Abstract
AbstractPikas from the subgenus Conothoa are small lagomorphs inhabiting high elevations of the great Asian mountain belt from Tian Shan through the Himalayas to the Hengduan Mountains. All species are more or less associated with stony habitats. Because of the difficulties in accessing the major habitats, Conothoa pikas are some of the less‐studied Asian small mammals. We examined 742 skulls of all taxa from the subgenus as well as a set of 51 specimens and analysed with two mitochondrial and six nuclear genes. We found two main phylogenetic branches within the subgenus: the western (Ochotona macrotis, Ochotona iliensis, Ochotona roylii, Ochotona rutila, Ochotona ladacensis, Ochotona koslowi and Ochotona rufescens) and the eastern (Ochotona forresti and Ochotona erythrotis) branches. The important role of the most south‐eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the adjacent easternmost Himalayas in the formation of the diversity of Conothoa pikas is shown for the first time. Studying the intraspecific variation led us to consistent taxonomic revision for all widely distributed species, including nomenclatorial revision and analyses of terra typica of the nominal taxa.
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