BBC rat-like creature found in Laos market represents new family of rodents

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>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Saturday, 14 May, 2005, 8:00 GMT 01:00 -07:00:US/Pacific

>

>

> * Market fare is major rodent find *

>A completely new family of rodents is recognised

>to take account of a rat-like creature found to

>be on sale in a Laos market.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4543077.stm

>

Market fare is major rodent find

A completely new family of rodents has been

recognised to take account of a rat-like creature

from Laos.

 

The animal has long whiskers, stubby legs and a

tail covered in dense hair and was on sale in a

hunters' market.

 

Dr Robert Timmins from the Wildlife Conservation

Society saw that it was probably unknown to

science and brought it to the attention of his

peers.

 

Known by locals as Kha-Nyou, the rodent is said

to be a nocturnal vegetarian that prefers the

cover of the forest.

 

It also gives birth to one offspring at a time, rather than a litter.

 

" It was for sale on a table next to some

vegetables, " said Dr Timmins. " I knew immediately

it was something I had never seen before. "

 

Dr Mark Robinson, working with WWF Thailand,

later discovered other specimens caught by

hunters, and also identified bone fragments in an

owl pellet.

 

Based on morphological differences in the skull

and bone structure, coupled with DNA analysis,

the authors estimate that the Kha-Nyou diverged

from other rodents millions of years ago.

 

" To find something so distinct in this day and

age is just extraordinary. For all we know, this

could be the last remaining mammal family left to

be discovered, " Dr Timmins said.

 

The new species, Laonastes aenigmamus , is

described in the recent issue of the journal

Systematics and Biodiversity, by authors from

WCS, The Natural History Museum in London,

University of Vermont and WWF Thailand.

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4543077.stm

 

Published: 2005/05/13 14:36:19 GMT

 

© BBC MMV

 

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