Aplodontia rufa

Carraway, Leslie N.; Verts, B. J.

doi:10.2307/3504188

Cited by 24 publications

(29 citation statements)

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“…All Meniscomys, aplodontines and mylagaulids have this cancellous, cellular structure in the wall of the bulla. Aplodontines have a broader, flatter skull than Meniscomys, indicating a greater degree of fossoriality, and modern Aplodontia is highly fossorial (Carraway & Verts 1993), although not so much so as is inferred for mylagaulids. The major morphological change along the line to aplodontines is the dramatic broadening of the occipital plate, yielding a triangular skull outline with a narrow rostrum and a very broad occipital region.…”

Section: Evolution Of Fossorialitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, a sexually selected use of the horns is unlikely in Ceratogaulus, as the optic foramen is very small, roughly 0.5-0.66 times the size of that of A. rufa ( Wahlert 1974), which itself has very poor vision (Carraway & Verts 1993). The small size of the optic foramen indicates extremely poor visual acuity (Kay & Kirk 2000), meaning that the females would be unlikely to be able to recognize a winner in any sexual displays or sexual combat by the males.…”

Section: Function Of the Nasal Horns (A) Diggingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)

Hopkins

2005

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Ceratogaulus, a member of the extinct fossorial rodent clade Mylagaulidae, is the only known rodent with horns and the smallest known horned mammal. The function of the large, dorsally projecting nasal horns on this burrowing animal has been the subject of wide speculation among palaeontologists; suggested uses range from sexual combat to burrowing. Mammals have evolved adaptations for digging repeatedly; horns and other cranial appendages have also evolved numerous times. These two adaptations co-occur in mammals extremely rarely: only two fossil genera (Ceratogaulus and the xenarthran Peltephilus) and no extant mammals are both horned and fossorial. Tracing the evolution of fossoriality in aplodontoid rodents (the larger clade to which Ceratogaulus belongs) reveals that Ceratogaulus descended from ancestors who dug by head-lifting. Whereas this suggests an obvious explanation for the horns of this rodent, evidence from functional morphology, anatomy, phylogeny and geologic context indicates that the horns in Ceratogaulus were used for defence, rather than digging, and evolved to offset increased predation costs associated with spending more time foraging above ground as body size increased.

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Section: Evolution Of Fossorialitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Function Of the Nasal Horns (A) Diggingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)

Hopkins

2005

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Limits to distribution are associated with rainfall and soil characteristics that promote lush vegetation and near 100% humidity within burrows. Mountain beavers maintain fecal and food caches and practice coprophagia (Carraway and Verts 1993). Dramatic reductions in Point Reyes mountain beaver population numbers have been associated with fire (Fellers et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Rates of Energy Expenditure and Water Flux in Free‐Ranging Point Reyes Mountain BeaversAplodontia rufa phaea

Crocker¹,

Kofahl²,

Fellers³

et al. 2007

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. The University of Chicago Press ABSTRACTWe measured water flux and energy expenditure in free-ranging Point Reyes mountain beavers Aplodontia rufa phaea by using the doubly labeled water method. Previous laboratory investigations have suggested weak urinary concentrating ability, high rates of water flux, and low basal metabolic rates in this species. However, free-ranging measurements from hygric mammals are rare, and it is not known how these features interact in the environment. Rates of water flux ( mL 210 ‫ע‬ 32 d Ϫ1 ) and field metabolic rates ( kJ d Ϫ1 ) were 159% 1,488 ‫ע‬ 486 and 265%, respectively, of values predicted by allometric equations for similar-sized herbivores. Mountain beavers can likely meet their water needs through metabolic water production and preformed water in food and thus remain in water balance without access to free water. Arginine-vasopressin levels were strongly correlated with rates of water flux and plasma urea : creatinine ratios, suggesting an important role for this hormone in regulating urinary water loss in mountain beavers. High field metabolic rates may result from cool burrow temperatures that are well below lower critical temperatures measured in previous laboratory studies and suggest that thermoregulation costs may strongly influence field energetics and water flux in semifossorial mammals.

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“…The aplodontoid rodents in the family Aplodontidae and Mylagsulidae radiated during the Miocene from the Allomyinae family (Carraway and Verts 1993). The extinct Mylagaulidae represents the earlier radiation of these rodents who exhibited great specialization (Carraway and Verts 1993). Unlike the other members of the rodent order, mountain beavers are not prolific breeders; nor are they broad-spectrum habitat invaders, retaining in their morphology the primitive condition of the masseter muscle originating entirely on the zygomatic arch.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One sole representative of the most primitive family of rodents, Aplodontidae, does not share some of these common rodent characteristics. The aplodontoid rodents in the family Aplodontidae and Mylagsulidae radiated during the Miocene from the Allomyinae family (Carraway and Verts 1993). The extinct Mylagaulidae represents the earlier radiation of these rodents who exhibited great specialization (Carraway and Verts 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mountain Beaver: A Primitive Fossorial Rodent

Arjo

Subterranean Rodents

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Aplodontia rufa

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)

The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)

High Rates of Energy Expenditure and Water Flux in Free‐Ranging Point Reyes Mountain BeaversAplodontia rufa phaea

Mountain Beaver: A Primitive Fossorial Rodent

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