Rhinolophus simplex Andersen 1905, sp. n.
Creators: name: Andersen, Knud
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1905
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus simplex

description: . Rhinolophus simplex, sp. n. (Plate III. fig. 1.) Diagnosis. Cranial character: supraorbital crests meeting at a point behind the middle of the orbit. External: sella distinctly constricted at middle. Forearm 44'2 mm. Details. Nose-leaves larg (Rh. truncatus, nanus). A supplementary leaflet distinctly visible in front of, and on the anterior part of the sides of, the horseshoe; a character common to all the members of the present group, but becoming gradually less pronounced in the more highly developed species (affinis, ferrum-equinum, and their allies); it seems to point back to the much more primitive genus Hipposiderus. Horseshoe so broad as to completely cover the upper lip; a slight indication of a tooth-like projection on either side of the median notch. Sella decidedly broader at base than at summit, and distinctly constricted at middle; summit rounded; height of sella, from angle between vertical portion and nasal lobe, about 4'8 mm., width at base 2’3, at constriction 1'9, at summit, 1‘8 mm.; front of sella densely covered with exceeclingly short white hairs (scarcely observable without a lens). Posterior con­ necting process low and broadly rounded off. Lancet long, almost cuneate; length, from posterior transverse bridge, about 4‘7 mm. Three mental grooves, as in all forms of this group, except the highest-differentiated species (ferrum-equinum and its nearest relations). Ears, compared with those of the closely allied Austro-Malayan species, rather large, almost reaching the tip of the muzzle when laid forwards. Upper part of outer margin somewhat concave; tip blunt; no constriction below the tip. Wing-structure very primitive: 4th and 5th metacarpals sub­ equal in length (the 5th, if anything, a little shorter), and both of them but very slightly longer than 3rd; III.'2 * less than 11 the length of III.1; IV.2 and, especially, V.2 very short, being only a trifle longer than IV.1 and V.1 This structure of the wing is characteristic of all the primitive members of this group {simpleX, megaphyllus, truncatus, nanus, celebensis, borneensis, malayanus, rouXi, &amp;c.); it is first in so highly-developed forms as affinis and its various modifications (ferrum-equinum, &amp;c.) that we find an important progress: prolongation of III.2; shortening of the 3rd metacarpal, as compared with the 4th and 5th; the 5th meta­ carpal decidedly longer than the 4th; &amp;c. * For brevity’s sake I call the proximal phalanges of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers III.1, IV.1, and V.1, the distal phalanges of the same fingers III.-’, IV.2, and V.2 Tail a little longer than the lower leg. Plagiopatagium inserted on tarsus. Colour (of a spirit-specimen, unfaded). Fur of upper side a very dark shade of “ drab,” approaching “ Prout’s brown ”; base of hairs rather more distinctly drab; under side somewhat darker than drab. Skull. Four anterior nasal swellings and two posterior. The four anterior arranged in a transverse row, forming the upper and lateral borders of the nasal opening. Externally these anterior swellings are separated only by extremely faint lineai’ depressions; internally by three bony lamella?, also easily observable through the thin, transparent outer wall of the swellings. The posterior nasal swellings, situated immediately behind the anterior ones, at the front corner of the orbital cavity, are much lower, slightly concave at summit; three very faint lines divide them, rather indistinctly, into an upper, middle, and lower swelling.—The shape and arrangement of the nasal swellings, as here described, are, roughly speaking, the same in almost all the members of the simpleX- group; there is some variation in the size of the swellings in the different species; but the more noteworthy deviations from the general scheme are two only: Rh. malayanus and Rh. stheno. Postnasal depression triangular in shape, rather long; the supraorbital crests, which constitute the lateral border of this depression, meeting (and joining the sagittal crest) at a point more or less behind the middle of the orbital cavity. “ Supraorbital length ” of skull (i. e. distance between the point of junction of supraorbital crests and median anterior point of nasal swellings) greater’ than extreme width of nasal swellings.—The shape of this part of the skull, as here described, is characteristic of only the four most primitive members of the group (simpleX, mega- phyllus, truncatus, nanus). Palatal bridge comparatively long (in anteroposterior direction); measured in the median line equal to about one-third the length of the upper tooth-row; median anterior point opposite the front of m1, median posterior point opposite the middle of m2. Dentition. As a general guidance: in all existing species of the genus the upper p3 * is completely lost; in all the more primitive S&amp;imath;&amp;imath;ecies of the sín27e›Zeœ-_£¿1*0111) also the lower D. is Very 11111011 reduced) species of the <i>simplex-group</i> also the lower p3 is <i>very</i> much reduced in <i>size</i> and <i>on</i> point of being driven out of <i>the</i> tooth-row, to the external side; in all the more primitive species of the group <i>also the</i> upper <b>p</b> 2 is reduced in size, but still, <i>invariably,</i> in the * I write the dental formula (excl. of incisors and canines) of a