Dataset Information

A new species of forest hedgehog (Mesechinus, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

ABSTRACT: The hedgehog genus Mesechinus (Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla) is currently comprised of four species, M.dauuricus, M.hughi, M.miodon, and M.wangi. Except for M.wangi, which is found in southwestern China, the other three species are mainly distributed in northern China and adjacent Mongolia and Russia. From 2018 to 2023, we collected seven Mesechinus specimens from Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, eastern China. Here, we evaluate the taxonomic and phylogenetic status of these specimens by integrating molecular, morphometric, and karyotypic approaches. Our results indicate that the Anhui and Zhejiang specimens are distinct from the four previously recognized species and are a new species. We formally described it here as Mesechinusorientalissp. nov. It is the only Mesechinus species occurring in eastern China and is geographically distant from all known congeners. Morphologically, the new species is most similar to M.hughi, but it is distinguishable from that species by the combination of its smaller size, shorter spines, and several cranial characteristics. Mesechinusorientalis sp. nov. is a sister to the lineage composed of M.hughi and M.wangi from which it diverged approximately 1.10 Ma.

SUBMITTER: Shi Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10698749 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A new species of forest hedgehog (Mesechinus, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

Shi Zifan Z Yao Hongfeng H He Kai K Bai Weipeng W Zhou Jiajun J Fan Jingyi J Su Weiting W Nie Wenhui W Yang Shuzhen S Onditi Kenneth O KO Jiang Xuelong X Chen Zhongzheng Z

ZooKeys 20231128

The hedgehog genus Mesechinus (Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla) is currently comprised of four species, M.dauuricus, M.hughi, M.miodon, and M.wangi. Except for M.wangi, which is found in southwestern China, the other three species are mainly distributed in northern China and adjacent Mongolia and Russia. From 2018 to 2023, we collected seven Mesechinus specimens from Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, eastern China. Here, we evaluate the taxonomic and phylog ...[more]

PMID: 38074901

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Crocidura, the most speciose mammalian genus, occurs across much of Asia, Europe and Africa. The taxonomy of Chinese representatives has been studied primarily based on cursory morphological comparisons and their molecular phylogenetic analyses remain unexplored. In order to understand the phylogeny of this group in China, we estimated the first multilocus phylogeny and conducted species delimitation, including taxon sampling throughout their distribution range. RESULTS:We obtained one mitochondrial gene (cytb) (~ 1, 134 bp) and three nuclear genes (ApoB, BRCA1, RAG1) (~ 2, 170 bp) for 132 samples from 57 localities. Molecular analyses identified at least 14 putative species that occur within two major well-supported groups in China. Polyphyletic C. wuchihensis appears to be composed of two putative species. Two subspecies, C. rapax rapax and C. rapax kurodai should be elevated to full species status. A phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial gene from Asian Crocidura species showed that the C. rapax rapax is embedded within C. attenuata, making the latter a paraphyletic group. Three strongly supported undescribed species (C. sp.1, C. sp.2 and C. sp.3) are revealed from Zada County of Tibet (Western China), Hongjiang County of Hunan Province (Central China) and Dongyang County of Zhejiang Province (Eastern China), Motuo County of Tibet, respectively. The divergence time estimation suggested that China's Crocidura species began to diversify during the late Pliocene (3.66 Ma) and the Early Pleistocene (2.29 Ma), followed by a series of diversifications through the Pleistocene. CONCLUSIONS:The cryptic diversity found in this study indicated that the number of species is strongly underestimated under the current taxonomy. We propose that the three undescribed species should be evaluated using extensive taxon sampling and comprehensive morphological and morphometric approaches. Climate change since the late Pliocene and the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau may result in the diversification and speciation of China's Crocidura species. In short, the underestimated diversity underlines the need for a taxonomic revision of Chinese Crocidura species.

Dataset Information

A new species of forest hedgehog (Mesechinus, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

Publications

A new species of forest hedgehog (<i>Mesechinus</i>, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

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Dataset Information

A new species of forest hedgehog (Mesechinus, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

Publications

﻿A new species of forest hedgehog (<i>Mesechinus</i>, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

A new species of forest hedgehog (<i>Mesechinus</i>, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.