Comprehensive studies recently published on the evolution and systematics of Phymaturus (morphological and molecular ones) revealed not only a historical pattern and subclades within the traditional P. palluma and P. patagonicus species groups but also a still not fully understood unsuspected diversity. Several populations in northern and southern Argentina may represent independent lineages that deserve formal description. Two of these populations were studied for the present contribution and are easily distinguished from all the other species in the genus. One of these populations is from Río Negro province and belongs to the P. patagonicus group; it exhibits a unique dorsal color pattern and several individuals are melanic, a characteristic never reported before for the genus, with the exception of P. tenebrosus. A careful examination of melanic individuals revealed the same dorsal pattern as that of non-melanic ones, although it is obscured. We also report the discovery of melanic individuals of two other species that are probably closely related: P. ceii and P. sitesi. The melanism found in the P. patagonicus group differs from the head melanism of males in certain species of the P. palluma group because in the former group melanism is not determined by sexual dimorphism and involves the whole animal. The other population studied in this contribution belongs to the P. palluma group and is described as a new species because its color pattern and scalation differ from those of all the other members of the P. palluma group. Finally, we discuss the position of these new lizard species in the context of the available phylogenetic hypothesis and the occurrence and evolution of melanism in the P. patagonicus group.

Estudios exhaustivos publicados recientemente sobre la evolución y la sistemática de Phymaturus (morfológicos y moleculares, respectivamente) revelaron no sólo un patrón histórico y subclados dentro de los grupos de P. palluma y de P. patagonicus tradicionales, sino también una diversidad insospechada todavía no entendida completamente. Varias poblaciones en el norte y el sur de la Argentina pueden representar linajes independientes que merecen descripción formal. Dos de estas poblaciones fueron estudiadas en el presente trabajo y se distinguen fácilmente de las otras especies del género. Una de estas poblaciones es de la provincia de Río Negro y pertenece al grupo de P. patagonicus, posee un patrón de coloración dorsal particular y varios individuos son melánicos, una característica nunca antes reportada para el género, con la excepción de P. tenebrosus. Un examen cuidadoso de los individuos melánicos revela el mismo patrón dorsal como el de los ejemplares no melánicos, aunque oculto. Se da a conocer también el descubrimiento de individuos melánicos de otras dos especies que probablemente están muy relacionados: P. ceii y P. sitesi. El melanismo que se encuentra en el grupo patagonicus difiere del melanismo de la cabeza de los machos de algunas especies del grupo de P. palluma porque en el primero, el melanismo, no se rige por el dimorfismo sexual e involucra a todo el animal. La otra población estudiada en este trabajo pertenece al grupo de P. palluma y se describe como una nueva especie ya que su patrón de coloración y escamación difieren del de todos los demás miembros del grupo de P. palluma. Finalmente, se discute la posición de estas nuevas especies de lagartos en el contexto de la hipótesis filogenética disponible y la aparición y evolución del melanismo en el grupo de P. patagonicus.

Herein, we present a summary about the contribution to the herpetology by Raymond F. Laurent (1916-2005) who was the first president of the Asociación Herpetologica Argentina. Born in Belgium, he worked as researcher at Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren and at Harvard University, and explored the herpetology in Uvira, Rwanda and Katanga. In 1964 he moved to San Miguel de Tucumán (Argentina) to research in CONICET and Fundación Miguel Lillo, and to teach at the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. He published more than 200 papers on taxonomy, systematics and morphology of African and South American herpetofauna. Most of these studies still constitute the basis to understand some classifications. As the first AHA's president, he encouraged young people to carry on new research topics and was a caring mentor and a major influence in the development of the career of many Argentine herpetologists. Furthermore, he contributed to increase the level of the Herpetology among the Biological Sciences in Argentina.

En este artículo presentamos una síntesis de la obra científica de Raymond Ferdinand Laurent (1917-2005) quien fuera el primer presidente de la Asociación Herpetológica Argentina. Nacido en Bélgica, antes de radicarse en Argentina, fue investigador en el Museo Real para África Central en Tervuren y en el Museo de Zoología Comparada de la Universidad de Harvard y exploró la diversidad de anfibios y reptiles en Uvira, Ruanda y Katanga. En 1964 se instaló en San Miguel de Tucumán (Argentina) y fue un investigador destacado del CONICET, a Fundación Miguel Lillo y la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Publicó más de 200 trabajos que contribuyeron al conocimiento de la biodiversidad tanto de Africa subsahariana como de Sudamérica que constituyen bases para entender algunas clasificaciones e hipótesis filogenéticas. Como primer presidente de la AHA su aporte tuvo consecuencias en la formación de recursos humanos, el desarrollo de líneas de investigaciones originales y novedosas, y trabajó desde las instituciones para que la Herpetología tuviese un buen lugar en el conjunto de las disciplinas Biológicas en Argentina.

