Nesophontes

Nesophontes, sometimes called West Indies shrews, is the sole genus of the extinct, monotypic mammal family Nesophontidae in the order Eulipotyphla. These animals were small insectivores, about 5 to 15 cm long, with a long slender snout and head and a long tail. They were endemic to Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands.

Nesophontes[1]
Temporal range: Quaternary
Nesophontes edithae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: †Nesophontidae
Anthony, 1916
Genus: †Nesophontes
Anthony, 1916
Species

†Nesophontes edithae
†Nesophontes hemicingulus
 †Nesophontes hypomicrus
†Nesophontes longirostris
†Nesophontes major
†Nesophontes micrus
†Nesophontes paramicrus
†Nesophontes submicrus
†Nesophontes superstes
†Nesophontes zamicrus

Although reliable estimates are unavailable, these animals are widely believed to have survived the Pleistocene extinction since remains have been found among those of Rattus and Mus species. Some authorities estimate extinction coinciding with the arrival of rats aboard Spanish vessels in the early 16th century (1500). Others, such as Morgan and Woods, claim that some species survived until the early 20th century.[2] A phylogenetic study in 2016, based on DNA extracted from a specimen about 750 years old, suggests their nearest relatives are the solenodons, although the two groups diverged more than 40 million years ago.[3]

The West Indies shrews have been described only from fossil records and skeletal material in owl pellets found in the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. Recent efforts to locate surviving populations have been unsuccessful.[4] Although some Nesophontes remains (in owl pellets) have been reported as fresh-appearing, radiocarbon dating has failed to support any post-16th century dates, suggesting that the nesophontids became extinct very rapidly at approximately the time of European discovery of the Greater Antilles,[5] although one species, N. hemicingulus, possibly survived until around c.1632-1774.[6]

Since Nesophontes species have only been observed through fossil records the exact number of species varies among authorities. Some claim as many as 12 valid species while other claim as few as six.[1]

See also

References
  1. Hutterer, R. (2005). "Order Soricomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 220–222. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. Morgan, G. S. & C. A. Woods (1986). "Extinction and the zoogeography of West Indian land mammals". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 28: 167–203. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1986.tb01753.x.
  3. Brace, S.; Thomas, J. A.; Dalén, L.; Burger, J.; MacPhee, R.D.E.; Barnes, I. & Turvey, S. T. (2016). "Evolutionary history of the Nesophontidae, the last unplaced Recent mammal family" (PDF). Molecular Biology and Evolution. 33 (12): 3095–3103. doi:10.1093/molbev/msw186. PMID 27624716.
  4. Woods, C. A., J. A. Ottenwalder, and W. L. R. Oliver (1985). "Lost mammals of the Greater Antilles: summarized findings of a ten week field survey in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico". Dodo (Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust). 22: 23–42.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. MacPhee, R. D. E., C. Flemming, D. P. Lunde (1999). ""Last occurrence" of the Antillean insectivoran Nesophontes : new radiometric dates and their interpretation". American Museum of Natural History "Novitates" (3261). hdl:2246/3106.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "Three new mammal species discovered in Cayman Islands after bones found inside crocodiles". The Independent. The Independent. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
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