Systematics and macroevolution of extant and fossil scalopine moles (Mammalia, Talpidae)

Title
Systematics and macroevolution of extant and fossil scalopine moles (Mammalia, Talpidae)
Publication Date
2019-07
Author(s)
Schwermann, Achim H
He, Kai
Peters, Benjamin J
Plogschties, Thorsten
Sansalone, Gabriele
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1111/pala.12422
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/26932
Abstract
Scalopini is one of the two fully fossorial mole tribes in the family Talpidae, with remarkable adaptations to subterranean lifestyles. Most living Scalopini species are distributed in North America while a sole species occurs in China. On the other hand, scalopine fossils are found in both Eurasia and North America from upper Oligocene strata onwards, implying a complex biogeographical history. The systematic relationships of both extant and fossil Scalopini across North America and Eurasia are revised by conducting phylogenetic analyses using a comprehensive morphological character matrix together with 2D geometric-morphometric analyses of the humeral shape, with a specific emphasis on Mioscalops, a genus commonly found in North America and formerly known as Scalopoides. Our phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the tribe Scalopini as well as a proposed two-subtribe-division scenario of Scalopini (i.e. Scalopina and Parascalopina), although Proscapanus could not be assigned to either subgenus. Our geometric-morphometric analyses indicate that the European Mioscalops from southern Germany should be allocated to Leptoscaptor, which in turn implies that Mioscalops may be endemic to North America and never arrived in Europe. Examination of biogeographical patterns does not unambiguously determine the geographical origin of Scalopini. Nevertheless, it does support multiple transcontinental colonization events across Asia, Europe and North America. Scapanulus oweni, distributed in central China, is the only remaining representative of one of those out-of-North-America migrations, whereas scalopine moles are common in North America nowadays with up to five species.
Link
Citation
Palaeontology, 62(4), p. 661-676
ISSN
1475-4983
0031-0239
Start page
661
End page
676

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