Lena Geise

@uerj.br

Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Zoologia
Instituto de Biologia, Rio de Janeiro State University

Lena Geise


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https://researchid.co/lenageise

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Mammals, conservation, evolution, biogeography
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Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions
    Marcelo Weksler, Guillermo D’Elía, Pablo Teta, Abelardo R Bolaños, Adriana Bocchiglieri, et al.
    Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2025
    Natural history collections serve as crucial infrastructure for both basic and applied scientific research, providing temporal and spatial specimen data needed to understand biodiversity, environmental change, and emerging pathogens. This study surveyed mammal collections across South America to assess the scope and quality of this infrastructure. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to curators and collection managers from May 2021 to February 2022, gathering information on institutional characteristics, collection size, taxonomic and geographical scope, preservation methods, genetic resource availability, percentage digitization, financial support, and challenges such as funding limitations. Our survey identified 141 collections; more than twice the number reported by the American Society of Mammalogists in 2018. South American collections house ∼746 000 catalogued specimens, including 452 primary type specimens, representing only a modest proportion of the vast mammalian diversity of South America. Collections are geographically concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with a significant gap in the Guianas region and a decline in responses from Venezuela. The survey highlights four major challenges facing South American collections: staffing shortages, minimal cryogenic infrastructure, incomplete digitization, and sustainability issues. This initiative aims to raise awareness of collections in South America, plan for strategic growth, and strengthen research capacity to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, zoonotic disease transmission, and long-term conservation strategies.
  • Ecological niche modeling of epidemiological significance ticks: an experimental study with the modleR workflow in Brazil
    C. Rodrigues, A. Delciellos, Stefan Vilges de Oliveira, Daniel Savignon Marinho, Gilberto Salles Gazeta, et al.
    Veterinaria Italiana, 2025
    Spotted fever rickettsioses are tick-borne diseases of major epidemiological importance worldwide. Ticks can interact pathogenically with humans through endemic foci or sporadic epidemic outbreaks. Novel analytical tools and decision-making frameworks for tick-borne disease surveillance may improve resource allocation and enhance the response capacity of public health services. In this study, we characterize and model the bioclimatic suitability of three tick species-Amblyomma aureolatum, A. ovale, and A. sculptum-across Brazil. The climatic niche of each species was quantified using four modelling algorithms (BIOCLIM, GLM, Maxent, and SVM) implemented within an automated modelling workflow (modleR). A total of 585 occurrence records were retained for modelling: 55 for A. aureolatum, 120 for A. ovale, and 410 for A. sculptum, covering the entire Brazilian territory. Amblyomma sculptum exhibited a broader tolerance to temperature and precipitation variability, suggesting a wider potential distribution range compared to the other two species. This species was primarily associated with grassland habitats, such as those in the Cerrado biome. In contrast, A. aureolatum and A. ovale were more strongly associated with forested areas, particularly along the Atlantic Forest coastal region. The modelling outputs presented here provide valuable insights to support targeted health surveillance and intervention strategies for tick-borne diseases in Brazil.
  • Cytogenetic diversity of non-volant small mammals in the Serra dos Órgãos region, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
    Lena Geise, Luciana Guedes Pereira, Marianne Bello, Marcia Aguieiras
    Therya, 2025
    The Atlantic Forest is one of South America's most biodiverse regions, hosting a significant portion of Brazil's small non-volant mammal diversity, including 267 rodent and 66 marsupial species. The Serra dos Órgãos region in Rio de Janeiro state is a key area for studying this diversity, as it houses 32 rodent and 13 marsupial species. Rodents, unlike marsupials, exhibit a high diversity of chromosomal forms, which serve as important taxonomic tools for identifying cryptic species. Our study used cytogenetic analyses to enhance the taxonomic resolution and understanding of small mammal biodiversity in the Serra dos Órgãos, focusing on the high chromosomal variation in rodents, particularly those within the Sigmodontinae. We collected and karyotyped specimens from 25 localities within the municipalities of Cachoeiras de Macacu, Guapimirim, Petrópolis, and Teresópolis in Rio de Janeiro. These areas include montane and lowland regions of the Serra dos Órgãos, ranging from 100 to 2,100 meters in altitude. Specimens were captured using live traps and handled following ethical guidelines, with karyotypic analysis performed on metaphase chromosomes obtained from bone marrow cell cultures. We analyzed 220 specimens, representing 20 rodent and five marsupial species. Significant intraspecific chromosomal variation was observed in seven rodent species, particularly within the sigmodontines. Akodon cursor displayed variation in fundamental numbers, while Brucepattersonius nebulosus exhibited variation in both diploid and fundamental numbers. New karyotypes were identified for the echimyid Phyllomys spp.. Our findings underscore the importance of cytogenetic analyses in revealing cryptic species and enhancing taxonomic resolution among South American rodents. The chromosomal variation observed highlights the need for integrating cytogenetic data to understand the evolutionary dynamics and biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest.
