Conservation genomics of the Lowland Tapir in Northern Argentina

The Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), the largest Neotropical herbivore, is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. In northern Argentina, remaining populations are small, isolated, and genetically understudied. This project applies reduced-representation sequencing (NextRAD) to assess genomic diversity, population structure, and connectivity across three ecoregions: Yungas, Gran Chaco, and Atlantic Forest. Results will identify conservation units and support science-based management. PhD candidate Sofía M. Esquenazi will carry out genomic analyses during a 24-week research stay at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), supervised by Dr. Michael Russello. The initiative builds on a long-standing collaboration between UBCO and the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), enhancing access to genomic tools not available in Argentina and generating urgently needed data for species recovery and land-use planning. The project also addresses technical challenges of working with degraded DNA, developing transferable protocols for conservation genomics. For Canada, it provides the opportunity to study a non-model, threatened species of global relevance, and establish new analytical frameworks that can be extended to species of concern within Canadian landscapes. The project promotes diversity in STEM by training a Latin American woman scientist. Outcomes will build international capacity to address biodiversity loss and strengthen Canada–Latin America scientific cooperation.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Russello

Student:

Partner:

Universidad Nacional de Misiones

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Sustainability and the Environment; Other

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program: