Title a New Subspecies of the Least Weasel Mustela Nivalis (Mammalia, Carnivora) from Taiwan Author(S) Lin, Liang-Kong; Motokawa
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A New Subspecies of the Least Weasel Mustela nivalis Title (Mammalia, Carnivora) from Taiwan Author(s) Lin, Liang-Kong; Motokawa, Masaharu; Harada, Masashi Citation Mammal Study (2010), 35(3): 191-200 Issue Date 2010-09 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/156373 Right © the Mammalogical Society of Japan. Type Journal Article Textversion publisher Kyoto University A New Subspecies of the Least Weasel Mustela nivalis (Mammalia, Carnivora) from Taiwan Author(s) :Liang-Kong Lin, Masaharu Motokawa and Masashi Harada Source: Mammal Study, 35(3):191-200. 2010. Published By: Mammal Society of Japan DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3106/041.035.0305 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3106/041.035.0305 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. 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Mammal Study 35: 191–200 (2010) © the Mammalogical Society of Japan A new subspecies of the least weasel Mustela nivalis (Mammalia, Carnivora) from Taiwan Liang-Kong Lin1, Masaharu Motokawa2,* and Masashi Harada3 1 Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan 2 The Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan 3 Laboratory Animal Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka 545-8585, Japan Abstract. A new subspecies of the least weasel, Mustela nivalis (Mammalia, Carnivora) was described from the central mountains of Taiwan. The external and skull morphology, and conventional, G-banded and C-banded karyotypes of the present subspecies were compared with those of other subspecies. This new subspecies is distinct from the other subspecies by relatively longer tail, a broad and short interorbital region, short and narrow rostrum, anteriorly positioned infraorbital foramen, well developed protocone and parastyle of the fourth upper premolars, and anterior margin of right and left upper molars located in a straight line. The number of C-blocks in chromosomes of this new subspecies is less than those for other M. nivalis subspecies. Key words: karyotype, Mustela nivalis, new subspecies, systematics, Taiwan. The least weasel Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766 (Mam- sive, and the taxonomic statuses of several subspecies in malia, Carnivora) has a wide distribution, covering the East Asia have been still confused. For example, subspe- whole of Europe, North Africa, North America and the cies M. n. namiyei Kuroda 1921 distributed in northern range from Asia Minor to northeastern Siberia, Korea Honshu of Japan has distinct chromosome number (2n = and Japan (Nowak 1999; Abramov and Baryshnikov 38, versus 42 for other subspecies karyotyped) (Obara 2000; Wozencraft 2005; Fig. 1A). Mustela nivalis was 1991). Obara (1991) suggested that M. namiyei may originally described from Sweden (Wozencraft 2005); it deserve full specific status based on this chromosome is the smallest member of the Order Carnivora; and can difference, but this view is not accepted (Abramov and be defined from the other congeneric species by the color Baryshnikov 2000; Wozencraft 2005). of tail tip, the smaller size of skull, and baculum Two subspecies of M. nivalis occurring in the southern morphology (Sheffield and King 1994). This Holarctic China and the northern Vietnam were first described as species had been taxonomically much confused and separate species: M. russelliana by Thomas (1911) from many named forms were described by many authors as Szechwan (= Sichuan), China and M. tonkinensis by reviewed by Sheffield and King (1994), Abramov and Bjorkegren (1941) from northern Vietnam. These two Baryshnikov (2000), and Wozencraft (2005). Several subspecies are isolated from the main continuous distri- recent studies concluded that only a larger form, M. bution range of M. nivalis (Fig. 1A). As well, these two subpalmata Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833 from Egypt subspecies have somewhat longer tails, 39% and 41% could be separated from M. nivalis to represent a full of the head and body length for two individuals of M. species (Frank 1985; van Zyll de Jong 1992; Reig 1997; russelliana (calculated from measurements given in Abramov and Baryshnikov 2000; Wozencraft 2005). Thomas [1911]) and 45% for an individual of M. Wozencraft (2005) recognized 18 subspecies within M. tonkinensis (Bjorkegren 1941), distinct from the Euro- nivalis, mostly following Abramov and Baryshnikov pean populations with shorter tail 17.7–42.4% (ranges (2000). for 26 population means: Abramov and Baryshnikov Morphological variations among subspecies are exten- 2000; Abramov 2006). While Corbet and Hill (1992) *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] 192 Mammal Study 35 (2010) included the two forms as junior synonyms of M. nivalis, species of M. nivalis. Based on these differences, we they mentioned that M. russelliana might be a distinct believe that the Taiwan weasel deserves a valid sub- species and also doubted the placement of M. tonkinensis, specific status. In this paper, we describe it as a new which represented only by one specimen. subspecies of M. nivalis. In addition, a population from Shaanxi Province, northwestern China, originally described as M. aisto- Materials and methods odonnivalis by Wu and Kao (1991) is currently consid- ered a subspecies of M. nivalis by Wozencraft (2005). Seven specimens of weasels from Taiwan examined in This subspecies also has a longer tail relative to the head this study (2 males, 4 females, and 1 unknown sex) are and body, 38–41% for four individuals (calculated from deposited at the National Museum of Natural Science, measurements given in Wu and Kao [1991]). Taichung, Taiwan (NMNS). Comparative specimens of As mentioned above, the several East Asian forms are M. n. nivalis, M. n. namiyei and M. n. russelliana are likely to be much diverged and separated from M. n. deposited in the Natural History Museum, London nivalis as distinct subspecies or even as distinct species. (BMNH), the National Museum of Nature and Science, However, currently available data is still not enough to Tokyo, Japan (NSMT), and the collection of Professor give them full specific rank. Therefore, we consider Yoshitaka Obara, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan several distinct forms as subspecies until comprehensive (see Appendix for further details). Morphological data systematic revision will be made based on enough speci- for M. n. tonkinensis and M. n. aistoodonnivalis were mens from East Asia. taken from Bjorkegren (1941) and Wu and Kao (1991), Abramov and Baryshnikov (2000) reported Mustela respectively. nivalis from Taiwan for the first time based on abstract The following external measurements (in mm) were by Lin and Harada (1998); and Wozencraft (2005) and taken for the Taiwanese specimens by the senior author: Larivière and Jennings (2009) included Taiwan as distri- head and body length (HB), tail length (T), hind foot bution of M. nivalis. Abramov and Baryshnikov (2000) length without claw (HF), and ear length (E). Tail ratio reported weasels from Taiwan as “Mustela nivalis subsp. (%) was calculated by dividing T by HB. Comparative n.”, but they never describe it nor give specific name. data for the tail ratio of M. nivalis were taken from Lin and Harada (1998)’s abstract consists 138 words Abramov and Baryshnikov (2000), except for those of with title “A new species of Mustela from Taiwan”, but M. n. tonkinensis because the value of M. tonkinensis in they did not give new species name in that abstract. Abramov and Baryshnikov (2000) was considerably dif- Hosoda et al. (2000) examined mitochondrial cyto- ferent from the original description (Bjorkegren 1941). chrome b gene sequence of several species of Mustela For all examined specimens, the following fourteen and Martes including a specimen from Taiwan as M. cranial measurements were taken to the nearest 0.01 mm nivalis and they found that the Taiwan specimen is with digital calipers (Mitsutoyo Co., Ltd): greatest length included within M. nivalis cluster, but they did not make (GL), condylobasal length (CBL), zygomatic width any comment on its taxonomy. Duff and Lawson (2004) (ZW), interorbital width (IOW), posterorbital width listed the Taiwan weasel as Mustela formosana with (POW), mastoid width (MW), palate length (PL), maxil- citation to Lin and Harada (1998)’s abstract, but Lin lary toothrow length (MXTL), height of braincase and Harada (1998) did not named the Taiwan weasel as (HBC), breadth of rostrum (BR), length of tympanic mentioned above. Duff and Lawson (2004, p. 123) only (LT), length of mandible (LM), height of mandible wrote three sentences “Mustela formosana /Taiwan (HM), and mandible toothrow length (MNTL). Defini- Mountain Weasel / Mountains of Taiwan”, which