Mongolian gazelle
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Mongolian gazelle ( Procapra gutturosa ) |
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| ( Pallas , 1777) |
The Mongolian gazelle or Mongolian gazelle ( Procapra gutturosa ) is a species of the Central Asian short-tailed gazelle ( Procapra ) and belongs to the subgenus Prodorcas . Sometimes it is also called Dseren. The other two species of short-tailed gazelle are the Tibetan gazelle ( Procapra picticaudata ) and the Przewalski gazelle ( Procapra przewalski ).
features
The Mongolian gazelle is similar to the other species of the genus Procapra , but is somewhat larger and stockier than these. It reaches a weight of 25 to 45 kilograms and a shoulder height of 54 to 84 centimeters. The head-trunk length is 108 to 160 centimeters and the tail length is 5 to 12 centimeters.
The fur of this species is pale orange on top with reddish sides. In winter the animals are generally paler than in summer. Like the other two species, it has a white underside. The bucks have a crop and an evertable mouth bladder, similar to the dromedary stallion . The horns, which also only have the bucks, are almost 20 cm less long than in other short-tailed gazelles and not curved upwards or inwards at the end as in Tibetan or Przewalski gazelles.
Distribution area
The Mongolian gazelle is a resident of the Central Asian steppe regions. At the beginning of the 20th century, their distribution area extended from the Irtysh Valley in northeast Kazakhstan eastward over most areas of Mongolia and over eight provinces of northern China ( Xinjiang , Gansu , Ningxia , Hebei , Shaanxi , Inner Mongolia , Heilongjiang and Jilin ) to in the plains of Beijing . In the area of today's Russia there were originally three deposits, all in the border area with Mongolia. One in the Chuja steppe of the Kosh- Agach region in the Altai , another in the southern part of the autonomous province of Tuwa south of the Tannu-ola Mountains and a third in the southeastern steppes of Transbaikalia between the Onon and Argun rivers . Here they reached 50 degrees north latitude. Today they occur in Russia only in the last of the three areas, where they have been able to multiply in the area of the Daurian nature reserve in recent years. The species south of the Great Wall of China has been extinct since 1950 and the last occurrences in Kazakhstan are also extinct. In China today the animals only live in Inner Mongolia, in a narrow strip on the border with Mongolia. In most of the former Mongolian distribution area they are also extinct. You can find them almost only in the eastern provinces of Dornod , Süchbaatar , Chentii , Dorno-Gobi (East Gobi) and Ömnö-Gobi (South Gobi) ; In addition, there are small remaining populations in Dund-Gobi (Middle Gobi) , Öwörchangai , Bajanchongor , Gobi-Altai and Dsawchan from 42 degrees 30 'to 50 degrees 20' N and 92 degrees 00 'to 119 degrees 00'.
Way of life
The Mongolian gazelle typically inhabits plains or slightly hilly terrain in dry steppe climates and semi-deserts. In winter the animals seem to be mainly diurnal, while in summer they prefer twilight. In search of steppe grasses, the herds move over great distances and the seasonal grazing areas alone can cover hundreds of square kilometers. In addition, the herds undertake long walks between these pastures every spring and autumn, often hundreds of kilometers. The paths depend on the weather conditions and the food supply. Mongolian gazelles usually form flocks of 20–30 individuals in summer and flocks of around 100 individuals in winter. During the hikes and at favorable winter conditions, however, you can also come across gatherings made up of thousands of animals. In summer the pregnant females often separate from the herds in groups and after a short time return to the mixed associations with their fawns. The mating season falls in late autumn and winter. Then the goats' throats swell and they fight over females willing to mate. After a gestation period of 186 days, a single fawn is thrown. The diet consists mainly of grasses and is supplemented by other steppe plants.
