Aspects of the Reproductive Biology of Sengis (Macroscelidea) in General
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Petrodromus Tetradactylus – Four-Toed Sengi
Petrodromus tetradactylus – Four-toed Sengi Specialist Group web site and www.sengis.org for additional information. This genus specifically is in need of a taxonomic revision that would assess the currently recognized 10 subspecies. Subspecies are characterised mainly by pelage colour and bristles under the tail. Two subspecies occur within the assessment region, P. t. schwanni in north-eastern Limpopo and P. t. warreni in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The subspecies in KwaZulu-Natal (P. t. warreni) lacks tail bristles, as opposed to other forms (Rathbun 2013). For general biological information, please consult Perrin and Rathbun (2013), Rathbun (2013) and Rathbun (2005). Galen Rathbun (c) California Academy of Sciences Assessment Rationale Regional Red List status (2016) Near Threatened This species is at the edge of its range within the B2ab(ii,iii,v)* assessment region where two disjunct subspecies occur: National Red List status (2004) Endangered D P. t. schwanni in north-eastern Limpopo and P. t. warreni in northern KwaZulu-Natal, both being restricted to intact Reasons for change Non-genuine: riparian and coastal forest. The estimated area of New information occupancy for P. t. schwanni and P. t. warreni, based on remaining forest habitat, is 72 and 192 km2 respectively. Global Red List status (2015) Least Concern Although P. t. warreni at least may represent a South TOPS listing (NEMBA) None African endemic, further taxonomic resolution is required before we assess it separately. Overall, the species CITES listing None qualifies for Endangered B2ab(ii,iii,v) based on restricted Endemic Edge of Range area of occupancy (264 km2 in South Africa) presumed small population size, and a continuing decline in *Watch-list Data woodland habitat as a result of human expansion over the past decade. -
Genus Rhynchocyon)
RECONSTRUCTING THE MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF GIANT SENGIS (GENUS RHYNCHOCYON) A Thesis submitted to the faculty of A6 San Francisco State University 3(? In partial fulfillment of zo\5 the requirements for the Degree Ib'oL Master of Science In Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology by Elizabeth Jane Carlen San Francisco, California August 2015 Copyright by Elizabeth Jane Carlen 2015 CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL I certify that I have read Reconstructing the Molecular Phylogeny o f Giant Sengis (genus Rhynchocyon) by Elizabeth Jane Carlen, and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Science in Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at San Francisco State University. Research Fellow California Academy of Sciences RECONSTRUCTING THE MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF GIANT SENGIS (GENUS RHYNCHOCYON) Elizabeth Jane Carlen San Francisco, California 2015 Giant sengis (genus Rhynchocyon), also known as giant elephant-shrews, are approximately 500 g forest floor mammals that range from Central to East Africa. Previous work on giant sengi taxonomy has focused primarily on pelage color, pelage pattern, and the geographic distributions of the groups. Because there is complex phenotypic variation and large geographic ranges within some species, I chose to use genetic work to evaluate the phylogeny and classification of the genus. Genetic data were used to investigate the four currently recognized species (R. chrysopygus, R. cirnei, R. petersi, and R. udzungwensis) and seven of the eight currently recognized subspecies (R. cirnei cirnei, R. cirnei macrurus, R. cirnei reichardi, R. cirnei shirensis, R. cirnei stuhlmanni, R. -
The Evolution of Micro-Cursoriality in Mammals
