Systematic relationships of five newly sequenced cervid species

Abstract

Cervid phylogenetics has been puzzling researchers for over 150 years. In recent decades, molecular systematics has provided new input for both the support and revision of the previous results from comparative anatomy but has led to only partial consensus. Despite all of the efforts to reach taxon-wide species sampling over the last two decades, a number of cervid species still lack molecular data because they are difficult to access in the wild. By extracting ancient DNA from museum specimens, in this study, we obtained partial mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences for Mazama bricenii, Mazama chunyi, Muntiacus atherodes, Pudu mephistophiles, and Rusa marianna, including three holotypes. These new sequences were used to enrich the existing mitochondrial DNA alignments and yielded the most taxonomically complete data set for cervids to date. Phylogenetic analyses provide new insights into the evolutionary history of these five species. However, systematic uncertainties within Muntiacus persist and resolving phylogenetic relationships within Pudu and Mazama remain challenging.

Variability, morphometrics, and co‐variation of the os lacrimale in Cervidae

“…The overlap in size (PC1 in Figure e) and size‐independent shape (PC2 and PC3 in Figure e,f) seen for the lacrimal facial facet of Cervidae, Moschidae, and the two cervid subfamilies contrasts with the clear phylogenetic and systematic separation of these (sub‐) families (see, e.g., Hassanin et al, ; Heckeberg, Erpenbeck, Wörheide, & Rössner, ; Pitra, Fickel, Meijaard, & Groves, ). Thus, the extensive overlap between A alces (Capreolinae) and R eldii (Cervinae) in shape space indicates that the shape of the lacrimal facial facet is not a trait conserved within systematic relationship.…”

Phylogenetic Patterns Suggest Broad Susceptibility to Chronic Wasting Disease Across Cervidae

“…Published phylogenies also can be used to estimate which of the other taxa within Cervidae are at greatest risk for acquiring CWD, again based on the phylogenetic proximity of taxa with unknown susceptibility to CWD to taxa with known susceptibility. In the phylogeny of Heckeberg et al (2016), the 2 North American deer in the genus Odocoileus (both of which are highly susceptible to CWD; Williams et al 2002) nest within a larger clade consisting of Central and South American species of the brocket deer genus Mazama . This latter clade includes 5 species considered to be at elevated risk of extinction by the IUCN, and whose geographic distributions overlap those of ≥1 Odocoileus species (Allen 1915, Duarte et al 2008, Abril et al 2010).…”

“…Phylogenetic relationships among genera of Cervidae, redrawn from Heckeberg et al (2016). Genera containing ≥1 species with known susceptibility to chronic wasting disease (CWD) are indicated by solid arrows; genera containing ≥1 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List are indicated by open circles.…”

“…Application of a similar approach to estimate susceptibility of species of Cervidae to CWD is promising, but is complicated by multiple factors including the lack of a phylogenetic hypothesis that includes all known taxa; lack of agreement on the taxonomic status of certain species and subspecies; and significant lack of agreement regarding the phylogenetic patterns of relationships for certain taxa in the multiple partial phylogenies of this family that have been published to date (Heckeberg et al 2016). Phylogenetic estimation of CWD susceptibility within Cervidae is a less complex analytical problem than estimation of susceptibility of snakes in eastern North America to snake fungal disease, given the smaller number of taxa involved.…”

“…Phylogenetic estimation of CWD susceptibility within Cervidae is a less complex analytical problem than estimation of susceptibility of snakes in eastern North America to snake fungal disease, given the smaller number of taxa involved. The total number of species of Cervidae worldwide (55; Heckeberg et al 2016) is smaller than the total number of snake taxa in eastern North America (98; Burbrink et al 2017). We currently have CWD susceptibility information for just 9 of the 55 cervid species (Gillin and Mawdsley 2018).…”