The discovery of a rare species of mole that lived 3 million years ago
A new species of mole has been discovered by scientists and is believed to have lived undetected for three million years in the mountains of eastern Turkey.
The new species is part of the subterranean mammals that feed on invertebrates and are generally found in western Asia and Europe.
Scientists have claimed that the new moles are likely to survive under 6 feet of snow in the winter and temperatures of up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer while emphasizing that the discovery is exciting because it is rare for new species of mammal to be discovered.
The study, published in the Linnean Society's Journal of Zoology, was conducted by researchers from the University of Plymouth in England, Ondokuz Meis University in Turkey, and Indiana University. "It's very rare to find new species of mammal today," said David Bilton, senior author and professor of aquatic biology at the University of Plymouth.
"There are only about 6,500 species of mammals identified worldwide. By comparison, there are about 400,000 known species of beetles, with an estimated one to two million species on Earth," he added.
"The new moles we identified in this study appear similar to other species, since subterranean living poses serious constraints on the evolution of body size and shape," Bilton said.
After discovering the moles, the researchers used "advanced DNA technology" to compare their DNA with that of other moles and discovered that the Turkish creatures are biologically distinct.
The new moles are "subterranean, invertebrate-eating mammals" found in western Asia and Europe, the study authors said. "Our study shows how, in such circumstances, we can underestimate the true nature of biodiversity," Belton said. "Even in groups like mammals, where most people assume we know all species."
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