Smetsia – Wikipedia

Dirtia is a genus from the pubes’ family (Manidae). It is assigned to the steppe pancipers and the giant pneumatic animal and thus the two ground -in -case with Africa. The two species inhabit large parts of Africa from the western part of the continent to the eastern to the southern. The main habitat includes dense forests and open landscapes. They are robustly built and marked on the outside by the striking scale dress. The animals live loners and mostly feed on state -forming insects that they are looking for on the ground with the help of their sense of smell. The main activities are at night. Intensive hunting by the person who uses the pubes as a food resource and in local medical customs led to a severe decline in stocks. In addition, international trade has a negative impact on the populations of the floor -diving, African pubes. Both types are endangered in their existence.

The genus Dirtia Put with the steppe pancipers ( Smutsia Temminckii ) and the giant pneumatic animal ( Smutsia gigantea ) the two larger representatives of the Schnitters in Africa. Its head fuselage length varies from 30 to 81 cm, the tail becomes an additional 37 to 70 cm long. Overall, the tail is shorter than the rest of the body and significantly shorter than with the tree -living pubes of the genus Pataginus . The body weight fluctuates from 3 to 35 kg. The body is built vigorously. The scale dress also covers the head, back and sides of the fuselage, the tail and the outside of the limbs, deviating from Pataginus It extends to the lower sections of the front and hind legs. The scales are massive and very large compared to the tree -climbing species, but, like in these three, pointing tips, which are not always recognizable by wear in old age. They arrange on the body in rows that run across. A single row of dandruff extends over the center line of the back, which, as with the representatives of Pataginus , but deviating from the Asian shapes in front of the tail tip and is replaced by a double row of scales. The tip of the tail is completely covered with dandruff, while the tree -living pubes on the underside occurs. On the bottom of the body and on the legs, the representatives of the genus Dirtia a short -haired fur trained with the Pataginus -Forms, on the other hand, get longer. In contrast to the Asian pubes, there are no hair between the dandruff. The head has a conical shape and is provided with small eyes. As with all African species, the earrings are significantly reduced, but is striking in the Asian but striking. The limbs have a short and strong building, the front ones are usually significantly shorter than the back. They end in five rays with strong claws, which are strikingly shorter on the feet than on the hands. The three middle claws of the front feet show clear extensions and act as grave claws. ^{[first] [2] [3] [4]}

The distribution area of Dirtia comprises large parts of the African continent from west to central and eastern to South Africa. Compared to the tree -living pubes, the area of ​​the soil -dwelling is therefore much further ahead. Open landscapes and closed forests serve as a habitat. The steppe piercing animal in particular is inhabited by savannas and grasslands with bush vegetation from northeastern to southern Africa, in the dense tropical rainforests and gallery oales of central and West Africa, it is replaced by the giant pneumatic animal. The population density in both species is rather low. ^{[5] [3] [4]}

Territorial behavior [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Steppen psperive animal, historical recording from today’s Namibia, was created between 1906 and 1918

The representatives of Dirtia live loner and are largely nocturnal and predominantly soil -in -law. There they often move four -footed, the front feet are stopped with the outer edge so that the claws are not worn out. The hind legs touch the underground with the entire sole. ^[first] In some cases, the animals only run on the hind legs, which happens much more often in the steppe psoriasis. The tail is strikingly less movable than with the tree -living pubes, which means that the soil lives are only able to climb to a limited extent. The animals entertain action rooms in which they are over a longer period of time, usually a few years. There are several underground buildings in the action rooms as retreats. With its extremely strong front legs, the giant pubes are an excellent grave and often creates itself. The steppe psperive animal, on the other hand, has shorter and not so strong arms and is therefore less well equipped with the ditch. It is therefore mostly withdrawn to shelter, which were dug by other graves. The foray areas are marked with fragrance notes. This makes the main communication through the very good sense of smell. ^{[5] [3] [4]}

