We conducted a biogeographic analysis based on a dense phylogenetic hypothesis for the early branches of corvids, to assess geographic origin of the New World jay (NWJ) clade. We produced a multilocus phylogeny from sequences of three nuclear introns and three mitochondrial genes and included at least one species from each NWJ genus and 29 species representing the rest of the five corvid subfamilies in the analysis. We used the S-DIVA, S-DEC, and BBM analyses implemented in RASP to create biogeographic reconstructions, and BEAST to estimate timing of NWJ diversification. Biogeographic reconstructions indicated that NWJs originated from an ancestor in the Eastern Palearctic or Eastern + Western Palearctic, diversified in Mesoamerica and spread subsequently to North and South America; the group has been diversifying in the New World since the late Miocene.Keywords: New World jays; Corvidae; biogeographic origin; divergence times IntroductionThe New World jays (NWJs) are a monophyletic group of corvids [1,2], presently considered to comprise seven genera (Aphelocoma, Calocitta, Cyanocitta, Cyanocorax, Cyanolyca, Gymnorhinus and Psilorhinus); the~36 species [3,4] represent the product of a radiation across much of the Americas [1]. The group has long been a focus of research in behavioral ecology, in light of complex behavioral repertoires, particularly as regards social behavior [5][6][7].The origins of corvids can be traced to Australia, from where the ancestor of the family dispersed to Asia, followed by radiations in Asia, Europe and elsewhere [8]. Ericson and colleagues [9][10][11] provided evidence that the origin of the oscine passerines, to which the Corvidae belongs, dates to the split of the AustraloPapuan tectonic plate from Antarctica in the early Tertiary,~53M years ago. Thus, the replacement of the early Tertiary rainforests in Australia by drier vegetation may have placed presumably forest-adapted early corvids in more open habitats, resulting in a new radiation that led to the present global distribution of the family. However, a recent study [12] estimated the age of the family at~20M years. Colonization of the New World by corvids occurred more recently, apparently via a transBeringian route [8]. The ancestor of NWJs, thought to be jay-like lineages related to Cissa and Urocissa, reached North America 10−8M years ago, in the Miocene [13]. Once in the Americas, a rapid radiation in South America by the early Pliocene, was apparently followed by a secondary radiation in These previous studies, however, did not provide sufficient detail in terms of representation of taxa of NWJs and other corvids to permit thorough understanding the geographic origin of NWJs or to identify their closest corvid relatives. The key deficiency has been in terms of representation of taxa from the deepest branches of the corvid phylogeny; thus, we here derive a denser phylogenetic hypothesis by deriving DNA sequences for Neotropical Biodiversity, 2017 Vol. 3, No. 1, 80-92, https://doi.org/10.1080/23766808.2017 Published on...

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Tropical forests have been extensively exploited and cleared for various reasons over the past years. Therefore, conservation emphasis has been given to protect natural forests and to assist regeneration of secondary forests. In the current study the composition and abundance of bird species in a natural forest (NF) and an adjacent regenerating forest (RF) in Maragamuwa, Naula in the Matale District were compared using a point count integrated line transect method. A clear variation was seen in the bird composition, diversity and evenness in both forest types and also during different time sessions of the day. In all the instances the values shown by the RF was greater than that of the NF and the species evenness showed high values for both forest types. The species composition showed no seasonal variation in NF throughout the study period while RF showed a seasonal variation. The endemicity of birds in the NF was higher than that of the RF. Hence, the current study shows that early successional forests support a rich bird diversity while the species richness of endemic bird species increases thereby enabling these measurements to be used as indicators in long term conservational practices.

Prolonging survival in good health is a fundamental societal goal. However, the leading determinants of disability-free survival in healthy older people have not been well established. Data from ASPREE, a bi-national placebo-controlled trial of aspirin with 4.7 years median follow-up, was analysed. At enrolment, participants were healthy and without prior cardiovascular events, dementia or persistent physical disability. Disability-free survival outcome was defined as absence of dementia, persistent disability or death. Selection of potential predictors from amongst 25 biomedical, psychosocial and lifestyle variables including recognized geriatric risk factors, utilizing a machine-learning approach. Separate models were developed for men and women. The selected predictors were evaluated in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and validated internally by bootstrapping. We included 19,114 Australian and US participants aged ≥65 years (median 74 years, IQR 71.6–77.7). Common predictors of a worse prognosis in both sexes included higher age, lower Modified Mini-Mental State Examination score, lower gait speed, lower grip strength and abnormal (low or elevated) body mass index. Additional risk factors for men included current smoking, and abnormal eGFR. In women, diabetes and depression were additional predictors. The biased-corrected areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the final prognostic models at 5 years were 0.72 for men and 0.75 for women. Final models showed good calibration between the observed and predicted risks. We developed a prediction model in which age, cognitive function and gait speed were the strongest predictors of disability-free survival in healthy older people.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov (NCT01038583)

<p>The<strong> </strong>Lesser Adjutant <em>Leptoptilos javanicus</em> is a globally threatened species of stork; in Sri Lanka, it is a scarce resident breeder, and the largest bird in the country, yet the population status and ecology of the species is poorly understood.  This study tracks the stork’s spatial distribution and habitat use within the island, along with aspects of its ecology.  Data was collected via field sampling and questionnaire surveys, over a period of five years across the lowlands of the country.  The bird was observed 184 times, with numbers per sighting ranging from 1–17 individuals.  The species’ distribution was restricted to dry lowlands (rainfall &lt;2200mm, elevation &lt;300m).  The bird showed preference for savannah/woody savannahs, dry mixed evergreen forests, permanent wetlands, and croplands, and was prominently found within protected areas.  Lesser Adjutants were generally solitary, except in the driest months of the year (i.e., August–September and March–April), which are probably the two breeding periods of the bird in Sri Lanka.  Except for an abandoned nest, no active nest was found.  Habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, agricultural intensification, and development projects were identified as potential threats faced by the species, which varied in magnitude across the country.</p><div> </div>