A new subspecies of hutia (Plagiodontia, Capromyidae, Rodentia) from southern Hispaniola.

摘要: Continued uncertainty persists over the taxonomic status of many threatened Caribbean mammal populations. Recent molecular analysis has identified three genetically isolated allopatric hutia populations on Hispaniola that diverged during Middle Pleistocene, with observed levels sequence divergence interpreted as representing subspecies-level differentiation through comparison genetic data for other capromyids. Subsequent existing museum specimens demonstrated biogeographically congruent morphometric two these populations, Plagiodontia aedium (southwestern population) and P. hylaeum (northern population). We report first craniodental material southeastern Hispaniolan population, demonstrate this population can also be differentiated using quantitative from subspecies. The holotype skull aedium, unknown geographic provenance within Hispaniola, clusters morphometrically southwestern population. subspecies is described bondi subsp. nov., assessed Endangered under Criterion B1a,biii,v IUCN Red List.