Ctenomys magellanicus Bennett 1836
- Dataset
- Historical demography and spatial genetic structure of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys magellanicus in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- class
- Mammalia
- order
- Rodentia
- family
- Ctenomyidae
- genus
- Ctenomys
- species
- Ctenomys magellanicus
description
The concepts discussed here might be applied to the conservation of C. magellanicus. In that sense, it has been suggested that each region (north and south) might be considered an ESU, given their high degree of isolation, the fact that no mitochondrial haplotypes are shared, and that they present different chromosomal number and nuclear differentiation. Therefore, and given that C. magellanicus presents two chromosomal forms, it should be necessary to conserve individuals in both regions. Appropriate MUs could be defined within each ESU for the conservation of these rodents in Tierra del Fuego. Our results demonstrate that C. magellanicus presents a significant genetic and population structure, with limited genetic flow between the two regions and with differences within each, indicating that the south population is more genetically structured than the north population. Therefore, in the south, each subpopulation might be defined as an MU, given that they present high F st values between them (i. e. great divergence between subpopulations; all divergence values between subpopulations were> 0.3). Moreover, the four subpopulations of the south presented unique haplotypes that were not shared either by subpopulations within the same region or with the north region (i. e. haplotypes 2 and 3 were only found in subpopulation C; haplotype 8 in subpopulation D; haplotype 9 in subpopulation E; and haplotype 4 in subpopulation F). Therefore, if any of these subpopulations disappeared, then these unique haplotypes would also disappear. On the other hand, given that subpopulation B is likely to have arisen from subpopulation A and that in the north the degree of divergence is not high (Fasanella, 2012 a, b), we can considering population A as an MU for the north and thereby reduce conservation efforts. Future management and conservation plans for this species should contemplate the genetic differentiation aspects presented in this study. If any of the five MUs identified by this study should become extinct, a great part of the genetic pool of the species would be lost.
Name
- Homonyms
- Ctenomys magellanicus Bennett 1836