New insights into the taxonomy of duiker antelopes (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the formal description of a new genus

• Published in: Mammalian biology : Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 2022-12, Vol.102 (5-6), p.1793-1809
• Main Authors: Bärmann, Eva V., Fonseca, Vera G., Langen, Kathrin, Kaleme, Prince
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal Anatomy; Animal Ecology; Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Biological diversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cytochrome b; Evolutionary Biology; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Histology; Life Sciences; Morphology; National parks and reserves; Original Article; Phylogeny; Zoology
• ISSN: 1616-5047; 1618-1476
• DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00279-7

Duikers (Cephalophinae, Bovidae) are a group of forest mammals playing crucial roles in forest ecosystems either as prey or as seed dispersers. However, their taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships are still debated, and geo-referenced samples are rare. We collected 17 fecal samples of duikers in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is part of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity hotspot. To identify the species, evaluate the intra-specific genetic variation, and the phylogenetic relationships to other duiker species we used the mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region sequences and compared them with published sequences of 19 species of duikers. In addition, we collected camera-trap images and skull measurements of duikers living in this area. Our results showed that some of the collected samples could not be taxonomically assigned to any other duiker species available on public databases but indeed formed a monophyletic group within the east African red duikers. The camera trap images and morphometric analysis provisionally identify them as black-fronted duikers ( C. nigrifrons ), presumably the subspecies C. nigrifrons kivuensis Lönnberg, 1919 that was described from the Kivu-Region 100 years ago. This preliminary study shows that this subspecies should be raised to species rank based on molecular data, and stresses that further surveys and phylogenetic studies of east African red duikers are needed for understanding the diversity and evolution of these elusive species.