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Liu M, Song Y, Zhang S, Yu L, Yuan Z, Yang H, Zhang M, Zhou Z, Seim I, Liu S, Fan G, Yang H. A chromosome-level genome of electric catfish ( Malapterurus electricus) provided new insights into order Siluriformes evolution. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 6:1-14. [PMID: 38433969 PMCID: PMC10901758 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00197-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus), belonging to the family Malapteruridae, order Siluriformes (Actinopterygii: Ostariophysi), is one of the six branches that has independently evolved electrical organs. We assembled a 796.75 Mb M. electricus genome and anchored 88.72% sequences into 28 chromosomes. Gene family analysis revealed 295 expanded gene families that were enriched on functions related to glutamate receptors. Convergent evolutionary analyses of electric organs among different lineage of electric fishes further revealed that the coding gene of rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 4-like (arhgef4), which is associated with G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway, underwent adaptive parallel evolution. Gene identification suggests visual degradation in catfishes, and an important role for taste in environmental adaptation. Our findings fill in the genomic data for a branch of electric fish and provide a relevant genetic basis for the adaptive evolution of Siluriformes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00197-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiru Liu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Yue Song
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Suyu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Lili Yu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Zengbao Yuan
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Hengjia Yang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Mengqi Zhang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Zhuocheng Zhou
- Professional Committee of Native Aquatic Organisms and Water Ecosystem of China Fisheries Association, Beijing, 100125 China
| | - Inge Seim
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023 China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
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De León LF, Arias CF, Sharpe DMT, Bravo V, González R, Krahe R, Aguilar C. Unraveling the complex phylogeographic history of freshwater fishes in Lower Central America: A study of the electric fish Brachyhypopomus occidentalis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 189:107941. [PMID: 37804958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Lower Central America (LCA) has a complex biogeographic history shaped by the rise of the Isthmus of Panama and the global climatic oscillations of the Pleistocene. These events have been crucial in structuring biodiversity in LCA, but their consequences for the distribution and partitions of genetic diversity across the region remain to be elucidated. We combined complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to study the phylogeographic history and population genetic structure of the electric fish Brachyhypopomus occidentalis in LCA. Our results are consistent with the known phylogeographic history of B. occidentalis in LCA, but we update this history in several important ways that help illuminate the phylogeographic history of freshwater fishes in the region. We provide: i) support for three waves of colonization, two of which occurred prior to the final closure of the Panama Isthmus; ii) a more precise understanding of each colonization event, with evidence for a larger footprint of the first event, as well as genetic exchange across the continental divide in subsequent events; and iii) evidence for high levels of previously unrecognized population genetic structure across LCA. This updated model of colonization and diversification of B. occidentalis consists of three waves of dispersal and colonization, which triggered the evolution of geographic breaks in both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes across LCA. These processes are tightly linked to the dynamic uplift of the Isthmus, recent volcanic activity in the region, and the sea-level oscillations of the Pleistocene. These results improve previous phylogeographic inferences regarding the distribution and diversification of freshwater fishes in LCA, and generate testable hypotheses to guide future research exploring the factors shaping biodiversity in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA; Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), P. O. Box 0843-01103, Panamá, Panama; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancón, Panamá, Panama.
| | - Carlos F Arias
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancón, Panamá, Panama; Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
| | - Diana M T Sharpe
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Víctor Bravo
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rigoberto González
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancón, Panamá, Panama
| | - Rüdiger Krahe
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Celestino Aguilar
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), P. O. Box 0843-01103, Panamá, Panama; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancón, Panamá, Panama
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3
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De León LF, Silva B, Avilés-Rodríguez KJ, Buitrago-Rosas D. Harnessing the omics revolution to address the global biodiversity crisis. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 80:102901. [PMID: 36773576 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Human disturbances are altering global biodiversity in unprecedented ways. We identify three fundamental challenges underpinning our understanding of global biodiversity (namely discovery, loss, and preservation), and discuss how the omics revolution (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and meta-omics) can help address these challenges. We also discuss how omics tools can illuminate the major drivers of biodiversity loss, including invasive species, pollution, urbanization, overexploitation, and climate change, with a special focus on highly diverse tropical environments. Although omics tools are transforming the traditional toolkit of biodiversity research, their application to addressing the current biodiversity crisis remains limited and may not suffice to offset current rates of biodiversity loss. Despite technical and logistical challenges, omics tools need to be fully integrated into global biodiversity research, and better strategies are needed to improve their translation into biodiversity policy and practice. It is also important to recognize that although the omics revolution can be considered the biologist's dream, socioeconomic disparity limits their application in biodiversity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