Evolution and systematics
Due to the way of life in the high mountain plateau and the local climatic conditions there are very few fossil records for the species of the short-tailed gazelle. Species of the genus Procapra are recorded in the Pliocene or early Pleistocene at the earliest 2 to 3 million years ago, while antelope-like species are documented for the Miocene 13 to 15 million years ago. The origin of the short-tailed gazelle was suspected to be in other gazelle-like antelopes, with Gazella sinensis from the late Pliocene and Gazella paragutturosa from the early Pleistocene assumed as potential ancestors . Using isotope studies in fossils and in comparison with animals living in the Tibetan highlands today, it was found that the climate and weather conditions in this area 2 to 3 million years ago were significantly milder and the diversity of the habitats at the same time more diverse than is currently the case, which means a speciation among other things with the short-tailed gazelles was made possible.
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Phylogenetic system of the genus Procapra according to Lei et al. 2003
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The first scientific description of the Mongolian gazelle comes from Reginald Innes Pocock in 1912, the genus Procapra was described by Hodgson in 1846. The name of the genus Procapra is derived from the Greek - Latin prefix “pro” (προ) for “before” and the term “capra” for goats . Apart from the nominate form , no further subspecies are distinguished.
The Mongolian gazelle is now placed together with the Przewalski gazelle and the Tibetan gazelle to the genus of the short-tailed gazelle ( Procapra ), but was often combined with other gazelles in the genus Gazella . Molecular biological investigations confirmed the monophyly of the genus Procapra and compared it with the other genera of the antilopini defined as a tribe. The Przewalski gazelle and the Mongolian gazelle were recognized as closely related to each other and compared to the Tibetan gazelle as a sister group. In another study, the genus Procapra , represented by the Mongolian gazelle, was classified as one of the most basal groups of gazelle-like (Antilopini).
Duration
In the 1940s, it is estimated that around 1.5 million Mongolian gazelles remained, and 100,000 were killed annually for their flesh, horns and skin. Due to heavy hunting, it disappeared from most areas of western and central Mongolia. Today it is completely extinct in Kazakhstan, Tuva and the Chuya steppe. After Transbaikalia in southern Siberia, small groups occasionally migrate from neighboring Mongolia to the steppes between Onon and Arguni in winter. In 1993, their population was estimated at 300,000 animals in eastern Mongolia and a little less in neighboring parts of China. According to other sources, the populations in Mongolia alone are said to have been estimated at around 2 million animals in 1996 and 2000.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the species as not endangered ( least concern ) due to its large distribution area and the assumed large populations . Risks are mainly reduced through uncontrolled and illegal hunting alongside permitted hunting.
supporting documents
- ↑ John McKinnon: Mongolian Gazelle. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 470. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
- ↑ a b c David M. Leslie Jr .: Procapra picticaudata (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) . In: Mammalian Species . tape 42 , no. 861 , 2010, p. 138-148 , doi : 10.1644 / 861.1 .
- ↑ a b c Runhua Lei, Zhigang Jiang, Zhiang Hu, Wenlong Yang: Phylogenetic relationships of Chinese antelopes (subfamily Antilopinae) based on mitochondrial ribosomal RNA gene sequences. J. Zool., Lond. 261, 2003; Pp. 227-237 ( doi: 10.1017 / S0952836903004163 ).
- ↑ a b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Procapra gutturosa ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ^ Maria V. Kuznetsova, Marina V. Kholodova: Molecular Support for the Placement of Saiga and Procapra in Antilopinae (Artiodactyla, Bovidae). Journal of Mammalian Evolution 9 (4), 2002; Pp. 271-280 ( doi: 10.1023 / A: 1023973929597 ).
- ↑ Proposal for inclusion of species on the appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of wild animals ( Online: DOC ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link accordingly Instructions and then remove this notice. ), P. 2
- ↑ Procapra gutturosa in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: DP Mallon, 2008. Accessed July 2, 2013.
literature
- Nowak RM: Walker's Mammals of the World . Sixth Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, London, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- VG Heptner: Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol. I Ungulates . Leiden, New York, 1989, ISBN 90-04-08874-1 .
- John McKinnon: Mongolian Gazelle. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 470. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
