Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus

Quan Li; Feng Cheng; Stephen M. Jackson; Kristofer M. Helgen; Wen-Yu Song; Shao-Ying Liu; Daosavanh Sanamxay; Song Li; Fei Li; Yun Xiong; Jun Sun; Hong-Jiao Wang; Xue-Long Jiang

doi:10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039

Volume 42 Issue 4

Jul. 2021

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Article Navigation > Zoological Research > 2021 > 42(4): 389-400

Quan Li, Feng Cheng, Stephen M. Jackson, Kristofer M. Helgen, Wen-Yu Song, Shao-Ying Liu, Daosavanh Sanamxay, Song Li, Fei Li, Yun Xiong, Jun Sun, Hong-Jiao Wang, Xue-Long Jiang. Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus. Zoological Research, 2021, 42(4): 389-400. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039

Citation:

Quan Li, Feng Cheng, Stephen M. Jackson, Kristofer M. Helgen, Wen-Yu Song, Shao-Ying Liu, Daosavanh Sanamxay, Song Li, Fei Li, Yun Xiong, Jun Sun, Hong-Jiao Wang, Xue-Long Jiang. Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus. Zoological Research, 2021, 42(4): 389-400. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039

Citation:

Quan Li, Feng Cheng, Stephen M. Jackson, Kristofer M. Helgen, Wen-Yu Song, Shao-Ying Liu, Daosavanh Sanamxay, Song Li, Fei Li, Yun Xiong, Jun Sun, Hong-Jiao Wang, Xue-Long Jiang. Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus. Zoological Research, 2021, 42(4): 389-400. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039

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Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus

doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039

Quan Li^{1, 13, #},
Feng Cheng^{1, 12, #},
Stephen M. Jackson^{2, 3, 4, 5, #},
Kristofer M. Helgen^{3, 5},
Wen-Yu Song^{6, 1},
Shao-Ying Liu⁷,
Daosavanh Sanamxay⁸,
Song Li^{1, 9},
Fei Li¹⁰,
Yun Xiong¹¹,
Jun Sun¹¹,
Hong-Jiao Wang¹,
Xue-Long Jiang^{1
,
,}

1.
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
2.
Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia
3.
Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia
4.
Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20013-7012, USA
5.
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
6.
Vector Laboratory, Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan 671000, China
7.
Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, China
8.
Faculty of Environmental Sciences, National University of Laos, Xaythany, Vientiane 7322, Lao
9.
Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
10.
Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
11.
Gongshan Management Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Gongshan, Yunnan 673500, China
12.
Group of Evolutionary Biology & Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry & Biology, University Potsdam, Potsdam, Brandenburg 14476, Germany
13.
Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China

#Authors contributed equally to this work

Funds: This study was supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STEP, 2019QZKK0501), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32000304), Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects (202101AT070294), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0505200), Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA20050202), Biodiversity Survey, Monitoring and Assessment (2019HB2096001006), and Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: jiangxl@mail.kiz.ac.cn
Received Date: 2021-02-04
Accepted Date: 2021-05-13

Published Online: 2021-05-26

Publish Date: 2021-07-18

Abstract

Abstract

The flying squirrels (Pteromyini, Rodentia) are the most diverse and widely distributed group of gliding mammals. Taxonomic boundaries and relationships within flying squirrels remain an area of active research in mammalogy. The discovery of new specimens of Pteromys (Hylopetes) leonardi Thomas, 1921, previously considered a synonym of Hylopetes alboniger, in Yunnan Province, China allowed a morphological and genetic reassessment of the status of this taxon. Phylogenetic reconstruction was implemented using sequences of two mitochondrial (12S ribosomal RNA and 16S ribosomal RNA) and one nuclear (interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein) gene fragments. Morphological assessments involved examinations of features preserved on skins, skulls, and penises of museum specimens, supplemented with principal component analysis of craniometric data. Together these assessments revealed that this taxon should be recognized not only as a distinct species, but should also be placed within a new genus, described here as Priapomys gen. nov.
- Eastern Himalayas,
- Flying squirrel,
- Penis,
- Priapomys,
- Pteromyini,
- New genus,
- Systematics,
- Taxonomy

#Authors contributed equally to this work

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References(48)

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