Abstract
The Upper Guinea rainforest zone in West Africa is considered a biodiversity hotspot and contains important habitats for threatened and endemic mammals, yet this region remains poorly known particularly for small mammals. The aim of this study was to survey small mammals in a Liberian and Guinean cross-border conservation area, the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi landscape. We recorded a total of 52 small mammal species, including 26 bats, 15 rodents, 10 shrews, one otter-shrew, of which one rodent species was new to science (Colomys sp. nov.). We also documented the first country records of the bats Chaerephon aloysiisabaudiae, Pseudoromicia brunnea and Pipistrellus inexspectatus from Guinea, and the shrews Crocidura douceti and Crocidura grandiceps from Liberia. Furthermore, we recorded the recently described bat Nycticeinops happoldorum from Wologizi and Ziama, and we documented the presence of Micropotamogale lamottei at Wologizi, which represents the fourth known locality for this globally threatened species. Finally, the forests of Wologizi and Ziama support numerous threatened species. The results of our survey demonstrate the importance of this region for small mammals and support the creation of a transboundary protected area that will encompass the entire forest landscape.
Funding source: Fauna and Flora International (FFI)
Funding source: USAID’s West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Programme (WA BiCC)
Funding source: Forest Development Authority, Liberia and Centre Forestière N’Zerekore (N’Zerekore Forestry Centre)
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Wing-Yunn Crawley (research manager, Fauna and Flora International) and George Allison (biodiversity officer, Fauna and Flora International) who provided excellent logistical support for conducting the survey. We thank the following people who provided assistance in the field for successful completion on the survey: Moses Darpey (Forest Development Authority ranger), Flomo Dorbor (community auxiliary and field assistant), Mamady Ibrahima Kourouma (University of N’Zerekore student and field assistant), Albert Dennis (Project driver), and Koya Toupou (interpreter from Guinea). We thank the Liberian and Guinean governments for providing all the necessary export and import permits from Liberia (permit number: MD/0105/2019/-7, issued: 1 July 2019) and Guinea (permit number: 145/PRG/87, issued: 29 June 2019) to transport voucher specimens to the Eswatini National Museum of Natural History at the University of Eswatini. We are also thankful to the South African government for providing all necessary permits (issued: 20 December 2019) to deposit tissue samples to the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria for molecular sequencing.
Author contribution: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: This research work was carried out under the auspices of the Conserving and Connecting the Ziama-Wonegizi Wologizi Transboundary Forest Landscape between Guinea and Liberia of Fauna and Flora International (FFI) and in partnership with USAID’s West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Programme (WA BiCC), Forest Development Authority, Liberia and Centre Forestière N’Zerekore (N’Zerekore Forestry Centre), Guinea with funding from the USAID West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (USAID WA BiCC).
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
References
Aellen, V. (1963). La Réserve Naturelle Intégrale du Mont Nimba. XXIX. Chiroptères. Mémoires de l’Institut Français d’Afrique Noire 66: 629–638.Search in Google Scholar
Akpatou, B., Nicolas, V., Pires, D., N’Goran, E., and Colyn, M. (2007). Morphometric differentiation between two murid rodents, Praomys tullbergi (Thomas, 1894) and Praomys rostratus (Miller, 1900), in West Africa. Zootaxa 1607: 21–34, https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1607.1.2.Search in Google Scholar
Bakarr, M., Bailey, B., Byler, D., Ham, R., Olivieri, S., and Omland, M. (2001). From the forest to the sea: biodiversity connections from Guinea to Togo. Conservation International, Washington, D.C., p. 78.Search in Google Scholar
