Figure 2 - available from: Journal of Mammalian Evolution
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Extinct (†) species geographic ranges in the Americas at three different times for a. Miracinonyx trumani, b.Homotherium serum, c.Smilodon fatalis, d. Panthera atrox, and e.Smilodon populator. Black continuous lines indicate continental limits for LIG and Current, and black dashed lines indicate continental limits for LGM
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Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that the ecological niche of species tends to be conservative over evolutionary time in many taxonomic groups, thus representing long-term stable constraints on species geographic distributions. Using an ecological niche modeling approach, we assessed the impact of climatic change on wild felid species po...
Citations
... This was also observed in the haplotype network analysis with north-west/Paramillo, Magdalena Basin and north-east/Catatumbo haplogroups showing a star-like pattern (one main abundant haplotype surrounded by haplotypes with few individuals; Fig. 3C), which is commonly found in populations that have undergone a demographic expansion (Slatkin & Hudson, 1991;Lanteri & Confalonieri, 2003), in addition to several mutational steps and absence of intermediate haplotypes between haplogroups, which could be related to demographic contractions or a bottleneck event (Ramos-Onsins & Rozas, 2002). One plausible explanation for this phylogeographical pattern might be associated with past climatological events that generated local extinctions of American crocodiles, as reported for other species in America (Zigouris et al., 2013;Arias-Alzate et al., 2017). It is important to highlight that the history of unsustainable use of crocodilians in Colombia could have accentuated this pattern; therefore, further studies testing this hypothesis are required. ...
Crocodylus acutus is the most widely distributed crocodile in the Neotropics, playing a key role in the ecosystems it inhabits. However, unsustainable use and habitat degradation have depleted its populations across its range. In Colombia, it is classified as Endangered by local authorities, and a legislative framework for its protection has been created, implementing hunting bans and breeding programmes. Successful implementation of these programmes depends on the existence of baseline genetic information, which is currently insufficient for the species. We assess the genetic diversity, phylogeography, and demographic patterns of the American crocodile in Colombia based on three mitochondrial markers (cox1, cytb, and trnP/trnF/D-Loop) and propose actions for its management and conservation. We processed 33 American crocodile samples from both wild and captive populations and performed genetic variability, phylogenetic, phylogeographical, and neutrality tests, including previously reported sequences. We found evidence of high genetic variability in Colombia, the existence of clearly differentiated mitochondrial phylogenetic clades, and possible human-influenced or stochastic demographic variation events. We propose guidelines for the translocation of American crocodiles based on our findings and present evidence of possible dispersal events in the Caribbean and Magdalena regions. Finally, we suggest the implementation of management units and identify research priorities for future work.
... The unique conditions of ESEC-MJ likely shape the ecology and behavioral patterns of the jaguars inhabiting this system, which display a strong dependency on both aquatic and terrestrial resources (Sanderson et al. 2002;Morato et al. 2016;Ferreira et al. 2017;Duarte et al. 2022). This dynamic relationship to both types of ecosystems may be fundamental to how this large felid provides ecosystem services and inuences the wildlife communities of ESEC-MJ (Arias-Alzate et al. 2017;Craighead and Yacelga 2021). ...
Patterns of detectability and occupation of the jaguar (Panthera onca) vary throughout its distribution, being determined
primarily by vegetation cover, prey availability, and anthropogenic factors. However, there is still a large knowledge gap
regarding what determines jaguar occupancy, especially in the Amazon. This knowledge gap is even more pronounced for
oceanic islands, which represent unique and very sensitive ecosystems, such as the Maracá-Jipioca Islands of the Northeastern
Brazilian Amazon. Our study aimed to establish the spatial ecology of jaguars in this insular ecosystem and to provide infor-
mation to facilitate sustainable management of the population there. We assessed how different factors (vegetation type and
prey availability) potentially influence detectability and occupancy patterns of the jaguars of the Maracá-Jipioca Islands. We
found that greater wetland (beach-sea and lagoon-channel) cover was the main driver of jaguar detectability and occupancy.
