Contribuições à sistemática e distribuição preditiva dos roedores Juliomys (Cricetidea, Sigmodontinae)

Abstract

The Juliomys are small-sized arboreal rodents. Since its establishment in 2000, the genus has been studied, and new information has been presented progressively. However, due to the short time period, many questions are still awaiting for answers related about general biology, ecological relationships, geographic distribution, species richness, and phylogenetic position within the Sigmodontinae. Morphometric and genetic studies are important tools to explore these lines. The aim of this study was to analyze the morphology and the genetic markers in order to subsidize the systematic and biogeography of Juliomys species. We use methods of morphologic, morphometric, and molecular analyses to define the new taxon. We produce maps of potential occurrence of the species according to the environmental preferences. Finally, we tested the monophyly of the genus within Sigmodontinae through the study of a molecular marker. Corroborating previous studies, we describe and propose a new species for the genus. The species distribution modeling revealed interesting patterns with unequal distributions along the Atlantic Forest biome. We endorse that Juliomys it is a monophyletic clade, despite the morphological differences. Studies grounded phylogenetically as well as monophyletic clades should be based delivery approaches. It is notorious that natural history museum collections are essential sources of wildlife information, which was crucial to this study. The conservation of fauna takes the systematic and biogeography assumptions, as those presented in this study, to underpin their actions.