Bones and genes: resolution problems in three Vietnamese species of Crocidura (Mammalia, Soricomorpha, Soricidae) and the description of an additional new species

Paula Jenkins,Viatcheslav Rozhnov,Аnna Bannikova,Alexei Abramov

doi:10.3897/zookeys.313.4823

Abstract

Recent investigations of Southeast Asian white toothed shrews belonging to the genus Crocidura have revealed discrepancies between the results of morphological and molecular studies. The following study concerns three species of Crocidura occurring in Vietnam, namely Crocidura attenuata, Crocidura tanakae and Crocidura wuchihensis, and an undescribed fourth species revealed by molecular analysis. For many years Crocidura attenuata has been known to occur in Vietnam but, until very recently, the morphologically similar and comparably sized Crocidura tanakae was believed to be restricted to Taiwan. Following several molecular studies over the last few years, this species is now believed to be considerably more widespread and recognised as occuring also in Vietnam. The results of one of these recent molecular studies also revealed the presence of an undescribed species of Crocidura, similar in size and morphology to Crocidura wuchihensis, which is herein described. Data are provided on geographical variation in Vietnam and the problems of defining morphologically similar yet molecularly disparate species are discussed.

Highlights

From the late 1990s there have been several intensive surveys of the small mammal fauna in various localities in Vietnam, resulting in the discovery of a number of species new to science
Molecular studies were being carried out during this period. Significant studies included those of Ohdachi et al (2006) investigating the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences of Soricidae; Esselstyn et al (2009), Esselstyn and Brown (2009) and Esselstyn and Oliveros (2010) studying mitochondrial and nuclear genes of Crocidura
These were broad based studies covering wide geographical regions of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines but some samples of Vietnamese Crocidura were included in their analyses

Summary

Introduction

From the late 1990s there have been several intensive surveys of the small mammal fauna in various localities in Vietnam, resulting in the discovery of a number of species new to science. Lunde et al (2003) recorded the occurrence of a fourth species, C. wuchihensis Shaw, Wang, Lu & Chang 1966 in northern Vietnam This was followed by a spate of descriptions of new species of Crocidura based entirely on morphology: C. kegoensis Lunde, Musser & Ziegler, 2004; C. sokolovi Jenkins, Abramov, Rozhnov & Makarova, 2007; C. zaitsevi Jenkins, Abramov, Rozhnov & Makarova, 2007; C. annamitensis Jenkins, Lunde & Moncrieff, 2009; C. guy Jenkins, Lunde & Moncrieff, 2009; C. phuquocensis Abramov, Jenkins, Rozhnov & Kalinin, 2008a; C. phanluongi Jenkins, Abramov, Rozhnov & Olsson, 2010. Molecular studies were being carried out during this period Significant studies included those of Ohdachi et al (2006) investigating the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences of Soricidae; Esselstyn et al (2009), Esselstyn and Brown (2009) and Esselstyn and Oliveros (2010) studying mitochondrial and nuclear genes of Crocidura. These were broad based studies covering wide geographical regions of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines but some samples of Vietnamese Crocidura were included in their analyses. Bannikova et al (2011) studied two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome b (cytb) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI), of Vietnamese Crocidura collected at various localities ranging from the north to the south of the country

Methods

Results

Conclusion