Genética de poblaciones amazónicas: la historia evolutiva del jaguar, ocelote, delfín rosado, mono lanudo y piurí, reconstruida a partir de sus genes

Abstract

Amazon population genetics: the evolutionary history of the jaguar, ocelot, pink river dolphin, woolly monkey and wattled curassow reconstructed through their genes

The Amazon has more than the half of the world’s biodiversity. Nevertheless, the major fraction of the Amazon species has unknown evolutionary histories. This is also certain for mammals and birds. Population genetics, employing molecular markers and theoretical mathematics models, can reconstruct these evolutionary histories and offer very powerful tools for the application of correct conservation politics. Herein, we show a comparative view of population genetics results obtained for Amazon populations of jaguar, ocelot, pink river dolphin, woolly monkey and wattled curassow and provide recommendation for their biological conservation. Each species showed its own specific evolutionary particularities, characteristics that were not shared by the other species. This finding should be taken into consideration for any effective biological conservation program.