Bakarr, M., Oates, J.F., Fahr, J., Parren, M.P.E., Rodel, M.O., and Demey, R. (2004). Guinean forests of West Africa. In: Mittermeier, R.A., Gil, P., Hoffman, M., Pilgrim, J., Brooks, T., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca, G.A.B., and Lamoreux, J. (Eds.). Hotspots revisited: earth’s biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions. CEMEX/Agrupación Sierra Madre, Mexico City, pp. 123–130.Search in Google Scholar
Brosset, A. (1985) [for 1984]. Chiroptères d’altitude du Mont Nimba (Guinée). Description d’une espèce nouvelle, Hipposideros lamottei. Mammalia 48: 545–555. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1984.48.4.545.Search in Google Scholar
Burgess, N., D’Amico Hales, J.A., Underwood, E., Dinerstein, E., Olson, D., Itoua, I., Schipper, J., Rickketts, T.H., and Newman, K. (2004). Terrestrial eco-regions of Africa and Madagascar: a conservation assessment. Island Press, Washington, D.C., p. 501.Search in Google Scholar
Carr, J., Adeleke, A., Angu Angu, K., Belle, E., Burgess, N., Carrizo, S., Choimes, A., Coulthard, N., Darwall, W., Foden, W., et al. (2015). Ecosystem profile new records of bats and terrestrial small mammals from the Seli River in … 35 Guinean forests of West Africa biodiversity hotspot. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Washington, D.C.Search in Google Scholar
Coe, M. (1975). Mammalian ecological studies on Mt. Nimba. Mammalia 39: 523–587, https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1975.39.4.523.Search in Google Scholar
Colwell, R.K. (2013). EstimateS: statistical estimation of species richness and shared species from samples. Version 9.1 User’s guide and application, Available at: <http://purl.oclc.org/estimates>.Search in Google Scholar
Colwell, R.K., Mao, C.X., and Chang, J. (2004). Interpolating, extrapolating, and comparing incidence-based species accumulation curves. Ecology 85: 2717–2727, https://doi.org/10.1890/03-0557.Search in Google Scholar
Csorba, G., Ujhelyi, P., and Thomas, N. (2003). Horseshoe bats of the world (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae). Alana Books, Bishops Castle, Shropshire, UK, p. 160.Search in Google Scholar
Decher, J., Gray, C., Garteh, J., Kilpatrick, C., Kuhn, H., Phalan, B., Monadjem, A., Kadjo, B., Jacquet, F., and Denys, C. (2016). New evidence of the semi-aquatic Nimba otter shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei) at Mt. Nimba and in the Putu Range of Liberia: uncertain future for an evolutionary distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) species in the face of recent industrial development. J. Contemp. Water Res. Educ. 157: 46–57, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704x.2016.03213.x.Search in Google Scholar
Decher, J., Hoffmann, A., Schaer, J., Norris, R.W., Kadjo, B., Astrin, J., Monadjem, A., and Hutterer, R. (2015). Bat diversity in the Simandou Mountain Range of Guinea, with the description of a new white-winged vespertilionid. Acta Chiropterol. 17: 255–282, https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109acc2015.17.2.003.Search in Google Scholar
Decher, J., Norris, R.W., and Fahr, J. (2010). Small mammal survey in the upper Seli River valley, Sierra Leone. Mammalia 74: 163–176, https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2010.026.Search in Google Scholar
Denys, C. and Aniskine, V. (2012). On a new species of Dendromus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae) from Mt. Nimba, Guinea. Mammalia 76: 295–308, https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2011-0012.Search in Google Scholar
Denys, C., Kadjo, B., Missoup, A.D., Monadjem, A., and Aniskine, V. (2013). New records of bats (Chiroptera) and karyotypes from Guinean Mt. Nimba (West Africa). Hystrix 80: 279–290, https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2013.775367.Search in Google Scholar
Denys, C., Lalis, A., Aniskin, V.M., Kourouma, F., Soropogui, B., Sylla, O., Dore, A., Koulemou, K., Beavogui, Z.B., Sylla, M., et al. (2009). New data on the taxonomy and distribution of Rodentia (Mammalia) from the western and coastal regions of Guinea West Africa. Hystrix 76: 111–128, https://doi.org/10.1080/11250000802616817.Search in Google Scholar