We revealed factors driving the population and spatial ecology of jaguars in an insular system. Despite imminent threats to
the region, the knowledge we present can inform the sustainable management of jaguars to ensure that the fundamental and
unique ecosystem services provided by this top predator are maintained
... This was also observed in the haplotype network analysis with north-west/Paramillo, Magdalena Basin and north-east/Catatumbo haplogroups showing a star-like pattern (one main abundant haplotype surrounded by haplotypes with few individuals; Fig. 3C), which is commonly found in populations that have undergone a demographic expansion (Slatkin & Hudson, 1991;Lanteri & Confalonieri, 2003), in addition to several mutational steps and absence of intermediate haplotypes between haplogroups, which could be related to demographic contractions or a bottleneck event (Ramos-Onsins & Rozas, 2002). One plausible explanation for this phylogeographical pattern might be associated with past climatological events that generated local extinctions of American crocodiles, as reported for other species in America (Zigouris et al., 2013;Arias-Alzate et al., 2017). It is important to highlight that the history of unsustainable use of crocodilians in Colombia could have accentuated this pattern; therefore, further studies testing this hypothesis are required. ...
Crocodylus acutus is the most widely distributed crocodile in the Neotropics, playing a key role in the ecosystems it inhabits. However, unsustainable use and habitat degradation have depleted its populations across its range. In Colombia, it is classified as Endangered by local authorities, and a legislative framework for its protection has been created, implementing hunting bans and breeding programmes. Successful implementation of these programmes depends on the existence of baseline genetic information, which is currently insufficient for the species. We assess the genetic diversity, phylogeography, and demographic patterns of the American crocodile in Colombia based on three mitochondrial markers (cox1, cytb, and trnP/trnF/D-Loop) and propose actions for its management and conservation. We processed 33 American crocodile samples from both wild and captive populations and performed genetic variability, phylogenetic, phylogeographical, and neutrality tests, including previously reported sequences. We found evidence of high genetic variability in Colombia, the existence of clearly differentiated mitochondrial phylogenetic clades, and possible human-influenced or stochastic demographic variation events. We propose guidelines for the translocation of American crocodiles based on our findings and present evidence of possible dispersal events in the Caribbean and Magdalena regions. Finally, we suggest the implementation of management units and identify research priorities for future work.
... Future climate change could alter the distribution of all investigated felids (n = 26), causing spatial niche displacement (% spp = 100%), range contractions (% spp = 62%), and fragmentation (% spp = 65%). Climate change have already impacted felids in the past, generating range shifts, genetic isolation, and extinctions (Arias-Alzate et al. 2017Zanin et al. 2020). Similar threats will probably affect felids in near future because modern climate change has reached higher rates than in the past (Allen et al. 2018). ...
... This bias extends to climate change studies and may have created an overall view that large-bodied felids are more vulnerable to climate impacts. While climate change will certainly affect larger felids (Peterson et al. 2014;Aryal et al. 2016;Arias-Alzate et al. 2017;Ashrafzadeh et al. 2018), its consequences are no less severe for smaller species. ...
Climate changes may threaten the survival of felids by driving range shifts, altering the biogeographical characteristics of their existing range, and decreasing range overlap with protected areas. In this study, we investigate these threats and delineate priority areas for conservation by comparing current (1950–1999) with future (2080–2100) distribution predicted by climatic niche modelling. Distribution changes encompass centroid displacement of up to 1067 km, range contractions of up to 460 km², and fragmentation into up to 29 populations. Some felids may expand their distribution by up to 1016 km², which could facilitate the reconnection of isolated populations if appropriate management plans are implemented. The protected area network overlaps with just 5.85% of the current distribution of felids and would decline to 3.69% in the future scenario, necessitating an expansion of protected areas in areas of felids distribution. However, countries that are subject to the greatest landcover changes worldwide (e.g. Brazil, China, and India) are also home to the priority areas to felids conservation, underscoring the urgency and potential challenges of safeguarding felids.
... The fauna at Térapa documents a shift in feeding strategy from a community of primarily herbivores during the late Pleistocene to one of primarily carnivorous omnivores at present. Ranges of carnivoran species and the richness of carnivoran communities have been shown to be affected by climatically driven habitat changes during the transitions of the glacial and interglacial stages of the Pleistocene (Arias-Alzate et al., 2017. In this region of mosaic complexity and shifting ecosystems, these dynamic environmental changes may have driven faunal community change in this area, including the transition to a carnivorandominated community. ...
A paleontological deposit near San Clemente de Térapa represents one of the very few Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age sites within Sonora, Mexico. During that time, grasslands were common, and the climate included cooler and drier summers and wetter winters than currently experienced in northern Mexico. Here, we demonstrate restructuring in the mammalian community associated with environmental change over the past 40,000 years at Térapa. The fossil community has a similar number of carnivores and herbivores whereas the modern community consists mostly of carnivores. There was also a 97% decrease in mean body size (from 289 kg to 9 kg) because of the loss of megafauna. We further provide an updated review of ungulates and carnivores, recognizing two distinct morphotypes of Equus , including E . scotti and a slighter species; as well as Platygonus compressus ; Camelops hesternus ; Canis dirus ; and Lynx rufus; and the first regional records of Palaeolama mirifica , Procyon lotor , and Smilodon cf. S . fatalis . The Térapa mammals presented here provide a more comprehensive understanding of the faunal community restructuring that occurred in northern Mexico from the late Pleistocene to present day, indicating further potential biodiversity loss with continued warming and drying of the region.
... The images and classifications from the Caucasus region were more or less in accordance to the current suggested range (Fig. 1), although increased sampling in Russia may reveal a wider distribution in the northeast than previously recorded. This northward expansion that we appear to see in both species may be an indicator of a response to climate change or habitat loss and fragmentation (Koen et al. 2014, Arias-Alzate et al. 2017. Before the 1990s, the Asiatic wild cat undoubtedly had not been present in some large areas where it now occurs, particularly in the Volga and South Urals regions, as well as the Pre-Caucasian plains. ...
By compiling a wildcat catalogue of georeferenced digital photographs from Southwest
Asia, we investigated the plausibility of phenotypically identifying Felis silvestris
caucasica (Caucasian wildcat), Felis lybica ornata (Asiatic wildcat) and Felis
lybica lybica (African wildcat) through external phenotypic traits, in order to verify
their known distribution, and identify any inconsistencies or gaps of knowledge.
With this approach, we expect to move away from depending on wildcat distribution
information being based primarily on expert opinion, and establish a more systematic
approach to determine areas in need of further investigation, survey and monitoring
with robust methods. We identified the Lesser Caucasus as an area containing
possible hybrid individuals between these taxa. Further “ground truthing” may also
be required to understand the distribution ranges of the Caucasian and Asiatic wildcats
in the Caucasus and western Kazakhstan/southern Russia. We suspect their actual
distributions may differ from the information currently published, with a possible
range expansion in the north, as well as an overlap area in the Lesser Caucasus.
The African wildcat was underrepresented in our image collection and therefore
no firm conclusions could be formulated, emphasizing the need for further data.
The wildcat catalogue is available as an online resource, and we emphasize the
importance of such resource compilations, given the ever-increasing flood of digital
imagery. We recommend the use of such tools for identifying areas in need of further
“ground truthing” by means of robust genetic analyses. This plays an important role
in addressing potential conservation concerns, such as the extent of hybridization
between wildcat species, as well as with the domestic cat, the influence and extent
of habitat loss, climate change, and species range shifts.
... Information about basic ecological aspects of L. tigrinus is still scarce. Most studies have focused on describing the distribution and taxonomical status of the species (Payán & Gonzalez-Maya 2011, Payán & Oliveira 2016, Escobar-Lasso et al. 2014, Arias-Alzate et al. 2017Nascimento & Feijó 2017). Camera-trap surveys show a range of population densities, from absence in the Amazon or Llanos of Colombia to less than 1-5 individuals per 100 km 2 in its range of distribution (Payán & Oliveira 2016). ...
Resumen Leopardus tigrinus es el gato salvaje nativo más pequeño de América. En Colombia, la especie ha sido registrada rara vez en paisajes agrícolas y se encuentra asociada principalmente a hábitats naturales elevados como bosques montanos, bosque de niebla y páramo. Sin embargo, recientes registros tomados con cámaras trampa, así como registros incidentales de animales atropellados en carretera han incrementado los reportes de esta especie en el país, revelando que también está viviendo en proximidad de ciudades. En esta nota reportamos observaciones de dos individuos de L. tigrinus tomadas con cámaras trampa cerca de Bucaramanga, Santander. Este es el tercer y más septentrional registro de la especie en el departamento de Santander. Adicionalmente, discutimos algunos retos locales para la conservación de esta especie amenazada. Palabras clave: Oncilla, Andes, urbanización, cámaras trampa.
