Molecular identification of Mazama species (Cervidae: Artiodactyla) from natural history collections

Abstract

Natural history museum collections constitute an invaluable patrimony of biological diversity for analysing the taxa distribution and evolution. However, it is very common to discover taxonomic misidentification in museum collections based on incorrect data. The aim of this research was to identify brocket deer species (Mazama genus) using molecular markers. We collected 199 samples, performed DNA extraction and species identification using a specific mitochondrial marker based on a fragment of cytochrome b (Cytb) for Neotropical deer. We achieved the amplification and sequencing of 77 specimens and verified that 26% of the skulls were wrongly identified. Moreover, in the museum collections 57% of the specimens were only identified as Mazama sp, and we were able to identify them by molecular methods to the species level. Our findings clearly demonstrate the importance of integrating molecular analyses to identify Mazama species, since using only external morphology can result in a high probability of errors. We recommend the selection of non-convergent morphological characters, which together with the use of DNA collected from museum specimens should contribute to more accurate taxonomic identifications.

Revalidation of Mazama rufa (Illiger 1815) (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) as a Distinct Species out of the Complex Mazama americana (Erxleben 1777)

“…The detailed analysis of deposited specimens using a post hoc approach to compare the M. americana genetic lineages may contribute to the identification of diagnostic characters. This type of analysis is also called “reverse taxonomy” ( Markmann and Tautz, 2005 ) and can be an interesting way to identify morphological differences, reinforce the delimitations observed by genetic data and organize scientific collections where a high primary identification error in their Mazama vouchers have been observed ( Michaloudi et al, 2018 ; Mantellatto et al, 2020 ).…”

Satellite DNA in Neotropical Deer Species

“…SatII and satIV sequences of Mazama showed unresolved relationships both at the level of species differentiation as well as at the genus level. Incomplete lineage sorting of Mazama species with respect to other Neotropical deer consistently occurs in satellite DNA (this study), mtDNA phylogenies ( Figure S1 and [ 66 , 67 ]), and even with the molecular and morphological data combined [ 68 ]. Neotropical deer, as descendants of Nearctic ancestors that arrived to South America during the Great America Biotic Interchange between late Miocene and late Pleistocene [ 69 ], diverged in an explosive radiation, forming morphologically well-defined but genetically unresolved genera.…”

Description of Bisbalus, a New Genus for the Gray Brocket, Mazama cita Osgood, 1912 (Mammalia, Cervidae), as a Step to Solve the Neotropical Deer Puzzle

“…Within the subtribe Odocoileina, red brockets have been deemed to represent the true Mazama, with Mazama americana (Erxleben, 1777) [11] as the type species [7]. Also, within this subtribe, Mazama bricenii Thomas, 1908 [12] was synonymized with Mazama rufina Pucheran, 1851 [13,14]; the Yucatan brown brocket deer, formerly Mazama pandora Merriam, 1901 [15], was transferred to the genus Odocoileus Rafinesque, 1832 [7,16]; Mazama rufa (Illiger, 1815) [17] was validated [18]; and Mazama bororo Duarte, 1996 [19] was synonymized with Mazama jucunda Thomas, 1913 [20,21]. Within the subtribe Blastocerina, the monophyletic Azara's gray brocket, Mazama gouazoubira (Fischer, 1814) [22], has been proposed to belong to the resurrected genus Subulo Smith, 1827 [23], thus its updated name would be Subulo gouazoubira [24]; and the Amazonian gray brocket, formerly Mazama nemorivaga (Cuvier, 1817) [25] and recently updated to Passalites nemorivagus (Cuvier, 1817) [25], has been proposed to represent another genus within the Blastocerina given that it does not share a common ancestor with S. gouazoubira [7,8,26]).…”

“…One species needing a clarification of its phylogenetic relationships is Mazama americana citus Osgood, 1912 [27], whose type locality is "El Panorama, Rio Aurare, eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela". The specific allocation of this putative subspecies is based on the assumption that Cervus nemorivagus Cuvier, 1817 [25] is a synonym of Cervus americanus Erxleben, 1777 [5,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. The description of specimens characterizes them as paler and more grayish than those of typical "M. americana", with upperparts grizzled cinnamon that gradually become paler on the sides and underparts, white spots on the tarsal glands and on each side of the rhinarium and above each eye, a slightly larger body, notably larger cheek teeth, and differences in other minor cranial features [27].…”