New findings on the origin of Cavia intermedia, one of the world's rarest mammals

Abstract

Cavia intermedia, a rare species of cavy found exclusively on Moleques do Sul Island, Brazil, differs from other cavies in genetic and morphological characteristics and has been regarded as phylogenetically closest to Cavia magna. Here, I present morphological evidence for the likely origin of Cavia intermedia from an ancestor shared with Cavia magna: an external female genital organ similar in size and appearance to the male's penis. Masculinization of the female genitalia has been observed in Cavia magna but does not occur in Cavia aperea, which suggests a sister relationship between Cavia magna and Cavia intermedia.

Ectoparasites of the critically endangered insular cavy, Cavia intermedia (Rodentia: Caviidae), southern Brazil

“…Cavia intermedia is an endemic species from the largest island (9.86 ha) of Moleques do Sul Archipelago, in Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil ( Cherem et al., 1999 ). The species probably diverged from a common ancestral population of C. magna as the result of vicariance associated with archipelago formation, approximately 8000 years ago ( Gava et al., 1998; Cherem et al., 1999; Furnari, 2013 ). It is categorized as “critically endangered” at the global level according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria ( Chapman, 2008 ).…”