Geographic variation in quantitative skull traits and systematic of southern populations of the leaf-eared mice of the Phyllotis xanthopygus complex (Cricetidae, Phyllotini) in southern South America

PABLO, TETA; JAYAT PABLO; CECILIA LANZONE; AGUSTINA OJEDA; AGUSTINA NOVILLO; RICARDO OJEDA

ZOOTAXA

MAGNOLIA PRESS

Lugar: Auckland; Año: 2018

1175-5326

The leaf-eared mice of the genus Phyllotis (Cricetidae, Phyllotini) encompasses at least 20 species of medium-sized Neotropicalrodents mostly distributed throughout the Andean region. Its limits and contents were reviewed by several authors,based both on morphological and molecular data. However, no integrative approaches were conducted based onlarge samples of individuals with a wide geographical coverage. The purposes of this paper are: (i) to evaluate specieslimits; and (ii) to test the congruence between molecular and quantitative morphological evidences within the Phyllotisxanthopygus complex in southern South America. Our results questioned the specific status of P. bonariensis, a geographicallyisolated form that was either considered as a valid species or as a synonym of P. xanthopygus. Quantitative morphological(size and shape of the skull) and molecular data linked P. bonariensis with populations from central Argentinatraditionally referred as P. xanthopygus vaccarum. Individuals belonging to populations from southern Argentina andChile (P. x. xanthopygus) were remarkably homogeneous in their skull morphology, showing a subtle to non-existent differentiationfrom those of north-central and west-central Argentina referred to P. x. vaccarum. We found some incongruencebetween groups inferred from morphological (this work) and mitochondrial DNA results of previous studies. This isthe case of the north-central and west-central populations, where morphological traits do not show the strong differentiationdetected by molecular characters. Our results highlight the need for integrative taxonomic studies, not only to delimitatetaxonomic units but also for a better and more comprehensive understanding of population variability anddifferentiation.