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Abstract: The spatial and temporal patterns of the endangered Tibetan antelope or chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) have been studied using satellite-based ARGOS platform transmitter terminal (PTT) tracking data. The data was obtained from the satellite tracking of two female Tibetan antelopes that were collared with satellite transmitters and have been tracked from August 2007 to April 2009. Analysis of the locality data (LC) obtained, shows that both antelopes were migrant individuals, they shared the same calving ground surrounding lake Huiten (or Zhuonai lake), but different wintering pastures. Each antelope covered 250–300km from the wintering to summer pastures. Annual range consisted of a core area that was used for at least 9months; a calving ground used for a short time (from 8–20days); and temporal pastures used during migration to and from the calving ground. Seasonal migration cycle was about 3months, 27–30days to reach the calving ground; 8–20days staying there; and 36–40days returning to the core area. Examination of the spatial distribution during migration showed that both chiru crossed the Qinghai–Tibetan railway (QTR) and the Golmud–Lhasa highway (GLH) at least two times, and reached calving ground (118–120km from there) in 8days, maintaining an average speed of 15km per day. However, the return migration took twice as long (from 14 to 16days). Each time, after reaching the QTR and GLH, the antelopes spent 20–40days in that area, probably looking for passages and waiting. So far, we suppose that the QTR and the GLH have become a hindrance to the migration of the Tibetan antelopes and seriously delay their movement to and from the calving area. Extended aggregation of the herds of Tibetan antelopes along the QTR and the GLH may impact negatively with increased mortality among offspring, the spread of various diseases and overgrazing of pastures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Murid and cricetid rodents were previously believed to be the principal reservoir hosts of hantaviruses. Recently, however, multiple newfound hantaviruses have been discovered in shrews, moles, and bats, suggesting a complex evolutionary history. Little is known about the genetic diversity and geographic distribution of the prototype shrew-borne hantavirus, Thottapalayam thottimvirus (TPMV), carried by the Asian house shrew ( Suncus murinus ), which is widespread in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Comparison of TPMV genomic sequences from two Asian house shrews captured in Myanmar and Pakistan with TPMV strains in GenBank revealed that the Myanmar TPMV strain (H2763) was closely related to the prototype TPMV strain (VRC66412) from India. In the L-segment tree, on the other hand, the Pakistan TPMV strain (PK3629) appeared to be the most divergent, followed by TPMV strains from Nepal, then the Indian-Myanmar strains, and finally TPMV strains from China. The Myanmar strain of TPMV showed sequence similarity of 79.3-96.1% at the nucleotide level, but the deduced amino acid sequences showed a high degree of conservation of more than 94% with TPMV strains from Nepal, India, Pakistan, and China. Cophylogenetic analysis of host cytochrome b and TPMV strains suggested that the Pakistan TPMV strain was mismatched. Phylogenetic trees, based on host cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I genes of mitochondrial DNA, and on host recombination activating gene 1 of nuclear DNA, suggested that the Asian house shrew and Asian highland shrew ( Suncus montanus ) comprised a species complex. Overall, the geographic-specific clustering of TPMV strains in Asian countries suggested local host-specific adaptation. Additional in-depth studies are warranted to ascertain if TPMV originated in Asian house shrews on the Indian subcontinent., (Copyright © 2020 Kikuchi, Aoki, Ohdachi, Tsuchiya, Motokawa, Jogahara, Sơn, Bawm, Lin, Thwe, Gamage, Ranorosoa, Omar, Maryanto, Suzuki, Tanaka-Taya, Morikawa, Mizutani, Suzuki, Yanagihara and Arai.)

