A Short Overview of the Systematics of Ctenomys: Species Limits and Phylogenetic Relationships

The genus Ctenomys Blainville, 1826 is, with 64 living species, one of the most species-rich genera of Mammalia. In this chapter, structured in two main sections, we discuss distinct issues related to the taxonomy and phylogeny of these rodents. Each section begins with a short historical summary and then focuses on the current state of knowledge. We provide a list of currently considered distinct species (remarking on departures from the most recent tuco-tuco taxonomic catalog), discuss candidate species, and unavailable names (i.e., those never properly published, such as C. “chasiquensis” or C. “yolandae”). In what constitutes the single nomenclatorial act of this contribution, we propose that C. azarae Rusconi and C. porteuosi Thomas are subjective junior synonyms of C. mendocinus Philippi. We provide a historical perspective about phylogenetic studies of tuco-tucos, remarking on species relationships and species groups, and summarizing the contents of the species groups. We also synthesize the available dating studies for this genus. In each section, we also highlight gray areas that need to be the focus of future research.