Search

Background: European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are small insectivorous mammals common in Europe. With increased urbanization, the species become more frequent in the cities and near other human dwellings. The anatomy of the species with the use of diagnostic imaging techniques along with the classical anatomical methodology has not been researched before. In addition to the description of this species' skull, the data may contribute to progress in hedgehog medicine, delivering a basis for diagnosing and treating head trauma in this species. Results: Cadavers of 30 European hedgehogs have been used to study the anatomy of the head of the species. Along with classical anatomical techniques – latex and corrosion cast specimens, x-ray, and cone-bean computed tomography scans were performed. The methods were then compared, and the detailed anatomy of the head was described. The skull of the Western European hedgehog was elongated and oval in shape, and could be divided into two distinct regions: one formed of neurocranial bones and the other of facial bones. The neurocranium was composed of the following bones: the occipital, interparietal, parietal, frontal, temporal, sphenoid, ethmoid, and pterygoid bones. The following facial bones were identified: the incisive, nasal, maxilla, zygomatic, palatine, vomer, and the mandible. The most important findings include the primitive tympanic bullae, the absence of a supraorbital foramen, and the lacrimal bones, which were indistinguishably fused with the maxillae. Conclusions: The results of the study may be used in future research on the comparative anatomy of the other members of the Eulipotyphla order. With the increase of hedgehogs in the cities, it is important to establish new diagnostic and treatment protocols for wildlife rehabilitation centers. Anatomical and radiological descriptions may be used as a base for such work. The anatomical features of the hedgehog skull described in the study may prove useful for further studies from a comparative anatomical perspective. Additionally, the data may serve as a basis for developing identification guidelines for archaeological studies and forensic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are small insectivorous mammals common in Europe. With increased urbanization, the species become more frequent in the cities and near other human dwellings. The anatomy of the species with the use of diagnostic imaging techniques along with the classical anatomical methodology has not been researched before. In addition to the description of this species' skull, the data may contribute to progress in hedgehog medicine, delivering a basis for diagnosing and treating head trauma in this species. Results Cadavers of 30 European hedgehogs have been used to study the anatomy of the head of the species. Along with classical anatomical techniques – latex and corrosion cast specimens, x-ray, and cone-bean computed tomography scans were performed. The methods were then compared, and the detailed anatomy of the head was described. The skull of the Western European hedgehog was elongated and oval in shape, and could be divided into two distinct regions: one formed of neurocranial bones and the other of facial bones. The neurocranium was composed of the following bones: the occipital, interparietal, parietal, frontal, temporal, sphenoid, ethmoid, and pterygoid bones. The following facial bones were identified: the incisive, nasal, maxilla, zygomatic, palatine, vomer, and the mandible. The most important findings include the primitive tympanic bullae, the absence of a supraorbital foramen, and the lacrimal bones, which were indistinguishably fused with the maxillae. Conclusions The results of the study may be used in future research on the comparative anatomy of the other members of the Eulipotyphla order. With the increase of hedgehogs in the cities, it is important to establish new diagnostic and treatment protocols for wildlife rehabilitation centers. Anatomical and radiological descriptions may be used as a base for such work. The anatomical features of the hedgehog skull described in the study may prove useful for further studies from a comparative anatomical perspective. Additionally, the data may serve as a basis for developing identification guidelines for archaeological studies and forensic research.

