Low accuracy of identifying Neotropical deer species by scat morphology

Morphometric feces data are used to identify ungulates, but their effectiveness is questioned by numerous authors. Herein, we evaluated the efficiency of this tool in discriminating scat samples from Neotropical deer with sympatric distributions. We performed discriminant analysis of previously iden...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Costa, Eugênia Barbosa Varella [UNESP], de Oliveira, Márcio Leite [UNESP], Peres, Pedro Henrique de Faria [UNESP], Grotta-Neto, Francisco [UNESP], Vogliotti, Alexandre, Piovezan, Ubiratan, Duarte, José Maurício Barbanti [UNESP]
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/178466
Acceso en línea:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01650521.2016.1263418
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/178466
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Cervidae
fecal DNA
Fecal samples
Mazama
scat morphology
Descripción
Sumario:Morphometric feces data are used to identify ungulates, but their effectiveness is questioned by numerous authors. Herein, we evaluated the efficiency of this tool in discriminating scat samples from Neotropical deer with sympatric distributions. We performed discriminant analysis of previously identified scat samples (n = 204). The accuracy of discriminant analysis (56–92%) was lower than the confidence limit established in this study in all sympatric combinations expected in these biomes. These results demonstrate serious limitations regarding the use of scat morphometry for species identification of Neotropical deer and reinforce the need to use non-invasive genetic techniques.