Abstract
The mid-Araguaia River basin in central Brazil is considered a priority area for biodiversity conservation, and Parque Estadual do Cantão (PEC) is one of the most important protected areas in this ecotone between Cerrado and Amazonia. This area suffers an intensive human pressure with high rates of deforestation, and still remains poorly studied in terms of biodiversity. From June 2007 to November 2008 we sampled small mammals from both banks of the mid-Araguaia River, in the states of Tocantins and Pará. Data are given about morphological traits, geographic distribution and natural history of 22 species of small non-volant mammals (eight marsupials and 14 rodents) surveyed at PEC and its surroundings. We also present mitochondrial phylogenetic analyses that allow species identification within the genera: Oecomys, Oligoryzomys and Rhipidomys, and delineate an undescribed species of Thrichomys. Based on morphologic and molecular data, we describe a new species of Rhipidomys previously assigned to R. nitela, which is apparently endemic to the AraguaiaTocantins basin in the Cerrado. Additionally, our phylogenetic analyses provide support for the role played by the Araguaia River as an important geographic barrier for two sister species of Rhipidomys.References
Ackerly, D.D., Thomas, W.W., Ferreira, C.A.C. & Pirani, J.R. (1989) The forest–Cerrado transition zone in Southern Amazonia: Results of the 1985 Projeto Amazônica expedition to Mato Grosso. Brittonia, 41, 113–128.
Antonelli, A., Quijada–Mascarenas, A., Crawford, A.J., Bates, J.M., Velazco, P.M. & Wuster, W. (2010) Molecular studies and phylogeography of Amazonian tetrapods and their relation to geological and climatic models. In: Hoorn, C. & Wesselingh, F. (Eds), Amazonia, Landscape and Species Evolution: A Look into the Past. Wiley–Blackwell, West Sussex, UK, pp. 386–404.
Ayres, J.M. & Clutton-Brock, T.H. (1992) River boundaries and species range size in Amazonian primates. American Naturalist, 140, 531–537.
Barreto, G.R. & García-Rangel, S. (2005) Holochilus sciureus. Mammalian Species, 780, 1– 5.
Bezerra, A.M.R., Carmignotto, A.P. & Rodrigues, F.H.G. (2009) Small non-volant mammals of na ecotone region between the Cerrado hotspot and the Amazonian rainforest, with comments on their taxonomy and distribution. Zoological Studies, 48, 861–874.
Bonvicino, C.R., Cerqueira, R. & Soares, V.A. (1996) Habitat use by small mammals of upper Araguaia river. Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 56, 761–767.
Bonvicino, C.R., Lemos, B. & Weksler, M. (2005) Small mammals of Chapada do Veadeiros National Park (Cerrado of central Brazil): ecological, karyological, and taxonomic considerations. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 65, 395–406.
Bonvicino, C.R., Lima, J.F.S. & Almeida, F.C. (2003) A new species of Calomys Waterhouse (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) from the Cerrado of Central Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, 20, 301–307.
Bonvicino, C.R., Oliveira, J.A. & D’Andrea, P.S. (2008) Guia dos Roedores do Brasil, com chaves para gêneros baseadas em caracteres externos. Centro Pan-Americano de Febre Aftosa, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 120 pp.
Bonvicino, C.R., Oliveira, J.A. & Gentile, R. (2010) A new species of Calomys (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) from Eastern Brazil. Zootaxa, 2336, 19–25.
Bonvicino, C.R., Otazu, I.B. & D’Andrea, P.S. (2002) Karyologic evidences of diversification of the genus Thrichomys (Rodentia, Echimyidae). Cytogenetics and Genome Research, 97, 200–204.
Braggio, E. & Bonvicino, C.R. (2004) Molecular divergence in the genus Thrichomys (Rodentia, Echimyidae). Journal of Mammalogy, 85, 316–320.
Bruford, M.W., Hanotte, O., Brookfield, J.F.Y. & Burke, T. (1992) Single-locus and DNA fingerprinting. In: Hoelzel, A. R. (Eds), Molecular genetic analyses of populations. A Pratical Approach. IRL Press, Oxford, pp. 225–269.
