Advertisement

Mammalian Biology

, Volume 70, Issue 1, pp 61–67 | Cite as

A new species of murid rodent (genus Mayermys) from south-eastern New Guinea

  • K. M. HelgenEmail author
Original investigation
First Online:

Abstract

Mayermys is the only muroid genus with a single molar in each quadrant of the jaw. This distinctive genus is restricted to montane New Guinea and has previously been considered monotypic. Here a second species of Mayermys is described from the mountains of far south-eastern Papua New Guinea. The dentition of this new species is more reduced than that of any other species of rodent, living or fossil.

Key words

Murinae Muridae Papua New Guinea taxonomy 

Eine neue Muriden-Art (Gattung Mayermys) aus dem Südosten von Neuguinea

Zusammenfassung

Mayermys ist die einzige Nagetier-Gattung mit nur einem einzigen Molaren in jedem Kieferast. Diese markante Gattung ist auf Gebirge in Neuguinea beschränkt und gilt bisher als monotypisch. Hier wird eine zweite Art von Mayermys aus dem äußersten Südosten der Insel beschrieben. Die Bezähmung dieser neuen Art ist stärker reduziert als die irgendeiner anderen lebenden oder fossilen Nagetier-Art.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Breed, W. G. (1997): Evolution of the Spermatozoon in Australasian rodents. Aust. J. Zool. 45, 459-178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Breed, W. G.; Aplin, K. P. (1995): Sperm mor-phology of murid rodents from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands: phylogenetic implications. Aust. J. Zool. 43, 17–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Dow, D. B. (1977): A geological synthesis of Papua New Guinea. Aust. Bur. Min. Res. Geol. Geophys. Publ. 201, 1–1.Google Scholar
  4. Flannery, T. F. (1995): Mammals of New Guinea. (Revised ed). Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
  5. Flannery, T. F.; Groves, C. R (1998): A revision of the genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachy-glossidae), with description of new species and subspecies. Mammalla 62, 367–396.Google Scholar
  6. Jackson, K. L.; Wooixey, P. A. (1993): The diet of five species of New Guinean rodents. Sei. New Guinea 19, 77–86.Google Scholar
  7. Laurie, E. M. O.; Hill, I E. (1954): List of Land Mammals of New Guinea, Celebes, and Adjacent Islands, 1758–1952. London, UK: British Mus. (Nat. Hist).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Lidicker, W. Z., JR. (1968): A phylogeny of New Guinea rodent gênera based on phallic mor-phology. J. Mammalogy 49, 609–643.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Lidicker, W. Z., Jr.; Ziegler, A. C. (1968): Report on a collection of mammals from eastern New Guinea, including species keys for four-teen gênera. Univ. California Publ. Zool. 87, 1–64.Google Scholar
  10. Menzies, J. L; Dennis, E. (1979): Handbook of New Guinea Rodents. Wau, Papua New Guinea: Wau Ecology Institute (Handbook 6).Google Scholar
  11. Misonne, X. (1969): African and Indo-Australian Muridae: evolutionary trends. Ann. Mus. Roy Afr. Cent. (Tervuren, Belgium), ser. IN-8°, 172, 1–219.Google Scholar
  12. Musser, G. G; Carleton, M. D. (2004): Family Muridae. In: Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, third edition. Ed. by D. E. Wilson and D. R. Reeder. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press (in press).Google Scholar
  13. Musser, G. G; Heaney, L. R. (1992): Philippine rodents: definitions of Tarsomys and Lim-nomys plus a preliminary assessment of phylogenetic patterns among native Philippine murines (Murinae, Muridae). Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 211, 1–138.Google Scholar
  14. Nowak, R. M. (1999): Walker’s Mammals of the World. Sixth ed, 2 vols. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
  15. Täte, G. H. H. (1951): Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 65. The rodents of Australia and New Guinea. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 97, 183–430.Google Scholar
  16. Van Dyck, S. (2002): Morphology-based revision of Murexia and Antechinus (Marsupialia: Da-syuridae). Mem. Queensland Mus. 48, 239–330.Google Scholar
  17. Watts, C. H. S.; Baverstock, P. R. (1994): Evolution in New Guinean Muridae (Rodentia) as-sessed by microcomplement fixation of albumin. Aust. J. Zool. 42, 295–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Watts, C. H. S.; Baverstock, P. R.; Birrell, J; Krieg, M. (1992): Phylogeny of the Australian rodents (Muridae): a molecular approach using microcomplement fixation of albumin. Aust. J. Zool. 40, 81–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Deutsche Gesellschaft für Säugetierkunde 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.School of Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Adelaide, and South Australian MuseumAdelaideAustralia

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options