Talpa davidiana tatvanensis, Gündüz & Demirtaş & Silsüpür & Özmen & Polly & Bilton, 2023

Gündüz, İslam, Demirtaş, Sadık, Silsüpür, Metin, Özmen, Medine, Polly, P. David & Bilton, David T., 2023, Notes from the Anatolian underground: two new mole taxa from Eastern Turkey, together with a revised phylogeny of the genus Talpa (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Talpidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 199 (3), pp. 567-593 : 585-588

Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp.nov.

Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9DAEF970-8067-4BC9-A3FF-40A1BC6EAA68 .

Type locality: Turkey, Bitlis Province, Uslu, Tatvan c. 1 km E of Kaynarca , 38°23ʹN, 42°37ʹE, 1735 m ( Figs 1 , 5E ; Table 1 ) .

Holotype: Adult male, specimen no. 1530 , stuffed skin labelled ‘ 10/08/21 -1530 ♂ IG/SD// Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. // Uslu, Tatvan, Bitlis// 137-17-19 = 45.25 g.// 10, August, 2021 ’. Body frozen at –50˚C, internal organs in ethanol, skull extracted and labelled with specimen number ( Fig. 6C ). Collected by İ. Gündüz and S. Demirtaş. Sequences available from GenBank: (Cytb haplotype: Hap.10, accession number OQ695518 ; BRCA 2 haplotype: Hap.4, accession number OQ695504 ); standard voucher specimens (skin, frozen body, skull, and various tissues in ethanol) are deposited in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ondokuz Mayıs University ( OMU-IG/SD), Samsun, Turkey

Paratypes (2): One female, specimen no. 1491 , stuffed skin labelled ‘11/06/21-1491 ♀ IG/SD// Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. // Uslu, Tatvan , Bitlis // 148-18-17 = 46.95 g.// 11, June, 2021 ’; one female, specimen no. 1492 , stuffed skin labelled ‘ 11/06/21 -1492 ♀ IG/SD// Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. // Uslu, Tatvan , Bitlis // 153-19-18 = 48.01 g.// 11 June, 2021 ’. Bodies frozen at –50˚C, internal organs in ethanol, skulls extracted and labelled with specimen numbers. Sequences available from GenBank: (Cytb haplotypes: Hap.9–10, accession numbers OQ695517 – OQ695518 ; BRCA2 haplotype: Hap.4, accession number OQ695504 ); standard voucher specimens (skins, frozen body, skulls, and various tissues in ethanol) are deposited in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ondokuz Mayıs University ( OMU-IG/SD), Samsun, Turkey .

Measurements of holotype

Body mass 45.25 g, head and body length 137 mm, tail length 17 mm, hindfoot length 19 mm, condylobasal length of cranium 31.19 mm, maxillary tooth row 12.94 mm, breadth of braincase 15.20 mm, height of braincase 9.58 mm, breadth of rostrum over canines 4.76 mm, breadth of rostrum over molars 9.72 mm (Supporting Information, Table S3).

Measurements of paratypes

Linear measurements are in millimetres and body mass in grams. Body mass 46.95–48.01, head and body length 148.0–153.0, tail length 18.0–19.0, hindfoot 17.0–18.0, condylobasal length of cranium 30.16–31.03, maxillary tooth row 12.71–13.14, breadth of braincase 14.96–15.16, height of braincase 9.07–9.16, breadth of rostrum over canines 4.69–4.75, breadth of rostrum over molars 9.59–9.87 (Supporting Information, Table S3 for measurements including additional FMNH specimens 82136 and 82137).

