Gansu mole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gansu mole |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Scapanulus
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| Species: |
oweni
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| Gansu mole range | |
The Gansu mole (Scapanulus oweni) is a special type of mammal. It belongs to the Talpidae family, which includes all moles. This mole lives only in central China. You can find it in the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, and Qinghai.
The Gansu mole is the only species in its group, called Scapanulus. This means it's quite unique!
About the Gansu Mole
The Gansu mole is part of a larger group of moles called Scalopini. Most moles in this group live in North America. However, the Gansu mole and the Medog mole are the only ones from this group found in China.
Scientists believe that Scalopini moles first appeared in Europe and Asia. Then, they moved to North America a long time ago. But here's a cool twist: the Gansu mole and Medog mole are actually descendants of those North American moles! They migrated back to Asia.
A Unique Family Tree
The hairy-tailed mole from North America is a close relative of the Gansu mole. This shows how moles traveled across continents over many years.
Scientists have studied the genes of the Gansu mole. They found that the Gansu mole and the Medog mole are very closely related. They likely separated from each other about 11.59 million years ago.
How They Evolved
The huge Tibetan Plateau started to rise, changing the climate in China. This change might have separated the Gansu mole and Medog mole into different areas. Over time, they became different species.
These areas may have acted as safe places during ice ages. This allowed these moles to survive when other moles in Europe and Asia died out.
Discovering the Gansu Mole
The Gansu mole looks like other moles in the Scalopini group. But unlike most of them, it lives in central and southwest China.
The very first Gansu mole was found in 1911. A person named G. Fenwick Owen discovered it in Gansu, China. That's why its scientific name is Scapanulus oweni.
Scientists have also mapped out the mole's genetic information. Its genome is 16,826 bases long. It contains many genes that help the mole live and grow.
