First record of insectivore from the late Oligocene, Kargil Formation (Ladakh Molasse Group), Ladakh Himalayas

•An erinaceid fossil was found in the upper Oligocene of the Kargil Formation.•The find provides a welcome addition to the scanty insectivore record of India.•The fossil represents a new genus and species, Ladakhechinus iugummontis.•The species is only known from its holotype, a partial maxillary wi...

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Published inJournal of Asian Earth Sciences: X Vol. 8; p. 100105
Main Authors Wazir, Wasim A., Cailleux, Florentin, Sehgal, Ramesh K., Patnaik, Rajeev, Kumar, Navin, van den Hoek Ostende, Lars W.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2022
Elsevier
Subjects
Erinaceidae
Eulipotyphla
India
Mammalia
Maxilla
New genus
Erinaceidae
New genus
Mammalia
Eulipotyphla
Maxilla
India
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Summary:•An erinaceid fossil was found in the upper Oligocene of the Kargil Formation.•The find provides a welcome addition to the scanty insectivore record of India.•The fossil represents a new genus and species, Ladakhechinus iugummontis.•The species is only known from its holotype, a partial maxillary with three premolars.•The unique morphology of the P4 sets the species apart from all other Erinaceidae. The Kargil Formation in the region of Ladakh (northern India) is known for its late Oligocene mammal fauna of both large mammals and rodents. New excavations in the area yielded a maxillary fragment of an insectivore with three premolars and two roots of a canine. The fossil record of the insectivores on the Indian subcontinent is as yet scanty. Based on the peculiar morphology of the last premolar, the Ladakh fossil could be identified as belonging to a new species of Erinaceinae, Ladakhechinus iugummontis n. gen. n. sp. The new find confirms the large diversity among hedgehogs in Asia during the Oligocene.
ISSN:2590-0560
2590-0560
DOI:10.1016/j.jaesx.2022.100105