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L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Insectivore faunas from the Lower Miocene of Anatolia - Part 8: Stratigraphy, palaeoecology, palaeobiogeography
    Scripta Geologica, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende
    Abstract:

    This article deals with biostratigraphy, palaeoecology and biogeography of the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene insectivore faunas from Anatolia. With the exception of the much younger fauna from Kesekoy, all faunas contain the same insectivore species. Kesekoy contains the same genera, but mostly different species. It has been suggested that Insectivores are of limited stratigraphical use due to the longevity of the taxa. This seems to hold true for the Early Miocene faunas from Anatolia. Changes in the composition of the insectivore faunas are used to infer environmental changes. A rise in the abundance of Insectivores near the MP 30/MN 1 transition is believed to be indicative of a climatic amelioration. The dominance of Theratiskos in Harami and Kesekoy may reflect a somewhat dryer environment than indicated by the Kilcak assemblages. Three periods of migration are deduced from the comparison of the stratigraphical distribution of the European en Anatolian Insectivores. During the Late Oligocene various Insectivores migrated into an area including Anatolia. Somewhere around the MN 2/MN 3 transition Galerix and Desmanodon migrated from Anatolia into Europe. During MN 4 we find a large number of migrations into Europe, e.g. that of Dinosorex. The palaeogeographical and ecological changes that allowed the various migrations are discussed.

  • [The fossil record of the Eurasian Neogene Insectivores (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Mammalia) : Part I / L.W. van den Hoek Ostende, C.S. Doukas and J.W.F. Reumer (editors)]: WINE: putting the fossil Insectivores on record
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, C S Doukas, J W F Reumer
    Abstract:

    Introduction In their report of a meeting at Reisensburg, the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals presented ranges of Neogene mammal genera (De Bruijn et al, 1992). However, no erinaceid, talpid or shrew can be found in the tables. The working group concluded (p. 70); "The omission of all the Insectivores is regretted, but the participants of the Reisensburg meeting consider this order insufficiently known at this moment." In 1990, this position was justifiable if not justified. Mammal studies up until then had focused on the stratigraphical position of the various faunas. The Insectivores, far less numerous than the rodents, usually played a minor role in these studies and were either identified provisionally or not included at all. Detailed descriptions of Insectivores were usually furnished in monographs (e.g. Doben-Florin, 1964; Muller, 1967; Repenning, 1967; Engesser, 1975; Ziegler, 1983; Reumer, 1984; Rumke, 1985). However, already in the 1970s and 1980s, some palaeontologists were specializing in Insectivores, resulting, for example, in a complete series on the Pliocene and Pleistocene Insectivores from Poland (Rzebik-Kowalska, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1990a, b, 1991), and overviews from Insectivores from Spain (Gibert, 1974, 1975) and Anatolia (Engesser, 1980). Around the time of the Reisenburg conference, a change was taking place in mammal palaeontology. As it became clear that our climate was changing, palaeontologists focused more and more on environmental changes in the past. In mammal palaeontology, this implied that not just taxa that were interesting as stratigraphical markers needed

  • Insectivore faunas from the Lower Miocene of Anatolia — Part 7: The Kargi assemblages
    Scripta Geologica, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende
    Abstract:

    The Insectivores of three assemblages from the Kargi K.Y.B. lignite mine are described. These assemblages are considered to be of Early Miocene age, intermediate between those from Inkonak and Kilcak. In Kargi 2 a shrew was found that was not yet known from Lower Miocene deposits in Anatolia. All other Insectivores found were encountered in Inkonak and/or Kilcak also. Notable absentees are the talpids Theratiskos and Suleimania, a small shrew and the dimylid Turkodimylus. The two talpids and the shrew are probably Asian immigrants that appeared in Anatolia after the deposition of the Kargi lignite sequence. The absence of Turkodimylus is probably a result of the small sampling sizes.

  • The nature of the fossil record of Neogene Insectivores
    Hellenic Journal of Geosciences, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, J W F Reumer, C S Doukas
    Abstract:

    The Working-group on Insectivores from the Neogene of Eurasia (WINE) recently published an overview of the fossil record of Insectivores from various European countries. The data thus gathered gives a good impression of the Neogene fossil record of this group. Although most localities are known from Spain, the Central European record has been studied in more detail. The lowermost and late Miocene are as yet relatively poorly documented, particularly in Central Europe. Throughout the Neogene the Central European record is geographically biased, most of our knowledge for a particular timeframe coming from one particular area. Overall the documentation of the fossil record appears to be adequate. Countries for which the fossil record has not been recorded in the WINE-project are, however, needed to complete the picture, providing a challenge for future work.

