We examined how seabirds might be used to study marine environmental variables, which necessitates knowing location and the value of the variable to be studied. Five systems can potentially be used for determination of location: VHF (Very High Frequency) telemetry, PTT (Platform Terminal Transmitters) telemetry, GLS (Global Location Service) geolocation methods, dead reckoning and GPS (Global Positioning System), each with its own advantages with respect to accuracy, potential number of fixes and size. Temperature and light were used to illustrate potential difficulties in recording environmental variables. Systems currently used on seabirds for measurement of temperature respond slowly to environmental changes; thus, they may not measure sea surface temperature adequately when contact periods with water bodies are too short. Light can be easily measured for light extinction studies, but sensor orientation plays a large role in determining recorded values. Both problems can be corrected. The foraging behaviour of seabirds was also examined in order to identify those features which would be useful for determination of marine environmental variables at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Area coverage by birds is highly dependent on breeding phase and tends to be concentrated in areas where prey acquisition is particularly enhanced. The identification of these sites may be of particular interest to marine biologists. 'Plungers' and 'divers' are potentially most useful for assessment of variables deeper within the water column, with some divers spending up to 90% of their time sub-surface. Few seabirds exploit the water column deeper than 20 m, although some divers regularly exceed 50 m (primarily penguins and auks), while 2 species dive in excess of 300 m. The wide-ranging behaviour of seabirds coupled, in many instances, with their substantial body size makes them potentially excellent carriers of sophisticated environmental measuring technology; however, the ethical question of how much the well-being of birds can, and should, be compromised by such an approach needs to be carefully considered.

Abstract. Movements of animals provisioning offspring by central place foraging extend from short, highly local trips where food is brought back essentially unchanged from its normal condition to extensive interseasonal movement where the offspring are nourished from body reserves built up during the adult's absence from the breeding site. Here, appropriate strategies for maximizing lifetime reproductive success depend on the abundance and location of prey in relation to breeding sites and the energetics and speed of travel of the animal. Magellanic Penguins Spheniscus magellanicus undertake central place movements that are particularly variable during the incubation period; trips may last from a single day to over three weeks depending on colony locality. We reasoned that site-specific variability in prey distribution and abundance is responsible for this. Remote-sensing systems attached to 92 penguins from six different colonies over the species distributional range over the Patagonian Shelf were used to determine space use and foraging patterns in an attempt to understand the observed patterns. Birds in the north and south of the latitudinal range were essentially monophagic, feeding primarily on anchovies Engraulis anchoita and sprats Sprattus fuegensis, respectively, both species that are to be found relatively close to the colonies. Penguins in the center of the distributional range, where these pelagic school fish prey are essentially absent at that time of the year, traveled either north or south, to the same regions utilized by their conspecifics, presumably to exploit the same prey. A simple model is used to clarify patterns and can be used to predict which movement strategy is likely to be best according to colony location. During chick rearing, southerly movement of anchovies and northerly movement of sprats mean that Magellanic Penguins in the center of the distributional range may benefit, although the abundance of these fish is considered to be less than that closer to the Magellanic Penguin range limits. The extensive time involved in the foraging trips during incubation coupled with the postulated poorer prey conditions during the chick-rearing phase may help explain why Magellanic Penguin colony sizes in the center of the range are not elevated.

Iguanian lizards comprise two of the most species-rich vertebrate genera on Earth (Anolis and Liolaemus). Therefore, studies with the aim of understanding their diversity and phylogenetic relationships may have major significance for ecological and evolutionary research. However, difficulties are often associated with these diverse groups. For example, adaptive radiations may lead to the evolution of conspicuous patterns of intraspecific (interpopulational) variation in response to local environmental conditions, in the absence of real speciation events. This can lead to the taxonomic recognition of new species in the absence of true reproductive isolation. In addition, although diverse taxa are appropriate models to evaluate comparatively the effects of selection on ecological and life-history traits, it is often a major challenge to gather all the available information on the distribution of these characteristics across species. This necessitates the development of synthetic works. Here we present a monographic catalogue of the diversity and phylogenetic structure of the entire South American iguanian family Liolaemidae, based on previously published studies. We also provide a complete table to summarize the distribution by country, elevational range, diet and reproductive mode of each species for which this information is available. The Liolaemidae family currently consists of a total of 229 species and subspecies belonging to the genera Ctenoblepharys, Liolaemus and Phymaturus. Remarkably, the genus Liolaemus alone comprises 209 of these taxa, consisting of 200 species, five of them polytypic, and recognized on the basis of 14 subspecies. Liolaemus species occur in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, representing the widest range of environments occupied by a single lizard genus. In contrast, the genus Ctenoblepharys is monotypic (Ctenoblepharys adspersa) and endemic to Peru, while 19 species of Phymaturus are distributed in Argentina and Chile. In these lizards, plant consumption and viviparity are strikingly common. Among Liolaemus, dietary information was available for 153 taxa. We found that 76 are arthropofagous, 71 omnivorous and six strictly herbivorous. Reproductive information was gathered for 136 species of this genus: 73 are viviparous and 63 oviparous. In Phymaturus, all species are viviparous and dietary information for 17 species revealed that 16 are herbivorous and only one omnivorous. Ctenoblepharys adspersa is arthropofagous and oviparous. As previously supported both theoretically and empirically, plant consumption and viviparity are associated with high latitudes and elevations. Finally, we suggest that the recently proposed species Phymaturus dorsimaculatus Lobo & Quinteros is conspecific to P. vociferator Pincheira-Donoso, from which the former taxon does not differ in morphology, coloration, patterns of sexual dimorphism or geographical distribution.

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Studies conducted over the last few years in Andean boreal Patagonia along the border of Argentina and Chile (36°50’S–37°53’S) have shown that its reptile diversity is comprised of several endemic lizards. Increasing research has led to recognize a number of cryptic iguanian species from previously named taxa. In this area is common the only known Chilean population of the Patagonian Liolaemus rothi, considered as a polymorphic species with wide geographical distribution. In this paper, we provide evidence to support the hypothesis that such population represents a new taxon, herein described as Liolaemus hermannunezi. This new species occurs in the southeastern areas of Laguna del Laja, in the Los Barros and Río de Los Pinos basins of Antuco Volcano (1428–1521 m) in the Bio Bio Region. Liolaemus hermannunezi is closely related to L. rothi, from which is significantly differentiated by molecular variables. In addition, this new species appears to be related to L. loboi and L. sagei, from which differs in having a smaller body size, a distinctive colour pattern and an isolated geographical distribution. Liolaemus hermannunezi is known from the boreal Patagonia of Chile, whereas L. loboi, L. rothi, and L. sagei are endemic to Argentinean Patagonia. The new species is a member of the boulengeri clade, diagnosed by the presence of a patch of abruptly enlarged scales on the posterior medial surface of the thigh, a character that is more conspicuous in adult males. Finally, a phylogenetic hypothesis for 67 Liolaemini taxa based on DNA sequences is presented