Soricomorpha

Soricomorpha Fossil range: Middle Eocene–Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Southern Short-tailed Shrew
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Magnorder: Boreoeutheria Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Soricomorpha Gregory, 1910
Families
† Nesophontidae Solenodontidae Soricidae Talpidae

Soricomorpha is an order of placental mammals that includes shrews (family Soricidae), moles (family Talpidae), solenodons (family Solenodontidae), and members of the extinct family Nesophontidae. These families were originally placed in the now extinct order Insectivora. However, Soricomorpha is itself considered to be paraphyletic and many replace it with the order Eulipotyphla, with includes members of Soriciomorpha and the family Erinaceidae

The order Soricomorpha ("shrew-form") is a taxon within the class of mammals. In previous years it formed a significant group within the former order Insectivora. However, that order was shown to be polyphyletic and various new orders were split off from it, including Afrosoricida (tenrecs and golden moles), ****Macrelidea (elephant shrews), and Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures), leaving just four families as shown here, leaving Insectivora empty and disbanded.

Subsequently, Soricomorpha itself was shown to be paraphyletic, because Soricidae shared a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with other soricomorphs. The combination of Soricomorpha and Erinaceidae, referred to as order Eulipotyphla, has been shown to be monophyletic.

Living members of the order range in size from the Etruscan shrew, at about 3.5 cm and 2 grams, to the Cuban solenodon, at about 32 cm and 1 kg.

• ORDER SORICOMORPHA
  • Family Soricidae (shrews)
    • Subfamily Crocidurinae: {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=

{{#invoke:Category handler|main}}{{#invoke:Category handler|main}} }} (white-toothed shrews)

• • • Subfamily Soricinae: {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=

{{#invoke:Category handler|main}}{{#invoke:Category handler|main}} }} (red-toothed shrews)

• • • Subfamily Myosoricinae: {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=

{{#invoke:Category handler|main}}{{#invoke:Category handler|main}} }} (African white-toothed shrews)

• • Family Talpidae: {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=

{{#invoke:Category handler|main}}{{#invoke:Category handler|main}} }} (moles and close relatives)

• • • Subfamily Scalopinae (New World moles and close relatives)
    • Subfamily Talpinae (Old World moles and close relatives)
    • Subfamily Uropsilinae (Chinese shrew-like moles)
  • Family Solenodontidae: solenodons (rare primitive soricomorphs)
  • Family † Nesophontidae: West Indian shrews (extinct soricomorphs of the Caribbean)

Eulipotyphla is an order of mammals suggested by molecular methods of phylogeny reconstruction, and including the members of the now-invalid order Insectivora except those in the order Afrosoricida (tenrecs and golden moles), i.e. comprising the solenodons (family Soleodontidae); hedgehogs and gymnures (family Erinaceidae); desmans, moles, and shrew moles (family Talpidae); and true shrews (family Soricidae). True shrews and talpids form a monophyletic clade, sometimes referred to as an order, named Soricomorpha.

• Order Soricidae
  • Family Talpidae
  • Family Erinaceidae
• Family Solenodontidae
• Family Erinaceidae
• Family Talpidae
• Family Soricidae

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Erinaceidae is the only living family in the order Erinaceomorpha, which has recently been subsumed with Soricomorpha into the order Eulipotyphla. Eulipotyphla has been shown to be monophyletic; Soricomorpha is paraphyletic because Soricidae shared a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with other soricomorphs.

Erinaceidae contains the well-known hedgehogs (subfamily Erinaceinae) of Eurasia and Africa and the gymnures or moonrats (subfamily Galericinae) of South-east Asia. This family was once considered part of the order Insectivora, but that polyphyletic order is now considered defunct.

Characteristics of Erinaceids

Erinaceids are generally shrew-like in form, with long snouts and short tails. They are, however, much larger than shrews, ranging from 10–15 cm in body length and 40-60 grams in weight, in the case of the short-tailed gymnure, up to 26–45 cm and 1-1.4 kilograms in the Greater Moonrat. All but one species have five toes in each foot, in some cases with strong claws for digging, and they have large eyes and ears. Hedgehogs possess hair modified into sharp spines to form a protective covering over the upper body and flanks, while gymnures have only normal hair. Most species have anal scent glands, but these are far better developed in gymnures, which can have a powerful odor.

