Validity Analysis of the Morphological Identification of Three Highly Morphologically Similar Species Belonging to the Genus Niviventer (Rodentia: Muridae)

Cryptic species are prevalent among mammals, and identifying morphological methods or measurements that can effectively distinguish cryptic species has high significance in taxonomy. Three of the white-bellied rats, Niviventer confucianus , N. fulvescens and N. huang (Rodentia: Muridae), have such similar morphological characteristics that taxonomists have not been able to effectively identify them according to their morphologies. Recent studies have determined that the N. fulvescens species complex contains multiple species, indicating that previous morphological comparisons were potentially based on inaccurate species identifications, leading to false conclusions. To clarify whether the morphological differences among these three species can be used for identification, a variety of morphological methods and measurements were combined with molecular species identification to ensure accurate identifications prior to comparing morphological characteristics. The results showed that: (1) only N. confucianus has a white tail tip, distinguishing this species from the other two species but not N. fulvescens from N. huang ; and (2) the tail length of N. fulvescens and ear length of N. confucianus are greater than those of the other species. Traditional morphological methods cannot differentiate these species well, with the discrimination rate reaching more than 90%; therefore, they can only be used as auxiliary methods for morphological identification. Additionally: (3) the geometric morphological results of the four skull views can be combined to distinguish the three species, among which the discrimination rate of lateral view of mandible reaches 98%, making it effective for differentiating these species; and (4) the phallic morphologies of the three species differed significantly in the presence of a dorsal groove, thickness of the distal baculum, and the positional relationship between the distal and proximal baccula; thus, this approach can completely distinguish these species. This study examines the applicability of various morphological measurements for the identification of highly morphologically similar species, provides a reference for distinguishing cryptic species produced by convergent evolution or incomplete differentiation by morphology, and suggests that phallic morphology should be the primary characteristic for differentiating such species in the future.