Nourishment [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Both the steppe and the giant pubes are strong nutritional specialists, whose food consists almost exclusively of states-forming insects such as ants and termites. Both types can therefore be strictly myrmecophag be considered. The food is sought on the ground, using the fine sense of smell. The buildings of the insects open the animals with the strong claws of the front feet, the prey is absorbed with the long and sticky tongue. A nest is not completely destroyed during the eating, the individual animals return to it for several nights in a row. The representatives of the genus lay for the feed search Dirtia sometimes also longer distances. ^{[5] [3] [4]}

Reproduction [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Reproduction is not limited. The gauge is given as three to five months. As a rule, a single young animal is born, which is relatively wide developed with open eyes and a trained but still soft scale armor. In contrast to the adult animals, it also has a very movable tail and also a strong clip reflex. The early days spends the beginning on the back or the tail root of the mother animal. After one to three months, the boy consumes solid food for the first time. Since the mother animal is ready to be received relatively quickly after birth, it can still play a new one while rearing the one boy. With the birth of the new young animal, the elder leaves the mother animal. The life expectancy in the wild is not known. ^{[5] [3] [4]}

Dirtia is a genus from the pneumatic animal family (Manidae) and includes the soil -inherited pneumatic animals of Africa. It is currently the only member of the Smutsiinae subfamily. Africa’s tree -dwelling pneumatic animals, on the other hand, belong to the subfamily of the Phatagininae with the genus Pataginus at. Both lines are in a sister group relationship with each other. According to molecular genetic analyzes, its separation dates back to the miocene from the oligocene about 22.9 million years ago. The Asian representatives of the pubes are through the genus Sweet and represented the maninae subfamily; They form a more distant kinship group, which had already settled from the common line with the African Schnitters in the course of the Eocene 46.9 to 37.9 million years ago. ^{[7] [6]} The Schnee animals themselves represent the only member of the order of the Pholidota, which is therefore monotypical. They are extensively related to the predators (Carnivora), but this relationship was only recognized by genetic studies. ^{[8] [9] [6]}

In addition to the kinship scheme presented here, there are also other outline suggestions from the pubes. In some cases, the African representatives are also within the genus Sweet guided. In this case then receive Pataginus and Dirtia the rank of sub -genres. ^{[ten] [5]} On the other hand, some researchers represent the opinion of a greater differentiation of the pubes. So include Dirtia Also the floor -to -be -pavers of Africa, from the genus Pataginus But will be with Uroman Another separated. In the former, the white belly panciper is then the long -tailed pneumatic animal in the latter. ^[11] Anatomical and phylogenetic examinations show that the Asian pubes form a monophyletic, self -contained group and thus separate from the African. The African pubes, on the other hand, appear more heterogeneous, although the two tree -living pubes in Africa are clearly closely related, which does not justify a split into two genera. The floor -living representatives also form a narrower group. ^{[9] [6]}

The subfamily of the Smutsiinae and the genus Dirtia two recent species are assigned: ^{[9] [6]}

• Unterfamilie: smutsiinae Gray , 1873

Fossil has been described another species: ^[twelfth]

The scientific first description of Dirtia Created John Edward Gray in 1865. His short description was: ^[13]

At that time, Gray only included the steppe pancipers in the genus, he led the giant pneumatic animal as Pholidotus africanus On the side of the Malay ( Sweet javanica ) and the front Indian pubing animal ( Ghost crassicaudata ) that today the genus Sweet belong. ^[13] Eight years later, Gray named the Smutsiinae subfamily, but he led them in the rank of a tribus under the name Smutsiana. Here, too, he only saw the steppe psoriasis. He had the giant pneumatic animal together with the front Indian pub Pangolin delay. ^[14] In some cases, the tree -living pubes of Africa were also referred to the Smutsiinae. ^[9] A genetic study from 2017 referred it to the Phatagininae own subfamily. ^[6]

