biology

Northern caenolestid

Northern caenolestid is a biology 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 Northern caenolestid rather than just read about it. In short: The northern caenolestid (Caenolestes convelatus), also known as the blackish shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Key takeaways

Northern caenolestid belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Northern caenolestid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Northern caenolestid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The northern caenolestid (Caenolestes convelatus), also known as the blackish shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Taxonomy and etymology The northern caenolestid is one of the five members of Caenolestes, and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). It was first described by American zoologist Harold Elmer Anthony in 1924. In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that Caenolestes is closely related to Lestoros (the Incan caenolestid). Over the years, it became clear that Lestoros is morphologically different from Caenolestes. A 2013 morphological and mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenetic study showed that the Incan caenolestid and the long-nosed caenolestid (Rhyncholestes raphanurus) form a clade sister to Caenolestes. The cladogram below is based on this study.

Two subspecies are recognized:

C. c. barbarensis Bublitz, 1987: Occurs in western Colombia C. c. convelatus H. E. Anthony, 1924: Occurs in northwestern Ecuador Caenolestid fossils date to as early as the early Eocene (nearly 55 mya). The generic name Caenolestes derives from the Greek words kainos ("new") and lestes ("robber", "pirate").

Description The northern caenolestid is similar to the gray-bellied caenolestid in coat coloration but differs in cranial features. Kirsch and Waller (1979) gave the following measurements for 1 adult male captured in Colombia in 1969:

Total length (mm) : 222 Tail length (mm) : 114 Hindfoot (mm) : 18 Ear length (mm) : 14 Weight (grams) : 25.0

Distribution and habitat The northern caenolestid occurs in and around alpine and secondary forests. The populations appear to have been divided into two parts – the Andes of western Colombia and northcentral Ecuador. It occurs in an altitudinal range of 1,800 to 3,800 metres (5,900 to 12,500 ft) in Colombia, though in Ecuador it has been recorded at a height of 4,100 metres (13,500 ft). In 2008, the IUCN classified the northern caenolestid as Vulnerable because it is known only from an area of 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi). Deforestation is a major threat, and more severe in Ecuador.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Northern caenolestid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Northern caenolestid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, 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 Northern caenolestid 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 Northern caenolestid 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 Northern caenolestid

In research: Northern caenolestid appears in biology 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 Northern caenolestid 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: Northern caenolestid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics IUCN Red List vulnerable species, Mammals described in 1924, Mammals of the Andes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Northern caenolestid 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 Northern caenolestid in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Northern caenolestid 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 Northern caenolestid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Northern caenolestid in simple terms?

The northern caenolestid (Caenolestes convelatus), also known as the blackish shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Why does Northern caenolestid matter?

Because it connects several biology 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 Northern caenolestid?

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 Northern caenolestid.