Cranial Anatomy of the Desert Dormouse, Selevinia betpakdalaensis (Rodentia, Gliridae), revealed by Micro-Computed Tomography

Abstract

The dormice (Gliridae) represent a relatively small family of rodents, but exhibit considerable variation in their cranial anatomy. The skull morphology of almost all genera of dormice was described from osteological specimens in an earlier publication. However, the rare desert dormouse, Selevinia betpakdalaensis, was only assessed using previous descriptions and photographic images, resulting in difficulties with assigning all cranial features within this particular genus. In this study, the crania and mandibles of two adult individuals of this genus were scanned using micro-computed tomography and virtually reconstructed. From these reconstructions, we describe in detail the highly unusual cranial and mandibular morphology of the desert dormouse and determine the states of the cranial and mandibular characters described previously. These morphological characters were used to compare this species with previously described dormouse genera, showing a clear resemblance between Selevinia and the small mouse-tailed dormouse genus Myomimus. Derived morphological features unique to Selevinia indicate clear adaptations to a desert-like environment, as well as hinting towards an insectivorous diet and burrowing lifestyle.