The blackish small-eared shrew, Cryptotis nigrescens (Allen, 1895), is a blarinine soricid that occurs in high-elevation premontane wet forest and cloud forest in the Central American countries of Costa Rica and Panama. The species is taxonomically monotypic, although it exhibits size variation that manifests as a gradual increase in size from northwest to southeast. Habitat loss is currently the greatest threat to the species' existence, although populations in the few areas where C. nigrescens has been studied appear to be healthy, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as a species whose conservation status is "Least Concern" (LC). We include a complete synonymy for the genus CryptotisPomel, 1848. La musaraña negruzca de orejas pequeñas, Cryptotis nigrescens (Allen, 1895), es un sorícido blarinino que se encuentra en los bosques húmedos premontanos de gran altura y en los bosques nubosos de los países centroamericanos de Costa Rica y Panamá. La especie es taxonómicamente monotípica, aunque exhibe una variación de tamaño que puede manifestarse como un aumento gradual de tamaño del noroeste al sureste. La pérdida de hábitat es actualmente la mayor amenaza para la existencia de la especie, aunque las poblaciones en las pocas áreas donde se ha estudiado C. nigrescens parecen saludables, y la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) la ha clasificado como una especie cuyo estado de conservación es "Least Concern [Preocupación Menor]" (LC). Incluimos una sinonimia completa para el género CryptotisPomel, 1848. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study established techniques to induce pseudopregnancy, in vitro oocyte cultures from pronuclear to 2- to 4-cell stages, and embryo transfer in musk shrews, a reflex ovulator. Offspring were subsequently obtained by transferring in vivo-developed or in vitro-cultured embryos. Female musk shrews received human chronic gonadotropin (hCG), with or without mating stimuli, from vasectomized males to produce pseudopregnant recipients. Embryos at the 2- to 4-cell stage were collected 44–48 h after mating. Another set of embryos was collected 26–27 h after mating and then cultured for 20 h from the pronuclear to 2- to 4-cell stages. Subsequently, embryos were transferred into the oviducts of pseudopregnant recipients 24 or 48 h after the induction of pseudopregnancy. Offsprings were successfully obtained from recipients that received hCG 24 h before embryo transfer, regardless of mating stimuli. These techniques may be valuable for producing transgenic musk shrews.

Today, the expansion of the type and scale of human economic activity, as well as an increase in the level of environmental impact, dictate the need to preserve environmental sustainability and diversity of mammals in the Bukhara region. In the Bukhara region, 18 species of mammals belong to the terrestrial biotope, 14 species live underground but find food on the ground, 3 species belong to the aquatic biotope, whereas 4 species to the ecological group of flying mammals.

In the genus Talpa a new species, named Talpa aquitania, has been recently described. Only cytogenetic data are available for the nuclear genome of this species. In this work, we characterize the satellitome of the T. aquitania genome that presents 16 different families, including telomeric sequences, and they represent 1.24% of the genome. The first satellite DNA family (TaquSat1-183) represents 0.558%, and six more abundant families, including TaquSat1-183, comprise 1.13%, while the remaining 11 sat-DNAs represent only 0.11%. The average A + T content of the SatDNA families was 50.43% and the median monomer length was 289.24 bp. The analysis of these SatDNAs indicated that they have different grades of clusterization, homogenization, and degeneration. Most of the satDNA families are present in the genomes of the other Talpa species analyzed, while in the genomes of other more distant species of Talpidae, only some of them are present, in accordance with the library hypothesis. Moreover, chromosomal localization by FISH revealed that some satDNAs are localized preferentially on centromeric and non-centromeric heterochromatin in T. aquitania and also in the sister species T. occidentalis karyotype. The differences observed between T. aquitania and the close relative T. occidentalis and T. europaea suggested that the satellitome is a very dynamic component of the genomes and that the satDNAs could be responsible for chromosomal differences between the species. Finally, in a broad context, these data contribute to the understanding of the evolution of satellitomes on mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are emerging zoonotic pathogens. Micromammals have received little attention as hosts for hemoplasmas despite their ubiquitous presence, high population abundances, and close association with humans. A PCR protocol targeting a fragment of the 16 S rRNA gene and direct sequencing in blood samples of 189 adult specimens and 35 fetuses belonging to three species of Eulipotyphla (shrews) and seven species of Rodentia, captured in three