Peromyscus schmidlyi
Peromyscus schmidlyi | |
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Species: | P. schmidlyi
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Peromyscus schmidlyi Bradley et al., 2004
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Schmidly's deermouse, Peromyscus schmidlyi is a recently described species of deer mouse from Sinaloa, Sonora and Durango, Mexico[1]. It is part of the highly complex and well-studied Peromyscus boylii species complex. The uniqueness of Peromyscus from this area has long been suspected, but was only formalized in 2004 with the publication of its species description.
Its monophyly has been confirmed using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. No nuclear genes have been used in the analysis. The species is also unique from other Peromyscus in cranial measurements, and karyotype (FN = 54-56). Its closest relative appears to be Peromyscus levipes.
Like many other members of the P. boylii species group, P. schmidlyi is found at higher elevations, above 2000 m. It is known to inhabit pine-oak forests. The species was named in honor of Dr. David J. Schmidly, renowned mammalogist and current president of the University of New Mexico.
Notes
- ^ H.Cabrera et al.,Distribution and natural history of the Schmidly's deermouse. The Southwestern Naturalist, Vol.52, Issue 4, 2007
References
- Bradley, R. D., D. S. Carroll, M. L. Haynie, R. M. Martinez, M. J. Hamilton, and C. W. Kilpatrick. 2004. A new species of Peromyscus from western Mexico. Journal of Mammalogy, 85:1184-1193.