Cape gold mole

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Cape gold mole
A cape gold mole, illustration in Brehms Tierleben from 1912

A cape gold mole, illustration in Brehms Tierleben from 1912

Systematics
Subclass : Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate : Afrotheria
without rank: Afroinsectiphilia
Order : Tenrecus (Afrosoricida)
Family : Gold mole (Chrysochloridae)
Genre : Cape gold mole
Scientific name
Chrysochloris
Lacépède , 1799

The Cape Gold Mulle ( Chrysochloris ) are a genus of mammals from the family of the Gold Mulle (Chrysochloridae). The genus includes three species that live in central to eastern and southern Africa . Of the three species, only two are widespread and relatively common. The Cape gold mole inhabits the southwestern coastal area of South Africa and prefers sandy habitats. In contrast, the range of Stuhlmanns Goldmull is almost 3000 km further north and is spread out spotty in the region between Cameroon and Tanzania , it inhabits mountainous habitats with forest cover. Visagie's gold mole is only known from one specimen from southwestern South Africa. Like all gold mulle, the Cape gold mole are also adapted to a digging way of life. Accordingly, they have a spindle-shaped body, which lacks externally visible ears and a tail, and the front feet are also equipped with powerful grave claws. The animals dig tunnel systems and are nocturnal. Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates , and their way of life has generally been little studied. From a research history perspective, the cape gold mulle represent the first genus of the family to receive a scientific name, which took place in 1799. The populations of the two more common species are considered safe.

features

Habitus

The cape gold mulle represent small to medium-sized representatives of the gold mulle . They have head-to-torso lengths from 9.6 to 14.8 cm, the body weight varies from 30 to 81 g. Stuhlmann's gold mole ( Chrysochloris stuhlmanni ) is on average slightly larger than the Cape gold mole ( Chrysochloris asiatica ). In principle, the physique is similar to that of all gold moles , with which the Cape gold moles are not related. The body is shaped like a spindle and has no externally visible ears or a tail. The eyes are covered with fur, the snout has a leather-like padding that is partially used for digging. The fur is characterized by a variable color, ranging from blackish to brown, olive brown to slate gray and silvery gray. Depending on the exposure to light, it can have a greenish, purple or purple or silvery metallic sheen. Accentuating bright spots of color appear on the face. The limbs are extremely strong, the front feet have four rays, the hind feet five. Strong digging claws are formed on the front feet, which represent an adaptation to a digging way of life. In contrast to most of the other gold bulls, in addition to the large central claw, the claw of the second finger is also well developed. The first finger has a small claw, it is significantly shorter than that of the members of the closely related genus Cryptochloris . The fourth finger is just a small stub.

Skull and dentition features

The skull length varies from 21.1 to 38.3 mm, the skull width from 14.3 to 19.2 mm. The shape of the skull is reminiscent of a cone with a very wide skull. In the Cape Guldmull and Visagies Goldmull ( Chrysochloris visagiei ) the skull is short and wide, the greatest width being over 70% of the greatest length. In contrast, in Stuhlmann's Goldmull it appears rather stretched, the width of the skull is less than 65% of the length. The rostrum is not particularly widened, the palate width of Kap- and Visagies Goldmull is 30 to 32% of the greatest skull length, with Stuhlmanns Goldmull the corresponding value is 26 to 27%. The zygomatic arches are completely closed, but they lack the bony plates that point backwards and upwards, as occurs in the giant gold mole ( Chrysospalax ). The most striking skull feature is the club-like elongated head of the hammer in the middle ear . The entire ossicle is greatly enlarged and weighs 20 mg. The head of the hammer is supported by the extension in an externally visible, bony bladder on the temporal fossa . The bit is made up of a total of 40 teeth along the dental formula is: . The second incisor in the upper jaw protrudes over the third and the following canine , in the related Cryptochloris the three teeth are about the same size. The last molar is formed, but is of a small shape and nail-shaped or, like the other molars, has a three-humped ( tricuspid ) chewing surface pattern. A talonid (a deep protrusion of the chewing surface into which one of the main cusps of the upper molars grips when the bite is closed) can be formed on the lower molars, as in Stuhlmann's gold mole, or it can be absent, as in the Cape and Visagies gold mole. The length of the upper row of teeth from the canine to the rearmost third molar is 5.4 to 7.4 mm.

