Four new tube-nosed bat species of the genus Murina (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Xizang Autonomous Region, China, based on morphological and molecular data

By

Luo, Tao
Mao, Ming-Le
Lan, Chang-Ting
Zhao, Zi-Fa
Wang, Zhong-Lian
Yu, Jing
Wang, Jiajia
Yan, Chenrui
XIAO, Ning
Zhou, Jiang

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-06-02

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

101

Pages

1023--1055

Subjects

diversity , Himalaya , Morphology , Murina , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.144375

 

Abstract

The genus Murina Gray, 1842, recently had four new species discovered in China over the last four years, suggesting its diversity may have been previously underestimated. Herein, we describe four new species—Murina beibengensis sp. nov., Murina medogensis sp. nov., Murina milinensis sp. nov., and Murina yadongensis sp. nov.—based on morphological and genetic evidence from specimens collected during bat diversity surveys conducted in the Xizang Autonomous Region of China over the past three years. Each of these four new species forms an independent lineage on a phylogenetic tree reconstructed using the mitochondrial COI and Cyt b genes, and each is genetically distinct from its congeners. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from the 43 recognized congeners by features including forearm length, hair color, and skull morphology. We elevated M. huttoni rubella from a subspecies of M. huttoni to a species based on morphological and genetic evidence. The new species discussed herein increase the number of species in the genus Murina to four worldwide and from 23 to 28 in China. This study not only enriches our understanding of bat species diversity but also underscores the importance of conducting bat surveys in the specialized highland habitats of the Himalayas.