Species
Stenocephalemys zimai
Description
Stenocephalemys zimai Lavrenchenko & Bryja, 2020
Stenocephalemys griseicauda, part. (Yalden et al. 1976)
Stenocephalemys griseicauda (Müller 1977)
Stenocephalemys sp. A (Lavrenchenko & Verheyen 2006, Bryja et al. 2018, 2019a, Meheretu et al. 2019, Craig et al. 2020, Kostin et al. 2020, Lövy et al. 2020)
Type locality: The vicinity of the Chennek campsite of the Semien Mountains National Park (13°15′ N 38°13′ E, 3800 m a.s.l.), Ethiopia.
Taxonomic notes: Recently described in Mizerovská et al. (2020). A typical medium-sized representative of the genus, similar in skull size and shape to S. griseicauda but on average it is larger (151.4 vs. 144.0 mm), with longer ears (24.2 vs. 22.8 mm). Karyotype is distinctive (2n = 50, NFa = 52 or 56; Bulatova & Lavrenchenko 2005). It can also be easily diagnosed by DNA sequences, at both mitochondrial (as sister to S. albocaudatus) and nuclear (as sister to S. albipes) markers. It is the only species of the genus living in Afroalpine habitats in its distribution range.
The species has been found in four mountain regions of northern Ethiopia: the Semien Mountains, Guna Mountain, Choke Mountain and Abohoy Gara Mountain. Because the species is adapted to high-elevation Afro-alpine habitats, it is likely that its distribution is currently highly discontinuous. All known specimens of S. zimai were collected in Afro-alpine habitats between 3600 and 4000 m a.s.l. Around human settlements (e.g. the camp sites in the Semien Mountains and on Choke Mountain), the species can co-occur with its congener S. albipes, which is usually found at lower elevations (Craig et al. 2020, Kostin et al. 2020). A recent study by Craig et al. (2020) suggested that S. zimai sp. nov. used to live at lower elevation in the recent past (below 3000 m a.s.l., ca. 90 years ago), but its distribution has currently shifted to higher elevations probably as a result of ongoing climate change and a shift in the vegetation line.
Taxonomy
Stenocephalemys zimai is a species. It belogs to the Muridae family.