Origins and adjustments [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

About the origin of the genus Dirtia Little is known. The extremely agile cock as well as the strong bracket handle in young animals are indications that today’s representatives of tree -living ancestors descend. Comparable features typically occur in adult individuals of the species of the genus Pataginus on. The extremely strongly trained claws of the front feet and the powerful muscles of the front legs also indicate this origin. These not only enable it to dig in the surface, but also to tear down very firm terms (whose hardness is comparable to a 3 cm thick concrete slab). In contrast, the steppe psperive animal is less adapted to a graving lifestyle and also avoids hard insect buildings. To do this, it can switch to an upright walk, which is made possible by the rather vertical position and the lighter construction of the pelvis, but also by reducing the muscle mass in the front area of ​​the body and the associated shift in the body’s focus. With the giant pubes, the pelvis in turn is more massive and more horizontally stored, the strong arm muscles necessary for digging ensures an upstream center of focus; It is therefore difficult to go into one biped Change locomotion. Compared to the giant pneumatic animal, the steppe psperive animal is the more progressive way, which has developed more of the tree -living ancestors. ^[3] It is unclear where the development into terrestrial lifestyle, whether in Africa or in Asia, is unclear. However, since the oldest known fossils of Africa represent floor -growing pneumatic animals, this could speak for a development in Asia. ^[7]

Fossiliest [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Fossil remains of Dirtia are extremely rare. What is important is a partial skeleton from the Langenbaanweg site in South Africa, which is close to the giant puber due to its size and body proportions. It is the oldest known detection of the pubes at the age of around 5 million years, which corresponds to the beginning of the Pliocene. Remains of the forelands that were found in Uganda in East Africa are somewhat younger and most likely belong to the same kind. ^[15] Individual remnants of the steppe piercing animal could be recovered in the Nelson Bay Cave, again in South Africa, and date into the outgoing Pleistocene 12,000 to 18,000 years ago. ^{[16] [17]} With Smetsia olteniensis The only evidence of the genus outside of Africa from Grăunceanu in Romania is. It is an almost complete upper arm bone that is placed in the transition from the Pliozene to the lower Pleistocene. The find shows that Dirtia originally had a significantly more extensive geographical reach. ^[twelfth]

The representatives of the genus Dirtia are hunted hard like all of the pubes. Their meat is considered a delicacy and thus gets as a civil market to local markets. The scales and other parts of the body, on the other hand, are used in local medical customs, such as the mouth or juju , because healing forces are awarded to them. In some regions of West Africa, locals worship the pubes, especially the giant pubes, also as a totem, but the custom goes back due to significant population movements as a result of regional conflicts. ^[3] Since the 1990s, the floor-to-be pubes have increasingly also reached international trade, where they are mainly exported to East and Southeast Asia. Mainly you use them here in traditional Chinese medicine. This trade is also partly via Europe, where individual animals were confiscated, such as 2008 and 2011. ^{[18] [19]} The strong hunting triggered by these causes means that the stocks of the two floor -to -life pubes in Africa are very declining, and there were already a depression of individual populations. The representatives of the genus have been since 2000 Dirtia Protected by the Washington Species Protection Convention (Cites), the trade in the animals or their parts of the body is therefore prohibited ( zero annual export quota des cites). In addition to hunting by humans, the increasing landscape destruction also has a negative effect on the stocks with the expansion of human settlements and usable areas. Both the steppe and the giant pneumatic animal are “endangered” by the iucn ( vulnerable ) classified. ^{[20] [21]}

