'Almost Toothless' Rat Species Discovered in Indonesia's Sulawesi

Jakarta Globe, August 23, 2012

The new species of rodent, Paucidentomys vermidax. (Image courtesy of
Kevin Rowe/Museum Victoria website)

Related articles

• New Spider Family Found In US Caves
• Indonesia and Malaysia Home to New Frog Species
• Sulawesi Biodiversity Haven Yields Up New Species
• Indonesia's 'Batman' Discovers New Bat Species Around Sulawesi
• Invasive Species Ride Tsunami Debris to US Shore

A rare and extreme species of rodent was recently discovered in Indonesia, showcasing biodiversity in the country and the evolutionary process, a new research paper has said.

The paper “Evolutionary novelty in a rat with no molars,” published in this month's Biology Letters, said the new species, Paucidentomys vermidax, is an almost toothless, worm-eating rat unable to gnaw or chew, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Museum Victoria in Australia.

Written by Jacob Esselstyn of McMaster University, Canada, Anang Achmadi of Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Indonesia, and Kevin Rowe of Museum Victoria, the paper states that the discovery illustrates how the process of evolution can lead to the loss of previously successful traits in species faced with new opportunities.

“There are more than 2,200 rodent species in the world and until this discovery all had molars in the back of their mouth and incisors at the front,” said Rowe, according to the statement posted on the museum's website.

Paucidentomys means “few-toothed mouse” and vermidax means “devourer of worms,” the statement explained.

“The specialised incisors of rodents give them the distinct ability to gnaw — a defining characteristic of rodents worldwide. In having lost all teeth except a pair of unusually shaped incisors that are incapable of gnawing, this new rat is unique among rodents,” Anang was quoted as saying.

“This is an example of how species, when faced with a new ecological opportunity, in this case an abundance of earthworms, can evolve the loss of traits that were wildly successful in previous circumstances,” Rowe said.

“While we face a global crisis of biodiversity loss, this new species reminds us that we are still in an age of biodiversity discovery. Wild habitats where new species wait to be discovered are still out there,” Rowe added.

However, the researchers added that the habitat of the new species, discovered in the rainforests of Sulawesi, is under threat.

“In the mountains of Sulawesi, where we discovered Paucidentomys, healthy forests still nurture rare and remarkable species, however, they are isolated patches imperiled by expanding logging, mining, plantations and other human activities,” Rowe said.