© 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | The Journal of Experimental Biology (2014) 217, 1316-1325 doi:10.1242/jeb.095737 RESEARCH ARTICLE The evolution of micro-cursoriality in mammals Barry G. Lovegrove* and Metobor O. Mowoe* ABSTRACT Perissodactyla) in response to the emergence of open landscapes and In this study we report on the evolution of micro-cursoriality, a unique grasslands following the Eocene Thermal Maximum (Janis, 1993; case of cursoriality in mammals smaller than 1 kg. We obtained new Janis and Wilhelm, 1993; Yuanqing et al., 2007; Jardine et al., 2012; running speed and limb morphology data for two species of elephant- Lovegrove, 2012b; Lovegrove and Mowoe, 2013). shrews (Elephantulus spp., Macroscelidae) from Namaqualand, Loosely defined, cursorial mammals are those that run fast. South Africa, which we compared with published data for other However, more explicit definitions of cursoriality remain obscure mammals. Elephantulus maximum running speeds were higher than because locomotor performance is influenced by multiple variables, those of most mammals smaller than 1 kg. Elephantulus also including behaviour, biomechanics, physiology and morphology possess exceptionally high metatarsal:femur ratios (1.07) that are (Taylor et al., 1970; Garland, 1983a; Garland, 1983b; Garland and typically associated with fast unguligrade cursors. Cursoriality evolved Janis, 1993; Stein and Casinos, 1997; Carrano, 1999). In an in the Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla and Carnivora coincident with evaluation of these definition problems, Carrano (Carrano, 1999) global cooling and the replacement of forests with open landscapes argued that ‘…morphology should remain the fundamental basis for in the Oligocene and Miocene. The majority of mammal species, making distinctions between locomotor performance…’. -
Mammalian Species 117
MAMMALIANSPECIES No. 117, pp. 14, 5 figs. Rhynchocyon chrysopygus. BY Galen B. Rathbun Published 8 June 1979 by the American Society of Mammalogists Rhynchocyon Peters, 1847 cyon chrysopygus apparently does not occur in the gallery forests of the Tana River, in the ground-water forest at Witu, or in the Rhynchocyon Peters, 1W7:36, type species Rhynchocyon cirnei dry bushlands between the Galana and Tana rivers. This ele- Peters by monotypy. phant-shrew's habitat is being cleared for exotic forest plantations Rhir~onaxThomas, 1918:370, type species Rh~nchoc~onchr~so- and agriculture all along the coast, resulting in a discontinuous pygus Gunther. and reduced distribution. It will re-occupy fallow agricultural land that is allowed to become overgrown with dense bush (Rathbun, CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Macroscelidea, Fam- ily Macroscelididae, Subfamily Rhynch~c~oninae.Corbet and unpublished data)' Hanks (1968) recognized three allopatric species of Rhynchocyon FOSSIL RECORD. As far as is known, the Macrosceli- (figure 1) for which they wrote the following key: didae have always been endemic to Africa (Patterson, 1%5). But- ler and Hopwood (1957) described Rhynchocyon clarki from the 1 Rump straw-colored, contrasting sharply with surround- early Miocene beds of Songhor, Kenya (near Lake Victoria). Ad- ing rufous pelage ----------.-------.-------R. chrysopygus ditional Miocene material from Rusinga Island, Kenya, has been Rump not straw-colored ---------.------.-------------------2 referred to this extinct form (Patterson, 1%5), which was smaller 2(1) Rump and posterior half of back with a pattern of dark than the extant species of Rhynchocyon. R. clarki contributes lines or spots on a yellowish-brown or rufous ground; significantly to the forest related fossil mammal fauna from Ru- top of head without a rufous tinge ._._._....._._R. -
AFROTHERIAN CONSERVATION Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group
AFROTHERIAN CONSERVATION Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group Number 10 Edited by PJ Stephenson September 2014 Afrotherian Conservation is published annually by the Speaking of our website, it was over ten years old IUCN Species Survival Commission Afrotheria Specialist and suffering from outdated material and old technology, Group to promote the exchange of news and inform- making it very difficult to maintain. Charles Fox, who ation on the conservation of, and applied research into, does our web maintenance at a hugely discounted cost golden moles, sengis, hyraxes, tenrecs and the aardvark. (many thanks Charles), has reworked the site, especially the design of the home page and conservation page Published by IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. (thanks to Rob Asher for his past efforts with the latter © 2014 International Union for Conservation of Nature material, which is still the basis for the new conservation and Natural Resources page). Because some of the hyrax material was dated, Lee ISSN: 1664-6754 Koren and her colleagues completely updated the hyrax material, and we have now linked our websites. A similar Find out more about the Group