Erinaceomorpha and Soricomorpha (Mammalia) of the Miocene Tagay fauna (Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Eastern Siberia): A preliminary report

Abstract

The current paper is a preliminary attempt to describe the eulipotyphlan fauna from the Early/Middle Miocene (MN5) Tagay-1 locality. Our results reveal one hedgehog species, Parvericius cf. P. buk (Erinaceinae), one desman species, Desmaninae gen. et sp. indet. (Desmaninae), three mole species, Quyania sp., Urotrichini gen. et sp. indet. and Yanshuella cf. Y. primaeva, one Desmanodon species (Talpidae incertae sedis) and three shrew species, Plesiosorex sp., Heterosorex sp. and Miosorex sp. (Plesiosoricidae, Soricidae). Therefore, the Tagay fauna is composed of European, Asian and North American genera. The desman remains are very similar to Late Miocene representatives of European Archaeodesmana, and represent the first Miocene record of Desmaninae in northern Asia. Our small mammal assemblage of the Tagay-1 section allows us to confirm the earlier reconstruction of the local palaeoenvironmental conditions as linked habitats such as closed forest and open ecotonal habitats preferred by ground-dwelling hedgehogs, shrew moles and shrews, and subterranean groups such as digging moles. The presence of desmans indicates flowing waters and probably wetland areas that would also be the favoured habitat of shrews.