Post by Infinity Blade on Nov 9, 2022 5:30:44 GMT 5
Bramble Cay melomys
A Bramble Cay melomys in 2002. Image source->
Temporal range: Holocene (last confirmed sighting in 2009 CE)[1]
Scientific classification:
Life
Clade: Neomura
Domain: Eukarya
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Clade: Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Cephalochordata
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Clade: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Clade: Therapsida
Clade: Neotherapsida
Clade: Theriodontia
Clade: Eutheriodontia
Clade: Cynodontia
Clade: Epicyonodontia
Clade: Eucynodontia
Clade: Probainognathia
Clade: Chiniquodontoidea
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliformes
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Subcohort: Exafroplacentalia
Magnorder: Boreoeutheria
Superorder: Euarchontoglires
(unranked): Glires
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Myomorpha
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Tribe: Hydromyini
Genus: Melomys
Species: †M. rubicola
The Bramble Cay melomys is an extinct species of mouse that was endemic to Bramble Cay.
Discovery:
This mouse was first discovered by then-Lieutenant Charles Bampfield Yule, commander of the British ship HMS Bramble. The mice were so abundant that Yule and his crew shot the rodents for fun with bows and arrows.[2] That same year, Scottish naturalist John MacGillivray collected a male specimen, which is now the holotype (BMNH 46.8.26.7, skin and skull), during the voyage of the HMS Fly. Joseph Beete Jukes collected other specimens during that voyage, and additional specimens were collected during the Chevert expedition in 1875. However, the species would not be formally described until 1924.[3]
Description:
The Bramble Cay melomys was a large mouse with a head-body length of 148-164 mm and a tail length of 145-185 mm. Body mass ranged from 78-164 g. It had large feet and short ears. The tail was roughly scaled and prehensile at the tip. The fur was red-brown in color, with long black guard hairs on top and grey-brown guard hairs below. As is usually the case with melomys, it had what is described as a “slightly ‘roman’ nose”.[4]
Biology:
This species was endemic to Bramble Cay, a 4-5 ha cay made up of the skeletons of marine diatoms perched on top of a coral reef (which itself is part of a rock outcrop). It lived in vegetation growing on the cay, and foraged in dense vegetation feeding on Portulaca oleracea (an herb). It was also recorded feeding on turtle eggs (probably the green sea turtle, as its habitat was characterized by its presence).[4]
This species had a strong female-biased sex ratio, made evident by trap data. The fact that pregnant and lactating females, juveniles, and subadults have all been captured in July suggested an extended breeding season over winter.[4]
The Bramble Cay melomys avoided areas of high seabird density.[4]
Extinction:
Reports from 1845 claimed that there were “large numbers” of the mouse. In 1978, hundreds were reported. However, it then severely declined in numbers, either gradually or episodically. The decline was probably either a result of storm surges that directly killed individuals and/or reductions in vegetation (which were probably also a result of storm surges).[1]
The last confirmed sighting of a Bramble Cay melomys was in 2009.[1][5] A limited survey in March 2014 failed to locate the species, so a search from August 29 to September 5, 2014 was conducted. This search involved 900 small mammal trap-nights, 60 camera trap-nights, and two hours of active daytime searches, but produced no evidence of the mice. This confirmed the extinction of the only known population of Bramble Cay melomys, almost certainly due to rising sea levels inundating the cay (being rooted in human-induced climate change).
The Australian Department of the Environment and Energy formally recognized the Bramble Cay melomys as extinct in 2019, making it the first mammalian victim of anthropogenic climate change.[6] The IUCN regarded it as extinct in 2016.[1]
A stuffed specimen of the Bramble Cay melomys. Image source->
References:
[1] www.iucnredlist.org/species/13132/195439637
[2] www.cbc.ca/news/science/bramble-cay-melomys-climate-extinction-1.3634296
[3] Fulton, G. R. (2016, January). Bramble Cay melomys ‘Melomys rubicola’ Thomas 1924: Specimens in the Macleay museum. In Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (Vol. 138, pp. 59-60).
[4] Curtis, Lee K. (2012). Queensland's Threatened Animals. CSIRO Publishing. p. 398. ISBN 978-0-643-10457-0.
[5] Gynther, I., Waller, N. & Leung, L.K.-P. (2016) Confirmation of the extinction of the Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola on Bramble Cay, Torres Strait: results and conclusions from a comprehensive survey in August–September 2014. Unpublished report to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Government, Brisbane.
