Przewalski's gazelle
The Przewalski's gazelle ( Procapra przewalskii ) is also called the Mongolian gazelle and Tibet is a type of short-tailed gazelles. It was once considered a subspecies of the Tibetan gazelle ( Procapra picticaudata ), but is now widely recognized as a distinct species.
Features
The Przewalski's gazelle is substantially similar to the Tibetan gazelle and also has a brown- gray, underside white fur. In contrast to the Mongolian gazelle and Tibetan gazelle have their horns at the tips inward. It has like the Tibet Gazelle a white hull stain, which is, however, divided here by a dark central line.
Dissemination
North Central China ( Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu ); The species appears today on the foot of the Nan Shan mountains to be limited to the east and north of Qinghai Lake. The rough terrain protects them here obviously something against strong reenactments.
Way of life
In lifestyle and diet it is largely identical to the Tibetan gazelle.
Evolution and systematics
By living in the high mountain plateau and the local climatic conditions are very few fossil evidence for the types of short-tailed gazelles. Species of the genus Procapra are detected at the earliest Pliocene or early Pleistocene before 2 to 3 million years ago, during antelope -like species have already been documented for the Miocene million before 13 to 15 years. The origin of the short-tailed gazelles was suspected in other gazelle -like antelope, as potential ancestors were here assumed from the early Pleistocene Gazella sinensis from the late Pliocene and Gazella paragutturosa. About isotope studies in fossils and compared to animals alive today of Tibetan highlands, it was found that the climate and weather conditions million before 2 to 3 years, the diversity of habitats were significantly milder and more in this area at the same time more diverse than is currently the case, which a species formation was made possible, among other things in the short-tailed gazelles.
Other Antilopini
Tibetan Gazelle ( Procapra picticaudata )
Przewalski's gazelle ( Procapra przewalskii )
Mongolian Gazelle ( Procapra gutturosa )
The first scientific description of the Przewalski's gazelle comes from Brian Houghton Hodgson, who described together with the way the genre of the short-tailed gazelles ( Procapra ) in 1846. The naming of the genus Procapra derived from the Greco-Latin prefix " pro" ( προ ) for " before" and the name " capra " goat. In addition to the nominate subspecies przewalskii przewalskii Procapra is distinguished as another subspecies przewalskii Procapra diversicornis.
The Przewalski's gazelle is now presented together with the Mongolian Gazelle and the Tibetan Gazelle to the species of short-tailed gazelles ( Procapra ), but was often combined with other gazelles in the genus Gazella. Molecular biological studies confirmed the monophyly of the genus Procapra and placed them over the other genera of the tribe as defined Antilopini. The Przewalski's gazelle and the Mongolian gazelle were recognized as being closer related to each other and compared to the Tibetan gazelle as a sister group. In another study, the genus Procapra, represented by the Mongolian gazelle, as one of the basalsten groups of gazelle -like ( Antilopinae ) was filed.
Stock
The Przewalski's gazelle is one of the most endangered large mammals in China. The IUCN leads the way as endangered ( endangered ).