  • Chromosomal rearrangements played an important role in the speciation of rice rats of genus Cerradomys (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae, Oryzomyini)
    Willam Oliveira da Silva, Stella Miranda Malcher, Malcolm Andrew Ferguson-Smith, Patricia Caroline Mary O’Brien, Rogério Vieira Rossi, et al.
    Scientific Reports, 2024
    Rodents of the genus Cerradomys belong to tribe Oryzomyini, one of the most diverse and speciose groups in Sigmodontinae (Rodentia, Cricetidae). The speciation process in Cerradomys is associated with chromosomal rearrangements and biogeographic dynamics in South America during the Pleistocene era. As the morphological, molecular and karyotypic aspects of Myomorpha rodents do not evolve at the same rate, we strategically employed karyotypic characters for the construction of chromosomal phylogeny to investigate whether phylogenetic relationships using chromosomal data corroborate the radiation of Cerradomys taxa recovered by molecular phylogeny. Comparative chromosome painting using Hylaeamys megacephalus (HME) whole chromosome probes in C. langguthi (CLA), Cerradomys scotii (CSC), C. subflavus (CSU) and C. vivoi (CVI) shows that karyotypic variability is due to 16 fusion events, 2 fission events, 10 pericentric inversions and 1 centromeric repositioning, plus amplification of constitutive heterochromatin in the short arms of the X chromosomes of CSC and CLA. The chromosomal phylogeny obtained by Maximum Parsimony analysis retrieved Cerradomys as a monophyletic group with 97% support (bootstrap), with CSC as the sister to the other species, followed by a ramification into two clades (69% of branch support), the first comprising CLA and the other branch including CVI and CSU. We integrated the chromosome painting analysis of Eumuroida rodents investigated by HME and Mus musculus (MMU) probes and identified several syntenic blocks shared among representatives of Cricetidae and Muridae. The Cerradomys genus underwent an extensive karyotypic evolutionary process, with multiple rearrangements that shaped extant karyotypes. The chromosomal phylogeny corroborates the phylogenetic relationships proposed by molecular analysis and indicates that karyotypic diversity is associated with species radiation. Three syntenic blocks were identified as part of the ancestral Eumuroida karyotype (AEK): MMU 7/19 (AEK 1), MMU 14 (AEK 10) and MMU 12 (AEK 11). Besides, MMU 5/10 (HME 18/2/24) and MMU 8/13 (HME 22/5/11) should be considered as signatures for Cricetidae, while MMU 5/9/14, 5/7/19, 5 and 8/17 for Sigmodontinae.
  • Updated list of non-volant small mammals from the Serra da Bocaina National Park, southeastern Brazil
    Ana Cláudia Delciellos, Marcia Aguieiras, Roger Rodrigues Guimarães, Ana Carolina Loss, Gabriela Colombo de Mendonça, et al.
