2011

This study was a necessary component of a larger study examining the varying response of species in the quail genus Callipepla to environmental change. In particular, researchers were testing the hypothesis that elegant quail (C. douglasiiare) of Sonora, Mexico are less behaviorally flexible and therefore more susceptible to environmental change than California quail (C. californica), a species that has successfully… Read Project SummaryThe life history of the elegant quail in Sonora Mexico

The pichy (Zaedyus pichiy) or dwarf armadillo is near threatened species that ranges from central to southern Argentina and Chile. The primary objective of this project was to analyze phylogeographic patterns of dwarf armadillos along their entire distribution using molecular markers, examining the relationship between these patterns and geomorphological history. This analysis would provide a measure of genetic diversity among… Read Project SummaryGenetic conservation of Zaedyus pichiy (Mammalia, Xenarthra) in Argentina: Molecular tools applied to species preservation

This is a continuation of a 2010 CREOi-funded project. The hooded grebe (Podiceps gallardoi), discovered in 1974, has experienced a precipitous decline over the past 40 years, prompting its status to be revised from species of least concern to critically endangered. CREOi-supported research over the past three years has provided important information on the locations of breeding colonies, reproductive biology… Read Project SummaryFactors that affect population viability of hooded grebes

The Marine Turtle Center (MTC/Center) in La Coronilla, Uruguay, was established to promote conservation of marine turtles and their habitats through environmental education and responsible ecotourism. The Center had been closed for the past four years due to deterioration of the facilities, and this award funded a remodel of the visitor center as well as several community outreach efforts.

Read Project SummaryMarine Turtle Center: Active participation by coastal communities and tourists to ensure survival of marine turtles on the Atlantic Ocean coast, Uruguay

Paleoparasitology is focused on the parasitological examination of materials found in archeological and paleontological deposits. It has the potential to provide information about various cultural, paleoecological and evolutionary aspects. Parasitic relationships are sensitive indicators of developmental, ecological and cultural aspects of host populations – they can reveal potential exposure of humans and animals to zoonotic diseases, associations with wild animals, prey consumption, domestication, mobility and demographic trends. This study proposed the first paleoparasitological study of rodent coprolites (fossilized feces) from the Huenul 1 cave in Neuquén, Argentina, a site that contains stratified sequences of archeological and paleontological remains assigned to the late Pleistocene-early Holocene period and evidence of brief but repeated human use at different stages of settlement of northern Patagonia.Read Project SummaryPaleoparasitological study of zoonosis in Patagonia, Argentina

This is a continuation of a 2010 CREOi-funded project. Amphibians are important indicators of environmental health and play multiple functional roles in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Amphibian populations have declined worldwide and this trend has been attributed to a variety of causes, including chytridiomycosis – an infectious disease caused by the fungus Batrachotrytium dendrobatidis – and exposure to chemical… Read Project SummaryAmphibian communities of agroecosystems in the Argentine Pampean green belt and their conservation challenges