Dieterlen, F. (2013). Colomys goslingi. In: Happold, M. and Happold, D.C.D. (Eds.). The mammals of Africa volume III: hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, pp. 390–392, p. 800.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J. (2013a). Pipistrellus brunneus. Dark-brown pipistrelle. In: Happold, M. and Happold, D.C.D. (Eds.). The mammals of Africa. Volume IV: hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, pp. 613–614, p. 800.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J. (2013b). Tadarida aloysiisabaudiae. In: Happold, M. and Happold, D.C.D. (Eds.). The mammals of Africa volume IV: hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, pp. 493–49, pp. 297–299.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J. (2013c). Scotonycteris zenkeri, Zenker’s fruit bat. Mammals of Africa, volume IV: hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, pp. 297–299.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J. (2013d). Hipposideros marisae Aellen’s leaf-nosed bats of Mt. Nimba 373 bat. In: Happold, M. and Happold, D.C.D. (Eds.). The mammals of Africa. Volume IV: hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, pp. 391–392, p. 800.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J. and Kalko, E.K.V. (2011). Biome transitions are centres of diversity: habitat heterogeneity and diversity patterns of West African bat assemblages across spatial scales. Ecography 34: 177–195, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.05510.x.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J., Vierhaus, H., Hutterer, R., and Kock, D. (2002). A revision of the Rhinolophus maclaudi species group with the description of a new species from West Africa (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae). Myotis 40: 95–126.Search in Google Scholar
Fahr, J., Djossa, B.A., and Vierhaus, H. (2006). Rapid assessment of bats (Chiroptera) in Déré, Diécké and Mt. Béro classified forests, Southeastern Guinea, including a review of the distribution of bats in Guinée Forestière. In: Wright, H.E., McCullough, J., Alonso, L.E., and Diallo, M.S. (Eds.). A rapid biological assessment of three classified forests in Southeastern Guinea. RAP bulletin of biological assessment, Vol. 40. Conservation International, Washington, D.C., p. 248.Search in Google Scholar
Felsenstein, J. (1981). Evolutionary trees from DNA sequences: a maximum likelihood approach. J. Mol. Evol. 17: 368–376, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01734359.Search in Google Scholar
Felsenstein, J. (1985). Confidence limits on phylogenies: an approach using the bootstrap. Evolution 39: 783–791, https://doi.org/10.2307/2408678.Search in Google Scholar
Foley, N.M., Goodman, S.M., Whelan, C.V., Puechmaille, S.J., and Teeling, E. (2017). Towards navigating the Minotaur’s labyrinth: cryptic diversity and taxonomic revision within the speciose genus Hipposideros (Hipposideridae). Acta Chiropterol. 19: 1–18, https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109acc2017.19.1.001.Search in Google Scholar
Gautun, J.C., Sankhon, I., and Tranier, M. (1986). Nouvelle contribution a la connaissance des rongeurs du massif guineen des monts Nimba (Afrique occidentale). Systematique et apercu quantitatif. Mammalia 50: 205–217, https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1986.50.2.205.Search in Google Scholar
Giarla, T.C., Demos, T.C., Monadjem, A., Hutterer, R., Dalton, D., Mamba, M.L., Roff, E.A., Mosher, F.M., Mikes, V., Kofron, C.P., et al. (2020). Integrative taxonomy and phylogeography of Colomys and Nilopegamys (Rodentia: Murinae), semi-aquatic mice of Africa, with descriptions of two new species. Zool. J. Linn. Soc, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa108 (Epub ahead of print).Search in Google Scholar
Glew, L. and Hudson, M.D. (2007). Gorillas in the midst: the impact of armed conflict on the conservation of protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Oryx 41: 140–150, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605307001755.Search in Google Scholar
Grubb, P., Jones, T.S., Davies, A.G., Edberg, E., Starin, E.D., and Hill, J.E. (1998). Mammals of Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. The Trendrine Press, Cornwall, p. 265.Search in Google Scholar
Hanson, T., Brooks, T.M., Da Fonseca, G.A.B., Hoffmann, M., Lamoreux, J.F., Machlis, G., Mittermeier, C.G., Mittermeier, R.A., and Pilgrim, J.D. (2009). Warfare in biodiversity hotspots. Conserv. Biol. 23: 578–587, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01166.x.Search in Google Scholar
