Lesser Tenrec Scientific Name: Echinops Telfari Class: Mammalia Order: Afrosoricida Family: Tenricidae

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Lesser Tenrec Scientific Name: Echinops telfari Class: Mammalia Order: Afrosoricida Family: Tenricidae The Lesser Tenrec, also known as the Madagascar Hedgehog, is a species of mammal within the family of Tenrecidae and is endemic to Madagascar. They are not related to the greater tenrecs. Although they may resemble hedgehogs, they are not related. Their body spines were adapted through “divergent evolution” and their closest relatives are golden moles and elephant shrews whose relationship was not recognized until the late 1990’s. They are typically 5.5 to 7.0 inches long, and weigh about 4 to 7 ounces. Their backs are covered in sharp spines of varying color, from tan or off-white to dark brown black. The belly, face and legs are not covered in spines, but short, soft hair. They have barely visible short tails, prominent ears, 5 toed feet with sharp claws and many whiskers on the face. Their eyesight is poor, whiskers are sensitive, and hearing and sense of smell are well developed. To seek shelter, they make dens in tree cavities. Males and females cannot be differentiated externally. They are a widespread and an adaptable species. Range Southern and Southwestern Madagascar. Habitat Prefer dry areas such as dry forests, scrublands, agricultural areas, dry coastal regions. And semi-desert regions. Gestation About 61 to 68 45 days after mating, females give birth usually in the wet season when the maximum amount of prey is available. Females care for their young for about a month without assistance from males. The babies are relatively undeveloped when they are born but become independent after only one month. Litter Birth may be 1-10 young (normally 5-7). Newborns weigh approximately 8 grams. Behavior They are nocturnal; go into torpor for 3 to 5 months during the cold season; if threatened- they roll into a ball to protect their underbelly or lunge backwards to drive their spines into their enemies; to seek shelter they make dens in tree cavities. Reproduction Sexually mature after they have gone through their first cold season in torpor. Unusual among placental animals, females have a cloaca (a single opening for reproductive, intestinal, and urinary purposes). Breeding occurs within several days of coming out of torpor. During colder years, may remain in torpor later. Wild Diet Omnivorous: Eat insects and their larvae, eggs, spiders, and occasionally fruit and occasionally small mice. .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Amblysomus Robustus – Robust Golden Mole
Amblysomus robustus – Robust Golden Mole continuing decline and possible severe fragmentation of habitat. Currently known from only five locations but probably more widespread. Further field surveys and molecular data are needed to accurately delimit its range. The Highveld grasslands favoured by this species are being degraded by mining for shallow coal deposits to fuel numerous power stations that occur in the preferred high-altitude grassland habitats of this species, which is an inferred major threat. Rehabilitation attempts at these sites appear to have been largely ineffective. These power stations form the backbone of South Africa's electricity network, and disturbance is likely to increase as human populations grow and the demand for power increases. While no mining sites and power generation plants occur at the five localities where this species has been collected, an environmental authorisation application to mine coal at a site near Belfast, close to where this species occurs, is Gary Bronner currently being assessed. Given the ubiquity of mines and power stations in the Mpumalanga grasslands, impacts on this species are likely if it is more widespread than current Regional Red List status (2016) Vulnerable B1ab(iii)* records indicate, which seems probable. Farming, tourism National Red List status (2004) Endangered resort developments and agro-forestry (exotic pine and B1,2ab(i-iv) eucalyptus plantations) have also transformed habitat, but less dramatically; these do not appear to pose a major Reasons for change Non-genuine: threat. More data is required on the distribution limits, New information ecology, densities and reproduction of this species. Global Red List status (2015) Vulnerable B1ab(iii) TOPS listing (NEMBA) None Distribution CITES listing None Endemic to South Africa, this species is known from only the Steenkampsberg Mountain Plateau and in the Endemic Yes Dullstroom and Belfast areas of Mpumalanga (Figure 1), extending eastwards to Lydenburg and possibly *Watch-list Data southwards towards the Ermelo district where A.
