Pilliga Pseudomys

discussion

Discussion: Chromosomal morphology described by Fox and Briscoe (1980). Morphological and electrophoretic data supported a close phylogenetic relationship of P. pilligaensis to P. delicatulus and P. novaehollandiae (Briscoe et al., 1981), which was reinforced by spermatozoal morphology (Breed, 1983). Reviewed by Fox (1995 b). Recent DNA sequencing studies by F. Ford reveal a complex mosaic of delicatulus and novaehollandiae genotypes and phenotypes within the geographic area occupied by ‘ pillagaensis, ’ raising the distinct possibility that the latter ‘ taxon’ actually identifies a zone of hybrid interaction between delicatulus and novaehollandiae (F. Ford, in litt., 2004).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: Australia, N New South Wales, collected from a few localities within the Pilliga Scrub (Fox and Briscoe, 1980: 119).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

materials_examined

Type Locality: Australia, New South Wales, Merriwindi State Forest, 3 km west of Pilliga-Baradine Road., Cumberdeen Road (Fox and Briscoe, 1980, provided additional information).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

description

Common name. Pilliga Mouse. Current name. Pseudomys pilligaensis Fox & Briscoe, 1980; following Musser & Carleton (2005). Taxonomic status needs clarification: Pilliga populations are thought to be the product of past hybridization between P. delicatulus (Gould, 1842) and P. novaehollandiae (Waterhouse, 1843) and P. pilligaensis Fox & Briscoe is sometimes treated as a junior synonym of P. delicatulus pumilus (e. g., Ford, 2008). Jackson & Groves (2015) treated it as a synonym of P. delicatulus but flagged the need for further taxonomic work.

Type Specimens of Non-fossil Mammals in the Australian Museum, Sydney