New mole species discovered in country’s east

HAKKARI

Two previously undiscovered mole species, believed to have been around for 3 million years, have been identified in eastern Türkiye.

In a joint study conducted by Ondokuz Mayıs University in Türkiye, Indiana University in the U.S. and Plymouth University in the U.K., the new species were confirmed using DNA technology.

The species named "Talpa hakkariensis," found in the eastern province of Hakkari, was recorded as a new species with very different morphology and DNA.

The species named "Talpa davidiana tatvanensis," found in Bitlis was classified as a subspecies of "Talpa davidiana," a species first discovered in 1884.

Both species, which belong to a subterranean group commonly found in Europe and western Asia, live in the mountainous regions of eastern Anatolia and can survive in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius in summer and under two meters of snow in winter.

With the new research, the number of known Eurasian moles has increased from 16 to 18.

The research results were published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Professor Dr. Islam Gündüz, one of the authors of the study, said in a statement that the studies conducted in recent years with the use of current DNA-based molecular techniques have shown that there may be new hidden species waiting to be discovered. 

There are approximately 6,500 mammal species identified in the world, and it is very rare to discover new mammal species, said David Bilton from Plymouth University, who is one of the other authors of the study.

“At a time when calls for the protection of global biodiversity are increasing, if we want to protect animal species, we first need to discover their existence,” Bilton told local media.