    Biota Neotropica, 2023
    In the core of the Atlantic Forest biome, the Serra da Bocaina National Park (SBNP) is located in the Atlantic Forest Southeast area of endemism for vertebrates. Filling gaps in knowledge about the spatial distribution and occurrence of species in national parks is of fundamental importance to know how many species are protected and to guide conservation initiatives. Here we updated the non-volant small mammal species list of the SBNP, providing new data on species list and abundance, with species identified mainly by karyotype and/or molecular analysis. Twelve sampling sessions with a capture-mark-recapture approach were carried out in four sites in the SBNP from 2013 to 2016, during the paving works of the state highway RJ-165 (Estrada Parque Paraty-Cunha), municipality of Paraty, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Non-volant small mammals (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) were sampled using Sherman® and Tomahawk® live traps (18,987 trap-nights) and pitfall traps (4,591 trap-nights). Thirty-two species (11 marsupials and 21 rodents) were recorded from 1,185 captured specimens. Species richness ranged from 18 to 28 between sites. Ten and 11 species were exclusively captured in live traps and pitfall traps, respectively. The observed richness (32 species) represented 91.4% of the estimated species richness for the study area. Sites 2 and 4 were the most similar to each other regarding species composition, and site 3 was the most dissimilar. The species with highest relative abundance were Euryoryzomys russatus (14%) and Delomys dorsalis (14%), while six species had relative abundances lower than 1%. Fourteen and 17 species were identified by karyotype and molecular analysis, respectively. The present study added 22 species to the park’s non-volant small mammals list, which now has 37 species with confirmed occurrence. This species richness found in the SBNP is one of the highest ever recorded for the group of non-volant small mammals in protected areas of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, corroborating the Serra da Bocaina region as a biodiversity hotspot.
  • Small mammals from the Caatinga: A dataset for the Brazilian semiarid biome
    Anna Ludmilla da Costa‐Pinto, Ricardo S. Bovendorp, Adriana Bocchiglieri, Aldo Caccavo, Ana Cláudia Delciellos, et al.
    Ecology, 2023
    The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and is the largest and most biodiverse Seasonal Tropical Dry Forest in the world. Despite that, the mammalian fauna, especially small mammals, is the least studied of all Brazilian biomes. In order to fill gaps and provide detailed information on small mammals (Didelphimorphia, Rodentia) in the Caatinga biome, we compiled reliable records focusing on richness, composition and some biometric data. These records came from mammal collections, papers, theses, books, and unpublished data, prioritizing records with vouchers housed in scientific collections. We compiled a total of 3133 records from 816 locations, resulting in a richness of 47 native species (12 marsupials and 35 rodents, plus three exotic rodents, Rattus rattus, Rattus norvergicus and Mus musculus). This dataset includes records of three new species for the biome and its transition zone: the rodents Calomys mattevii, Holochilus oxe and Nectomys squamipes. Of the total number of records, 1808 (57.71%) are from consulting activities, 95 (3.03%) are from zoonoses studies and 104 (3.32%) are from the National Plague Service (SNP). All nine Brazilian states with territory in the Caatinga have sampling data for small mammals, but the number of records and localities are unevenly distributed, with the state of Rio Grande do Norte having the lowest number of records and locations sampled. Our dataset is the first of its kind for the Caatinga biome and has considerable potential value for studies of habitat use, landscape ecology, macroecology, biogeography and conservation. There are no copyright restrictions on the data. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.
  • Hidden diversity of the genus Trinomys (Rodentia: Echimyidae): phylogenetic and populational structure analyses uncover putative new lineages
    Camila Leitão Nacif, Diogo Lisbôa Bastos, Beatriz Mello, Ana Lazar, Erika Hingst-Zaher, et al.
    Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2022
    Trinomys, one of the most species-rich spiny rat genera in Brazil, is widely distributed in Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, and currently includes ten recognized species, three of which are polytypic. Although some studies employing molecular data have been conducted to better characterize phylogenetic relationships among species, 19 nominal taxa have been suggested, implying considerable incongruence regarding species boundaries. We addressed this incongruence by intensively sampling all species across the geographic distribution of the genus. In addition to publicly available data, we generated 182 mt-Cytb gene sequences, and employed phylogenetic and computational species delimitation methods to obtain a clearer picture of the genus diversity. Moreover, we evaluated populational diversity within each accepted species, considering their geographical distribution and a timescale for the evolution of the genus. Beyond confirming the general patterns described for the evolution of the group, this new analysis suggests that Trinomys is comprised of at least 16 evolutionary lineages, 13 of them recognized as species or subspecies, and three never before characterized. This study highlights the importance of increased sample sizes and computational species delimitation methods in uncovering hidden diversity in Trinomys.
  • A new species of Akodon Meyen, 1833 (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from dry forests of the Amazonia-Cerrado transition
    MARCUS VINICIUS BRANDÃO, ANA PAULA CARMIGNOTTO, ALEXANDRE REIS PERCEQUILLO, ALEXANDRE UARTH CHRISTOFF, ANA CRISTINA MENDES-OLIVEIRA, et al.
