First report of complete albinism in Mazama americana (Erxleben, 1777) in the Biological Reserve of Tapirapé, Oriental Amazon, Brazil

Raquel Ribeiro,Diogenes Henrique De Siqueira-Silva

doi:10.4025/actascibiolsci.v42i1.46734

Raquel Ribeiro, Diogenes Henrique De Siqueira-Silva

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4025/actascibiolsci.v42i1.46734

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Abstract

Albinism is a genetic condition that results in total hypopigmentation of the eyes, fur, skin, hair, scales, and feathers of an organism. Albinism might result in a selective disadvantage for affected animals. Cases of albinism have been previously recorded in Neotropical vertebrates, such as reptiles, mammals, birds, and fish. However, observing albinism in a wild population is still considered to be a rare event. This paper reports a unique case of complete albinism in a red-brocket deer (Mazama americana) living in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The individual was observed within the Biological Reserve of Pará State, one of the most deforested regions of the Brazilian Amazon. The survival of the albino red-brocket deer in the wild can be related to mechanisms of apostatic selection, which theorize the survival of individual prey animals whose mutations make them less likely to be attacked by predators. In other words, the more different a prey animal is from others, the less likely it will be targeted by predators. The high abundance prey animals within the Biological Reserve of Tapirapé seems to support this prediction. This report exemplifies the importance of monitoring the biodiversity and promoting the conservation of favorable habitats to support species multiplicity in highly fragmented regions, as in the Brazilian Amazon.

Highlights

Albinism is a group of genetic conditions passed from parents to offspring through a recessive gene that results in hypopigmentation of the eyes, scales, hair, feathers and skin
In contrast to partial albinism, leucism is controlled by a single recessive allele, and leucistic animals retain the pigmentation of their eyes, bills, and legs
Over the last two years (2016-2018), a monitoring program for medium and large mammals has been active within the Biological Reserve of Tapirapé (REBIOTA), a Conservation Unit of Integral Protection Program located at Marabá municipality, Southeast of Pará State, Brazil (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

Albinism is a group of genetic conditions passed from parents to offspring through a recessive gene that results in hypopigmentation of the eyes, scales, hair, feathers and skin. The degree of albinism varies among animal groups. Complete or true albinism is characterized by a complete lack of melanin. This results in pale skin, white fur, and pink eyes (Summers, 2009). Partial albinism occurs when pigmentation is reduced or absent from the integument, feather, scales or eyes. Animals with partial albinism have the capability to produce a limited set of colors (Berdeen & Otis, 2011). In contrast to partial albinism, leucism is controlled by a single recessive allele, and leucistic animals retain the pigmentation of their eyes, bills, and legs. That said leucistic animals have no pigmentation in their skin or plumage (Forrest & Naveen, 2000)⁠

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