on our website at update is being discussed by Tom Lehmann and his http://afrotheria.net/ASG.html and follow us on colleagues for the aardvark link. The sengi web material is Twitter @Tweeting_Tenrec largely unchanged, with the exception of updating various pages to accommodate the description of a new species from Namibia (go to the current topics tab in the Message from the Chair sengi section). Galen Rathbun Although a lot of effort has focused on our Chair, IUCN/SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group group's education goals (logo, website, newsletter), it has not over-shadowed one of the other major functions that There has been a long time gap since our last newsletter our specialist group performs: the periodic update of the was produced in October 2012. -
Elephantulus Pilicaudus – Karoo Rock Sengi
Elephantulus pilicaudus – Karoo Rock Sengi the order Eulipotyphla. See www.afrotheria.net for additional information. For general biological information on all sengi species, consult accounts in Rathbun (2005, 2013) and Perrin and Rathbun (2013). For current and more technical information, search the on-line bibliography at www.sengis.org. Assessment Rationale This species was described in 2008, based almost entirely on molecular genetics, with weak support from external morphology. Thus, it is a highly cryptic species. It is considered a sister species of the Cape Rock Sengi, Galen Rathbun (c) California Academy of Sciences Elephantulus edwardii. There are only five known locations (with a total of 17 specimens), with two of these locations based on trapping after the year 2000, the other three are Red List status (2016) Data Deficient* based on older museum specimens. Based on these five Red List status (2004) Not Evaluated locations, this species mainly occurs in boulder habitats, but a sample of five locations is not sufficient to be Reasons for change Non genuine change conclusive. The five locations fall within an area of about Global Red List status (2015) Data Deficient 23,000 km2, but this area may include areas not occupied by the species, and thus a fragmented distribution is TOPS listing (NEMBA) None possible. All sengi species studied to date occur at low CITES listing None densities, which suggests relatively few animals per unit area. Recent trapping efforts for this species indicate that Endemic Yes this may be the case here. Without actual abundance and *Watch-list Data density data, more locations, habitat associations, and a proper assessment of habitat condition, there are not This is a recently described new species of sengi enough data to justify anything but a Data Deficient endemic to South Africa (Smit et al. -
The Triumphs, Challenges and Failures of Young North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx Mantelli): a Study of Behaviour, Growth, Dispersal and Mortality
Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. The triumphs, challenges and failures of young North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli): a study of behaviour, growth, dispersal and mortality Stephanie Walden A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand Alexandra Louise Wilson 2013 i ii Abstract North Island brown kiwi (NIBK, Apteryx mantelli), an endemic New Zealand species, are estimated to have declined by 90% from pre-human colonisation numbers. Currently, at least 60% of mortality is attributed to introduced mammalian predators, namely stoats (Mustela erminea) preying on chicks. Therefore, conservation effort focuses on predator trapping/killing, and hatching and rearing NIBK chicks in captivity and releasing them back into the wild. These efforts are resulting in increased recruitment of chicks into populations. However, little is known about the biology and behaviour of NIBK chicks in the wild and how this may affect management of these populations. Consequently, the aim of this study was to examine the ecology of young wild NIBK in a natural high density population with reduced predator diversity on Ponui Island. More specifically, the goal was to determine their growth rates, behaviour around the natal nest, dispersal and mortality, and how these factors may be influenced by environmental variables. During the 2010 - 2011 and 2011 - 2012 breeding seasons 29 young NIBK were observed from hatching until mortality or the end of 2012. -
Fully Fledged Enantiornithine Hatchling Revealed by Laser-Stimulated
