Taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of Phillips’ small-eared shrew, Cryptotis phillipsii (Schaldach, 1966), from Oaxaca, Mexico (Mammalia: Insectivora: Soricidae)

Abstract

The name Cryptotis peregrina (Merriam, 1895) previously encompassed two separate populations of a small-eared shrew of the Cryptotis mexicana group inhabiting the Sierra de Cuatro Venados and the Sierra de Miahuatlán in Oaxaca, Mexico. Analysis of museum specimens from these two populations, inc1uding the type series of C. peregrina, indicates that they are neither conspecific nor even sister taxa. We taxonomically restrict the name C. peregrina to populations in the Sierra de Cuatro Venados and adjoining Sierra Yucuyacua, whereas the name Cryptotis phillipsii (Schaldach, 1966) is available for the population in the Sierra de Miahuatlán. Moreover, we demonstrate that C. phillipsii is the most primitive member of the C. mexicana group, whereas, C. peregrina is one of the more derived members of the group.