The endemic New Guinean genus Murexia (Dasyuromorphia : Dasyuridae). How many species? An analysis based on morphological, distributional and molecular data
Patricia A. Woolley
A C , Carey Krajewski B and Michael Westerman A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic. 3086, Australia.
B School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
C Corresponding author. Email: p.woolley@latrobe.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 67(3) 134-144 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20013
Submitted: 4 March 2020 Accepted: 17 June 2020 Published: 2 July 2020
Abstract
Five species are currently recognised in the dasyurid genus Murexia, i.e. longicaudata, naso, habbema, melanurus and rothschildi. Morphological data, including spacing of premolar teeth, the footpads and aspects of external appearance, together with nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences from multiple exemplars from across the range of each species, suggest that at least three of these represent species groups rather than individual species. Some of the taxa currently synonymised in the five species may warrant reinstatement, including M. murex, M. aspera, M. maxima in the ‘M. longicaudata’ group, M. tafa in the ‘M. naso’ group and M. wilhelmina in the ‘M. melanurus’ group. Our data also suggest the presence of other, synonymised or undescribed taxa within the ‘longicaudata’, ‘naso’, ‘melanurus’ and ‘habbema’ species groups whose species boundaries require clarification by further collections and study.
Additional keywords: dasyurid marsupials, dental characteristics, footpads, phylogenetics.
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