 In a genetic study published in 2006, "nigra" (initially misidentified as "yunanensis") was found to be closely related to "albiventer".The position of "albiventer" is itself disputed; although traditionally considered a subspecies of the red giant flying squirrel, strong evidence points to it being a separate species, which has been followed by several recent authorities.Based on genetic evidence, "nigra" can be considered a subspecies of "P. albiventer" or a closely related separate species.