What happens to ear morphology on the way underground? A case study on the family Spalacidae.

Mgr. Lucie PLEŠTILOVÁ

Disertační práce

Anotace:

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.

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.

Klíčová slova

Ear morphology, middle ear, inner ear, subterranean, fossorial, Spalacidae, muroid mole rats, Chinese bamboo rat, Rhizomys sinensis, Gansu zokor, Eospalax cansus, African roo-rat, Giant root-rat, Tachyoryctes splendens, Tachyoryctes macrocephalus

Jazyk práce: čeština

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 10. 2. 2021

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 8. 4. 2021
• Vedoucí: prof. Mgr. Radim Šumbera, Ph.D.

JIHOČESKÁ UNIVERZITA V ČESKÝCH BUDĚJOVICÍCH

Přírodovědecká fakulta

Doktorský studijní program / obor:
Zoologie / Zoologie