A hybrid swarm of manatees along the Guianas coastline, a peculiar environment under the influence of the Amazon River plume

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2019 Aug 26;91(suppl 3):e20190325. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201920190325.

Abstract

The West Indian (Trichechus manatus) and Amazonian (T. inunguis) manatees have a sympatric occurrence at the mouth of the Amazon River. A result of this interspecific encounter is the occurrence of hybrids, which are frequently found along the coasts of Amapá state in Brazil, French Guiana and Guyana. Here we present new genetic evidence indicating the occurrence of a hybrid swarm along the Guianas Shield coastline, which is an interspecific hybrid zone that also separates T. manatus populations located east (Brazil) and west (Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida and Antilles). In addition, we suggest that this hybrid population occupies a peculiar mangrove-rich environment under strong influence of the Amazon River plume, which requires an independent management and should be considered a special conservation area.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Brazil
  • Caribbean Region
  • Genetic Variation / genetics*
  • Guyana
  • Hybridization, Genetic*
  • Phylogeny
  • Population Dynamics
  • Rivers
  • Species Specificity*
  • Trichechus inunguis / genetics*
  • Trichechus inunguis / physiology
  • Trichechus manatus / genetics*
  • Trichechus manatus / physiology