Jump to content

Peromyscus gambelii

From WhiskerWiki

Gambel's Deermouse
(Peromyscus gambelii)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Myomorphi
Superfamily:Muroidea
Family:Cricetidae
Subfamily:Neotominae
Tribe:Peromyscini
Genus:Peromyscus
Binomial details
Peromyscus gambelii (S. F. Baird, 1858)

Molecular studies by Bradley et al. (2019) and Greenbaum et. al (2019) indicate that Peromyscus maniculatus is a complex of multiple species. Both studies elevate some lineages within maniculatus to species status, including Peromyscus gambelii. However, analyses by Boria & Blois (2023) using 28,000 genome wide SNPs show Peromyscus maniculatus gambelii and Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis are either very recently diverged or in the process of diversification and they recommend that they should not yet be raised to distinct species. Here, we treat Peromyscus gambelii as a distinct species, as recommended by Bradley et al. (2019) and Greenbaum et. al (2019) and inline with the current consensus of the American Society of Mammalogists' Mammal Diversity Database. The taxonomy of the Peromyscus maniculatus species group may further change in the near future as additional studies are published.

Description

From Bradley et al. (2019): "Sides and upperparts ochraceous or ochraceous buff mixed with dusky coloration; underparts white; ears dusky; tail short to medium in length and bicolored (brown to dusky on top and white below). Medium sized for species group but possessing a longer than normal tail; measurements obtained from Osgood (1909), for several of the subspecies now assigned to P. gambelii, indicated a total length averaging 171.5 mm; (range 148–195 mm) and tail length averaging 84.5 mm (range 64–105 mm). Skull slightly smaller than that found in nearby populations of P. maniculatus and P. sejugis (Burt 1932)."

External measurements

No results found.

Variation

This section shows some of the color variation present in Peromyscus gambelii. The location is provided for reference only. The individual shown does not necessarily represent the only color variant within the local population.

Skull

  • Dorsal view of the skull of Peromyscus gambelii.
  • Ventral view of the skull of Peromyscus gambelii.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Peromyscus gambelii.
  • Dorsal view of the lower jaw of Peromyscus gambelii.
  • Upper incisors of Peromyscus gambelii.
  • Upper molars of Peromyscus gambelii.
  • Lower molars of Peromyscus gambelii.

Similar species

From Bradley et al. (2019): "A member of the P. maniculatus species group. Similar in most characteristics to other members of the P. maniculatus species group; although smaller in size compared to P. keeni and P. sonoriensis. Hooper (1944) noted morphological distinctions between populations P. gambelii and populations north of the San Francisco Bay (now recognized as P. sonoriensis rubidus); with samples of P. s. rubidus averaging larger than P. g. gambelii in the following measurements: total length, tail length, length of braincase, length of nasals, and length of hindfoot. In addition, Hooper (1944) noted that samples referable to P. s. rubidus were darker and more reddish in color than were individuals referable to P. gambelii." Additionally, "P. gambelii appears to be sympatric with samples of P. sonoriensis in western Nevada (near NAS Fallon Air Force Base) and at two separate localities in east-central California (one in Mono County and one in Tuolumne County). Additional data are need from these areas to determine if these genetic species (see Bradley and Baker 2001; Baker and Bradley 2006) are behaving as biological species (Mayr 1942) as well as genetic species."

Taxonomic notes

In 2019, based on mitochondrial DNA, Bradley et al. (2019) and Greenbaum et al. (2019) proposed elevating some of the monophyletic (descended from a common evolutionary ancestor or ancestral group) lineages within the P. maniculatus species group to distinct species, in addition to those species already recognized, resulting in at least 9 species within the P. maniculatus species complex. In 2023, Boria & Blois published their analyses using 28,000 genome wide SNPs, showing P. m. sonoriensis and P. m. gambelii are either very recently diverged or in the process of diversification and should not yet be elevated to distinct species.

From Bradley et al. (2019): "Subspecies — Includes P. g. coolidgei and P. g. gambelii based on the findings of Greenbaum et al. (2017), as well as P. m. margaritae according to the phylogenetic relationships of samples examined herein. Although we were not able to examine many of the subspecies that potentially are referable to P. gambelii, we tentatively assign the following 15 subspecies recognized by Hall (1981) to P. gambelii: anacapae, assimilis, catalinae, cineritius, clementis, coolidgei, dorsalis, dubius, elusus, exiguous, exterus, gambelii, geronimensis, hueyi, magdalenae, margaritae, sanctaerosae, santacruzae, and streatori."

References

Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.

Baird SF. 1857. General Report upon the Zoology of the Several Pacific Railroad Routes. Part I. Mammals. A. P. Nicholson, Washington, 757 pp.

Baker RJ, Bradley RD. 2006. Speciation in mammals and the genetic species concept. Journal of Mammalogy 87: 643-662.

Boria RA, Blois JL. 2023. Phylogeography within the Peromyscus maniculatus species group: Understanding past distribution of genetic diversity and areas of refugia in western North America. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 180: 107701.

Bradley RD, Baker RJ. 2001. A test of the genetic species concept: cytochrome-b sequences and mammals. Journal of Mammalogy 82: 960-973.

Bradley RD, Francis JQ, Platt II RN, Soniat TJ, Alvarez D, Lindsey LL. 2019, Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Data Indicate Evidence For Multiple Species Within Peromyscus maniculatus, pp. 1-59 in Special Publications of the Museum of Texas Tech University 70 on pages 16-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7221903

Burt WH. 1932. Description of heretofore unknown mammals from islands in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 7: 161-182.

Greenbaum IF, Honeycutt RL, Chirhart SE. 2019. Taxonomy and phylogenetics of the Peromyscus maniculatus species group. From field to laboratory: a memorial volume in honor to Robert J. Baker 71: 559-575.

Hooper ET. 1944. San Francisco Bay as a factor influencing speciation in rodents. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 59: 1-89.

Mayr EW. 1942. Systematics and the origin of species, from the viewpoint of a zoologist. Harvard University Press.

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.