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Fully fedged enantiornithine hatchling revealed by Laser- Stimulated Fluorescence supports Received: 31 July 2018 Accepted: 8 March 2019 precocial nesting behavior Published: xx xx xxxx Thomas G. Kaye 1, Michael Pittman 2, Jesús Marugán-Lobón3, Hugo Martín-Abad3, José Luis Sanz 3 & Angela D. Buscalioni3 Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF) is used to identify fully fedged feathering in the hatchling enantiornithine bird specimen MPCM-LH-26189, supporting precocial nesting behavior in this extinct group. The LSF results include the detection of a long pennaceous wing feather as well as cover feathers around the body. The LSF technique showed improved detection limits over and above synchrotron and UV imaging which had both been performed on this specimen. The fndings underscore the value of using a wide range of analytical techniques. Te enantiornithine hatchling MPCM-LH-26189 from the Las Hoyas locality of Spain helped to identify an asynchronous clade-wide pattern of sternal and vertebral osteogenesis in early juvenile enantiornithines, sup- porting variation in their size and their tempo of skeletal maturation1. Tis previous study found no feathers or chemical evidence for plumage (see Fig. 5 caption of1) with faint ribbing visible in a yellowish stain suggested to be more consistent with the morphology of vegetal material than with feathers (see Supplementary Note 1 of1). MPCM-LH-26189 is reasonably well articulated and has some sof-tissue-associated chemistry1. Tese lines of evidence were used to suggest that MPCM-LH-26189 might have been largely featherless when it died (see Supplementary Note 1, Supplementary Figs 2–5 and Supplementary Table 2 of1). -
EAZA NEWS Zoo Nutrition 4
ZOO NUTRITION EAZANEWS 2008 publication of the european association of zoos and aquaria september 2008 — eaza news zoo nutrition issue number 4 8 Feeding our animals without wasting our planet 10 Sustainability and nutrition of The Deep’s animal feed sources 18 Setting up a nutrition research programme at Twycross Zoo 21 Should zoo food be chopped? 26 Feeding practices for captive okapi 15 The development of a dietary review team 24 Feeding live prey; chasing away visitors? EAZA Zoonutr5|12.indd 1 08-09-2008 13:50:55 eaza news 2008 colophon zoo nutrition EAZA News is the quarterly magazine of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) issue 4 Managing Editor Jeannette van Benthem ([email protected]) Editorial staff for EAZA News Zoo Nutrition Issue 4 Joeke Nijboer, Andrea Fidgett, Catherine King Design Jantijn Ontwerp bno, Made, the Netherlands Printing Drukkerij Van den Dool, Sliedrecht, the Netherlands ISSN 1574-2997. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Printed on TREE-FREE paper bleached without chlorine and free from acid who is who in eaza foreword EAZA Executive Committee Although nourishing zoo animals properly and according chair Leobert de Boer, Apenheul Primate Park vice-chair Simon Tonge, Paignton Zoo secretary Eric Bairrao Ruivo, Lisbon Zoo treasurer Ryszard Topola, Lodz Zoo to their species’ needs is a most basic requirement to chair eep committee Bengt Holst, Copenhagen Zoo chair membership & ethics maintain sustainable populations in captivity, zoo and committee Lars Lunding Andersen, Copenhagen Zoo chair aquarium committee aquarium nutrition has been a somewhat underestimated chair legislation committee Jurgen Lange, Berlin Zoo Ulrich Schurer, Wuppertal Zoo science for a long time. -
Elephant-Shrew) Bibliography, Citations Listed Alphabetically by Author
Sengi (elephant-shrew) bibliography, citations listed alphabetically by author. Assembed by Galen Rathbun, current to 15 July 2015 For searchable version go to www.sengis.org • Adaci, M., R. Tabuce, F. Mebroukc, M. Bensalah, P. Fabre, L. Hautier, J. Jaeger, V. Lazzari, M. Mahboubic, L. Marivaux, O. Otero, S. Peigné, and H. Tong. 2007. Nouveaux sites à vertébrés paléogènes dans la région des Gour Lazib (Sahara nord- occidental, Algérie). Comptes Rendus Palevo 6:535-544. • Agacino, E. M. 1935. Sobre algunos insectivoros de Saint Joseph de Luluabourg (Congo Belge). Boletin de la Sociedad Espanola de Historia Natural 35:17-23. • Agacino, E. M. 1940. Additions a la fauna mastozoologique du territoire d'Ifni. Mammalia 4:59-62. • Aggundey, I. R., and D. A. Schlitter. 1986. Annotated checklist of the mammals of Kenya. II: Insectivora and Macroscelidea. Annals of Carnegie Museum 55:325-347. • Agnelli, P., M. L. Azzaroli, and A. M. Simonetta. 