Delicate salt flat mouse explained

The delicate salt flat mouse[1] (Salinomys delicatus; Spanish; Castilian: '''el ratón delicado de los salares'''[2]) is a sigmodontine rodent species in the family Cricetidae from South America. It is the only species in the genus Salinomys. Its habitat is scrublands bordering salt flats (such as those of the Salinas Grandes) in the Monte Desert area of central western Argentina at elevations around 400 m.[3] The closest relatives of the species are the chaco mice (Andalgalomys).[4]

Karyotype

Its karyotype has 2n = 18 and FN = 32 in females[5] but has 2n = 19 in males.[6] Due to an X-autosome translocation, S. delicatus has an XY1Y2 sex chromosome system, rare in mammals. During meiotic prophase, a male's X and two Y chromosomes form a trivalent. The female value of 18 is the lowest diploid number of any species in the tribe Phyllotini. Given that close relative Andalgalomys pearsoni has the highest known diploid number (78) of the tribe, it appears that major chromosome restructuring occurred during the evolution of the Andalgalomys-Salinomys clade.

Conservation status

While not formally assessing its conservation status, the IUCN has stated, "This species occurs in a very narrow range of ecological requirements (salt flats) which are severely fragmented and which could be threatened by human disturbance."

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lanzone . C. . Braun . J. K. . Patton . J. L. . Pardiñas . U. F. J. . D’Elía . G. . James L. Patton . Mammals of South America, Volume 2: Rodents . 9 March 2015 . . 978-0226169606 . 921432000 . 555–556.
  2. Rodríguez. Daniela. Lanzone. Cecilia. Chillo. Verónica. Cuello. Pablo A. Albanese. Soledad. Ojeda. Agustina A. Ojeda. Ricardo A. Natural history of a rare rodent of the Argentinean desert, Salinomys delicatus (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae). Revista chilena de historia natural. 85. 1. 2012. 13–27. es. 0716-078X. 10.4067/S0716-078X2012000100002. free. 11336/154555. free.
  3. Braun . Janet K. . Mares, Michael A. . A new genus and species of phyllotine rodent (Rodentia: Muridae: Sigmodontinae: Phyllotini) from South America . Journal of Mammalogy . 76 . 2 . 504–521 . . May 1995 . 10.2307/1382359. 1382359 .
  4. Steppan, S.J.; Ramirez, O.; Banbury, J.; et al. 2007. A molecular reappraisal of the systematics of the leaf-eared mice Phyllotis and their relatives. In: Kelt, D.A., E.P. Lessa, J. Salazar-Bravo & J.L. Patton (eds.), The Quintessential Naturalist: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Oliver P. Pearson. University of California Publications in Zoology. Volume 134, pp. 799–826. University of California Press, Berkeley. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9g62053v#page-812
  5. Lanzone . C. . Ojeda . R. A. . Albanese . S. . Rodríguez . D. . Dacar . M. . Karytypic characterization and new geographical record of Salinomys delicatus (Rodenta, Cricetidae, Sigmodoninae) . Mastozoología Neotropical . 12 . 2 . 257–260 . 2005 . 2014-07-25.
  6. Lanzone. C.. Rodríguez. D.. Cuello. P.. Albanese. S.. Ojeda. A.. Chillo. V.. Martí. D. A.. XY1Y2 chromosome system in Salinomys delicatus (Rodentia, Cricetidae). Genetica. 139. 9. 2011. 1143–1147. 0016-6707. 10.1007/s10709-011-9616-7. 11336/150390. free.

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