Chromosomal and Electrophorectic Studies of Australian Melomys (Rodentia:Muridae)

Abstract

We undertook an extensive karyotypic and electrophoretic survey of 24 populations of Melomys in Australia. The taxonomic conclusions are: (1) Small grassland Melomys from Queensland belong to the same species as Northern Territory Melomys, viz. M. burtoni. Melomys from the north of the Wenlock River on Cape York, previously thought to belong to a separate species, also belong to M. burtoni. (2) The large rain-forest Melomys from Queensland belong to two separate biological species, M. cervinipes south of Cooktown and M. capensis north of Cooktown. The population data are used to compare and contrast several methods of assessing the genetic relatedness of populations.