Cavalcanti, R.B. & Joly, C.A. (2002) Biodiversity and conservation priorities in the Cerrado region. In: Oliveira, P. A. & Marquis, R. J. (Eds), The Cerrados of Brazil, ecology and natural history of a neotropical savanna. Columbia University Press, New York, USA, pp. 351–367.
Costa, L.P. (2003) The historical bridge between the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil: a study of molecular phylogeography with small mammals. Journal of Biogeography, 30, 71–86.
Costa, B.M.A., Geise, L., Pereira, L.G. & Costa, L.P. (in press) Phylogeography of Rhipidomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) and the description of two new species from Southeastern Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy.
Da Silva, M.N.F & Patton, J.L. (1998) Molecular phylogeography and the evolution and conservation of Amazonian mammals. Molecular Ecology, 7, 475–486.
Emmons, L.H. (1993) On the identity of Echimys didelphoides Desmarest, 1817 (Mammalia: Rodentia: Echimyidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 106, 1–4.
Emmons, L.H. & Feer, F. (1997) Neotropical rainforest mammals, second edition. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 307 pp.
Gardner, A.L. (2007) American marsupials. In: Gardner, A. L. (Ed), Mammals of South America, Volume 1. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 1–126.
Gascon, C., Malcolm, J.R., Patton, J.L., da Silva, M.N.F., Bogart, J.P., Lougheed, S.C., Peres, C.A., Neckel, S. & Boag, P.T. (2000) Riverine barriers and the geographic distribution of Amazonian species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97, 13672–13677.
Gurnell, J. & Flowerdew, J.R. (1994) Live trapping small mammals, a practical guide. Occasional Publication of the Mammal Society, London, 36 pp.
Houaiss, A. & Villar, M.S. (2001) Dicionário Houaiss da Língua Portuguesa. Editora Objetiva, Rio de Janeiro, 2922 pp.
Johnson, M.A., Saraiva, P.M. & Coelho, D. (1999) The role of gallery forests in the distribution of Cerrado mammals. Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 59, 421–427.
Kimura, M. (1980) A single method for estimating evolutionary rate of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 16, 111–120.
Kumar, S., Dudley, J., Nei, M. & Tamura, K. (2008) MEGA: A biologist-centric software for evolutionary analysis of DNA and protein sequences. Briefings in Bioinformatics, 9, 299–306.
Lacher, T.E. & Alho, C.J.R. (2001) Terrestrial small mammal richness and habitat associations in an Amazon forest-Cerrado contact zone. Biotropica, 33, 171–181.
Lambert, T.D., Malcolm, J.R. & Zimmerman, B.L. (2006) Amazonian small mammal abundances in relation to habitat structure and resource abundance. Journal of Mammalogy, 87, 766–776.
Latrubesse, E.M. (2008) Patterns of anabranching channels: The ultimate end-member adjustment of mega rivers. Geomorphology, 101, 130–145.
Leite, Y.LR. & Patton, J.L. (2002) Evolution of South American spiny rats (Rodentia, Echimyidae): the star-phylogeny hypothesis revisited. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 25, 455–464.
Locks, M (1981) Nova espécie de Oecomys de Brasília, DF, Brasil (Cricetidae, Rodentia). Boletim do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300, 1–7.
Mares, M.A., Braun, J.K. & Gettinger, D. (1989) Observations o the distribution and ecology of the mammals of the Cerrado grasslands of Central Brazil. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 58, 1–60.
Mares, M.A. & Ernest, K.A. (1995) Population and community ecology of small mammals in a gallery forest of Central Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy, 76, 750–768
Mares, M.A., Ernest, K.A. & Gettinger, D.D. (1986) Small mammal community structure and composition in the Cerrado province of Central Brazil. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2, 289–300.
Marinho-Filho, J., Rodrigues, F.H.G. & Juarez, K.M. (2002) The Cerrado mammals: diversity, ecology, and natural history. In: Oliveira, P. A. & Marquis, R. J. (Eds), The Cerrados of Brazil, ecology and natural history of a neotropical savanna. Columbia University Press, New York, USA, pp. 266–284.
