Conservation Genetics of Rodents in Argentina

Abstract

Molecular genetic data are increasingly used to assist in species identification and delimitation, and provide a powerful tool to detect conservation units (population/s of an organism considered to be different for conservation purposes). In combination with distributional and ecological information, molecular genetic data can contribute to establishing the conservation status of species and populations. Here, we review these applications to rodent species in Argentina, a diverse assemblage of some 200 species. We capitalize on recent efforts to establish the conservation status of mammals in Argentina and combine this information with available molecular genetic data for rodents in this country. This portion of the southern South America offers exceptional cases of population differentiation and species diversification related to a wide and diverse geography, which includes varied landscapes such as the Patagonian steppe, Andean highlands, tropical and subtropical forests, and the Monte and Pampa regions. Many species are data deficient (including no or limited genetic data) and only known from their type localities. Among the remaining species, most have at least some available mitochondrial DNA sequence data and these, coupled with morphological, karyotypic and (less frequently) nuclear DNA sequence or microsatellite data have been instrumental in identifying and delimiting species. In general, multilocus data with the desirable geographical density are lacking for all but a few species that have been studied in greater detail. Studies coupling genetic and ecological data (e.g. landscape or ecological genetics) are limited to a handful of more intensively studied cases. Given that habitat loss and fragmentation are among the major threats for survival of natural populations, assessing the extent of these threatening processes is crucial in conservation management and a priority in studies of conservation biology.