Molecular phylogeny of the Dacnomys division (Rodentia, Muridae): the taxonomic positions of Saxatilomys and Leopoldamys.

摘要

The division Dacnomys (Rodentia, Muridae) of tribe Rattini includes six genera (Dacnomys, Niviventer, Leopoldamys, Chiromyscus, Srilankamys, and Anony momys). These genera inhabit Indochina, Sunda Isles, Sri Lanka, and Philippines [1].The central position in the division belongs to genera of Leopoldamys and Niviventer, which includes 6 and 17 species, respec tively; the other genera are monotypic. Based on mito chondrial and nuclear genes phylogenetic analysis, the division Dacnomys is a monophyletic group [2] closely related to the divisions Rattus and Maxomys. Recently, genetic and morphological variability of Niviventer spp. have been investigated, as well as those of some taxa of genus Leopoldamys [3–6]. The data on other genera (Dacnomys, Chiromyscus, and Srilankamys) are scrappy; Anonymomys and Saxatilomys are included into the division only based on their morphological characteristics; i.e., they are not genetically character ized yet [1, 7]. The monotypic genus Saxatilomys was first described from central Laos in 2005 [7]; the phylo genetic relationships of this genus with the other genera from the Rattini tribe have not been studied yet.