Deux nouveaux spécimens de Lamoîtemys okuensis Petter, 1986 du Cameroun (Muridae : Rodentia)

Abstract

Two new specimens of Lamottemys okuensis, discovered in the collection of Museum Koenig, Bonn are described and compared to the two types. All the specimens come from Mount Oku in Cameroon. The collecting habitat is characterized. Comparison with related murid genera confirms the independence of Lamottemys.Characters of the molar pattern, above all, speak for a close relationship to Oenomys, more than to Desmomys.Résumé. -Deux nouveaux spécimens de Lamottemys okuensis, qui ont été découverts dans la collection du Museum Koenig, Bonn, sont décrits et comparés avec les deux types. Tous les spécimens proviennent du mont Oku, Cameroun. L'habitat de capture est caractérisé. La comparaison avec des genres de Muridés voisins confirme que Lamottemys est un genre particulier. Ce sont les caractères du dessin des molaires, notamment, qui nous semblent parler en faveur d'une parenté plus proche avec Oenomys qu'avec Desmomys.

Phylogenetic position of the endemic Mount Oku rat,Lamottemys okuensis(Rodentia: Muridae), based on molecular and morphological data

“…The monophyly of Arvicanthini was not recovered by our morphological cladistic analysis, but Lamottemys was included in the clade encompassing both Arvicanthini and Otomyini. Our molecular and morphological data clearly refute the hypothesis of Dieterlen & Van der Straeten (), who proposed a close relationship between Lamottemys and Oenomys based on the size of the skull and the molar pattern. These authors reported the similar shapes and organization plan of the cusps of the molars (the third upper molar particularly) in Lamottemys and Oenomys .…”

“…Since the description of Lamottemys , little has become known about its phylogenetic position and evolutionary history, probably because it has for so long remained poorly represented in natural history museums, with two specimens documented in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN, Petter, ) and five specimens in the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (Dieterlen & Van der Straeten, ; Fülling, ). More recently, Denys et al .…”

“…(), based on 53 recently trapped specimens of L. okuensis , provided the third description of the genus, describing skull and dental characters and their morphological variability, but without any discussion of its phylogenetic relationships. Based on external morphology and cranial and dental patterns, the genus was suggested to belong to the murine tribe Arvicanthini (Ducroz, Volobouev & Granjon, ; Michaux, Libois & Filippucci, ; Lecompte et al ., ), but its closest relatives are doubtful: (1) based on eco‐ethological and morphological characters, Petter () underlined its affinity with Desmomys , an Ethiopian endemic, whereas, (2) based on dental characters, Dieterlen & Van der Straeten () underlined its affinity with Oenomys , which is widespread in sub‐Saharan Africa. Clarifying the phylogenetic position of Lamottemys is important for systematics, but also to better understand its evolutionary and biogeographical origin.…”

Phylogeny and biogeography of African Murinae based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, with a new tribal classification of the subfamily

“…For example, the rare African genus Dephomys shares dental and cranial morphometric traits with Hybomys [9,59], and was included in the Hybomys division by Musser and Carleton [8]. Similarly, the monotypic genus Lamottemys , described after the work of Misonne, is thought be closely related to Oenomys [60,61], and was included in the Oenomys division by Musser and Carleton [8]. Malpaisomys , an extinct genus from the Canary Islands, was also included in the Oenomys division by Musser and Carleton [8], based on morphological studies by Lopez-Martinez et al [62] and their own assessment.…”

Molecular and morphological evidence for a Pleistocene radiation of laminate-toothed rats (Otomys: Rodentia) across a volcanic archipelago in equatorial Africa

“…They include rich small mammal assemblages for which new species continue to be discovered (e.g. Petter, ; Dieterlen & van der Straeten, , ; Van der Straeten & Hutterer, ; Hutterer, Dieterlen & Nikolaus, ; Dieterlen & Van der Straeten, ; Verheyen et al ., ; Fahr et al ., ; Lecompte, Granjon & Denys, ; Missoup et al ., ; Monadjem et al ., , b; Denys et al ., ). The closest relatives of many of these West African endemics are confined to the mountains of the eastern African Great Rift Valley and the Eastern Arc Mountains, suggesting either ancient forest (Miocene) connections (as suggested for the shrew genus Congosorex ; Stanley, Rogers & Hutterer, ), or possibly more recent dispersal events along historical temperate corridors (e.g.…”