Molecular Population Genetics, Evolutionary Biology and Biological Conservation of Neotropical Carnivores

$375.00

Manuel Ruiz-Garcia, PhD
Professor Titular-Catedrático, Coordinador Unidad de Genética, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana,Bogotá, Colombia

Joseph M. Shostell
Penn State University-Fayette, PA, US

Series: Genetics – Research and Issues, Animal Science, Issues and Research
BISAC: MED107000

The neotropical ecoregion consisting of South America, Central America, Southern Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Southern Florida, has long been considered an area rich in mammalian diversity and one that contains some of the world’s iconic carnivores such as the Jaguar and Puma. These, and other carnivores represent the highest trophic levels within neotropical areas and as keystone species, can markedly alter omnivore and herbivore mammalian communities and indirectly, plant communities. Unfortunately, due to human population pressures, many neotropical areas and the mammals within them are increasingly at risk. This problem is compounded by the lack of current genetics, evolutionary biology and conservation data of these critical carnivores available to conservation biologists at the forefront of trying to preserve and protect these imperiled geographical areas. This book helps to meet these shortcomings by providing contributions from 60 of the world’s leading scientists in the area of neotropical carnivores.

The first section of the book covers molecular population genetics and phylogeography of diverse neotropical carnivores such as otters, coatis and other Mustelidae and Procyonidae, wild cats (jaguar, puma, ocelot, jaguarondi, Pampas cat, and Andean cat) and the Andean bear. Significant sections of the book are also devoted to the topics of reproduction, geometric morphometrics of wild canids and a complete paleontological view of the evolution of all neotropical carnivore groups. Furthermore, the book contains several chapters on the conservation details and varying cultural perspectives regarding the two larger and more mythical neotropical carnivores, the jaguar and the Andean bear, which together, are the paradigm for the conservation programs in Central and South America. (Imprint: Nova)

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1. An Introduction to the Neotropical Carnivores: A Review
(Joseph M. Shostell1, and Manuel Ruiz-Garcia, Penn State University-Fayette, Uniontown, Pennsylvania, USA, and others)

MOLECULAR POPULAR GENETICS AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

Chapter 2. Molecular Phylogenetics of Two Neotropical Carnivores, Eira Barbara (Mustelidae) and Potos flavus (Procyonidae): No Existence of Putative Morphological Subspecies
(M. Ruiz-García, N. Lichilín-Ortiz, and M. F. Jaramillo)

Chapter 3. How are Amazon and Orinoco Rivers Related? Preliminary Results on the Comparative History, Structure and Dynamics of Giant Otters, Pteronura brasiliensis, from Western Amazonia
(B. de Thoisy, M. Ruiz-García, L. Castellanos-Mora and A. Lavergne)

Chapter 4. Phylogenetics Relationships among Four Putative Taxa of Foxes of the Pseudoalopex genus (Canidae, Carnivora) and Molecular Population Genetics of Ps. culpaeus and Ps. Sechurae
(M. Ruiz-García, D. Rivas-Sánchez and N. Lichilín-Ortiz)

Chapter 5. The Genetic Demographic History and Phylogeography of the Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) by Means of Microsatellites and mtDNA markers
(M. Ruiz-García)

Chapter 6. Population Genetics of the Felid leopardus guigna in Southern South America: Identifying Intraspecific Units for Conservation
(C. Napolitano, J. Sanderson, W.E. Johnson, S. J. O’Brien, A. Rus, Hoelzel, R. Freer, N. Dunstone, K. Ritland & E. Poulin)

Chapter 7. Population Genetics and Spatial Sructure in Two Andean Cats (the Pampas cat, Leopardus pajeros and the Andean Mountain Cat, L. jacobita) by Means of Nuclear and Mitochondrial Markers and Some Notes on Skull Biometrics
(M. Ruiz-García, D. Cossíos, M. Lucherini, José Yáñez, M. Pinedo, and B. Angers)

Chapter 8. Population Genetics and Phylogeographic Analyses of the jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) by Means of Three Mitochondrial Markers: The First Molecular Population Study of this Species
(M. Ruiz-García and M. Pinedo-Castro)

Chapter 9. Craneometric and Microsatellite Genetic Differentiation among Putative Ocelot Subspecies (Leopardus pardalis) throughout Latin America
(M. Ruiz-García, C. Corrales, and M. Pinedo)

Chapter 10. Determination of Microsatellite DNA Mutation Rates, Mutation Models and Mutation Bias in Four Main Felidae Lineages (European wild cat, Felis silvestris; Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis; Puma, Puma concolor; Jaguar, Panthera onca)
(M. Ruiz-García, R. García-Perea, C. Corrales, A. Murillo, D. Álvarez, M. Pinedo-Castro, and J.M. Shostell)

Chapter 11. Population Genetics and Phylogeography of the Largest Wild Cat in the Americas: An Analysis of the Jaguar by Means of Microsatellites and Mitochondrial Gene Sequences
(M. Ruiz-García, C. Vásquez, A. Murillo, M. Pinedo and D. Álvarez)

Chapter 12. Craniometric Variation in Jaguar Subspecies (Panthera onca) from Colombia
(M. Ruiz-García and E. Payán)

Chapter 13. Reproduction and Placentation in Neotropical Carnivores
(M.R. McGowen, D. Agnew and D.E. Wildman)

Chapter 14. Fossils of South American Land Carnivores (Carnivora, Mammalia)
(L. Soilbezon and F.J. Prevosti)

BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION

Chapter 15. Andean Bear Core Area Overlap in the Intag Region, Ecuador
(A.X. Castellanos)

Chapter 16. Hematology and Blood Chemistry of the Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Ecuador: Comparative Values between Captive Zoo Bears and Rehabilitated-Free Bears
(A.X. Castellanos, L. Arias, E. Payán, M. Ruiz-García)

Chapter 17. State of the Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Bolivia
(V. Albarracín, S. Paisley, E. Aliaga-Rossel, X. Vélez Liendo)

Chapter 18. Where Will Jaguars Roam? The Importance of Survival in Unprotected Lands
(E. Payán, C. Carbone, K. Homewood, E. Paemelaere, H. Quigley and S. Durant)

Chapter 19. The Jaguar Corridor Initiative: A Range-Wide Conservation Strategy
(K.A. Zeller, A. Rabinowitz, R. Salom-Perez, and H. Quigley)
<a href=”https://novapublishers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/978-1-62417-071-3_ch19.pdf” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Free Download Available</a>

Chapter 20. Diversity, Distribution and Conservation of Bolivian Carnivores
(R.B. Wallace, H. López-Strauss, N. Mercado and Z.R. Porcel)

Index

Publish with Nova Science Publishers

We publish over 800 titles annually by leading researchers from around the world. Submit a Book Proposal Now!