We reviewed and analyzed the scientific literature on mammals of Mexico, including journal articles, the series Mammalian Species, book chapters and books, published between 1890 and 1995. The references were classified according to 11 general topics and included into a database. We registered 2129 publications, of which 1826 were articles in periodical journals, 206 fascicles monographs of Mammalian Species, 40 book chapters and 45 books. Journal articles showed a significant increase in the 1950's, due to a concomitant increase in number of scientist and institutions with professional interest in mammalogy. Geographically, Veracruz has been intensively studied, reaching 22% of all publications, while Tlaxcala is the least studied, with only 1% of all publications. The 79% of these publications were authored by foreign researchers, and 82% were published in foreign journals, lead prominently by the Journal of Mammalogy with 21%. Forty percent of the publications dealt with taxonomy and phylogeny, and 36% with the geographic distribution of species. Foreign authors, mostly from the U.S.A., outnumbered Mexicans in publications, except in book chapters. In recent years, however, an increase in Mexican scientists working with mammals has resulted in a significant increase in publications. These trends showed that U.S. scientists have historically played a crucial role for the development of mammalogy in Mexico, while Mexican scientist have recently contributed significantly to this field. We propose balancing efforts devoted to the different disciplines in mammalogy to guarantee an adequate knowledge of the mammal fauna in Mexico.
