The Late Miocene Plesiosoricidae and Soricidae (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from the Pannonian region, Slovakia

Soricidae is the most species-rich eulipotyphlan family since the Pliocene. Numerous Late Miocene soricids and plesiosoricids are well-known from southern Europe. Localities from central Europe, despite being rare, have historically yielded better-preserved material that reveals a great diversity. We here add to this existing record with the description of eight species from MN9-MN12-aged localities of Slovakia (Paenelimnoecus repenningi, Paenesorex bicuspis, Isterlestes aenigmaticus nov. gen. nov. sp., Crusafontina endemica, Crusafontina kormosi, Amblycoptus jessiae, Asoriculus gibberodon, Petenyia dubia), alongside one species of Plesiosoricidae (Plesiosorex evolutus). The early occurrence of A. gibberodon and A. jessiae, the occurrence of Paenesorex, and the identification of Isterlestes aenigmaticus nov. gen. nov. sp. reinforce the hypothesis that the Pannonian region (south-eastern central Europe) was a source area for several soricid taxa (Allosoricinae, Anourosoricini, Soricini) during the Late Miocene.