ecologically diverse habitats in North-Eastern Spain (Steppe, High Mountain, Mediterranean) yielded and occurrence of 26%, including 36% of 39 shrews and 23% of 150 rodents. Sequencing revealed the presence of 14 nucleotide sequence types (ntST) among the 56 readable sequences. In general, each ntST was associated with a given host species, although in some cases, the same ntST was sequenced in different species (chiefly rodents). Most ntST were closely related to rodent and/or bat hemoplasmas, but one was identical with Mycoplasma haemocanis / haemofelis , and others can be considered novel genotypes. High sequence diversity was detected in rodents, whereas in the white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula), 9/11 sequences from two distant areas were identical. Phylogenetic and network analyses classified our sequences in different clades including hemoplasmas of rodents, carnivores, bats, and humans. Twelve of the fetuses (34.2%) of 9/12 litters (75.0%) of shrews and rodents were hemoplasma-positive, indicating frequent vertical transmission. Our study contributes to expanding our knowledge about the distribution, diversity, and transmission of hemoplasmas. • 23% of rodents and 36% of shrews from diverse habitats were positive for hemoplasma DNA. • Higher prevalence in an arid steppe than in Mediterranean and High Mountain areas. • Most genotypes were related to rodent and bats hemoplasmas, but other are new. • High sequence diversity in wild rodents, low diversity in shrews. • 34% of fetuses of 75% of litters positive for hemoplasma DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector and host abundance affect infection transmission rates, prevalence, and persistence in communities. Biological diversity in hosts and vectors may provide "rescue" hosts which buffer against pathogen extinction and "dilution" hosts which reduce the force of infection in communities. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-transmitted zoonotic pathogen that circulates in small mammal and tick communities characterized by varying levels of biological diversity. We examined the prevalence of A. phagocytophilum in Ixodes spp. ticks in 11 communities in northern and central California. A total of 1020 ticks of 8 species was evaluated. Five percent of ticks (5 species) were PCR-positive, with the highest prevalence (6-7%) in I. pacificus and I. ochotonae. In most species, adults had a higher prevalence than nymphs or larvae. PCR prevalence varied between 0% and 40% across sites; the infection probability in ticks increased with infestation load and prevalence in small mammals, but not tick species richness, diversity, evenness, or small mammal species richness. No particular tick species was likely to "rescue" infection in the community; rather the risk of A. phagocytophilum infection is related to exposure to particular tick species and life stages, and overall tick abundance.

The clade comprising the soricid tribes Blarinellini (Blarinella) and Blarinini (Blarina and Cryptotis) is notable within the Soricidae (Eulipotyphla) for the large proportion of reportedly semifossorial species. To better define locomotor modes among species in these two tribes, we quantified purported locomotor adaptations by calculating 23 functional indices from postcranial measurements obtained from museum specimens of Blarina and Blarinella and published measurements for 16 species of Cryptotis. We then analyzed relative ambulatory–fossorial function of each species using principal component analyses and mean percentile rank (MPR) analysis of the indices. Species within the Blarinellini–Blarinini clade exhibit a graded series of morphologies with four primary functional groupings that we classified as "ambulatory," "intermediate," "semifossorial," and "fossorial." To obtain a preliminary overview of evolution of locomotor modes in this group, we mapped MPRs on a composite phylogeny and examined the resulting patterns. That analysis revealed that the most recent common ancestor of the Blarinellini–Blarinini clade most likely had an intermediate or semifossorial locomotor morphology. Individual subclades subsequently evolved either more ambulatory or more fossorial morphologies. Hence, evolution of locomotor traits within this clade is complex. Multiple shifts in locomotor mode likely occurred, and no single directional tendency is apparent either among the major modes or in levels of complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karyotypes of 3 male Talpa specimens from northern Spain were analyzed. The mesostyles of upper molars and cytochrome b sequence analysis identified these specimens as belonging to Talpa aquitania, a new Talpa species recently described from northern Spain and southern France. We describe here for the first time the karyotype of Talpa aquitania. Its diploid number is 2n = 34 and NFa = 64, and all chromosomes including the sex chromosomes are biarmed, either metacentric or submetacentric. G-banding demonstrated that the karyotypes of T. aquitania and T. occidentalis (the most closely related species) are almost