Wim Wendelen

Systematics and diversification of Praomys species (Rodentia: Muridae) endemic to the Cameroon Volcanic Line (West Central Africa)

Missoup, A.D., Nicolas, V., Wendelen, W., Keming, E., Bilong Bilong, C.F., Couloux, A., Atanga, E., Hutterer, R. & Denys, C. (2012). Systematics and diversification of Praomys species (Rodentia: Muridae) endemic to the Cameroon Volcanic Line (West Central Africa). —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 327–345.

Internal cranial anatomy of the type specimen of Pan paniscus and available data for study

On December 6, 1927, the Congo Museum (now Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium) received the cranium, mandible, and skin of an adult female chimpanzee collected in the Congo River Basin, about 30 km south of Befale, a town located south of the upper Maringa River, a confluent of the Lulonga, itself a confluent of the Congo River (once Zaire River), in present day Democratic Republic of Congo. This specimen (registered # 9338) was first classified as the type of Pan satyrus paniscus, a subspecies of the chimpanzee (Schwarz, 1929). Soon after this publication the taxon was elevated to species rank, calling it Pan paniscus, in the first major study on the pygmy chimpanzee (Coolidge, 1933). Detailed account of the history of the recognition of Pan paniscus as a new species can be found in Coolidge (1984), Thys van den Audenaerde (1984), Thompson (2001), and Herzfeld (2005). Currently, 52 postcranial skeletons specimens and 188 skulls (crania plus mandible) of Pan paniscus are housed in the Royal Museum for Central Africa. In the last 20 years, the development of new methodologies (e.g., geometric morphometrics and imaging facilities, among

The presence of Praomys, Lophuromys, and Deomys species (Muridae, Mammalia) in the forest blocks separated by the Congo River and its tributaries (Kisangani region, Democratic Republic of Congo)

Abstract Praomys (four species), Lophuromys (four) and Deomys (one) are among the most common Muridae in the Kisangani region. To establish whether or not rivers constitute dispersal barriers for these rodents, we investigated the presence of these genera and their species in eight localities that are either separated by the Congo River or its tributaries. A total of 42,466 trapping nights resulted in the collection of 1185 Praomys, 233 Lophuromys and 209 Deomys ferrugineus. We observed that in almost all cases the studied species appear to have restricted distribution ranges, and that it is likely that the importance of the rivers as a barrier differs for the studied species. For example, P. misonnei was only collected from the right bank of the Congo, while P. lukolelae appears to be restricted to the left bank. In contrast, Praomys identified as P. mutoni or as members of the P. jacksoni species complex are collected on both sides of the Congo River. In contrast, all Lophuromys species were collected in a limited number of sampling sites only. L. dudui and L. luteogaster were only collected along the right bank of the Congo River, and the latter species appears to be restricted to the right bank of the Lindi River. L. huttereri and L. rita are only detected on the left bank of the Congo River. However, additional sampling is required to confirm that D. ferrugineus and L. luteogaster (so far both species have only been recorded on the right bank) do not occur in Bomane on the right bank of the Aruwimi (Ituri) River. In agreement with earlier findings for larger mammals, and pending additional taxonomical work on the P. jacksoni species complex, our findings confirm that the Congo River constitutes a barrier that limits the dispersal of all studied murids, except P. mutoni.

MORPHOMETRIC VARIATION IN HYLOMYSCUS ALLENI AND H. STELLA (RODENTIA: MURIDAE), AND DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES

Abstract We compared 7 populations of woodmice, Hylomyscus stella (Thomas, 1911), from west-central, east-central, and east Africa using traditional morphometric data of the cranium. Our results are congruent with previous molecular and cytogenetic data, and demonstrate that specimens previously identified as H. stella represent 2 cryptic species: H. stella from east-central and east Africa, and Hylomyscus sp. nov. from west-central Africa. According to current knowledge, the new species of Hylomuscus is a forest-dwelling species inhabiting the region between the Sanaga River and the Oubangui and Congo rivers in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo. It is sympatric, and even syntopic, with the morphologically closely related species H. alleni. These 2 cryptic species can be distinguished by traditional morphometric analysis of the cranium and by examination of molecular data.