A new genus of treeshrew and other micromammals from the middle Miocene hominoid locality of Ramnagar, Udhampur District, Jammu & Kashmir, India

The fossil record of treeshrews, hedgehogs, and other micromammals from the Lower Siwaliks of India is sparse. Here, we report on a new genus and species of fossil treeshrew, specimens of the hedgehog Galerix, and other micromammals from the middle Miocene (Lower Siwalik) deposits surrounding Ramnagar (Udhampur District, Jammu & Kashmir), at a fossil locality known as Dehari. The treeshrew from Dehari (Sivatupaia ramnagarensis gen. nov. et sp. nov.) currently represents the oldest record of fossil tupaiids in the Siwaliks, extending their time range by ~2.5-4.0 million years in the region. Dietary analyses suggest that the new tupaiid was likely adapted for a less mechanically challenging or more frugivorous diet compared to other extant and fossil tupaiids. The occurrence of Galerix has only been recently documented from the Indian Siwaliks and the Dehari specimens help establish the likely presence of a relatively large Siwalik Galerix species in the Ramnagar region. In addition t...

印度下西瓦利克群的树鼩、刺猬及其他小型哺乳类的化石记录较为匮乏。本次研究报道了产自印度查谟和克什米尔邦乌达姆普尔县拉姆纳加尔周边中新世中期（下西瓦利克阶）沉积地层中德哈里化石点的新属新种树鼩、刺猬属（Galerix）标本以及其他小型哺乳类化石。此次发现的德哈里树鼩（*Sivatupaia ramnagarensis* 新属新种）是目前西瓦利克群已知最古老的树鼩科化石记录，将该类群在该区域的生存时间跨度延长了约250万至400万年。食性分析表明，相较于其他现生及化石树鼩科物种，这一新种对机械性咀嚼挑战的适应性更低，或更偏向果食性饮食。此前仅在近期才有印度西瓦利克群中刺猬属（Galerix）存在的相关记录，而德哈里的标本证实了拉姆纳加尔区域存在体型相对较大的西瓦利克刺猬属物种。此外，