Patterns of morphology of the central nervous system of Hypoptopomatinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): phylogenetic implications

• Grant number: 12/23231-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Francisco Langeani Neto
• Grantee: Alaina Cristine Rosa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Since the first hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships for Hypoptopomatinae proposed by Schaefer in 1991, based on morphological characters, the diversity of the subfamily doubled, which had great impact on phylogenies proposed later. There is also a problem involving Hypoptopomatinae and Neoplecostominae about their relationship and component genera, plus there is a large discrepancy between morphological and molecular analyzes. Thus, new data sources may be important to improve the analysis, assisting in the resolution of confused relationships. An example of an alternative source of characters that has successfully helped to understand the phylogeny of Trichomycteridae was the study of the facial muscles. Studies of the morphology of the central nervous system (CNS) have demonstrated great morphological variability of the brain, including at specific level. This approach provided resolution for groups with uncertain topology, especially at the level of family, subfamily and genus, as well as raising clues about evolutionary convergence processes and corroborating monophyly hypotheses of Callichthyidae and its subfamilies in a paper by Pupo, 2011. Based on the above, this project aims to characterize the CNS Hypoptopomatinae through a survey of morphological characters, looking for possible patterns within the subfamily that assist in the elucidation of phylogenetic problems known for the group, and a comparison with some Neoplecostominae, subfamily more closely related to Hypoptopomatinae, and other Loricariidae in order to interpret evolutionarily the diversity found in Hypoptopomatinae. CNS structures are being analyzed by dissection of specimens, following the protocol developed by Pupo (2011). Characters will be raised and a phylogenetic analysis will be made, using the TNT software, for comparison with current proposals.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ROSA, ALAINA CRISTINE; MARTINS, FERNANDA DE OLIVEIRA; LANGEANI, FRANCISCO. Gross brain morphology of Hypoptopomatinae and Neoplecostominae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic implications. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH, v. 59, n. 1, NOV 2020. (12/23224-9, 12/23231-5)

MARTINS, FERNANDA O.; ROSA, ALAINA C.; LANGEANI, FRANCISCO. Microlepidogaster discus, a new species of Hypoptopomatinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Jequitinhonha basin, southeastern Brazil. Zootaxa, v. 3873, n. 5, p. 560-570, OCT 20 2014. (11/21728-7, 12/23224-9, 12/23231-5)