Diagnosis

Medium-sized mole; skull relatively large with a stout, broad, rostrum, particularly broad and robust over molars. A member of the subgenus Talpa , closest to T. davidiana davidiana , morphologically and genetically ( Figs 2 , 3 , 6 ). Differs from T. hakkariensis sp. nov. on its smaller size and characters discussed under T. hakkariensis sp. nov.. Differs from T. streetorum on its smaller size, narrower rostrum and more posteriorly positioned braincase. Distinguished from T. davidiana davidiana primarily by the broader, more strongly arcuate rostral base over the molars (compare Figs 8 and 9 ). Rostral breadth over molars 8.35–8.94 mm in nine T. davidiana davidiana examined (including two almost topotypical specimens from Hatay Province), vs. 9.59–9.87 mm in T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov.; rostrum also broader over canines, but differences less obvious (4.69–4.76 mm in T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. vs. 4.09–4.45 in T. davidiana davidiana ). Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. also has a somewhat paler tail than T. davidiana davidiana , with most tail hairs greyish brown (compare Fig. 12E and F ). The head and body pelage of the new subspecies is also slightly paler overall than in specimens of T. davidiana davidiana examined (see Fig. 6B, C ). The net Cytb p distance between these subspecies is 1.52%; raw distance 2.15%. The net and raw Cytb K2P distances of 1.52% and 2.19%, respectively, between T. davidiana davidiana and T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. are relatively low, leading us to consider this taxon as a geographically isolated subspecies rather than species, at present, despite the consistent morphological differences observed.

Description

A medium-sized mole ( Figs 5F , 6C ), with a relatively short tail, 12.16–12.42% of head and body length. Tail ( Fig. 12F ) parallel-sided, with sparse, stiff, sub-erect, overlapping bristles; individual bristles mostly pale greyish, almost translucent, up to 20% blackish or with black cores; bristles considerably variable in in length, giving a bushy appearance; tail tip tapered and rounded, visible when bristles are moved. Overall appearance of tail paler than body. Dorsal and ventral pelage greyish brown throughout, with noticeable silvery sheen, particularly laterally and ventrally; individual hairs typically brownish at tips, greyish below. Body elongated. Palm of manus ( Fig. 12C ) broad, relatively flat; claws at end of all five phalanges, flattened dorsoventrally, with convex upper and slightly concave lower margins, flattened oval in cross-section. Feet ( Fig. 12F ) approx. equal to tail length. Muzzle elongated, with hairs, including longer sensory bristles, much paler than on head. Snout pinkish with close, fine, small pale hairs.

Skull ( Fig. 9 ) moderate, with a very stout, broad rostrum. Width across canines 15.11–15.75%, and width across molars 30.91–32.73% condylobasal length (13.56–14.71 and 28.12– 29.54 in T. davidiana davidiana examined). Maxillary tooth row equals 41.49–42.35% of the condylobasal length. The braincase is broad and deep, flattened above; height of neurocranium 29.52–30.71% of condylobasal length. The posterior margin of palatine is usually slightly posterior to the imaginary line connecting the posterior alveolar margins of 3rd upper molars, and the anterior border of the infraorbital foramen is above the 2nd upper molar.

Upper incisors of decreasing size; 3rd incisor slightly less than half the size of the 1st. With three upper premolars in all known specimens. Third upper premolar largest; 1st intermediate and 2nd smallest ( Fig. 9 ). Upper molars robust; 3rd much smaller than 1st and 2nd. First upper molar with small but distinct parastyle ( Fig. 11C ) in all specimens; protocone much larger than paracone; mesostyle relatively flattened at apex, slightly bifurcated. Second upper molar with well-developed parastyle; protocone larger than paracone; mesocone well developed and clearly bilobed at apex. Third upper molar with well-developed parastyle, slightly more prominent than mesostyle; mesostyle bilobed at apex; protocone larger than paracone. Mandible ( Fig. 13C ). Lower incisors (3) subequal. First lower premolar large, with prominent distal cusp; 3rd lower premolar subequal to 1st; 2nd lower premolar much smaller. First and 2nd lower molars large; 3rd smaller; all with prominent parastyles.

Etymology

The new subspecies is named asser Tatvan, Bitlis Province, Turkey, where the type locality is situated (adjective).

Distribution and ecology

Known from only the vicinity of Tatvan, Bitlis Province, Turkey, close to Van Gölü. Moles were trapped in grazed, high-altitude grassland, close to agricultural areas ( Fig. 5E ).