distribution

The Cape Gold Mole are endemic to Africa . The Cape gold mole occurs in a contiguous area in south-western South Africa , for example from the Cape Peninsula in the Western Cape Province along the coast of the Atlantic to the north as far as Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape Province . To the east it extends inland to about Calvinia . Around 86 km east of Calvinia is the only known evidence of Visagie's gold mole rat . The habitat of Stuhlmann's gold mole is in turn about 3000 km north of the South African distribution areas. The species is documented by several localities that are spotted across Central and East Africa, for example from Cameroon in the west to the north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Uganda , Kenya and Tanzania in the east. The two more common species have different habitat requirements . While the Cape Gold Mole in southern Africa prefers dry areas with sandy soils and sometimes penetrates cultivated landscapes, Stuhlmann's Gold Mole lives in mountainous altitudes with forest landscapes on loose, permeable subsoil in eastern and central Africa.

Way of life

Territorial behavior

Like all gold mulle, the Cape gold mole also live underground. The corridors run just below the surface of the earth and begin or end in small chambers. Occasionally, the animals dig deeper tunnels into the ground. As with Stuhlmanns Goldmull, the individual tunnel systems can be quite complex. The main activities take place at night, they increase after heavy rain showers and decrease in the dry summer months, as observed with the Cape golden mole rat. The animals cover part of their routes above ground. They orient themselves with the help of low-frequency noises and seismic waves, which the significantly enlarged hammer in the middle ear enables them to do. According to calculations, the Cape Gold Mulle can perceive frequencies from 48 to 300 Hertz , the upper limit is 13.7 kHz. Little is known about the social system, the animals live solitary, only mother animals appear together with their young.

nutrition

The Cape Gold Mulle feed on insects and carnivores. Their diet consists of earthworms , beetles and other insects as well. There are also woodlice and other crustaceans and millipedes .

Reproduction

The reproductive behavior of the Cape Gold Mulle has hardly been researched. A litter probably includes one to three cubs who are born as nestlings and are hairless. They remain in the mother's tunnel system and are suckled there for two to three months. Individual development only progresses slowly.

Systematics

Internal systematics of the gold mole according to Asher et al. 2010
 Chrysochloridae  




 Eremitalpa


   

 Huetia


   

 Cryptochloris


  Chrysochloris  

 Chrysochloris asiatica


   

 Chrysochloris stuhlmanni






   

 Chrysospalax



   

 Calcochloris



   

 Chlorotalpa


   


 Carpitalpa


   

 Neamblysomus



   

 Amblysomus



Template: Klade / Maintenance / 3

Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

The Cape gold mulle are a genus within the family of the gold mulle (Chrysochloridae) and the parentage of the Afrotheria . The golden mole represent smaller, soil-digging mammals that are endemic to Africa . They occur mainly in the southern part of the continent, only a few species inhabit the central and eastern parts. The closest relatives are the Tenreks (Tenrecidae), which are also common in Africa ; both families together form the order of the Afrosoricida . According to molecular genetic studies, the separation of the gold mole and the tenreks took place relatively early, in the transition from the Upper Cretaceous to the Paleocene around 65 million years ago. The greater diversification of the gold mole began in the Oligocene , around 28.5 million.

The subterranean way of life of the golden mole means that the individual species and populations are habitat specialists ; with a few exceptions, their occurrence is therefore clearly limited locally. Two ecological groups can be distinguished within the family. One consists of species specializing in dry to semi-desert regions, such as the desert gold mole ( Eremitalpa ), some members of the cape gold mole and the species of the genus Cryptochloris . The second group includes the representatives of the open grass and savannah landscapes as well as the forests, for example the copper gold mole ( Amblysomus ), Arends' gold mulle ( Carpitalpa ), the giant gold mulle ( Chrysospalax ) or the species of the genus Neamblysomus . The internal structure of the family has not yet been conclusively clarified. From an anatomical point of view, the design of the hammer in the middle ear advocates a division into two or three subfamilies: the Amblysominae with a normally built malleus, the Chrysochlorinae with a greatly elongated head of the malleus and the Eremitalpinae with a spherically inflated head of the malleus. Other scientists combine the latter two into a subfamily, the Chrysochlorinae. This subdivision of the gold mole based on skeletal anatomical differences is not fully supported by molecular genetics. According to the genetic studies, the Cape Gold Mole is a common group with the Desert Gold Mole and the genera Huetia and Cryptochloris , whereby all forms except Huetia have an enlarged head of the Malleus and thus belong to the Chrysochlorinae. Cryptochloris and Chrysochloris form sister taxa , which can also be demonstrated anatomically via the club-shaped hammer head. The genetic and anatomical findings, which are consistent in this case, suggest that this feature only arose once within the gold mole. Possibly recent genetic studies suggest that Cryptochloris is only to be understood as a subgenus within Chrysochloris .

