Title
Demographic parameters of the silky shrew-opossum Caenolestes fuliginosus (Paucituberculata, caenolestidae) along an altitudinal gradient in the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes
Author(s)
Gonzalez-Chavez, B.;Rojas-Diaz, V.;Cruz-Bernate, L.
Published
2019
Publisher
Journal of Mammalian Evolution
Abstract
The order Paucituberculata is poorly studied in comparison to other marsupial orders. This order has been of interest in evolutionary research because it shows unique characteristics within marsupials (e.g., morphology and anatomy). Caenolestes fuliginosus is the most studied and better represented species in mammalian collections. However, there is limited information regarding its ecology and even less data on population parameters. This study aims to describe some of the population parameters (i.e., sex and age ratios within an altitudinal gradient), providing information about sexual dimorphism and reproduction of this species. This research was conducted in Risaralda, Caldas, and Tolima departments in Colombia, between March and October 2014. The sampling effort was 9180 trap/nights. Sherman and pitfall traps with two types of bait used. During the study, 52 individuals were captured, consisting of 31 males and 19 females. Our results suggest that populations of this species have a male-biased sex ratio, and this bias remains consistent along the altitudinal gradient of its range. We report sexual dimorphism in C. fuliginosus with significant differences in canine shape and size and in body weight between male and female individuals. Finally, we suggest that the method used in this study should be applied in future studies of C. fuliginosus due to its effectiveness.
Keywords
Sex ratio;Reproduction;Effectiveness;Sexual dimorphism;life-history variation;dental anomalies;small mammals;marsupials;phylogeny;diversity;patterns;behavior;miocene;Evolutionary Biology;Zoology
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