关键词: 脊椎动物, 新物种, 新记录, 中国

Abstract

Aim: To review the new species and new national records of vertebrates discovered in China in 2020.

Methods: We compiled and analyzed the taxonomic literature on China's fauna published in 2020.

Results: In 2020, 100 new species and nine new national records of vertebrates were discovered in China. These include: 24 new species of fishes; 41 new species and four new national records of amphibians; 30 new species and four new national records of reptiles; one new species of bird; and four new species and one new national record of mammals. Of these newly recorded vertebrate species, molecular genetic data were used to evaluate 92 of the species described, which constituted 84.4% of the total number of newly recorded species. Most of these species are within the classes Amphibia and Reptilia; the orders Anura and Squamata constituted 70% of the total newly recorded vertebrate species. Geographically, more than 60% of the newly recorded vertebrate species were discovered in southwestern China; Yunnan, Xizang, Hunan, Guizhou, and Sichuan provinces each had 10 or more new species described in 2020. The majority of the species were described by Chinese researchers and most of their findings were published in English language journals.

Conclusion: These results indicate that taxonomic studies, particularly those of the basal groups of vertebrates, should be the continuous focus of biodiversity research in China. Future studies should adopt an integrative taxonomic approach and include molecular genetic data.

Key words: vertebrates, new species, new record, China