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Rhagamys
''Rhagamys'' is an extinct genus of rodents in the subfamily Murinae, the Old World mice and rats. The genus was established by the Swiss zoologist Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major to accommodate ''Rhagamys orthodon'', commonly known as Hensel's field mouse or the Tyrrhenian field rat, which is the only species in the genus. It was endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia, where it first appeared in the fossil record in the Late Pleistocene, and was relatively large in size, weighing up to 50 g. Its closest living relatives are of the genus ''Apodemus''. Taxonomy and evolution The ancestors of ''Rhagamys'', belonging the widespread genus ''Rhagapodemus'', first arrived in Corsica-Sardinia during the Early-Late Pliocene transition, around 3.6 million years ago. Three chronospecies of the lineage have been named, including "''Rhagapodemus''" ''azzarolii'' from the earliest Late Pliocene, followed by "''Rhagapodemus''" ''minor'' from the Early Pleistocene, succeede ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. Members of this subfamily are called murines. In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the rodents. Description The Murinae are native to Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. They are terrestrial placental mammals. They have also been introduced to all continents except Antarctica, and are serious pest animals. This is particularly true in island communities where they have contributed to the endangerment and extinction of many native animals. Two prominent murine species have become vital laboratory animals: the brown rat and house mouse are both used as medical subjects. The murines have a distinctive molar pattern that involves three rows of cusps instead of two, the primitive pattern seen most frequently in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhagapodemus
''Rhagapodemus'' is a genus of extinct rodent from the Miocene to Pleistocene periods. Most species are known from European localities, although ''R. debruijni'' comes from India. Taxonomy ''Rhagapodemus'' was closely related to the field mice of the genus ''Apodemus''. One species, ''R. minor'', is considered ancestral to another extinct genus, ''Rhagamys'', which was endemic to Sardinia and Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ... up until the end of the Pleistocene. References {{Taxonbar, from= Q107802966 Prehistoric rodent genera Miocene rodents Pliocene rodents Pleistocene rodents Prehistoric mammals of Europe Prehistoric mammals of Asia Muridae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enhydrictis
''Enhydrictis'' is a genus of extinct mustelid, belonging to the subfamily Galictinae. The type species, and best known, is ''Enhydrictis galictoides'' from the Pleistocene of Sardinia and Corsica. Taxonomy The exact number of species of ''Enhydrictis'' has been a matter of debate. One species, ''Pannonictis'' ''pilgrimi'' has been classified as a belonging to ''Enhydictis'' (as ''Enydrictis ardea''), although this is unlikely. A 2019 study also suggests that the genus '' Oriensictis'' of Asia should be considered a synonym of ''Enhydrictis'' as well. In 2016, a new species from Algeria was described. Known as ''Enhydrictis hoffstetteri'', it is the first member of the genus known from Africa. Other scholars have considered the attribution of this species to ''Enhydrictis'' doubtful, and that the species should be placed in ''Pannonictis'' instead. In 2018 a new species, ''Enhydrictis praegalictoides'' was described from Middle Pleistocene aged sites on Sardinia, which is likely ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apodemus
''Apodemus'' is a genus of Muridae (true mice and rats). The name is unrelated to that of the '' Mus'' genus, instead being derived from the Greek ἀπό-δημος (literally ''away from home''). Taxonomy Related to the Ryūkyū spiny rats (''Tokudaia'') and the prehistoric ''Rhagamys'' – and far more distantly to '' Mus'' and '' Malacomys'' – it includes these species: ''Apodemus sensu stricto'' * Striped field mouse, ''A. agrarius'' * Chevrier's field mouse, ''A. chevrieri'' * Small Japanese field mouse, ''A. argenteus'' ''Alsomys'' * South China field mouse, ''A. draco'' * Himalayan field mouse, ''A. gurkha'' * Sichuan field mouse, ''A. latronum'' * Korean field mouse, ''A. peninsulae'' * Taiwan field mouse, ''A. semotus'' * Large Japanese field mouse, ''A. speciosus'' ''Sylvaemus'' * Alpine field mouse, ''A. alpicola'' * Yellow-necked mouse, ''A. flavicollis'' – includes ''A. arianus'' * Caucasus field mouse, ''A. hyrcanicus'' * Ward's field mouse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mammuthus Lamarmorai
''Mammuthus lamarmorai'' is a species of mammoth which lived during the late Middle and Upper Pleistocene (between 450,000 and perhaps 40,000 years) on the island of Sardinia. ''M. lamarmorai'' is a dwarf species, as it is estimated to have reached a shoulder height of only 1.4 m and weighed about 550 kg. This pygmy mammoth has been found mostly in the fine-grained sediments of the western part of the island. Features There is a great deal of fossil material known for ''M. lamarmorai'', which includes cranial, dental, and post-cranial findings. Despite this wealth of material, no complete skeleton is known. Of the few known molars only one represents the rearmost tooth, which is 13 cm long and 6.9 cm wide, with at least eleven ridges on the enamel.Maria Rita Palombo: ''Elephants in miniature.'' In: Harald Meller (ed.): ''Elefantenreich – Eine Fossilwelt in Europa.'' Halle/Saale, 2010, pp. 275–295 The humerus reaches a length of 45 cm. The few discov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be ''endemic'' to that particular part of the world. An endemic species can be also be referred to as an ''endemism'' or in scientific literature as an ''endemite''. For example '' Cytisus aeolicus'' is an endemite of the Italian flora. '' Adzharia