Historical connections among river basins and climatic changes explain the biogeographic history of a water rat.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The water rat Nectomys squamipes (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) is a semiaquatic rodent from eastern South America that shows shallow genetic structure across space, according to some studies. We tested the influence of hydrography and climatic changes on the genetic and phylogeographic structure of this semiaquatic small mammal.

Methods

DNA sequences of two mitochondrial genetic markers (Cyt b and D-loop) and six microsatellite loci from water rats were collected at 50 localities in five river basins in the Atlantic Forest along the eastern coast of South America. We evaluated the genetic structure within and among river basins, and we estimated divergence dates. Species distribution models for the present and past were built to identify possible gene flow pa

SUBMITTER: Dalapicolla J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6065461 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature