Spermatogenesis in a vulnerable South American cervid, dwarf red brocket (Mazama rufina)

Abstract

The Neotropical region is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with six of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, namely Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. However, anthropogenic impacts on the abundance and diversity of wild species are endangering the ecological balance of ecosystems, requiring new lines of research that can contribute to the development of effective conservation strategies (Antonelli et al., 2018;Jorge et al., 2013;Rull & Carnaval, 2020). In this sense, knowledge of reproductive biology is essential to understand reproductive patterns and to develop conservation programmes, considering that studies on endangered species are scarce and under strict legal regulations (Caldeira et al.,

The morphological postnatal development of the testis of the Nubian bucks

“…The differentiation of spermatids into mature spermatozoa is known as spermiogenesis. The sustentacular cells of Sertoli are tall, extending from the basal lamina to the lumen of seminiferous tubules (Diaz et al, 2022; Sinowatz & Amselgruber, 1988). A large proportion of the basal part of the cell is occupied by the pale nucleus which contains a large nucleolus (Shi et al, 2013).…”