The Araguaia River as an Important Biogeographical Divide for Didelphid Marsupials in Central Brazil

Rocha, Rita Gomes; Ferreira, Eduardo; Loss, Ana Carolina; Heller, Rasmus; Fonseca, Carlos; Costa, Leonora Pires

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Abstract(s)

The riverine barrier model suggests that rivers play a significant role in separating widespread organisms into isolated populations. In this study, we used a comparative approach to investigate the phylogeography of 6 didelphid marsupial species in central Brazil. Specifically, we evaluate the role of the mid-Araguaia River in differentiating populations and estimate divergence time among lineages to assess the timing of differentiation of these species, using mitochondrial DNA sequence data. The 6 didelphid marsupials revealed different intraspecific genetic patterns and structure. The 3 larger and more generalist species, Didelphis albiventris, Didelphis marsupialis, and Philander opossum, showed connectivity across the Araguaia River. In contrast the genetic structure of the 3 smaller and specialist species, Gracilinanus agilis, Marmosa (Marmosa) murina, and Marmosa (Micoureus) demerarae was shaped by the mid-Araguaia. Moreover, the split of eastern and western bank populations of the 2 latter species is consistent with the age of Araguaia River sediments formation. We hypothesize that the role of the Araguaia as a riverine barrier is linked to the level of ecological specialization among the 6 didelphid species and differences in their ability to cross rivers or disperse through the associated habitat types.

Keywords

Amazonia-Cerrado ecotone cytochrome b Didelphidae Gallery Forests Pleistocene

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http://hdl.handle.net/10400.7/572

Citation

Rita Gomes Rocha, Eduardo Ferreira, Ana Carolina Loss, Rasmus Heller, Carlos Fonseca, and Leonora Pires Costa The Araguaia River as an Important Biogeographical Divide for Didelphid Marsupials in Central Brazil J Hered (2015) 106 (5): 593-607 first published online August 6, 2015 doi:10.1093/jhered/esv058