The snow leopard was first scientifically described by Johann Schreber in 1775 as a member of the genus Felis. The differences from other cats were sufficient that, in 1854, John Edward Gray proposed that it be given its own genus, Uncia. His original definition of the genus did not stand (it also included at least one species of "purring cat"), but it was resurrected again in the early 20th century, and used solely for snow leopards up until 2006. In that year genetic evidence placed it alongside the other "roaring cats" in Panthera, something that has been amply confirmed since.
Synapsida
A random wander through the world of mammals
Sunday, 16 February 2025
When Snow Leopards Reached Portugal
Sunday, 9 February 2025
Delphinids: Common and Bottlenose Dolphins
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Common dolphin |
So much so in fact, that by the time we reach the 21st century, only one species remains in the genus originally created to contain all dolphins and dolphin-like animals. That species is, of course, the one that we believe Linnaeus happened to be thinking of when he named the genus, and therefore is the defining (or 'type') species not only for its genus but for the dolphin family as a whole. This is the aptly named common dolphin (Delphinus delphis).
Saturday, 1 February 2025
Call of the Mole Vole
Most obviously different from regular voles are the giant species. Although genetic data shows us that these are voles, in the sense of being offshoots of the vole family tree rather than something distinct, we don't normally refer to them as such in English. Instead, we call them "lemmings" or, in the case of the very largest species, "muskrats". To avoid potential confusion, in more scientific language we would therefore use the taxonomic name when referring to the subfamily as a whole and say that voles, lemmings, and muskrats collectively are "arvicolines".
Sunday, 26 January 2025
Delphinid Dolphins
Technically known as the Delphinidae, this was named by John Edward Gray in 1821 as part of one of the earliest formal lists of mammal families. Gray's original definition basically included all toothed cetaceans other than narwhals and sperm whales, encompassing four genera, only one of which is still placed in the family today - Delphinus, from which it takes its name. He didn't list how many species he thought that genus contained, but it would certainly have included the two named by Linnaeus in 1758, and probably at least three others that had been described in the interim. Over the following decades, the number expanded considerably, with Gray himself identifying several of them, notably when he catalogued the observations and specimens collected by the Ross Expedition of 1839-43.
Sunday, 19 January 2025
Oligocene (Pt 13): The First Porcupines
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Prosotherium |
Sunday, 12 January 2025
The Struggles of a Pollinating Bat
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Note the dusting of pollen... |
Even aside from the obvious importance that this gives bats to the wider ecosystem, this can also have direct economic importance to we humans. For example, sour pitayas are an important cash crop in parts of Mexico. Similar to the much sweeter dragonfruit (although not closely related), they grow on a particular type of cactus that is native to the country but is also commonly cultivated. As it turns out, this cactus relies on bats for pollination. While they are not essential, crop yields drop by over a third when the bats are prevented from reaching them, which would clearly be devastating for a Mexican farmer who may be living on the edge of profitability to start with.