Tyrrhenian Mole
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''Talpa tyrrhenica'', also known as the Tyrrhenian mole, is an
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
species of mole belonging to the genus '' Talpa''. It was
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
to the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
islands of
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 Metro ...
and
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 an ...
during the
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
epoch. It was first described in 1945 by Dorothea Bate, Remains with affinities to the species extend back to around 2 to 2.1 million years ago on the archipelago, during the Early Pleistocene. It is suggested to have evolved from the mainland European species ''Talpa minor'', which is known from the archipelago during the
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
depauperate terrestrial mammal fauna which besides ''T. tyrrhenica'' included Tyrrhenian field rat, ('' Rhagamys orthodon''), the Sardinian pika ('' Prolagus sardus''), a shrew ('' Asoriculus similis''), the Tyrrhenian vole ('' Microtus henseli''), the Sardinian dhole (''Cynotherium sardous''), a galictine
mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborde ...
('' Enhydrictis galictoides''), a dwarf mammoth ('' Mammuthus lamarmorai'') three species of
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...
('' Algarolutra majori, Sardolutra ichnusae, Megalenhydris barbaricina'') and a
deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
('' Praemegaceros cazioti'').


See also

* List of extinct animals of Europe


References

Prehistoric mammals of Europe Fauna of Corsica Fauna of Sardinia Extinct mammals of Europe Pleistocene extinctions Talpa Fossil taxa described in 1945 {{Paleo-talpidae-stub