The pygmy ( Kogia breviceps ) and dwarf ( Kogia sima ) sperm whales are cryptic cetaceans characterized by inconspicuous surfacing behavior, small group sizes, and deep‐diving habits, making visual detection particularly challenging. Here, we present the first broad‐scale passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) assessment of Kogia spp. occurrence along the Brazilian coast, spanning both the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean (EAO) and Southw...

Urban freshwater ecosystems are increasingly exposed to mixtures of pollutants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, their ecological effects remain poorly understood, especially in tropical regions with limited sanitation infrastructure. This study investigated PFAS contamination, water quality, and microbial community structure in Pampulha Lake, a tropical urban reservoir in southeastern Brazil. Spa...

Aim We evaluated how native vegetation cover influences the diversity of arachnid assemblages across multiple spatial scales in major Brazilian ecosystems. Location Brazil (Amazon and Atlantic rainforests, Cerrado savanna and Caatinga dry forest). Taxon Arachnida (Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones and Scorpiones). Methods We sampled arachnids at 120 sites using active search and litter sifting. Native vegetation cover was quantified...

We report the first in situ observation of mating behaviour in the endangered Groovebelly Stingray ( Dasyatis hypostigma ), endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic. Recorded by drone in May 2025 off Ilhabela, Brazil, the event involved one female and four males, lasting ~3 min and comprising close following and pre‐copulatory biting, without agonistic interactions. The interaction comprised a partial behavioural sequence of close...

In its early years, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has mobilized unprecedented global commitments. Yet, measuring restoration success remains contested, particularly in megadiverse countries where the absence of standardized indicators and assessment protocols often leads to subjective decisions by environmental agencies. Here, we present a core set of leading indicators developed through a pioneering Brazil-led scienc...

Understanding Neotropical megadiversity remains challenging due to fundamental taxonomic issues, including identifying and describing cryptic species and their distribution, and the limited knowledge of key factors driving biological diversification. Such challenges are especially prominent in diverse clades with high levels of cryptic species, such as many Neotropical frogs. Herein, we conduct a mitochondrial phylogenetic stu...

Aim We investigate the distribution of dispersal modes — endozoochory (via animal ingestion), synzoochory (via animal seed accumulation) and anemochory (via wind)—and seed mass of woody plants across Brazilian ecosystems, testing whether their relative abundance in local plant communities could be predicted by climate, edaphic factors and dispersal agents (e.g., the main vectors moving seeds). We expected climate to be the mai...

Purpose Passive heating has emerged as a potential non‑exercise method to support muscle strength and mass, but its application is limited by inconsistent protocols and unclear dosage and safety guidelines. This study used a Delphi methodology to establish expert consensus on key parameters for passive heating interventions targeting neuromuscular and muscle morphology outcomes. Methods An international panel of academic exper...

The year 2024 was classified by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the hottest on record, both globally and in Brazil. In the Pantanal, exceptional heat waves and intense droughts led to an early onset of the fire season in June, marked by high fire severity and large burned areas. Although the Pantanal has been increasingly affected by combined drought and heat events, the influence of these climatic extremes on f...

WHO ranked chronic inflammatory diseases as the most significant cause of death. The current therapeutic approach is the constant administration of clinically available anti-inflammatory drugs; however, this strategy presents severe side effects. New entities derived from plants have shown their potential for developing safe and effective therapies. Particularly, Echinacea purpurea extracts have demonstrated strong anti-inflam...

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the main factor limiting agricultural production in acidic soils around the world. In this scenario, melatonin (MET) has emerged as a promising approach to alleviate Al toxicity. Thus, we investigated morphophysiological responses of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen, a medicinal plant, to Al toxicity and MET application. Plants were grown in vitro for 40 days in MS medium (control) supplemented wi...

Due to its high concentration of growth factors, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has become the subject of much research, either as an isolated or adjuvant treatment for wound repair. The fractal dimension has been used as an innovative method for the characterization and quantification of tissue structural alterations without any interference from the evaluator. The objective of this study was characterizing collagen types I and I...

Quantifying animal movements is necessary for answering a wide array of research questions in ecology and conservation biology. Consequently, ecologists have made considerable efforts to identify the best way to estimate an animal's home range, and many methods of estimating home ranges have arisen over the past half a century. Most of these methods fall into two distinct categories of estimators that have only recently been d...