Systematic Review of Genus Cerradomys Weksler, Percequillo and Voss, 2006 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae: Oryzomyini), with Description of Two New Species from Eastern Brazil

Alexandre R. Percequillo,Cibele R. Bonvicino,Erika Hingst-Zaher

doi:10.1206/495.1

Alexandre R. Percequillo, Cibele R. Bonvicino + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1206/495.1

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Abstract

Abstract Cerradomys is a monophyletic genus that includes four known species, Cerradomys subflavus, C. maracajuensis, C. marinhus, and C. scotti, distributed throughout the open vegetation belt across South America, from northeastern Brazil to southeastern Bolivia, and from eastern to northwestern Paraguay. We revised the status of the species currently assigned to this genus by analyzing skins, skulls, karyotypes, and cytochrome b DNA sequences. We also described two novel species, one distributed in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Sergipe, and the other in the states of Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui, Ceara, and Maranhao. Molecular analysis suggested the following phylogenetics arrangement: (((C. subflavus–C. sp.n.2) C. sp.n.1) C. scotti)(C. marinhus–C. maracajuensis)). Apparently, both novel species inhabit the Caatinga domain and penetrated the coastal Atlantic rainforest, differing from the remaining congeneric species that are typical open-area inhabitants.

Highlights

Several reports on the systematic of this tribe, with emphasis on the traditional conception of the polyphyletic genus Oryzomys (Musser and Carleton, 2005), resulted in more accurate definitions of genera, species group, and species in the past decade (Weksler, 1996; Musser et al, 1998; Percequillo, 1998, 2003; Bonvicino and Moreira, 2001; Langguth and Bonvicino, 2002; Musser and Carleton, 2005; Weksler, 2003, 2006). These studies led to the recent division of Oryzomys species groups in 10 new oryzomyine genera: Aegialomys, Cerradomys, Eremoryzomys, Euryoryzomys, Hylaeamys, Mindomys, Nephelomys, Oreoryzomys, Sooretamys and Transandinomys (Weksler et al, 2006)
The genus Cerradomys has been extensively studied by morphologic, karyologic, and molecular approaches (Bonvicino et al, 1999; Bonvicino and Moreira, 2001; Langguth and Bonvicino, 2002; Bonvicino, 2003; Brooks et al, 2004). These studies allowed for the recognition and description of four new species, considerably altering the species diversity in a group known to include only C. subflavus until 2002
SPECIMENS: We studied skins, skulls, skeletons, and fluid-preserved specimens deposited in the following collections: PERCEQUILLO ET AL.: REVIEW OF CERRADOMYS

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Oryzomyini (sensu Weksler, 2006; Weksler et al, 2006) is a diverse and ubiquitous tribe, with 26 genera in South America, ranging from northern Colombia to northern Argentina, inhabiting cis-Andean and trans-Andean lowland and highland forests, montane forests, dry forests, savannas, grasslands, scrubs, and coastal marshes (Musser and Carleton, 2005; Weksler et al, 2006). The genus Cerradomys comprises four species, namely: C. maracajuensis Langguth and Bonvicino, 2002; C. marinhus Bonvicino, 2003; C. scotti Langguth and Bonvicino, 2002 (including Cerradomys andersoni Brooks et al 2004; see Emmons et al, 2006); and C. subflavus (Wagner, 1842) The monophyly of this group has been demonstrated in several molecular studies (Bonvicino and Moreira, 2001; Bonvicino, 2003; Brooks et al, 2004), which included cytochrome b DNA haplotypes of all known taxa. We show the phylogenetic relationship within Cerradomys based on cytochrome b DNA sequence data

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Findings

Cerradomys subflavus LV–CEG 42