Pithecheir parvus Kloss 1916

Pithecheir parvus Kloss 1916, J. Fed. Malay St. Mus ., 6: 250.

Type Locality: Malay Peninsula, Selangor, Bukit Kutu, near Kuala Kubu, 3,400 ft (1035 m).

Vernacular Names: Malay Peninsula Pithecheir.

Distribution: Malay Peninsula (Pahang and Selangor).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Originally described as a subspecies of P. melanurus, but parvus is a distinctive species endemic to Malay Peninsula (Musser and Newcomb, 1983; Muul and Lim, 1971). Karyotype has same diploid number as Hapalomys longicaudus, but is uninformative about inferring phylogenetic relationships (Yong, et al., 1982). Spermatozoal morphology very distinctive (no apical hook), unlike that of any other Sundaic endemic (Breed and Yong, 1986), and resembling sperm of Sulawesian Lenomys and Eropeplus (Breed and Musser, 1991) . Joins Maxomys inas and Niviventer cameroni in being the only recorded endemic murines on the Malay Peninsula south of the Isthmus of Kra (Musser, 1986; see account of Niviventer cameroni). Distribution of P. parvus has been restricted to south of the Isthmus of Kra since early Pleistocene. Isolated molars identified as this species have been recovered from early and middle Pleistocene cave sediments in peninsular Thailand south of the Isthmus (Chaimanee, 1998).