Rocha, Rita GomesFerreira, EduardoLoss, Ana CarolinaHeller, RasmusFonseca, CarlosCosta, Leonora Pires2016-03-222016-08-062015-08-06Rita 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/esv058http://hdl.handle.net/10400.7/573The 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.engAmazonia-Cerrado ecotonecytochrome bDidelphidaeGallery ForestsPleistocenejournal article10.1093/jhered/esv058