'''Peromyscus schmidlyi''' is a recently described species of
deer mouse from
Durango, Mexico. It is part of the highly complex and well-studied ''
Peromyscus boylii''
species complex. The uniqueness of ''
Peromyscus'' from this area has long been suspected, but was only formalized in 2004 with the publication of its species description.
Its
monophyly has been confirmed using
parsimony,
maximum likelihood, and
Bayesian analyses of the
mitochondrial
cytochrome b gene. No nuclear genes have been used in an analysis. The species is also unique from other ''Peromyscus'' in cranial measurements, and
karyotype (FN = 54-56). Its closest relative appears to be ''
Peromyscus levipes''.
Like many other members of the ''
P. boylii'' species group, ''P. schmidlyi'' is found at higher elevations, above 2,000 m. It is known to inhabit
pine-
oak forests. The species was named in honor of Dr.
David J. Schmidly, renowned
mammalogist and current president of the
University of New Mexico.
References
★ Bradley, R. D., D. S. Carroll, M. L. Haynie, R. M. Martinez, M. J. Hamilton, and C. W. Kilpatrick. 2004. A new species of ''Peromyscus'' from western Mexico. Journal of Mammalogy, 85:1184-1193.