Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861

Turni, Hendrik, Hutterer, Rainer & Asher, Robert, 2007, Type specimens of “ insectivoran ” mammals at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Zootaxa 1470, pp. 1-33 : 10-11

Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861

Peters, W.C.H. (1861) Bemerkungen über einen Solenodon cubanus. Monatsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1861: 169 [169].

Description and figures in: Peters, W.C.H. (1863) Ü ber die Sãugethiergattung Solenodon . Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1863: 1–22, Tafeln I–III.

Valid name: Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861

Lectotype (here designated): ZMB 2761 (adult female), skin, skull and skeleton, according to the catalogue entry by Peters collected from "Aguilera, am Abhange der Sierra Maestra, zwischen Cap Maisi und Cap Cruz" in Cuba by J. Gundlach, ded. by Sezekorn.

Comments: Ottenwalder (2001) in his revision of the genus Solenodon considered an animal from Bayamo as the holotype: “ Holotype: Adult female from the mountains near Bayamo, Provincia Granma, Cuba; Berlin Academy of Sciences. Obtained by J. Gundlach.” This author possibly considered the specimen ZMB 4014, a female in alcohol collected near Bayamo, Cuba, by Gundlach (original catalogue entry). Together with a juvenile male (ZMB 4015) from the same collector and locality, ZMB 4014 was catalogued between 1867 and 1869, and therefore most probably after the publication of Peters (1861). Peters`description of S. cubanus however was based primarily on the female ZMB 2761. He also mentioned a male specimen from the mountains near Bayamo, Cuba, that had been described by Poey and which Peters included in his new species. He listed measurements (taken by Poey) of that specimen. According to the Code (ICZN 1999, article 73.2.1) it should be regarded as a syntype, together with ZMB 2761. The male specimen of Poey could not be located, and it is unknown whether it still exists in a collection.

The specimens 2761 and 4014 had both been marked with a type symbol in the ZMB catalogue. However, this is for the latter specimen an error. We believe that specimens 4014 and 4015 have no type status. In addition, both are still completely preserved in alcohol and could not have served for Peters’ description, which includes a detailed analysis of the skeleton and the inner soft parts. Measurements and the plate published by Peters ( Fig. 1 ) agree well with ZMB 2761, a now stuffed and mounted specimen with skull and skeleton preserved ( Figs. 2 – 3 ). Therefore, we designate ZMB 2761 as lectotype for Solenodon cubanus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Original figures of Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861, adapted from Peters (1863).

FIGURE 2. Skin of the Lectotype specimen ZMB 2761 Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861 in lateral, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURE 3. Skull of the Lectotype specimen ZMB 2761 Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861 in ventral, dorsal and lateral views.