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 molecul

SUBMITTER: Mantellatto AMB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7197991 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan-Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature