A NEW SPECIES OF Microgale (LIPOTYPHLA, TENREC1DAE) FROM ISOLATED FOREST IN SW MADAGASCAR 



163 



currently restricted to the forests of Analavelona and Vohibasia. 

 However no intensive small mammal surveys, particularly with pit- 

 fall traps, have been conducted in spiny bush areas of southwestern 

 Madagascar or the PN de Flsalo and this species might have a much 

 broader distribution than currently known. Analavelona is a form of 

 mist-oasis and almost certainly a Pleistocene (or earlier) refuge for 

 humid forest-dwelling animals (Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1997), 

 while the Vohibasia Forest shows transitional aspects between the 

 humid forests of the east and the deciduous forests of the west. Given 

 the ecological variation in this region during the Holocene and 

 recent times, a single coherent explanation for the distribution of this 

 species is not obvious. It exists in the most mesic portions of 

 southwestern Madagascar and is unknown from spiny bush. Perhaps 

 during historical periods when there was more forest cover in the 

 region its distribution was more widespread. 



In recent years several studies have examined the phylogeny of 

 reputed Malagasy vertebrate adaptive radiations, often using bio- 

 chemical characters. Using models of genetic clocks these studies 

 indicate that much of the mammalian intrageneric speciation took 

 place during the Pliocene (Jansa et al., in press). No information is 

 available on the paleoecology of southwestern Madagascar dating 

 from the Pliocene and most of the Pleistocene. If indeed the period 

 in which Microgale nasoloi speciated falls within this same epoch 

 and was the result of some vicariant event such as a shift in 

 vegetational structure, we are currently unable to propose models to 

 put its modern distribution into any geographical context. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. This species was collected during a field expedi- 

 tion to the Vohibasia Forest sponsored by World Wide Fund for Nature 

 (WWF), Madagascar, to gather information on the region to help justify the 

 delineation of a new national park. For aid in numerous ways associated with 

 this mission we are grateful to Koto Bernard, Joanna Durbin. and Olivier 

 Langrand. Rodin Rasoloarison collaborated in the small mammal survey at 

 Vohibasia and played a crucial role in the discovery of this new animal. 



For permits to conduct this research and the collection of specimens we are 

 grateful to officials of Direction des Eaux et Forets and Association National 

 pour la Gestion des Aires Protegees. We thank Daniel Rakotondravony for 

 access to material in the collection of the Departement de Biologie Animate. 

 Universite d' Antananarivo. The field projects were funded by grants from 

 NORAD to WWF and The John D. and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation 

 to the Field Museum of Natural History. Bill Stanley and John Phelps helped 

 in numerous ways with the movement of specimens between Chicago and 

 London. Nathalie Messmer and Pierre Jules Rakotomalaza provided infor- 

 mation on their botanical studies in the Analavelona Forest. Photographs of 

 prepared specimens were taken by Phillip Crabb, Photographic Unit. The 

 Natural History Museum. We are grateful to Link Olson, University of 

 Chicago and Sara Churchfield, Kings College. University of London for 

 helpful comments and constructive criticism of the manuscript. 



REFERENCES 



Ade, M. 1996. Morphological observations on a Microgale specimen (Insectivora. 



Tenrecidae) from western Madagascar pp. 25 1-255. In J. U. Ganzhorn & J. -P. Sorg 



(eds.) Ecology and economy of a tropical dry forest in Madagascar. Primate Report 



(46-1). 

 Burleigh, R. & E. N. Arnold. 1986. Age and dietary differences of recently extinct 



Indian Ocean tortoises (Geochelone s. lal.) revealed by carbon isotope analysis. 



Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (B) 227: 137-144. 

 Burney, D. A. 1993. Late Holocene environmental changes in arid southwestern 



Madagascar. Quaternary Research 40: 98-106. 

 Butler, P. M. & M. Greenwood. 1 979. Soricidae ( Mammalia) from the early Pleistocene 



of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 67: 329-379. 

 Carleton, M. D. & S. M. Goodman. 1996. Systematic studies of Madagascar's 



endemic rodents (Muroidea: Nesomyinae): a new genus and species from the central 

 highlands pp. 231-256. InS. M. Goodman (ed.), A floral and faunal inventory of the 

 eastern slopes of the Reserve Naturelle Integrate d'Andringitra, Madagascar: with 

 reference to elevational variation. Fieldiana: Zoology n.s. (85). 



1998. New taxa of Nesomyine rodents (Muroidea: Muridae) from Madagascar's 



northern highlands, with taxonomic comments on previously described forms pp. 

 163-200. In S. M. Goodman (ed.), A floral and faunal inventory of the Reserve 

 Speciale d'Anjanaharibe-Sud. Madagascar: with reference to elevational variation. 

 Fieldiana: Zoology n.s. (90). 



Coquerel, C. 1 848. Note sur une espece nouvelle de musaraigne trouvee a Madagascar. 

 Annates des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie 9: 193-198. 



Donque, G. 1975. Contribution geographique a I' elude du climat de Madagascar. 

 Nouvelle Imprimerie des Arts Graphiques, Antananarivo. 



Du Puy, B., J. P. Abraham & A. J. Cooke. 1994. Les plantes pp. 15-29. In S. M. 

 Goodman & O. Langrand (eds. ). Inventaire biologique. Foret de Zombitse. Recherches 

 pour le Developpement. serie Sciences biologiques. no. special. Centre d'Information 

 et de Documentation Scientifique et Technique. Antananarivo. 