Abstract Leopardus tigrinus is the smallest native cat species of America. In Colombia, the species has been rarely registered in agricultural landscapes and mostly associated to highlands of natural habitats like mountain forests, cloud forests, and paramos. However, recent trail-camera and incidental roadkills records have increased the reports of this species in the country, showing that it is also living close to cities. Here, we report the trail camera observations of two individuals of L. tigrinus in the vicinity of Bucaramanga, Santander. This is the third and northern-most record of the Northern Tiger Cat in the department of Santander. Additionally, we discuss some key local challenges for the conservation of this threatened species.
... It is apparent from empirical data and models that the Quaternary climate changes affected the range of mammalian species by causing the expansion or contraction of their habitats (Ficcarelli et al., 2003;Ortiz-Jaureguizer and Cladera, 2006;Blois and Hadly, 2009;Davies et al., 2009;McDonald and Lundelius, 2009;Lima-Ribeiro et al., 2012;Arias-Alzate et al., 2017). According to the 'Broken Zig Zag' model of Cione et al. (2003), extinctions may have been caused by the alternate expansion-reduction of habitats driven by glacial-interglacial cycles, through the expansion of the open landscapes occupied by the Pleistocene megafauna during the glacial stages, whereas during the short interglacials the forests expanded occupying open areas (de Vivo and Carmignotto, 2004), thus putting the mammalian populations under stress and leading to extinctions. ...
The Late Pleistocene-early Holocene faunal turnover in South America was characterized by the extinction of all mammals with body mass >300 kg and several smaller taxa, but the driving mechanisms behind it are still poorly understood. Here is presented an analysis of the extinction in the Pampa of southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul state), based on fossil assemblages found in the coastal plain (CPRS) and western area of the state (WRS). The comparison between fossil and extant mastofaunas show that 90% of the mammals represented in fossil assemblages went extinct, and allowed distinguishing three groups: 1) taxa that underwent local extinction, i.e., disappeared locally but survived in other regions until becoming extinct later (including all megamammals); 2) pseudoextinct taxa that disappeared locally but survive until today in other areas, and 3) taxa that disappeared locally but returned during the Holocene. The faunal changes recorded along stratigraphic successions and available numerical ages indicate two phases of extinction, the first around 30 ka b2k in the CPRS (apparently also recorded in Argentina and Uruguay) would have been related to the onset of the cold and dry conditions of the stadial MIS 2, predating the arrival of humans to the region by about 25 kyrs. The second phase eliminated taxa that survived until about 12.7 ka BP in WRS in reduced suitable environments ('refugia') associated with perennial rivers; it coincides with the transition from glacial to interglacial conditions, but pollen data suggest that humans may have contributed for environmental modifications through fire. The results show that the Pleistocene xenarthran-dominated mastofauna was replaced by a Holocene fauna dominated by small rodents and carnivores, and indicate that climate-driven environmental changes, also influenced by sea-level oscillations, were a major agent in the Late Pleistocene mammalian extinctions in the Brazilian Pampa.
... Indeed, the high degree of geographic overlap observed in our study seems to be common for felids in several places (Hayward & Kerley, 2008;Hearn et al., 2018;Nagy-Reis et al., 2017) in which, unlike to what is observed for canids, no changes in density have been observed in response to the dominance of species of larger size (Newsome et al., 2017). Moreover, such high geographic overlap could also be related to biogeographical and historical reasons, given the low species richness of mammalian predators observed in the region (Sandom et al., 2013) and particularly of felid species (Pedersen, Sandel, & Svenning, 2014), group within which 30% of species have been lost in the Americas during the last tens of thousands of years (Arias-Alzate et al., 2017). This low richness of predators and the loss of several felid species may allow the extant species to co-occur in places where climatic conditions are favorable and resources are not limiting, considering the reduced number of potential competitors, which may lead to a high degree of trophic overlap and high Grinnellian niche similarity as observed among our studied species. ...