Martins, S.V., Brito, E.R., Oliveira–Filho, A.T., da Silva, A.F. & Silva, E. (2008) Floristic composition of two wetland forests in Araguaian plain, State of Tocantins, and comparison with other areas. Revista Árvore, 34, 129–141.
Martins, A.K.E., Schaefer, C.E.G.R., Silva, E., Soares, V.P., Corrêa, G.R. & de Mendonça, B.A.F. (2006) Relações solo-geoambientais em áreas de ocorrência de ipucas na planície do médio Araguaia – Estado de Tocantins. Revista Árvore, 30, 297–310.
Martins, I.C.M., Soares, V.P., Silva, E. & Brites, R.S. (2002) Diagnóstico ambiental no contexto da paisagem de fragmentos florestais naturais “Ipucas” no município de Lagoa da Confusão, Tocantins. Revista Árvore, 26, 299–309.
Miranda, G.B., Oliveira, L.F.B, Andrades-Miranda, J., Langguth, A., Callegari-Jacques, S.M. & Mattevi, M. (2009) Phylogenetics and phylogeographic patterns in sigmodontine rodents of the genus Oligoryzomys. Journal of Heredity, 100, 309–321.
Moritz, C., Patton, J.L., Schneider, C.J. & Smith, T.B. (2000) Diversification of Rainforest faunas: An integrated molecular approach. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 31, 533–563.
Morton, D.C., DeFries, R.S., Shimabukuros, Y.E., Anderson, L.O., Arai, E., Bon Espirito-Santo, F., Freitas, R. & Morisette, J. (2006) Cropland expansion changes deforestation dynamics in the southern Brazilian Amazon. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103, 14637–14641.
Myers, P., Lundrigan, B. & Tucker, P.K. (1995) Molecular phylogenetics of Oryzomyine rodents: the genus Oligoryzomys. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 4, 372–382.
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca, G.A.B. & Kent, J. (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403, 853–858.
Musser, G.G., Carleton, M.D., Brothers, E.M. & Gardner, A.L. (1998) Systematic studies of Oryzomyine Rodents (Muridae, Sigmodontinae): diagnoses and distributions of species formerly assigned to Oryzomys “capito”. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 236, 1–376.
Musser, G.G. & Carleton, M.D. (2005) Superfamily Muroidea. In: Wilson, D.E. & Reeder D.A. (Eds), Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference, 3rd edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA, pp. 894–1531.
Nitikman, L.Z. & Mares, M.A. (1987) Ecology of small mammals in a gallery forest of Central Brazil. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 56, 75–95.
Nylander, J.A.A. (2004) MrModeltest, version 2. Program distributed by the author. Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Oliveira–Filho, A.T. & Ratter, J.A. (2002) Vegetation physiognomies and woody flora of the Cerrado biome. In: Oliveira, P.A. & Marquis, R.J. (Eds), The Cerrados of Brazil, ecology and natural history of a neotropical savanna. Columbia University Press, New York, USA, pp. 91–120.
Palma, A.R.T. (2002) Estrutura de comunidades de pequenos mamíferos no Cerrado. PhD Dissertation, Universidade de Brasília, Brasil, 126 pp.
Patterson, B.D. (2000) Patterns and trends in the discovery of new Neotropical mammals. Diversity and Distributions, 6, 145–151.
Patton, J.L. (1987) Species group of spiny rats, genus Proechimys (Rodentia, Echimyidae). Fieldiana: Zoology, 39, 305–345.
Patton, J.L., da Silva, M.N.F. & Malcolm, J.R. (1994) Gene genealogy and differentiation among arboreal spiny rats (Rodentia: Echimyidae) of the Amazon basin: A test if the riverine barrier hypothesis. Evolution, 48, 1314–1323.
Patton, J.L., da Silva, M.N.F. & Malcolm, J.R. (2000) Mammals of the Rio Juruá and the evolutionary and ecological diversification of Amazonia. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 244, 1–306.
Pinheiro, R.T. & Dornas, T. (2009) Bird distribution and conservation on Cantão region, State of Tocantins: Amazon/Cerrado ecotone. Biota Neotropica, 9, 187–205.
