The first fossil Soriculus (Tribe Soriculini) in the Indian subcontinent from the Karewas of Kashmir, India

摘要

The first as well as the earliest fossil Soriculus (Insectivora, Mammalia) in the Indian subcontinent is described from the Pliocene fluvio-lacustrine deposits of the Karewa intermontane basin in the northwestern Himalaya. The new species, Soriculus kashmiriensis sp. nov., is morphologically close to all the Asian forms of the Tribe Soriculini and comparatively closer to the present day S. leucops and S.(E.) caudatus. Based on the careful examination of available fossil as well as Recent material, we propose to merge fossil and living soriculines of Asia into a single genus Soriculus. We also choose to include the Indian Episoriculus in Soriculus for taxonomic reasons.