Molecular phylogenetics of theHandleyomys chapmanicomplex in Mesoamerica

A new analysis of Handleyomys chapmani, a Mexican endemic rodent, reveals that the species is paraphyletic, comprising two distinct evolutionary lineages that diverged during late Pleistocene climatic shifts. Using mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, researchers mapped these clades to the Sierra Madre Oriental-Oaxacan Highlands and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges, with H. saturatior emerging as a sister lineage to one clade. The study suggests that geographic barriers like the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley reinforced their isolation, necessitating a reevaluation of H. chapmani's conservation status due to its reduced distributional range.

Almendra, A. L., Rogers, D. S., & González-Cózatl, F. X. (2014). Molecular phylogenetics of theHandleyomys chapmanicomplex in Mesoamerica. Journal of Mammalogy, 95(1), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1644/13-mamm-a-044.1