1990. Some remarks on the mammals of Somalia. Biogeographia (New Series) 14:499-513. • Alibhai, S. K., and G. Key. 1985. A preliminary investigation of small mammal biology in the Kora National Reserve, Kenya. Journal of Tropical Ecology 1:321-327. • Alibhai, S. K., and G. Key. 1986. Biology of small mammals in the Kora National Reserve. Pages 303-317 in M. Coe and N. M. Collins, editors. Kora: an ecological inventory of the Kora National Reserve, Kenya. Royal Geographical Society, London. • Allard, M. W., B. E. McNiff, and M. M. Miyamoto. 1996. Support for interordinal relationships with an emphasis on primates and their archontan relatives. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 5:78-88. -
Egg Size and Bird Evolution
© The Authors, 2010. Journal compilation © Australian Museum, Sydney, 2010 Records of the Australian Museum (2010) Vol. 62: 207–216. ISSN 0067-1975 doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1547 Cracking a Developmental Constraint: Egg Size and Bird Evolution Gareth J. Dyke,*1 anD Gary W. kaiser2 1 School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, Ireland [email protected] 2 Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 9W2 [email protected] abstract. It has been suggested that relative egg size in living birds is strongly correlated with the developmental mode of the young; “altricial” (helpless) or “precocial” (independent). Using a data set of extant taxa we show that altricial birds lay relatively larger eggs than their precocial counterparts but that this may be due to the small size of most altricial species. Smaller birds tend to lay relatively small eggs compared to large species. Nonetheless, a predictive egg mass-body mass relationship extends into the avian fossil record. Such a relationship is important to our understanding of avian evolution because relative egg size (and thus available developmental mode) was constrained in many early birds—oviduct diameter was limited by the presence of pubic fusion. Therefore we document the evolution of avian developmental strategies using morphology-based phylogenies for Mesozoic and extant avians and corroborate correlations between developmental strategies, egg weight and female body mass. The sequential loss of precocial features in hatchlings characterises the evolution of birds while altriciality is derived within Neoaves. A set of precocial strategies is seen in earlier lineages, including basal Neornithes (modern birds) and are implied in their Mesozoic counterparts—skeletal constraints on egg size, present in many Jurassic and Early Cretaceous birds (Archaeopteryx, Confuciusornis, Enantiornithes) were lost in later diverging lineages. -
Review Article Why Is There Discordant Diversity in Sengi
Review article Why is there discordant diversity in sengi (Mammalia: Afrotheria: Macroscelidea) taxonomy and ecology? Galen B. Rathbun* Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), c ⁄ o P.O. Box 202, Cambria, CA 93428, U.S.A. allant de de´serts coˆtiers a` des foreˆts de montagne. En raison Abstract de leur isolement sur le continent africain tre`s vite apre`sla The seventeen species of sengis or elephant-shrews form a scission du Gondwana, les sengis ont the´oriquement well-defined clade of mammals endemic to Africa that e´volue´ au de´part sans qu’il existe beaucoup de compe´tition occupy the extremes of terrestrial habitats, from coastal avec les radiations d’autres placentaires. Les caracte´ris- deserts to montane forests. Because of their isolation on tiques de leur histoire incluent de la myrme´cophagie, des Africa soon after the break-up of Gondwanaland, theo- de´placements par bonds, un usage de nids limite´, voire retically sengis initially evolved with little competition inexistant, la monogamie sociale, de petites porte´es de from other placental radiations. Their life history features jeunes pre´coces et l’inexistence de soins maternels pour les include myrmecophagy, saltatorial gaits, no or limited nouveau-ne´s. Toutes ces caracte´ristiques sont uniques use of nests, social monogamy, small litters of precocial pour les Macrosce´lide´s et repre´sentent un regroupement de young and absentee maternal care of neonates. These caracte´ristiques d’habitude associe´es a` de petites antilopes traits together are unique to the Macroscelidea and rep- ou a` des fourmiliers.