The Experts below are selected from a list of 306 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Renato Caparroz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Development and characterization of novel microsatellite loci for the Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva, Psittaciformes, Aves) and cross-species amplification for other two threatened Amazona species
Molecular Biology Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Gislaine Aparecida Fernandes, Sarah Dobkowski-marinho, Victor Fernandes Santos, Cássia Alves Lima-rezende, Helder Elias Silva, Fernando Pacheco Rodrigues, Renato CaparrozAbstract:Parrots are among the most threatened avian groups of the world, with illegal pet trade being a major threat to some Amazon ( Amazona genus) and macaw ( Ara and Anodorhynchus genera) species. Population genetic studies and effective control of commercial breeders are important actions for the conservation of these parrot species; however, few microsatellite loci are available for most Amazona species to date. In this study, 25 polymorphic microsatellite loci were identified in silico and characterized for the Blue-Fronted Amazon [ Amazona aestiva (Aa)]. Loci were tested in 24 Blue-Fronted Amazons from wild population from central Brazil with cross-species amplified in two individuals of Amazona vinacea (Av) and Amazona pretrei (Ap) from northeastern Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, in southeastern and south of Brazil, respectively. The number of alleles per locus for Aa ranged from 5 to 24 with an average of 13.1. Twenty-four and 25 loci were successfully amplified for Av and Ap, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosities for Aa ranged from 0.27 to 1.00 and from 0.35 to 0.94, with averages of 0.75 and 0.85, respectively. Nine loci significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction (likely due to null alleles) and no significant linkage disequilibrium between loci pairs was detected. The combined paternity exclusion probability was very high, and the probability of identity was extremely low. This new set of microsatellite loci will be useful for analyzing population genetic structure and making conservation and management decisions, as well as for parentage analysis and the control of commercial breeding of Aa and potentially other Amazona species.
-
the role of demography and climatic events in shaping the phylogeography of Amazona aestiva psittaciformes aves and definition of management units for conservation
Diversity and Distributions, 2009Co-Authors: Renato Caparroz, Igor Berkunsky, Glaucia Seixas, Rosane G. CollevattiAbstract:Aim The Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is a widely distributed Neotropical parrot with two recognized sub-species, which are mainly characterized by the colour of the shoulder. We explored mitochondrial DNA variability to determine how demographic processes and historical climatic fluctuations may have contributed to phylogeographical pattern and morphological variation of A. aestiva, and how this information could be useful to understand the evolutionary relationship of this species and the Amazona ochrocephala complex and to determine management units for conservation purposes. Location Brazil and north-eastern Argentina. Methods We analysed a fragment of COI gene of 78 A. aestiva and 27 A. ochrocephala. We computed a median-joining network, and the population structure of A. aestiva populations was assessed using a hierarchical analysis of nucleotide diversity. The mismatch distribution, Fu's Fs-test of neutrality and R2 test were used to detect past population expansion. Results All A. aestiva haplotypes and A. ochrocephala subspecies from north-eastern and southern South America were recovered within the South American clade. Hierarchical analysis of nucleotide diversity of A. aestiva populations detected two geographical groups as obtained by median-joining network. These two A. aestiva groups showed evidence of a recent population expansion. The time of populations splitting estimated corresponding to the Middle Pleistocene. Main conclusions The two A. aestiva genetic groups identified in our analyses agree with the morphological variation, corresponding to named subspecies. These two A. aestiva groups have undergone a recent population expansion, with low gene flow between them. The expansion of savannah areas may have contributed to the population expansion of these two groups. We concluded that introgression after isolated diversification may better explain haplotype sharing between A. aestiva and A. ochrocephala subspecies. We suggest that management and conservation strategies should consider these two A. aestiva groups (or subspecies) as different management units and should maintain viable populations of these two management units.