[Show full text]
The Adapted Ears of Big Cats and Golden Moles: Exotic Outcomes of the Evolutionary Radiation of Mammals
FEATURED ARTICLE The Adapted Ears of Big Cats and Golden Moles: Exotic Outcomes of the Evolutionary Radiation of Mammals Edward J. Walsh and JoAnn McGee Through the process of natural selection, diverse organs and organ systems abound throughout the animal kingdom. In light of such abundant and assorted diversity, evolutionary adaptations have spawned a host of peculiar physiologies. The anatomical oddities that underlie these physiologies and behaviors are the telltale indicators of trait specialization. Following from this, the purpose of this article is to consider a number of auditory “inventions” brought about through natural selection in two phylogenetically distinct groups of mammals, the largely fossorial golden moles (Order Afrosoricida, Family Chrysochloridae) and the carnivorous felids of the genus Panthera along with its taxonomic neigh- bor, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). In the Beginning The first vertebrate land invasion occurred during the Early Carboniferous period some 370 million years ago. The primitive but essential scaffolding of what would become the middle and inner ears of mammals was present at this time, although the evolution of the osseous (bony) middle ear system and the optimization of cochlear fea- tures and function would play out over the following 100 million years. Through natural selection, the evolution of the middle ear system, composed of three small articu- lated bones, the malleus, incus, and stapes, and a highly structured and coiled inner ear, came to represent all marsupial and placental (therian) mammals on the planet Figure 1. Schematics of the outer, middle, and inner ears (A) and thus far studied. The consequences of this evolution were the organ of Corti in cross section (B) of a placental mammal.
[Show full text]
Morphological Diversity in Tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae)
Morphological diversity in tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae): comparing tenrec skull diversity to their closest relatives Sive Finlay and Natalie Cooper School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland ABSTRACT It is important to quantify patterns of morphological diversity to enhance our un- derstanding of variation in ecological and evolutionary traits. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of morphological diversity in a family of small mammals, the tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae). Tenrecs are often cited as an example of an ex- ceptionally morphologically diverse group. However, this assumption has not been tested quantitatively. We use geometric morphometric analyses of skull shape to test whether tenrecs are more morphologically diverse than their closest relatives, the golden moles (Afrosoricida, Chrysochloridae). Tenrecs occupy a wider range of ecological niches than golden moles so we predict that they will be more morpho- logically diverse. Contrary to our expectations, we find that tenrec skulls are only more morphologically diverse than golden moles when measured in lateral view. Furthermore, similarities among the species-rich Microgale tenrec genus appear to mask higher morphological diversity in the rest of the family. These results reveal new insights into the morphological diversity of tenrecs and highlight the impor- tance of using quantitative methods to test qualitative assumptions about patterns of morphological diversity. Submitted 29 January 2015 Subjects Evolutionary Studies, Zoology Accepted 13 April 2015 Keywords Golden moles, Geometric morphometrics, Disparity, Morphology Published 30 April 2015 Corresponding author Natalie Cooper, [email protected] INTRODUCTION Academic editor Analysing patterns of morphological diversity (the variation in physical form Foote, Laura Wilson 1997) has important implications for our understanding of ecological and evolutionary Additional Information and traits.
[Show full text]
Convergent Evolution of Olfactory and Thermoregulatory Capacities in Small Amphibious Mammals
Convergent evolution of olfactory and thermoregulatory capacities in small amphibious mammals Quentin Martineza,1, Julien Clavelb,c, Jacob A. Esselstynd,e, Anang S. Achmadif, Camille Grohég,h, Nelly Piroti,j, and Pierre-Henri Fabrea,k aInstitut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Université de Montpellier (UM), UMR 5554, 34095 Montpellier, France; bDepartment of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, SW7 5DB London, United Kingdom; cUniv. Lyon Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, UMR CNRS 5023, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’État (ENTPE), F‐69622 Villeurbanne, Cedex, France; dMuseum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803; eDepartment of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803; fMuseum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), 16911 Cibinong, Indonesia; gDivision of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024; hLaboratoire Paléontologie Évolution Paléoécosystèmes Paléoprimatologie (PALEVOPRIM, UMR 7262, CNRS-Institut écologie et environnement [INEE]), Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, Cedex 9, France; iInstitut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM, U1194 UM, Institut du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), F-34298 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France; jRéseau d’Histologie Expérimentale de Montpellier, UMS3426 CNRS-US009 INSERM-UM, 34298 Montpellier, France; and kMammal Section, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, SW7 5DB London, United Kingdom Edited by David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley, CA, and approved February 28, 2020 (received for review October 11, 2019) Olfaction and thermoregulation are key functions for mammals. The partitioning has been documented in histological, airflow dynamic, former is critical to feeding, mating, and predator avoidance behaviors, and performance test studies (9–13).
