Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil: a Locally Extinct Species?
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Volume 55(4):69‑80, 2015 THE PRESENCE OF WILFREDOMYS OENAX (RODENTIA: CRICETIDAE: SIGMODONTINAE) IN SÃO PAULO STATE, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL: A LOCALLY EXTINCT SPECIES? MARCUS VINÍCIUS BRANDÃO¹ ABSTRACT The Rufous-nosed Mouse Wilfredomys oenax is a rare Sigmodontinae rodent known from scarce records from northern Uruguay and south and southeastern Brazil. This species is under- represented in scientific collections and is currently classified as threathened, being considered extinct at Curitiba, Paraná, the only confirmed locality of the species at southeastern Brazil. Although specimens from São Paulo were already reported, the presence of this species in this state seems to have passed unnoticed in recent literature. Through detailed morphological ana- lyzes of specimens cited in literature, the present work confirms and discusses the presence of this species in São Paulo state from a specimen collected more than 70 years ago. Recently, by the use of modern sampling methods, other rare Sigmodontinae rodents, such as Abrawayomys ruschii, Phaenomys ferrugineous and Rhagomys rufescens, have been recorded to São Paulo state. However, no specimen of Wilfredomys oenax has been recently reported indicating that this species might be locally extinct. The record mentioned here adds another species to the state of São Paulo mammal diversity and reinforces the urgency of studying Wilfredomys oenax. Key-Words: Atlantic Forest; Scientific collection; Threatened species. INTRODUCTION São Paulo is one the most studied states in Brazil regarding to fauna. Mammal lists from this state have Mammal species lists based on voucher-speci- been elaborated since the late XIX century (Von Iher- mens and literature records are essential for offering ing, 1894; Vieira, 1944a, b, 1946, 1950, 1953; Vivo, groundwork to understand a species distribution and 1998). The most updated of those lists was made by even to assess their conservation status. In Brazil, ef- Vivo et al. (2011), which reported 231 species and forts were made to produce state check-lists using such described recent advances on mammal studies from data (e.g., Vivo, 1998; Cherem et al., 2004; Cáceres which some facts draw attention to São Paulo state et al., 2008; Vivo et al., 2011; Silva et al., 2013), which mammal fauna, such as the presence of recently de- often also deal with conservational status of each spe- scribed species (Leite et al., 2008; Percequillo et al., cies at some Brazilian states (e.g., Machado, A.B.M. 2011; Costa et al., 2011) and even a new genus (Per- et al., 1998; Bergallo et al., 2000; Marques et al., cequillo et al., 2011). New data on mammal species 2002; Mikich & Bérnils, 2004; Bressan et al., 2009). from São Paulo are obtained through new inventories 1. Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Campus Sorocaba, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Diversidade Animal. Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, km 110 (SP-264), Itinga, CEP 18052-780, Sorocaba, SP, Brasil. E-mail to correspondence: [email protected] http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0031-1049.2015.55.04 70 Brandão, M.V.: Presence of WILFREDOMYS OENAX at São Paulo (e.g., Gregorin et al., 2004; Steiner-Souza et al., 2008; zygomatic breadth (ZB); interorbital breadth (IB); Velazco, et al., 2010) and by museum specimens length of orbital fossa (LOF); breadth of zygomatic (e.g., Silva et al., 2003; Gregorin et al., 2004; Pavan plate (BZP); braincase breadth (BRB); length of in- & Leite, 2011; Garbino, 2011), including records of terparietal (LIP); and breadth of interparietal (BIP); rare and/or threatened species (e.g., Vaz, 2000; Per- zygomatic length (ZL). cequillo et al., 2004; Pardini & Umetsu, 2006; Vivo Specimen age classes were based on maxillary et al., 2011). tooth eruption and abrasion and fusion of the skull Despite of the attention that has been given to sutures. Specimen is only classified as adult if covered its mammalian fauna, a conservation-relevant species by full adult pelage – not the juvenile coat or the tran- went unnoticed in all São Paulo checklists mentioned sitional molt from juvenile to adult fur – and have herein: the Rufous-nosed Mouse Wilfredomys oenax completely erupted third molars (see Musser et al., (Thomas, 1928), a rare South American rodent that 1998). Dental molar toothwear were classified based belongs to the Sigmodontinae radiation (Musser & on five stages of dental attrition from Voss (1991). Carleton, 2005). Although the presence of mesoloph/ id on molars classifies Wilfredomys among pentalo- phodont rodents associated to forested habitats (see RESULTS details in Voss & Carleton, 1993; Weksler, 2006; Machado et al., 2013), this monotipic genus remains Among 12,000 specimens (a rough estimation) with