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Phytogeographic patterns of the Atlantic Forest in the Rio Doce River Basin, the dart versus arrow debate, and quorum sensing in bacteria

The Atlantic forest is a terrestrial biome that extends along the Brazilian coast and has been subject of intense deforestation for decades. There are presently several efforts to try to preserve the flora and fauna of what remains from this region (e.g., Coco et al. 2014Coco L, Borges Júnior VNT, Fusinatto LA, Kiefer MC, Oliveira JCF, Araujo PG, Costa BM, Van Sluys M and Rocha CFD. 2014. Feeding habits of the leaf litter from Haddadus binotatus (Anura, Craugastoridae) from two Atlantic forest areas in southeastern Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 239-249., Maciel-Silva et al. 2014Maciel-Silva AS, Da Silva FCL and Válio IFM. 2014. All green, but equal? Morphological traits and ecological implications on spores of three species of mosses in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 1249-1262., Missagia et al. 2014Missagia CCC, Verçoza FC and Alves MAS. 2014. Reproductive phenology and sharing of floral resource among hummingbirds (Trochilidae) in inflorescences of Dahlstedtia pinnata (Benth.) Malme. (Fabaceae) in the Atlantic forest . An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 1693-1702.), but several questions on how the distinct floristic units of this biome are structured is still to be understood. In this issue of the AABC, Saiter et al. (2015)Saiter FZ, Eisenlohr PV, França GS, Stehmann JR, Thomas WW and De Oliveira-Filho AT. 2015. Floristic units and their predictors unveiled in part of the Atlantic Forest hotspot: implications for conservation planning. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 2031-2046. have studied the occurrences of different tree species and related them to distinct geoclimatic data in the Rio Doce River. As known, geographic distribution of plants is highly complex and there are several variables to be taken into account (e.g., Rizzini 1997Rizzini CT. 1997. Tratado de Fitogeografia do Brasil. 2ª ed., Rio de Janeiro: Âmbito Cultural Edições Ltda, 747 p., Legendre and Legendre 2012Legendre P and Legendre L. 2012. Numerical ecology 3rd ed., Developments in Environmental Modelling, v. 24 . Amsterdam: Elsevier Science BV, 1006 p.). With this study, Saiter et al. (2015) have provided a better definition of several floristic units and aimed to establish better parameters that could help in the development of more effective conservation measurements. However, as everyone knows, a recent incident in the town of Mariana (Minas Gerais State) where a dam of a mining company failed caused serious effects on the biota of this area. Perhaps follow-up studies of the work of Saiter and colleagues might be paramount to revise several conservation actions in this region.

Archaeological studies in Brazil have grown in the last decade, involving a better understanding of the culture and activities of prehistoric populations that once inhabited this country (e.g., Guimarães 2013Guimarães MB. 2013. Fishing strategies among prehistoric populations at Saquarema Lagoonal Complex, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 85: 415-429.). Among the most common artifacts found in Brazilian archaeological sites are lithic points that could have been used in a variety of ways (e.g., Knecht 1997Knecht H (Ed). 1997. Projectile Technology, New York: Plenum, 408 p.). In the present issue of the Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Okumura and Araujo (2015)Okumura M and Araujo AGM. 2015. Contributions to the Dart versus Arrow Debate: New Data from Holocene Projectile Points from Southeastern and Southern Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 2349-2373. have provided a brief review about the so-called Dart and Arrow Debate. They have also shown new evidences based on stemmed projectile points that have been unearthed in several archaeological sites from southeastern and southern Brazil, mostly from the Rio Grande do Sul State, and discussed ways on how to separate darts and arrows. Among the main interesting conclusions, Okumura and Araujo (2015) pointed out that some of the studied lithic points favor the use of bow and arrow. Furthermore, some of the Brazilian sites where these objects were recovered are older than most dates of other sites in the Americas where this hunting or fighting technique has been documented.

Lastly, I would like to call your attention to an interesting review of quorum sensing in bacteria. Lixa et al. (2015)Lixa A, Mujo A, Anobom CD and Pinheiro AS. 2015. A structural perspective on the mechanisms of quorum sensing activation in bacteria. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 2189-2203. have provided an interesting review of this particular kind of cell-to-cell communication mechanism which can help in the treatment of several infections.

REFERENCES

  • Coco L, Borges Júnior VNT, Fusinatto LA, Kiefer MC, Oliveira JCF, Araujo PG, Costa BM, Van Sluys M and Rocha CFD. 2014. Feeding habits of the leaf litter from Haddadus binotatus (Anura, Craugastoridae) from two Atlantic forest areas in southeastern Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 239-249.
  • Guimarães MB. 2013. Fishing strategies among prehistoric populations at Saquarema Lagoonal Complex, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 85: 415-429.
  • Knecht H (Ed). 1997. Projectile Technology, New York: Plenum, 408 p.
  • Legendre P and Legendre L. 2012. Numerical ecology 3rd ed., Developments in Environmental Modelling, v. 24 . Amsterdam: Elsevier Science BV, 1006 p.
  • Lixa A, Mujo A, Anobom CD and Pinheiro AS. 2015. A structural perspective on the mechanisms of quorum sensing activation in bacteria. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 2189-2203.
  • Maciel-Silva AS, Da Silva FCL and Válio IFM. 2014. All green, but equal? Morphological traits and ecological implications on spores of three species of mosses in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 1249-1262.
  • Missagia CCC, Verçoza FC and Alves MAS. 2014. Reproductive phenology and sharing of floral resource among hummingbirds (Trochilidae) in inflorescences of Dahlstedtia pinnata (Benth.) Malme. (Fabaceae) in the Atlantic forest . An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 1693-1702.
  • Okumura M and Araujo AGM. 2015. Contributions to the Dart versus Arrow Debate: New Data from Holocene Projectile Points from Southeastern and Southern Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 2349-2373.
  • Rizzini CT. 1997. Tratado de Fitogeografia do Brasil. 2ª ed., Rio de Janeiro: Âmbito Cultural Edições Ltda, 747 p.
  • Saiter FZ, Eisenlohr PV, França GS, Stehmann JR, Thomas WW and De Oliveira-Filho AT. 2015. Floristic units and their predictors unveiled in part of the Atlantic Forest hotspot: implications for conservation planning. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 2031-2046.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    Oct-Dec 2015
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