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Caenolestes Caniventer
The gray-bellied caenolestid (''Caenolestes caniventer''), or grey-bellied shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum found in humid, temperate forests and moist grasslands of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It was first described by American zoologist Harold Elmer Anthony in 1921. Little is known about the behavior of the gray-bellied caenolestid. It appears to be terrestrial (land-living) and crepuscular (active around twilight) or nocturnal (active at night). Diet consists of invertebrate larvae, small vertebrates and plant material. The IUCN classifies the gray-bellied caenolestid as near threatened. Taxonomy and etymology The gray-bellied caenolestid is one of the five members of ''Caenolestes'', and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). It was first described by American zoologist Harold Elmer Anthony in 1921. In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that ''Caenolestes'' is closely related to ''Lestoros'' (the Incan caenolestid). Over the y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
El Oro Province
El Oro (; ''oro'' = gold) is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It was named for its historically important gold production. Today it is one of the world's major exporters of bananas. The capital is Machala. History The area was settled by the Inca, who inhabited the area at the time Spanish settlement began in 1549. The Spanish found gold there and mined it, carrying the gold to Spain. The province was named for its historically important gold production. The gold was mined by the Spanish mainly in the late 16th and 17th centuries in the village of Zaruma in the Zaruma Canton. In the 18th century, the earthquake of January 1749 destroyed the mining area. A local rebellion stopped the mining until the Spanish agreed to allow the native people to benefit from the mining. Spain imported gold from the area until the area gained its independence from Spain in 1820. Philip II of Spain granted the village the title of "Villa de Sant Antonio del Zerro de Oro de Zaruma" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morphology (biology)
Morphology is a branch of biology dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features. This includes aspects of the outward appearance (shape, structure, colour, pattern, size), i.e. external morphology (or eidonomy), as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs, i.e. internal morphology (or anatomy). This is in contrast to physiology, which deals primarily with function. Morphology is a branch of life science dealing with the study of gross structure of an organism or taxon and its component parts. History The etymology of the word "morphology" is from the Ancient Greek (), meaning "form", and (), meaning "word, study, research". While the concept of form in biology, opposed to function, dates back to Aristotle (see Aristotle's biology), the field of morphology was developed by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1790) and independently by the German anatomist and physiologist Karl Friedrich Burdach ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "dawn") and (''kainós'', "new") and refers to the "dawn" of modern ('new') fauna that appeared during the epoch. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Paleocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the Eocene is marked by a brief period in which the concentration of the carbon isotope Carbon-13, 13C in the atmosphere was exceptionally low in comparison with the more common isotope Carbon-12, 12C. The end is set at a major extinction event called the ''Grande Coupure'' (the "Great Break" in continuity) or the Eocene–Oligocene extinction event, which may be related to the impact of one or more large bolides in Popigai impact structure, Siberia and in what is now ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Caenolestid
The eastern caenolestid (''Caenolestes sangay'') is a shrew opossum found on the eastern slopes of the Andes in southern Ecuador. Etymology The origin of the genus name (''Caenolestes'') drives from the Greek words ''kainos'' ("new") and ''lestes'' ("robber", "pirate"). The origin of the species name (''sangay'') derives from Sangay National Park, which is the largest Andean national park in Ecuador. The park itself is named after a volcano called Sangay, one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes that lies within the park. Sangay National Park was the site of the discovery of the eastern caenolestid in 2010. Taxonomy The eastern caenolestid is one of the five members of ''Caenolestes'', and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that ''Caenolestes'' is closely related to ''Lestoros'' (the Incan caenolestid). Over the years, it became clear that ''Lestoros'' is morphologically different from ''Caenolestes''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andean Caenolestid
The Andean caenolestid (''Caenolestes condorensis''), also known as the Andean shrew opossum or Condor caenolestid, is a shrew opossum known only from Cordillera del Cóndor (Ecuador), its type locality. It was first described by zoologists Bruce D. Patterson and Albuja V. Luis in 1996. It is the largest caenolestid. The IUCN classifies it as vulnerable. As of 2015, the population is estimated at less than 1,000. Taxonomy and etymology The Andean caenolestid is one of the five members of ''Caenolestes'', and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). It was first described by zoologists Bruce D. Patterson (of the Field Museum of Natural History) and Albuja V. Luis (of the National Polytechnic School) in 1996 from an adult male specimen captured from Cordillera del Cóndor (Ecuador). They procured a total of three specimens. In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that ''Caenolestes'' is closely related to ''Lestoros'' (the Incan caenolestid). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Caenolestid
