Taxonomic assessment of the Malayan water shrew Chimarrogale hantu Harrison, 1958 and reclassification to the genus Crossogale.

This study reassesses the taxonomic status of the Malayan water shrew, Chimarrogale hantu Harrison 1958 as a distinct species and reclassifies it as the genus Crossogale through genetic and morphological analyses. We construct phylogenetic trees using both mitochondrial (cyt b) and nuclear markers (ApoB and RAG2). Chimarrogale hantu formed a distinct clade that diverged from other Chimarrogale species and other genera in the tribe Nectogalini (Nectogale, Neomys, Pseudosoriculus, Episoriculus, Chodsigoa, and Soriculus clades). The C. hantu clade is closely related to the Bornean water shrew, Crossogale phaeura with a K2P genetic distance of 7%. High K2P genetic distance (> 15% K2P) was also observed when compared to other Chimarrogale species (C. platycephalus, C. himalayica, C. styani, C. varennei and C. leander) as well as other genera from the tribe Nectogalini (> 20% K2P). We proved that C. hantu genetically and morphologically merits species rank. We suggest classifying C. hantu in the genus Crossogale along with Cr. phaeura, while the rest of the Asiatic shrews remain in the genus Chimarrogale. Future comprehensive reviews of the Sundaic water shrew group should include Chimarrogale sumatrana from Sumatra, Indonesia, for a comprehensive understanding on the relationship of water shrews between Sundaland and the rest of the Asiatic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]