Occurrence of Marmosa waterhousei in the Venezuelan Andes, with comments on its biogeographic significance

Gutiérrez, Eliécer E.; Soriano, Pascual J.; Rossi, Rogério Vieira; Murillo, Johnny J.; Ochoa-G, José; Aguilera, Marisol

doi:10.1515/mamm.2011.051

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…waterhousei inhabits humid lowland and mountain forests from 50 m to 1100 m, neither of these species is restricted to habitat types with low temperatures [ 85 , 88 , 89 ]. As previously suggested [ 85 , 86 ], finding these species in the CM indicates that the Táchira Depression was not always a barrier for them. During the LGM, about 26,500–20,000 years before present [ 90 ], the altitudinal zonation of mountains was affected with the descent of upper vegetation belts to lower elevations.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…Nevertheless, specimen-based research has shown that the Táchira Depression should not be assumed to be a barrier for species not restricted to cool and mesic habitats typical of high elevations of the northern Andes. Examples include a heteromyid rodent ( Heteromys australis ) and a didelphid marsupial ( Marmosa waterhousei ), which were recorded in the CM until recently [ 85 , 86 ]. Both species were known to occur in the Colombian CO [ 87 , 88 ], but the current climatic conditions of the Táchira Depression made their presence in the CM highly unexpected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the LGM, about 26,500–20,000 years before present [ 90 ], the altitudinal zonation of mountains was affected with the descent of upper vegetation belts to lower elevations. This phenomenon could have led to a connection of cool and mesic habitat between the CO and the CM over the area currently occupied by the warm and dry Táchira Depression [ 85 , 86 ]. Congruent with this possibility, the projection of the ENM of M .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Taxonomic Status of Mazama bricenii and the Significance of the Táchira Depression for Mammalian Endemism in the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela

et al. 2015

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We studied the taxonomy and biogeography of Mazama bricenii, a brocket deer classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, drawing on qualitative and quantitative morphology and sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. We used Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) to evaluate the hypothesis that M. bricenii of the Venezuelan Cordillera de Mérida (CM) might have become isolated from populations of its putative sister species, Mazama rufina, in the Colombian Cordillera Oriental (CO). This hypothesis assumes that warm, dry climatic conditions in the Táchira Depression were unsuitable for the species. Our analyses did not reveal morphological differences between specimens geographically attributable to M. bricenii and M. rufina, and phylogenetic analyses of molecular data recovered M. bricenii nested within the diversity of M. rufina. These results indicate that M. bricenii should be regarded as a junior synonym of M. rufina. ENM analyses revealed the existence of suitable climatic conditions for M. rufina in the Táchira Depression during the last glacial maximum and even at present, suggesting that gene flow between populations in the CO and CM may have occurred until at least the beginning of the current interglacial period and may continue today. Because this pattern might characterize other mammals currently considered endemic to the CM, we examined which of these species match two criteria that we propose herein to estimate if they can be regarded as endemic to the CM with confidence: (1) that morphological or molecular evidence exists indicating that the putative endemic taxon is distinctive from congeneric populations in the CO; and (2) that the putative endemic taxon is restricted to either cloud forest or páramo, or both. Only Aepeomys reigi, Cryptotis meridensis, and Nasuella meridensis matched both criteria; hence, additional research is necessary to assess the true taxonomic status and distribution of the remaining species thought to be CM endemics.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Taxonomic Status of Mazama bricenii and the Significance of the Táchira Depression for Mammalian Endemism in the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela

et al. 2015

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To model the species’ abiotically suitable areas (based on climatic data; see Peterson et al for terminology regarding ecological niche modeling [ENM]), we used high‐quality occurrence localities and climatic data interpolated from weather stations. We gathered localities by using only information from voucher specimens with taxonomic identifications that derive either from our examination (specimens from our fieldwork and in museums in Venezuela) or from a recent revisionary work (Rossi et al , Gutiérrez et al ; Supplementary material Appendix 1). Several qualitative morphological traits permitted unambiguous taxonomic identifications of these species (Rossi et al ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can biotic interactions cause allopatry? Niche models, competition, and distributions of South American mouse opossums