Erinaceids are omnivorous, with the major part of their diet consisting of insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates. They also eat seeds and fruit, and occasionally bird's eggs, along with any carrion they come across. Their teeth are sharp and suited for impaling invertebrate prey. The dental formula for erinaceids is: ${\tfrac {2-3.1.4.3}{3.1.2-4.3}}$

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, but gymnures are less so, and may be active during the day. Many species live in simple burrows, while others construct temporary nests on the surface from leaves and grass, or shelter in hollow logs or similar hiding places. Erinaceids are solitary animals outside the breeding season, and the father plays no role in raising the young.

Female erinaceids give birth after a gestation period of around six to seven weeks. The young are born blind and hairless, although hedgehogs begin to sprout their spines within 36 hours of birth.

Evolution

Erinaceids are a relatively primitive group of placental mammals, having changed little since their origin in the Eocene. The so-called 'giant hedgehog' (actually a gymnure) Deinogalerix, from the Miocene of Gargano Island (part of modern Italy), was the size of a large rabbit, and may have eaten vertebrate prey or carrion, rather than insects.

Classification

There are 12 described genera and 43 described species of erinaceid.

• ORDER ERINACEOMORPHA
  • †Family Amphilemuridae
    • †Genus Alsaticopithecus
    • †Genus Amphilemur
    • †Genus Gesneropithex
    • †Genus Macrocranion
    • †Genus Pholidocercus
  • Family Erinaceidae
    • Subfamily Erinaceinae (Hedgehogs)
      • †Genus Amphechinus
        • †Amphechinus akespensis
        • †Amphechinus arverniensis
        • †Amphechinus baudelotae
        • †Amphechinus edwardsi
        • †Amphechinus ginsburgi
        • †Amphechinus golpeae
        • †Amphechinus horncloudi
        • †Amphechinus intermedius
        • †Amphechinus kreuzae
        • †Amphechinus major
        • †Amphechinus microdus
        • †Amphechinus minutissimus
        • †Amphechinus robinsoni
        • †Amphechinus taatsiingolensis
      • Genus Atelerix
        • Four-toed hedgehog, Atelerix albiventris
        • North African hedgehog, Atelerix algirus
        • Southern African hedgehog, Atelerix frontalis
        • Somali hedgehog, Atelerix sclateri
      • Genus Erinaceus
        • Amur hedgehog, Erinaceus amurensis
        • Southern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus concolor
        • European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus
        • Northern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus roumanicus
      • Genus Hemiechinus
        • Long-eared hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus
        • Indian long-eared hedgehog, Hemiechinus collaris
      • Genus Mesechinus
        • Daurian hedgehog, Mesechinus dauuricus
        • Hugh's hedgehog, Mesechinus hughi
      • Genus Paraechinus
        • Desert hedgehog, Paraechinus aethiopicus
        • Brandt's hedgehog, Paraechinus hypomelas
        • Indian hedgehog, Paraechinus micropus
        • Bare-bellied hedgehog, Paraechinus nudiventris
    • Subfamily Galericinae (Gymnures, or Moonrats)
      • †Genus Deinogalerix
        • †Deinogalerix brevirostris
        • †Deinogalerix freudenthali
        • †Deinogalerix intermedius
        • †Deinogalerix koenigswaldi
        • †Deinogalerix minor
      • Genus Echinosorex
        • Greater Moonrat, Echinosorex gymnura
      • Genus Hylomys
        • Long-eared gymnure, Hylomys megalotis
        • Dwarf gymnure, Hylomys parvus
        • Short-tailed gymnure or Lesser Moonrat, Hylomys suillus
      • Genus Neohylomys
        • Hainan gymnure, Neonylomys hainanensis
      • Genus Neotetracus
        • Shrew gymnure, Neotetracus sinensis
      • Genus Podogymnura
        • Dinagat gymnure, Podogymnura aureospinula
        • Mindanao gymnure, Podogymnura truei

Patsy, V.; J. Song; R. Weber and L. Siciliano Martina 2014. "Soricomorpha" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 31, 2014 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Soricomorpha/

Soricomorphainsectivores Vincent Adam Patsy; Jane Yaewon Song; Robin Elizabeth Weber; Leila Siciliano Martina

References

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Soricomorpha Portal

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