Corsican giant shrew
The Corsican giant shrew (Asoriculus corsicanus) is an extinct shrew from the island of Corsica.
| Corsican giant shrew Temporal range: Holocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Genus: | †Asoriculus |
| Species: | †A. corsicanus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Asoriculus corsicanus (Bate, 1944) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Nesiotites corsicanus Bate, 1944 | |
It is only known from fossil remains such as the ones from "Teppa di Lupino" in North Corsica.[1] The reasons for the extinction for this poorly known species remain unknown, but competition with other shrews, as well as introduced goats might have played a role. It died out sometime between 2.5 and 6 thousand years ago.[2]
The Corsican giant shrew was initially described by Dorothea Bate as Nesiotites corsicanus in 1945. In 1999, zoologist Jan Van der Made from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Spain, assigned it to the genus Asoriculus.[3]
References
- Mammal Species of the World: Additional Data on Insular Mammals
- Balouet, J.-C. & Alibert, E. Extinct Species of the World. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney: Barrons. ISBN 2-7373-0254-4.
- Van der Made, J. 1999. Biogeography and stratigraphy of the Mio-Pleistocene mammals of Sardinia and the description of some fossils. In Reumer, J.W.F. and De Vos, J., (eds.), Elephants have snorkel! Papers in honour of Paul Y. Sondaar. Deinsea, 7:337-360.
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