1. ↑ ^{a b} Martha E. Heath und Jonathan Kingdon: Gender dirtia ground pangolins. In: Jonathan Kingdom, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (ed.): Mammals of Africa Volume V. Carnivores pangolins, equids and rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, S. 395.
2. ↑ Martha E. Heath: Family Manidae Pangolins. In: Jonathan Kingdom, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (ed.): Mammals of Africa Volume V. Carnivores pangolins, equids and rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, S. 387.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d It is f g} Jonathan Kingdon, Michael Hoffmann and Reginald Hoyt: Smutsia Gigantea Giant Pangolin. In: Jonathan Kingdom, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (ed.): Mammals of Africa Volume V. Carnivores pangolins, equids and rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, S. 396–399.
4. ↑ ^{a b c d It is} Jonathan Swart: Dirtia Temminckii Ground Pangolin (Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, Cape Pangolin). In: Jonathan Kingdom, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (ed.): Mammals of Africa Volume V. Carnivores pangolins, equids and rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, S. 400–405.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d It is} Phillipe Gaubert: Order Pholidota. In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (ed.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4, S. 82–10.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d It is f} Gubmly GUGBby, agapo®a, lienna, with Famback Djoah, Wiell were anth. OWRriks, Walda Shu-jin Luo: The Complete Phylogeny of Pangolins: Scaling Up Resources for the Molecular Tracing of the Most Trafficked Mammals on Earth. Journal of Heredity 109, 2018, S. 347–359, doi:10.1093/jhered/esx097
7. ↑ ^{a b} ZDELL COMrsto Duke, Jean-Raminel, Antoon Can DY MOM to take the heart of Lionship Renn: Dalgon: The complete mitochondrial genome of Temminck’s ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii; Smuts, 1832) and phylogenetic position of the Pholidota (Weber, 1904). Gene 551, 2014, S. 49–54.
8. ↑ William J. Murphy, Eduardo Eizirik, Stephen J. O’Brien, Ole Madsen, Mark Scally, Christophe J. Douady, Emma Teeling, Oliver A. Ryder, Michael J. Stanhope, Wilfried W. de Jong und Mark S. Springer: Resolution of the Early Placental Mammal Radiation Using Bayesian Phylogenetics. Science 294, 2001, S. 2348–2351.
9. ↑ ^{a b c d} Timothy J. Gaudin, Robert J. Emry and John R. Wible: The Phylogeny of Living and Extinct Pangolins (Mammalia, Pholidota) and Associated Taxa: A Morphology Based Analysis. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 16, 2009, S. 235–305.
10. ↑ George Gaylord Simpson: The Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 85, 1945, S. 1–350 (S. 75 und 194–195)
11. ↑ Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell: Classification of mammals above the species level. Columbia University Press, New York, 1997, S. 1–631 (S. 221–222)
12. ↑ ^{a b} Claire E. Terhune, Timothy Gaudin, Sabrina Curran und Alexandru Petculescu: The youngest pangolin (Mammalia, Pholidota) from Europe. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2021, S. e1990075, doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1990075
13. ↑ ^{a b} John Edward Gray: Revision of the genera and species of entomophagous Edentata, founded on the examination of the specimens in the British Museum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1865, S. 359–386 (S. 360, 369) ( biodiversitylibrary.org )
14. ↑ John Edward Gray: Hand-list of the edentate, thick-skinned and ruminant mammals in the British Museum. London, 1873, S. 1–176 (S. 11) ( biodiversitylibrary.org )
15. ↑ Jennifer Botha und Timothy Gaudin: An Early Pliocene pangolin (Mammalia; Pholidota) from Langebaahnweg, South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27 (2), 2007, S. 484–491.
16. ↑ Richard G. Klein: The Late Quaternary Mammalian Fauna of Nelson Bay Cave (Cape Province, South Africa): Its Implications for Megafaunal Extinctions and Environmental and Cultural Change. Quaternary Research 2, 1972, S. 135–142.
17. ↑ Timothy J. Gaudin: Pholidota. In: Lars Werdelin and William Joseph Sanders (ed.): Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. University of California Press, Berkeley, London, New York, 2010, S. 599–602.
18. ↑ Anne-Lise Chaber, Sophie Allebone-Webb, Yves Ligneux, Andrew A. Cunningham and J. Marcus Rowcliffe: The scale of illegal meat importation from Africa to Europe via Paris. Conservation Letters 3, 2010, S. 317–323.
19. ↑ Daniel W. S. Challender and Lisa Hywood: African pangolins under increased pressure from poaching and intercontinental trade. TRAFFIC Bulletin 24 (2), 2012, S. 53–55.
20. ↑ C. Waterman, Darren W. Pietersen, L. Hywood, P. Rankin and D. Soewu: Smutsia gigantea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. ( [first] ); last accessed on January 6, 2015
21. ↑ Darren W. Pietersen, C. Waterman, L. Hywood, P. Rankin and D. Soewu: Smutsia temminckii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. ( [2] ); last accessed on January 2, 2015