An worldwide crew of scientists has examined 1,368 specimens of shrews from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and located clear, principally constant proof for the existence of 21 species on the island, solely seven of which have been beforehand acknowledged.
Crocidura pallida, one of many 14 new species found by Esselstyn et al. Image credit score: Kevin Rowe.
Shrews are a various group of mammals — 461 species have been recognized to this point — they usually have a virtually international distribution.
These small insectivorous animals are nearer relations to hedgehogs and moles than to some other mammals.
“It’s an exciting discovery, but was frustrating at times,” stated Dr. Jake Esselstyn, a mammalogist within the Museum of Natural Science and the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University.
“Usually, we discover one new species at a time, and there is a big thrill that comes from it.”
“But in this case, it was overwhelming because for the first several years, we couldn’t figure out how many species there were.”
Dr. Esselstyn and colleagues examined an in depth assortment of genetic and morphological information from new specimens of the shrew genus Crocidura they collected between 2010 and 2018, mixed with outdated specimens collected in 1916.
In complete, they examined 1,368 specimens, they usually acknowledged 21 species on Sulawesi, together with the 14 new species.
The identified range of shrews on Sulawesi is now thrice greater than is understood from some other island.
“Taxonomy serves as the foundation of so much biological research and conservation effort,” Dr. Esselstyn stated.
“When we don’t know how many species there are or where they live, our capacity to understand and preserve life is severely limited. It’s essential that we document and name that diversity.”
“If we can make discoveries of this many new species in relatively well-known groups like mammals, imagine what the undocumented diversity is like in less conspicuous organisms.”
The crew’s paper was revealed within the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.
_____
Jacob A. Esselstyn et al. 2021. Fourteen New, Endemic Species of Shrew (Genus Crocidura) from Sulawesi Reveal a Spectacular Island Radiation. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 454 (1): 1-108; doi: 10.1206/0003-0090.454.1.1