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Dilambdogale
''Dilambdogale'' is an extinct genus of afrosoricid which existed in Fayum, Egypt during the latest Eocene (earliest Priabonian age). It was first named by Erik R. Seiffert in 2010 and the type species is ''Dilambdogale gheerbranti''. ''Dilambdogale'' is the oldest known afrosoricid and its closest relative was '' Widanelfarasia''. Cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ... based on Seiffert (2010): References Prehistoric eutherians Fossil taxa described in 2010 Eocene mammals Eocene mammals of Africa Prehistoric placental genera {{paleo-afrotheria-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afrosoricida
The clade Afrosoricida (a Latin-Greek compound name which means "looking like African shrews") contains the golden moles of Southern Africa, the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar. These three groups of small mammals were for most of the 19th and 20th centuries regarded as a part of the Insectivora or Lipotyphla, but both of those groups, as traditionally used, are polyphyletic. Naming Some biologists use Tenrecoidea or Tenrecomorpha as the name for the tenrec-golden mole clade and regard Afrosoricida as a junior synonym (even though the rules of the ICZN do not apply above the Linnean rank of family). This is based on the principles of Simpson, summarized by Asher & Helgen to mean that "priority and stability should comprise the overriding principles by which new, high-level taxa are named. Established names for any given clade should not be altered unless the name with precedent unambiguously threatens stability." When "Afrosoricida" was first nam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Eocene
The Priabonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS's geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age or the upper stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Eocene epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series. It spans the time between . The Priabonian is preceded by the Bartonian and is followed by the Rupelian, the lowest stage of the Oligocene. ''Priabona florissantius, Priabona'', an extinct dipteran of Pipunculidae family, is named after Priabonian, the age of deposits from which this insect is known. History and naming The Priabonian Stage was introduced in scientific literature by Ernest Munier-Chalmas and Albert de Lapparent in 1893. The stage is named after the small hamlet of Priabona (Monte di Malo), Priabona in the community of Monte di Malo, in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Stratigraphic definition The base of the Priabonian Stage is at the first appearance datum, first appearance of calcareous nannoplankton species ''Chiasmolithus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afrodon
''Afrodon'' is an extinct genus of eutherians in the family Adapisoriculidae. Its type species is ''Afrodon chleuhi'', known from the late Palaeocene of Morocco. The other known species are ''Afrodon germanicus'' from the late Palaeocene of Germany and France, ''Afrodon tagourtensis'' from the early Eocene of Morocco, ''Afrodon ivani'' from the late Palaeocene of Spain, and ''Afrodon gheerbranti'' from the early Paleocene of Belgium.link Its range spread from the Cernaysian to the Grauvian in the |
Prehistoric Eutherians
Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of symbols, marks, and images appears very early among humans, but the earliest known writing systems appeared years ago. It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing having spread to almost all cultures by the 19th century. The end of prehistory therefore came at different times in different places, and the term is less often used in discussing societies where prehistory ended relatively recently. It is based on an old conception of history that without written records there could be no history. The most common conception today is that history is based on evidence, however the concept of prehistory hasn't been completely discarded. In the early Bronze Age, Sumer in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenrec
A tenrec () is a mammal belonging to any species within the afrotherian family Tenrecidae, which is endemic to Madagascar. Tenrecs are a very diverse group, as a result of adaptive radiation, and exhibit convergent evolution, some resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats, and mice. They occupy aquatic, arboreal, terrestrial, and fossorial environments. Some of these species, including the greater hedgehog tenrec, can be found in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. However, the speciation rate in this group has been higher in humid forests. All tenrecs are believed to descend from a common ancestor that lived 29–37 million years ago after rafting over from Africa. The split from their closest relatives, African otter shrews, is estimated to have occurred about 47–53 million years ago. Etymology The word "tenrec" is borrowed, via French, from the Malagasy word (variant of ), which refers to the tailless tenrec (''Tenrec ecaudatus''); the Malagasy word may be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hemicentetes
