Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Vernaya (Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) with the description of two new species

作者：Songping Zhao, Xuming Wang, Binbin V. Li, Liang Dou, Yingxun Liu, Siyu Yang, Ronghui Fan, Yong Jiang, Quan Li, Rui Liao, Miao Hu, Xuelong Jiang, Shaoying Liu, Shunde Chen · 发表于：Ecology and Evolution · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1002/ece3.10628 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Evolution and Paleontology Studies、Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies、Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

Abstract The climbing mouse is a rare, small mammal listed as an endangered species on the China species red list. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and the evolutionary history of the genus remain unexplored because of the extreme difficulty in capturing individuals and their narrow distribution. Here, we collected 44 specimens, sequenced one mitochondrial and eight nuclear genes, and integrated morphological approaches to estimate phylogenetic relationships, delimit species boundaries, and explore evolutionary history. Molecular analyses and morphological results supported the validity of these four species. Here, we describe two new species, Vernaya meiguites sp. nov. and Vernaya nushanensis sp. nov., and recognize Vernaya foramena , previously considered a subspecies of Vernaya fulva , as a valid species. The estimated divergence time suggests that the climbing mouse began to diversify during the Pliocene (3.36 Ma).