2023-12-27 03:42:09
A scientific team with the participation of the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC has described five new species of gymnuras in Southeast Asia, animals related to hedgehogs but they lack spikes. This discovery is very unique. The description of new species of mammals is not common, as it is one of the most studied animal groups.
To carry out the work, published in the magazine Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (1), novel genetic and morphological analyzes have been applied to specimens sampled and preserved in scientific museum collections, which have allowed the identification of new species.
Gymnuras are small animals belonging to the hedgehog family, but instead of quills they have softer fur. Like spiny hedgehogs, they are not rodents and have a pointed snout.
“Without the spines of their relatives, the soft-furred hedgehogs look at first glance like a cross between a mouse and a short-tailed shrew,” he explains. Arlo Hinckleymain author who began the study during his thesis developed at the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC.
These new described species belong to the group of gymnurans, known scientifically as Hylomyswho live in the Southeast Asia and which was previously only represented by only two known species.
Active day and night
According to the researcher, these small mammals are active day and night and They are omnivorous. They probably eat a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates, as well as some fruits when given the opportunity.
“According to the lifestyle of their close relatives and the field observations, these species probably nest in holes and take shelter while searching for food among tree roots, fallen logs, rocks, areas of grass, brush and leaf litter,” explains Hinckley. “But, since they are so little studied, we limit ourselves to speculating about the details of their natural history,” she clarifies.
The researcher first became interested in this group of mammals in 2016, during the development of his doctoral thesis at the Doñana Biological Station, especially after sampling them in Borneo together with the co-author of the study Miguel Camacho Sánchez.
Preliminary genetic data and studies of several known populations of Hylomys in Southeast Asia, it was suggested to them that there might be more species in the group than currently recognized. This led Hinckley to examine the natural history collections looking for specimens assigned to the group, many of which were only preserved skins and skulls.
Complete data in natural history museums
When he began his research at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History last year, Hinckley looked to its collections to fill in some of the geographic gaps in specimens he had already studied. He did it with Melissa Hakwinsmuseum curator specializing in mammals.
“We were able to identify the new species thanks to museum staff, who have preserved these specimens over countless decades, and their original collectors,” says Hinckley.
Before their identification as new species, the specimens had remained for 84 years in the drawers of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and for 62 years in the case of the specimens at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
“Applying genetic techniques moderns, we have been able to identify these specimens many years after they were collected. “Next generations will be able to identify even more new species.”
The team gathered 232 physical specimens and 85 tissue samples for genetic analysis from the entire Hylomys group, as well as museum specimens from no fewer than 14 natural history collections from Asia, Europe and the US.
Ultimately, Hinckley, Hawkins and their collaborators gathered 232 physical specimens and 85 tissue samples for genetic analysis of the entire group. Hylomysas well as modern and historical museum specimens from no less than 14 natural history collections from Asia, Europe and the United States.
They then performed genetic analyzes of the tissue samples in the laboratories of ancient DNA of the Doñana Biological Station and in the Analytical Biology Laboratory of the museum. They also conducted rigorous physical observations of the skulls, teeth and fur of all the specimens.
The results allowed us to identify seven different genetic lineages in Hylomys, suggesting that the number of recognized species in the group was about to increase by five. This was finally confirmed with morphological observations of the specimens.
“People may be surprised to learn that there are still undiscovered mammals out there,” says Hawkins. “But there is a lot we don’t know, especially the smallest nocturnal animalss, which can be difficult to distinguish one from another.”
In the study, two completely new species and three species that were previously considered subspecies of another already known species have been identified. The two new species that have been identified, which have been named Hylomys vorax y Hylomys macarong, are endemic to the Leuser ecosystem, an area of tropical humid forest located in Southeast Asia. While the first was from southern Vietnam, the second was originally from the north of the island of Sumatra.
The ‘Hylomys macarong’ has dark brown fur and is about 14 centimeters long. It was named after the Vietnamese expression “ma cà rồng” which means “vampire”, since the males of the species have long incisors that look like fangs.
He Hylomys macarong It has dark brown fur and is about 14 centimeters long. It was named after the Vietnamese expression “ma cà rồng” which means “vampire”, since the males of the species have long incisors that look like fangs.
Role in sexual selection
Hinckley says more field studies are needed to find out what these incisors might be used for, but their larger size in males suggests they might play some role in sexual selection. The males also had rust-colored chest markings, which the researcher probably attributes to secretions from the scent glands.
He Hylomys vorax It also has dark brown fur, but is slightly smaller than the Hylomys macarong, about 12 centimeters long. It has a completely black tail, a very narrow snout and is only found on the slopes of Leuser, in northern Sumatra.
Hinckley and Hawkins gave the species the Latin name of Hylomys vorax by the description made by the mammal specialist Frederick Ulmer, who collected the specimens that allowed the study to be carried out during an expedition to Sumatra in 1939. Ulmer described the animals in his field notes as “voracious beasts” and incorrectly identified them. with a type of shrew.
The other three new species were previously considered subspecies of Hylomys suillus, but they all showed enough genetic and physical differences to be considered species in their own right. They have been named as Hylomys dorsalis, Hylomys maxi y Hymolys peguensis. The first comes from the mountains of northern Borneo and has a striking dark stripe that begins at the top of the head and divides its back in two before fading around the body.
It is approximately the same size as the Hylomys macarong. For its part, Hylomys maxi It is also one of the largest, at 14 centimeters. This species is found in mountainous regions of the malay peninsula and in Sumatra. Finally, Hymolys peguensis It is smaller, measuring about 13 centimeters and is found in numerous countries in continental Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, Laos and Burma Their fur is a little yellower than the other species, according to Hawkins.
The description of these new species expands scientific knowledge about the natural world and can be a tool to promote the conservation of threatened habitats.
Conservation Financing
The description of these new species expands scientific knowledge about the natural world and can be a tool to promote the conservation of threatened habitats such as the Leuser ecosystem. “These types of studies can help governments and organizations make difficult decisions about where to prioritize conservation funding to maximize biodiversity,” says Hinckley.
This research has had the support of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institute, the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Ministry of Universities of Spain and Harvard University.
References (1) An integrative taxonomic revision of lesser gymnures (‘Eulipotyphla: Hylomys’) reveals five new species and emerging patterns of local endemism in Tropical East Asia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
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