Brush-furred rats (Lophuromys Peters 1874) are the most abundant and widely distributed small mammals on Mount Kenya. However, their ecology is poorly known and their taxonomic status is questionable. This study investigates whether or not the morphology and genetics of the Mt. Kenya Lophuromys correspond with elevation, vegetation, and climate variables. We also investigate the taxonomic relationship of the Mt. Kenya Lophuromys to the Aberdare Range and Mt. Kilimanjaro populations using genetic and craniodental data. Specimens were captured along Mt. Kenya’s western and eastern slopes, and other specimens (from Aberdare and Mt. Kilimanjaro) were obtained from Museum collections. The datasets were analyzed using multivariate and univariate statistics, discriminant function analysis, and phylogenetic analyses. The results show that Mt. Kenya Lophuromys specimens from different habitats and elevations are significantly differentiated by external morphology but not craniodental variables, and have low genetic variation and no population genetic structure, supporting the entire population is consistent with a single species model. In addition, Mt. Kenya and Aberdare Lophuromys cluster separately from Mt. Kilimanjaro Lophuromys based on craniodental analyses while phylogenetic and haplotype analyses also support the Mt. Kenya and Aberdare Lophuromys as evolutionarily isolated from Mt. Kilimanjaro’s population. These results contradict recent studies that hypothesized the distribution of Lophuromys margarettae in lower elevations of Mt. Kenya with Lophuromys zena restricted to the higher elevations.

中文翻译：

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肯尼亚山刷毛大鼠的形态学和遗传学特征（Lophuromys Peters 1874）；与分类学和生态学有关

毛刷状的老鼠（Lophuromys Peters 1874）是肯尼亚山上数量最多，分布最广泛的小型哺乳动物。但是，它们的生态学知之甚少，其分类学地位令人怀疑。这项研究调查是否山的形态和遗传。肯尼亚Lophuromys与海拔，植被和气候变量相对应。我们还研究了山的分类学关系。肯尼亚喉镜到阿伯代尔山脉和山。乞力马扎罗山种群使用遗传和颅牙学数据。标本是沿山捕获的。肯尼亚的西部和东部山坡以及其他标本（来自阿伯达雷和乞力马扎罗山）均来自博物馆收藏。使用多变量和单变量统计，判别函数分析和系统发育分析来分析数据集。结果表明山。来自不同生境和海拔的肯尼亚Lophuromys标本通过外部形态学显着区分，但没有颅齿变量，并且遗传变异低且没有种群遗传结构，支持整个种群与单一物种模型是一致的。另外，山。肯尼亚和阿伯达雷尔造瘘术与山分开。乞力马扎罗Lophuromys基于craniodental分析而进化和单倍型分析也支持了山。从肯尼亚山进化而来的肯尼亚和阿伯达雷尔造瘘术。乞力马扎罗的人口。这些结果与最近的研究相矛盾，该研究假设玛格丽特菌在较低的海拔高度分布。肯尼亚的斑马鱼被限制在较高的海拔。