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2 July 2020 The endemic New Guinean genus Murexia (Dasyuromorphia : Dasyuridae). How many species? An analysis based on morphological, distributional and molecular data
Patricia A. Woolley, Carey Krajewski, Michael Westerman
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Abstract

Five species are currently recognised in the dasyurid genus Murexia, i.e. longicaudata, naso, habbema, melanurus and rothschildi. Morphological data, including spacing of premolar teeth, the footpads and aspects of external appearance, together with nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences from multiple exemplars from across the range of each species, suggest that at least three of these represent species groups rather than individual species. Some of the taxa currently synonymised in the five species may warrant reinstatement, including M. murex, M. aspera, M. maxima in the ‘M. longicaudata’ group, M. tafa in the ‘M. naso’ group and M. wilhelmina in the ‘M. melanurus’ group. Our data also suggest the presence of other, synonymised or undescribed taxa within the ‘longicaudata’, ‘naso’, ‘melanurus’ and ‘habbema’ species groups whose species boundaries require clarification by further collections and study.

© CSIRO 2019
Patricia A. Woolley, Carey Krajewski, and Michael Westerman "The endemic New Guinean genus Murexia (Dasyuromorphia : Dasyuridae). How many species? An analysis based on morphological, distributional and molecular data," Australian Journal of Zoology 67(3), 134-144, (2 July 2020). https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20013
Received: 4 March 2020; Accepted: 17 June 2020; Published: 2 July 2020
KEYWORDS
dasyurid marsupials
dental characteristics
footpads
phylogenetics
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