Km. Hogan et al., SYSTEMATIC AND TAXONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF KARYOTYPIC, ELECTROPHORETIC,AND MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA VARIATION IN PEROMYSCUS FROM THE PACIFIC-NORTHWEST, Journal of mammalogy, 74(4), 1993, pp. 819-831
Chromosomes, allozymes, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were analyzed to
examine the taxonomic and systematic relationships of coastal Peromys
cus from northern Washington to southern Alaska. All three datasets in
dicate that Peromyscus from this region constitute two distinct groups
. One group comprises P. oreas, P. sitkensis, and several currently re
cognized subspecies of P. maniculatus including P. m. algidus, P. m. h
ylaeus, P. m. keeni, P. m. macrorhinus, and P. m. prevostensis. The se
cond group comprises only populations of P. m. austerus. The former gr
oup is differentiated from the latter by number of autosomal arms, all
ele-frequency differences, and mtDNA haplotypes. This dichotomy in kar
yotype, and the level of allozymic and mtDNA divergence between the gr
oups suggest that the groups constitute distinct species. We recommend
that P. oreas, P. sitkensis, P. maniculatus algidus, P. m. hylaeus, P
. m. keeni, P. m. macrorhinus, and P. m. prevostensis be recognized un
der the specific epithet of Peromyscus keeni.