biology

Uropsilus

Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus rather than just read about it. In short: The shrew moles or shrew-like moles (Uropsilus) are shrew-like members of the mole family of mammals endemic to the forested, high-alpine region bordering China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. They possess a long snout, a long slender tail, external ears, and small forefeet unspecialized for burrowing.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The shrew moles or shrew-like moles (Uropsilus) are shrew-like members of the mole family of mammals endemic to the forested, high-alpine region bordering China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. They possess a long snout, a long slender tail, external ears, and small forefeet unspecialized for burrowing. Although they are similar to shrews in size, external appearance, and, presumably, ecological habits, they are nevertheless talpids and considered true moles, as they share a full zygomatic arch with all other moles, while this arch is completely absent in shrews. The genus is the only one of the subfamily Uropsilinae, which is one of the three main subfamilies of Talpidae, the other two being Talpinae, or Old World moles and relatives; and the Scalopinae, or New World moles. Although little is currently known regarding any aspect of their natural history, the Uropsilinae are thought to be the most ancestral group of moles, and as such, very similar to the primitive talpid from which all Talpidae have evolved. Uropsilus is thought to be a relict genus; despite the small distribution of the modern-day species, the subfamily once had a much wider range throughout Eurasia.

Species The genus contains the following species:

U. aequodonenia: Equivalent-teeth shrew mole U. andersoni Anderson's shrew mole U. atronates: Black-backed shrew mole U. dabieshanensis: Dabie Mountains shrew mole U. fansipanensis: Fansipan shrew mole - Lao Cai Province, Vietnam U. gracilis: Gracile shrew mole U. huanggangensis: Huangang shrew mole - China U. investigator: Inquisitive shrew mole U. nivatus: Snow Mountain shrew mole U. soricipes: Chinese shrew mole Although each species' official English common name still calls them "shrew moles", Uropsilus today are referred to as "shrew-like moles" to distinguish them from other shrew moles, Neurotrichus gibbsii of North America and the Urotrichini, or Japanese shrew moles, both of which are morphologically quite different from Uropsilus and are grouped with the Old World moles and relatives. As a result, the term "shrew-like moles" has been used to refer to Uropsilus, although specific species are still called "shrew moles".

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Uropsilus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus

In research: Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus 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: Uropsilus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eulipotyphla stubs, Mammal genera, Taxa named by Henri Milne-Edwards, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Uropsilus in simple terms?

Why does Uropsilus 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 Uropsilus?

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 Uropsilus.