Phylogenetic relationships of genus Stertomys (Gliridae) from the “Terre Rosse” fissure filling (Gargano, Apulia)

Stertomys is an endemic genus of Gliridae commonly found in the Late Miocene “Terre Rosse” fissure fillings from Gargano (southern Italy). The taxonomy of this genus have been recently reconsidered and, up to date, five new species have been described beside the giant Stertomys laticrestatus Daams & Freudenthal 1985. The species have different biochronological range and may be assigned to two groups according to their size and complexity of the dental pattern. The smaller and morphologically simpler group includes Stertomys simplex Martín-Suárez & Freudenthal 2007, Stertomys daamsi Freudenthal & Martín-Suárez 2006 (occurring in the older fissures) and Stertomys degiulii Rinaldi & Masini 2009, while the larger and more complex one takes Stertomys lyrifer Martín-Suárez & Freudenthal 2007, Stertomys daunius Freudenthal & Martín-Suárez 2006 (occurring in the older fissures) and S. laticrestatus. These two informal groups have been considered also as representing two distinct phylogenetic branches deriving from a common ancestor. Phylogenetic relationships among those species and their possible continental ancestor, however, have never been investigated in detail. In this contribution we presents the results of a parsimony phylogenetic analysis performed using PAUP software. The six Stertomys species have been considered together with several other related glirid taxa, distributed over a rather wide geographical and stratigraphical range, with the aim to verify if Stertomys is a monophyletic taxon and to identify its possible relationships with continental taxa, thus bringing some new contribution to the still open question. of the ancestry of this endemic taxon.