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| Hylomys dorsalis Thomas, 1888 stat. nov. Hylomys peguensis Blyth, 1859 Hylomys maxi Sody, 1933 stat. nov. in Hinckley, Camacho-Sanchez, Chua, Ruedi, Lunde, Maldonado, Omar, Leonard & Hawkins, 2023 |
Abstract
We here present a comprehensive integrative taxonomic review of the genus Hylomys, using molecular (mitochondrial genomes and up to five nuclear loci) and morphological data from museum specimens across its distribution, resulting in the description of two new species and the elevation of three subspecies to specific status. This revision significantly increases the known diversity of Hylomys from two to seven extant species, challenging the traditional view of species-level diversity within gymnures. We discuss the implications of the taxonomic findings for conservation, particularly in relation to the restricted distribution ranges of several species that may be threatened by habitat loss and/or climate change. Our research emphasizes the importance of scientific collections and underscores the potential of museum genomics and additional field sampling to identify new species and improve our understanding of species diversity in poorly studied regions. Speciation events within Hylomys occurred during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene, possibly driven by shifting climate conditions such as the strengthening of the Indian monsoon and the expansion of seasonally dry conditions. This study supports northern Sumatra and the southern Annamites as centres of localized endemicity and suggests the need for additional small mammal surveys across Sumatra’s Barisan Range.
biodiversity, biogeography, Hylomys, Indochina, new species, mitogenomics, museum genomics, Sundaland, systematics
Hylomys Müller, 1840
Type species: Hylomys suillus Müller, 1840: 436.
Included species: The type species, plus H. parvus, H. engesseri, H. macarong sp. nov., H. vorax sp. nov., and H. dorsalis, H. maxi, and H. peguensis (recognized at species rank, below).
Distribution: Currently known from Sundaland (including Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and the Malay peninsula) and Indochina (including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Viet Nam, and southern China).
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| Map of tropical East Asia indicating sample localities in this study (circles) for each of the Hylomys taxa. Samples with associated DNA data are shown as large outlined circles, samples with associated morphological data are shown as smaller circles lacking an outline, and samples with molecular and morphological data are shown as large outlined circles with a black point inside. Inlaid maps highlight the elevational separation of specimens. Darker shades are associated with higher elevation. K-P: Kangar-Pattani Line vegetation transition. |
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| Hylomys maxi seen in the wild on Fraser’s Hill, Pahang, Malaysia. Credit: David Awcock |
Hylomys maxi Sody, 1933 stat. nov.
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Currently known from forests between c. 100 and 2000 m a.s.l. on Sumatra and 600 and 1700 m a.s.l. on the Malay peninsula, possibly extending north up to the Kangar Pattani Line (K-P) vegetation transition, which cuts across the Thailand–Malaysia border (see comments on the following species account). Hylomys maxi seems more abundant in hill and montane forests and was not recorded in dipterocarp forest in surveys on Northern Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia (Langham 1983, Boubli et al. 2004). ...
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| Hylomys peguensis photographed in Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Credit: Charoenchai Tothaisong, CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED. |
Hylomys peguensis Blyth, 1859
หนูผีหางหมู
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Distributed across most of Indochina’s hills and mountains, except the Da Lat and Dak Lak Plateaus and surrounding lowlands. Its southern distribution limit seems to be in Perlis (Malaysia), possibly at the K-P vegetation transition, mirroring the distribution of other small mammals (Hinckley et al. 2023). ...
Hylomys macarong Hinckley, Lunde & Hawkins, sp. nov.
Etymology: The specific name ‘macarong’, which means vampire in Vietnamese (Ma cà rồng), acknowledges the long fangs (first upper incisors) that characterize mature males of this species. We suggest the common names Dalat Gymnure, Chuột Voi Đà Lạt, and Gimnuro de Dalat, in English, Vietnamese and Spanish, respectively, given that this species is just currently known from the Da Lat and Dak Lak Plateaus and surrounding lowlands, in southern Viet Nam.
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Currently known from the Langbian/Da Lat and Dak Lak Plateaus and surrounding lowlands, in southern Viet Nam. ...
Hylomys vorax Hinckley, Lunde & Hawkins, sp. nov.
Etymology: The specific name acknowledges the voracious behaviour that Frederick Ulmer, the collector of the type series, described in his field notes: ‘They were voracious beasts often devouring the whole bait before springing the trap. Ham rind, coconut, meat, and walnuts were eaten. One shrew partially devoured the chicken head bait of a steel trap before getting caught in a nearby Schuyler trap baited with ham rind’ (USNM 271033). We recommend the common names Leuser Gymnure, Salak Ba’a Leuser, and Gimnuro de Leuser, in English, Malay, and Spanish, respectively.
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Currently known from montane forest from 2073 to 2835 m a.s.l. on Mount Leuser, but it seems to be most abundant at elevations ranging from 2073 to 2408 m a.s.l. (Fig. 11). ...
Hylomys parvus Robinson and Kloss, 1916
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Sumatran endemic, currently known from montane forest between 2200 and 3330 m a.s.l. on Mount Kerinci (Ruedi et al. 1994). This species has been recorded in sympatry with H. maxi at 2225 m by Robinson and Kloss (1918). ...
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| Hylomys dorsalis seen in the wild on Mount Murud, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia. Credit: Quentin Martinez, www.quentinmartinez.fr, all rights reserved. |
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Habitat of Hylomys dorsalis, Mount Trus Madi, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia, July 2016. Credit: Daniel Hinckley. |
Hylomys dorsalis Thomas, 1888 stat. nov.
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Bornean endemic distributed from 1280 to 3413 m a.s.l. on Mt. Kinabalu (Lim and Heyneman 1968, Camacho-Sanchez et al. 2019) and 1510–2620 m a.s.l. on Mt. Trus Madi (authors’ unpublished data). It has also been recorded at c. 2050 m a.s.l. on Mt. Tambuyukon (Camacho-Sanchez et al. 2019), 1800–1950 m a.s.l. on Mt. Alab (authors’ unpublished data), c. 2100 m a.s.l. on Mt. Murud (Wiantoro et al. 2009), at an unknown elevation on Mt. Mulu (Cranbrook 1982), and 1000 m a.s.l. in Bario, Kelabit Highlands (MZUM-M 891).
Hylomys suillus Müller, 1841
Distribution, habitat, and natural history: Javan endemic distributed from sea level (recorded in Jakarta) to 2200 m a.s.l, although it has also been reported to be found exclusively in the montane forests of some isolated volcanoes (Bartels 1937), perhaps because most lowland forests have been logged in Java. ...
CONCLUSION:
In this paper we address the systematics of Hylomys through an integrative approach combining Next Generation Museum Genomics and traditional craniodental morphometrics. We present evidence supporting the recognition of two new species, which we describe as H. macarong and H. vorax, and the elevation of H. dorsalis, H. maxi, and H. peguensis from subspecific to specific status. Our findings support northern Sumatra and the Southern Annamites as centres of localized endemicity, and suggest the need for additional small mammal surveys across Sumatra’s Barisan Range.
Arlo Hinckley, Miguel Camacho-Sanchez, Marcus A H Chua, Manuel Ruedi, Darrin Lunde, Jesús E Maldonado, Hasmahzaiti Omar, Jennifer A Leonard and Melissa T R Hawkins. 2023. An Integrative Taxonomic Revision of Lesser Gymnures (Eulipotyphla: Hylomys) reveals Five New Species and Emerging Patterns of Local Endemism in Tropical East Asia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. zlad177. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad177
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