Abstract
The red brocket deer Mazama americana Erxleben, 1777 is considered a polyphyletic complex of cryptic species with wide chromosomal divergence. Evidence indicates that the observed chromosomal divergences result in reproductive isolation. The description of a neotype for M. americana allowed its genetic characterization and represented a comparative basis to resolve the taxonomic uncertainties of the group. Thus, we designated a neotype for the synonym Mazama rufa Illiger, 1815 and tested its recognition as a distinct species from the M. americana complex with the analysis of morphological, cytogenetic and molecular data. We also evaluated its distribution by sampling fecal DNA in the wild. Morphological data from craniometry and body biometry indicated an overlap of quantitative measurements between M. rufa and the entire M. americana complex. The phylogenetic hypothesis obtained through mtDNA confirmed the reciprocal monophyly relationship between M. americana and M. rufa, and both were identified as distinct molecular operational taxonomic units by the General Mixed Yule Coalescent species delimitation analysis. Finally, classic cytogenetic data and fluorescence in situ hybridization with whole chromosome painting probes showed M. rufa with a karyotype of 2n = 52, FN = 56. Comparative analysis indicate that at least fifteen rearrangements separate M. rufa and M. americana (sensu stricto) karyotypes, which confirmed their substantial chromosomal divergence. This divergence should represent an important reproductive barrier and allow its characterization as a distinct and valid species. Genetic analysis of fecal samples demonstrated a wide distribution of M. rufa in the South American continent through the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and south region of Amazon. Thus, we conclude for the revalidation of M. rufa as a distinct species under the concept of biological isolation, with its karyotype as the main diagnostic character. The present work serves as a basis for the taxonomic review of the M. americana complex, which should be mainly based on cytogenetic characterization and directed towards a better sampling of the Amazon region, the evaluation of available names in the species synonymy and a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis.
Highlights
The genus Mazama Rafinesque, 1817 is the most diversified of the tribe Odocoileini with nine species of medium-sized (10–65 kg), solitary forest deer with spiked antlers, and elusive behavior (Weber and Gonzalez, 2003; Merino and Rossi, 2010; Gutiérrez et al, 2015)
Two species previously classified as M. americana, Mazama temama (Kerr, 1972) and Mazama bororo (Duarte and Jorge, 1996), have already been recognized as distinct species based on their extreme chromosomal differences (Jorge and Benirsche, 1977; Duarte and Jorge, 2003)
These findings support the hypothesis that M. rufa is a distinct species from M. americana, given that smaller karyotypic differences among other M. americana cytotypes resulted in complete sterility of their hybrids (Cursino et al, 2014; Salviano et al, 2017)
Summary
The genus Mazama Rafinesque, 1817 is the most diversified of the tribe Odocoileini with nine species of medium-sized (10–65 kg), solitary forest deer with spiked antlers, and elusive behavior (Weber and Gonzalez, 2003; Merino and Rossi, 2010; Gutiérrez et al, 2015). The red brocket deer M. americana was identified as a complex of cryptic species because it does not represent a monophyletic group and presents great karyotypic diversity (Duarte et al, 2008; Abril et al, 2010; Gutiérrez et al, 2017; Heckeberg, 2020). After that two distinct chromosomal lineages were identified for the species and several cytotypes (geographically established karyotypes) were described (Abril et al, 2010) One of these main lineages has a low chromosome number (2n 42–45) and is located in the western Amazon. It is composed of cytotypes Rondônia (RO; 2n 42/43; FN 46) and Juína
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