Genetic diversity and population structure of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) in the Pantanal, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest from Brazil

Publication date: Available online 8 March 2019Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): Fernanda de Góes Maciel, Danilo Aqueu Rufo, Alexine Keuroghlian, Anna Carolina Russo, Nathalia Moreschi Brandt, Nataly Fernandes Vieira, Bruna Moura da Nóbrega, Alessandra Nava, Marcello Schiavo Nardi, Anah Tereza de Almeida Jácomo, Leandro Silveira, Mariana Malzoni Furtado, Natália Mundim Tôrres, Cristina Yumi Miyaki, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Cibele BiondoAbstractIn general, habitat fragmentation is associated with a reduction in gene flow that can reduce the genetic diversity, and, consequently, a species ability to survive environmental changes. The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a Neotropical ecosystem engineer that is vulnerable throughout its distribution area and under different degrees of threat in the Brazilian Pantanal (near threatened), Cerrado (endangered) and Atlantic Forest (critically endangered). We used 13 microsatellite loci to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 361 white-lipped peccaries sampled in four areas in the Pantanal, two areas in the Cerrado, and one area in the Atlantic Forest. We found similar levels of genetic diversity in all localities. Bayesian clustering analysis indicated the presence of two (K = 2; all Pantanal localities plus the Cerrado locality at the Pantanal highlands versus the other Cerrado locality plus the Atlantic Forest one) or three (K = 3; with the additional differentiation between the Cerrado loca...

Source: Mammalian Biology - March 9, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research