identical. However, the karyotype of T. aquitania differs from the karyotypes of both T. europaea and T. occidentalis in that it has a medium-sized biarmed Y chromosome rather than a dot-like chromosome and that chromosome 16 is submetacentric in T. aquitania but has a small p-arm in both T. europaea and T. occidentalis. Pericentromeric C-bands were scarce and only clearly visible in a few chromosomal pairs. In addition, C-banding demonstrated that half of the 14p, the 16p, and the Y chromosome are all heterochromatic. rDNA genes were located at the secondary constriction in autosomal pair 3, a common feature in the karyotypes of all Talpa species. Hybridization signals for telomeric repeats were found on the telomeres and the pericentric regions of some chromosomes and co-localized in the secondary constriction of pair 3 with the rDNA genes. In conclusion, the karyotype of T. aquitania from northern Spain is very similar to the karyotype of other species belonging to the genus Talpa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals served important roles in the religious cults that proliferated during the Late (ca. 747–332 BCE) and Greco-Roman Periods (332 BCE–CE 337) of ancient Egypt. One result was the interment of animal mummies in specialized necropolises distributed throughout the country. Excavation of a rock-tomb that was re-used during the Ptolemaic Period (ca. 309–30 BCE) for the interment of animal mummies at the Djehuty Site (TT 11–12) near Luxor, Egypt, was carried out in early 2018 by a Spanish–Egyptian team sponsored by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid. The tomb burned sometime after deposition of the mummies, leaving behind abundant disassociated skeletal remains, primarily of avians, but also including two species of shrews (Soricidae): Crocidura olivieri and C. religiosa. To investigate possible intraspecific variation in morphology and locomotor function in these two species during the last two millennia, we measured morphological features of individual postcranial bones from the two archaeological samples and calculated indices that have been used to assess locomotor function. We compared the measurements to those from modern C. olivieri , C. religiosa , and C. suaveolens using principal components analysis, and we compared locomotor indices to those we calculated for the three modern species of Crocidura and to those from nine species of myosoricine shrews. Osteological features of the postcranial skeleton of conspecific Ptolemaic and modern samples of C. olivieri and C. religiosa are generally similar in character and proportion, and, skeletally, these shrews and modern C. suaveolens are consistent with soricids having a primarily ambulatory locomotor mode. One exception is the deltopectoral crest of the humerus, which appears to be longer in modern C. religiosa. Despite general conservation of form and function, Ptolemaic C. olivieri had larger body size than modern Egyptian populations and were more similar in size to modern C. olivieri nyansae from Kenya than to modern C. olivieri olivieri from Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plague and tularemia are zoonoses and their causative bacteria are circulating in certain regions of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate potential disease reservoirs amongst small wildlife species in different regions of Iran.Methods: Rodents, insectivores and hares from 17 different provinces of the country were collected in 2014 and 2015. Samples were taken from the spleens of the animals and Real-time PCR was applied to detect nucleic acid sequences that are specific to Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis, respectively.Results: Among 140 collected rodents, 25 distinct species were identified out of which five were the most common: Microtus paradoxus (21% out of 140 rodents), Apodemus witherbyi (12%), Microtus irani (11%), Mus musculus (11%) and Microtus socialis (10%). Seventeen insectivores were collected and identified as Crocidura suaveolens (82%) and C. leucodon (18%). Fifty-one hares were collected and identified as Lepus europaeus (57%), Lepus tolai (14%) and Lepus sp. (29%). Three out of 140 explored rodents (1.91%) were positive for F. tularensis, an A. witherbyi, a Mus musculus domesticus, and a Chionomys nivalis collected from Golestan, Khuzestan and Razavi Khorasan provinces, respectively. Two hares (3.92%) were F. tularensis-positive, a L. europaeus from Khuzestan and a Lepus sp. from the Sistan and Baluchistan province. None of the tested animals were positive for Y. pestis.Conclusion: This is the first report of direct detection of F. tularensis in mammals of Iran and the first-time observation of the agent in a snow vole, C. nivalis worldwide. The results indicate that tularemia is more widespread in Iran than previously reported including the Northeast and Southwestern parts of the country. Future studies should address genetic characterization of F. tularensis positive DNA samples from Iran to achieve molecular subtyping and rule out assay cross-reactivity with near neighbor Francisella species.