[Show full text]
Diversity and Conservation of Mammals
MAMMAL LAB SYLLABUS - 2013 Mammal Diversity – Lab Syllabus – 2013 (Lectures TuTh 12:30 – 1:50 in BAKER 145) Sections: All Lab Sections to be held in Illick 238 Teaching Assistants: Sec 01 - M 5:00 – 8:00 Name - Elaina Burns Sec 02 - Tu 3:30 – 6:20 Name - Lindsey Scales Sec 03 - W 2:55 – 4:50 Sec 04 - Th 3:30 – 6:20 Goals: to become familiar with the diversity, distinguishing characteristics and functional morphology of the Class Mammalia to learn the distinguishing characteristics of each of the Orders of Mammals to be able to identify and describe ecological characteristics of all mammals of NYS to become familiar with some methods for studying mammals in the lab and the field to develop a meaningful understanding of the conservation status of mammals Required Books: Manual of Mammalogy (by Martin et al.) Mammals of North America (Kays & Wilson) Schedule of Activities and Assignments . Date Exercise Chapter in Lab Manual/Discussion Topics Week of January 14 - NO LAB THIS WEEK (Jan. 21, MLK Day, students in Monday’s lab attend section later in the week) Week of January 21 - Chapter 1 - Introduction; Mammal Orders of the World – MONOTREMATA TO MARSUPALIA (DIDELPHIMORPHIA) Week of January 28 - Chapter 2 – Skull; Orders SORICOMORPHA, ERINACEOMORPHA, AFROSORICIDA, DERMOPTERA, CHIROPTERA, SCANDENTIA & PRIMATES Week of February 4 - Ch 3 – Teeth 4 - Integument; LAGOMORPHA, RODENTIA, MACROSCELIDEA, TUBULINDENTATA, PILOSA, CINGULATA & PHOLIDOTA Week of February 11 - Ch 5 – Horns and Antlers, 6 - Post-cranial skeleton; PROBOSCIDEA, HYRACOIDEA, ARTIODACTYLA, PERISSODACTYLA Week of February 18 - CH 7 – Locomotion; Marine Mammals adaptations/taxonomy: CARNIVORA, CETACEA, SIRENIA Week of February 25 - Morphometrics, Systematics and Evolution; Preview Practical Week of March 4 - Practical 1 (Mammal World Orders and Exercises in Lab Manual) followed by Museums and specimen prep.
