GENETIC DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF RODENTS (RODENTIA: CRICETIDAE, SCIURIDAE, ECHIMYIDAE) IN THE WESTERN AMAZON

• Grant number: 23/11706-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Reis Percequillo
• Grantee: Luis Guilherme de Queiroz
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/11444-0 - Diversity of neotropical rodents (Rodentia: Sciuridae, Cricetidae, Echimyidae): origin, evolution and biogeography, AP.TEM

Abstract

The taxonomic diversity is still poorly known in several mammal groups. By understanding it, new advances can be achieved both in our understanding on the biota evolutionary history and in decision-making for works about species conservation. Therefore, this project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the rodent diversity in the families Sciuridae, Cricetidae and Echimyidae through a molecular investigation using specimens previously collected in the field and borrowed from tissue bank collectionsfrom regions in the Western Amazon very poorly studied. The present study is part of tematic project "Diversity of neotropical rodents (Rodentia: Sciuridae, Cricetidae, Echimydae): origin, evolution and biogeography", which aims to unravel the patterns of molecular and morphological variation and processes of ecomorphological diversity and species diversification in rodents of the three aforementioned families, from the Amazon region. The results obtained will be of enormous importance for understanding the evolution of mammals in the Neotropical region and may be used as a basis for future work on biodiversity conservation.