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Asoriculus
''Asoriculus'' is an extinct genus of terrestrial Shrew (animal), shrews in the subfamily Soricinae (red-toothed shrews) and tribe Nectogalini, native to Europe (including the islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily) West Asia and North Africa, from the Late Miocene (from around 6 million years ago) until the late Holocene (likely the late 1st millennium BC). The genus is closely related and possibly ancestral to the also recently-extinct Nesiotites, Balearic shrews (''Nesiotites''), with their closest living relative being the Himalayan shrew (''Soriculus nigrescens''). Taxonomy and evolution The number of valid species in the genus is uncertain and subject to dispute. The best known species of ''Asoriculus'', ''Asoriculus gibberodon'', was widespread in Europe from the Late Miocene (Messinian, Mammal Neogene zones, MN13, from around 7.2-5.3 million years ago) to the Early Pleistocene, and was also present in Anatolia and the Caucasus during the Pliocene. The youngest records of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nesiotites
''Nesiotites'' is an extinct genus of large red-toothed shrews belonging to the tribe Nectogalini that inhabited the Balearic Islands from the latest Miocene/Early Pliocene (from around 5.3 million years ago) up until the arrival of humans on the islands during the late Holocene (around 2500-2300 BC). It was present on Mallorca and Menorca. It represented one of only 3 native land mammals to the islands at the time of human arrival, alongside the goat-antelope '' Myotragus'' and the giant dormouse ''Hypnomys''. The genus is closely related to the also recently extinct Corsican-Sardinian shrews belonging to the genus '' Asoriculus'', with their closest living relatives being the Himalayan shrews of the genus '' Soriculus.'' Taxonomy ''Nesiotites'' was originally described by Dorothea Bate in 1945, with the type species being ''Nesiotites hidalgo.'' Originally, two species from the islands of Corsica and Sardinia (''N. corsicanus'' and ''N. similis'') were included in the genus, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nectogalini
Nectogalini is a tribe of Old World shrews within the family Soricidae. As of late 2007, it consisted of six extant genera and 25 species, with some of the latter being further divided into subspecies. Some, but not all members of the tribe are semiaquatic. Adaptation to semiaquatic life Members of this tribe that are associated with a semiaquatic mode of life ('' Chimarrogale'', '' Nectogale'', and '' Neomys'') have developed several lifestyle adaptations. For example, some species have stiff hairs on the sides of their toes and feet, both on their fore and hind limbs. These increase the surface area of the feet, assisting in locomotion during swimming. In addition, species such as '' Neomys fodiens'' have developed elongated tails with the hairs forming a keel-like shape that is similar in function to a rudder when the animal is in the water.Churchfield, Sara, 1990. ''The Natural History of Shrews''. C. Helm/A & C Black, 178 pp. Genera * '' Chimarrogale'' (6 species) * ''C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia and 16.45 km south of the French island of Corsica. It has over 1.5 million inhabitants as of 2025. It is one of the five Italian regions with some degree of Autonomous administrative division, domestic autonomy being granted by a Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, special statute. Its official name, Autonomous Region of Sardinia, is bilingual in Italian language, Italian and Sardinian language, Sardinian: / . It is divided into four provinces of Italy, provinces and a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city. Its capital (and largest city) is Cagliari. Sardinia's indigenous language and Algherese dialect, Algherese Catalan language, Catalan are referred to by both the regional and national law as two of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Episoriculus
''Episoriculus'' is a genus of shrew in the red-toothed shrew subfamily. Its common is brown-toothed shrew. It has been described as a subgenus to '' Soriculus'' in the past. The genus occurs at a number of locations in Asia, including Nepal and China. Species Currently, the four identified species of the genus ''Episoriculus'' include: * Hodgson's brown-toothed shrew (''E. caudatus'') **''E. c. sacratus'' **''E. c. umbrinus'' * Taiwanese brown-toothed shrew (''E. fumidus'') * Long-tailed brown-toothed shrew (''E. leucops'') **''E. l. leucops'' **''E. l. baileyi'' * Long-tailed mountain shrew (''E. macrurus'') The monophyly In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent comm ... of the genus has been questioned, as ''E. fumidus'' has been found to be only distantly related to other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soriculus
''Soriculus'' is a genus of shrew native to the Himalayas, the adjacent Hengduan Mountains and surrounding areas. There is generally only one recognised species, '' Soriculus nigrescens'', (as other extant species previously assigned to the genus had been transferred to other genera), though in 2023 and 2024 additional living species of the genus were proposed. Taxonomy The genus ''Soriculus'' is placed within the tribe Nectogalini. Several former species of the genus has been moved to other genera such as ''Chodsigoa'' and ''Episoriculus''. Species from the extinct European genus ''Asoriculus'' were also included here at one point. Currently the genus contains the extinct species ''Soriculus kashmiriensis'' and ''Soriculus kubinyi'', although in its description ''S. kashmiriensis'' was noted for being most closely related to species now placed in the genus ''Chodsigoa''. DNA research has confirmed the close relationship of ''Soriculus'' with the recently extinct ''Asoriculus'' an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shrew (animal)
Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to different families or orders. Although its external appearance is generally that of a long-nosed mouse, a shrew is not a rodent, as mice are. It is, in fact, a much closer relative of hedgehogs and moles; shrews are related to rodents only in that both belong to the Boreoeutheria magnorder. Shrews have sharp, spike-like teeth, whereas rodents have gnawing front incisor teeth. Shrews are distributed almost worldwide. Among the major tropical and temperate land masses, only New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and South America have no native shrews. However, as a result of the Great American Interchange, South America does have a relatively recently naturalised population, present only in the northern Andes. The shrew family has 385 known species, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soricinae
The red-toothed shrews of the subfamily Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies of shrews, along with Crocidurinae (white-toothed shrews) and Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews). In addition, the family contains the extinct subfamilies Limnoecinae, Crocidosoricinae, Allosoricinae and Heterosoricinae. These species are typically found in North America, northern South America, Europe and northern Asia. The Tooth enamel, enamel of the tips of their teeth is reddish due to iron pigment. The iron deposits serve to harden the enamel and are concentrated in those parts of the teeth most subject to wear. Members of the genera ''Chimarrogale'', ''Nectogale'', ''Neomys'' (Nectogalini) and some members of ''Sorex'' (Soricini) are known as water shrews, due to having a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Species The list of species is: * Tribe Anourosoricini ** Genus ''Anourosorex'' (Asian mole shrews) *** Assam mole shrew, ''A. assamensis'' *** Giant mole shrew, ''A. schmidi'' *** Chines ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miklós Kretzoi
Miklós Kretzoi (9 February 1907 – 15 March 2005) was a Hungarian people, Hungarian geologist, paleontologist and paleoanthropologist and Széchenyi Prize winner. Exhibition in the Hungarian National Museum, 9 February - 24 May 2004 Kretzoi studied Arts and natural sciences at the then Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Pázmány Péter University, Budapest from 1925 to 1929. While still a student, he worked as a Volunteering, volunteer at the Geological Institute of Hungary. In 1930 he graduated from the University of Pécs with a PhD in Palaeontology, Geology and Geography. In 1933 he commenced work with the "Hungarian-American Oil Inc" as a geologist and geophysicist. He remained at Hungarian-American Oil until the outbreak of the Second World War. Kretzoi moved to the National Museum of Hungary where he was curator of the Mineralogy and Paleontology departments until he began work at the Geological Institute of Hungary in 1950. Kretzoi was the director of the G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, with Palma de Mallorca being its capital and largest city. Formerly part of the Kingdom of Majorca, Kingdom of Mallorca, the islands were made a province in the 19th century provincial division, which in 1983 received a Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands, Statute of Autonomy. In its later reform of 2007, the Statute designates the Balearic Islands as one of the ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationalities'' of Spain. The official Languages of Spain, languages of the Balearic Islands are Catalan language, Catalan and Spanish language, Spanish. The archipelago islands are further grouped in western Pityusic Islands, Pytiuses (the largest being Ibiza and Formentera), and eastern Gymnesian Islands, Gymnesians (the largest bein ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metropolitan France#Hexagon, French mainland, west of the Italian Peninsula and immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia, the nearest land mass. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. , it had a population of 355,528. The island is a Single territorial collectivity, territorial collectivity of France, and is expected to achieve "a form of autonomy" in the near future. The regional capital is Ajaccio. Although the region is divided into two administrative Departments of France, departments, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud, their respective regional and departmental Territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities were merged on 1 January 2018 to form the single territorial collectivity of Corsica. Corsican aut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is an unofficial Age (geology), age in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, also known as the Upper Pleistocene from a Stratigraphy, stratigraphic perspective. It is intended to be the fourth division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently defined as the time between 129,000 and c. 11,700 years ago. The late Pleistocene equates to the proposed Tarantian Age of the geologic time scale, preceded by the officially ratified Chibanian (commonly known as the Middle Pleistocene). The beginning of the Late Pleistocene is the transition between the end of the Penultimate Glacial Period and the beginning of the Last Interglacial around 130,000 years ago (corresponding with the beginning of Marine Isotope Stage 5). The Late Pleistocene ends with the termination of the Younger Dryas, some 10th millennium BC, 11,700 years ago when the Holocene Epoch began. The term Upper Pleistocene is currently in use as a p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clade
In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach to taxonomy adopted by most biological fields. The common ancestor may be an individual, a population, or a species (extinct or Extant taxon, 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 Taxon, taxa that are not clades; that is, taxa that are not Monophyly, monophyletic. Some of the relationships between organisms that the molecul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