[Show full text]
List of 28 Orders, 129 Families, 598 Genera and 1121 Species in Mammal Images Library 31 December 2013
What the American Society of Mammalogists has in the images library LIST OF 28 ORDERS, 129 FAMILIES, 598 GENERA AND 1121 SPECIES IN MAMMAL IMAGES LIBRARY 31 DECEMBER 2013 AFROSORICIDA (5 genera, 5 species) – golden moles and tenrecs CHRYSOCHLORIDAE - golden moles Chrysospalax villosus - Rough-haired Golden Mole TENRECIDAE - tenrecs 1. Echinops telfairi - Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec 2. Hemicentetes semispinosus – Lowland Streaked Tenrec 3. Microgale dobsoni - Dobson’s Shrew Tenrec 4. Tenrec ecaudatus – Tailless Tenrec ARTIODACTYLA (83 genera, 142 species) – paraxonic (mostly even-toed) ungulates ANTILOCAPRIDAE - pronghorns Antilocapra americana - Pronghorn BOVIDAE (46 genera) - cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes 1. Addax nasomaculatus - Addax 2. Aepyceros melampus - Impala 3. Alcelaphus buselaphus - Hartebeest 4. Alcelaphus caama – Red Hartebeest 5. Ammotragus lervia - Barbary Sheep 6. Antidorcas marsupialis - Springbok 7. Antilope cervicapra – Blackbuck 8. Beatragus hunter – Hunter’s Hartebeest 9. Bison bison - American Bison 10. Bison bonasus - European Bison 11. Bos frontalis - Gaur 12. Bos javanicus - Banteng 13. Bos taurus -Auroch 14. Boselaphus tragocamelus - Nilgai 15. Bubalus bubalis - Water Buffalo 16. Bubalus depressicornis - Anoa 17. Bubalus quarlesi - Mountain Anoa 18. Budorcas taxicolor - Takin 19. Capra caucasica - Tur 20. Capra falconeri - Markhor 21. Capra hircus - Goat 22. Capra nubiana – Nubian Ibex 23. Capra pyrenaica – Spanish Ibex 24. Capricornis crispus – Japanese Serow 25. Cephalophus jentinki - Jentink's Duiker 26. Cephalophus natalensis – Red Duiker 1 What the American Society of Mammalogists has in the images library 27. Cephalophus niger – Black Duiker 28. Cephalophus rufilatus – Red-flanked Duiker 29. Cephalophus silvicultor - Yellow-backed Duiker 30. Cephalophus zebra - Zebra Duiker 31. Connochaetes gnou - Black Wildebeest 32. Connochaetes taurinus - Blue Wildebeest 33. Damaliscus korrigum – Topi 34.
[Show full text]
Absence of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Wild Small Mammals, Madagascar
LETTERS 4. Vázquez A, Ruiz S, Herrero L, Moreno Absence of they might play a role in the mainte- J, Molero F, Magallanes A, et al. West nance of RVFV. However, genetic evi- Nile and Usutu viruses in mosquitoes Rift Valley Fever in Spain, 2008–2009. Am J Trop Med dence indicates that RVFV outbreaks Hyg. 2011;85:178–81. http://dx.doi. Virus in Wild Small in Madagascar are not associated with org/10.4269/ajtmh.2011.11-0042 Mammals, emergence from enzootic cycles but 5. Sotelo E, Llorente F, Rebollo B, Camunas that they are associated with recur- A, Venteo A, Gallardo C, et al. Develop- Madagascar ment and evaluation of a new epitope- rent virus introductions from main- blocking ELISA for universal detection To the Editor: Rift Valley fever land east Africa (7). Although these of antibodies to West Nile virus. J Virol virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne mechanisms for RVFV epidemiology Methods. 2011;174:35–41. http://dx.doi. on Madagascar are documented, the org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2011.03.015 zoonotic virus in the family Bunya- 6. Figuerola J, Jimenez-Clavero MA, Rojo G, viridae, genus Phlebovirus, which af- possibility of a wild mammal reser- Gomez-Tejedor C, Soriguer R. Prevalence fects mainly domestic ruminants and voir cannot be excluded. We therefore of West Nile virus neutralizing antibodies humans on continental Africa, Mada- explored the role of wild terrestrial in colonial aquatic birds in southern Spain. small mammals in the maintenance of Avian Pathol. 2007;36:209–12. http:// gascar, and the Arabian Peninsula (1).
[Show full text]
Metabolic Homeostasis in Prolonged Tropical Hibernation in Tenrecs
Downloaded from rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org on October 26, 2014 Mammal survival at the Cretaceous−Palaeogene boundary: metabolic homeostasis in prolonged tropical hibernation in tenrecs Barry G. Lovegrove, Kerileigh D. Lobban and Danielle L. Levesque Proc. R. Soc. B 2014 281, 20141304, published 22 October 2014 Supplementary data "Data Supplement" http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/suppl/2014/10/21/rspb.2014.1304.DC1.h tml References This article cites 51 articles, 13 of which can be accessed free http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1796/20141304.full.html#ref-list-1 Subject collections Articles on similar topics can be found in the following collections ecology (1791 articles) evolution (1927 articles) physiology (146 articles) Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article - sign up in the box at the top Email alerting service right-hand corner of the article or click here To subscribe to Proc. R. Soc. B go to: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/subscriptions Downloaded from rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org on October 26, 2014 Mammal survival at the Cretaceous– Palaeogene boundary: metabolic homeostasis in prolonged tropical hibernation in tenrecs rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org Barry G. Lovegrove, Kerileigh D. Lobban and Danielle L. Levesque† School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa Research DLL, 0000-0003-0132-8094 Cite this article: Lovegrove BG, Lobban KD, Free-ranging common tenrecs, Tenrec ecaudatus, from sub-tropical Madagas- car, displayed long-term (nine months) hibernation which lacked any Levesque DL. 2014 Mammal survival at the evidence of periodic interbout arousals (IBAs). IBAs are the dominant fea- Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary: metabolic ture of the mammalian hibernation phenotype and are thought to homeostasis in prolonged tropical hibernation periodically restore long-term ischaemia damage and/or metabolic imbal- in tenrecs.