The northern caenolestid (''Caenolestes convelatus''), also known as the blackish shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Taxonomy and etymology The northern caenolestid is one of the five members of '' Caenolestes'', and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). It was first described by American zoologist Harold Elmer Anthony in 1924. In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that ''Caenolestes'' is closely related to ''Lestoros'' (the Incan caenolestid). Over the years, it became clear that ''Lestoros'' is morphologically different from ''Caenolestes''. A 2013 morphological and mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenetic study showed that the Incan caenolestid and the long-nosed caenolestid (''Rhyncholestes raphanurus'') form a clade sister to ''Caenolestes''. The cladogram below is based on this study. Two subspecies are recognized: *''C. c. barbarensis'' H. E. Anthony, 1924: Occu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Long-nosed Caenolestid
The long-nosed caenolestid (''Rhyncholestes raphanurus''), also known as the Chilean shrew opossum or long-nosed shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum that occurs in temperate forests of Argentina and southern Chile. It was first described by American zoologist Wilfred Hudson Osgood in 1924. The long-nosed caenolestid resembles '' Caenolestes'' species in morphology. It is characterized by a long, pointed snout, small eyes and ears, and one claw on a digit of each of the thin limbs. Little is known of its behavior; it appears to be terrestrial (lives on land), nocturnal (active mainly at night) and omnivorous. It prefers cool, moist areas, and has a small distribution. It is classified as near threatened by the IUCN. Taxonomy and etymology The long-nosed caenolestid is the sole member of its genus, and is classified in the family Caenolestidae. It was first described by American zoologist Wilfred Hudson Osgood in 1924. Two subspecies are recognised: *''R. r. continentalis'' Bub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brown Four-eyed Opossum
The brown four-eyed opossum (''Metachirus nudicaudatus'') is a pouch (marsupial), pouchless marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is found in different forested habitats of Central America, Central and South America, from Nicaragua to Brazil and northern Argentina, including southeastern Colombia, Paraguay and eastern Peru and Bolivia, at elevations from sea level to 1500 m. It is the only recognized species in the genus ''Metachirus'', but molecular phylogenetics studies suggest that it should probably be split into several species. Population densities are usually low, and it is uncommon in parts of Central America. A density of 25.6/km2 was reported near Manaus, Brazil. Its karyotype has Ploidy#Diploid, 2n = 14 and Karyotype#Fundamental number, FN = 24. It is a nocturnal, solitary, strongly terrestrial and omnivorous animal, feeding on fruits, small vertebrates and invertebrates. The brown four-eyed opossum builds nests made of leaves and twigs in tree branches or under rock ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gray Short-tailed Opossum
The gray short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis domestica'') is a small South American member of the family Didelphidae. Unlike most other marsupials, the gray short-tailed opossum does not have a true pouch. The scientific name ''Monodelphis'' is derived from Greek and means "single womb" (referring to the lack of a pouch) and the Latin word ''domestica'' which means "domestic" (chosen because of the species' habit of entering human dwellings). It was the first marsupial to have its genome sequenced. The gray short-tailed opossum is used as a research model in science, and is also frequently found in the exotic pet trade. It is also known as the Brazilian opossum, rainforest opossum and in a research setting the laboratory opossum. Description Gray short-tailed opossums are relatively small animals, with a superficial resemblance to voles. In the wild they have head-body length of and weigh ; males are larger than females. However, individuals kept in captivity are typically mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sister Taxon
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and taxon B are sister groups to each other. Taxa A and B, together with any other extant or extinct descendants of their most recent common ancestor (MRCA), form a monophyletic group, the clade AB. Clade AB and taxon C are also sister groups. Taxa A, B, and C, together with all other descendants of their MRCA form the clade ABC. The whole clade ABC is itself a subtree of a larger tree which offers yet more sister group relationships, both among the leaves and among larger, more deeply rooted clades. The tree structure shown connects through its root to the rest of the universal tree of life. In cladistic standards, taxa A, B, and C may represent specimens, species, genera, or any other taxonomic units. If A and B are at the same taxonomi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, the equivalent Latin term ''cladus'' (plural ''cladi'') is often used in taxonomical literature. The common ancestor may be an individual, a population, or a species (extinct or extant). Clades are nested, one in another, as each branch in turn splits into smaller branches. These splits reflect evolutionary history as populations diverged and evolved independently. Clades are termed monophyletic (Greek: "one clan") groups. Over the last few decades, the cladistic approach has revolutionized biological classification and revealed surprising evolutionary relationships among organisms. Increasingly, taxonomists try to avoid naming taxa that are not clades; that is, taxa that are not monophyletic. Some of the relationships between organisms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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