Happold, D.C.D. (1987). The mammals of Nigeria. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p. 402.Search in Google Scholar
Happold, D.C.D. (Ed.) (2013). Mammals of Africa. Volume III: rodents and hares. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK, p. 784.Search in Google Scholar
Happold, M. and Happold, D.C.D. (Eds.) (2013). Mammals of Africa. Volume IV: hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK, p. 800.Search in Google Scholar
Hassanin, A., Colombo, R., Gembu, G.C., Merle, M., Tu, V.T., Görföl, T., Akawa, P.M., Csorba, G., Kearney, T., Monadjem, A., et al. (2018). Multilocus phylogeny and species delimitation within the genus Glauconycteris (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with the description of a new bat species from the Tshopo Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 56: 1–22, https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12176.Search in Google Scholar
Hassanin, A., Khouider, S., Gembu, G.C., Goodman, S.M., Kadjo, B., Nesi, N., Pourrut, X., Nakoune, E., and Bonillo, C. (2015). The comparative phylogeography of fruit bats of the tribe Scotonycterini (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae) reveals cryptic species diversity related to African Pleistocene forest refugia. Comptes Rendus Biol. 338: 197–211, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2014.12.003.Search in Google Scholar
Hayman, R.W. (1947). Notes on a West African bat Hipposideros jonesi. Mammalia 28: 76–82.10.1515/mamm.1964.28.1.76Search in Google Scholar
Heim de Balsac, H. (1954). Un genre inédit et inattendu de Mammifère (Insectivore Tenrecidae) d’Afrique Occidentale. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris 239: 102–104.Search in Google Scholar
Heim de Balsac, H. (1958). La re´serve naturelle inte´grale du Mont Nimba: 14. Mammife`res insectivores. Mem. Inst. Fondam Afrique Noire 53: 301–337.Search in Google Scholar
Heim de Balsac, H. (1971). Les musaraignes momifiees des hypogees de Thebes. Existence d’un metalophe chez les Crocidurinae (sensu Repenning). Mammalia 35: 220–244, https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1971.35.2.220.Search in Google Scholar
Hill, J.E. (1982). Records of bats from Mt. Nimba, Liberia. Mammalia 46: 116–120.Search in Google Scholar
Hoke, P., Demey, R., and Peal, A. (2007). A rapid biological assessment of north Lorma, Gola and Grebo national forests, Liberia. In: A rap bulletin of biological assessment. Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, and Rapid Assessment Program (Conservation International), Arlington, USA.Search in Google Scholar
Hutterer, R., Decher, J., Monadjem, A., and Astrin, J. (2019). A new genus and species of vesper bat from West Africa, with notes on Hypsugo, Neoromicia, and Pipistrellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Acta Chiropterol. 21: 1–22, https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.1.001.Search in Google Scholar
Igbokwe, J., Nicolas, V., Oyeyiola, A., Obadare, A., Adesina, A.S., Awodiran, M.O., Van Houtte, N., Fichet-Calvet, E., Verheyen, E., and Olayemi, A. (2019). Molecular taxonomy of Crocidura species (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) in a key biogeographical region for African shrews, Nigeria. Comptes Rendus Biol. 342: 108–117, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2019.03.004.Search in Google Scholar
IUCN (2020). The IUCN red list of threatened species. Version 2019.3, Available at: <http://www.iucnredlist.org> (Downloaded 26 January 2020).Search in Google Scholar
Jacquet, F., Denys, C., Verheyen, E., Bryja, J., Hutterer, R., Kerbis Peterhans, J., Stanley, W.T., Goodman, S.M., Couloux, A., Colyn, M., et al. (2015). Phylogeography and evolutionary history of the Crocidura olivieri complex (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla): from a forest origin to broad ecological expansion across Africa. BMC Evol. Biol. 15: 71.10.1186/s12862-015-0344-ySearch in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
Jacquet, F., Hutterer, R., Nicolas, V., Decher, J., Colyn, M., and Denys, C. (2013). New status for two African giant forest shrews, Crocidura goliath goliath and C. goliath nimbasilvanus (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla), based on molecular and geometric morphometric analyses. Afr. Zool. 48: 13–29, https://doi.org/10.3377/004.048.0108.Search in Google Scholar
