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The journal publishes research specific to the Caribbean focused on botany, zoology, ecology, conservation biology, geology, archaeology, and paleontology.
Bird coloration is primarily influenced by melanin pigments, eumelanin and pheomelanin, which produce dark hues ranging from black to pale buff. Genetic mutations disrupting melanin synthesis or deposition result in color aberrations categorized as White Spotting, Albinism, Dilution, and Melanism. Brown mutation, a form of Albinism, results from incomplete eumelanin oxidation, altering black to dark brown and dark brown to light brown plumage. Although common among avian color aberrations, this mutation has not been previously recorded in the Brown Jay, Cyanocorax morio. During a photographic tour in Pejivalle, Cartago, Costa Rica, we observed a Brown Jay with uniform light brown plumage, consistent with the Brown mutation. The bird exhibited typical behavior, such as foraging and vocalizing with its group. Its unusual coloration, susceptible to sunlight bleaching, emphasizes the challenges of field identification. This study adds to the documentation of avian color aberrations and provides insights into their ecological and environmental contexts.
La coloración de las aves está principalmente influenciada por los pigmentos eumelanina y feomelanina, que generan tonos desde negro hasta beige pálido. Las mutaciones que alteran la síntesis o depósito de melanina provocan las aberraciones Manchas Blancas, Albinismo, Dilución y Melanismo. La mutación Marrón, una forma de Albinismo, resulta de la oxidación incompleta de la eumelanina que altera el negro en marrón oscuro y el marrón oscuro en un plumaje marrón claro. Aunque esta mutación es común, no se había documentado en la piapia, Cyanocorax morio. Durante un recorrido fotográfico en Pejivalle, Cartago, Costa Rica, observamos una piapia con un plumaje marrón claro uniforme consistente con Marrón. El ave mostró comportamiento típico, como alimentarse y vocalizar junto a su grupo. Su coloración alterada, susceptible al blanqueo por exposición solar, resalta los desafíos en la identificación de campo. Este estudio contribuye a la documentación de aberraciones de color en aves y su contexto ecológico y ambiental.
We report the presence of the Amatitlan cichlid, Vieja guttulata, in the inland waters of Puerto Rico. Two adults and three juveniles were collected in the municipality of Canóvanas and deposited in the Zoology Museum collection at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Native to Central America, this species is distinguished by its striking colors and characteristic lateral black band, which give it a unique appearance. With this finding, we confirm the existence of an established population of the Amatitlan cichlid in northeastern Puerto Rico, increasing the number of documented exotic freshwater fish species on the island to 39. The aquarium trade is likely the source of this introduction. It is important to evaluate the distribution range of V. guttulata, assess its ecological impact on native fish assemblages, and implement a comprehensive management strategy to mitigate its proliferation and prevent a further expansion across Puerto Rico's freshwater ecosystems.
The Caribbean is a vital contributor to global ecosystem services. Also, the region is a major exporter of tropical products like coffee (Coffea arabica L.), sugar from cane (Saccharum officinarum L.), cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), banana (Musa spp.), and others. Climate change and economic interests threaten the agricultural production of the region, its food security, and its ecological balance. Promoting the use of edible non-crops, or “edible weeds,” serves as a strategy to mitigate environmental hazards, enhance agrobiodiversity, and increase Caribbean food sovereignty. A number of plants usually considered weeds when growing alongside major crops can be a valuable food source, but research on those species has focused mainly on their management as undesirable plants competing with crops. This article showcases the agroecological practices and uses of edible weeds in the Antilles. If species considered weedy, or marginally useful to humans, become more widely used, there is an opportunity to further explore their potential, integrating them into diverse agricultural systems as plants with economic value and as available food resources.
La región del Caribe coopera vitalmente a los servicios ecosistémicos globales. Además, es importante exportadora de productos tropicales como café (Coffea arabica L.), azúcar de caña (Saccharum officinarum L.), cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), guineos (Musa spp.) y otros. El cambio climático y los intereses económicos amenazan la producción agrícola de la región, su seguridad alimentaria y su equilibrio ecológico. Promover el uso de plantas comestibles no cultivadas o “malezas comestibles” sirve como estrategia para mitigar los riesgos ambientales, mejorar la agrobiodiversidad y aumentar la soberanía alimentaria del Caribe. Varias plantas que suelen considerarse malezas cuando crecen junto a los principales cultivos pueden ser una valiosa fuente de alimentos. Sin embargo, la investigación sobre esas especies se ha enfocado principalmente en su rol como plantas indeseables que compiten con los cultivos. Este artículo muestra las prácticas agroecológicas y los usos de las malezas comestibles en las Antillas. Si las especies consideradas malezas o marginalmente útiles para los humanos se utilizan más ampliamente, existe la oportunidad de explorar más su potencial, integrándolas en diversos sistemas agrícolas como plantas con valor ecológico, económico y como recursos alimentarios disponibles.
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