Przewalski's gazelle
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_Gazella_przewalskii.png)
Przewalski's gazelle ( Procapra przewalskii ) |
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| Procapra przewalskii | ||||||||||||
| ( Büchner , 1891) |
The Przewalski gazelle ( Procapra przewalskii ) is also called the Mongolian Tibetan gazelle and is a type of short-tailed gazelle . It was previously regarded as a subspecies of the Tibetan gazelle ( Procapra picticaudata ), but is now generally recognized as an independent species.
features
The Przewalski gazelle is essentially the same as the Tibetan gazelle and also has a brownish-gray fur with a white underside. In contrast to the Mongolian gazelle and the Tibetan gazelle, their horns point inwards at the tips. Like the Tibetan gazelle, it has a white stain on the hull, which, however, is divided here by a dark central line.
Distribution, way of life and existence
The Przewalski gazelle occurs in north-central China ( Qinghai , Sichuan and Gansu ); today the range seems to be limited to the foot of the Nan Shan Mountains , east and north of the Qinghai Lake . The rough terrain apparently protects them somewhat from strong pursuits. In terms of lifestyle and nutrition, it is largely similar to the Tibetan gazelle. The Przewalski gazelle is one of the most endangered large mammals in China. The IUCN lists the species as endangered .
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 Przewalski gazelle comes from Eugen Büchner from 1891 under the name Gazella przewalski . The name of the genus Procapra is derived from the Greek - Latin prefix “pro” (προ) for “before” and the term “capra” for goats . In addition to the nominate form Procapra przewalskii przewalskii , another subspecies Procapra przewalskii diversicornis is distinguished.
Today, the Przewalski gazelle, together with the Mongolian gazelle and the Tibetan gazelle, belongs 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).
literature
- RM Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore / London 1999.
- H. Lingen: Large Lexicon of Animals. Lingen Verlag, Cologne.
- D. Macdonald: The Great Encyclopedia of Mammals. Könemann Verlag, Königswinter 2004, ISBN 3-8331-1006-6 .
Web links
- Procapra przewalskii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Procapra przewalskii in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Retrieved on November 16 of 2009.
- ↑ 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. In: J. Zool., Lond. 261, 2003, pp. 227-237 ( doi: 10.1017 / S0952836903004163 ).
- ^ A b Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Procapra przewalskii . 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). In: Journal of Mammalian Evolution. Volume 9, No. 4, 2002, pp. 271-280, ( doi: 10.1023 / A: 1023973929597 ).