2025/07/14 by Yu Deng, Qing Liu, Xuming Wang +6 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/zse.101.155510
openalex publication_date 2025/07/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Sicista is the sole extant genus in the family Sicistidae and one of the most ancient rodent genera known to date. This genus is of particular importance in mammalian evolutionary studies due to its ancient lineage and specialized ecological niches. In China, species of the genus Sicista are notoriously rare and elusive, making specimen collection exceptionally difficult. Sicista concolor is a poorly studied species within the genus, and its phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history remain largely unexplored. In this study, we collected 36 specimens of S. concolor , sequenced one mitochondrial gene and two nuclear genes, and conducted morphological analyses, with particular emphasis on penile morphology, to infer its phylogenetic relationships. Our findings reveal that S. concolor represents a species complex comprising four distinct species. We describe a new species, Sicista meiguites sp. nov. , and elevate the subspecies S. c. weigoldi to full species status. Our molecular analyses also revealed a cryptic species.