Natural Diversity and Phylogeny of Asian Red-Cheeked Squirrels (Rodentia, Sciuridae, Dremomys) in Eastern Indochina

Abstract

AbstractBased on new molecular data for mitochondrial (Cyt b) and nuclear (IRBP,RAG1) genes, as well as an extensive analysis of morphological material, we accessed actual species taxonomy and relationships among Asian red-cheeked squirrelsDremomysdistributed in eastern Indochina and southern China. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that Asian red-cheeked squirrels, which are currently attributed toD. rufigenis, are not homogenic but instead consisted of two independent species-level clades—northern and south-central. The latter clade was additionally subdivided into two highly divergent clades based onCyt bgene phylogeny. In spite of multidimensional statistics approach applied (PCA) only minor cranial differences were found between populations of study what lay a basis to treat it as cryptic species. Based on our findings, red-cheeked squirrels inhabit northern Vietnam and southern China, which are usually attributed toD. rufigenis, should be treated as distinct genetic speciesD. ornatusThomas, 1914. In ones turn, based on its peculiar external morphology we can attribute the specimens from southern and central Vietnam toD. rufigenisproper and treat them asD. rufigenisfuscusBonhote, 1907 andD. r. laomacheBonhote, 1921, respectively.