| | - Bruna Silva
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Kevin J Avilés-Rodríguez
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA; Department of Biology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
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Mahamat M, De León LF, Martínez ML. Exploring potential drivers of brain size variation in the electric fish Brachyhypopomus occidentalis. ZOOLOGY 2023; 156:126058. [PMID: 36459729 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2022.126058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Characterizing the factors that shape variation in brain size in natural populations is crucial to understanding the evolution of brain size in animals. Here, we explore how relative brain size and brain allometry vary with drainage, predation risk and sex in natural populations of the electric knifefish Brachyhypopomus occidentalis. Fish were sampled from high and low predation risk sites within two independent river drainages in eastern and central Panamá. Overall, we observed low variation in brain-body size allometric slopes associated with drainage, predation risk and sex category. However, we observed significant differences in allometric intercepts between predation risk sites. We also found significant differences in relative brain mass associated with drainage, as well as significant differences in absolute brain mass associated with drainage, predation risk and sex category. Our results suggest potential constraints in brain-body allometry across populations of B. occidentalis. However, both drainage and predation risk may be playing a role in brain mass variation among populations. We suggest that variation in brain mass in electric fishes is affected by multiple extrinsic and intrinsic factors, including geography, environmental complexity, social interaction and developmental or functional constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marangaby Mahamat
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luis F De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA; Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), P.O. Box 0843-01103 Panamá, Republica of Panama
| | - Mery L Martínez
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
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Arias CF, Dikow RB, McMillan WO, De León LF. De Novo Genome Assembly of the Electric Fish Brachyhypopomus occidentalis (Hypopomidae, Gymnotiformes). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6377337. [PMID: 34581791 PMCID: PMC8536545 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bluntnose knifefish Brachyhypopomus occidentalis is a primary freshwater fish from north-western South America and Lower Central America. Like other Gymnotiformes, it has an electric organ that generates electric discharges used for both communication and electrolocation. We assembled a high-quality reference genome sequence of B. occidentalis by combining Oxford Nanopore and 10X Genomics linked-reads technologies. We also describe its demographic history in the context of the rise of the Isthmus of Panama. The size of the assembled genome is 540.3 Mb with an N50 scaffold length of 5.4 Mb, which includes 93.8% complete, 0.7% fragmented, and 5.5% of missing vertebrate/Actinoterigie Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. Repetitive elements account for 11.04% of the genome, and 34,347 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 23,935 have been functionally annotated. Demographic analysis suggests a rapid effective population expansion between 3 and 5 Myr, corresponding to the final closure of the Isthmus of Panama (2.8–3.5 Myr). This event was followed by a sudden and constant population decline during the last 1 Myr, likely associated with strong shifts in both precipitation and sea level during the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles. The de novo genome assembly of B. occidentalis will provide novel insights into the molecular basis of both electric signal productions and detection and will be fundamental for understanding the processes that have shaped the diversity of Neotropical freshwater environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos F Arias
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Panamá
| | - Rebecca B Dikow
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Luis F De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Panamá.,Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT-AIP), Panamá, Panamá
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Lozano Mojica JD, Caballero S. Applications of eDNA Metabarcoding for Vertebrate Diversity Studies in Northern Colombian Water Bodies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.617948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental DNA metabarcoding is a tool with increasing use worldwide. The uses of such technology have been validated several times for diversity census, invasive species detection, and endangered/cryptic/elusive species detection and monitoring. With the help of this technology, water samples collected (n = 37) from several main river basins and other water bodies of the northern part of Colombia, including the Magdalena, Sinú, Atrato, and San Jorge river basins, were filtered and analyzed and processed using universal 12S primers for vertebrate fauna and NGS. Over 200 native taxa were detected, the majority of them being fish species but also including amphibia, reptiles, and several non-aquatic species of birds and mammals (around 78, 3, 2, 9, and 8%, respectively). Among the matches, vulnerable, and endangered species such as the catfish Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus) were detected. The manual revision of the data revealed some geographical incongruencies in classification. No invasive species were detected in the filters. This is, to our knowledge, the first time this technique is used in rivers of the country and this tool promises to bring advances in monitoring and conservation efforts, since its low cost and fast deployment allows for sampling in small periods of time, together with the fact that it can detect a wide range of species, allows for a new way of censing the vertebrate diversity in Colombia. Diversity analysis showed how the species identified using this method point to expected community structure although still much needs to be improved in rates of detection and genomic reference databases. This technique could be used in citizen science projects involving local communities in these regions.