Eisenberg, J.F. & E. Gould. 1 970. The tenrecs: a study in mammalian behavior and 

 evolution. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology (27): 1-138. 



FTM. 1979. Besavoa (feuille E-56). Carte topographique au 1:100 000. Foiben- 

 Taosarintanin'i Madagasikara, Antananarivo. 



Ganzhorn, J. U., S. Sommer, J.-P. Abraham, M. Ade, B. M. Raharivololona, E. R. 

 Rakotovao, C. Rakotondrasoa & R. Randriamarosoa. 1996. Mammals of the 

 Kirindy Forest with special emphasis on Hypogeomys antimena and the effects of 

 logging on the small mammal fauna pp. 2 1 5-232. In J. U. Ganzhorn & J.-P. Sorg (eds. ), 

 Ecology and economy of a tropical dry forest in Madagascar. Primate Report (46-1). 



Goodman, S. M. (in press). Holocene bird subfossils from the sites of Ampasambazimba. 

 Anisirabe and Ampoza. Madagascar. In N. Adams & R. Slotow (eds.). Proceedings 

 of the 22nd International Ornithological Congress. University of Natal. Durban. 



& J. U. Ganzhorn 1994. Les petits mammiferes pp. 58-63. In S. M. Goodman & 



O. Langrand (eds.). Inventaire biologique, Foret de Zombitse. Recherches pour le 

 Developpement. Sine St iencei biologiques. No. Special. Centre d'Information et de 

 Documentation Scientifique et Technique, Antananarivo. 



& P. D. Jenkins 1998. The insectivores of the Reserve Speciale d'Anjanaharibe- 

 Sud. Madagascar pp. 139-161. In S. M. Goodman (ed.). A floral and faunal 

 inventory of the Reserve Speciale d'Anjanaharibe-Sud. Madagascar: with reference 

 to elevational variation. Fieldiana: Zoology n.s. (90). 



& D. Rakotondravony 1996. The Holocene distribution of Hypogeomys (Roden- 



tia: Muridae: Nesomyinae) on Madagascar pp. 283-293. In W. R. Lourenco (ed.), 

 Biogeographie de Madagascar. ORSTOM. Paris. 



& L. M. A. Rakotozafy 1997. Subfossil birds from coastal sites in western and 



southwestern Madagascar: A paleoenvironmental reconstruction pp. 257-279. In S. 

 M. Goodman & B. D. Patterson (eds.). Natural change and human impact in 

 Madagascar. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 



& R. Rasoloarison. 1997. Les petits mammiferes pp. 144-155. InO. Langrand & 



S. M. Goodman, S. M. (eds.), Inventaire biologique Foret de Vohibasia et d'lsoky- 

 Vohimena. Recherches pour le Developpement. Serie Sciences biologiques (12). 

 Centre d'Information et de Documentation Scientifique et Technique, Antananarivo. 



, C. J. Raxworthy, and P. D. Jenkins. 1 996. Insectivore ecology in the Reserve 



Naturelle Imegrale d'Andringitra. Madagascar pp. 218-230. In S. M. Goodman 

 (ed.). A floral and faunal inventory of the eastern slopes of the Reserve Naturelle 

 Integrate d'Andringitra. Madagascar: with reference to elevational variation. 

 Fieldiana: Zoology n.s. (85). 



Grandidier, A. 1 869. Description de quelques animaux nouveaux decouverts. pendant 

 I'annee 1 869, sur la cote ouest de Madagascar Revue et Magasin de Zoologie (2) 21: 

 337-342. 



Grandidier, G. 1899. Description d'une nouvelle espece d'Insectivore provenant de 

 Madagascar. Bulletin Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle 5(7): 349. 



1934. Deux nouveaux mammiferes insectivores de Madagascar Microgale 



drouhardi et M. parvula. Bulletin Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (2) 6: 474— 

 477. 



Humbert, H. & G. Cours Darne. 1965. Carte Internationale du tapis vegetal et des 

 conditions ecologiques. 1 coupure speciale au 1/1.000,000. Mangoky-Cap Ste. 

 Marie. Travaux de la Section Scientifique et Technique de l'lnstitut Francais de 

 Pondichery (hors serie). 



Hutterer, R. 1986. African shrews allied to Crocidura fischeri: taxonomy, distribution 

 and relationships. Cimbebesia (A) 8: 23-35. 



Jansa, S. A., S. M. Goodman & P. K. Tucker, (in press). Molecular phylogeny and 

 biogeography of the native rodents of Madagascar (Muridae, Nesomyinae): a test of 

 the single-origin hypothesis. Cladisitics. 



Jenkins, P. D. 1992. Description of a new species of Microgale (Insectivora: Tenrecidae) 

 from eastern Madagascar. Bulletin of the British Museum Natural History (Zoology) 

 58: 53-59. 



1993. A new species of Microgale (Insectivora: Tenrecidae) from eastern Mada- 

 gascar with an unusual dentition. American Museum Novitates (3067): 1-11. 



, S. M. Goodman & C. J. Raxworthy. 1 996. The shrew tenrecs (Microgale) of the 



Reserve Naturelle Integrate d'Andringitra. Madagascar pp. 191-217. In S. M. 

 Goodman (ed.), A floral and faunal inventory of the eastern slopes of the Reserve 



