Hulme-Beaman Ardern, Cucchi Thomas, Evin Allowen, Searle Jeremy B, Dobney Keith
Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, 12-14 Abercromby Square, Liverpool L69 7WZ, UK.
Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
Mamm Biol. 2018 Sep;92:62-67. doi: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.04.002.
Taxonomic uncertainties in the genus persist due to among-species morphological conservatism coupled with within-species environmental variation in morphology. As a result, this genus contains a number of possible cryptic species. One important example can be found in , where morphological studies indicate it is a possible species complex. Genetic studies of (limited to analysis of mitochondrial DNA) have been inconclusive, but do indicate such subdivision. Here we use geometric morphometrics to explore this possible species complex by analysing the dental traits of 48 specimens from New Guinea and neighbouring regions. We find separate molar morphologies for Bougainsville Island, central New Guinea and west New Guinea which cannot be easily explained by different environmental factors (climate, precipitation and altitude), strongly suggesting the existence of a number of evolutionarily distinct taxa within what is currently called thus supporting previous suggestions that is a species complex. Our findings demonstrate the potential of advanced morphological analyses in identifying separate species, contrary to the claims of morphological conservatism. Future analyses should combine geometric morphometrics with genetic analyses over the species range and include sub-fossil specimens from the Bismarck archipelago and Solomon Islands to resolve the evolutionary history of .
由于种间形态保守性以及种内形态的环境变异，该属的分类存在不确定性。因此，该属包含许多可能的隐存种。一个重要的例子见于 ，形态学研究表明它可能是一个复合种。对 （限于线粒体DNA分析）的遗传学研究尚无定论，但确实表明了这种细分。在这里，我们使用几何形态测量学，通过分析来自新几内亚和邻近地区的48个标本的牙齿特征，来探索这个可能的复合种。我们发现布干维尔岛、新几内亚中部和新几内亚西部有不同的臼齿形态，这些形态难以用不同的环境因素（气候、降水和海拔）来解释，这有力地表明在目前所称的 中存在一些进化上不同的分类单元，从而支持了之前认为 是一个复合种的观点。我们的研究结果表明，与形态保守性的观点相反，先进的形态分析在识别不同物种方面具有潜力。未来的分析应将几何形态测量学与整个物种范围内的遗传分析相结合，并纳入来自俾斯麦群岛和所罗门群岛的亚化石标本，以解决 的进化历史问题。
