Are cryptic species of the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa, Jaculus jaculus (Rodentia, Dipodidae), really cryptic? Re-evaluation of their taxonomic status with new data from Israel and Sinai

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作   者：

Shenbrot, Georgy;  Feldstein, Tamar;  Meiri, Shai; 

作者机构：

Tel Aviv Univ;  George S Wise Fac Life Sci;  Jacob Blaustein Inst Desert Res;  Israel;  Dept Zool;  Midreshet Ben Gurion;  Ben Gurion Univ Negev;  IL-69978 Tel Aviv;  Steinheardt Natl Museum Nat Hist;  Mitrani Dept Desert Ecol; 

关键词：

nomenclature;  Geographic distribution;  genetic differentiation;  taxonomy;  ecological differentiation; 

期刊名称：

Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research

i s s n：

0947-5745

年卷期：

2016 年 54 卷 2 期

页   码：

148-159

页   码：

摘   要：

Two clades of the lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus sensu lato were recently described in North Africa and considered as cryptic species. Members of both clades are also found in Israel, where they can be easily identified according to fur and tail colouration and morphology of the male external genitalia, but cannot be separated confidently using skull characters. Examination of type specimens demonstrated that the correct names for the two species are Jaculus jaculus (Linnaeus 1758) and Jaculus hirtipes (Lichtenstein, 1823). Comparisons of geographic and habitat differences of the two species revealed a high niche divergence between them, slightly higher in the sympatric North African populations than in the parapatric populations of Israel and Sinai. A low niche divergence was detected between North African and Middle Eastern populations of J.jaculus, and a low niche convergence between North African and Middle Eastern populations of J.hirtipes. The levels of niche differentiation coincide with those of genetic differences.