title: Genetic evidence supportsSylvilagus mansuetus(Lagomorpha: Leporidae) as a subspecies ofS. bachmani.
abstract: Since Sylvilagus bachmani (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) from the Baja California Peninsula and S. mansuetus from San Jose Island, Mexico, display an allopatric distribution and are closely related, their taxonomy is unclear. The phylogenetic relationships among specimens of both species were evaluated using two mitochondrial genes (Cyt b, COI) and the beta-fibrinogen nuclear gene intron 7 (β-fib I7). The genetic analyses revealed that S. mansuetus was included within the S. bachmani clade as the sister-group of S. b. cerrosensis. The genetic distances among S. b. cerrosensis and mansuetus were relatively low (1.3% with Cyt b), similar to intraspecific distances observed within other species of Sylvilagus. We consider mansuetus to be a subspecies of S. bachmani, and the morphological traits previously used to differentiate the two taxa should be used to distinguish S. b. mansuetus from the other subspecies of S. bachmani.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096 México.. sticul@cibnor.mx.
authors.forename: Sergio Ticul
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Castañeda
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D007793:Lagomorpha / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D008800:Mexico; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Mammalia, Mexico, phylogeny, rabbits, Sylvilagus bachmani, Sylvilagus mansuetus, taxonomy