Allen's Hylomyscus

discussion

Discussion: We do not follow Rosevear (1969) in restricting H. alleni to Bioko (= Fernando Poo), and agree with Eisentraut (1969 b) and Robbins et al. (1980) in recognizing the species in West Africa (based on our study of Eisentraut's material and other specimens). Robbins et al. (1980) reported sympatry between alleni and stella in S Cameroon, as well as cranial and chromosomal distinctions. However, the morphological differences they noted are slight and variable even within a single sample, the karyotypes all have 2 n = 46 and only differ slightly in FN (68 versus 70), and they did not demonstrate whether the contrasts represented intra- or interpopulational variation. The chromosomal differences are not impressive considering that a sample referred to H. stella from Burundi had 2 n = 48 and FN = 86 (Maddalena et al., 1989). Some authors (Brosset et al., 1965; Heim de Balsac and Aellen, 1965) have regarded simus as the species distributed throughout West Africa and into Angola, and stella in C Africa, but we follow Rosevear (1969) in not being able to distinguish any sample that can be called simus. The definitions of both alleni and stella on continental Africa need clarificat

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko) and West Africa from Guinea (Mt Nimba) to Gabon and Cameroon; limits unknown.

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

discussion

COMMENTS: We do not follow Rosevear (1969) in restricting H. alleni to Fernando Poo, and agree with Eisentraut (1969 b) and Robbins et al. (1980) in recognizing the species in W Africa (based on our study of Eisentraut's series and other specimens). Robbins et al. (1980) reported sympatry between alleni and stella in S Cameroon, as well as cranial and chromosomal distinctions. However, the morphological differences they noted are slight and variable even with a single sample, the karyotypes have the same 2 N of 46 and only differ slightly in fundamental numbers (68 versus 70), and they did not demonstrate that the contrasts did not represent intrapopulational variation. The chromosomal contrasts are not impressive considering that a sample of H. Stella from Burundi had 2 N = 48 and NF = 86 (Maddalena et al., 1989). Some authors (Heim de Balsac and Aellen, 1965; Brosset et al., 1965) regard simus as the species distributed throughout W Africa and into Angola, and stella to be the form in C Africa, but we follow Rosevear (1969) in not being able to distinguish any sample that could be called simus. The definitions of both alleni and stella on continental Africa need clarification, as

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

DISTRIBUTION: Equatorial Guinea (Bioko = Fernando Poo); and W Africa from Guinea (Mt. Nimba) to Gabon and Cameroon; limits unknown.

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae