Scientists trace origins of Western Ghats Tree Mouse

{ ELUSIVE SPECIES

- Gayatri Vajpeyee

In a groundbreaking discovery that redefines the evolutionary history of a rare rodent species, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have successfully decoded the DNA of the Malabar Spiny Tree Mouse (Platacanthomys lasiu-Tus), a species endemic to the Western Ghats.

This marks the first-ever generation of DNA barcodes for the elusive species, placing it within a clearer taxonomic framework and revealing its lineage as an ancient Gondwanan relic.

The collaborative study, published in the latest July edition of the peer-reviewed ‘Journal of Animal Diversity’ from Lorestan University, Iran, involved researchers from various ZSI regional centres, including S S Talmale, K P Dinesh, and A Shabnam from the Western Regional Centre, Pune; Jafer Palot from the Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode; and K A Subramanian from the Southern Regional Centre.