There are three species living today in two sub-genera:

  • Subgenus Chrysochloris Lacépède , 1799
  • Subgenus Kilimatalpa Lundholm , 1955

The subgenus Kilimatalpa differs from Chrysochloris in the slimmer skull, the appearance of a talonid on the lower molars and the not so massive elongated head of the hammer. In addition, the representatives of the two subgenera prefer different habitats . This could possibly also speak for an independent genus status of Kilimatalpa .

In addition to the recent representatives, two extinct species have been described:

Research history

Bernard Germain Étienne Médard de La Ville-sur-Illon, comte de La Cépède

The genus Chrysochloris was scientifically introduced by Bernard Germain Lacépède in 1799 , making it the first named genus representative of the golden mole and 26 years later the godfather for the family name Chrysochloridae created by John Edward Gray . Lacépède gave Chrysochloris capensis as the type species , which is a synonym for Chrysochloris asiatica , the Cape golden mole rat. The name Chrysochloris comes from the Greek and consists of the words χρύσεος ( chryseos "golden") and χλωρός ( chlōrós "light green" or "fresh"). Chloris is also a name for the Greek goddess of flowers, whose Roman counterpart is Flora . The generic name does not refer to the coat color, which can be very different, but to the metallic sheen of the coat under certain lighting conditions.

The composition of the genus Chrysochloris was assessed differently in the early history of research. During the 19th century, most species were given an assignment to the Kapgoldmullen, Robert Broom held more about this concept in 1907. It also ordered the Grant's golden mole , the amblysomus that chrysospalax and the types of chlorotalpa and cryptochloris to Chrysochloris . Only Austin Roberts , the golden moles 1,924 assorted new and separated due to the formation of 40 teeth in the dentition, the partially missing Talonids to the molars, the broad skull and the clear expression of a bony bubble in the temporal fossa from for receiving the hammer head from the other forms. Around 30 years later, Bengt G. Lundholm defined the subgenus Kilimatalpa for Stuhlmann's gold mole, which he found within Chlorotalpa and thus in the vicinity of Sclaters ( Chlorotalpa sclateri ) and Duthie's gold mole ( Chlorotalpa duthiae ) and, according to his view, Arends' gold mole ( Carpitalpa arendsi ) classified. In addition to the occurrence of a talonid on the lower molars and the enlarged head of the hammer, Lundholm cited the externally visible bony swelling on the temporal fossa in which the hammer head is located as criteria . Later, in 1968, Alberto M. Simonetta dissolved Kilimatalpa from Chlorotalpa and merged Stuhlmanns Goldmull with Arends' Goldmull in the genus Carpitalpa . He saw Stuhlmann's gold gullet as clearly separated from the other cape gilded gullies, which in his opinion was expressed in the long, narrow skull of the former compared to the shorter and wider skull of the latter. The significant expansion of the temporal fossa prompted Jurgens AJ Meester in the early 1970s to combine Stuhlmann's gold mole with the cape gold mole, a view that Francis Petter also followed in the 1980s. With regard to the shortening of the skull, the reduction of the talonid on the lower molars and the increase in the bony bulge on the temporal fossa, he recognized a gradual change from Stuhlmann's gold mole to the Cape gold mole. With the help of extensive morphometric analyzes, Gary N. Bronner confirmed the close relationship of the two gold mole species in 1995. This was confirmed by molecular genetic studies in 2010, even if further studies suggest a generic separation of Kilimatalpa and Chrysochloris .