[Show full text]
Afrotherian Conservation Number 13 (2017)
From the editors: It seems our appeal for more input for this issue from members and interested parties has borne fruit, with a bumper issue. We thank all contributors, especially the 'golden molers' who from nothing in issue number 12 have contributed greatly to issue number 13. Thank you one and all! One of the most important issues pointed out in several of the articles here, is how many 'new' species and subspecies are hiding in plain sight. This has very important implications for the successful conservation of many species, in particular the poorly known golden moles, many tenrecs and even the hyraxes. We would like to have some feedback from you, the reader, as to whether you think the newsletter still has a place, or do you think articles, notes, new literature should just be placed on the Afrotheria webpage as they become available? For issue number 14 we would greatly appreciate receiving material for publication well before the 2018 July deadline, as we will be spending lengthy periods in the field. So to another good afrotherian year ahead! C. & M. Stuart, Loxton, South Africa August 2017 (www.stuartonnature.com) Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec Echinops telfairi (© C.& M. Stuart) In This Issue - Number 13 - September 2017 Editorial 1 Features Presence of Chequered Giant Sengi (Rhynchocyon cirnei) at Shiwa N'gandu 3 in northern Zambia Identifying the different forms of giant sengi (Rhynchocyon) based on 7 external colour pattern Sengi Taxonomy - a 2017 update 10 Cape Rock Hyrax research update: Cryptic diversity in the rock hyrax from
[Show full text]
List of Taxa for Which MIL Has Images
LIST OF 27 ORDERS, 163 FAMILIES, 887 GENERA, AND 2064 SPECIES IN MAMMAL IMAGES LIBRARY 31 JULY 2021 AFROSORICIDA (9 genera, 12 species) CHRYSOCHLORIDAE - golden moles 1. Amblysomus hottentotus - Hottentot Golden Mole 2. Chrysospalax villosus - Rough-haired Golden Mole 3. Eremitalpa granti - Grant’s Golden Mole TENRECIDAE - tenrecs 1. Echinops telfairi - Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec 2. Hemicentetes semispinosus - Lowland Streaked Tenrec 3. Microgale cf. longicaudata - Lesser Long-tailed Shrew Tenrec 4. Microgale cowani - Cowan’s Shrew Tenrec 5. Microgale mergulus - Web-footed Tenrec 6. Nesogale cf. talazaci - Talazac’s Shrew Tenrec 7. Nesogale dobsoni - Dobson’s Shrew Tenrec 8. Setifer setosus - Greater Hedgehog Tenrec 9. Tenrec ecaudatus - Tailless Tenrec ARTIODACTYLA (127 genera, 308 species) ANTILOCAPRIDAE - pronghorns Antilocapra americana - Pronghorn BALAENIDAE - bowheads and right whales 1. Balaena mysticetus – Bowhead Whale 2. Eubalaena australis - Southern Right Whale 3. Eubalaena glacialis – North Atlantic Right Whale 4. Eubalaena japonica - North Pacific Right Whale BALAENOPTERIDAE -rorqual whales 1. Balaenoptera acutorostrata – Common Minke Whale 2. Balaenoptera borealis - Sei Whale 3. Balaenoptera brydei – Bryde’s Whale 4. Balaenoptera musculus - Blue Whale 5. Balaenoptera physalus - Fin Whale 6. Balaenoptera ricei - Rice’s Whale 7. Eschrichtius robustus - Gray Whale 8. Megaptera novaeangliae - Humpback Whale BOVIDAE (54 genera) - cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes 1. Addax nasomaculatus - Addax 2. Aepyceros melampus - Common Impala 3. Aepyceros petersi - Black-faced Impala 4. Alcelaphus caama - Red Hartebeest 5. Alcelaphus cokii - Kongoni (Coke’s Hartebeest) 6. Alcelaphus lelwel - Lelwel Hartebeest 7. Alcelaphus swaynei - Swayne’s Hartebeest 8. Ammelaphus australis - Southern Lesser Kudu 9. Ammelaphus imberbis - Northern Lesser Kudu 10. Ammodorcas clarkei - Dibatag 11. Ammotragus lervia - Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) 12.
