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TRIBE Neurotrichini

Author:Hutterer, 2005.
Citation:Mammal Species of the World (Wilson and Reeder, eds.), 3rd ed., 1: pg???.
Comments:

Type genus – Neurotrichus Günther, 1880. Definition – Extant species represents smallest New World talpid; semi-fossorial moles that spend much time and nest above ground; tail about half the length of head-and-body, thick, constricted at base, scaled, annulated, covered sparsely with long hairs; pelage black to blue-black; eyes rudimentary, pinnae absent; digitigrade, pentadactyle feet scaly; forefoot longer than broad, equipped with long curved claws; 6 weak tubercles on sole of hindfoot (Hall, 1981; Carraway and Verts, 1991, Mammalian Species 387); humerus shrew-like (Storch and Qiu, 1983); bullae incomplete; skull with broad braincase and wide interorbital constriction; zygoma short; 36 teeth, six upper and seven lower molariform teeth on each side; for details of the dentition and differences to Urotrichus, see Storch and Qiu (1983). Contents – Neurotrichus Günther, 1880; Quyania Storch and Qiu, 1983.

A molecular study by Shinohara et al. (2003) clearly revealed that Neurotrichus has no sister relationship to Urotrichus and Dymecodon and therefore cannot be included in the Urotrichini. Storch and Qiu (1983) described similarities in the dentition and humerus of Neurotrichus and Quyania Storch and Qiu, 1983 from the Neocene of China, and postulated a long separation of Urotrichini and Neurotrichus (plus Quyania). Neurotrichus is the only known vertebrate to possess a pigmented layer covering the anterior surface of the eye lens (Lewis, 1983), and the only talpid known to possess a pair of ampullary glands and have external lobulation of the two bodies of the prostate gland (Eadie, 1951).

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Offspring:

GENUS Neurotrichus

SPECIES gibbsii

SUBSPECIES gibbsii

SUBSPECIES hyacinthinus

SUBSPECIES minor

Synonyms:


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