DISTRIBUCIÓN DEL COYOTE (CANIS LATRANS) EN EL CONTINENTE AMERICANO

This article provides a historical overview of how the expansion has occurred in the distribution of the coyote (Canis latrans), an opportunistic and generalist species that has been favored by undergone changes in their habitat, such as the reduction of their predators populations. This canine is stigmatized by humans as a predator of livestock and species of interest to hunters, so is being persecuted and hunted, without considering that plays important roles in the ecosystem. Some actions for control and management, and environmental awareness, may be important for the conservation of coyote and other wildlife species.Canid; Mammals; Expansion of distribution; MexicoEn este artículo se proporciona una sinopsis histórica acerca de cómo ha ocurrido la expansión en la distribución del coyote (Canis latrans), una especie oportunista y generalista que ha sido favorecida por los cambios sufridos en su hábitat, al disminuir las poblaciones de sus depredadores. Este cánido se encuentra estigmatizado por los humanos como un depredador de ganado y de especies de interés para los cazadores, por lo que está siendo perseguido y cazado, sin considerar que cumple importantes funciones dentro del ecosistema. Acciones de control y manejo, así como la concientización ambiental, pueden ser importantes para la conservación del coyote y de otras especies de fauna silvestre.Cánido; Mamífero; Ampliación de distribución; Méxic

DISTRIBUCIÓN DEL COYOTE (CANIS LATRANS) EN EL CONTINENTE AMERICANO

This article provides a historical overview of how the expansion has occurred in the distribution of the coyote (Canis latrans), an opportunistic and generalist species that has been favored by undergone changes in their habitat, such as the reduction of their predators populations. This canine is stigmatized by humans as a predator of livestock and species of interest to hunters, so is being persecuted and hunted, without considering that plays important roles in the ecosystem. Some actions for control and management, and environmental awareness, may be important for the conservation of coyote and other wildlife species.Canid; Mammals; Expansion of distribution; MexicoEn este artículo se proporciona una sinopsis histórica acerca de cómo ha ocurrido la expansión en la distribución del coyote (Canis latrans), una especie oportunista y generalista que ha sido favorecida por los cambios sufridos en su hábitat, al disminuir las poblaciones de sus depredadores. Este cánido se encuentra estigmatizado por los humanos como un depredador de ganado y de especies de interés para los cazadores, por lo que está siendo perseguido y cazado, sin considerar que cumple importantes funciones dentro del ecosistema. Acciones de control y manejo, así como la concientización ambiental, pueden ser importantes para la conservación del coyote y de otras especies de fauna silvestre.Cánido; Mamífero; Ampliación de distribución; Méxic

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers for Sturnira parvidens and cross-species amplification in Sturnira species

Background Sturnira is one of the most species-rich genera in the Neotropics, and it is found from Mexico and the Lesser Antilles to Argentina. This genus forms a well-supported monophyletic clade with at least twenty-one recognized species, as well as several others under taxonomic review. Sturnira parvidens is a widespread frugivorous bat of the deciduous forests of the Neotropics, is highly abundant, and is a major component in fruit dispersal to regenerate ecosystems. Methods We used a technique based on Illumina paired-end sequencing of a library highly enriched for microsatellite repeats to develop loci for S. parvidens. We analyzed millions of resulting reads with specialized software to extract those reads that contained di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexanucleotide microsatellites. Results We selected and tested 14 polymorphic (di, tri, and tetra) microsatellites. All markers were genotyped on 26 different individuals from distinct locations of the distributional area of S. parvidens. We observed medium—high genetic variation across most loci, but only 12 were functionally polymorphic. Levels of expected heterozygosity across all markers were high to medium (mean HE = 0.79, mean HO = 0.72). We examined ascertainment bias in twelve bats of the genus, obtaining null/monomorphic/polymorphic amplifications. Discussion The Illumina paired-end sequencing system is capable of identifying massive numbers of microsatellite loci, while expending little time, reducing costs, and providing a large amount of data. The described polymorphic loci for S. parvidens in particular, and for the genus in general, could be suitable for further genetic analysis, including taxonomic inconsistencies, parentage/relatedness analysis, and population genetics assessments