2023-06-10 20:00:00
A team of researchers of the CONICETtogether with a colleague from the Southern University of Chile discovered two new species of rodents underground of the genus Ctenomys, better known as tuco-tucos.
baptized Ctenomys eileenae y Ctenomys verzi in honor of Eileen Lacey and Diego Verzi, specialists in the study of octodontoid rodentsthese two new species were discovered based on a series of phylogenetic analyzes of sequences of ADN mitochondrial and qualitative and quantitative morphological evidence.
With 66 currently recognized living species, the rodent genus Ctenomys is one of the richest groups within the mammals. However, the taxonomy of this genus is dynamic and in recent decades several new species have been proposed and others have been synonymized,” he explains. Augustine Ojedaassociate researcher at CONICET at the Argentine Institute for Research in Arid Zones (IADIZA, CONICET-UNCUYO-Gov. Mza).
Although both species are native to central-western Argentina, Ctenomys eileenae is distributed especially on the eastern Andean slopes of the provinces of La Rioja and San Juanwhere it inhabits montane grasslands and scrublands above 3,500 masl While, for its part, Ctenomys verzi is found in the southwest of Mendozaand occupies similar environments between 2,000 and 2,400 masl
“The description of these new species is not entirely unexpected. Recent advances in the taxonomy of this genus have greatly benefited from the use of integrative approaches, together with the collection of new specimens in unsampled or undersampled areas, and the consultation of biological collections”, he points out. Pablo Teta, independent CONICET researcher at the “Bernardino Rivadavia” Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences (MACNBR, CONICET).
“In sum, in the last 10 years, 9 new species have been described within this genusas well as candidate species that could be described in the near future have also been identified”, concludes the first author of the work.
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