What is it about?
There are currently around 60 species of the South American burrowing rodent tuco-tuco. The high number of species is due to the fact that these rodents have undergone enormous levels of chromosomal evolution. This makes defining the many different species a challenging task. Named for its bell-like call, which can be heard from its underground burrows, the gopher-like tuco-tuco is endemic to Argentina and dwells in subtropical or tropical dry lowland grasslands. Fascinating to biologists, the tuco-tuco has managed to survive for thousands of years in harsh climates. With around 60 identified species, tuco-tucos vary physically, in terms of colour, skeletal characteristics, and other features such as their chromosomal constitution.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Good species definition is essential for planning conservation approaches in tuco-tucos. Certain groups of tuco-tucos are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species which is why redefining a species definition that could change the threat level of certain groups of the animals.
Perspectives
Chromosomes are potential barriers to gene flow, since chromosomal races hybrids may produce unbalanced - and deleterious- gametes. This character togheter with inferred genetic isolation by microsatellite clustering and molecular phylogenies can serve to delimit independently evoling lineages.
Diego A Caraballo
Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Integrative lineage delimitation in rodents of the Ctenomys Corrientes group, Mammalia, February 2017, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2016-0162.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