an uncertain tribal affiliation (see D’Elía et al., of rodents deposited at the MZUSP, I found a sin- 2007). Yet, only a few specimens from northern Uru- gle specimen of W. oenax from São Paulo: MZUSP guay and south and southeastern Brazil are known for 6281, an age class 3 adult individual of unknown sex, this species. Finally, it is classified by IUCN as glob- comprising skull (Fig. 1) and skin (Fig. 2). It was col- ally endangered and locally extinct at Curitiba, Paraná lected by José Leonardo Lima at Ubatuba (23°26’S, (Vieira & Christoff, 2008), the only record near 45°04’W) on November 19, 1943. southeastern Brazil. In the present report, I confirm To the present date the scarcity of specimens of through detailed morphological analyzes of specimens W. oenax prevented an updated and comprehensive cited in literature and discuss the presence of this spe- description of its complete morphology and clarifi- cies in São Paulo state. cation of its phylogenetic position based on mor- phological characters (see Pacheco, 2003). Although morphology studies on Wilfredomys are scarce when MATERIAL AND METHODS compared to other genera from southeastern Brazil- ian Atlantic Forest, descriptions of Ávila-Pires (1960), I have studied skins and skulls deposited in the Pine (1980) and González (2000) provide data on mammal collections of Museu de Zoologia da Uni- general pelage characters: long, lax and soft dorsal versidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (MZUSP) (Appen- fur; brownish (somewhat grayish) dorsal pelage with dix I). orangish nose, ears and rump; yellowish (somewhat The following external measurements were buffy) gray-based venter, except for the self colored obtained from original specimen tags: Total length yellow throat region (Fig. 2); light orangish manus (TL); length of tail (LT); ear length (E) and hind and feet; long dorsoventrally bicolored tail; medium foot length (HF). Cranial measurements were ob- sized rodent (Table 1), much larger than Juliomys, the tained with digital calipers, with data recorded to the most externally similar Atlantic Forest species (Pavan nearest 0.01 mm. I employed the following measure- & Leite, 2011: Table I and II). ments (see Voss et al., 2001; Percequillo et al., 2011): Additionaly, craniodental characters described occipito-nasal length (ONL); condylo-incisive length by Percequillo et al. (2004) unambiguously distin- (CIL); length of diastema (LD); length of rostrum guish Wilfredomys from other pentalophodont Atlan- (LR); length of nasals (LN); breadth of rostrum tic Forest Sigmondontinae genera: Skull with medium (BR); length of incisive foramina (LIF); breadth length rostrum and shallow and narrow zygomatic of incisive foramina (BIF); length of palatal bridge notch (Fig. 3A and B); narrow and hourglass-shaped (LPB); breadth of bony palate across the first upper interorbital region, with squared margins and a shal- molars (BPB); crown length of maxillary toothrow low depression along the frontals (Fig. 3A); very long (CLM1‑3), from molar 1 (M1) to molar 3 (M3); (reaching M1) and wide incisive foramina (broader breadth of first upper molar (BM1); breadth of an- medially), with convex margins (Fig. 3D); short and terocone of first upper molar (BM1ant); greatest slightly narrow palate, with numerous, medium and Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 55(4), 2015 71 FIGURE 1: Dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of the cranium and lateral and dorsal views of the mandible of Wilfredomys oenax (MZUSP 6281) from Ubatuba, São Paulo. Scale 10 mm. 72 Brandão, M.V.: Presence of WILFREDOMYS OENAX at São Paulo deep pits; narrow mesopterygoid fossa that reaches sory process of squamosal present; orbicular apophi- M3 level (Fig. 3C), perforated by long and wide sis of maleus rounded; dentary with ventral surface sphenopalatine vacuities (partially occluded in this slightly concave; angular process surpassing condyloid specimen due an inadequately cleaned palatal region); process level; coronoid process small, triangular, lower wide and strongly concave parapterygoid fossa, which than condyloid process; sigmoid notch shallow and is wider than the mesopterygoid fossa (Fig. 3C); ali- angular notch deeply excavated (Fig. 3F); molars in- sphenoid strut absent (Fig. 3I); pattern 1 of carotid cipiently lophodont with cusps in opposite pairs; an- circulation; middle lacerate foramen absent; suspen- terocone slightly narrower than paracone-protocone FIGURE 2: Dorsal and ventral views of the skin of Wilfredomys oenax (MZUSP 6281) from Ubatuba, São Paulo. This skin was erroneously given a tag with the number MZUSP 7501, but note a second tag with 6281 on it, which corresponds to the skull MZUSP 6281. Scale 15 mm. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 55(4), 2015 73 TABLE 1: External and craniodental measurements (mm) of ten specimens of Wilfredomys oenax. See abbreviations of measurements in material