Sains Malaysiana 52(3)(2023): 741-755

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5203-05

Molecular Phylogeny of Long-Tailed Giant Rats (Muridae: Genus Leopoldamys) Based on Mitochondrial Cytochrome B Sequences

(Filogeni Molekul Tikus Gergasi Berekor Panjang (Muridae: Genus Leopoldamys) Berdasarkan Jujukan Sitokrom B Mitokondria)

MOHAMAD AZAM FIRDAUS SAARANI¹, HOI-SEN YONG¹, BADRUL MUNIR MD-ZAIN², JENNIFER A. LEONARD³ & HASMAHZAITI OMAR^1,4,*

¹Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

²Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio, 41092, Seville, Spain

⁴Museum of Zoology (Block J14), Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

Received: 6 April 2022/Accepted: 4 January 2023

Abstract

Two species of Leopoldamys long-tailed giant rats are found in Peninsular Malaysia. They are currently referred to as Leopoldamys ciliatus which inhabits montane habitat, and Leopoldamys vociferans which usually inhabits the lowland forest. To date, there is no report on the phylogenetic relationship of L. ciliatus with the other Leopoldamys taxa. The present study was carried out to determine its relationship, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene sequence, with L. vociferans of Peninsular Malaysia and other congeners. Phylogenetic analysis shows that L. ciliatus is a sister-species to the lineage L1 of L. herberti and L. revertens, and is distantly related to L. edwardsi. L. vociferans, and L. sabanus form a distinct clade (lineage L5) from the other Leopoldamys taxa from Indochina. The Sumatra taxon currently known as L. sabanus is genetically distinct to L. vociferans with K2P distances between 0.065 and 0.069. Contrary to previous opinions, L. herberti, L. revertens, and L. neilli of Indochina are valid species based on more than 2.5% threshold genetic distance. Both the L. edwardsi and L. neilli species complexes are represented by several sibling species. A more extensive taxon sampling from various regions (particularly Sumatra and other regions of Indonesia) as well as the use of morphological and molecular (mitogenomes or multiple genes) data sets are needed to provide a robust phylogeny and systematics. 

Keywords: Leopoldamys ciliatus; Malaysia; molecular phylogeny; Murinae; polyphyletic; Sundaland

Abstrak

Dua spesies tikus gergasi berekor panjang (genus Leopoldamys) boleh dijumpai di Semenanjung Malaysia. Ia kini dirujuk sebagai Leopoldamys ciliatus yang mendiami habitat pergunungan dan Leopoldamys vociferans yang biasanya mendiami hutan dataran rendah. Sehingga kini, tiada laporan mengenai hubungan filogenetik L. ciliatus bersama takson Leopoldamys yang lain. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menentukan hubungan genetik tersebut berdasarkan jujukan gen mitokondria sitokrom b (cyt b), bersama L. vociferans dari Semenanjung Malaysia dan kongener lain. Analisis filogenetik mendedahkan bahawa L. ciliatus ialah spesies rapat kepada cabang keturunan L1, L. herberti dan L. revertens dan hubungan jauh dengan L. edwardsi. L. vociferans dan L. sabanus membentuk klad yang berbeza (keturunan L5) daripada takson Leopoldamys lain dari Indochina. Takson Sumatera yang kini dikenali sebagai L. sabanus secara genetik berbeza dengan L. vociferans bersama jarak K2P antara 0.065 dan 0.069. Bertentangan dengan pendapat sebelumnya, L. herberti, L. revertens dan L. neilli dari Indochina adalah spesies yang sah berdasarkan jarak genetik lebih daripada 2.5%. Kedua-dua kompleks spesies L. edwardsi dan L. neilli diwakili oleh beberapa spesies adik-beradik. Pensampelan takson yang lebih meluas dari pelbagai kawasan (terutamanya Sumatera dan kawasan lain di Indonesia) serta penggunaan set data morfologi dan molekul (mitogenom atau gen pelbagai) diperlukan untuk membentuk filogeni dan sistematik yang teguh.

Kata kunci: Filogeni molekul; Leopoldamys ciliatus; Malaysia; Murinae; polifiletik; Sundaland

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^*Corresponding author; email: zaiti_1978@um.edu.my