A new species of the genus Soriculus (Soricidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from Medog, Tibet, China, based on morphological and molecular data

The genus Soriculus (Soricidae, Eulipotyphla) currently comprises five recognized species, predominantly distributed in the Himalayas and the Gaoligong Mountains. During our survey of small mammals in Medog County, Tibet, China, 11 Soriculus specimens were collected. In this study, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of the genus using one mitochondrial gene (Cytb) and three nuclear genes (BRCA 1, APOB, and RAG 2) to assess the phylogenetic relationships of these specimens.

The morphology of the 11 specimens was compared with other species within the genus. Our results demonstrate that these specimens represent a new species, Soriculus dexingensis sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that S. dexingensis sp. nov. forms a distinct sister clade to S. medogensis, and the Kimura 2 - Parameter (K 2 P) distances between all known species of Soriculus ranged from 0.111 to 0.187, indicating interspecific divergence.

Morphologically, the new species is distinguished by a relatively longer tail and a significantly higher TL / HB ratio. The discovery of S. dexingensis sp. nov. in Medog County suggests that the diversity of Soriculus species remains underestimated. Further biodiversity surveys of small mammals across the Himalayan region are warranted.