Assessing the taxonomic status of the Palawan pangolin Manis culionensis (Pholidota) using discrete morphological characters

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2005

Authors

Gaubert, P (Author) Other; Agostinho Antunes (Author) REIT

Journal

Title: Journal of Mammalogy

Vol. 86

Pages: 1068-1074

ISSN: 0022-2372

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 53 Citations

Scopus - 62 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-09T

DOI: 10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[1068:attsot]2.0.co;2

Abstract (EN): We use discrete morphological characters in a statistical framework to reassess the taxonomic status of the Palawan pangolin Manis culionensis relative to the Sunda pangolin M. javanica. We recommend that the 15 species-level traits previously proposed in the literature to distinguish the 2 pangolins be replaced by 5 newly defined diagnostic characters related to skull and external scales. Our study supports species-level partition between the Palawan and Sunda pangolins at a frequency of expected polymorphism threshold fixed to 0.10. Isolation through sea level rising (approximately 800,000-500,000 years ago) of proto-Palawan pangolins coming from Borneo through Early Pleistocene land bridges might have promoted the speciation of M. culionensis, a Palawan endemic species to be considered of high conservation concern.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7