Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 39(1) 1996

Issue:

VOL 39(1) 1996

Keywords:

Mammalia, Insectivora, Soricidae, Talpidae, Erinaceidae, Pleistocene, Weichselian, Holocene, France

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Quaternary Insectivora (Mammalia) from southwestern France

• Jelle W. F. REUMER

Abstract:

Remains of Insectivora from 21 cave deposits from the French Departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées are studied. These faunas range in age from Middle Pleistocene to Holocene. The mole Talpa europaea is the most common insectivore; it is present in virtually all localities. The samples show a slight decrease in size through time. Talpa minor is found in one locality of Middle Pleistocene age (Aventignan, Grotte de Gargas). This is the first Middle Pleistocene representative of this species in France. The hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus is extremely rare. This could be a taphonomical artifact. A second, larger, species may be present in one locality (Gerde, grotte de la Carrière). Among shrews, the genus Crocidura is represented by three species. Gerde has yielded Crocidura sp., a species probably related to C. kornfeldi. C. russula is found in two Late Pleistocene localities, and C. suaveolens in one Holocene cave. Altogether, the genus is very rare. Also extremely rare is Sorex minutus. This is striking, as this species is known already from the Early Pliocene onwards. The most common shrew is Sorex araneus. It is found in several Middle Pleistocene through Holocene localities, although rarely in large quantities. The same, but in still smaller quantities, applies to the water shrew Neomys fodiens. Most of the material found represents extant species.