We examined specimens of Phymaturus from four locations in central Chile, between 34º50´S and 36º00´S (from Termas del Flaco and from Lircay and its surroundings), where the only recognized species is P. maulense. We found several differences in the scalation and in the color pattern among them. The samples from Lircay and its surroundings correspond to topotypes of P. maulense and two more populations assignable to this species (Termas del Campanario and Laguna del Maule, new records), but the specimens from Termas del Flaco are a new species: P. damasense. It is characterized by: dorsal pattern of the male formed by a thin reticulation over greenish background color with yellowish-brown tail, subocular scale fragmented in three or four scales, scales in the anterior border of the auditory meatus are projected posteriorly, females have dark bars on the flanks (formed by small spots), enlarged scales in the center of the gular fold and may have precloacar pores. Also, we call attention to some Chilean populations of the genus Phymaturus referred in the literature which need to be assigned.

Examinamos especimenes de Phymaturus procedentes de cuatro localidades de Chile central, entre los 34º50´S y 36º00´S (Termas del Flaco y los alrededores de Lircay), donde la única especie reconocida es P. maulense. Estas poblaciones muestran diferencias en la escamación y en el diseño de coloración. Las muestras de la cuenca del Maule corresponden a topotipos de P. maulense y dos poblaciones más asignables a esta especie (Termas del Campanario y Laguna del Maule, nuevos registros), mientras que las poblaciones del río Las Damas constituyen una nueva especie caracterizada por: diseño dorsal del macho formado por una reticulación oscura sobre un fondo verde con cola café-amarillenta, escama subocular fragmentada en tres o cuatro, escamas agrandadas en el borde anterior del meato auditivo (proyectadas posteriormente), hembras con escamas agrandadas en el centro del pliegue gular, pueden presentar poros precloacales y presentan un diseño dorsal de barras oscuras en los costados formadas por pequeños puntos. Además, llamamos la atención sobre algunas poblaciones chilenas del género Phymaturus mencionadas en la literatura, las que requieren ser asignadas.

Lobo and Quinteros (2005) described Phymaturus spectabilis from Río Negro Province, Argentina. The species was characterized most notably by having a brown background with a more-or-less bilaterally symmetrical pattern of bold, light tan markings, some enclosing small brown spots, on the head, limbs, body, and tail. In 2008, Scolaro et al. described P. agilis from a locality 22 km south of the type locality of P. spectabilis. It was reported to differ from P. spectabilis in its nearly uniform brown color and certain morphometric and meristic characteristics. In 2009 we collected, at the type locality of P. agilis, five adults (both sexes) with the bold pattern of P. spectabilis, and five adults (both sexes) with the uniform color of P. agilis. Subsequently, one of the females with the P. spectabilis pattern gave birth to two individuals, one of which had the pattern of P. agilis, the other with the pattern of P. spectabilis. Our analyses of specimens assignable to P. agilis and P. spectabilis detected no significant differences between individuals with the two patterns for nine morphological variables (including those used to diagnose P. agilis), with overlap in the ranges of the variables for both patterns. We therefore conclude that P. agilis is a junior synonym of P. spectabilis.

En 2005 Lobo y Quinteros describieron Phymaturus spectabilis de la Provincia de Río Negro, Argentina. La especie fue caracterizada, como lo mas notable, por contar con en un fondo general castaño de un patrón más oscuro que delimita manchas castañas claras dispuestas simétricamente en la cabeza, cuerpo extremidades y cola. En el 2008, Scolaro et al. describieron Phymaturus agilis de una localidad 22 km al sur de la localidad tipo de P. spectabilis. Se indicó diferir de P. spectabilis por su casi uniforme color castaño y por ciertas características merísticas y morfométricas. En 2009 colectamos, en la localidad tipo de P. agilis, cinco adultos (ambos sexos) con el patrón manchado oscuro de P. spectabilis, y cinco adultos (ambos sexos) con el color uniforme de P. agilis. Subsecuentemente una de las hembras con el patrón de P. spectabilis dio a luz dos individuos, uno con el patrón de P. agilis, el otro con el patrón de P. spectabilis. Nosotros no encontramos diferencias significativas entre los individuos con los dos patrones para nueve variables morfológicas, exhibiendo superposición los rangos de las variables morfológicas de los patrones. Nosotros concluimos que P. agilis es un sinónimo de P. spectabilis.

Hypertension is a ubiquitous and serious disease. Regular exercise has been recommended as a strategy for the prevention and treatment of hypertension because of its effects in reducing clinical blood pressure; however, ambulatory blood pressure is a better predictor of target-organ damage than clinical blood pressure, and therefore studying the effects of exercise on ambulatory blood pressure is important as well. Moreover, different kinds of exercise might produce distinct effects that might differ between normotensive and hypertensive subjects. The aim of this study was to review the current literature on the acute and chronic effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on ambulatory blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. It has been conclusively shown that a single episode of aerobic exercise reduces ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Similarly, regular aerobic training also decreases ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. In contrast, data on the effects of resistance exercise is both scarce and controversial. Nevertheless, studies suggest that resistance exercise might acutely decrease ambulatory blood pressure after exercise, and that this effect seems to be greater after low-intensity exercise and in patients receiving anti-hypertensive drugs. On the other hand, only two studies investigating resistance training in hypertensive patients have been conducted, and neither has demonstrated any hypotensive effect. Thus, based on current knowledge, aerobic training should be recommended to decrease ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, while resistance exercise could be prescribed as a complementary strategy.

