Journal
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
Volume 104, Issue 1, Pages 86-103Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac059
Keywords
Atlantic Forest; Bradypus torquatus; integrative taxonomy; molecular; morphology; species delimitation; Xenarthra
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A taxonomic revision of maned sloths revealed the presence of two species: the northern maned sloth and the southern maned sloth. These species diverged in the Early Pliocene and are distributed allopatrically. The conservation status of both species needs to be reassessed.
We present a taxonomic revision of maned sloths, subgenus Bradypus (Scaeopus), a taxon endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and currently composed of a single species, the vulnerable Bradypus torquatus. Our review is based on coalescent species delimitation analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, morphological analyses, and field observations. Our integrative approach demonstrates that two species of maned sloth can be recognized: the northern maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) occurring in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Sergipe, and the southern maned sloth (Bradypus crinitus), occurring in Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo states. The two species diverged in the Early Pliocene and are allopatrically distributed. We discuss the biogeographic pattern of the two maned sloth species, comparing it with other Atlantic Forest mammals. We also suggest that the conservation status of both maned sloths needs to be reassessed after this taxonomic rearrangement.
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