A new species of the genus Typhlomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia, Platacanthomyidae) from Fanjing Mountain, Guizhou, China

During a field survey of small mammals on Fanjing Mountain in Guizhou Province, China, we collected five specimens of Typhlomys. To assess their taxonomic status, we performed phylogenetic analyses using three mitochondrial genes (Cytb, COI, and ND 2) and two nuclear genes (GHR and IRBP). We also compared the cranial and dental morphology of these specimens with those of other known Typhlomys species.

Our results indicate that the specimens represent a new species, described herein as Typhlomys zhengkuni sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the new species forms a distinct clade sister to T. taxuansis. The Kimura 2 - parameter (K 2 P) genetic distances based on Cytb between the new taxon and other species of Typhlomys ranged from 8.2 % to 17.9 %, supporting its status as a distinct lineage.

Morphologically, Typhlomys zhengkuni sp. nov. is most similar to T. daloushanensis but can be distinguished by its lower molars. However, given the low nodal support for its sister relationship with T. taxuansis, the precise phylogenetic position of this new species requires further investigation using additional molecular markers and specimens.