No evolutionary convergence in mammal communities in southwestern Australia and the southwestern Cape of South Africa, part 1

Fitzgerald River National Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzgerald_River_National_Park and https://www.fitzgeraldfriends.org.au/the-park) in Western Australia and Agulhas National Park in South Africa have climates so similar that they provide a near-ideal opportunity for testing the notion of evolutionary convergence (https://en.climate-data.org/oceania/australia/western-australia/hopetoun-982310/ and https://en.climate-data.org/africa/south-africa/western-cape/gansbaai-9058/).

The substrates are extremely similar: nutrient-poor and mainly sandy.

The vegetation is also similar: mallee-heath (http://www.ecosmagazine.com/temp/EC14063_Fb.gif and https://southernforestlife.net/wa-trip-2018/2018/9/27/fitzgerald-river) in the Australian study site vs proteoid fynbos (https://www.alamy.com/protea-compacta-bot-river-sugarbush-bot-river-protea-in-the-hottentots-holland-mountains-fynbos-biome-western-cape-south-africa-this-plant-is-s-image437143673.html and http://www.pofadderskloof.com/fynbos/) in the South African study site.

Rattus fuscipes (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/44570-Rattus-fuscipes) is common in the Australian study site and takes the place of both the green sedge-eating Otomys (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/852313-Otomys-karoensis and https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/45437-Otomys-irroratus) and the seed-eating Myomyscus verreauxii (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/74689-Myomyscus-verreauxii) in the South African site.

Small rodents in proteoid fynbos take some nectar from Proteaceae near the ground, but Tarsipes rostratus (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/42788-Tarsipes-rostratus) in mallee-heath takes little else and is adapted for climbing.

Isoodon obesulus (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/43294-Isoodon-obesulus) is an unsatisfactory counterpart for Hystrix africaeaustralis (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/44173-Hystrix-africaeaustralis), although both scratch for food.

Tachyglossus aculeatus (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/43239-Tachyglossus-aculeatus) is rare in mallee-heath.

Small mammals other than rodents, eating insects as well as plant matter, are present in moderate numbers in both sites and consists of marsupials (Sminthopsis granulipes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_dunnart) versus shrews (Suncus vanilla, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/46521-Suncus-varilla, and possibly Myosorex varius, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/46799-Myosorex-varius).

Parantechinus apicalis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dibbler and https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-13/dibblers-released-into-wild-near-esperance-to-help-save-species/6850574), now rare in mallee-heath is intermediate in size and diet between the small marsupials and Dasyurus geoffroii (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/40169-Dasyurus-geoffroii), a rodent- and invertebrate-eating marsupial corresponding only approximately to Genetta tigrina (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41595-Genetta-tigrina) and Herpestes pulverulentus (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/74413-Herpestes-pulverulentus) in the South African site.

Notamacropus irma (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/42871-Macropus-irma) occurs in mallee-heath, its counterpart in proteoid fynbos being the uncommon Raphicerus melanotis (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/42376-Raphicerus-melanotis).

to be continued in https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/milewski/62391-no-evolutionary-convergence-in-mammal-communities-in-southwestern-australia-and-the-southwestern-cape-of-south-africa-part-2#...

Posted on February 27, 2022 10:52 AM by milewski