Neomys newtoni Hinton, 1911

Rzebik-Kowalska, Barbara & Rekovets, Leonid I., 2016, New data on Eulipotyphla (Insectivora, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene of Ukraine, Palaeontologia Electronica 12 (1), pp. 1-31 : 21

Neomys newtoni Hinton, 1911

Figure 9.4-9.6

Material. Medzhybozh (early Middle Pleistocene, Q3), two left fragments of mandible, one with m1- m2 and one with coronoid and condyloid processes. MNI=1. Catalogue number 29/4/11.

Description. The m1 ( Figure 9.5-6 ) is rather massive (in relation to m1 of other small Neomys species). Its talonid is wider than the trigonid, the entoconid and the hypolophid are separated by a groove, the entoconid crest is high and the cingulids are wide (the lingual cingulid is less protruding than the buccal one). The m2 ( Figure 9.5-6 ) is similar to m1 but smaller. The coronoid process is low and its tip is slightly damaged. The upper facet of the condyle is small, the lower is wide on the buccal side and narrow on the lingual side. The interarticular area is very narrow in the middle and it widens towards the upper and lower facets ( Figure 9.4 ).

Measurements. See Table 9.

Systematic Position and Distribution. The morphology of the teeth and the condyloid process indicate that the remains described above belong to the tribe Neomyini , the genus Neomys Kaup, 1829 and the species N. newtoni Hinton, 1911 . They differ from typical N. browni Hinton, 1911 (Grays Thurrock, England, Late Pleistocene) by being smaller, from similar in size Recent N. anomalus Cabrera, 1907 by having a stronger teeth and straight (not buccaly bent) tip of the coronoid process and from the Middle Pleistocene N. hintoni described by Zaitsev and Baryshnikov (2002) from the Caucasus by different morphology of its ascending ramus (lack of a deep fossa situated on the buccal side of the ascending ramus). The German species, Neomys intermedius Brunner, 1952 cited from Middle to Late Pleistocene localities of Europe is not taken into consideration because its validity was questioned by several authors, e.g., by Jammot (1977).

Neomys newtoni is known from many Early and Middle Pleistocene localities of several countries of Europe but its remains are always scarce in the fossil material. This is the first record of N. newtoni in the Ukraine.

Figures

FIGURE 9. (1-2) cf. Asoriculus sp. from Popovo 3: 1, fragment of right mandible with coronoid process, buccal view (c.n. 29/III/9/1). 2, fragment of right mandible with m2-m3, lingual view (c.n. 29/III/9/2). (3) Neomysorex alpinoides from Verkhnya Krynitsa 2, fragment of right mandible with p4–m3, lingual view (c.n. 29/2/10/1), (4-6) Neomys newtoni from Medzhybozh: 4, left condyloid process, posterior view (c.n. 29/4/11/2); fragment of left mandible with m1–m2, in 5, lingual, and 6, occlusal view (c.n. 29/4/11/1).