De evolutiebiologie van de spitsmuizen (Mammalia, Insectivora, Soricidae). I. Anatomie, Evolutie en Biogeografie

This article is the first of a series of two papers on the evolutionary biology of the shrews (Insectivora, Soricidae). This first paper deals with general aspects of the subject. Definitions are given of what shrews are and of anatomical details that are relevant to paleontologists. Characters of the skull, the mandibles, and the dentition are described. The evolutionary relationships between the Soricidae and other insectivore families, as well as within the family, are dealt with and presented in the form of phylogenetic trees. A chapter about paleoecology explains why shrews are so vulnerable to climatic changes, due to their extremely small size. They are not expected to be found living under extreme circumstances. The evolution of the family appears to have been favoured by humid paleoclimates. The worldwide biogeography is dealt with, followed by a chapter on the known fossil shrews from the Netherlands. It is shown that we hardly know anything: a large void in our knowledge starts in the Eburonian and ends in the Holsteinian. It is finally indicated that shrews still evolve in an observable way.