Information about the role of micromammals in the epidemiology of Leishmania infantum and Babesia sp. in southern Europe is scarce. Wild micromammals were captured in natural areas in the Barcelona province (NE Spain) in 2011 and analysed by real-time PCR for the presence of DNA of Piroplasmida (n = 253) and Leishmania infantum (n = 166). The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) was the most abundant species, but all specimens tested negative for L. infantum, for which two out of 15 (13.3%) white-toothed shrews (Crocidura russula) and one out of 23 (4.3%) Algerian mice (Mus spretus) resulted positive. No individual was positive for Piroplasmida DNA. The role of wild micromammals in the epidemiology of these parasites in the study area seems negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plague and tularemia are zoonoses and their causative bacteria are circulating in certain regions of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate potential disease reservoirs amongst small wildlife species in different regions of Iran. Methods: Rodents, insectivores and hares from 17 different provinces of the country were collected in 2014 and 2015. Samples were taken from the spleens of the animals and Real-time PCR was applied to detect nucleic acid sequences that are specific to Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis, respectively. Results: Among 140 collected rodents, 25 distinct species were identified out of which five were the most common: Microtus paradoxus (21% out of 140 rodents), Apodemus witherbyi (12%), Microtus irani (11%), Mus musculus (11%) and Microtus socialis (10%). Seventeen insectivores were collected and identified as Crocidura suaveolens (82%) and C. leucodon (18%). Fifty-one hares were collected and identified as Lepus europaeus (57%), Lepus tolai (14%) and Lepus sp. (29%). Three out of 140 explored rodents (1.91%) were positive for F. tularensis, an A. witherbyi, a Mus musculus domesticus, and a Chionomys nivalis collected from Golestan, Khuzestan and Razavi Khorasan provinces, respectively. Two hares (3.92%) were F. tularensis-positive, a L. europaeus from Khuzestan and a Lepus sp. from the Sistan and Baluchistan province. None of the tested animals were positive for Y. pestis. Conclusion: This is the first report of direct detection of F. tularensis in mammals of Iran and the first-time observation of the agent in a snow vole, C. nivalis worldwide. The results indicate that tularemia is more widespread in Iran than previously reported including the Northeast and Southwestern parts of the country. Future studies should address genetic characterization of F. tularensis positive DNA samples from Iran to achieve molecular subtyping and rule out assay cross-reactivity with near neighbor Francisella species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new species of the genus Oscheius Andrassy, 1976 viz., Oscheius citri n. sp., O. cynodonti n. sp., O. cobbi n. sp., O. esculentus n. sp., O. punctata n. sp. and O. sacchari n. sp., are described by both morphological and molecular means from different agro-climatic regions of Sindh, Punjab and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. All species belong to insectivora group on the basis of leptoderan bursa, crochet needle-shaped spicules, normal rectum, lateral field with six separate lines and had unique ribosomal DNA-ITS, sequence. A compendium of the genus Oscheius (of both insectivora and dolichura groups) based on the following characters: body length, tail, spicules and gubernaculum length, ratios a, b, c, c' and vulva percentage is given. The morphometric and allometric characters with anterior and posterior regions were derived from the original descriptions. An identification key to 42 valid species of both insectivora and dolichura group of the genus Oscheius is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006 to 2007, the community of small terrestrial mammals was studied in a natural forest area of the Kelečská pahorkatina Upland situated on the boundary-line of the Oderské and Hostýnské vrchy Hills (district of Přerov, Czech Republic). Biotopes under study represented artificial plantings of beech, mature production forest stands and forest reserves. In total, 83 small terrestrial mammals of six species were caught by means of snap traps laid in lines. The majority of species colonized young plantings (n = 6, H´= 1.35), high forests showing lower diversity (n = 4, H´= 0.76). In 2006, population densities of small mammals were very low. In 2007, an increase in the population density of some species occurred, which was evidently affected by the in creased offer of food in the form of excessive seed crop (mainly of beech) in 2006. The most abundant species was Apodemus flavicollis, which represented more than half of all trapped small mammals. Arvicolidae and Insectivora showed very low populations. The high relative abundance of Apodemus agrarius in plantings of woody species was an interesting finding. These plantings are, with respect to low moisture and food offer, an atypical site for this species.

The organization of the cholinergic, catecholaminergic, and serotonergic neurons in the brains of five species of insectivores and the orexinergic (hypocretinergic) system in four insectivore species is presented. We aimed to investigate the nuclear complement of these neural systems in comparison to those of other mammalian species. Brains of insectivores were coronally sectioned and immunohistochemically stained with antibodies against choline acetyltransferase, tyrosine hydroxylase, serotonin and orexin-A. The majority of nuclei were similar among the species investigated and to mammals in general, but certain differences in the nuclear complement highlighted potential phylogenetic interrelationships. In the cholinergic system, the three shrew species lacked parabigeminal and Edinger–Westphal nuclei. In addition, the appearance of the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus in all insectivores revealed a mediodorsal arch. All three of these features are the same as those present in microchiropterans. The catecholaminergic system of the three shrew species lacked the A4 and A15d nuclei, as well as having an incipient A9v nucleus, again features found in microchiropteran brains. The serotonergic and orexinergic systems of the insectivores are similar to those seen across most eutherian mammals. The analysis of similarities and differences across mammalian species indicates a potential phylogenetic relationship between the Soricidae (shrews) and the microchiropterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New materials of the mole, Scapanulus oweni , are described from the Shanyangzhai Cave deposits of Qinhuangdao in China, which have yielded many vertebrate fossil assemblages referred to the Middle Pleistocene. The materials including 8 isolated upper teeth, 5 broken left mandibles, 9 isolated lower teeth, 4 humeri, and 3 toe bones. The parastyle of M1 is quite weak. The trigonid basins of the lower molars are closed or semi-closed. The m2 is largest, while the lengths of m1 and m3 are subequal. For the humeri, the scalopinae ridge is weakly developed, the fossa brachialis is similarly deep, the humerus is markedly overall slender, and the teres tuberculus is longer. The fossil Scapanulus oweni was first reported from north China. The toe bones of this fossil mole are first reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé La faune de vertébrés de la phosphatière de Valbro est exceptionnelle pour le MP 22. Les marsupiaux sont apparus en Europe occidentale au cours de l’Eocène inférieur et sont peu diversifiés à Valbro par rapport à d’autres sites d’âge comparable. Deux espèces seulement y sont identifiées : Amphiperatherium minutum et Peratherium elegans . L’insectivore nyctithériidé Darbonetus aubrelongensis , originellement décrit du MP 21, n’est représenté à Valbro que par trois spécimens. The vertebrate fauna of the Valbro phosphate chamber is unique for the mammalian standard level MP 22. Marsupials appeared in the early Eocene of Western Europe; they remain poorly diversified in Valbro compared to other contemporaneous sites. Two species were recognized: Amphiperatherium minutum and Peratherium elegans . The insectivorous nyctitheriid Darbonetus aubrelongensis , which first appears in MP 21, is only represented by three specimens in Valbro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substrate use and locomotory behavior of mammals are typically reflected in external characteristics of the forefeet, such as the relative proportions of the digits and claws. Although skeletal anatomy of the forefeet can be more informative than external characters, skeletons remain rare in systematic collections. This is particularly true for the Myosoricinae (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), a small clade of African shrews that includes both ambulatory forest shrews ( Myosorex) and semifossorial mole shrews ( Surdisorex). Most species in this subfamily have restricted distributions, and their behavior and ecology are mostly unstudied. To better understand the potential range of locomotory behavior among myosoricines, we used digital x-rays to image and facilitate measuring the forefoot skeletons of 9 species. As a gauge of potential variation, we compared them with the ambulatory talpid Uropsilus (Talpidae) and the semifossorial talpid Neurotrichus. The hand morphologies of myosoricines show a graded range of potential substrate use between ambulatory and semifossorial. Some of these shrews exhibit adaptations for increased burrowing efficiency that are similar to those seen in talpids and other mammals, such as longer, broader distal phalanges and claws and shorter, wider metacarpals and proximal and middle phalanges. They also, however, have characteristics that are distinct from talpids, such as maintenance of forefoot asymmetry and an increased emphasis of ray III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common rule for mammals vocalizing in the human audible frequency range (20 Hz-20 kHz) suggests that calls are higher in fundamental frequency (f0) in the young than in adults, because of the smaller sound-producing structures of the young. Exclusions are rare, for example the pups of Asian house shrews ( Suncus murinus) make some call types of the same or higher pitch than adults. In this study, calls from 62 piebald shrews ( Diplomesodon pulchellum), 37 1 to 10-d-old pups from 10 litters and 25 adults were acoustically investigated in captivity. We found eight call types, all within the human audible frequency range: short and long low-frequency squeaks with nearly flat contour, high-frequency squeaks with modulated contour, high-frequency squeaks with fractured contour, short and long screeches, clicks and whimpers. Seven call types were shared by pups and adults, suggesting that this vocal repertoire commences at birth. Against the common rule, the f0 of squeaks was the same in pups and adults, and the f0 of clicks and screeches was even higher in adults than in pups. These results suggest a non-descending ontogenetic pathway that not follows the common physical relationship, of the lower f0 for the larger vocal folds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the genus Talpa a new species, named Talpa aquitania , has been recently described. Only cytogenetic data are available for the nuclear genome of this species. In this work, we characterize the satellitome of the T. aquitania genome that presents 16 different families, including telomeric sequences, and they represent 1.24% of the genome. The first satellite DNA family (TaquSat1-183) represents 0.558%, and six more abundant families, including TaquSat1-183, comprise 1.13%, while the remaining 11 sat-DNAs represent only 0.11%. The average A + T content of the SatDNA families was 50.43% and the median monomer length was 289.24 bp. The analysis of these SatDNAs indicated that they have different grades of clusterization, homogenization, and degeneration. Most of the satDNA families are present in the genomes of the other Talpa species analyzed, while in the genomes of other more distant species of Talpidae, only some of them are present, in accordance with the library hypothesis. Moreover, chromosomal localization by FISH revealed that some satDNAs are localized preferentially on centromeric and non-centromeric heterochromatin in T. aquitania and also in the sister species T. occidentalis karyotype. The differences observed between T. aquitania and the close relative T. occidentalis and T. europaea suggested that the satellitome is a very dynamic component of the genomes and that the satDNAs could be responsible for chromosomal differences between the species. Finally, in a broad context, these data contribute to the understanding of the evolution of satellitomes on mammals.

