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| Neacomys rosalindae
Sánchez-Vendizú, Pacheco & Vivas-Ruiz, 2018
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ABSTRACT
The
genus Neacomys includes 10 recognized species of Neotropical spiny mice
in the tribe Oryzomyini. Five species have previously been reported
from Peru, but the small-bodied Peruvian taxa remain unrevised. In this
report, we present the first systematic and taxonomic revision of
small-bodied Neacomys populations in Peru and describe two new species based on molecular, morphological, and karyotype data: (1) Neacomys rosalindae, sp. nov.,
from northeastern Peru, is distinguished from congeneric species by,
among other differences, short incisive foramina with a wide maxillary
portion of the septum, a small subsquamosal fenestra, and a karyotype of
2n = 48, FN = 50. (2) Neacomys macedoruizi, sp. nov.,
from central Peru, is distinguished by its gray-based ventral fur, large
infraorbital foramen, and karyotype of 2n = 28, FN = 36, with a
distinctively large pair of metacentric chromosomes. The results of our
molecular analyses suggest that N. minutus (as currently recognized) is a
species complex comprised of N. minutus sensu stricto, N. macedoruizi,
and a third form that remains to be described. The other species
described here, N. rosalindae, is the sister taxon to a cluster that
includes the N. minutus complex plus N. musseri. Our data suggest that
the upper Amazon River constitutes an important dispersal barrier for
species in this genus.
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| FIGURE 1. Neacomys macedoruizi (MUSA 19692). Notice the bicolored ventral fur (image at upper right). Photo by Alexander Pari Chipana. |
Neacomys macedoruizi, new species
Etymology: The species is named in honor of Hernando de Macedo Ruiz (fig. 8), curatorof the collections of the former “Sección de Aves y Mamíferos” and erstwhile director of MUSM,who worked industriously to promote scientific research in Peru. Among his many achievementswere the creation of the journal “Folia Biologica Andina,” the establishment of the “Estación Altoandina de Biología,” the rediscovery of the monkey Lagothrix flavicauda, and the enduring commitment he showed to the improvement of the Museo de Historia Natural (Lima, Peru).
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| FIGURE 9. Neacomys rosalindae (MUSM 44971). Photo by Víctor Pacheco. |
Neacomys rosalindae, new species
Etymology: The species is named in honor of Rosalind Franklin (1920–1958), whose pioneering X-ray diffraction studies of DNA structure were an important milestone of 20th century biology.
Pamela
Sánchez-Vendizú, Víctor Pacheco and Dan Vivas-Ruiz. 2018. An
Introduction to the Systematics of Small-Bodied Neacomys (Rodentia:
Cricetidae) from Peru with Descriptions of Two New Species. American Museum Novitates. 3913; 1-38. DOI: 10.1206/3913.1 digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/6917