  • Insectivores erinaceomorpha soricomorpha mammalia from karydia and komotini thrace greece mn 4 5
    Various articles, 2006
    Co-Authors: C S Doukas, L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende
    Abstract:

    The Insectivores from the Thrace locality of Karydia (MN 4) are described, as well as an erinaceid molar from the nearby locality of Komotini (MN 5). The Karydia assemblage contains the same genera of the Greek MN 4 locality Aliveri, with the addition of a shrew and of Plesiosorex. An M2 of the latter is the southernmost occurrence of this genus, and the first record from the Mediterranean area. At the species level there are differences between Karydia and Aliveri. As Galerix kostakii n.sp. from Karydia is interpreted as a descendant of G. symeonidisi from Aliveri, a younger age for the Thrace locality, as was already assumed on the basis of the rodents, is confirmed. A model is proposed in which the symeondisi-kostakii lineage gives rise to Parasorex, of which Parasorex pristinus (Ziegler, 2003) from Muhlbach (Austria, MN 5) is here considered the oldest representative. Thus the original classification of the Austrian galericine as Schizogalerix is challenged. The relative abundance of the different Insectivores differs greatly between Aliveri and Karydia, mainly because of the dominance of erinaceids in the latter locality.

C S Doukas - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • [The fossil record of the Eurasian Neogene Insectivores (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Mammalia) : Part I / L.W. van den Hoek Ostende, C.S. Doukas and J.W.F. Reumer (editors)]: WINE: putting the fossil Insectivores on record
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, C S Doukas, J W F Reumer
    Abstract:

    Introduction In their report of a meeting at Reisensburg, the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals presented ranges of Neogene mammal genera (De Bruijn et al, 1992). However, no erinaceid, talpid or shrew can be found in the tables. The working group concluded (p. 70); "The omission of all the Insectivores is regretted, but the participants of the Reisensburg meeting consider this order insufficiently known at this moment." In 1990, this position was justifiable if not justified. Mammal studies up until then had focused on the stratigraphical position of the various faunas. The Insectivores, far less numerous than the rodents, usually played a minor role in these studies and were either identified provisionally or not included at all. Detailed descriptions of Insectivores were usually furnished in monographs (e.g. Doben-Florin, 1964; Muller, 1967; Repenning, 1967; Engesser, 1975; Ziegler, 1983; Reumer, 1984; Rumke, 1985). However, already in the 1970s and 1980s, some palaeontologists were specializing in Insectivores, resulting, for example, in a complete series on the Pliocene and Pleistocene Insectivores from Poland (Rzebik-Kowalska, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1990a, b, 1991), and overviews from Insectivores from Spain (Gibert, 1974, 1975) and Anatolia (Engesser, 1980). Around the time of the Reisenburg conference, a change was taking place in mammal palaeontology. As it became clear that our climate was changing, palaeontologists focused more and more on environmental changes in the past. In mammal palaeontology, this implied that not just taxa that were interesting as stratigraphical markers needed

  • The nature of the fossil record of Neogene Insectivores
    Hellenic Journal of Geosciences, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, J W F Reumer, C S Doukas
    Abstract:

    The Working-group on Insectivores from the Neogene of Eurasia (WINE) recently published an overview of the fossil record of Insectivores from various European countries. The data thus gathered gives a good impression of the Neogene fossil record of this group. Although most localities are known from Spain, the Central European record has been studied in more detail. The lowermost and late Miocene are as yet relatively poorly documented, particularly in Central Europe. Throughout the Neogene the Central European record is geographically biased, most of our knowledge for a particular timeframe coming from one particular area. Overall the documentation of the fossil record appears to be adequate. Countries for which the fossil record has not been recorded in the WINE-project are, however, needed to complete the picture, providing a challenge for future work.

  • Insectivores erinaceomorpha soricomorpha mammalia from karydia and komotini thrace greece mn 4 5
    Various articles, 2006
    Co-Authors: C S Doukas, L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende
    Abstract:

    The Insectivores from the Thrace locality of Karydia (MN 4) are described, as well as an erinaceid molar from the nearby locality of Komotini (MN 5). The Karydia assemblage contains the same genera of the Greek MN 4 locality Aliveri, with the addition of a shrew and of Plesiosorex. An M2 of the latter is the southernmost occurrence of this genus, and the first record from the Mediterranean area. At the species level there are differences between Karydia and Aliveri. As Galerix kostakii n.sp. from Karydia is interpreted as a descendant of G. symeonidisi from Aliveri, a younger age for the Thrace locality, as was already assumed on the basis of the rodents, is confirmed. A model is proposed in which the symeondisi-kostakii lineage gives rise to Parasorex, of which Parasorex pristinus (Ziegler, 2003) from Muhlbach (Austria, MN 5) is here considered the oldest representative. Thus the original classification of the Austrian galericine as Schizogalerix is challenged. The relative abundance of the different Insectivores differs greatly between Aliveri and Karydia, mainly because of the dominance of erinaceids in the latter locality.

