RESUMEN
Island ecosystems differ in several elements from mainland ecosystems and may induce variations related to natural selection and patterns of adaptation in most aspects of the biology of an organism. Thylamys elegans (Waterhouse, 1839) is a marsupial endemic to Chile, distributed from Loa River to Concepción. Historically, three subspecies have been described: Thylamys elegans elegans, Thylamys elegans coquimbensis and Thylamys elegans soricinus. For this research, two morphometric approaches and a biomechanical model were used to compare the mandible shapes and biomechanics between two Chilean mouse opossum populations belonging to different subspecies: one from the coastal desert of Chile (T. e. coquimbensis) and the other from the central inland region (T. e. elegans). Additionally, mandibles of insular populations found in the Reserva Nacional Pinguino de Humboldt (RNPH)), from which the subspecies association is unknown, were also included. The results showed that insular populations have differences in mandibular shapes, sizes and biomechanical characteristics compared to continental populations, which may be related to environmental variables like aridity and vegetation cover, prey type, insularity effects and/or the founder effect on micromammals, apart from vicariance hypotheses and other selective pressures.
RESUMEN
Previous studies of population genetic structure in Dissostichus eleginoides have shown that oceanographic and geographic discontinuities drive in this species population differentiation. Studies have focused on the genetics of D. eleginoides in the Southern Ocean; however, there is little knowledge of their genetic variation along the South American continental shelf. In this study, we used a panel of six microsatellites to test whether D. eleginoides shows population genetic structuring in this region. We hypothesized that this species would show zero or very limited genetic structuring due to the habitat continuity along the South American shelf from Peru in the Pacific Ocean to the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. We used Bayesian and traditional analyses to evaluate population genetic structure, and we estimated the number of putative migrants and effective population size. Consistent with our predictions, our results showed no significant genetic structuring among populations of the South American continental shelf but supported two significant and well-defined genetic clusters of D. eleginoides between regions (South American continental shelf and South Georgia clusters). Genetic connectivity between these two clusters was 11.3% of putative migrants from the South American cluster to the South Georgia Island and 0.7% in the opposite direction. Effective population size was higher in locations from the South American continental shelf as compared with the South Georgia Island. Overall, our results support that the continuity of the deep-sea habitat along the continental shelf and the biological features of the study species are plausible drivers of intraspecific population genetic structuring across the distribution of D. eleginoides on the South American continental shelf.
RESUMEN
The situation of the Amerindian village of Camopi in French Guiana is particular because of its geographical isolation and its socio-cultural environment. Does this unique context affect the morbidity of the children? This study describes the morbidity of children aged 0-5 years in Camopi. The study population included all the children living in Camopi, born between 01/01/2009 and 31/12/2013. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected from Child Health Record until 05/01/2016, with a maximum of five years. 149 children were included and received 5916 consultations during the period of study. ENT and upper respiratory diseases were the most frequent diseases that were followed by digestive disorders. Lower respiratory conditions were the leading cause of hospitalization. Tropical diseases were rare. Antibiotics were delivered in 32.5% of the consultations. The vaccination coverage exceeded 95% for BCG, DTP, HBVand yellow fever, remove than that of MMR which was little lower (89.9%) and only 4 children were vaccinated against pneumococcus. Despite the Amazonian context, the morbidity of Camopi's children mainly includes classic disorders. Traumas seem uncommon but can be violent. Facilitating access to rapid diagnostic tests, setting up protocols, and training staff could reduce the prescription of antibiotics.
La situation du village amérindien de Camopi en Guyane française est particulière de par son isolement géographique et son environnement socioculturel. Ce contexte singulier influe-t-il sur la morbidité des enfants de ce village ? Le but de cette étude était de décrire lamorbidité des enfants âgés de zéro à cinq ans dans ce village. La population étudiée comprenait tous les enfants résidant à Camopi, nés entre le 1er janvier 2009 et le 31 décembre 2013. Des données sociodémographiques et médicales ont été recueillies à partir des carnets de santé jusqu'au 1er mai 2016, avec une durée maximale de suivi de cinq ans. Les 149 enfants inclus ont bénéficié de 5 916 consultations au cours de la période étudiée. Les pathologies ORL et respiratoires hautes étaient les plus fréquentes suivies par les affections digestives. Les affections respiratoires basses étaient la première cause d'hospitalisation. Les pathologies tropicales étaient peu fréquentes. La prescription d'antibiotiques concernait 32,5 % des consultations. La couverture vaccinale dépassait les 95 % pour le BCG, le DTP, le VHB et la fièvre jaune, celle du ROR un peu inférieure (89,9 %), et seuls quatre enfants avaient été vaccinés contre le pneumocoque. Malgré le contexte amazonien, la morbidité des enfants de Camopi regroupe majoritairement des affections classiques. Les traumatismes semblent peu fréquents, mais peuvent être violents. La facilitation de l'accès aux tests de diagnostic rapide, la mise en place de protocoles et la formation du personnel devraient permettre de diminuer la prescription d'antibiotiques.