Jacquet, F., Nicolas, V., Bonillo, C., Cruaud, C., and Denys, C. (2012). Barcoding, molecular taxonomy, and exploration of the diversity of shrews (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) on Mt. Nimba (Guinea). Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 166: 672–687, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00856.x.Search in Google Scholar
Jacquet, F., Nicolas, V., Colyn, M., Kadjo, B., Hutterer, R., Akpatou, B., Cruaud, C., and Denys, C. (2014). Forest refugia and riverine barriers promote diversification in the West African pygmy shrew (Crocidura obscurior complex, Eulipotyphla). Zool. Scr. 43: 131–48, https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12039.Search in Google Scholar
Koopman, K.F., Kofron, C.P., and Chapman, A. (1995). The bats of Liberia: systematics, ecology, and distribution. Am. Mus. Novit. 3148: 1–24.Search in Google Scholar
Kumar, S., Stecher, G., and Tamura, K. (2016). MEGA7: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 7.0 for bigger datasets. Mol. Biol. Evol. 33: 1870–1874, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msw054.Search in Google Scholar
Lamotte, M. and Roy, R. (2003). Le peuplement animal du mont nimba (Guinée, Côte d’ivoire, Liberia). Mem. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 90: 1–724.Search in Google Scholar
Marshall, C.A.M. and Hawthorne, W.D. (2013). Important plants of northern Nimba County, Liberia. A guide to most useful, rare or ecologically important species, with Mano names and uses. Oxford Forestry Institute, Oxford, UK, p. 460.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A. and Fahr, J. (2007). A rapid survey of bats from North Lorma, Gola and Grebo National Forests, Liberia, with notes on shrews and rodents. In: Hoke, P., Demey, R., and Peal, A. (Eds.). A rapid biological assessment of North Lorma, Gola and Grebo National Forests, Liberia. RAP bulletin of biological assessment, Vol. 44. Washington, D.C: Conservation International, pp. 47–58.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Shapiro, J.T., Richards, L.R., Karabulut, H., Crawley, W., Nielsen, I.B., Hansen, A., Bohmann, K., and Mourier, T. (2019b). Systematics of West African Miniopterus with the description of a new species. Acta Chiropterol. 21: 237–256, https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.2.001.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Taylor, P., Cotterill, F.P.D., and Schoeman, M.C. (2010). Bats of Southern and Central Africa: a biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, p. 596.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Richards, L., and Denys, C. (2016). An African bat hotspot: the exceptional importance of Mt. Nimba for bat diversity. Acta Chiropterol. 18: 359–375, https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109acc2016.18.2.005.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Richards, L.R., Taylor, P.J., Denys, C., Dower, A., and Stoffberg, S. (2013a). Diversity of hipposideridae in the Mt. Nimba Massif, West Africa, and the taxonomic status of Hipposideros lamottei. Acta Chiropterol. 15: 341–352, https://doi.org/10.3161/150811013x678964.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Taylor, P.J., Denys, C., and Cotterill, F.P. (2015). Rodents of Sub-Saharan Africa: a biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, p. 1092.10.1515/9783110301915Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Richards, L., Taylor, P.J., and Stoffberg, S. (2013b). High diversity of pipistrelloid bats (Vespertilionidae: Hypsugo, Neoromicia, and Pipistrellus) in a West African rainforest with the description of a new species. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 67: 191–207, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00871.x.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Decher, J., Crawley, W.Y., and McCleery, R.A. (2019a). The conservation status of a poorly known range-restricted mammal, the Nimba otter-shrew Micropotamogale lamottei. Mammalia 83: 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2017-0144.Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Demos, T.C., Dalton, D.L., Webala, P.W., Musila, S., Kerbis Peterhans, J., and Patterson, B.D. (2020a). A revision of pipistrelle-like bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in East Africa with the description of new genera and species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa087 (Epub ahead of print).Search in Google Scholar