Rhinolophzts with the P2 P4 ID1 1112 1113 most complete known dentition as follows: --------------------------- (cf. Herluf Winge, p2 P3 P t mL m2 m3 “ Jordfundue og nulevende Flagermus fra Lagoa Santa; med Udsigt over Flager- musenes indbyrdes Slaegtskab ”; E Museo Lundii, vol. ii. pt. 1 (1892), p. 56). As already mentioned by Winge, we have no positive proof whether the upper premolar lost in all known species is p3 or p2. For two reasons I regard the former alternative to be the more probable:—(1) In Rhinolophi, also the most primitive forms, the lower p3 is on the point of being reduced, in the more highly-developed species pushed definitely out to the external side of the tooth-row, in the still higher forms completely lost; it is but reasonable to suppose that the premolar quite lost in the upper jaw of all species corresponds to the premolar which is on the point of being lost in the lower jaw of all species, in consonance with the general rule that the teeth of the upper jaw show a more advanced stage of evolution than those __! tooth-row.Jwing" rennu-ks apply to Rh. 31712271160; and R/z. mega-phy/Zlzas, the <i>The</i> following remarks apply <i>to</i> Rh. simpleX and Rh.. megaphyllus, the dentition of these <i>two</i> species, the most <i>primitive</i> within the present <i>group</i>, being practically exactly alike:—p3 <i>very</i> small, <b>but</b> decidedly less reduced than in the other species of <i>the group</i>. <i>The</i> position of this tooth, in relation to p, and p4, varies individually (in the same geographical race, and <i>in</i> examples from the same locality and of apparently the <i>same</i> age): completely in the tooth-row (one specimen), or slightly towards the external side (two), or half external (one), or almost quite <i>external</i> (one), or completely external (one). This <i>“</i> vacillation ” in the position of p3 is of <i>some</i> interest <i>as</i> being the first indication of a tendency towards driving this premolar out of the tooth-row, a tendency gradually increasing in a long series of more highly developed species, and culminating in the <i>forms</i> in <i>which</i> the tooth is quite lost, even in young individuals (Rh. acrotis <i>).</i> —p2 is comparatively large, with a ■ <i>well-developed</i>, <i>pointed cusp</i>. From its base to its <i>tip</i> this cusp <i>is</i> directed obliquely inwards, under an angle of about 25° to 45° with the vertical line; <i>also</i> in those species of the present group in which the <i>cusp is</i> so much reduced <i>as to</i> be scarcely perceptible without <i>a lens</i>, it is invariably pointing obliquely inwards, only <i>to a</i> still higher degree. The upper canine and <i>p'</i> * * <i>always</i> widely separated. In some individuals there is a very narrow interspace between p2 and p4, on either side <i>of</i> the jaw, <b>or</b> on one side, no doubt a remnant of the <i>place where</i> <b>p</b> 3, lost in <i>all</i> existing <i>species</i>, <i>was</i> situated (see footnote on <b>p</b>. 77). Measurements *. On <i>p</i>. 80. of the lower jaw. (2) When the lower p3 is external in position, or <i>even when it is completely lost,</i> we still, rather often, find p2 and p4 separated by a narrow interspace, reminiscent of the time when p3 had its normal position in the tooth-row; if we can find, sometimes at least, a similar “atavism <i>”</i> in the upper jaw, our <i>supposition</i> will be strengthened; and such cases are, in fact, not very rare:—in some individuals, and just those of the most primitive species of the genus <i>(simpleX, megaphyllus, borneensis, refulgens,</i> philippinensis <i>),</i> I find an arrangement of the upper teeth which can be graphically expressed as follows: cp pmhn- <i>’</i> m3, <i>i. e.</i> the anterior of the upper premolars in contact with the canine, the posterior in contact with the first molar, but <i>the two</i> “ <i>p</i> ” <i>still a narrow</i> interspace, apparently a remnant of the place where the lost premolar was situated; if so, however, the lost p is, of course, p3, those present p2 and p4. * Only the following measurements require some explanation:— <i>Ears,</i> length from base of inner margin to tip. <i>Forearm,</i> from posterior point of radius to iront curve of carpus (wing bent), therefore somewhat greater than the length of radius measured on skeletons. " <i>Metacarpale,</i> as far as possible the true length of the bones, <i>2nd</i> phalanX, always <i>eXclusive of the</i> cartilaginous “ 3rd <i>phalanX ”</i> (this restriction being of especial importance in measurements of the 3rd finger, the terminal cartilaginous rod of which is comparatively large). <i>Mind foot,</i> with claws. <i>Skull, total length,</i> to front of <i>canines</i> (not to front of premaxilla). <i>Width of brain-case,</i> above root of zygomata. <i>Supraorbital length,</i> distance between point of junction of supraorbital crests with sagittal crest and median anterior point of nasal swellings. <i>Mandible,</i> condylus to front of incisors. Upper and <i>lower teeth,</i> exclusive of incisors. <i>Type.</i> &amp;female; ad. (in alcohol). Lombok, 2500 ft., June 1896. lected by A. Everett, Esq. Brit. Mus. no. 97.4.18.4.
description: Published as part of <i>Andersen, Knud, 1905, On some Bats of the Genus Rhinolophus, with Remarks on their Mutual Affinities, and Descriptions of Twenty-six new Forms., pp. 75-145 in Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 2</i> on pages 76-79, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3757451