Huai-Sen Ai, Kai He, Zhong-Zheng Chen, Jia-Qi Li, Tao Wan, Quan Li, Wen-Hui Nie, Jin-Huan Wang, Wei-Ting Su, Xue-Long Jiang. Taxonomic revision of the genus Mesechinus (Mammalia: Erinaceidae) with description of a new species. Zoological Research, 2018, 39(5): 335-347. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.034
Citation:
Huai-Sen Ai, Kai He, Zhong-Zheng Chen, Jia-Qi Li, Tao Wan, Quan Li, Wen-Hui Nie, Jin-Huan Wang, Wei-Ting Su, Xue-Long Jiang. Taxonomic revision of the genus Mesechinus (Mammalia: Erinaceidae) with description of a new species. Zoological Research, 2018, 39(5): 335-347. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.034
Huai-Sen Ai, Kai He, Zhong-Zheng Chen, Jia-Qi Li, Tao Wan, Quan Li, Wen-Hui Nie, Jin-Huan Wang, Wei-Ting Su, Xue-Long Jiang. Taxonomic revision of the genus Mesechinus (Mammalia: Erinaceidae) with description of a new species. Zoological Research, 2018, 39(5): 335-347. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.034
Citation:
Huai-Sen Ai, Kai He, Zhong-Zheng Chen, Jia-Qi Li, Tao Wan, Quan Li, Wen-Hui Nie, Jin-Huan Wang, Wei-Ting Su, Xue-Long Jiang. Taxonomic revision of the genus Mesechinus (Mammalia: Erinaceidae) with description of a new species. Zoological Research, 2018, 39(5): 335-347. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.034
1 Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Baoshan Yunnan 678000, China2 Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China3 The Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan4 College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu Anhui 241000, China5 Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing Jiangsu 210042, China
Hedgehogs in the genus Mesechinus (Family Erinaceidae), which include two currently recognized species (M. dauuricus and M. hughi), are distributed from northeast Mongolia to the upper Amur Basin in Russia and adjacent areas in northeast and northern China. In recent years, a population of Mesechinus hedgehogs was discovered from Mt. Gaoligong, southwestern Yunnan, China, far from the known distribution range of the genus. Furthermore, these hedgehogs are the only known population to be distributed at elevations higher than 2 100 m and in sympatry with gymnures. To evaluate the taxonomic status of these hedgehogs, we examined specimens representing Mesechinus taxa in China and further conducted morphometric and karyotypic analyses. Our results supported the existence of four species in China. Specifically, we identified the hedgehogs from Mt. Gaoligong as a new species, Mesechinus wangi sp. nov. , and recognized M. miodon, previously considered as a synonym of either M. dauuricus or M. hughi, as a distinct species. Interestingly, we observed a supernumerary M4 on all specimens of Mesechinus wangi sp. nov. , which is an extremely rare event in the evolution of mammalian dentition.