Monadjem, A., Richards, L.R., Decher, J., Hutterer, R., Mamba, M.L., Guyton, J., Naskrecki, P., Markotter, W., Wipfler, B., Kroff, A.S., et al. (2020b). A phylogeny for African Pipistrellus species with the description of a new species from West Africa (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa068 (Epub ahead of print).Search in Google Scholar
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca, G.A.B., and Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853–858, https://doi.org/10.1038/35002501.Search in Google Scholar
Nesi, N., Kadjo, B., Pourrut, X., Leroy, E., Pongombo Shon Go, C., Cruaud, C., and Hassanin, A. (2013). Molecular systematics and phylogeography of the tribe Myonycterini (Mammalia, Pteropodidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 66: 126–137, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.09.028.Search in Google Scholar
Nicolas, V., Akpatou, B., Wendelen, W., Kerbis Peterhans, J., Olayemi, A., Decher, J., Missoup, A.D., Denys, C., Barrire, P., Cruaud, C., et al. (2010). Molecular and morphometric variation in two sibling species of the genus Praomys (Rodentia: Muridae): implications for biogeography. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 160: 397–419, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00602.x.Search in Google Scholar
Nicolas, V., Fabre, P.H., Bryja, J., Denys, C., Verheyen, E., Missoup, A.D., Olayemi, A., Katuala, P., Dudu, A., Colyn, M., et al. (2020). The phylogeny of the African wood mice (Muridae, Hylomyscus) based on complete mitochondrial genomes and five nuclear genes reveals their evolutionary history and undescribed diversity. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 144: 106703, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106703.Search in Google Scholar
Nicolas, V., Barriere, P., Tapiero, A., and Colyn, M. (2009). Shrew species diversity and abundance in Ziama Biosphere Reserve (Guinea): comparison between primary forest, degraded forest and restoration plots. Biodivers. Conserv. 18: 2043–2061, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9572-4.Search in Google Scholar
Nicolas, V., Bryja, J., Akpatou, B., Konecny, A., Lecompte, E., Colyn, M., Lalis, A., Couloux, A., Denys, C., and Granjon, L. (2008). Comparative phylogeography of two sibling species of forest-dwelling rodent (Praomys rostratus and P. tullbergi) in West Africa: different reactions to past forest fragmentation. Mol. Ecol. 17: 5118–5134.10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03974.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Nicolas, V., Jacquet, F., Hutterer, R., Konecny, A., Kouassi, S.K., Durnez, L., Lalis, A., Colyn, M., and Denys, C. (2019). Multilocus phylogeny of the Crocidura poensis species complex (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla): influences of the palaeoclimate on its diversification and evolution. J. Biogeogr. 46: 871–883, https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13534.Search in Google Scholar
Olayemi, A., Nicolas, V., Huselmans, J., Missoup, A.D., Fichet-Calvet, E., Amundala, D., Dudu, A., Dierckx, T., Wendelen, W., Leirs, H., et al. (2012). Taxonomy of the African giant pouched rats (Nesomyidae: Cricetomys): molecular and craniometric evidence support an unexpected high species diversity. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 65: 725–733.10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00823.xSearch in Google Scholar
Palumbi, S.R., Martin, A.P., Romano, S., McMillan, W.O., Stice, L., Grabowski, G., and Department of Zoology and Kawalo Marine Laboratory. (1991). The simple fool’s guide to PCR. Spec Publ, Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.Search in Google Scholar
Posada, D. (2009). Selection of models of DNA evolution with jModel test. Methods Mol. Biol. 537: 93–112, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-251-9_5.Search in Google Scholar
Roche, J. (1971). Recherches mammalogiques en Guinee forestiere. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Zool. 16: 737–782.Search in Google Scholar
Rosevear, D.R. (1965). The bats of West Africa. The Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, p. 418.Search in Google Scholar
