Linsang
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Genus Poiana |
The linsangs are four species traditionally classified in the mammalian family Viverridae, which also includes the civets and genets. They are grouped into two genera: two species in the African genus Poiana and the other two in the Southeast Asian genus Prionodon.
Both linsang genera have generally been placed in the subfamily Viverrinae, along with several others, but recent research suggests that their actual relationships may be somewhat different. The linsangs are remarkable for their morphological resemblance to cats, family Felidae, which is greater than in the other viverrids. As the relationship between linsangs and cats was thought to be rather distant (the two groups belonging to different families within the superfamily Feliformia), this was considered an example of convergent evolution. However, DNA analysis indicates that while the African linsangs (Poiana) are true viverrids, the Asiatic linsangs (Prionodon) may instead be the closest living relatives of the Felidae family[1]. If this turns out to be the case, the similarities between Asiatic linsangs and cats would be due to common ancestry, but the similarities between the two genera of linsangs must be convergent.
The name linsang is from Javanese linsang or wlinsang, which used to be wrongly translated as "otter" in English dictionaries. Linsangs are nocturnal, generally solitary tree dwellers. As is characteristic of the Viverridae, they are carnivorous, eating squirrels and other rodents, small birds, lizards and insects. Typical size is a little over 30cm (1 foot), with a tail that more than doubles that length. Bodies are long, with short legs, giving a low appearance. All species have yellowish bodies with black markings (stripes, blotches and spots), though the distribution and nature of the markings varies between species.
The species of linsang are:
- Poiana richardsoni - African Linsang
- Poiana leightoni - Leighton's Linsang
- Prionodon linsang - Banded Linsang
- Prionodon pardicolor - Spotted Linsang
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Gaubert, P., & Veron, G. (2003). Exhaustive sample set among Viverridae reveals the sister-group of felids: the linsangs as a case of extreme morphological convergence within Feliformia. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B, 270, 2523.de:Linsangs
