The Macroscelidea (elephant shrews), an assemblage of 15 species of insectivourous
mammals in 4 genera endemic to Africa, are unusual because of their behavior,
ecology and distributional patterns. After an initial examination of distributions
based on the literature and on 1,376 specimens in the mammal collections of
the National Museum, morphological characteristics were examined and measurements
were taken of body length, tarsus length, ear notch, skull length, and maximum
length of bulla to see if there was any correlation between anatomy, behavior,
and habitat affinity. It was found that Macroscelides possess extremely
large auditory bullae, largest in the family, and probably correlated with its
nocturnal habits and the open xerophytic habitat where is found. Tthe greatest
variation in color was found in the genus Elephantulus, which has an
array of pale grays, browns and reddish colors, and may be associated with the
tendency of members of the genus to inhabit drier habitats. Darker colors and
anatomical features such as the development of the claws and different toe lengths
in Petrodromus and Rhynchocyon are associated with forest dwelling
in both genera. To explain the distributional pattern of the elephant shrews
further studies are needed. A conclusion from this investigation shows that
a more detailed examination of morphology of skull, feet and stomach, associated
with ecological data, can explain the distinct distribution of the family, thus
providing material for submitting this work for publication in a scientific
journal.
This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian
Women's Committee.
Letter of Gratitude