-
Population genetic structure of the Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva, Psittacidae: Aves) based on nuclear microsatellite loci: implications for conservation
Genetics and molecular research : GMR, 2008Co-Authors: K. C E Leite, Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Igor Berkunsky, Rosane G. Collevatti, Renato CaparrozAbstract:The Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is a widely distributed Neotropical parrot and one of the most captured parrots in nature to supply the illegal trade of wild animals. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the genetic structure of A. aestiva to identify management units and support conservation planning and to verified if A. aestiva populations have undergone a recent bottleneck due to habitat loss and capture for the pet trade. The genetic structure was accessed by analyzing six microsatellite loci in 74 individuals of A. aestiva, including samples from the two subspecies (A. a. aestiva and A. a. xanthopteryx), from five popula- tions: four in Brazil and one in Argentina. A significant genetic dif-
Cristiano Schetini De Azevedo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Translocation and Post-Release Monitoring of Captive-Raised Blue-Fronted Amazons Amazona aestiva
Acta Ornithologica, 2018Co-Authors: Alice Rabelo De Sá Lopes, Magda Dos Santos Rocha, Wander Ulisses Mesquita, Daniel A.r. Vilela, Thais Drumond, Naíla Fernandes Ferreira, Rafael A. L. Camargos, Cristiano Schetini De AzevedoAbstract:Translocation is a useful tool for the conservation of endangered species, because it enables individuals to be moved between wild populations and between captivity and the wild. The use of captive-raised animals in these processes is sometimes the only option to recover a declining population, but captive-raised parrots are commonly seen as the worst candidates for release because they lose their ability to recognize predators, to find food in the wild and to socialize with conspecifics. The Blue-Fronted Amazon Amazona aestiva is one of the most popular parrot species in captivity. Thirty-one parrots were soft released and monitored during 13 continuous months in a Cerrado area (savannahlike vegetation) of Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Three released parrots (10%) were confirmed to die and five (16%) disappeared soon after release and no behavioral recordings or data about their destinations were available. Ten parrots (32%) showed behaviors that suggest adaptation to the wild and 13 individuals (42%) expressed behaviors more typical of captivity. Difficulties in settling were observed for the parrots after release. One released pair, and one female paired with a wild male, reproduced. There was a tendency to decrease in all captive-related behaviors and to increase in wild-related behaviors since time after release. Supplementary food use diminished as the parrots explored natural food resources. This study indicates that confiscated captive-raised parrots can be good candidates for translocation if a training program could be applied prior to their release to reduce undesirable behaviors and the chance of re-capturing by humans. Furthermore, the use of non-endangered species in conservation programs can be useful to create protocols for the conservation programs of rare and endangered species.
-
The influence of anti-predator training, personality and sex in the behavior, dispersion and survival rates of translocated captive-raised parrots
Global Ecology and Conservation, 2017Co-Authors: Alice Rabelo De Sá Lopes, Magda Dos Santos Rocha, Mozart G.j. Junior, Wander Ulisses Mesquita, Gefferson G.g.r. Silva, Daniel A.r. Vilela, Cristiano Schetini De AzevedoAbstract:Predation is one of the main factors responsible for the failure of reintroduction/translocation programs. Animal's personality and sex can also influence key behaviors for survival and reproduction. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of anti-predator training, personality and sex on the survival and behaviors of translocated Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots. Thirty-one captive-raised parrots were translocated to a Cerrado area in Brazil. Parrots were separated into two groups: anti-predator trained group (ATG) and control group (CG). Personality tests were performed with individuals of the ATG group. Data were collected using focal sampling with instantaneous recording of behavior every minute. Anti-predator training, personality and sex did not influenced parrots' survival after release. However, anti-predator training proved to be efficient in eliciting more natural behaviors in parrots after release. Shy individuals and males showed to be more sociable than bold individuals and females. Personality and sex did not influence behavior exhibition. Parrots interacted more, positively or negatively, with individuals of its own group. Training session closer to the release date should be tried. Behavioral data and not just survival rates should be used to evaluate the efficiency of the techniques, because behavior can give clues about the adaptation of the individuals to the new habitat, increasing the success of the conservation program.
-
Effects of environmental enrichment in the diminution of abnormal behaviours exhibited by captive Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva, Psittacidae).
Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia - Brazilian Journal of Ornithology, 2013Co-Authors: Aline Amorim De Andrade, Cristiano Schetini De AzevedoAbstract:Effects of environmental enrichment in the diminution of abnormal behaviours exhibited by captive Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva, Psittacidae).
Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Communal roosts of the Blue-Fronted Amazons (Amazona aestiva) in a large tropical wetland: Are they of different types?
PloS one, 2018Co-Authors: Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Guilherme MourãoAbstract:Psittacidae species are among the most threatened birds in the world. Approximately one-half of the 390 parrot species are experiencing population declines. The Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is the most traded parrot worldwide and suffers from poaching and habitat loss. Many species of parrots, including the Blue-Fronted Amazon, form communal roosts where they spend the night. Under certain circumstances, roost surveys can be a rapid and cost-effective way to obtain information about the demography of parrots or the consequences of threats. We surveyed an area of 2,700 km2 in a large wetland in mid-western of Brazil and located five Blue-Fronted Amazon roosts. We conducted monthly counts of the birds arriving at these roosts for 28–61 months and stratified the counts into flock sizes. We used this information to estimate the number of parrots using these roosts to determine whether the roosts follow seasonal patterns and whether they have different flock-size structures and different dynamics throughout the year, as well as to determine the trends of the roosting parrots, which are stratified by flock size. The roosts were different, as they followed different seasonal patterns and had different flock-size structures, which could be interpreted in relation to the parrot breeding cycle. The trends of singletons, which index the number of reproductive couples each year, and the number of pairs parrots increased or fluctuated around a baseline, but the number of fledged young in the year declined throughout the study. This is of concern, as it indicates problems in population recruitment, which could have been unnoticed by the management authorities, as the total numbers were not decreasing. Although every monitored roost had birds of each age or reproductive condition strata, the fact that the roosts were different could be important in terms of management, as it will be more effective for the conservation of the Blue-Fronted Amazon to protect a carefully chosen set of complementary roosts.
-
A Survey for Escherichia coli Virulence Factors in Asymptomatic Free-Ranging Parrots
ISRN veterinary science, 2012Co-Authors: André Becker Simões Saidenberg, Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes, Mariangela Da Costa Allgayer, Erica Pacífico De Assis, Luís Fábio Silveira, Priscilla Anne Melville, Nilson Roberti BenitesAbstract:Parrots in captivity are frequently affected by Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections. The objective of this study was to collect information on the carrier state for E. coli pathotypes in asymptomatic free-ranging parrots. Cloacal swabs were collected from nestlings of Hyacinth, Lear’s macaws and Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for virulence factors commonly found in enteropathogenic, avian pathogenic, and uropathogenic E. coli strains. In total, 44 samples were cultured and E. coli isolates were yielded, from which DNA was extracted and processed by PCR. Genes commonly found in APEC isolates from Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots and Hyacinth macaws were expressed in 14 of these 44 samples. One atypical EPEC isolate was obtained from a sample from Lear’s macaw. The most commonly found gene was the increased serum survival (iss) gene. This is the first report, that describes such pathotypes in asymptomatic free-living parrots. The findings of this study suggest the presence of a stable host/parasite relationship at the time of the sampling brings a new understanding to the role that E. coli plays in captive and wild parrots. Such information can be used to improve husbandry protocols as well as help conservation efforts of free-living populations.
-
Population genetic structure of the Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva, Psittacidae: Aves) based on nuclear microsatellite loci: implications for conservation
Genetics and molecular research : GMR, 2008Co-Authors: K. C E Leite, Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Igor Berkunsky, Rosane G. Collevatti, Renato CaparrozAbstract:The Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is a widely distributed Neotropical parrot and one of the most captured parrots in nature to supply the illegal trade of wild animals. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the genetic structure of A. aestiva to identify management units and support conservation planning and to verified if A. aestiva populations have undergone a recent bottleneck due to habitat loss and capture for the pet trade. The genetic structure was accessed by analyzing six microsatellite loci in 74 individuals of A. aestiva, including samples from the two subspecies (A. a. aestiva and A. a. xanthopteryx), from five popula- tions: four in Brazil and one in Argentina. A significant genetic dif-
-
chlamydophila psittaci in free living blue fronted Amazon parrots Amazona aestiva and hyacinth macaws anodorhynchus hyacinthinus in the pantanal of mato grosso do sul brazil
Veterinary Microbiology, 2006Co-Authors: Tania De Freitas Raso, Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes, Ararnis Augusto PintoAbstract:Chlamydophila psittaci (C. psittaci) infection was evaluated in 77 free-living nestlings of Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) and Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Tracheal and cloacal swab samples from 32 wild parrot and 45 macaw nestlings were submitted to semi-nested PCR, while serum samples were submitted to complement fixation test (CFT). Although all 32 Amazon parrot serum samples were negative by CFT, cloacal swabs from two birds were positive for Chlamydophila DNA by semi-nested PCR (6.3%); these positive birds were 32 and 45 days old. In macaws, tracheal and cloacal swabs were positive in 8.9% and 26.7% of the samples, respectively. Complement-fixing antibodies were detected in 4.8% of the macaw nestlings; macaw nestlings with positive findings were between 33 and 88 days old. These results indicate widespread dissemination of this pathogen in the two evaluated psittacine populations. No birds had clinical signs suggestive of chlamydiosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on C. psittaci in free-living Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots and Hyacinth macaws in Brazil.
