Museum specimens shedding light on the evolutionary history and cryptic diversity of the hedgehog family Erinaceidae

作者：Ying Zeng, Kai He, Xing Chen, Weipeng Bai, Hongzhou Lin, Jianhai Chen, Nedko Nedyalkov, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Keerthy Vijayan, R. Suganthasakthivel, Brawin Kumar, Yuqing Han, Zhongzheng Chen, Wenzhi Wang, Yang Liu · 发表于：Integrative Zoology · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1111/1749-4877.12909 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Wildlife Ecology and Conservation、Identification and Quantification in Food、Genetic diversity and population structure

The family Erinaceidae encompasses 27 extant species in two subfamilies: Erinaceinae, which includes spiny hedgehogs, and Galericinae, which comprises silky-furred gymnures and moonrats. Although they are commonly recognized by the general public, their phylogenetic history remains incompletely understood, and several species have never been included in any molecular analyses. Additionally, previous research suggested that the species diversity of Erinaceidae might be underestimated. In this study, we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of 29 individuals representing 18 erinaceid species using 18 freshly collected tissue and 11 historical museum specimens. We also integrated previously published data for a concatenated analysis. We aimed to elucidate the evolutionary relationships within Erinaceidae, estimate divergence times, and uncover potential underestimated species diversity. Our data finely resolved intergeneric and interspecific relationships and presented the first molecular evidence for the phylogenetic position of Mesechinus wangi, Paraechinus micropus, and P. nudiventris. Our results revealed a sister relationship between Neotetracus and Neohylomys gymnures, as well as a sister relationship between Hemiechinus and Mesechinus, supporting previous hypotheses. Additionally, our findings provided a novel phylogenetic position for Paraechinus aethiopicus, placing it in a basal position within the genus. Furthermore, our study uncovered cryptic species diversity within ...