    Zootaxa, 2022
    Akodon is the most diverse genus of the tribe Akodontini, comprising 41 extant species. Although distributed in a wide range of environments in South America, the genus was long considered to be absent from Amazon Forest. Nonetheless, in recent decades, records of Akodon have been reported based on specimens from southern Amazonia, throughout the contact zone with Cerrado. Published data about the unique karyotype (2n=10), along with evidence of sister phylogenetic relationship (Cytb sequences) with Akodon cursor, a species from the Atlantic Forest, suggest that these specimens represent an undescribed species. Herein we hypothesize that these samples represent a new species of Akodon from Amazonia-Cerrado transitional areas. Through the analyses of 217 specimens from Mato Grosso and Pará states, Brazil, as well as 336 specimens of Akodon cursor species group from the Atlantic Forest, we provide qualitative and quantitative external and craniodental data that support their distinction in comparison with other congeners. The sister relationship between this new species and A. cursor provide additional evidence of a past connection between the two largest tropical forests of South America. Moreover, the recognition of Akodon n. sp. points to the presence of the genus in the Amazonia-Cerrado transition, an area currently under great anthropic pressure, highlighting the fact that we might be losing a portion of Brazilian biodiversity before even getting to know it.
  • Mapping potential risks for the transmission of spotted fever rickettsiosis: The case study from the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
    C. Rodrigues, F. Dourado, D. S. Marinho, G. S. Gazêta, L. Geise
    Plos One, 2022
    Spotted fever rickettsiosis is a zoonosis transmitted by ticks, having a varied clinical course that can lead to death if not managed properly. In Brazil it is more commonly observed in the Southeast, being an emerging public health problem. Hazard mapping models are common in different areas of knowledge, including public health, as a way of inferring reality and seeking to reduce or prevent damage. The aim of this study is to offer a spatial heuristic methodology for assessing the potential risk of transmission of spotted fever in the Rio de Janeiro state, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. For this, we used geospatial tools associated with eco-epidemiological data related to the clinical profile of the disease. The results achieved were substantially encouraging, considering that there are territories with greater or lesser expectation of risk for spotted fever in the study area. We observed that there are important distinctions between the two rickettsiosis scenarios in the same geographic space and that the areas where there is a greater potential risk of contracting rickettsiosis coincide with the administrative regions that concentrated the cases of hospitalization and deaths from the disease, concluding that the scenery found are relevant to the case series for the disease and that the planning of surveillance actions can gain in quality if the use of this spatial analysis tool is incorporated into the routine of local health management.
  • Comparative genomic mapping reveals mechanisms of chromosome diversification in Rhipidomys species (Rodentia, Thomasomyini) and syntenic relationship between species of Sigmodontinae
    Vergiana dos Santos Paixão, Pablo Suárez, Willam Oliveira da Silva, Lena Geise, Malcolm Andrew Ferguson-Smith, et al.
    Plos One, 2021
    Rhipidomys (Sigmodontinae, Thomasomyini) has 25 recognized species, with a wide distribution ranging from eastern Panama to northern Argentina. Cytogenetic data has been described for 13 species with 12 of them having 2n = 44 with a high level of autosomal fundamental number (FN) variation, ranging from 46 to 80, assigned to pericentric inversions. The species are grouped in groups with low FN (46–52) and high FN (72–80). In this work the karyotypes of Rhipidomys emiliae (2n = 44, FN = 50) and Rhipidomys mastacalis (2n = 44, FN = 74), were studied by classical cytogenetics and by fluorescence in situ hybridization using telomeric and whole chromosome probes (chromosome painting) of Hylaeamys megacephalus (HME). Chromosome painting revealed homology between 36 segments of REM and 37 of RMA. We tested the hypothesis that pericentric inversions are the predominant chromosomal rearrangements responsible for karyotypic divergence between these species, as proposed in literature. Our results show that the genomic diversification between the karyotypes of the two species resulted from translocations, centromeric repositioning and pericentric inversions. The chromosomal evolution in Rhipidomys was associated with karyotypical orthoselection. The HME probes revealed that seven syntenic probably ancestral blocks for Sigmodontinae are present in Rhipidomys. An additional syntenic block described here is suggested as part of the subfamily ancestral karyotype. We also define five synapomorphies that can be used as chromosomal signatures for Rhipidomys.
