Divergent patterns of locomotor activity in cave isopods (Oniscidea: Styloniscidae) in Neotropics.

In cave environments, stable conditions devoid of light-dark cycles and temperature fluctuations sustain circadian clock mechanisms across various species. However, species adapted to these conditions may exhibit disruption of circadian rhythm in locomotor activity. This study examines potential rhythm loss due to convergent evolution in five semi-aquatic troglobitic isopod species (Crustacea: Styloniscidae), focusing on its impact on locomotor activity.

The ticking clock in the dark: Review of biological rhythms in cave invertebrates.

Circadian clocks, internal mechanisms that generate 24-hour rhythms, play a crucial role in coordinating biological events with day-night cycles. In light-deprived environments such as caves, species, particularly isolated obligatory troglobites, may exhibit evolutionary adaptations in biological rhythms due to light exposure. To explore rhythm expression in these settings, we conducted a comprehensive literature review on invertebrate chronobiology in global subterranean ecosystems, analyzing 44 selected studies out of over 480 identified as of September 2023.

A new cave-dwelling species of Charinus (Amblypygi: Charinidae) from northern Brazil.

We present the description and illustration of a new species within the genus Charinus Simon, 1892, discovered in a cave located in the state of Tocantins, situated in the northern region of Brazil. Charinus tocantinensis sp. nov.