Pig's foot nasal sac
| Pig's foot nasal sac | ||||||||||||
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Drawing by John Gould |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||||
| Chaeropodidae | ||||||||||||
| Gill , 1872 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Chaeropus | ||||||||||||
| Ogilby , 1838 |
The pig's foot- nosebuoy ( Chaeropus ) are an extinct genus of marsupial mammals from the order of the noseband (Peramelemorphia), which occurred in dry grass and bush countries in the west, in the interior, in the south and in the north-east of Australia. There are three types, two of which only became extinct in the 20th century . Chaeropus ecaudatus , the type species , disappeared between 1920 and 1930 according to reports by the Aborigines , Chaeropus yirratji , which was only described in 2019, lived according to statements by Aborigines until the 1950s. Chaeropus baynesi , the third species, is only known to be fossilized from the Fisherman's Cliff Local Fauna from the Pliocene of New South Wales .
description
Pig's foot nasal sacs reached a body length of 23 to 26 cm and had tails 7.5 to 15 cm long. Her back fur was maroon to golden yellow, the peritoneum was gray, cream-colored or whitish. Mainly the feet differentiated the pig's foot nasal sacs from the other nasal sacs. They were long and thin, the front legs had only two toes with hoof-like claws. In the hind feet, only the fourth toe was used for locomotion. The remaining three developed toes were reduced, stood above the fourth toe and had no contact with the ground when walking. The similarity of the forefeet with those of the artifacts (like the pigs ) gave them their name. The head was broad and round. The muzzle was short, wide and pointed. The ears were long and resembled those of the rabbit-nosed whiskers . The females' pouch opened back and contained eight teats.
Way of life
Pig's foot nasal sacs inhabited not only desert-like areas, but also grasslands and areas overgrown with bushes. They shouldn't have been quite as nocturnal as the other nasal bags . Nests of grass or shallow earth hollows served as resting places. According to the German-Australian zoologist Gerard Krefft (1830–1881), they were sluggishly moving animals. However, Aborigines reported that they were able to flee at great speed when disturbed. Little is known about the reproduction of the species. They probably reproduced in May and June and the females had one or two young per litter. Teeth and digestive system suggest that pig's foot nasal sacs were primarily herbivores . Aboriginal reports suggest that they also ate locusts, termites, and ants .
Systematics
The genus Chaeropus was first scientifically described together with Chaeropus ecaudatus in 1838 by the Irish naturalist William Ogilby . In 1872, the American zoologist Theodore Nicholas Gill introduced the family Chaeropodidae to the genus. The systematic position of the genus Chaeropus has not yet been clarified with certainty. In 1999, a study of mitochondrial DNA obtained from one specimen revealed that Chaeropus is the sister group of all other nasal sacs . In 2018 researchers came to the conclusion that the rabbit nosebuoy ( Macrotis (family Thylacomyidae)) is the sister group of the genus Chaeropus and that both together are the sister group of all other nosebags and in the first description of Chaeropus yirratji in early 2019 the authors found that the genus Chaeropus is deep within of the remaining nasal cones and is a sister group of a clade of short-nosed cones ( Isoodon ), long-nosed cones ( Perameles ) and large New Guinea peas ( Peroryctes ).
die out
The last specimen of a pig's foot nasal bag, the preparation of which is now part of a museum collection, was found in 1901. According to reports by the Aborigines, however, they may have survived in desert areas until the 1950s. Originally, the animals were widespread in Australia. The main cause of the extinction is likely to be the spread of introduced predators such as cats and foxes .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Kenny J. Travouillon , Bruno F. Simões, Roberto Portela Miguez, Selina Brace, Phillipa Brewer, David Stemmer, Gilbert J. Price, Jonathan Cramb and Julien Louys. 2019. Hidden in Plain Sight: Reassessment of the Pig-footed Bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus (Peramelemorphia, Chaeropodidae), with A Description of A New Species from central Australia, and Use of the Fossil Record to Trace Its Past Distribution. Zootaxa. 4566 (1); 1-69. DOI: 10.11646 / zootaxa.4566.1.1
- ↑ a b c Kristofer M. Helgen and Elizabeth G. Veatch: Recently Extinct Australian Maersupials snd Monotremes. Pages 17-31 in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 5. Monotremes and Marsupials. Lynx Editions, 2015, ISBN 978-84-96553-99-6 (pages 27-28).
- ↑ Westerman, M., Springer, MS, Dixon, J., & Krajewski, C. (1999) Molecular relationships of the extinct pig-footed bandicoot Chaeropus ecaudatus (Marsupialia: Perameloidea) using 12S rRNA sequences. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 6, 271-288. doi: 10.1023 / A: 1020565724799
- ↑ Kenny Travouillon & Matthew J. Phillips, 2018. Total evidence analysis of the phylogenetic relationships of bandicoots and bilbies (Marsupialia: Peramelemorphia): reassessment of two species and description of a new species. Zootaxa 4378 (2), 224-256. DOI: 10.11646 / zootaxa.4378.2.3
- ↑ Chaeropus ecaudatus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Burbidge, AA & Woinarski, J., 2012. Accessed on March 14 of 2019.