... Grinnellian niche (climatic) overlap observed among our studied species, and its influence on their geographic overlap, may be a result of the climatic and biogeographic history of the Neotropics, allowing species with similar climatic preferences to co-occur (Arias-Alzate et al., 2017;Pedersen et al., 2014;Zurano et al., 2017). Historical changes in climate can act as a constraint for the distribution of species, with some species expanding or reducing their distributions whereas others becoming extinct, thus, favoring the present co-occurrence of species able to cope with such changes (Arias-Alzate et al., 2017). ...
... Grinnellian niche (climatic) overlap observed among our studied species, and its influence on their geographic overlap, may be a result of the climatic and biogeographic history of the Neotropics, allowing species with similar climatic preferences to co-occur (Arias-Alzate et al., 2017;Pedersen et al., 2014;Zurano et al., 2017). Historical changes in climate can act as a constraint for the distribution of species, with some species expanding or reducing their distributions whereas others becoming extinct, thus, favoring the present co-occurrence of species able to cope with such changes (Arias-Alzate et al., 2017). In addition, historical changes in climate may favor the use of different climatic conditions by carnivore species, allowing them to exploit different habitat types by developing morphological adaptations that favor coexistence (Zurano et al., 2017). ...
Understanding local coexistence and broad‐scale species co‐occurrence patterns are central questions in ecology and macroecology. Niche theory relates both spatial scales by considering the resources (Eltonian niche) and conditions (Grinnellian niche) used by species and allow us to assess the contribution of these factors for species co‐occurrence. Indeed, combining local field data on diet preferences and climatic variables across species distributions can help us to evaluate their co‐occurrence while jointly considering resources and conditions on niche partitioning. Here, using information drawn from literature, we evaluated the relationship between geographic, climatic (Grinnellian) and trophic (Eltonian) niche dimensions among five highly sympatric felid species in favoring species co‐occurrence at broad spatial scales across the Neotropical region. We obtain potential geographic distributions of species through ecological niche models. Then, we calculated the pairwise species overlaps for each niche dimension and tested for a relationship between each pair of dimensions using Mantel and partial Mantel tests. We found a positive and significant relationship between geographic co‐occurrence and climatic overlap. This relationship remained after controlling for trophic overlap. Geographic and trophic overlap, as well as climatic and trophic overlap, did not show significant relationships. We conclude that the high degree of geographic co‐occurrence among our studied felid species is favored by climate and that their high degree of trophic overlap is not limiting their co‐occurrence pattern.
Background
Carnivore mammals are animals vulnerable to human interference, such as climate change and deforestation. Their distribution and persistence are affected by such impacts, mainly in tropical regions such as the Amazon. Due to the importance of carnivores in the maintenance and functioning of the ecosystem, they are extremely important animals for conservation. We evaluated the impact of climate change on the geographic distribution of carnivores in the Amazon using Species Distribution Models (SDMs). Do we seek to answer the following questions: (1) What is the effect of climate change on the distribution of carnivores in the Amazon? (2) Will carnivore species lose or gain representation within the Protected Areas (PAs) of the Amazon in the future?
Methods
We evaluated the distribution area of 16 species of carnivores mammals in the Amazon, based on two future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for the year 2070. For the construction of the SDMs we used bioclimatic and vegetation cover variables (land type). Based on these models, we calculated the area loss and climate suitability of the species, as well as the effectiveness of the protected areas inserted in the Amazon. We estimated the effectiveness of PAs on the individual persistence of carnivores in the future, for this, we used the SDMs to perform the gap analysis. Finally, we analyze the effectiveness of PAs in protecting taxonomic richness in future scenarios.
Results
The SDMs showed satisfactory predictive performance, with Jaccard values above 0.85 and AUC above 0.91 for all species. In the present and for the future climate scenarios, we observe a reduction of potencial distribution in both future scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), where five species will be negatively affected by climate change in the RCP 4.5 future scenario and eight in the RCP 8.5 scenario. The remaining species stay stable in terms of total area. All species in the study showed a loss of climatic suitability. Some species lost almost all climatic suitability in the RCP 8.5 scenario. According to the GAP analysis, all species are protected within the PAs both in the current scenario and in both future climate scenarios. From the null models, we found that in all climate scenarios, the PAs are not efficient in protecting species richness.
