Original title: What happens to ear morphology on the way underground? A case study on the family Spalacidae.
Authors: PLEŠTILOVÁ, Lucie
Document type: Doctoral theses
Year: 2021
Language: cze
Abstract: This PhD thesis is concerned with the effect of specialization to the subterranean environment on ear morphology in the rodent family Spalacidae. The outer, middle and inner ear morphology in four species with a different proportion of subterranean activity was described and analyzed. The Chinese bamboo-rat (Rhizomys sinensis) was identified as fossorial regarding its ear morphology. The strictly subterranean Gansu zokor (Eospalax cansus) possess a highly specialized subterranean ear morphology with a suggested acoustic fovea. Meanwhile, the less subterranean African root-rat (Tachyoryctes splendens) shares traits with both strictly subterranean and epigeic rodents. The aboveground characteristics are even more prominent in the fossorial giant root-rat (T. macrocephalus). Taken together, the results confirm that the ear morphology of spalacids mirrors their degree of fossoriality.
Keywords: African roo-rat; Chinese bamboo rat; Ear morphology; Eospalax cansus; fossorial; Gansu zokor; Giant root-rat; inner ear; middle ear; muroid mole rats; Rhizomys sinensis; Spalacidae; subterranean; Tachyoryctes macrocephalus; Tachyoryctes splendens; African roo-rat; Chinese bamboo rat; Ear morphology; Eospalax cansus; fossorial; Gansu zokor; Giant root-rat; inner ear; middle ear; muroid mole rats; Rhizomys sinensis; Spalacidae; subterranean; Tachyoryctes macrocephalus; Tachyoryctes splendens
Citation: PLEŠTILOVÁ, Lucie. What happens to ear morphology on the way underground? A case study on the family Spalacidae.. České Budějovice, 2021. disertační práce (Ph.D.). JIHOČESKÁ UNIVERZITA V ČESKÝCH BUDĚJOVICÍCH. Přírodovědecká fakulta

Institution: University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (web)
Document availability information: Fulltext is available in the Digital Repository of University of South Bohemia.
Original record: http://www.jcu.cz/vskp/35922

Permalink: http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-513417


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Universities and colleges > Public universities > University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
Academic theses (ETDs) > Doctoral theses