The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

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Dr. Mariana Chuliver Pereyra

Laureate "Margarethe-Koenig-Preis" 2022

Herpetology

Mail: m.chuliver [at] leibniz-lib.de

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Research interests

Morphology, ontogeny and evolution of amphibians and reptiles, with a special focus on snakes.

My research is mainly focused on record morphological changes occurring during embryonic development in reptiles to reveal patterns of morphological evolution in this group. Currently, my project focuses on describing morphological variation throughout development of various snake species and understanding the evolutionary meaning of morphological novelties of Serpentes.

Memberships

Asociación Civil Herpetológica Argentina (ACHA)

Awards

2022 Margarethe Koenig Preis

Further information

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mariana-Chuliver-Pereyra

Projects

2022

Morphological evolution of the skull of worm snakes: a comparative study

Blind snakes represent the extant basalmost snakes of the evolutionary radiation of modern snakes and include fully fossorial species with bizarre skeletal traits. Despite their relevant phylogenetic position in the snake tree, little is known about their ontogeny and what it might reveal about the origin of their skull anatomy. In the context of recently proposed phylogenetic relationships two hypotheses were raised about the evolution of worm snakes. On one hand, some authors proposed that they represent very old phenotypes inherited from the last common ancestor of extant snakes. On the other hand, other authors argued on the basis of morphological information that each worm snake group represents an independent specialization for fossorial habits, as a result of miniaturization, deviating considerably from evolutionary trends of snakes. The aim of this project is to conduct a comprehensive characterization and specific analyses on skull morphology of blind snakes, incorporating ontogenetic data of blind snakes and alethinophidians. Additionally, the first description of the embryonic development of the skull of a worm snake (Epictia australis) will be addressed. Thus, this project will contribute with novel data on the ontogenetic skull changes in different clades of snakes using 3D reconstructions based on micro-CT data. In addition, a morphological and morphometric approach of the development of the skull of blind snakes will allow us to test hypotheses of homology of cranial elements in snakes, to propose developmental patterns for this group, as well as to reveal similarities or differences with respect to the development of alethinophidian snakes and to depict their evolutionary significance. On a broader scale, this project aims to describe the general patterns of skull diversity of snakes, and to elucidate if the blind snakes correspond to derived forms or are a highly plesiomorphic group.

Unit:

Herpetology, Morphology Laboratory, Scientific Animal Keeping Facility

Project lead:

Dr. Mariana Chuliver Pereyra

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Typhlopidae, Scolecophidia)

Unit:

Herpetology, Scientific Animal Keeping Facility

Project lead:

Dr. Mariana Chuliver Pereyra

Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Typhlopidae, Scolecophidia) and its relevance to the evolution of the ophidian skeleton

Blind snakes are the most basal group of extant snakes and one of the least known in terms of morphology, biogeography and ecology. They are small snakes of fossorial habits that exhibit tubular bodies, smooth scales and a remarkable reduction of eyes and head escalation. The morphology of their skull is highly modified with respect to the rest of the snakes and is conditioned both by a particular system of feeding mechanism, as well as by the mechanical demands imposed by the fossorial habits. The aim of this project is to provide new information about the evolution of the snake skull through the analysis of the complete ontogenetic sequence of the skull of Amerotyphlops brongersmianus, which is a relatively large (SVL = 300 mm on average), oviparous, blind snake species belonging to the family Typhlopidae. The study was carried out entirely on the basis of 3D reconstructions based on micro-CT data, which allowed the accurate representation of anatomical structures with their natural shapes, orientations and spatial relations in minute size embryos.

Unit:

Herpetology, Scientific Animal Keeping Facility

Project lead:

Dr. Mariana Chuliver Pereyra

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Publications

Peer-reviewed publications:

2021 Chuliver Pereyra M, J Grosso, G Fontanarrosa, J Fratani, DP Ferraro, AS Duport-Bru, RG Schneider, MD Casagranda, L Pereyra, N Vicente, MJ Salica, R Medina, C Bessa, R Semhan; & MC Vera. Gender inequities in herpetology: the case of the Argentine community. Cuadernos de Herpetología 35 (2): 195 - 205.

Grosso J, J Fratani, G Fontanarrosa, M Chuliver Pereyra, AS Duport-Bru, RG Schneider, MD Casagranda, DP Ferraro, N Vicente, MJ Salica, L Pereyra, RG Medina, C Bessa, R Semhan, MC Vera. Male homophily in South American herpetology: one of the major processes underlying the gender gap in publications. Amphibia-Reptilia, 42: 407-418.

