When moles became diggers: Tegulariscaptor gen. nov., from the early Oligocene of south Germany, and the evolution of talpid fossoriality

The systematics of Geotrypus is among the most debated within Talpidae, but the recent development of quantitative methods for shape analyses allows us to provide a thorough reconsideration of Geotrypus spp. In the present study, we perform a systematic revision of the species Geotrypus minor from the early Oligocene of Germany using two-dimensional geometric morphometrics on the humerus, and cladistic analyses using two different character matrices. Our results suggest a distinct generic allocation for this species based on its unique humeral shape. Cladistic analyses reveal that G. minor has closer phylogenetic relationships with urotrichine shrew-moles than with other Geotrypus species or highly fossorial moles. Quantitative methods applied in this study support qualitative observations and fully justify a new generic allocation. In light of these results, Tegulariscaptor gen. nov. is proposed to encompass the material previously assigned to G. minor. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8A839F1E-0EC8-4799-B3AE-1A4E54A95F0E地鼹属（Geotrypus）的系统分类学是鼹科（Talpidae）中争议最为激烈的类群之一。近年来形态定量分析方法的发展，为我们全面重新审视地鼹属物种提供了可行路径。本研究针对德国早渐新世地层产出的小地鼹（Geotrypus minor），采用基于肱骨的二维几何形态测量法（two-dimensional geometric morphometrics），并结合两套不同的性状矩阵开展支序分析（cladistic analyses），对该物种进行系统性修订。研究结果显示，该物种独特的肱骨形态支持其独立的属级分类地位。支序分析结果表明，小地鼹（G. minor）与鼩鼹亚科的鼩鼹类群的系统发育亲缘关系，较其与其他地鼹属物种或高度穴居的鼹类更为接近。本研究采用的定量分析方法，验证了此前的定性观察结果，并充分证明该物种应归入新的属级类群。基于上述研究成果，我们建立新属Tegulariscaptor（Tegulariscaptor gen. nov.），以涵盖此前被划归小地鼹的相关标本材料。http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8A839F1E-0EC8-4799-B3AE-1A4E54A95F0E