A new species of the mole genus Talpa has been identified in eastern Türkiye (Turkey) by a team of reseachers from Ondokuz Mayıs University, Indiana University and the University of Plymouth.
Talpa, a genus in the mole family Talpidae, currently contains over 10 living species, found primarily in Europe and western Asia.
The European mole (Talpa europaea), found throughout most of Europe, is a member of the genus, as are several species restricted to small ranges.
One of the species, the Père David’s mole (Talpa davidiana), is data deficient.
“Talpa is a fossorial mole genus endemic to the western Palaearctic region, found primarily in Europe and western Asia,” said Ondokuz Mayıs University scientist İslam Gündüz and colleagues.
“Some species are widespread, but many have narrower endemic ranges, particularly in the east.”
“Nine species were recognized in the subgenus Talpa, and the Altai mole (Talpa altaica), often placed in the monospecific subgenus Asioscalops.”
“The conservative morphology of the genus means that the number of Talpa lineages has been underestimated from morphological differences, prompting a series of molecular studies.”
“Türkiye hosts six of the 14 currently recognized Talpa species,” they added.
“Of these, Talpa davidiana remains one of the least known, being listed as Data Deficient by IUCN, with limited information available on its distribution, population status, or possible threats.”
“Based on newly collected, almost topotypical, material of Talpa davidiana, together with moles from other areas of the supposed Turkish distribution of this species and a re-examination of types, we show that Talpa davidiana includes four distinct taxa, diagnosable as phylogenetic species using both molecules and morphology.”
“Two of these are currently unnamed, described herein as Talpa hakkariensis and Talpa davidiana tatvanensis, respectively.”
Talpa hakkariensis is a relatively large, heavy mole with a…
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