ALLOZYME DIFFERENTIATION AND SYSTEMATIC RELATIONSHIP OF ZAMBIAN GIANTMOLE-RATS, CRYPTOMYS MECHOWI (BATHYERGIDAE, RODENTIA)

Allozymic variation encoded by 31 gene loci was studied in giant mole- rats (Cryptomys mechowi) and two species of common mole-rats from Zamb ia, and allozymic diversity encoded by 22 loci was re-analysed in Cryp tomys damarensis, C. h. hottentotus, and C. h. natalensis from South A frica. The Zambian common mole-rat of the karyotype 2n = 68 is more cl osely related to the giant mole-rat than to the common mole-rat of the karyotype 2n = 58. There is a clear dichotomy between the three Zambi an taxa and C. damarensis, on the one hand, and C. h. hottentotus and C. h. natalensis, on the other hand. The relationship (based upon the allozymic variation) does not correspond to the current geographical a nd ecological distribution or to morphological (particularly coloratio n and size) differentiation.