Serum samples from 19 jaguars (Panthera onca), nine pumas (Puma concolor), and two ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) were collected between January 1999 and March of 2005 and tested for presence of canine distemper virus (CDV). All cats were free-ranging animals living in two protected areas in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In addition, 111 domestic dogs from nearby areas were sampled for CDV. Our results show the first evidence of CDV exposure in Brazilian free-ranging felids. From the 30 samples analyzed, six jaguars and one puma were tested seropositive for CDV. All seropositive large felids were from Ivinhema State Park, resulting in 31.5% of the sampled jaguars or 60% of the total jaguar population in Ivinhema State Park, and 11.28% of the sampled pumas. From the total 111 domestic dogs sampled, 45 were tested seropositive for CDV. At Morro do Diabo State Park, 34.6% of the dogs sampled were positive for CDV, and 100% at Ivinhema State Park. Canine distemper virus in wild felids seems to be related with home range use and in close association with domestic dogs living in nearby areas.
The Africanized honey bee (AHB) is a New World amalgamation of several
subspecies of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), a diverse taxon
grouped into four major biogeographic lineages: A (African), M (western
European), C (eastern European), and O (Middle Eastern). In 1956,
accidental release of experimentally bred “Africanized” hybrids from a
research apiary in Sao Paulo, Brazil initiated a hybrid species
expansion that now extends from northern Argentina to northern
California (U.S.A.). Here, we assess nuclear admixture and mitochondrial
ancestry in 15 bees from each of four regions across this expansive
range: the Isthmus of Panamá; Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Tapachula, Mexico;
and San Diego, U.S.A to assess ancestry of AHB several decades following
initial introduction and test the prediction that African ancestry
decreases with increasing latitude. We find that AHB nuclear genomes
from Central America and Mexico have majority African ancestry (Mexico,
79%; Costa Rica 90%; and Panamá 94%) with varying contributions from
western and eastern European lineages. AHB from San Diego (CA) show
markedly lower African ancestry (40%) with substantial genomic
contributions from all four major honey bee lineages. The mitochondria
of all bees sampled in Costa Rica and Panamá originated in Africa. The
majority (11) of bees sampled in Mexico carried African mitochondria
with the remainder carrying eastern European mitochondria. In the San
Diego population, mitochondria from all four lineages are present.
Genetic diversity measures from all New World populations are similar
and exceed those of ancestral forms. The unique genetic makeup of the
San Diego honey bee population makes it a rich source of genetic
material for honey bee breeding.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.