Correction to: Late Neogene evolution of the Peruvian margin and its ecosystems: a synthesis from the Sacaco record.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s00531-021-02003-1.].

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA reveals reticulate evolution in hares (Lepus spp., Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from Ethiopia.

For hares (Lepus spp., Leporidae, Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from Ethiopia no conclusive molecular phylogenetic data are available. To provide a first molecular phylogenetic model for the Abyssinian Hare (Lepus habessinicus), the Ethiopian Hare (L. fagani), and the Ethiopian Highland Hare (L. starcki) and their evolutionary relationships to hares from Africa, Eurasia, and North America, we phylogenetically analysed mitochondrial ATPase subunit 6 (ATP6; n = 153 / 416bp) and nuclear transferrin (TF; n = 155 / 434bp) sequences of phenotypically determined individuals. For the hares from Ethiopia, genotype composition at twelve microsatellite loci (n = 107) was used to explore both interspecific gene pool separation and levels of current hybridization, as has been observed in some other Lepus species. For phylogenetic analyses ATP6 and TF sequences of Lepus species from South and North Africa (L. capensis, L. saxatilis), the Anatolian peninsula and Europe (L. europaeus, L. timidus) were also produced and additional TF sequences of 18 Lepus species retrieved from GenBank were included as well. Median joining networks, neighbour joining, maximum likelihood analyses, as well as Bayesian inference resulted in similar models of evolution of the three species from Ethiopia for the ATP6 and TF sequences, respectively. The Ethiopian species are, however, not monophyletic, with signatures of contemporary uni- and bidirectional mitochondrial introgression and/ or shared ancestral polymorphism. Lepus habessinicus carries mtDNA distinct from South African L. capensis and North African L. capensis sensu lato; that finding is not in line with earlier suggestions of its conspecificity with L. capensis. Lepus starcki has mtDNA distinct from L. capensis and L. europaeus, which is not in line with earlier suggestions to include it either in L. capensis or L. europaeus. Lepus fagani shares mitochondrial haplotypes with the other two species from Ethiopia, despite its distinct phenotypic and microsatellite differences; moreover, it is not represented by a species-specific mitochondrial haplogroup, suggesting considerable mitochondrial capture by the other species from Ethiopia or species from other parts of Africa. Both mitochondrial and nuclear sequences indicate close phylogenetic relationships among all three Lepus species from Ethiopia, with L. fagani being surprisingly tightly connected to L. habessinicus. TF sequences suggest close evolutionary relationships between the three Ethiopian species and Cape hares from South and North Africa; they further suggest that hares from Ethiopia hold a position ancestral to many Eurasian and North American species.

El orden Carnivora (Mammalia) en el Perú: Estado del conocimiento y prioridades de investigación para su conservación / The order Carnivora (Mammalia) in Peru: State of Knowledge and research priorities for its conservation

La alta diversidad de especies de carnívoros del Perú puede generar problemas al momento de decidir los taxa y temas sobre los que deben dirigirse los esfuerzos de investigación. En este trabajo se evalúa el esfuerzo de investigación en base al número de publicaciones realizadas para cada familia y especie de carnívoro en el Perú. Asimismo, se señalan los vacíos de información relevantes para la conservación de cada especie y se presenta la primera evaluación de las prioridades de investigación sobre este grupo animal en el Perú. Se registró 145 publicaciones sobre carnívoros peruanos realizadas desde el año 1943. El número de publicaciones presentó grandes diferencias entre taxa, entre temas estudiados y entre las ecorregiones en las que se realizaron las investigaciones. Según la escala de prioridades propuesta, la especie que debe ser estudiada con mayor prioridad es el coatí andino Nasua olivacea y la de menor prioridad es el ocelote Leopardus pardalis. Los resultados de nuestro trabajo resaltan la urgencia de realizar investigaciones sobre ciertas especies de carnívoros de las que existen pocos datos publicados, tanto a nivel local como global, y que se distribuyen en pocas ecorregiones del Perú. Tanto la escala de prioridades de investigación como la lista de vacíos de información serán de utilidad para guiar esfuerzos logísticos y financieros de investigadores particulares, instituciones privadas y gubernamentales.

The high diversity of Peruvian carnivore species may pose problems when deciding to which taxa and topics new research efforts should be directed. In this publication, we evaluated the research effort made on each taxa -by assessing the number of publications per species-, point out the knowledge gaps that are important to the conservation of each species and present the first evaluation of research priorities for this group of animals to the country. We registered 145 publications about Peruvian carnivores made since 1943. The number of publications is significantly different between taxa, between subjects and between ecoregions where the research was conducted. According to the proposed priority scale, the species to be studied with greater priority is Nasua olivacea and the lowest priority is for Leopardus pardalis. The results of our study highlight the urgent need to conduct research on certain species of carnivores about which there are few published data, locally and globally, and which occupy a low number of ecoregions in the country. Both the scale of research priorities and the list of knowledge gaps presented here will be useful to guide logistical and financial efforts, for individual researchers as well as for private or governmental institutions.

Primer estudio genético de la nutria marina (Lontra Felina) en la costa peruana / First genetic study of the marine otter (Lontra Felina) at the peruvian coast

A partir de muestras de heces colectadas en agosto y setiembre del 2008 en el rango de distribución peruano de la nutria marina (Lontra felina), se realizó un análisis del ADN mitocondrial de 24 individuos, que mostraron una variabilidad genética relativamente alta (11 haplotipos, h=0.86 y pi=0.0117). El estudio representa el primer registro de secuencias genéticas de la especie. La adaptación de esta especie amenazada a un hábitat naturalmente fragmentado podría explicar por qué, a pesar del decrecimiento de la población a causa de los efectos negativos de las actividades humanas en la costa peruana en las últimas décadas, la especie aún mantiene una variabilidad relativamente alta. Sin embargo, de acuerdo a las predicciones de la continua reducción de la población de nutria marina y debido al constante incremento de las amenazas de su población por actividades humanas, se recomienda realizar estudios que profundicen los conocimientos sobre la estructura genética de la especie y se sugiere el establecimiento de por lo menos un área natural protegida en el sur del país, donde se han registrado regiones con elevado número de individuos.

Scats from marine otter (Lontra felina) were collected in August and September 2008 along the species distribution at the Peruvian coast. Mitochondrial DNA analysis from 24 individuals yielded the first registered sequences of this species, showing relatively high variability (11 haplotypes, h=0.86 and pi=0.0117). Adaptation of this species to a naturally fragmented habitat could explain why, despite the decreasing population number due to negative effects of human activity at the Peruvian coast in the last decades, the species remains with a relatively high variability. According to predictions of continuous decrease in population numbers andconstantly increasing threats due to human activity, further studies deepening the knowledge about genetic structuring of the species population and the establishment of at least one protected area at the south of Peru, where regions with high number of individuals have been registered, are recommended.