Taxonomic review of the species complex Potamotrygon scobina Garman, 1913 (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae): implications on the biogeography of the family Potamotrygonidae and the South American Continent

• Grant number: 12/19479-1
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): January 05, 2013
• Effective date (End): March 04, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Rodrigues de Carvalho
• Grantee: João Pedro Fontenelle de Araújo Freire da Silva
• Supervisor abroad: Shane Timothy Ahyong
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Local de pesquisa : Australian Museum, Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/03952-7 - Morphology and systematics of Potamotrygon scobina Garman, 1913 (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae): a species complex?, BP.MS

Abstract

The family Potamotrygonidae comprises approximately 25 species in four valid genera. Potamotrygon scobina Garman 1913, was described based on a juvenile male specimen, from the lower Rio Tocantins (Cameta), but P. scobina has already been collected in a number of other localities in the Amazon basin. This variation makes it uncertain whether Potamotrygon scobina is actually a species complex or only a single species with large variability. In order to solve part of the problem of family, P. scobina will be taxonomically reviewed in order to redefine the limits of the species. The masters project linked to this proposal aims the taxonomic revision and understanding the distribution of these populations. The total gain of the project depends, however, on the deepening of the biogeographic study relevant to the data obtained, together with a specialist of this area. This proposal is a request for a Bolsa de Estágio de Pesquisa no Exterior (Bepe), to be held at the Australian Museum (AM). Once in the AM, the candidate will deepen the study of biogeography to important regions of the Amazon basin, in addition to collecting data about the hypothesis of evolution of Amazonian rivers and family Potamotrygonidae. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FONTENELLE, JOAO PEDRO; LOBODA, THIAGO S.; KOLMANN, MATTHEW; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R. Angular cartilage structure and variation in Neotropical freshwater stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae), with comments on their function and evolution. ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, v. 183, n. 1, p. 121-142, MAY 2018. Web of Science Citations: 1.

FONTENELLE, JOAO PEDRO; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R. Systematic revision of the Potamotrygon scobina Garman, 1913 species-complex (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae), with the description of three new freshwater stingray species from Brazil and comments on their distribution and biogeography. Zootaxa, v. 4310, n. 1, p. 1+, AUG 21 2017. Web of Science Citations: 5.