Rosane G. Collevatti - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
the role of demography and climatic events in shaping the phylogeography of Amazona aestiva psittaciformes aves and definition of management units for conservation
Diversity and Distributions, 2009Co-Authors: Renato Caparroz, Igor Berkunsky, Glaucia Seixas, Rosane G. CollevattiAbstract:Aim The Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is a widely distributed Neotropical parrot with two recognized sub-species, which are mainly characterized by the colour of the shoulder. We explored mitochondrial DNA variability to determine how demographic processes and historical climatic fluctuations may have contributed to phylogeographical pattern and morphological variation of A. aestiva, and how this information could be useful to understand the evolutionary relationship of this species and the Amazona ochrocephala complex and to determine management units for conservation purposes. Location Brazil and north-eastern Argentina. Methods We analysed a fragment of COI gene of 78 A. aestiva and 27 A. ochrocephala. We computed a median-joining network, and the population structure of A. aestiva populations was assessed using a hierarchical analysis of nucleotide diversity. The mismatch distribution, Fu's Fs-test of neutrality and R2 test were used to detect past population expansion. Results All A. aestiva haplotypes and A. ochrocephala subspecies from north-eastern and southern South America were recovered within the South American clade. Hierarchical analysis of nucleotide diversity of A. aestiva populations detected two geographical groups as obtained by median-joining network. These two A. aestiva groups showed evidence of a recent population expansion. The time of populations splitting estimated corresponding to the Middle Pleistocene. Main conclusions The two A. aestiva genetic groups identified in our analyses agree with the morphological variation, corresponding to named subspecies. These two A. aestiva groups have undergone a recent population expansion, with low gene flow between them. The expansion of savannah areas may have contributed to the population expansion of these two groups. We concluded that introgression after isolated diversification may better explain haplotype sharing between A. aestiva and A. ochrocephala subspecies. We suggest that management and conservation strategies should consider these two A. aestiva groups (or subspecies) as different management units and should maintain viable populations of these two management units.
-
Population genetic structure of the Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva, Psittacidae: Aves) based on nuclear microsatellite loci: implications for conservation
Genetics and molecular research : GMR, 2008Co-Authors: K. C E Leite, Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Igor Berkunsky, Rosane G. Collevatti, Renato CaparrozAbstract:The Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is a widely distributed Neotropical parrot and one of the most captured parrots in nature to supply the illegal trade of wild animals. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the genetic structure of A. aestiva to identify management units and support conservation planning and to verified if A. aestiva populations have undergone a recent bottleneck due to habitat loss and capture for the pet trade. The genetic structure was accessed by analyzing six microsatellite loci in 74 individuals of A. aestiva, including samples from the two subspecies (A. a. aestiva and A. a. xanthopteryx), from five popula- tions: four in Brazil and one in Argentina. A significant genetic dif-
Ararnis Augusto Pinto - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
chlamydophila psittaci in free living blue fronted Amazon parrots Amazona aestiva and hyacinth macaws anodorhynchus hyacinthinus in the pantanal of mato grosso do sul brazil
Veterinary Microbiology, 2006Co-Authors: Tania De Freitas Raso, Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixas, Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes, Ararnis Augusto PintoAbstract:Chlamydophila psittaci (C. psittaci) infection was evaluated in 77 free-living nestlings of Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) and Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Tracheal and cloacal swab samples from 32 wild parrot and 45 macaw nestlings were submitted to semi-nested PCR, while serum samples were submitted to complement fixation test (CFT). Although all 32 Amazon parrot serum samples were negative by CFT, cloacal swabs from two birds were positive for Chlamydophila DNA by semi-nested PCR (6.3%); these positive birds were 32 and 45 days old. In macaws, tracheal and cloacal swabs were positive in 8.9% and 26.7% of the samples, respectively. Complement-fixing antibodies were detected in 4.8% of the macaw nestlings; macaw nestlings with positive findings were between 33 and 88 days old. These results indicate widespread dissemination of this pathogen in the two evaluated psittacine populations. No birds had clinical signs suggestive of chlamydiosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on C. psittaci in free-living Blue-Fronted Amazon parrots and Hyacinth macaws in Brazil.