renschi'' was once believed to be an endemite of the Caucasus, but it was later discovered to be a non-indigenous species from South America belonging to a different genus. The extreme opposite of an endemic species is one with a cosmopolitan distribution, having a global or widespread range. A rare alternative term for a species that is endemic is "precinctive", which applies to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch (from around 5 million years ago) into the Holocene at about 4,000 years ago, and various species existed in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. They were members of the family Elephantidae, which also contains the two genera of modern elephants and their ancestors. Mammoths are more closely related to living Asian elephants than African elephants. The oldest representative of ''Mammuthus'', the South African mammoth (''M. subplanifrons''), appeared around 5 million years ago during the early Pliocene in what is now southern and eastern Africa. Descendant species of these mammoths moved north and continued to propagate into numerous subsequent spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microtus Henseli
''Microtus henseli'', the Tyrrhenian vole or Hensel's vole, was a rodent found in Sardinia and Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of .... It is believed to have become extinct around 2000–3000 years ago, as a result of pressure and competition with dogs, foxes and weasels which were brought to the islands by humans. The humans themselves may have also played a role in the Tyrrhenian vole's extinction. References henseli Holocene extinctions Fossil taxa described in 1905 {{paleo-rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asoriculus
''Asoriculus'' is an extinct genus of terrestrial shrews in the subfamily Soricinae (red-toothed shrews) and tribe Nectogalini. The best known species, ''Asoriculus gibberodon'' was widespread in Europe from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene. Insular species are known from the Mediterranean islands of Sicily (''A. burgioi'' Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene), and Corsica-Sardinia including ''A. corsicanus'' (Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene) and ''A. similis'' (Early Pleistocene-Late Pleistocene/Holocene). ''A. similis'' likely survived into the Holocene, when it became extinct after human settlement of the islands. The genus ''Nesiotites'' (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene-Holocene) from the Balearic Islands, including the chronospecies ''N. rafelinensis'' (earliest Pliocene), ''N. ponsi'' (Late Pliocene) and ''N. hidalgo'' (Middle Pleistocene-Holocene) is considered to descend from ''Asoriculus,'' likely ''A. gibberodon.'' The insular species of ''Asoriculus'' from Sicily and C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prolagus Sardus
The Sardinian pika (''Prolagus sardus'') is an extinct species of pika that was endemic to the islands of Sardinia, Corsica and neighbouring Mediterranean islands until its extinction likely in Ancient Rome, Roman times. Unlike living pikas, which all belong to the genus ''Ochotona,'' the Sardinian pika was the last surviving member of the genus ''Prolagus,'' a genus of pika once widespread throughout western Eurasia and North Africa during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. Anatomy The full skeletal structure of the Sardinian pika was reconstructed in 1967, thanks to the numerous finds of bones in Corbeddu Cave, which is near Oliena, Sardinia. Some years later, from these remains, the same researchers led by paleontologist Mary R. Dawson from the US were able to create a plaster reconstruction with good accuracy. The Sardinian pika was probably much stockier and more robust than extant species of pikas, and it probably resembled a sort of cross between a large wild rabbit and a pi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hypsodont
Hypsodont is a pattern of dentition with high-crowned teeth and enamel extending past the gum line, providing extra material for wear and tear. Some examples of animals with hypsodont dentition are cows and horses; all animals that feed on gritty, fibrous material. The opposite condition is called brachydont. Evolution Since the morphology of the hypsodont tooth is suited to a more abrasive diet, hypsodonty was thought to have evolved concurrently with the spread of grasslands. Grass contains phytoliths, silica-rich granules, which wear away dental tissue more quickly. Analysis has shown however, that the development of this morphology is out of sync with the flourishing of grasslands. Instead, the ingestion of grit and soil is hypothesized to be the primary driver of hypsodonty (the Grit, not grass hypothesis). Morphology Hypsodont dentition is characterized by: * high-crowned teeth * A rough, flattish occlusal surface adapted for crushing and grinding * Cementum both above ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mole (animal)
Moles are small mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears, reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging. The word “mole” refers to any species in the family Talpidae, which means “mole” in Latin. Moles are found in most parts of North America, Europe and Asia. Moles may be viewed as pests to gardeners, but they provide positive contributions to soil, gardens, and ecosystem, including soil aeration, feeding on slugs and small creatures that eat plant roots, and providing prey for other wildlife. They eat earthworms and other small invertebrates in the soil. Terminology In Middle English, moles were known as ''moldwarp''. The expression "don't make a mountain out of a molehill" (which means "exaggerating problems") was first recorded in Tudor times. By the era of Early Modern English, the mole was also known in English as ''mouldywarp'', a wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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