Old world moles
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European mole ( Talpa europaea ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Talpinae | ||||||||||||
| Fischer , 1817 | ||||||||||||
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The talpinae (Talpinae) are a subfamily of the family of moles (Talpidae). This subfamily is made up of more than three dozen species, which can be divided into five generic groups:
- The actual moles (Talpini) comprise over 30 species that live in Eurasia. The best known is the European mole .
- The long-tailed mole from East Asia is the only representative of the Scaptonychini.
- The Japanese pointed mole rat (Urotrichini) comprise two species endemic to Japan.
- The American pointed mole rat, which lives on the Pacific coast of North America, is the only representative of the Neurotrichini.
- The Desmane (Desmanini) are two species living in Europe that are more adapted to aquatic life than other moles.
The talpinae thus include except uropsilinae and Gansu mole all the moles of Eurasia and the American Spitzmull an American type They are a diverse group. The Desman are adapted to aquatic life, the Japanese and American Spitzmulle point in their physique similarities with the shrews and live above ground and the actual moles are perfectly adapted to a way of life that digs underground.
Molecular genetic studies have confirmed the somewhat surprising composition of this group. From a morphological point of view, it used to be assumed that there was a close relationship between the real moles and the New World moles , both of which are well adapted to the underground way of life. Obviously these similarities are based on convergence , and these forms have developed several times in the evolution of the moles. The similarities between the Japanese and American pointed mole rats are also likely not to be based on relationship, but only on convergence.
literature
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
