Biogeography of neotropical porcupines (Rodentia, Hystricognathi): Integrating recent and fossil data through a panbiogeographic approach

Abstract

BIOGEOGRAPHY OF NEOTROPICAL PORCUPINES (RODENTIA, HYSTRICOGNATHI): INTEGRATING RECENT AND FOSSIL DATA THROUGH A PANBIOGEOGRAPHIC APPROACH. This paper analyzes the geographic and temporal distribution of the family Erethizontidae (Rodentia, Hystricognathi) and other fossil and living groups of neotropical mammals, with the aim of identifying distributional patterns. These patterns were recognized using the panbiogeographic method, on the basis of three requirements: (1) current representation of the groups in the Brazilian Subregion, (2) arboreal habits, and (3) recognized monophyly freom the Deseadense. Two ancestral biotas were identified: one comprising the current Patagonia and areas of intertropical latitude mainly in western South America, the other, essentially intertropical, includes the fossil localities of the caves of Lagoa Santa and Bahia. Both biotas would have differentiated very early, at least freom late Oligocene. The fossil locality of La Venta (middle Miocene) would correspond to a complex area or node. Current Patagonia would have acted as an area of marginal differentiation with regard to the radiations of the living taxa. The central region of Patagonia experienced marine transgressions and volcanic activity during the middle Tertiary and could represent a baseline. Both the phylogenetic relationships and the temporal and geographic distribution of late Miocene erethizontids indicate a geographic differentiation between the Northwest and the Northeast Argentina, at least freom late Miocene.