A new study by scientists at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History has identified five new species of soft-furred porcupines from Southeast Asia. The study was published on: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
hymns (hylomys) are small mammals belonging to the porcupine family, but instead of spines they are covered with soft hairs. They were represented by only two previously known species. In the new study, scientists used 232 animal samples and 85 tissue samples. They were collected from 14 museum collections in Asia, Europe and the USA.
DNA analysis revealed seven different genetic lines hylomysThis allowed scientists to hypothesize that there were unknown species of soft-sided urchins. This was confirmed by analysis of the size, shape of their skulls, teeth and fur characteristics of 232 animal specimens.
Two new species have been named H.vorax And H.makarong, is native to the Leuser ecosystem, tropical forests in North Sumatra and South Vietnam. The museum specimens were stored in boxes for 84 and 62 years, respectively, before they were identified. H.makarong It takes its name from the Vietnamese word “Ma cà rồng”, meaning “vampire”, as the males of the species have long, fang-like incisors. Scientists have redefined three more subspecies of gymnura as species.
These small mammals are active day and night and are omnivores. They feed on insects, invertebrates and fruits. They most likely nest and take shelter in cavities while searching for food among tree roots, stones and fallen leaves.
Previous scientists there is Stem cells from dog urine.