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Malabarba LR, Chuctaya J, Hirschmann A, de Oliveira EB, Thomaz AT. Hidden or unnoticed? Multiple lines of evidence support the recognition of a new species of Pseudocorynopoma (Characidae: Corynopomini). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:219-236. [PMID: 32997388 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Species delimitation is a permanent issue in systematics. The increasing recognition of geographically isolated populations as independent lineages allowed by new methods of analysis has inflated the species-populations dilemma, which involves deciding whether to consider separate lineages as different species or structured genetic populations. This is commonly observed between fishes of adjacent river basins, with some lineages being considered allopatric sister species and others considered isolated populations or variants of the same species. Pseudocorynopoma doriae is a characid diagnosed from its single congener by the number of anal-fin rays and sexually dimorphic characters of males, including distinct fin colouration. The authors found variation in the colour pattern between isolated populations previously identified as P. doriae but no variation in scale or fin-ray counts. They analysed molecular evidence at the population level and morphological differences related to life history (e.g., colour dimorphism related to inseminating behaviour). The results provide compelling evidence for the recognition of a new species of Pseudocorynopoma despite the lack of discrete differences in meristic data. The recognition of the new species is consistent with biogeographical evidence for the long-term isolation of the respective river drainages and with differences between the ichthyofaunal communities of these rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz R Malabarba
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Junior Chuctaya
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Ictiologia, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Museo de História Natural, Lima, Peru
| | - Alice Hirschmann
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Bitencourt de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Andréa T Thomaz
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá DC, 111221, Colombia
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Chuctaya J, Ohara WM, Malabarba LR. A new species of Odontostilbe cope (Characiformes: Cheirodontinae) from rio Madeira basin diagnosed based on morphological and molecular data. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:1701-1712. [PMID: 32914470 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A new species of Odontostilbe is described from the rio Jaciparaná, rio Madeira basin, Rondônia, Brazil. Odontostilbe pacaasnovos differs from all its congeners, except O. pequira, by the colour pattern. Additionally, it differs from its congeners by the terminal mouth, number of cusps in the teeth of the premaxilla (5-7), number of branched rays in the anal fin (19-22), by the shape of dentary teeth (5-7 cusps with central cusp larger and longer than laterals cusps) and by the number of lamellae of the olfactory rosette (17-18 in male and 14 in female). Morphological and molecular comparisons corroborate the distinctiveness between O. pacaasnovos and its congeners, justifying its recognition as a new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junior Chuctaya
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Ictiologia, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Museo de História Natural, Lima, Peru
| | - Willian M Ohara
- Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Presidente Médici, Brazil
| | - Luiz R Malabarba
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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De León LF, Cornejo A, Gavilán RG, Aguilar C. Hidden biodiversity in Neotropical streams: DNA barcoding uncovers high endemicity of freshwater macroinvertebrates at small spatial scales. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231683. [PMID: 32764752 PMCID: PMC7413512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic macroinvertebrates play a crucial role in freshwater ecosystems, but their diversity remains poorly known, particularly in the tropics. This “taxonomic void” limits our understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes in freshwater ecosystems, and the scale at which they operate. We used DNA barcoding to estimate lineage diversity (and the diversity of unique haplotypes) in 224 specimens of freshwater macroinvertebrates at a small spatial scale within the Panama Canal Watershed (PCW). In addition, we compiled available barcoding data to assess macroinvertebrate diversity at a broader spatial scale spanning the Isthmus of Panama. Consistently across two species delimitation algorithms (i.e., ABGD and GMYC), we found high lineage diversity within the PCW, with ~ 100–106 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) across 168 unique haplotypes. We also found a high lineage diversity along the Isthmus of Panama, but this diversity peaked within the PCW. However, our rarefaction/extrapolation approach showed that this diversity remains under-sampled. As expected, these results indicate that the diversity of Neotropical freshwater macroinvertebrates is higher than previously thought, with the possibility of high endemicity even at narrow spatial scales. Consistent with previous work on aquatic insects and other freshwater taxa in this region, geographic isolation is likely a main factor shaping these patterns of diversity. However, other factors such as habitat variability and perhaps local adaptation might be reshaping these patterns of diversity at a local scale. Although further research is needed to better understand the processes driving diversification in freshwater macroinvertebrates, we suggest that Neotropical streams hold a high proportion of hidden biodiversity. Understanding this diversity is crucial in the face of increasing human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F. De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panamá, República de Panamá
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá
- * E-mail:
| | - Aydeé Cornejo
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Ronnie G. Gavilán
- Centro Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú
- Escuela Profesional de Medicina Humana, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Lima, Perú
| | - Celestino Aguilar
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panamá, República de Panamá
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá
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