Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Eozapus (Mammalia, Rodentia, Zapodidae) with the description of a new species

Abstract

Eozapus is a monotypic genus in the family Zapodidae, with a single species and two subspecies: Eozapus setchuanus setchuanus and Eozapus setchuanus vicinus in the mountains of southwestern China. Eozapus setchuanus is one of the oldest and rarest species. The molecular phylogenetic and evolutionary history of this species has not yet been explored because of its small size and difficulty in capturing it. In this study, we collected 51 specimens, sequenced one mitochondrial gene and two nuclear genes, and conducted morphological analyses to clarify the phylogenetic relationship and evolutionary history of this genus. Both molecular and morphological analyses supported the classification of these three species within the genus Eozapus. We describe a new species, Eozapus wanglangensis sp. nov., and propose elevating E. s. vicinus, previously considered a subspecies of Eozapus setchuanus, to the status of an independent species. Furthermore, the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the complex topography of sky islands, and climate change promoted the speciation and diversity of the genus Eozapus.