Ratter, J.A., Bridgewater, S.B. & Ribeiro, J.F. (2003) Analysis of the floristic composition of the Brazilian Cerrado vegetation III: comparison of the woody vegetation of 376 areas. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 60, 57–109.
Ratter, J.A., Ribeiro, J.F. & Bridgewater, S.B. (1997) The Brazilian Cerrado vegetation and threats to its biodiversity. Annals of Botany, 80, 223–230.
Redford, K.H. & da Fonseca, G.A.B. (1986) The role of gallery forest in the zoogeography of the Cerrado’s non-volant mammalian fauna. Biotropica, 18, 126–135
Ronquist, F. & Huelsenbeck, J.P. (2003) MrBayes 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models. Bioinformatics, 19, 1572–1574.
Silvia, J.M.C. & Bates, J.M. (2002) Biogeographic patterns and conservation in the South American Cerrado: A tropical savanna hotspot. BioScience, 52, 225–233.
Smith, M.F. & Patton, J.L. (1993) The diversification of South American murid rodents: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequence data for the akodontine tribe. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 50, 149–177.
SPMA [Secretaria do Planejamento e Meio Ambiente do Estado do Tocantins] (2000) Avaliação ecológica rápida do Parque Estadual do Cantão. Governo do Estado do Tocantins, Palmas, 133 pp. Available from: http://central2.to.gov.br/arquivo/24/115 (30 May 2010)
Tribe, C.J. (1996) The neotropical rodent genus Rhipidomys (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) - a taxonomic revision. PhD Dissertation, University College, London, 316 pp.
Tribe, C.J. (2005) A new species of Rhipidomys (Rodentia, Muroidea) from North-estearn Brazil. Arquivos do Museu Nacional Rio de Janeiro, 63, 131–146.
Voss, R.S. (1988) Systematics and ecology of Ichthyomyine rodents (Muroidea): patterns of morphological evolution in a small adaptive radiation. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 188, 259–493.
Voss, R.S. (1991) An introduction to the neotropical muroid rodent genus Zygodontomys. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 210, 1–113.
Voss, R.S. & Carleton, M.D. (1993) A new genus for Hesperomys molitor Winge and Holochilus magnus Hershkovitz (Mammalia, Muridae) with an analysis of its phylogenetic relationships. American Museum Novitates, 3085, 1–39.
Voss, R.S. & Emmons, L.H. (1996) Mammalian diversity in neotropical lowland rainforest: a preliminary assessment. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 230, 1–115.
Voss, R.S. & Jansa, S.A. (2009) Phylogenetic relationships and classification of didelphid marsupials, an extant radiation of new world metatherian mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 322, 1–177.
Voss, R.S., Lunde, D.P. & Simmons, N.B. (2001) The mammals of Paracou, French Guiana: A neotropical lowland rainforest fauna part 2. Nonvolant species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 263, 1–236.
Voss, R.S. & Myers, P. (1991) Pseudoryzomys simplex (Rodentia: Muridae) and the significance of Lund’s collections from the Caves of Lagoa Santa, Brazil. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 206, 414–432.
Weksler, M. (2006) Phylogenetic relationships of Oryzomine Rodents (Muroidea: Sigmodontinae): separate and combined analyses of morphological and molecular data. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 296, 1–149.
Weksler, M. & Bonvicino, C.R. (2005) Taxonomy of pigmy rice rat genus Oligoryzomys Bangs, 1900 (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) of the Brazilian Cerrado, with the description of two new species. Arquivos do Museu Nacional, 63, 113–130.
Weksler, M., Bonvicino, C.R., Otazu, I.B. & Silva Júnior, J.S. (2001) Status of Proechimys roberti and P. oris (Rodentia: Echimyidae) from eastern Amazonia and central Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy, 82, 109–122.
Weksler, M., Percequillo, A.R. & Voss, R.S. (2006) Ten new genera of Oryzomyine Rodents (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae). American Museum Novitates, 3537, 1–29.
Wilson, D.E. & Reeder, D.A. (2005) Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference, 3rd edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA, 2142 pp.
Woods, C.A. & Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005) Infraorder Hystricognathi. In: Wilson, D.E. & Reeder D.A. (Eds), Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference, 3rd edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA, pp. 1538–1600.