  • Chromosomal signatures corroborate the phylogenetic relationships within akodontini (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)
    Willam Oliveira da Silva, Stella Miranda Malcher, Adenilson Leão Pereira, Julio Cesar Pieczarka, Malcolm Andrew Ferguson-Smith, et al.
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020
  • Encounter rate and behavior of alouatta guariba clamitans in the ilha grande state park, rio de janeiro state, brazil
    Atilla C. Ferreguetti, Amanda B. M. de Oliveira, Bruno C. Pereira, Ricardo T. Santori, Lena Geise, et al.
    Zoologia, 2020
  • Sympatry between species of juliomys (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) along an altitudinal gradient in the Serra da Bocaina National Park
    Ana Cláudia Delciellos, Marcia Aguieiras, Gabriela Colombo de Mendonça, Ana Carolina Loss, Oscar Rocha-Barbosa, et al.
    Biota Neotropica, 2020
  • DNA barcoding of the rodent genus Oligoryzomys (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae): mitogenomic-anchored database and identification of nuclear mitochondrial translocations (Numts)
    Marcos O. R. da Cruz, Marcelo Weksler, Cibele R. Bonvicino, Alexandra M. R. Bezerra, Francisco Prosdocimi, et al.
    Mitochondrial DNA Part A DNA Mapping Sequencing and Analysis, 2019
  • Mammals of the serra dos ÓrgÃos national park: Updated list of species and implications for conservation
    Cecilia Cronemberger, Ana Cláudia Delciellos, Camila dos Santos de Barros, Rosana Gentile, Marcelo Weksler, et al.
    Oecologia Australis, 2019
  • Unveiling the identity of Kerr's Atlantic tree rat, Phyllomys kerri (Rodentia, Echimyidae)
    Edson Fiedler de Abreu-Júnior, Alexandre Reis Percequillo, Lena Geise, Yuri L.R. Leite, Ana Carolina Loss
    Mammalian Biology, 2018
  • Syntopy of cryptic Phyllomys (Rodentia: Echimyidae) species: Description of the karyotype of Phyllomys nigrispinus and an expansion of the geographic distribution of Phyllomys sulinus
    Ana Cláudia Delciellos, Ana Carolina Loss, Marcia Aguieiras, Lena Geise, Oscar Rocha-Barbosa
    Mammalia, 2018
  • A molecular analysis of the armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus (Mammalia: Dasypodidae), one of the most common victim of poaching in America
    J.C.A. Machado, D.A. Silva, A. Amorim, V. Gallo, L. Geise, et al.
    Forensic Science International Genetics Supplement Series, 2017
  • Abundance of small mammals in the Atlantic Forest (ASMAF): a data set for analyzing tropical community patterns
    Marcos S. L. Figueiredo, Camila S. Barros, Ana C. Delciellos, Edú B. Guerra, Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela, et al.
    Ecology, 2017
  • Oecomys catherinae (Sigmodontinae, Cricetidae): Evidence for chromosomal speciation?
    Stella Miranda Malcher, Julio Cesar Pieczarka, Lena Geise, Rogério Vieira Rossi, Adenilson Leão Pereira, et al.
    Plos One, 2017
  • Terrestrial mammals of the jequitinhonha river basin, Brazil: A transition area between atlantic forest and cerrado
    Mastozoologia Neotropical, 2017
  • Survey of small mammals (rodentia and didelphimorphia) in a cerrado reserve: Central espinhaço mountain range, Brazil
    Paula Cristina Barros Andrade, Leonardo Guimarães Lessa, Lena Geise, Marco Aurélio C. Pacheco
    Oecologia Australis, 2017
  • Predictors of intraspecific morphological variability in a tropical hotspot: comparing the influence of random and non-random factors
    Renan Maestri, Rodrigo Fornel, Gislene Lopes Gonçalves, Lena Geise, Thales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas, et al.
    Journal of Biogeography, 2016
  • Karyotype of three Lonchophylla species (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) from Southeastern Brazil
    Brunna Almeida, Roberto Leonan Morim Novaes, Marcia Aguieiras, Renan de França Souza, Carlos Eduardo Lustosa Esbérard, et al.
    Comparative Cytogenetics, 2016
  • Cranial morphometric analyses of the cryptic rodent species Akodon Cursor and Akodon Montensis (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)
    Diego Astúa, Isabella Bandeira, Lena Geise
    Oecologia Australis, 2015