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Spalax

Mammalia - Rodentia - Muridae

Taxonomy
Spalax was named by Güldenstadt (1770). It is extant. Its type is Spalax microphthalmus.

It was assigned to Murina by Illiger (1811); to Cricetidae by McKenna and Bell (1997); and to Spalacinae by de Bruijn et al. (1970) and Steppan et al. (2004).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1770Spalax Güldenstadt
1777Glis Erxleben
1811Spalax Illiger p. 86
1970Spalax de Bruijn et al. p. 559
1997Spalax McKenna and Bell
2004Spalax Steppan et al. p. 539

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
—Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
—Theriiformes()
—Trechnotheria
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—EuarchontogliresMurphy et al. 2001
—GliriformesWyss and Meng 1996
—Glires()
—Simplicidentata()
orderRodentiaBowdich 1821
infraorderMyodontaSchaub 1958
superfamilyMuroideaIlliger 1811
—Eumuroida
familyMuridaeIlliger 1811
subfamilySpalacinaeThomas 1896
genusSpalaxGüldenstadt 1770

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Spalax Güldenstadt 1770
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Spalax microphthalmus Gülden 1770 [greater mole rat]
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Invalid names: Mus typhla Kerr 1792 [synonym]
†Spalax sotirisi de Bruijn et al. 1970
Invalid names: Glis Erxleben 1777 [replaced]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: fossorialg
Diet: herbivoref
Diet 2: insectivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Comments: see also Samuels and Van Valkenburgh 2008g
Created: 2012-05-15 10:05:57
Modified: 2012-05-14 21:54:56
Source: g = genus, f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Ji et al. 2002, Lillegraven 1979, Fernández et al. 2000, Nowak 1991

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Pliocene to the top of the Late/Upper Pleistocene or 5.33300 to 0.01170 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 4.9 Ma

Collections (42 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
MN 137.246 - 4.9Greece (Rhodes) S. sotiriosi (68046)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Russian Federation (Rostovskaya Oblast') S. sp. (39409)
Pliocene - Pleistocene5.333 - 0.0117Hungary (Barany) S. advenus (35473)
MN 15 - MN 164.2 - 2.588Ukraine S. leurodon (50943)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Romania S. sp. (32192 32194 32195 33973 33974 34008 34009)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Ukraine S. minor (41031 41049)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Hungary (Borsodabaujzemplen) S. advenus (35428)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Greece (Kalymnos island) S. nehringi (34770)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Turkey S. leucodon (39314)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117Israel S. ehrenbergi, S. neuvillei (225664) S. sp. (39251 39252)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117Greece (Chalkidiki) S. chalkidikae (183123)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Israel S. ehrenbergi (192424 192425)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Hungary S. leucodon (35045 35047)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Romania S. sp. (34010 34012 40260)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Hungary (Barany) S. advenus (35464 35465 35466 35467 35468 35469)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Greece (Chios) S. nehringi (204077)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Turkey (Central Anatolia) S. ehrenbergi (34368)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Greece (Pella) S. microphthalmus (204957)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Hungary (Barany) S. advenus (35462) S. leucodon (197461)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Greece S. leucodon (203847 204954)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Israel S. ehrenbergi (225667)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Ukraine S. sp. (68298)