Zaglossus attenboroughi Flannery &amp; Groves, 1998, n. sp.
Creators: name: T. F. Flannery
name: C. P. Groves
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1998
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Monotremata
Tachyglossidae
Zaglossus
Zaglossus attenboroughi

description: <b>Holotype:</b> RMNH 17301. Skin, <b>dentary</b> and <b>fragmentary</b> rostral <b>region</b> of <b>skull</b> of <b>an</b> adult, sex not recorded. <b>Collected</b> “ <b>Oost-top,</b> Berg <b>Rara,</b> op 1,600 m ”, Cyclops Mountains. Dutch New <b>Guinea,</b> on July 4th, 1961 by P. <b>van</b> Royen. <b>Etymology:</b> For <b>Sir</b> David <b>Attenborough,</b> who has contributed greatly to the public appreciation of the New <b>Guinean fauna</b> and flora. <b>Diagnosis:</b> The <b>smallest</b> member of the genus, with a beak length <b>(measured</b> on the skin, see below <b>)</b> of 70 <b>mm (</b> as <b>opposed</b> to x <b>=</b> 99.1 <i>±</i> 13.6, range 8Î.0 <b>-</b> 127.5, N <b>=</b> 23 for all other <i>Zaglossus <b>), and</b></i> a dentary <b>length</b> of 107.5 mm <b>(</b> x <b>=</b> 138.1, range 118.0 <b>-</b> 157.0, N <b>=</b> 22 for all other <i>Zaglossus</i> <b>combined). The</b> short beak is <b>also straighter</b> than in other <i>Zaglossus.</i> There are 5 claws on each foot. <b>The</b> fur is shorter, <b>denser and finer</b> than in other <i>Zaglossus</i> and differs from <b>that</b> of other species <i>in</i> <b>being</b> raw umber <b>dorsally</b> and fawn ventrally. <b>Distribution:</b> The higher <b>peaks</b> of the Cyclops Mountains near Jayapura, extreme northeastern Irian Jaya <b>(</b> Fig. <b>1).</b> <b>Description:</b> <i>The</i> type and only specimen consists of a complete skin <b>and</b> the rostral portions of a badly crushed cranium <b>(</b> Fig. 10 <b>).</b> The fleshy part of the beak <b>(</b> measured along ils dorsal edge, from the tip to the margin of the fur <b>)</b> is 70 mm long. The beak <i>is</i> straight, but has been broken and possibly somewhat distorted <b>(</b> Fig. 10 <b>).</b> Nonetheless, it it likely that it was straighter <b>(</b> and certainly shorter <b>)</b> in life than in other <i>Zaglossus</i>. In overall size, the specimen conforms closely with <i>Tac <i>/</i> iyglossus aculeatus</i> . being much smaller than other <i>Zaglossus.</i> On the basis of comparison with similar-sized <i>ï'achyglossus.</i> its weight <i>is</i> estimated to have been approximately two to three kilograms. There are five claws on each foot. There is a small spur <b>(</b> 4.4 mm long x 1.7 mm wide at its base <b>)</b> present on the left ankle. The base is shielded by a fleshy tubercle. A remnant of a similar spur is present on the right foot. These spurs suggest that the specimen is male. The fur is dense, very fine and short, in all of these characteristics differing from other <i>Zaglossus</i> <b>(</b> where the fur is longer, coarser and less dense <b>).</b> It is a distinctive brown colour <b>(</b> close to raw umber <b>)</b> unmatched in any other <i>Zaglossus</i>, which vary from reddish brown to black, with an occasional very pale variant. The venter is fawn, again differing from any other member of the genus. The fur of the feet, tail and forehead are yellowish in colour. There are two hair whorls on the ventral surface on either side of the neck. The short fur covers the spines in the middle of the back, which are extremely sparse, and large portions of the midback entirely lack spines. The spines are narrow <b>(</b> averaging 1.6 mm in diameter at their thickest point <b>)</b> and are all whitish in colour. The thickest <i>spines</i> occur near the rump. Spines are absent from the ventral surface. Only small fragments of the skull remain, the most important being the dentaries, a crushed rostrum and portions of the orbital and frontal regions. The region of the naso frontal suture is well preserved, and although portions of the suture are visible through the slightly translucent bone, the suture is entirely closed, indicating that the specimen <i>is</i> adult <b>(</b> Fig. 12 <b>).</b> The sutures present on other fragments are all closed. <i>The</i> dentary differs from juveniles in the form of its articulation <b>(</b> which is well-defined <b>and</b> arched sharply above the horizontal ramus <b>), and</b> in <b>its</b> more gradual taper. The articular facet is more rounded than in other <i>Zaglossus</i> <b>examined.</b> <b>Discussion:</b> This species is sample 6 <i>in</i> our analysis. The small size and narrow <i>spines</i> of the holotype made us suspect initially that <b>it</b> might be juvenile. Examination of the cranial fragments and X-ray of the feet soon convinced us, however, that it is adult. Even older subadult <i>Zaglossus</i> <b>(</b> such as AM M5993 <b>(</b> <i>Z</i>. <i>hartoni bartoni</i> <b>),</b> which has a dentary length of 120, retains open sutures and a juvenile-like dentary structure. Furthermore, juveniles typically have very long fur. This is in contrast to the short, dense fur of the holotype. The discovery of <i>Zaglossus attenboroughi</i> in the higher peaks of the Cyclops Mountains was unexpected. The nearest populations of <i>Zaglossus</i> <b>(</b> <i>Z</i>. <i>b. clianiomli</i> <b>-</b> the largest of all <i>Zaglossus <i>)</i> occupy the mid-elevation forests above 1,300 metres in elevation on the northern slopes of the central cordillera, which lies some 200 km to the south. <i>Zaglossus</i> is certainly absent from the North Coast Ranges, including the Bewani Mountains <b>(</b> which are no more than 50 km east of the Cyclops Mountains <b>)</b> as extensive survey work <b>(</b> by T.F.F. and others <b>)</b> has failed to reveal its presence there, and echidna-like animals are unknown to local hunters.</i> The occurrence of <i>Zaglossus attenboroughi</i> in the Cyclops Mountains is congruent with a number of endemics which are restricted to one or more peaks in the North Coast Ranges. These include <i>Petaurus abid'u Dendrolagus scottae</i> and <i>Paraleptomys rufilatus.</i> There are no other <i>species</i> of mammals, however, which are endemic solely to the Cyclops Mountains. It seems possible that <i>Z</i>. <i>attenboroughi</i> was possibly once widespread in the North Coast Ranges, and has found its last refuge in the Cyclops.
description: Published as part of <i>T. F. Flannery &amp; C. P. Groves, 1998, A revision of the genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with description of new species and subspecies, pp. 367-396 in Mammalia 62 (3)</i> on pages 387-389, DOI: 10.1515/mamm.1998.62.3.367, http://zenodo.org/record/270023