Browsing by Author "Benitez, Hugo A."

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    A geometric morphometrics and genetics characterization of Vanessa carye in an extreme elevational gradient in the Chilean Altiplano
    (2023) Escobar-Suarez, Scott; Villalobos-Leiva, Amado; Fabres, Alejandra; Ordenes-Claveria, Rodrigo; Cruz-Jofre, Franco; Laroze, David; Correa, Margarita; Valladares, Moises A.; Caceres, Juan Sebastian D.; Benitez, Hugo A.
    The Western Painted Lady butterfly, Vanessa carye (Huber, 1812), in addition to pre-senting an extensive distribution in South America, has been observed flying in the Chilean Alti-plano from the coast to the highlands, from 0 to 5200 m.a.s.l. and it is suggested that could be a migratory insect. Some animal species move from one place to another by migration searching for favorable conditions. Wings of flying migratory animals are the principal trait involved in move-ment, and their shape has been documented to change between migratory and non-migratory species or populations. In this sense, little is known about the adaptations of butterflies to elevational gradients, so the V. carye's wide latitudinal and altitudinal range coupled with the different climatic conditions makes this species an interesting subject for adaptation studies. This research studies V. carye at different elevational ranges in extreme environments at the Chilean Altiplano and Atacama Desert to determine the presence of morphotypes through geometric morphometrics associated with altitudinal patterns, and to determine the genetic diversity and population structure of this species by using COI molecular marker. Subtle morphometric changes between populations were found, so two morphometric lineages were defined: a "coastal" lineage with more elongated wings and an "altiplano" lineage with more rounded wings. Nevertheless, low genetic diversity and no genetic structure associated to these morphological differences were found. Understanding the processes underlying the wing shape of V. carye morphological adaptations will help to understand its natural history. Results here may be a first approach of evidence to answer the question "Is this butterfly a migratory species?"
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    Genetics, Morphometrics and Health Characterization of Green Turtle Foraging Grounds in Mainland and Insular Chile
    (2022) Alvarez-Varas, Rocio; Medrano, Carol; Benitez, Hugo A.; Guerrero, Felipe; Leon Miranda, Fabiola; Vianna, Juliana A.; Gonzalez, Camila; Veliz, David
    Simple Summary Chilean waters constitute a foraging habitat for the endangered green turtle. Information about this species in the country has increased in recent years; nevertheless, little is known of its ecology and health status. Additionally, some populations have drastically decreased, probably due to human factors. Here, we studied the proportion of sex, age, morphological variation, genetic characteristics, origin, and health status of green turtles in mainland and insular Chile. We found that turtles from both regions are morphologically and genetically different. Individuals from the mainland territory are juveniles and probably originated from Galapagos. In contrast, the insular territory hosts juveniles and adults that probably originated from Galapagos and French Polynesia. We also found that turtles from both regions are facing numerous anthropic threats that must be controlled. We suggest the creation of protected areas for mainland foraging grounds, and strengthen the administrative plan of the insular region to ensure sea turtle population health. Two divergent genetic lineages have been described for the endangered green turtle in the Pacific Ocean, occurring sympatrically in some foraging grounds. Chile has seven known green turtle foraging grounds, hosting mainly juveniles of different lineages. Unfortunately, anthropic factors have led to the decline or disappearance of most foraging aggregations. We investigated age-class/sex structure, morphological variation, genetic diversity and structure, and health status of turtles from two mainland (Bahia Salado and Playa Chinchorro) and one insular (Easter Island) Chilean foraging grounds. Bahia Salado is composed of juveniles, and with Playa Chinchorro, exclusively harbors individuals of the north-central/eastern Pacific lineage, with Galapagos as the major genetic contributor. Conversely, Easter Island hosts juveniles and adults from both the eastern Pacific and French Polynesia. Morphological variation was found between lineages and foraging grounds, suggesting an underlying genetic component but also an environmental influence. Turtles from Easter Island, unlike Bahia Salado, exhibited injuries/alterations probably related to anthropic threats. Our findings point to establishing legal protection for mainland Chile's foraging grounds, and to ensure that the administrative plan for Easter Island's marine protected area maintains ecosystem health, turtle population viability, and related cultural and touristic activities.
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    Insect Fluctuating Asymmetry: An Example in Bolivian Peridomestic Populations of Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)
    (2022) Vilaseca, Carolina; Pinto, Carlos F.; Ordenes-Claveria, Rodrigo; Laroze, David; Mendez, Marco A.; Benitez, Hugo A.
    Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is a morphometric tool used to measure developmental instability in organisms which have been exposed to stress or other adverse conditions. Phenotypic variability in response to stressors are the result of interactions between genomes and the environment, acting in a noisy developmental system. Most of the organisms have bilateral symmetry with a repetition of structures in different positions or orientations; asymmetrical variation has been a morphological response associated with insecticide application inducing disturbances in endocrinal system product of the chemicals. Triatoma infestans (is the main vector of Chagas disease in South America. The availability of food sources varies for populations of T. infestans living in different habitats; insects that inhabit the intradomicile feed preferentially on human blood, whereas insects that develop in the peridomicile feed on the blood of the other mammals and birds. The following research evaluate the FA to the different ecotopes in two geographical areas of Chuquisaca Bolivia; Yamparaez/Sotomayor of the high inter-Andean valleys and Huacaya/Imbochi of the boreal Chaco and a CIPEIN laboratory strain population. A combination of advanced morphometrics tools and multivariate analysis were used to quantify the levels of asymmetry produced by pyretroid near to the peridomiciles in Bolivia. Populations from Yamparaez/Sotomayor were found to have higher levels of FA which the combination of environmental conditions such as low temperatures avoid greater permanence in the habitat and more exposition to insecticide. A better understanding of the combination of these tools will allow researchers to implement better public policies to regulate insecticide applications and to understand how certain organisms adapt to multiple stressors.
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    Integrating morphological and genetic data at different spatial scales in a cosmopolitan marine turtle species: challenges for management and conservation
    (2021) Alvarez-Varas, Rocio; Heidemeyer, Maike; Riginos, Cynthia; Benitez, Hugo A.; Resendiz, Eduardo; Lara-Uc, Monica; Godoy, Daniel A.; Pablo Munoz-Perez, Juan; Alarcon-Ruales, Daniela E.; Velez-Rubio, Gabriela M.; Fallabrino, Alejandro; Piovano, Susanna; Alfaro-Shigueto, Joanna; Ortiz-Alvarez, Clara; Mangel, Jeffrey C.; Esquerre, Damien; Zarate, Patricia; Medrano, Carol; Leon Miranda, Fabiola; Guerrero, Felipe; Vianna, Juliana A.; Veliz, David
    Patterns of genetic structure in highly mobile marine vertebrates may be accompanied by phenotypic variation. Most studies in marine turtles focused on population genetic structure have been performed at rookeries. We studied whether genetic and morphological variation of the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is consistent geographically, focusing on foraging grounds. An association between population genetic structure and body shape variation at broad (inter-lineage) and fine (foraging grounds) scales was predicted and analysed using mitochondrial DNA and geometric morphometrics. Although genetic and phenotypic differentiation patterns were congruent between lineages, no fine-scale association was found, suggesting adaptive divergence. Connectivity among Pacific foraging grounds found here suggests that temperatures of ocean surface currents may influence the genetic structure of C. mydas on a broad scale. Our results suggest that vicariance, dispersal, life-history traits and ecological conditions operating in foraging grounds have shaped the intraspecific morphology and genetic diversity of this species. Considering a range of geographic and temporal scales is useful when management strategies are required for cosmopolitan species. Integrating morphological and genetic tools at different spatial scales, conservation management is proposed based on protection of neutral and adaptive diversity. This approach opens new questions and challenges, especially regarding conservation genetics in cosmopolitan species.
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    Morphospace of lanternfish larvae and their interplay with oceanographic conditions from the southeastern Pacific Ocean
    (2024) Orrego, Fernanda S.; Benitez, Hugo A.; Castillo, Manuel I.; Cumplido, Nicolas; Fabres, Alejandra; Figueroa-Gonzalez, Yanara; Morales, Claudia; Zavala-Munoz, Francisca; Landaeta, Mauricio F.
    Lanternfish larval morphology is highly variable probably due to their adaptations to highly variable environmental conditions throughout ontogeny. To study the morphological variability of the larval stage of lanternfishes, samples were collected from the southeast Pacific Ocean between 2014 and 2022. Of the 24 species, nine belonged to the subfamily Lampanyctinae, two to the subfamily Diaphinae, one to the subfamily Notolychinae, one to the subfamily Gymnoscopelinae and 11 to the subfamily Myctophinae. A principal component analysis indicated the presence of body shapes varying from a slender and curved body, and upper jaw oriented downwards, with relatively rounded eyes, to taxa with robust bodies, particularly both the head and trunk, and elongated eyes in a dorsal-ventral plane (PC1 33%). Also, specimens varied from having short jaw, short snout, and slender body, to specimens with larger jaw (reaching behind the eye) and taller snout and trunk (PC2, 23%). Allometric effects were related to variations in body curvature and thickness (Diaphus theta, 12.9%), the curvature of the body and position of the eyes (Lampanyctodes hectoris, 25.1%), lengthening of the jaw and increase in eye size (Diogenichthys atlanticus, 24.6%), and a narrower body and smaller eyes (Hygophum bruuni, 20.5%). Four of the five subfamilies showed covariation between morphometrics and environmental conditions. Diaphinae, Gymnoscopelinae and Lampanyctinae body shape covaried with mean sea temperature of the water column, while Myctophinae larval shape covaried with mean salinity. In conclusion, this study quantifies shape variations during early lanternfish ontogeny from the southeastern Pacific Ocean, identifying main differences and allometric changes between the subfamilies belonging to Myctophidae, with a covariation between the shape of most lanternfish larvae and the environmental conditions experienced by myctophid early stages.