[6] www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/our-little-brown-rat-first-climate-change-caused-mammal-extinction-20190219-p50yry.html
A Bramble Cay melomys in 2002. Image source->
Temporal range: Holocene (last confirmed sighting in 2009 CE)[1]
Scientific classification:
Life
Clade: Neomura
Domain: Eukarya
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Clade: Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Cephalochordata
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Clade: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Clade: Therapsida
Clade: Neotherapsida
Clade: Theriodontia
Clade: Eutheriodontia
Clade: Cynodontia
Clade: Epicyonodontia
Clade: Eucynodontia
Clade: Probainognathia
Clade: Chiniquodontoidea
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliformes
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Subcohort: Exafroplacentalia
Magnorder: Boreoeutheria
Superorder: Euarchontoglires
(unranked): Glires
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Myomorpha
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Tribe: Hydromyini
Genus: Melomys
Species: †M. rubicola
The Bramble Cay melomys is an extinct species of mouse that was endemic to Bramble Cay.
Discovery:
This mouse was first discovered by then-Lieutenant Charles Bampfield Yule, commander of the British ship HMS Bramble. The mice were so abundant that Yule and his crew shot the rodents for fun with bows and arrows.[2] That same year, Scottish naturalist John MacGillivray collected a male specimen, which is now the holotype (BMNH 46.8.26.7, skin and skull), during the voyage of the HMS Fly. Joseph Beete Jukes collected other specimens during that voyage, and additional specimens were collected during the Chevert expedition in 1875. However, the species would not be formally described until 1924.[3]
Description:
The Bramble Cay melomys was a large mouse with a head-body length of 148-164 mm and a tail length of 145-185 mm. Body mass ranged from 78-164 g. It had large feet and short ears. The tail was roughly scaled and prehensile at the tip. The fur was red-brown in color, with long black guard hairs on top and grey-brown guard hairs below. As is usually the case with melomys, it had what is described as a “slightly ‘roman’ nose”.[4]
Biology:
This species was endemic to Bramble Cay, a 4-5 ha cay made up of the skeletons of marine diatoms perched on top of a coral reef (which itself is part of a rock outcrop). It lived in vegetation growing on the cay, and foraged in dense vegetation feeding on Portulaca oleracea (an herb). It was also recorded feeding on turtle eggs (probably the green sea turtle, as its habitat was characterized by its presence).[4]
This species had a strong female-biased sex ratio, made evident by trap data. The fact that pregnant and lactating females, juveniles, and subadults have all been captured in July suggested an extended breeding season over winter.[4]
The Bramble Cay melomys avoided areas of high seabird density.[4]
Extinction:
Reports from 1845 claimed that there were “large numbers” of the mouse. In 1978, hundreds were reported. However, it then severely declined in numbers, either gradually or episodically. The decline was probably either a result of storm surges that directly killed individuals and/or reductions in vegetation (which were probably also a result of storm surges).[1]
The last confirmed sighting of a Bramble Cay melomys was in 2009.[1][5] A limited survey in March 2014 failed to locate the species, so a search from August 29 to September 5, 2014 was conducted. This search involved 900 small mammal trap-nights, 60 camera trap-nights, and two hours of active daytime searches, but produced no evidence of the mice. This confirmed the extinction of the only known population of Bramble Cay melomys, almost certainly due to rising sea levels inundating the cay (being rooted in human-induced climate change).
The Australian Department of the Environment and Energy formally recognized the Bramble Cay melomys as extinct in 2019, making it the first mammalian victim of anthropogenic climate change.[6] The IUCN regarded it as extinct in 2016.[1]
A stuffed specimen of the Bramble Cay melomys. Image source->
References:
[1] www.iucnredlist.org/species/13132/195439637
[2] www.cbc.ca/news/science/bramble-cay-melomys-climate-extinction-1.3634296
[3] Fulton, G. R. (2016, January). Bramble Cay melomys ‘Melomys rubicola’ Thomas 1924: Specimens in the Macleay museum. In Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (Vol. 138, pp. 59-60).
[4] Curtis, Lee K. (2012). Queensland's Threatened Animals. CSIRO Publishing. p. 398. ISBN 978-0-643-10457-0.
[5] Gynther, I., Waller, N. & Leung, L.K.-P. (2016) Confirmation of the extinction of the Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola on Bramble Cay, Torres Strait: results and conclusions from a comprehensive survey in August–September 2014. Unpublished report to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Government, Brisbane.
[6] www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/our-little-brown-rat-first-climate-change-caused-mammal-extinction-20190219-p50yry.html
