Archaeology, biogeography, and mammalogy do not provide evidence for tarukas (Cervidae: Hippocamelus antisensis) in Ecuador

Knowing whether a species has been extirpated, or if it ever inhabited a specific geographic area, has direct importance for planning conservation activities. The taruka (Hippocamelus antisensis) is one of the largest Neotropical mammals; it is distributed in the central Andes, and there are published records of this species in Ecuador. Recently, missing museum specimens have cast doubts on the validity of these Ecuadorian records. Here, we examine whether the taruka ever inhabited Ecuador by analyzing multiple sources of information. Our approach consists of 3 components: 1) we surveyed archaeological collections and literature for any biological remains and cultural artifacts that may represent tarukas, 2) we searched mammal collections for specimens reported in publications, and 3) we generated ecological niche models (ENMs) of current and past climates to determine whether Ecuador offers suitable habitats for the taruka. Our results suggest that the taruka never inhabited Ecuador. We did not find any reliable supporting evidence in the form of specimens nor convincing literature reports. Furthermore, ENMs revealed that Ecuador has not supported suitable climates for the taruka. We suggest that published records of taruka in Ecuador may have been due to improper identifications of specimens. The methods used here may also prove useful in determining the presence of species that are either thought to be extinct, or suspected to be recently introduced into a new geographic area. Conocer si una especie ha sido extirpada, o si alguna vez habitó un área geográfica específica, tiene importancia directa para la planificación de actividades de conservación. La Taruka (Hippocamelus antisensis) es uno de los mamíferos Neotropicales más grandes; se distribuye en los Andes centrales, y existen registros publicados de esta especie en Ecuador. Recientemente, ha habido dudas sobre la validez de los registros ecuatorianos porque los especímenes testigo se han perdido. Aquí examinamos si la taruka alguna vez habitó Ecuador, analizando múltiples fuentes de información. Nuestro enfoque metodológico consistió de 3 componentes: 1) examen de colecciones y literatura arqueológica para detectar restos biológicos o artefactos culturales que puedan representar tarukas, 2) búsqueda en colecciones mastozoológicas especímenes reportados en publicaciones; y 3) generación de modelos de nicho ecológico con climas pasados y presentes para determinar si Ecuador ofrece ambientes adecuado