Gerbillus mauritaniae Heim de Balsac 1943

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Muridae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 1189-1531 : 1228

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.7316535

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11334173

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E9B2D19-80D5-7E6C-6B0F-20BCE1E040BA

treatment provided by

Guido

scientific name

Gerbillus mauritaniae Heim de Balsac 1943
status

 

Gerbillus mauritaniae Heim de Balsac 1943 View in CoL

Gerbillus mauritaniae Heim de Balsac 1943 View in CoL , Bull. Mus . Hist. Nat. Paris, 15: 287.

Type Locality: Mauritania, Aouker Region, south of Archane Titarek.

Vernacular Names: Mauritanian Gerbil.

Distribution: Known only by the holotype, which is apparently lost, from the type locality.

Conservation: IUCN – Critically Endangered.

Discussion: Gerbillini . Type species of Monodia ( Heim de Balsac, 1943) . According to Lay (1983), F. Petter (1975 b), and Roche (1975), the diagnostic traits of Monodia (three large independent tubercles covered with short and stiff hair in metatarsal region with remainder of sole naked, M3 with small posterior cusp) do not warrant generic distinction. Pavlinov et al. (1990) recognized Monodia as a genus but with a question. Pavlinov (in litt., 2001) explained that he examined a locality sample of pigmy gerbils from Mauritania in USNM and recognized two different mandible morphologies within it. One of them is typical Gerbillus and another he thought to be atypical of Gerbillus and superficially resembling that of Desmodilliscus ; the two kinds were figured in Pavlinov et al. (1990:42, fig. 16). He supposed the atypical mandible to represent Heim de Balsac’s Monodia , and so resurrected the genus as distinct in Pavlinov et al. (1990). We examined the same Mauritanian series, which does consist of two entities, three examples of a very small-bodied species and six of an even smaller one. Given the vagueness of Heim de Balsac’s description, apparent lack of type material, and need for careful revision of pygmy gerbils in West Africa, it is uncertain which series represents mauritaniae . General mandibular shape of both is similar and resembles mandibles of other small Gerbillus , such as G. henleyi or the larger G. nanus . Each of the sympatric Mauritanian species has a naked plantar surface, accessory tympanum, and multichambered mastoid bullae with the same number of compartments as in many Gerbillus proper. Until specimens can accurately be identified as mauritaniae and their diagnostic traits revealed, we depart from the treatment by Pavlinov et al. (1990) and submerge Monodia into Gerbillus , without even subgeneric status, as indicated by other gerbil taxonomists.

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Genus

Gerbillus

Loc

Gerbillus mauritaniae Heim de Balsac 1943

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn 2005
2005
Loc

Gerbillus mauritaniae

Heim de Balsac 1943: 287
1943
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