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Potamogalidae
Giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Afrosoricida
Suborder:	Tenrecomorpha
Family:	Potamogalidae Allmann, 1865
Type genus
Potamogale Du Chaillu, 1860
Genera
†Europotamogale Micropotamogale Potamogale

Potamogalidae is the family of "otter shrews", a group of semiaquatic riverine afrotherian mammals indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. They are most closely related to the tenrecs of Madagascar, from which they are thought to have split about 47–53 million years ago. They were formerly considered a subfamily of Tenrecidae.

All otter shrews are carnivorous, preying on any aquatic animal they can find with their sensitive whiskers, particularly insects. As their common name suggests, they bear a strong, but superficial resemblance to true otters to which they are not closely related, nor are they closely related to true shrews. They move through the water by undulating their tail in a side-to-side motion similar to the motions made by a crocodile swimming.

Morphology

Otter shrews have small eyes and ears, consistent with the features of nearly all shrews. They have a broad, flat, muzzle that is substantially covered with sensitive whiskers and ends in a leathery pad. The margins of the hind feet have fringes of skin, and the second and third toes are fused. All species of otter shrews have dense, water repellent fur.

Extant species

Only three species of otter shrew are recognized. Of these, P. velox has a very broad geographic range, M. lamottei has a very restricted range, and M. ruwenzorii is intermediate.

Family Potamogalidae

• Genus Micropotamogale (dwarf otter shrews)
  • Nimba otter shrew (M. lamottei)
  • Ruwenzori otter shrew (M. ruwenzorii)
• Genus Potamogale
  • Giant otter shrew (P. velox)

Phylogeny

Relations between the various afrotherian orders are still being studied. On the basis of molecular studies, elephants and sirenians appear to be sister groups. Potamogalids are sisters to tenrecids, and next most closely related to chrysochlorids. These findings are compatible with the work of earlier anatomists.

References

1. Crespo, V.D.; Cruzado-Caballero, P.; Castillo, C. (September 2023). "First afrosoricid out of Africa: an example of Pliocene 'tourism' in Europe". Palaeoworld. 32 (3): 367–372. Bibcode:2023Palae..32..367C. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2023.03.006.
2. ^ Everson, K. M.; Soarimalala, V.; Goodman, S. M.; Olson, L. E. (2016). "Multiple Loci and Complete Taxonomic Sampling Resolve the Phylogeny and Biogeographic History of Tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and Reveal Higher Speciation Rates in Madagascar's Humid Forests". Systematic Biology. 65 (5): 890–909. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syw034. PMID 27103169.
3. Douady, C. J.; Catzeflis, F.; Kao, D. J.; Springer, M. S.; Stanhope, M. J. (2002). "Molecular Evidence for the Monophyly of Tenrecidae (Mammalia) and the Timing of the Colonization of Madagascar by Malagasy Tenrecs". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 22 (3): 357–363. Bibcode:2002MolPE..22..357D. doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.1055. PMID 11884160.
4. Poux, C.; Madsen, O.; Glos, J.; de Jong, W. W.; Vences, M. (2008). "Molecular phylogeny and divergence times of Malagasy tenrecs: Influence of data partitioning and taxon sampling on dating analyses". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 8 (1): 102. Bibcode:2008BMCEE...8..102P. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-102. PMC 2330147. PMID 18377639.
5. ^ "Otter shrew | mammal | Britannica".
6. Svartman, M.; Stanyon, R. (2012). "The Chromosomes of Afrotheria and Their Bearing on Mammalian Genome Evolution". Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 137 (2–4): 144–153. doi:10.1159/000341387. PMID 22868637. S2CID 24353318.
7. Simpson, G. G. (1945). "The principles of classification and a classification of mammals". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 85: 1–350.
8. Tabuce, Rodolphe; Asher, Robert J.; Lehmann, Thomas (2008). "Afrotherian mammals: a review of current data" (PDF). Mammalia. 72 (1): 2–14. doi:10.1515/MAMM.2008.004. S2CID 46133294. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

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