Ainda que tenham sido feito muitos estudos filogenéticos no gênero Liolaemus, os mesmos não são apropriados para uma análise biogeográfica, porque não possuem uma amostragem taxonômica adequada. Desenvolve-se neste trabalho, uma análise biogeográfica do grupo de L. chiliensis, que se diferencia das contribuições prévias por representar a todos os membros do grupo. A análise biogeográfica consiste em reconstruir a área ancestral deste clado, utilizando três métodos diferentes: Otimização de Fitch, Análise de Dispersão-Vicariância e Áreas Ancestrais Pesadas. As análises foram realizadas em filogenias feitas com o critério de parsimônia sob pesos iguais e pesos implicados. A árvore obtida sob pesos iguais, recupera a maioria dos grupos encontrados em análises prévias. O consenso estrito das árvores de pesos implicados, recupera quinze grupos, mas não pode-se estabelecer as relações entre eles. A análise de áreas ancestrais permite postular a região Andino-Patagônica como provável área ancestral, resultado este, congruente com hipóteses prévias e com informação paleontológica.

Although many phylogenetic studies have been made on the genus Liolaemus, they are inappropriate for a biogeographic study because of incomplete taxon sampling. Here we develop a biogeographic analysis using a new phylogenetic study of the chiliensis group, which differs from the other studies in having his members fully represented. The biogeographic analysis presented here consists in reconstructing the ancestral area of this clade, under three different methods of analysis: Fitch Optimisation, Dispersal Vicariance Analysis and Weighted Ancestral Area Analysis. The analyses were made on phylogenies from parsimony under equally weighted characters, as well as under implied weighting. The equally weighted tree recovers most of the groupings proposed in previous studies. The strict consensus of the implied weighting trees recovers fifteen groups, but there is no agreement of the relationships between those groups. The ancestral area analyses agree in an Andean-Patagonian origin for the chiliensis clade, and are congruent with previous hypotheses and paleontological data.

Estudaram-se as relações dentro do gênero Phymaturus da familia Liolaemidae, usando análise de parsimônia de uma matriz formada principalmente por dados morfológicos. A matriz inclui 133 caracteres: 28 descritos na literatura como apomorfias dos três gêneros de Liolaemidae (Ctenoblepharys, Liolaemus e Phymaturus), 21 caracteres de alozimas e cariologia, 53 caracteres de morfologia externa e 31 do esqueleto, de todos os terminais de Phymaturus. A matriz inclui representantes de dez das doze espécies reconhecidas na literatura, e outros 12 terminais que neste estudo se consideram linhagens independentes e identificadas como P. patagonicus ou P. palluma na literatura prévia e nas coleções. Quatro destes terminais são descritos neste trabalho como espécies novas, uma pertencente ao grupo de P. palluma e outras três ao grupo de P. patagonicus. Realizaram-se quatro análises usando quatro métodos diferentes para codificar binariamente caracteres polimórficos, e um novo método para codificar os caracteres contínuos. A divisão tradicional do gênero em dois grupos não é apoiada pelo presente estudo, o grupo de P. patagonicus é parafilético em parte da análise. O grupo de P. palluma é monofilético e se sustenta por vários caracteres, as árvores de consenso por maioria, de todas as análises, mostraram com exceção de um par de politomías, uma topologia do grupo bem resolvida. Dentro do grupo de P. palluma, encontra-se um subclado formado por espécies distribuídas no norte da Argentina desde o norte da província de San Juan (ao norte dos 30° de latitude). Nesta análise, o P. palluma de El Planchón (Chile), relaciona-se mais com este subclado do norte que com qualquer outra forma de "P. palluma".

Phylogenetic relationships within the liolaemid lizard genus Phymaturus were studied using parsimony analysis of morphological data. The data set includes 133 characters: 28 described in the literature as apomorphies of the three genera of Liolaemidae (Ctenoblepharys, Liolaemus, and Phymaturus), 21 published characters of allozymes and karyology, 53 characters taken from external morphology across all terminals of Phymaturus, and 31 from the skeletal anatomy. This data set includes representatives of 10 of the 12 species currently recognized in the literature plus twelve other terminals considered in this study and representing independent lineages assigned to patagonicus or palluma. Four of these terminals are described in the present study as new species, one belonging to the palluma group and the other three to the patagonicus group. We performed four analyses using different methods of coding binary polymorphic characters, and a new method for treating continuous characters. The traditional division of the genus in two groups is not supported here, with the patagonicus group resulting paraphyletic in some of the analyses. The palluma group is monophyletic and supported by many characters. A majority rule consensus tree of all runs recovers a reasonably well-resolved topology of the group. All analyses recovered a northern subclade within the palluma group, formed by species distributed in Argentina from northern of San Juan province (north to 30 degrees of latitude). In this analysis palluma from El Planchón (Chile) was found to be more closely related to this northern subclade than any other "palluma" form.