Same-tooth shrew mole
| Same-tooth shrew mole | ||||||||||||
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| Uropsilus aequodonenia | ||||||||||||
| Liu , Liu , Sun , Guo , Fan & Murphy , 2013 |
The DC tooth shrew mole ( Uropsilus aequodonenia ) is a mammalian species of the genus uropsilinae within the moles (Talpidae). It occurs in a small area in the Chinese province of Sichuan and inhabits mountainous areas covered with forests. The animals are relatively large representatives of the shrew moles. Like the other species, they have a long body, a very long tail and externally visible ears and a pointed snout. Special features can be found in the dentition, which, unlike the other known shrew mouth litters, has the same number of teeth above and below. The species was first described in 2013. There are no data on the population.
features
Habitus
The same-tooth shrew mole is a large representative of the shrew mole. The head-trunk length is 7.2 to 8.2 cm, the tail reaches with 6.7 to 7.3 cm in length almost the dimensions of the body. The body weight is approximately 11 g. With its shrew-like appearance and the very long tail, the species corresponds to the other members of the genus Uropsilus . The fur on the back is colored brown, the individual hairs have gray bases. The belly is slate gray, the transitions on the sides of the body are fluid. The muzzle is long and narrow and provided with whiskers . The ears protrude a little from the fur. The tail is two-colored with a dark top and a light underside. It is surrounded by small rings of scales, between which black hair sprouts. A brush-like tuft of 4 to 5 mm long hairs is formed at the tip of the tail. The feet appear rather light brown in color, the hind feet are also spotted with black spots. There are five clawed toes on the forefoot. But it is slim and not suitable for digging. The rear foot length varies from 1.4 to 1.6 cm.
Skull and dentition features
The skull is 16.7 to 18.0 mm long, on the cranium it is 11.3 to 11.7 mm wide. In the area of the zygomatic arches it is only around 11 mm wide and around 7.8 mm wide at the snout. Overall, it is reminiscent of the skulls of the other moles. In the side view, the forehead is arched, the rostrum ends pointed. The biggest difference to the other representatives of the shrew moles can be found in the tooth formula , which is. According to this, there are 36 teeth, the last incisor and the third premolar are each reduced. In the Sichuan shrew mole ( Uropsilus soricipes ), the dentition consists of 34 teeth and lacks another lower incisor. In contrast, the Anderson shrew mole ( Uropsilus andersoni ) has 38 teeth, as an additional fourth upper premolar is formed here. The Chinese ( Uropsilus gracilis ) and Yunnan shrew mole ( Uropsilus investigator ) have just as many teeth . These have four premolars above and below, but only one incisor below. Accordingly, the composition of the upper row of teeth corresponds to that of the Sichuan, the lower that of the Anderson shrew mole. In both the upper and lower rows of teeth, the front incisor is larger than the next. The differences are clearer in the lower jaw than in the upper incisors, the former being the same as the Anderson shrew mole. In the lower jaw, the first incisor protrudes obliquely forward. All canines are very small. The upper premolars have a conical shape. As in the lower jaw, they increase in size towards the back. The second upper and lower molar are the largest. The entire upper row of teeth is on average 9.6 mm long, the lower 8.7 mm long.
distribution
The same-tooth shrew mole is endemic to China and has so far only been found in the Sichuan province . The animals inhabit a small area between the Dadu , Jingxia and Yalong rivers . They use mountainous landscapes interspersed with coniferous and deciduous forests as well as pastures as habitat. The species occurs at altitudes of 2430 to 3700 m.
Systematics
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Internal systematics of shrew moles according to He et al. 2016
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The same-tooth shrew mole is an independent species within the genus of the shrew mole ( Uropsilus ). It currently includes about seven species. The genus belongs to the family of moles (Talpidae) and is currently the only member within this in its own subfamily of Uropsilinae . The Uropsilinae are considered to be relatively primitive moles, which are characterized by a shrew-like appearance with a long tail and visible ears. The side pressed claws do not allow any digging activity, so that the animals live largely above ground. Originally widespread across Eurasia , the shrew moles are now limited to small, mostly mountainous refuges in eastern and south-eastern Asia . Overall, the genus and subfamily have been little researched in terms of lifestyle, species diversity and systematic subdivision. For the latter, at least three different genera were established in the history of research; they were differentiated on the basis of the number of teeth ( Uropsilus with 34 and nasillus and rhynchonax with 38 teeth each in different arrangements). In addition to the known species, the genetic make-up of at least four other cryptic species has been documented from a molecular genetic point of view . Genetic studies show that the closest relative of the same-tooth shrew mole is the Anderson shrew mole .
The first scientific description of the same-tooth shrew mole was carried out in 2013 by Liu Yang and research colleagues. The researchers came across this new way during field studies carried out between 2006 and 2009 on small mammals in the Chinese province of Sichuan , in which they encountered shrew moles with a different number of teeth. The holotype is an adult female that was collected in September 2009 in the Songliao Mountains in Puge County at an altitude of around 3700 m. Another six individuals from various other circles are considered to be paratypes . The species name aequodonenia is composed of the Latin word aequus for "equal" and the Greek word ὀδούς ( odoús for "tooth"). It refers to the same number of teeth in both the upper and lower rows of teeth.
Threat and protection
The IUCN does not currently have the species. The animals are present in several nature reserves, including the Gongga Shan National Park .
literature
- Boris Kryštufek and Masaharu Motokawa: Talpidae (Moles, Desmans, Star-nosed Moles and Shrew Moles). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths, Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 552–620 (p. 597) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
- Liu Yang, Liu Shaoying, Sun Zhiyu, Guo Peng, Fan Zhenxin and Robert W. Murphy: A new species of Uropsilus (Talpidae: Uropsilinae) from Sichuan, China. Acta Theriologica Sinica 3 (2), 2013, pp. 113-122
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Liu Yang, Liu Shaoying, Sun Zhiyu, Guo Peng, Fan Zhenxin and Robert W. Murphy: A new species of Uropsilus (Talpidae: Uropsilinae) from Sichuan, China. Acta Theriologica Sinica 3 (2), 2013, pp. 113-122
- ↑ a b Boris Kryštufek and Masaharu Motokawa: Talpidae (Moles, Desmans, Star-nosed Moles and Shrew Moles). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths, Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 552–620 (p. 597) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
- ↑ a b Kai He, Akio Shinohara, Kristofer M. Helgen, Mark S. Springer, Xue-Long Jiang and Kevin L. Campbell: Talpid Mole Phylogeny Unites Shrew Moles and Illuminates Overlooked Cryptic Species Diversity. Molecular Biology and Evolution 34 (1), 2016, pp. 78-87
- ↑ Tao Wan, Kai He and Xue-Long Jiang: Multilocus phylogeny and cryptic diversity in Asian shrew-like moles (Uropsilus, Talpidae): implications for taxonomy and conservation. BMC Evolutionary Biology 13, 2013, p. 232 ( [1] )
- ↑ Yu Xu, Yunting Hu and Feiyun Tu: Mitogenomes of a cryptic species within Uropsilus and divergence time estimation. Mitochondrial DNA Part B: Resources 2 (2), 2017, pp. 685-686