A new species of the genus Typhlomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia: Platacanthomyidae) from Chongqing, China

A new species of the genus Typhlomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia: Platacanthomyidae) is described based on 10 specimens collected from Chongqing in southwestern China using integrated taxonomy. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these specimens formed a distinct sister clade to T. daloushanensis Wang and Li, 1996, and differed from all six known Typhlomys species based on Kimura-2-parameter genetic distances of the cytochrome b (cyt b) gene (ranging from 0.122 to 0.215). The new species Typhlomys fengjiensis sp. nov. is most similar to T. daloushanensis in morphology. However, it differs from the latter by the following morphological characters: (1) larger body and skull; (2) deeper incurved zygomatic arch; and (3) mesofossette on first upper molar open on both buccal and lingual sides (vs. inner edge of endoloph closed in T. daloushanensis). The discovery of this new species supports that Typhlomys diversity remains underestimated in southern China.