visited leaves to acquire food. The arthropod groups most frequently found on leafy branches were Homoptera and Psocoptera. Finally, the results of the type of flight analysis showed that flight used to capture food was more often observed than were flights to search for food. In conclusion, these observations suggest that E. macroura shows plasticity in feeding behavior, which can help it to persist in urban areas.Keywords: urban area, Eupetomena macroura, swallow-tailed hummingbird, feeding behaviour, arthropods, nectar. Análise do comportamento alimentar do beija-flor tesourão,

No association between GLO and Hp was found in three Brazilian samples (153 Whites, 216 Blacks from Porto Alegre and 564 mixed individuals from Aracaju). In a sample of 174 Blacks (settled along the Trombetas river) a moderate (p < 0.02) association was found, but not of the same kind as that observed by other authors. Population stratification instead of interactions in fitness may explain our findings.

Este estudo propõe avaliar o processo de maturação biológica de jovens sambistas, em suas relações com a estratificação socioeconômica, com o crescimento e com a composição corporal, enfatizando o desenvolvimento durante a adolescência, que abrange a passagem da infância à idade adulta, assim como as suas diversas etapas intermediárias medidas através de um conjunto de parâmetros sexuais habitualmente assinalados. Com esse objetivo, foram avaliados a maturação sexual e seus mais importantes sinais físicos e sociais. Foram avaliadas 118 moças entre os 9 e 16 anos participantes da escola de samba Beija-Flor de Nilópolis. Para a determinação de algumas características de desenvolvimento maturacional, foram utilizadas as seguintes medidas: pilosidade axilar, idade da menarca pelos métodos retrospectivo e status quo, pilosidade púbica e desenvolvimento da mama através de auto-avaliação, segundo os critérios de Tanner7. Partindo dos resultados aqui apresentados, parece que: a idade média da menarca é semelhante à encontrada em outras amostras, embora mais baixa; o nível social e o rendimento familiar parecem não interferir no número de sambistas que já passaram pela menarca e na idade média de ocorrência do fenômeno; nos grupos de rendimento socioeconômico mais baixo, são as moças que já vivenciaram a menarca as que apresentam maiores níveis de gordura. Ao contrário, quando o rendimento é superior, são as meninas que ainda não vivenciaram a menarca aquelas que apresentam níveis de gordura mais elevados.

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