''Hemicentetes'' is a genus of tenrec with two species, present on the island of Madagascar. Geographic Range There are two species in the genus ''Hemicentetes'', ''H. semispinosus'' and ''H. nigriceps'' both are found only on Madagascar. Lowland streaked tenrecs (''H. semispinosus'') are found in the rainforests on the east side of the island and highland streaked tenrec The highland streaked tenrec (''Hemicentetes nigriceps'') is an insectivore which lives in the central upland regions of Madagascar. Its black-and-white-striped body is covered with quills, which it raises when agitated. The spines detach and rem ...s (''H. nigriceps'') are found in humid forest and plateau savanna boundary habitat in the central upland portion of Madagascar. Habitat Lowland streaked tenrecs (''H. semispinosus'') are found in tropical rainforest habitats while highland streaked tenrecs (''H. nigriceps'') are found in both tropical rainforest and savanna habitats. Their ranges were not thought ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Setifer
The greater hedgehog tenrec (''Setifer setosus''), also known as the large Madagascar hedgehog or sokina, is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical forests, shrubland and grassland, savanna, rural gardens, and urban areas. It is the only species in the genus ''Setifer''. Despite the close resemblance, it is not closely related to hedgehogs. Similarly to hedgehogs, neoplasia is common within the species and plays a significant role in morbidity and mortality. Distribution and habitat Greater hedgehog tenrecs are found throughout the island of Madagascar and are endemic to this island. The island of Madagascar ranges from sea level to 2,250 meters above sea level, and Setifer setosus is found throughout the island, with the exception of wetlands and marshes. Greater hedgehog tenrecs are seen in urban areas and even in areas with extensive human disturbance. The prime habitat for greater hedgeh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Echinops (mammal)
The lesser hedgehog tenrec (''Echinops telfairi'') is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Echinops'' and is named in honour of Charles Telfair. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, shrubland, and shrubland and dry savanna. Description The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a small, stout-bodied animal visually similar to a hedgehog, hence the name. Their tails are short, their limbs and muzzles are of moderate length, and their ears are prominent. The entire dorsum is covered with sharp spines. Color is usually yellow buff; individuals range from near white to almost black. Head and body length is . Weight is about . Lesser hedgehog tenrecs (like all tenrecs) have a cloaca (common urogenital opening), like a bird or a reptile. Behavior This tenrec is terrestrial. It spends its daytime hours resting under a log, a pile of branches, leaves, straws or in a hollow tree, although trees ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microgale
''Microgale'' is a genus of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. There are 21 living species on the island of Madagascar and one extinct species known from a fossil. Some species have been discovered in the last twenty years. On the basis of molecular data indicating that Talazac's shrew tenrec and Dobson's shrew tenrec form a sister group to the rest of ''Microgale'', these two species were transferred from ''Microgale'' to '' Nesogale'' in 2016. ''Nesogale'' and ''Microgale'' are estimated to have diverged about 19 million years ago, during the Early Miocene. The web-footed tenrec, ''M. mergulus'', the only semiaquatic member of the genus, was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ''Limnogale'', but was moved in 2016 on the basis of sequence data showing it to be deeply nested within ''Microgale''. ''Microgale'' contains the following extant species: * Short-tailed shrew tenrec (''M. brevicaudata'') G. Grandidier, 1899 * Cowan's shrew tenrec (''M. cowani'') Thomas, 1882 * Dr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Potamogale
The giant otter shrew (''Potamogale velox'') is a semiaquatic, carnivorous afrotherian mammal. It is found in the main rainforest block of central Africa from Nigeria to Zambia, with a few isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. It lives in streams, wetlands and slow flowing larger rivers. It is the only species in the genus ''Potamogale''. Otter shrews are most closely related to the tenrecs of Madagascar. They are nocturnal carnivores that feed on aquatic animals. Despite its name, the giant otter shrew is neither a true shrew ( Soricidae) or otter (Lutrinae). The common name refers to their resemblance to otters with their flat face, stiff whiskers, and muscular tails, and to their overall superficial similarity to true shrews. Description The giant otter shrew is a mammal superficially similar to an otter in appearance. It is characterized by a long, flat tail, which it uses for swimming by sideways undulation like a fish. It has a muzzle covered with bristles, and flat s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenrecomorpha
Tenrecomorpha is the suborder of otter shrews and tenrecs, a group of afrotherian mammals indigenous to equatorial Africa and Madagascar, respectively. The two families are thought to have split about 47–53 million years ago. Potamogalidae, Potamogalid otter shrews were formerly considered a subfamily of Tenrecidae. The suborder is also presumed to contain the extinct genus ''Plesiorycteropus'', a group of possibly fossorial insectivores similar to aardvarks, which is known to be more closely related to tenrecs of subfamily Tenrecinae than to golden moles of suborder Chrysochloridea. Otter shrews are carnivorous and semiaquatic, preying on any aquatic animal they can find with their sensitive whiskers. All tenrecs are believed to descend from a common ancestor that lived 29–37 million years (Ma) ago after Oceanic dispersal, rafting from Africa to Madagascar in a single event. Tenrecs are widely diverse; as a result of convergent evolution they resemble hedgehogs, shrews, oposs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
