Integrative taxonomy of the genus Proechimys (Rodentia: Echimydae) from Western Amazon

Abstract

Proechimys is a rodent genus of the family Echimyidae widely distributed in the Amazon. Although it is abundant and widely distributed this genus is rarely studied, and its taxonomy and systematics is little resolved. This knowledge gap prejudice work in other areas, especially in ecology, because the Proechimys species are externally similar, hindering its identification in the field. Few studies were published with morphological variation and genetic populations of Proechimys. The main objective of this project is to describe the morphological, genetic and species diversity of Proechimys in the Western Amazon. For this I will analyze about 300 Proechimys specimens from four localities in the western Amazon and their morphological variation will be evaluated from 20 quantitative and 40 qualitative characters of skull, skin and baculum. To assess the genetic variation I will sequence part of the genome RAD-seq technique. Demographic data from population genetics will be obtained to explain the population dynamics of these populations. A proposal for phylogeny will be created for the genus Proechimys to test the monophyly of species based solely on morphology groups suggested in the literature and to map and evolutionary history of morphological and ecological characters within the genus. Thus, the expectation is to increase knowledge about the population dynamics of species of this genus, as well as to increase information about its natural and evolutionary history. These data will help works on ecology, conservation of species Proechimys and also about the fauna surveys in the Western Amazon. (AU)