Sandberger, L., Hillers, A., Doumbia, J., Loua, N., Brede, C., and Rödel, M. (2010). Rediscovery of the Liberian Nimba toad, Nimbaphrynoides liberiensis (Xavier, 1978) (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae), and reassessment of its taxonomic status. Zootaxa 2355: 56–68, https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2355.1.3.Search in Google Scholar
Schneider, A. and Cannarozzi, G.M. (2009). Support patterns from different outgroups provide a strong phylogenetic signal. Mol. Biol. Evol. 26: 1259–1272, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msp034.Search in Google Scholar
Sikes, R.S. and The Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists (2016). 2016 Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the use of wild mammals in research and education. J. Mammal. 97: 663–688, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw078.Search in Google Scholar
Song, H., Buhay, J.E., Whiting, M.F., and Crandall, K.A. (2008). Many species in one: DNA barcoding overestimates the number of species when nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes are coamplified. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A 105: 13486–13491, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0803076105.Search in Google Scholar
Stanley, W.T. and Hutterer, R. (2000). A new species of Myosorex Gray, 1832 (Mammalia: Soricidae) from the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 49: 19–29.Search in Google Scholar
Thorn, E. and Kerbis Peterhans, J. (2009). Small mammals of Uganda: bats, shrews, hedgehog, golden-moles, otter-tenrec, elephant-shrews, and hares. Bonn. Zool. Monogr. 55: 1–126.Search in Google Scholar
Vallo, P., Guillén-Servent, A., Benda, P., Pires, D.B., and Koubek, P. (2008). Variation of mitochondrial DNA in the Hipposideros caffer complex (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) and its taxonomic implications. Acta Chiropterol. 10: 193–206, https://doi.org/10.3161/150811008x414782.Search in Google Scholar
Verschuren, J. (1977). Les cheiroptères du Mt Nimba (Liberia). Mammalia 40: 615–632.Search in Google Scholar
Vogel, P. (1983). Contribution à l’écologie et à la zoogéographie de Micropotamogale lamottei (Mammalia, Tenrecidae). Rev. Ecol. 38: 37–48.10.3406/revec.1983.4779Search in Google Scholar
Weber, N. and Fahr, J. (2004). A rapid survey of small mammals from the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Eastern Region, Ghana. In: McCullough, J., Alonso, L.E., Naskrecki, P., Wright, H.E., and Osei-Owusu, Y. (Eds.), A rapid biological assessment of the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Eastern Ghana. Conservation International, Arlington, USA, pp. 90–98.Search in Google Scholar
Weber, N., Wistuba, R., Astrin, J., and Decher, J. (2019). New records of bats and terrestrial small mammals from the Seli River in Sierra Leone before the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Biodivers. Data J. 7: e34754, https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.7.e34754.Search in Google Scholar
Wieringa, J.J. and Poorter, L. (2004). Biodiversity hotspots in West Africa; patterns and causes. In: Poorter, L., Bongers, F., Kouame, F.N., and Hawthorne, W.D. (Eds.). Biodiversity of West African forests. An ecological atlas of woody plant species. CABI Publishing, Oxford, UK, pp. 61–72, p. 528.10.1079/9780851997346.0061Search in Google Scholar
Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (2005). Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference, Vol. 2, 3rd ed. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, p. 2142.Search in Google Scholar
Wolton, R.J., Arak, P.A., Godfray, H.C.J., and Wilson, R.P. (1982). Ecological and behavioural studies of the Megachiroptera at Mt. Nimba, Liberia, with notes on Microchiroptera. Mammalia 46: 419–448, https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1982.46.4.419.Search in Google Scholar
Xiong, B. and Kocher, T.D. (1991). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences of seven morpho-species of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae). Genome 34: 306–311, https://doi.org/10.1139/g91-050.Search in Google Scholar
Supplementary Material
The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2020-0013).
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
