science

Microgale macpheei

Microgale macpheei is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Microgale macpheei rather than just read about it. In short: Microgale macpheei is an extinct shrew tenrec from southeastern Madagascar. It is known only from two partial skulls found in Andrahomana cave, which radiocarbon dating of associated rodent remains suggests are about 3000 years old.

Key takeaways

Microgale macpheei belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reproduce the core statement of Microgale macpheei from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Microgale macpheei is an extinct shrew tenrec from southeastern Madagascar. It is known only from two partial skulls found in Andrahomana cave, which radiocarbon dating of associated rodent remains suggests are about 3000 years old. It is the only known recently extinct tenrec. First described in 2007, it is most similar to the smaller Microgale brevicaudata of northern and western Madagascar. M. macpheei has a broad rostrum (front part of the skull) and, like M. brevicaudata, lacks a diastema (gap) between the premolars. A number of details of tooth morphology are characteristic of M. macpheei.

Taxonomy Remains of shrew tenrecs (Microgale) were found during expeditions to the cave of Andrahomana in southeastern Madagascar, led by David Burney in 2000 and 2003. The Microgale material was described as a new species, M. macpheei, in 2007 by Steven Goodman, Natalie Vasey, and Burney. The species was named after Ross MacPhee in honor of his contributions to knowledge of the genus Microgale and the paleontology of Madagascar. Goodman and colleagues considered the living Microgale brevicaudata from northern and western Madagascar to be the closest relative of M. macpheei; some populations of this tenrec have since been separated into a different species, M. grandidieri. The common name "MacPhee's shrew tenrec" has been proposed for M. macpheei. The genus of M. macpheei, Microgale, includes more than 20 species and is the largest of the tenrec family, which includes a variety of other Malagasy mammals.

Description Microgale macpheei is known from two specimens: a damaged cranium (skull without mandibles, or lower jaws) lacking the back part (the parietal bones and further back) as well as the incisors, canines, and second premolars; and another damaged cranium lacking the same parts as well as the left toothrow. Both show no evidence of ongoing tooth replacement, indicating that the permanent dentition is complete. M. macpheei was larger in most measurements than M. brevicaudata, but because of small samples, some differences are not statistically significant. The length of the bony palate in the two specimens of M. macpheei is 9.4 and 9.7 mm, compared to 7.1 to 9.0 mm in eight adult M. brevicaudata. In both specimens, the length of the molar row is 3.0 mm, compared to 2.4 to 2.8 mm in the sample of M. brevicaudata. The rostrum (front part of the skull) is short and blunt in both M. macpheei and M. brevicaudata, contrasting with the condition in other Microgale, but the rostrum of M. brevicaudata is distinctly more tapered at the front, whereas that of M. macpheei is more blunt at the front. Unlike other Microgale, M. brevicaudata and M. macpheei lack gaps (diastemata) between the premolars. M. macpheei had larger, more robust teeth than M. brevicaudata. In both species, the mesiostyle and distostyle, two crests, on the fourth premolar (P4) and the molars are reduced relative to the condition in other Microgale. M. macpheei lacks an extension of the protocone cusp on the lingual (inner) side of the third upper premolar (P3) and P4, present in M. brevicaudata, and has the paracone cusp on P4 less well-developed. On the other hand, the front part of the ectostyle crest on P4 is larger. The relative lengths of some of the crests on the two last molars also differ between the two species.

Distribution and ecology Microgale macpheei is known only from the cave of Andrahomana. Its past presence there, like that of the extinct rodent Hypogeomys australis, suggests formerly more mesic (wet) conditions around the cave, which is currently in a dry area. In addition to M. macpheei, three other tenrecs have been described from subfossil material, but none are currently recognized as valid species; thus, M. macpheei is at present the only known recently extinct tenrec species. However, there is a remnant patch of mesic forest near Andrahomana, where a population of M. macpheei may survive. Although no radiocarbon dating has been carried out on M. macpheei remains, bones of the rodent Macrotarsomys petteri from layers in the same cave deposit bracketing those where M. macpheei was found yield dates of around 2480 and 1760 Before Present.

Notes

References

Literature cited Goodman, S.M., Vasey, N. and Burney, D.A. 2007. "Description of a new species of subfossil shrew tenrec (Afrosoricida: Tenrecidae: Microgale) from cave deposits in southeastern Madagascar" (subscription required). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 120:367–376. MacPhee, R.D.E. 1987. "The shrew tenrecs of Madagascar: systematic revision and Holocene distribution of Microgale (Tenrecidae, Insectivora)". American Museum Novitates 2889:1–45. Muldoon, K.M., de Blieux, D.D., Simons, E.L. and Chatrath, P.S. 2009. "The subfossil occurrence and paleoecological significance of small mammals at Ankilitelo Cave, southwestern Madagascar" (subscription required). Journal of Mammalogy 90(5):1111–1131. Olson, L.E., Rakotomalala, Z., Hildebrandt, K.B.P., Lanier, H.C., Raxworthy, C.J. and Goodman, S.M. 2009. "Phylogeography of Microgale brevicaudata (Tenrecidae) and description of a new species from western Madagascar" (subscription required). Journal of Mammalogy 90(5):1095–1110.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Microgale macpheei

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Microgale macpheei claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Microgale macpheei before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Microgale macpheei ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Microgale macpheei

In research: Microgale macpheei appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Microgale macpheei in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Microgale macpheei is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Afrosoricida, Extinct mammals, Holocene extinctions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Microgale macpheei outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Microgale macpheei in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Microgale macpheei means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Microgale macpheei out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Microgale macpheei in simple terms?

Why does Microgale macpheei matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Microgale macpheei?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Microgale macpheei.