Comment

Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. appears to correspond to the moles from Tatvan referred to T. davidiana by Kryštufek et al. (2001). There are approximately 560 km between known localities of the new subspecies and the nearest known T. davidiana davidiana in Turkey. Whilst T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov. is distinguishable from the nominotypical species on both molecules and morphology, differences are smaller than those between these taxa and T. hakkariensis sp. nov. and T. streetorum , and branch support values are lower. For these reasons, and the fact that our species delimitation analyses do not separate davidiana and tatvanensis, we consider these taxa as geographically separated, divergent populations of subspecies.

Figures

Figure 1. Map of locations (see Table 1) of Talpa moles from Turkey and Iran studied here.

Figure 3. Results of BI, ML, and MP analyses combined on a ML tree based on BRCA2 sequences of Talpa and outgroup species.ML and MP bootstrap values greater than 70% and posterior probabilities greater than 0.80 are shown at nodes. Haplotypes Hap.1–8 are from this study. For the geographical origins of the published sequences, see Table 1 and Supporting Information, Table S1.

Figure 5. Freshly trapped Anatolian Talpa in situ, with overviews of habitats at collecting localities.A, T. hakkariensis sp. nov., type locality, Turkey, Hakkari Province, Cemşililan yaylası c. 8 km NNE of Durankaya; B, T. hakkariensis sp. nov., holotype, specimen 1533; C, T. davidiana davidiana, topotypical locality, Turkey, Hatay Province, Hassa, Çardak yaylası; D, T. davidiana davidiana, specimen 1565; E, T.davidiana tatvanensis ssp.nov., type locality, Turkey, Bitlis Province, Uslu, Tatvan c. 1 km E of Kaynarca; F, T.davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov., holotype, specimen 1530.

Figure 6. Dorsal view of Anatolian Talpa skins. A, T. hakkariensis sp. nov., holotype, specimen 1533; B, topotypical T. davidiana davidiana, specimen 1565; C, T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp.nov., holotype, specimen 1530. Scale bar = 50 mm.

Figure 8. Topotypical Talpa davidiana davidiana, specimen 1565, cranium in (A) lateral, (B) ventral, and (C) dorsal views.Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 9. Talpa davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov., holotype, specimen 1530, cranium in (A) lateral, (B) ventral, and (C) dorsal views.Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 11. Lateral view of less upper molar in Anatolian–Iranian Talpa, anterior to the less. A, T. hakkariensis sp. nov., holotype, specimen 1533; B, topotypical T. davidiana davidiana, specimen 1565; C, T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov., holotype, specimen 1530; D, T.streetorum Holotype, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, specimen 96424. Arrows indicate parastyle.

Figure 12. Feet and tails of Anatolian Talpa. A, D, T. hakkariensis sp. nov., holotype, specimen 1533; B, E, topotypical T. davidiana davidiana, specimen 1565; C, F, T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov., holotype, specimen 1530. Scale bars: A–C = 25 mm; D–F = 20 mm.

Figure 13. Mandibles of Anatolian–Iranian Talpa. A, T. hakkariensis sp. nov., holotype, specimen 1533; B, topotypical T. davidiana davidiana, specimen 1565; C, T. davidiana tatvanensis ssp. nov., holotype, specimen 1530; D, T.streetorum Holotype, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, specimen 96424. Scale bar = 2 mm.

Figure2. Results of BI, ML,and MP analyses combined on a BI tree based on the complete Cytb gene sequences ofTalpa species.ML and MP bootstrap values greater than 70% and posterior probabilities (PPs)greater than 0.80 are shown at nodes.Haplotypes Hap.1–20 are from this study. Species assignments from one distance-based (ASAP) and two tree-based (GMYC, mPTP) delimitation methods are represented by vertical bars onthe right side of the phylogeny.The black colour on the bars signifies that thereis agreement across delimitation approaches,whereas grey colour indicatesdisagreement.For geographical origins of the published sequences, see Table 1 and Supporting Information,Table S1.