Tribal history

The tribal history of the gold mole in general is incomplete and rather sparsely documented. Fossil finds of the Cape Gold Mulle living today are not known. However could with Chrysochloris arenosa and Chrysochloris bronneri two extinct species at the fossil site of Langebaanweg be detected in the southwestern South Africa, in the early Pliocene date about 5 million years ago. From Chrysochloris arenosa least 40 mandibular residues other parts of the skull and numerous elements of the body skeleton are, including more than 40 humerus . Chrysochloris bronneri is somewhat rarer with two lower jaws and a dozen humerus bones. Both fossil representatives reached about the size of today's Cape gold mole rat, with Chrysochloris arenosa slightly smaller with an average lower jaw length of 14.6 mm (compared to 15.5 mm in the Cape gold mole rat ), Chrysochloris bronneri slightly smaller with a corresponding value of 15.6 mm was more robust. Like their current relatives, both types of fossil had ten teeth per half of the jaw; Chrysochloris arenosa also consistently lacked a talonid on the lower molars. A club-like elongated hammer head has also been proven for the latter species. Both types show significant differences in the elbow joint of the humerus. With the Cape Goldmull, this has a width that corresponds almost to the total length of the upper arm. In Chrysochloris arenosa it was not quite as expansive and was more reminiscent of that of the desert gold mole ( Eremitalpa granti ). Chrysochloris bronneri , in turn, had a somewhat wider elbow joint, which was closer to that of the Cape golden mole in relation to the length of the upper arm. The general structure of the musculoskeletal system and the narrower width of the elbow joint compared to numerous other gold mole rats suggests that both fossil species are more adapted to sandy soils, as is the case with the Cape gold mole, the representatives of Cryptochloris and especially the desert gold mole . As a result, Chrysochloris arenosa and Chrysochloris bronneri also tend to move in a more “sand-swimming” manner.

Threat and protection

The populations of the two more widespread species, the Cape Gold Mole and Stuhlmann's Gold Mole, are classified by the IUCN as "not endangered" ( least concern ). For the former, serious habitat changes have been documented in its area of ​​distribution, but it is considered frequent and adaptable to moderate changes by humans. In the latter, the habitats are hardly subject to anthropogenic influences due to its preference for mountainous high areas. Both Goldmull representatives are present in protected areas. Visagie's gold mole, on the other hand, is only known from one individual; it is listed in the “ data deficient ” category because there is no information on distribution, lifestyle and population size. In addition, neither the species status nor the exact origin of the individual is currently certain.

