Biogeografia cladística e sistemática molecular de tatus do gênero Dasypus e uma abordagem filogeográfica da espécie D. novemcinctus (Mammalia, Cingulata, Dasypodidae)

Abstract

Dasypus represents a genus of armadillos that comprises in seven living species and two fossil: D. hybridus, D. kappleri, D. novemcinctus, D. pilosus, D. sabanicola, D. septemcinctus, D. yepesi, D. bellus and D. punctatus. The aim of this study was to recognize patterns of distribution of the Dasypus species, searching to propose an evolutionary history for the group. In addition to analyzing the genetic variability of different populations of Dasypus novemcinctus. For the biogeographic analyzes, 612 ocurrence records of the Dasypus species were analyzed through the Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA) method. Molecular analyzes were performed through the distance p, maximum likelihood and haplotypes network (median-joining) of 99 sequences of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome b of D. novemcinctus. Sequences of the other species of Dasypus and other armadillos (Cabassous tatouay, Chaetophractus villosus, Chlamyphorus truncatus, Euphractus sexcinctus) were included for molecular systematics analyzes. The biogeographic analyzes showed that the Amazonian regions of South America had an earlier influence on the species of Dasypus, in addition, they also suggest that the higher diversification of this group occurred during the Quaternary. Molecular analyzes suggest four distinct lineages (groups I, II, III and IV) among D. novemcinctus haplotypes. Group I was the largest, with 53 haplotypes and distribution in Brazil, Paraguay and Peru. In the systematic analyzes the species D. sabanicola and D. yepesi were positioned within this group, suggesting controversial validity or strictly related species. Among the other groups, it was suggested that: (1) the occurrence of D. novemcinctus in North America (Group II) can be reconsidered at a specific level (e.g. D. mexicanus); (2) the Amazon Basin region may harbor three distinct lineages (Group III and two Group IV haplotypes); And (3) four haplotypes from Group IV may correspond to the species D. septemcinctus. In conclusion, the species D. novemcinctus has questionable occurrences and its wide distribution needs to be reconsidered. All analyzes reinforce the need for a taxonomic revision for this group in order to elucidate hiatus in the validity and distribution of some species, in addition, molecular analyzes demonstrated that the genetic marker Cytochrome b was effective in the identification of divergent lineages between the haplotypes of D. novemcinctus