Microgale[1] is a genus of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. There are 21 living species on the island of Madagascar and one extinct species known from a fossil. Some species have been discovered in the last twenty years.
On the basis of molecular data indicating that Talazac's shrew tenrec and Dobson's shrew tenrec form a sister group to the rest of Microgale, these two species were transferred from Microgale to Nesogale in 2016.[2]Nesogale and Microgale are estimated to have diverged about 19 million years ago, during the Early Miocene.[2] The web-footed tenrec, M. mergulus, the only semiaquatic member of the genus, was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Limnogale, but was moved in 2016 on the basis of sequence data showing it to be deeply nested within Microgale.[2]
Microgale contains the following extant species:
Short-tailed shrew tenrec (M. brevicaudata) G. Grandidier, 1899
Cowan's shrew tenrec (M. cowani) Thomas, 1882
Drouhard's shrew tenrec (M. drouhardi) G. Grandidier, 1934
Dryad shrew tenrec (M. dryas) Jenkins, 1992
Pale shrew tenrec (M. fotsifotsy) Jenkins, Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1997
Shrew tenrecs converged on the shrew like body plan these animals also share the same diversity as shrews with web footed tenrecs closely resembling water shrews.
^Bronner, G.N.; Jenkins, P.D. (2005). "Order Afrosoricida". 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. 72–75. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^ abcdEverson, K. M.; Soarimalala, V.; Goodman, S. M.; Olson, L. E. (2016). "Multiple Loci and Complete Taxonomic Sampling Resolve the Phylogeny and Biogeographic History of Tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and Reveal Higher Speciation Rates in Madagascar's Humid Forests". Systematic Biology. 65 (5): 890–909. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syw034. PMID 27103169.
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