SISTEMÁTICA DE MAMÍFEROS DE ARGENTINA: PATRONES, TENDENCIAS Y PERSPECTIVAS EN LA ACUMULACIÓN DE CONOCIMIENTOS.

The mammalian fauna of Argentina includes 411 living and recently extinct native species (divided into 186 genera, 47 families and 12 orders), as well as 21 introduced and feral species. This contribution presents an analysis of the historical and recent trends in the systematic knowledge of the mammals of Argentina and some geographical aspects of this process. Overall, the accumulation curves for new species are similar to those recorded for neotropical mammals as a whole. The taxonomic work was initially carried out by researchers from the northern hemisphere, but at present it is mainly carried out by Latin American scientists. In the last 40 years, 39 species were described whose distribution includes Argentina, almost at the rate of one per year. Thirty-one of these new species are endemic to Argentina and have relatively restricted distributions. The ecoregions where more new species are registered correspond to the Austral Yungas, the Monte (High and Low) and the Dry Chaco, in west-central, central and northwestern Argentina; paradoxically, some of these ecoregions are among the least explored in our country. Finally, due to its centrality in taxonomic work, some issues related to the national mammal collections are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]