Taxonomy news

1. A new paper argues that red mazama deer south of the Amazon should be considered a separate species Mazama rufa rather than M. americana.
2. Myotis keaysi from coastal Ecuador split (open-access) as M. moratellii. Apparently this is the species that used to roost in public bathrooms at Cerro Blanco back in 1995. No idea if they are still there but it’s a great place to visit anyway.
3. Two new species in Peromyscus boylii group from Michoacán, P. greenbaumi and P. ensinki, described in a new paper. I find the arguments unconvincing, and think that both should be considered subspecies of P. carletoni.
4. A new paper about rodents of Afar region of Ethiopia should help in identifying them. Note that Acomys louisae of Afar will likely be split from those in Somalia and Ogaden.
5. A useful paper about shrews of Mt. Nimba with an identification key.
6. I am still a bit skeptical about splitting humpback dolphins into more than two species. The controversy continues: 1, 2.
7. Pencil-tailed treeshrews of Malay Peninsula and Sumatra might be a separate species Ptilocercus continentis, with P. lowii restricted to Borneo, according to a preliminary new paper.