Eastern caenolestid

The eastern caenolestid (Caenolestes sangay) is a shrew opossum found on the eastern slopes of the Andes in southern Ecuador.[2]

Eastern caenolestid
Holotype, Sangay National Park, Ecuador
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Paucituberculata
Family: Caenolestidae
Genus: Caenolestes
Species:
C. sangay
Binomial name
Caenolestes sangay
Ojala-Barbour et al., 2013

Etymology

The origin of the genus name (Caenolestes) drives from the Greek words kainos ("new") and lestes ("robber", "pirate"). The origin of the species name (sangay) derives from Sangay National Park, which is the largest Andean national park in Ecuador. The park itself is named after a volcano called Sangay, one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes that lies within the park. Sangay National Park was the site of the discovery of the eastern caenolestid in 2010.

Taxonomy

The eastern caenolestid is one of the five members of Caenolestes, and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that Caenolestes is closely related to Lestoros (the Incan caenolestid).[3][4] Over the years, it became clear that Lestoros is morphologically different from Caenolestes.[5] A 2013 morphological and mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenetic study showed that the Incan caenolestid and the long-nosed caenolestid (Rhyncholestes raphanurus) form a clade sister to Caenolestes. The cladogram below is based on this study.[2]

Gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)

Brown four-eyed opossum (Metachirus nudicaudatus)

Incan caenolestid (Lestoros inca)

Long-nosed caenolestid (Rhyncholestes raphanurus)

Caenolestes

Northern caenolestid (C. convelatus)

Dusky caenolestid (C. fuliginosus)

Andean caenolestid (C. condorensis)

Gray-bellied caenolestid (C. caniventer)

Eastern caenolestid (C. sangay)

Caenolestid fossils date to as early as the early Eocene (nearly 55 mya).[6]

References
  1. Ojala-Barbour, R.; Brito, D.; Pinto, C. (2020) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Caenolestes sangay". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T51222063A166524217. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  2. Ojala-Barbour, R.; Pinto, C. M.; Brito, J.; Albuja, L.; Lee, T. E.; Patterson, B. D. (October 2013). "A new species of shrew-opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestide) with a phylogeny of extant caenolestids". Journal of Mammalogy. 94 (5): 967–982. doi:10.1644/13-MAMM-A-018.1.
  3. Simpson, G.G. (1970). "The Argyrolagidae, extinct South American marsupials". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 139: 1–86.
  4. Marshall, L.G. (1980). "Systematics of the South American marsupial family Caenolestidae". Fieldiana: Geology. New Series. 5: 1–145.
  5. Gardner, A.L., ed. (2007). Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. Chicago, US: University of Chicago Press. pp. 121, 124–6. ISBN 978-0-226-28242-8.
  6. Patterson, B.D.; Gallardo, M.H. (1987). "Rhyncolestes raphanurus" (PDF). Mammalian Species (286): 1–5. doi:10.2307/3503866. JSTOR 3503866.
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