What is it about?
Whether Dipodillus should be considered a distinct genus or whether it should be synonymized with Gerbillus is still an open debate. Most molecular phylogenies lend support to the idea that Dipodillus should be synonymized with Gerbillus, since it is nested within it. In this study, I explore the relationships between these two genera using morphometric measurements taken from the skull of various museum specimens (multiple individuals from 34 species), and I do not find evidence that these two genera have distinct skull morphologies. Furthermore, I found that skull morphological shape was associated with its size (allometry), as well as with the climate, and had significant phylogenetic signal.
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Why is it important?
This study shows that these two genera do not show significant differentiation from each other in skull morphology. However, the skull variation of species within both these genera do show significant associations with climate and other factors.
Perspectives
This study is a demonstration of how geometric morphometric methods can provide valuable insights into taxonomic questions.
Bader H Alhajeri
Kuwait University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Craniomandibular Variation in the Taxonomically Problematic Gerbil Genus Gerbillus (Gerbillinae, Rodentia): Assessing the Influence of Climate, Geography, Phylogeny, and Size, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, January 2017, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s10914-016-9377-2.
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