2014

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Based on our own empirical data and a literature review, we explore the possibility that biotic interactions, specifically competition, might be responsible for creating, and/or maintaining, geographic isolation. Ecological niche modeling was first used to test whether the distributions of 2 species of Neotropical marsupials (Marmosa robinsoni and M. xerophila) fit the predicted geographic pattern of competitive exclusion: one species predominates in areas environmentally suitable for both species along real contact zones. Secondly, we examined the connectivity among populations of each species, interpreted in the light of the niche models. The results show predominance of M. xerophila along its contact zone with M. robinsoni in the Península de Paraguaná in northwestern Venezuela. There, M. robinsoni has an extremely restricted distribution despite climatic conditions suitable for both species across the peninsula and its isthmus. The latter two results suggest that M. xerophila may be responsible for the geographic isolation of the peninsular populations of M. robinsoni with respect to other populations of the latter species in northwestern Venezuela. These results may represent an example of allopatry caused, or at least maintained, by competition. Our results and a review of numerous studies in which biotic interactions restrict species distributions (including at the continental scale) support a previously overlooked phenomenon: biotic interactions can isolate populations of a species. We propose 2 general mechanisms, intrusion and contraction, to classify allopatric conditions caused by various classes of biotic interactions. We present a necessary modification of the concept of ecological vicariance to include biotic interactions as possible vicariant agents regardless of whether genetic differentiation occurs or not.

show abstract

“…In this sense, the Táchira Depression, characterized by a dry subtropical climate, has been regarded as a biogeographical barrier to the dispersal of Andean species from both cordilleras (Cordillera Oriental de Colombia and Cordillera de Mérida, Soriano et al 1999;Soriano et al 2005). Species with lower vagility and strictly restricted to the cloud forest and páramo, would be virtually absent today, but probably had a wider and continuous distribution during glacial periods as suggested for Heteromys australis (Anderson and Soriano 1999) and Marmosa waterhousei (Gutiérrez et al 2011), both species distributed in a lower altitudinal range than Neomicroxus. Based on the morphometrical results, the individuals from Venezuela are smaller ( Figure 3, Table 1), clearly distinguishable from the Colombian specimens.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Alpha-taxonomy in the cricetid rodent Neomicroxus, a first assessment

Cañón¹,

Curay

Brito

et al. 2020

Therya

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Neomicroxus, a recently named genus, comprises small-bodied cricetid rodents patchily distributed in high-Andean ranges from Ecuador to Venezuela. Currently, two species of Neomicroxus are recognized, N. bogotensis, endemic to the Cordillera Oriental in Colombia and Cordillera de Mérida and Páramo de Tamá in Venezuela, and N. latebricola that occurs northern Andes of Ecuador. The genus is among the most poorly understood Neotropical rodents and to date no formal assessment about its alpha taxonomy was conducted. Based on DNA evidence of the first portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cytb) and the first exon of the interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP), as well as craniodental measurements,we explored the divergence degree, genetic structure and phyletic relationships of the two species currently allocated under Neomicroxus. Our analyses support the monophyly of the genus as well as its uncertain tribal affiliation. Neomicroxus was retrieved as structured in two main branches, in agreement with the traditional recognition of two species. The populations referred to N. bogotensis exhibit deep divergence values (> 6 %) pointing to the existence of undescribed species under its concept. In contrast, populations of N. latebricola show a shallow genetic structure although implying recognizable geographical breaks. A moderate degree of genetic and morphological differentiation supports a new subspecies for the western populations of N. latebricola. Our contribution is the first attempt to better understanding the alpha taxonomy of Neomicroxus, highlighting the importance of the geographic complexity as a barrier to the genetic flow in N. bogotensis and the significance of the subspecies concept to formalize the geographic variation recovered in N. latebricola. Neomicroxus, un género recientemente nominado, agrupa roedores cricétidos de pequeño tamaño distribuidos en zonas altas de los Andes, desde Ecuador hasta Venezuela. Actualmente, se reconocen dos especies,

show abstract

Occurrence of Marmosa waterhousei in the Venezuelan Andes, with comments on its biogeographic significance

Cited by 10 publications

References 9 publications

The Taxonomic Status of Mazama bricenii and the Significance of the Táchira Depression for Mammalian Endemism in the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela

The Taxonomic Status of Mazama bricenii and the Significance of the Táchira Depression for Mammalian Endemism in the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela

Can biotic interactions cause allopatry? Niche models, competition, and distributions of South American mouse opossums

Alpha-taxonomy in the cricetid rodent Neomicroxus, a first assessment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About