Biochemical Systematics of the Peromyscus boylii Species Group

Allelic variation at 32 loci was examined among forms of the Peromyscus aztecus and P. boylii assemblages of the P. boylii species group, representative taxa of the P. truei and P. leucopus species groups, and P. eremicus of the subgenus Haplomylomys to examine conflicting hypotheses regarding the monophlyetic or polyphyletic nature of the P. boylii species group. Twenty-three loci exhibited intraspecific or interspecific variation. Although phenetic analysis of the biochemical data suggested that the P. boylii species group is polyphyletic, neither the phenetic nor the cladistic analyses supported the recent chromosomally based hypothesis that allied the P. aztecus assemblage with the P. leucopus species group. With exception of P. pectoralis, the P. boylii group taxa genetically appeared to form a monophyletic group.