literature

  • Gary N. Bronner: Genus Chrysochloris Golden-moles. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 242-246
  • Gary N. Bronner and Nigel C. Bennett: Genus Chrysochloris Lacépède, 1799. In: John D. Skinner and Christian T. Chimimba (Eds.): The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 6-8
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
  • William A. Taylor, Samantha Mynhardt and Sarita Maree: Chrysochloridae (Golden moles). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 180–203 ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Gary N. Bronner: Genus Chrysochloris Golden-moles. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 242-246
  2. ^ A b c d e f g h i j Gary N. Bronner and Nigel C. Bennett: Genus Chrysochloris Lacépède, 1799. In: John D. Skinner and Christian T. Chimimba (Eds.): The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion . Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 6-8
  3. ↑ a b c Jennifer UM Jarvis: Notes on the golden mole, Chrysochloris stuhlmanni Matschie, from the Ruwenzori Mountains, Uganda. East African Wildlife Journal 12, 1974, pp. 163-166
  4. ^ NC Bennett and AC Spinks: Thermoregulation and metabolism in the Cape golden mole (Insectivora: Chrysochloris asiatica). Journal of Zoology 76, 1995, pp. 957-971
  5. ↑ a b Robert Broom: Some new and some rare Golden moles. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 20, 1946, pp. 329-335
  6. ↑ a b K. M. Helgen and DE Wilson: Additional material of the enigmatic golden mole Cryptochloris zyli, with notes on the genus Cryptochloris (Mammalia: Chrysochloridae). African Zoology 36 (1), 2001, pp. 110-112
  7. ^ A b Matthew J. Mason, Sarah J. Lucas, Erica R. Wise, Robin S. Stein and Melinda J. Duer: Ossicular density in golden moles (Chrysochloridae). Journal of Comparative Physiology A 192, 2006, pp. 1349-1357
  8. ^ A b c Robert Broom: A contribution to the knowledge of the cape golden moles. Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 18, 1907, pp. 283-311 ( [1] )
  9. ^ Matthew J. Mason: Bone conduction and seismic sensitivity in golden moles (Chrysochloridae). Journal of Zoology 260, 2003, pp. 405-413
  10. ^ Matthew J. Mason: Functional Morphology of the Middle Ear in Chlorotalpa Golden Moles (Mammalia, Chrysochloridae): Predictions From Three Models. Journal of Morphology 261, 2004, pp. 162-174
  11. ↑ a b c Robert J Asher, Sarita Maree, Gary Bronner, Nigel C Bennett, Paulette Bloomer, Paul Czechowski, Matthias Meyer and Michael Hofreiter: A phylogenetic estimate for golden moles (Mammalia, Afrotheria, Chrysochloridae). MC Evolutionary Biology 10, 2010, p. 69 doi : 10.1186 / 1471-2148-10-69
  12. Jump up ↑ Robert W. Meredith, Jan E. Janečka, John Gatesy, Oliver A. Ryder, Colleen A. Fisher, Emma C. Teeling, Alisha Goodbla, Eduardo Eizirik, Taiz LL Simão, Tanja Stadler, Daniel L. Rabosky, Rodney L. Honeycutt, John J. Flynn, Colleen M. Ingram, Cynthia Steiner, Tiffani L. Williams, Terence J. Robinson, Angela Burk-Herrick, Michael Westerman, Nadia A. Ayoub, Mark S. Springer, and William J. Murphy: Impacts of the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution and KPg Extinction on Mammal Diversification. Science 334, 2011, pp. 521-524
  13. ↑ C. Gilbert, PC O'Brien, G. Bronner, F. Yang, A. Hassanin, MA Ferguson-Smith and TJ Robinson: Chromosome painting and molecular dating indicate a low rate of chromosomal evolution in golden moles (Mammalia, Chrysochloridae) . Chromosome Research 14, 2006, pp. 793-803
  14. ^ Gary N. Bronner: Order Afrosoricida Tenrecs, Otter-Shrews, Golden-moles. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 214-215
  15. ^ A b Alberto M. Simonetta: A new golden mole from Somalia with an appendix on the taxonomy of the family Chrysochloridae (Mammalia, Insectivora). Monitore Zoologico Italiano NS Supplement 2, 1968, pp. 27-55
  16. ^ A b Gary N. Bronner: Family Chrysochloridae Golden-moles. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume I. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 223-225
  17. ^ Gary N. Bronner: Cryptochloris zyli. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015. e.T5749A21286235 ( [2] ); last accessed on February 28, 2016
  18. ^ A b Gary Bronner: An imminent updated (2017) taxonomy for golden moles. Afrotherian Conservation 14, 2018, pp. 57–59
  19. ^ William A. Taylor, Samantha Mynhardt and Sarita Maree: Chrysochloridae (Golden moles). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 180–203 ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
  20. ^ A b Gary N. Bronner: Systematic revision of the Golden mole genera Amblysomus, Chlorotalpa and Calcochloris (Insectivora, Chrysochloromorpha, Chrysochloridae). University of Natal, Pretoria, 1995, pp. 1–346 (pp. 262–266)
  21. ^ A b c Gary N. Bronner: Chrysochloris stuhlmanni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015. e.T40601A21288271 ( [3] ); last accessed on April 10, 2016
  22. ^ A b Robert J Asher and D. Margaret Avery: New Golden Moles (Afrotheria, Chrysochloridae) from the Early Pliocene of South Africa. Palaeontologia Electronica 13 (1), 2010, p. 3A ( [4] )
  23. ^ Robert Broom: On some new species of Chrysochloris. The Annals and magazine of natural history 7 (19), 1907, pp. 262–268 ( [5] )
  24. ^ Austin Roberts: Some additions to the list of South African mammals. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 10 (2), 1924, pp. 59-76
  25. ↑ Bengt G. Lundholm: Descriptions of New Mammals Annals of the Transvaal Museum 22, 1955. pp. 279-303
  26. ^ F. Petter: Remarques sur la systematique des Chrysochlorides. Mammalia 45 (1), 1981, pp. 49-53
  27. ^ Gary N. Bronner: Chrysochloris asiatica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015. e.T40600A21288387. ( [6] ); last accessed on April 10, 2016
  28. ^ Gary N. Bronner: Chrysochloris visagiei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015. e.T4812A21287855 ( [7] ); last accessed on April 10, 2016

Web links

Commons : Cape Gold Mulle ( Chrysochloris )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files