The diversity of fossorial moles in East and Southeast Asia is contained in the 2 species-rich genera Mogera (8 species) and Euroscaptor (8 or more species), and the 3 monospecific genera Scapanulus, Scaptochirus, and Parascaptor. To better understand the evolution and biogeography of these fossorial moles, we conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial cytochrome- b ( Cytb; 1,140 base pairs [bp]) and 12S rRNA (approximately 830 bp) and nuclear recombination activating gene 1 ( Rag1; 1,010 bp) gene sequences from 5 species of Euroscaptor, 6 of Mogera, and the single species of Scaptochirus. Phylogenetic estimates revealed 5 distinct lineages of East and Southeast Asian fossorial moles: Mogera, Scaptochirus, Euroscaptor mizura, E. parvidens, and E. malayana- E. klossi- E. longirostris. Our results support the monophyly of Mogera but not Euroscaptor, indicating a need for taxonomic revision of the latter genus. We hypothesize that Mogera originated in the central portion of its range and then dispersed to peripheral islands, such as Taiwan and the Japanese Islands. The fragmented distribution of Southeast Asian Euroscaptor presumably arose from habitat competition (invasion) from Mogera species, long-range dispersal, vicariance events, or a combination of these, explaining the high species richness of fossorial moles in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ages of the rich Central Anatolian Late Miocene mammal sites Hayranli 1 and Düzyayla are only approximately known. One of the main reasons for the age uncertainties is the substantial faunal difference between Anatolia and Europe during this time slice, hampering correlations to the European MN system. Previously, a MN 10 or MN 11 age has been assigned to Hayranli 1 (Anatolian Zone J) and a MN 12 age to Düzyayla (Zone K) based on rodents. Here we studied the fossil insectivores from these two Turkish Miocene localities. We found an almost identical faunal content of the two localities, including one erinaceid (Schizogalerix sinapensis), five soricids (Paenelimnoecus sp., Amblycoptus oligodon, Petenyia dubia, Soricinae indet. and Crocidurinae/Crocidosoricinae indet.), and two talpids (Desmanella aff. cingulata and Desmanodon larsi sp. nov.). With the only difference being the absence of Paenelimnoecus in Düzyayla, the insectivore fauna suggests that the sites are not significantly different in age. The presence of A. oligodon is indicative of MN 12 in Europe. The rest of the assemblage is in complete agreement with aTurolian (MN 11-13) age. Our results also imply that D. larsi sp. nov. represents the youngest record of Desmanodon, extending the biostratigraphical range of this genus significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study established techniques to induce pseudopregnancy, in vitro oocyte cultures from pronuclear to 2- to 4-cell stages, and embryo transfer in musk shrews, a reflex ovulator. Offspring were subsequently obtained by transferring in vivo-developed or in vitro-cultured embryos. Female musk shrews received human chronic gonadotropin (hCG), with or without mating stimuli, from vasectomized males to produce pseudopregnant recipients. Embryos at the 2- to 4-cell stage were collected 44-48 h after mating. Another set of embryos was collected 26-27 h after mating and then cultured for 20 h from the pronuclear to 2- to 4-cell stages. Subsequently, embryos were transferred into the oviducts of pseudopregnant recipients 24 or 48 h after the induction of pseudopregnancy. Offsprings were successfully obtained from recipients that received hCG 24 h before embryo transfer, regardless of mating stimuli. These techniques may be valuable for producing transgenic musk shrews.