Diversification of the species Thylamys karimii (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia) in the Cerrado and Caatinga Biomes.

• Grant number: 23/09120-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Joyce Rodrigues Do Prado
• Grantee: Ana Paula Gomes Bispo
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12632-0 - An old sample tells a good story: the evolutionary history of mammals from the diagonal of open vegetation of South America told by biological collections, AP.BTA.JP

Abstract

It is imperative to study species diversity, especially in Brazil, which has a wide variety of biomes. The Cerrado and Caatinga biomes stand out for their richness in species. However, these biomes are threatened due to human actions, such as deforestation and climate change. Widely distributed throughout these biomes are marsupials from the Didelphidae family, including the species Thylamys karimii. The genus Thylamys encompasses marsupials of small body sizes known for their tail's protuberance and the tricolor color of their coat. Despite its abundance in collections, it is categorized as vulnerable due to habitat loss. The present proposal aims to characterize the morphological and genetic variation structure in T. karimii populations in the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes, relating this variation to the environment in which they live. Morphological variation will be accessed from morphometric data. Fresh and/or historical samples from biological collections will be used to generate genomic data using the "Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs)" technique. Environmental variables will be used to infer the ecological niches of T. karimii through the n-dimensional hypervolume. The integration of morphometric, genomic and ecological data will be a basis for a detailed description of the phylogeographic patterns of this species, as well as for the description of its evolutionary history, thus contributing to a greater understanding of the patterns of diversity and diversification of the biota of the Caatinga and Cerrado.