[Show full text]
Molecular Evidence for Multiple Origins of Insectivora and for a New Order of Endemic African Insectivore Mammals
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 95, pp. 9967–9972, August 1998 Evolution Molecular evidence for multiple origins of Insectivora and for a new order of endemic African insectivore mammals MICHAEL J. STANHOPE*†‡,VICTOR G. WADDELL†,OLE MADSEN§,WILFRIED DE JONG§,S.BLAIR HEDGES¶, i i i GREGORY C. CLEVEN ,DIANA KAO , AND MARK S. SPRINGER* †Queen’s University of Belfast, Biology and Biochemistry, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom; §Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and Institute for Systematics and Population Biology, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94766, 1090 GT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ¶Department of Biology, 208 Mueller Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; and iDepartment of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 Edited by Roy J. Britten, California Institute of Technology, Corona Del Mar, CA, and approved June 5, 1998 (received for review April 3, 1998) ABSTRACT The traditional views regarding the mamma- recently, MacPhee and Novacek (3) have reviewed the evidence lian order Insectivora are that the group descended from a single and concluded that characteristics (i) and (ii) support lipotyphlan common ancestor and that it is comprised of the following monophyly, characteristic (iii) possibly does, and (iv–vi), as cur- families: Soricidae (shrews), Tenrecidae (tenrecs), Solenodonti- rently defined, do not, leaving two to three characteristics that, in dae (solenodons), Talpidae (moles), Erinaceidae (hedgehogs and their opinion, support the order Insectivora. gymnures), and Chrysochloridae (golden moles). Here we The six families of insectivores are most often grouped into two present a molecular analysis that includes representatives of all clades of subordinal rank: the Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs) and six families of insectivores, as well as 37 other taxa representing the Soricomorpha (all other families).
[Show full text]
Morphological Diversity in Tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae): Comparing Tenrec Skull Diversity to Their Closest Relatives
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Crossref A peer-reviewed version of this preprint was published in PeerJ on 30 April 2015. View the peer-reviewed version (peerj.com/articles/927), which is the preferred citable publication unless you speciﬁcally need to cite this preprint. Finlay S, Cooper N. 2015. Morphological diversity in tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae): comparing tenrec skull diversity to their closest relatives. PeerJ 3:e927 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.927 Reviewing Manuscript Morphological diversity in tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae): comparing tenrec skull diversity to their closest relatives Sive Finlay, Natalie Cooper Morphological diversity is often studied qualitatively. However, to truly understand the evolution of exceptional diversity, it is important to take a quantitative approach instead of relying on subjective, qualitative assessments. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of morphological diversity in a Family of small mammals, the tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae). Tenrecs are often cited as an example of an exceptionally morphologically diverse group. However, this assumption has not been tested quantitatively. We use geometric PrePrints morphometric analyses of skull shape to test whether tenrecs are more morphologically diverse than their closest relatives, the golden moles (Afrosoricida, Chrysochloridae). Tenrecs occupy a wider range of ecological niches than golden moles so we predict that they will be more morphologically diverse. Contrary to our expectations, We find that tenrec skulls are only more morphologically diverse than golden moles when measured in lateral view. Furthermore, similarities among the species-rich Microgale tenrec Genus appear to mask higher morphological diversity in the rest of the Family.
[Show full text]