Publication
Title
Discovery of a new duiker species (Bovidae: Cephalophinae) from the Dahomey Gap, West Africa
Author
Abstract
Among the two most widely distributed duiker species, Philantomba monticola (Thunberg, 1789) and Philantomba maxwelli (C.H. Smith, 1827), the latter shows geographic variation in pelage color and body size. This issue was not investigated in detail so far, especially in the eastern region of its distribution area, notably due to the lack of material from the Dahomey Gap. We undertook a species-level revision of Philantomba in West Africa, notably including a series of specimens collected in Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Using morphological measurements (craniometry) and genetic data (two mitochondrial and three nuclear markers), we describe a new duiker species occurring in the Dahomey Gap (Togo, Benin) and the Niger delta, Philantomba walteri sp. nov. This discovery highlights the importance of the Dahomey Gap for the evolutionary history of the West African forest faunas. It also has conservation implications given that the new species is one of the main targets of the local bushmeat trade.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Zootaxa. - Auckland [Nouvelle-Zélande]
Publication
Auckland [Nouvelle-Zélande] : Magnolia Press , 2010
ISSN
1175-5326
DOI
10.11646/ZOOTAXA.2637.1.1
Volume/pages
2637 (2010) , p. 1-30
ISI
000282645100001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.12.2010
Last edited 17.12.2021
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