2019 Chuliver Pereyra M & M Fabrezi. A Developmental Staging Table for Physalaemus biligonigerus (Cope, 1861) (Anura: Leptodactylidae). South American Journal of Herpetology 14: 150-161.

Chuliver Pereyra M & A Scanferla. Morphology and postnatal ontogeny of the dentition of Chthonerpeton indistinctum (Gymnophiona: Typhlonectidae). Amphibia-Reptilia 40: 327-336.

2017 Fabrezi M, J Goldberg & M Chuliver Pereyra. Morphological Variation in Anuran Limbs: Constraints and Novelties. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B-Molecular and Developmental Evolution 328: 546-574.

Fabrezi M, SI Quinzio, JC Cruz, M Chuliver Pereyra, A Manzano, V Abdala, ML Ponssa, Y Prieto & J Goldberg. Forma, tamaño y tiempo en la ontogenia de Anfibios y Reptiles. Cuadernos de Herpetología 31: 103-126.

2016 Fabrezi M, SI Quinzio, J Goldberg, JC Cruz, M Chuliver Pereyra & RJ Wassersug. Developmental changes and novelties in ceratophryid frogs. EvoDevo 7: 1-16.

2015 Quinzio SI, J Goldberg, JC Cruz, M Chuliver Pereyra & M Fabrezi. La morfología de los Anuros: pasado, presente y futuro de nuestras investigaciones. Cuadernos de Herpetología 29: 51 - 67.

2014 Fabrezi M, SI Quinzio, JC Cruz, J Goldberg & M Chuliver Pereyra. ¿Qué es lo nuevo en la evolución morfológica? Cuadernos de Herpetología 28: 119 - 136.

Salgado Costa C, M Chuliver Pereyra, L Alcalde, R Herrera, VL Trudeau & GS Natale. Underwater sound emission as part of an antipredator mechanism in Ceratophrys cranwelli tadpoles. Acta Zoologica 95: 367 - 374.

Book chapters:

2019 Fabrezi M, SI Quinzio, J Goldberg, JC Cruz, M Chuliver Pereyra & RJ Wassersug. Phenotypic Variation through Ontogeny: Ceratophryid Frogs as a Model. eLS. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0028510.

2017 Cruz JC & M Chuliver Pereyra. Glossary. Developmental evolution in anuran amphibians; pp: 329 – 331. In: Morfología de Vertebrados: conceptos, métodos y grupos de investigación en Argentina. Abdala V, M Manzano & A Vassallo (eds.). Eudem, Mar del Plata.

Published in

2022

Chuliver, M., Scanferla, A., Koch, C. (2022): Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) brings new insights on snake cranial evolution. - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2022, XX, 1–21; https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac050/6619077

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Presentations

Talks

10/2021 Chuliver Pereyra M, A Scanferla, C Koch. “First study on the ontogeny of the skull of a blind snake (Serpentes, Typhlopidae, Amerotyphlops brongersmianus)”. XXI Congreso Argentino de Herpetología. Córdoba, Argentina.

Chuliver Pereyra M, J Grosso, DP Ferraro, G Fontanarrosa, RG Schneider, MC Vera, C Bessa, AS Duport-Bru, R Medina. “Gender inequities in Herpetology: between care tasks and field work”. XXI Congreso Argentino de Herpetología. Córdoba, Argentina.

03/2021 Culiver Pereyra M “Women and Girls in Science”. Exposition on the International Women’s day. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan.

07/2017 Chuliver Pereyra M & M Fabrezi. "Development of the postcranial skeleton of Physalaemus biligonigerus (Anura: Leptodactylidae)". XI Congreso Latinoamericano de Herpetología. Ecuador.

10/2010 Chuliver Pereyra M, GS Natale, L Alcalde & R Herrera. "Intraspecific recognition in larvae of Ceratophrys cranwelli (Anura: Ceratophryidae)". XI Congreso Argentino de Herpetología, Argentina.

2022 Margarethe Koenig Award (Bonn, Germany: LIB - ZFMK)
2020 – 2021 PostDoc, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Argentina
2014 – 2019 PhD in Biological Sciences - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Argentina
2007 – 2014 Bachelor in Biology orientation Zoology - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Argentina

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Dr. Mariana Chuliver Pereyra

Tabs

Research interests

Memberships

Awards

Further information

2022

Morphological evolution of the skull of worm snakes: a comparative study

Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Typhlopidae, Scolecophidia)

Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Typhlopidae, Scolecophidia) and its relevance to the evolution of the ophidian skeleton

2022

Talks

Staff search