Macroscelides flavicaudatus

Macroscelides flavicaudatus
Macroscelides flavicaudatus (A) and M. proboscideus (B)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Macroscelidea
Family: Macroscelididae
Genus: Macroscelides
Species: M. flavicaudatus
Binomial name
Macroscelides flavicaudatus
Lundholm, 1955

Macroscelides flavicaudatus (common name: Namib round-eared sengi or Namib round-eared elephant shrew) is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae found in the central Namib desert and southern Namibia.[1]

Discovery and identification

Macroscelides flavicaudatus was first described by Lundholm as Macroscelides proboscideus flavicaudatus, a subspecies of M. proboscideus. The type specimen had been collected by the Plague Research Laboratory of the South African Institute for Medical Research, "six miles from the mouth of the Omaruru River" in Namibia. It is distinguished by the lighter coloration of its fur.[2] Nine other subspecies of M. proboscideus had previously been described; while Corbet and Hanks[3] dismissed the variation between these as continuous, they retained M. p. flavicaudatus.

Upon genetic and morphological analysis, Dumbacher et al. found that the two subspecies were significantly divergent, and proposed elevating both to the rank of species.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dumbacher, J. P.; Rathbun, G. B.; Smit, H. A.; Eiseb, S. J. (2012). Steinke, Dirk, ed. "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Round-Eared Sengis or Elephant-Shrews, Genus Macroscelides (Mammalia, Afrotheria, Macroscelidea)". PLoS ONE 7 (3): e32410. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032410. PMC 3314003. PMID 22479325.
  2. ↑ Lundholm, B.G. (1955). "Descriptions of new mammals". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 22 (3): 279–303.
  3. ↑ Corbet, G.B.; Hanks, J. (1968). "A revision of the elephant-shrews, family Macroscelididae". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology 16: 45–111.