Leopoldamys edwardsi is a species with wide distribution ranges in southern China but is not discussed in studies on geographic variation and species differentiation. We used 2 mitochondrial (Cytb, CO1) and 3 nuclear (GHR, IRBP and RAG1) genes to clarify species phylogeography and geographical differentiation. Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic inference (BI) trees consistently indicated that L. edwardsi is a species complex containing 3 main lineages with high Kimura-2-parameter (K2P) divergences (i.e. lineages L N , L S and L HN ) found in the northern and southern China and Hainan Island, respectively. The 3 species delimitation methods, automated barcoding gap discovery, Bayesian poisson tree process analysis and Bayesian phylogenetics and phylogeography, consistently supported the existence of cryptic species. Divergence times among the main lineages were inferred to be during the Pleistocene, with L HN /L S split at 1.33 Ma and L N /(L HN +L S ) at 2.61 Ma; the diversifications of L. edwardsi complex might be caused by the rapid uplifts of Tibetan Plateau, paleoclimate change and complex topography. The divergence between L HN and L S was probably related to the separation of Hainan Island from the mainland via the formation of the Qiongzhou Strait. Lineages L N and (L S +L HN ) likely diverged due to the Wuyi-Nanling mountain range forming a dispersal barrier. Our results suggested that L. edwardsi complex contains at least 3 distinct species: L HN represents L. hainanensis, endemic to Hainan Island and previously considered as a subspecies L. e. hainanensis; L S represents a cryptic species distributed throughout the southern Chinese continent; and L N represents the nominotypical species L. edwardsi., (© 2019 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Three distinct bamboo bat species (Tylonycteris) are known to inhabit tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, i.e., T. pachypus, T. robustula, and T. pygmaeus. This study performed karyotypic examinations of 4 specimens from southern Chinese T. p. fulvidus populations and one specimen from Thai T. p. fulvidus population, which detected distinct karyotypes (2n=30) compared with previous karyotypic descriptions of T. p. pachypus (2n=46) and T. robustula (2n=32) from Malaysia. This finding suggested a cryptic Tylonycteris species within T. pachypus complex in China and Thailand. Morphometric studies indicated the difficulty in distinguishing the cryptic species and T. p. pachypus from Indonesia apart from the external measurements, which might be the reason for their historical misidentification. Based on 623 bp mtDNA COI segments, a phylogeographic examination including T. pachypus individuals from China and nearby regions, i.e., Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, was conducted to examine the population genetic structure. Genealogical and phylogeographical results indicated that at least two diverged lineages existed in these regions (average 3.4 % of Kimura 2-parameter distances) and their population structure did not match the geographic pattern. These results suggested that at least two historical colonizations have occurred by the cryptic species. Furthermore, through integration of traditional and geometric morphological results, morphological differences on zygomatic arches, toothrows and bullae were detected between two lineages in China. Given the similarity of vegetation and climate of Guangdong and Guangxi regions, we suggested that such differences might be derived from their historical adaptation or distinct evolutionary history rather than the differences of habitats they occurred currently.

We report the karyotypes of six species of the order Soricomorpha (Mammalia), based on specimens collected from Emei Shan (Mount Emei) in central Sichuan Province, China: two talpid species, Uropsilus andersoni (diploid chromosome number [2n]=34, fundamental number of chromosome arms Including two X chromosomes [FN]=56) and Scaptonyx fusicaudus (2n=34, FN=64); and four soricid species, Episoriculus sacratus (2n=58, FN=108), Anourosorex squamipes (2n=48, FN=96), Sorex cylindricauda (2n=30, FN=50), and Sorex bedfordiae (2n=24/25, FN=46/48). This is the first report of the karyotypes of all species except Sc. fusicaudus and A. squamipes. Episoriculus sacratus is considered to be a valid species in Sichuan, separated from the Nepalese E. soluensis based on differences in the karyotype. The karyotype of S. bedfordiae showed polymorphism due to the occurrence of a B chromosome. Differences in the karyotypes of S. cylindricauda and S. bedfordiae could be explained mostly by seven Robertsonian translocations revealed by G-band karyotypes.

Karyotypes and chromosomal data are presented for eight bat species representing two families (Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae) from Hainan Island, China. The species investigated were Rhinolophus lepidus (2n = 62, FN = 60), R. pusillus (2n = 62, FN = 60), R. affinis (2n = 62, FN = 60), R. sinicus (2n = 36, FN = 60), Myotis horsfieldi (2n = 44, FN = 52), Pipistrellus abramus (2n = 26, FN = 44), Miniopterus australis (2n = 46, FN = 50) and M. schreibersii (2n = 46, FN = 50). The karyotype of Rhinolophus lepidus is reported for the first time.

The karyotypes of three rat species from Hainan Island, China, were examined. Niviventer fulvescens (Gray, 1847) had 2n=46 and FN=64, similar to the karyotypes reported for N. fulvescens from Southeast Asia, while Niviventer lotipes () had 2n=52 and FN=66, which is distinct from the known karyotypes of other Niviventer species. Niviventer lotipes was recently considered conspecific with N. tenaster (), but the two were found to have extremely different karyotypes (2n=52 and FN=66 in N. lotipes; 2n=46 and FN=54 in N. tenaster). Therefore, in this paper N. lotipes is considered a valid species for the first time; it is distinct from N. tenaster and endemic to Hainan Island, where N. lotipes is differentiated from N. fulvescens by larger body and skull sizes, a shorter tail, and darker coloration. Rattus nitidus (Hodgson, 1845) from Hainan Island had 2n=42 and FN=62, which is similar to the reported karyotypes of conspecific populations in Southeast Asia.

A new species of the Rhinolophus philippinensis group (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) is described from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Jiangxi Provinces in China. Rhinolophus huananus n. sp. is characterized by the horseshoe, as well as by external and cranial characteristics that separate it at the species level from the other members of the philippinensis group. One of the small species of the philippinensis group, R. huananus is intermediate in size between smaller R. siamensis and larger R. macrotis.