Nesomys narindaensis

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Nesomys narindaensis
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene – Holocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Nesomyidae
Genus: Nesomys
Species:
N. narindaensis
Binomial name
Nesomys narindaensis
Mein et al., 2010

Nesomys narindaensis is an extinct

morphology
. The presence of N. narindaensis, a rare element in the local rodent fauna, suggests that the region was previously more humid.

Taxonomy

Remains of Nesomys narindaensis were found during fieldwork in northwestern Madagascar that started in 2001.

N. rufus.[4] Nesomys is classified in the exclusively Madagascan subfamily Nesomyinae of the family Nesomyidae, which includes various African rodents.[5]

Description

Nesomys narindaensis is known from a damaged skull, missing part of the back, a mandible (lower jaw) with the first two molars (m1 and m2), and four isolated molars (one first upper molar, M1, one third upper molar, M3, and two m2).[3] It is larger than each of the three living species, and the known material additionally differs from those in a few details that may not hold in larger samples.[4] Total skull length is 61.3 mm, longer than in the largest living species, N. lambertoni (50.3–53.8 mm). The width of the palate between the M1 is 8.7 mm (7.2–7.9 mm in N. lambertoni)[3] and the length of the upper toothrow is 9.04 and 9.16 mm on the two sides of the skull[6] (7.2–7.9 mm in N. lambertoni).[4]

M1 is flat-crowned.

mesoloph, a crest on the middle of the tooth, is distinct but short[3] and located further to the back than in N. rufus.[4] M2 has a longer mesoloph.[3] M3 is largely flat-crowned, but the paracone is a bit more prominent than the rest. The valley between the cusps at the front is deeper than the valleys at the back. Each of the upper molars has three roots.[3]

The m1 is long and narrow. The

anterolabial cingulum are present before the protoconid and the metaconid. As on the m1, a transverse mesolophid and an ectostylid are present.[3] The hypoconid and the entoconid are present, as is the posterolophid behind them. Within the posterolophid, there is a small valley that is absent in N. rufus.[4] Both m1 and m2 have two roots; m3 is unknown.[7]

Distribution and ecology

Remains of Nesomys narindaensis have been found at the sites of Antsingiavo, Ambongonambakoa, and Ambatomainty in northwestern Madagascar, which are latest

Subfossil remains of Nesomys have been recorded from some other localities in northwestern Madagascar, but these have not been described.[4]

References

  1. ^ Mein et al., 2010, p. 102
  2. ^ Mein et al., 2010, p. 101
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mein et al., 2010, p. 104
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Mein et al., 2010, p. 105
  5. ^ Musser and Carleton, 2005
  6. ^ Mein et al., 2010, table 2
  7. ^ Mein et al., 2010, pp. 104, 105

Literature cited

  • Mein, P., Sénégas, F., Gommery, D., Ramanivoso, B., Randrianantenaina, H. and Kerloc'h, P. 2010. Nouvelles espèces subfossiles de rongeurs du Nord-Ouest de Madagascar (subscription required). Comptes Rendus Palevol 9(3):101–112 (in French, with abridged English version).
  • Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp.
    ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0

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