Systematic relationships of the endangered Queretaro pocket gopher (Cratogeomys neglectus)

Data from a 383 base-pair region of the cytochrome b gene of the mtDNA geno me were used to define the phylogenetic position of Cratogeomys neglectus w ithin the genus Cratogeomys. Within this gene region C, neglectus differs f rom members of C. tylorhinus by only one to three transitions (0.26%-0.78%) . This is an extremely low level of divergence compared to intraspecific va riation within the genus reported by DeWalt et al. (1993; 4.9%-6.3%), and a similar low level of differention (0.52%) is present within the subspecies of C. tylorhinus. These data indicate that C. neglectus is likely a recent geographic isolate of C. tylorhinus and may not be sufficiently distinct f rom C. tylorhinus to warrant recognition at the species level.