Project 4152: J. Brito, N. Tinoco, C. M. Pinto, R. García, C. Koch, V. Fernandez, S. Burneo, U. F. Pardiñas. 2022. Unlocking Andean sigmodontine diversity: five new species of Chilomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from the montane forests of Ecuador. PeerJ. 10:e13211.
Specimen: Chilomys neisi Brito, Tinoco, García, Koch, Pardiñas (INABIO/MECN:3723)
View: dorsal skull

Abstract

The Andean cloud forests of Ecuador are home to several endemic mammals. Members of the Thomasomyini rodents are well represented in the Andes, with Thomasomys being the largest genus (47 species) of the subfamily Sigmodontinae. Within this tribe, however, there are genera that have escaped a taxonomic revision, and Chilomys Thomas, 1897, constitutes a paradigmatic example of these “forgotten” Andean cricetids. Described more than a century ago, current knowledge of this externally unmistakable montane rodent is very limited, and doubts persist as to whether or not it is monotypic. After several years of field efforts in Ecuador, a considerable quantity of specimens of Chilomys were collected from various localities representing both Andean chains. Based on an extensive genetic survey of the obtained material, we can demonstrate that what is currently treated as C. instans in Ecuador is a complex comprising at least five new species which are described in this paper. In addition, based on these noteworthy new evidence, we amend the generic diagnosis in detail, adding several key craniodental traits such as incisor procumbency and microdonty. These results indicate that Chilomys probably has a hidden additional diversity in large parts of the Colombian and Peruvian territories, inviting a necessary revision of the entire genus.


Read the article »

Article DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13211

Project DOI: 10.7934/P4152, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P4152
This project contains
  • 16 Media
  • 4 Taxa
  • 4 Specimens
Total size of project's media files: 6.83M

Download Project SDD File
Currently Viewing:
MorphoBank Project 4152
  • Creation Date:
    14 December 2021
  • Publication Date:
    15 March 2022
  • Media downloads: 4

    Authors' Institutions

    • Natural History Museum, London

    • Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)

    • Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

    • Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

    • Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INABIO), Ecuador

    • Observatorio de Biodiversidad Ambiente y Salud (OBBAS)



    Members

    member name taxa specimens media media
    notes
    Claudia Koch
    Project Administrator
    44160


    Project has no matrices defined.



    Project downloads

    type number of downloads Individual items downloaded (where applicable)
    Total downloads from project11
    Project downloads7
    Media downloads4M834880 (1 download); M834887 (1 download); M834878 (1 download); M834884 (1 download);