title: What IsPeromyscus? Evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences suggests the need for a new classification.
abstract: The evolutionary relationships betweenPeromyscus,Habromys,Isthmomys,Megadontomys,Neotomodon,Osgoodomys, andPodomysare poorly understood. In order to further explore the evolutionary boundaries ofPeromyscusand compare potential taxonomic solutions for this diverse group and its relatives, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh1-I2), beta fibrinogen (Fgb-I7), interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (Rbp3), and cytochrome-b(Cytb). Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes produced similar topologies although levels of nodal support varied. The best-supported topology was obtained by combining nuclear and mitochondrial sequences. No monophyleticPeromyscusclade was supported. Instead, support was found for a clade containingHabromys,Megadontomys,Neotomodon,Osgoodomys,Podomys, andPeromyscussuggesting paraphyly ofPeromyscusand confirming previous observations. Our analyses indicated an early divergence ofIsthmomysfromPeromyscus(approximately 8 million years ago), whereas most other peromyscine taxa emerged within the last 6 million years. To recover a monophyletic taxonomy fromPeromyscusand affiliated lineages, we detail 3 taxonomic options in whichHabromys,Megadontomys,Neotomodon,Osgoodomys, andPodomysare retained as genera, subsumed as subgenera, or subsumed as species groups withinPeromyscus. Each option presents distinct taxonomic challenges, and the appropriate taxonomy must reflect the substantial levels of morphological divergence that characterize this group while maintaining the monophyletic relationships obtained from genetic data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology, Mississippi State University , 32 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762 , USA (RNP).
authors.forename: Roy N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology, Mississippi State University , 32 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762 , USA (RNP).
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Amman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology, Mississippi State University , 32 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762 , USA (RNP).
authors.forename: Megan S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology, Mississippi State University , 32 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762 , USA (RNP).
authors.forename: Cody W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology, Mississippi State University , 32 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762 , USA (RNP).
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bradley
keywords: Habromys; Megadontomys; Neotomodon; Osgoodomys; Peromyscus; Podomys; phylogeny; species group; systematics; taxonomy