  • the fossil record of the eurasian neogene Insectivores erinaceomorpha soricomorpha mammalia part i l w van den hoek ostende c s doukas and j w f reumer editors greece
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2005
    Co-Authors: C S Doukas
    Abstract:

    Introduction The Neogene Insectivores from Greece span an interval from Early Miocene to Biharian but certainly do not represent a continuous succession. The first reference of small mammals in Greece is by Dames (1883), who described Mus [=Parapodemus] gaudryi from the classical locality of Pikermi. The first report of an insectivore is again from Pikermi. Thenius (1952) described a fragmentary mandible with p2-m2 sin., plus an isolated p4 dex. as Galerix exilis. Doukas et al. (1995) referred the specimen to Schizogalerix moedligensis. Credit should be given here to Hans de Bruijn (Utrecht University), who was instrumental in promoting small mammal research in Greece. The search and research for small mammals started in earnest in 1970, when De Bruijn started collecting in various localities. This is the reason why part of the Greek material is stored at the small mammal collections of Utrecht University and part at the small mammal collections of the Paleontology Museum of Athens University. De Bruijn, a dedicated "rodent man" himself, recognized the importance of Insectivores in the study of small mammal assemblages, and enticed others, including the present author, to work on them. An effort is made to include here yet unpublished faunas that are in preparation. We feel that this volume is an important work for future references and would be shame not to include faunas that will be published shortly. Therefore provisional fauna lists are given for the localities from Karydia and Komotini (NE Greece), and from the FlorinaPtolemais-Servia basin (NW Greece). The small mammal material of the latter localities,

  • the fossil record of the eurasian neogene Insectivores erinaceomorpha soricomorpha mammalia part i l w van den hoek ostende c s doukas and j w f reumer editors wine putting the fossil Insectivores on record
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2005
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, C S Doukas, J W F Reumer
    Abstract:

    Introduction In their report of a meeting at Reisensburg, the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals presented ranges of Neogene mammal genera (De Bruijn et al, 1992). However, no erinaceid, talpid or shrew can be found in the tables. The working group concluded (p. 70); "The omission of all the Insectivores is regretted, but the participants of the Reisensburg meeting consider this order insufficiently known at this moment." In 1990, this position was justifiable if not justified. Mammal studies up until then had focused on the stratigraphical position of the various faunas. The Insectivores, far less numerous than the rodents, usually played a minor role in these studies and were either identified provisionally or not included at all. Detailed descriptions of Insectivores were usually furnished in monographs (e.g. Doben-Florin, 1964; Muller, 1967; Repenning, 1967; Engesser, 1975; Ziegler, 1983; Reumer, 1984; Rumke, 1985). However, already in the 1970s and 1980s, some palaeontologists were specializing in Insectivores, resulting, for example, in a complete series on the Pliocene and Pleistocene Insectivores from Poland (Rzebik-Kowalska, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1990a, b, 1991), and overviews from Insectivores from Spain (Gibert, 1974, 1975) and Anatolia (Engesser, 1980). Around the time of the Reisenburg conference, a change was taking place in mammal palaeontology. As it became clear that our climate was changing, palaeontologists focused more and more on environmental changes in the past. In mammal palaeontology, this implied that not just taxa that were interesting as stratigraphical markers needed

Kasper Thorup - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Annual spatiotemporal migration schedules in three larger insectivorous birds: European nightjar, common swift and common cuckoo
    Animal Biotelemetry, 2017
    Co-Authors: Lars Bo Jacobsen, Niels Odder Jensen, Mark Desholm, Lars Hansen, Mikkel Willemoes, Anders P Tottrup, Kasper Thorup
    Abstract:

    Background Knowledge of spatiotemporal migration patterns is important for our understanding of migration ecology and ultimately conservation of migratory species. We studied the annual migration schedules of European nightjar, a large nocturnal insectivore and compared it with two other larger migratory Insectivores, common swift and common cuckoo. All species breed in North Europe and winter in sub-Saharan Africa, but estimating their spatiotemporal non-breeding distributions from observations is complicated by the occurrence of similar local African species. We used geolocators to track the annual migrations of nightjars and swifts and compared these with satellite tracking of cuckoo migration. Results Individuals of the three species migrated to wintering grounds centered in Central Africa, except some common swifts that remained in West Africa, crossing or circumventing the Sahara along different routes in spring and fall. Overall, all species showed similar regional and seasonal use of several stopover areas during migration. Among the three species, European nightjars and common cuckoos showed the most similar spatiotemporal migration patterns. The nightjars wintered in SW Central Africa and breeding and wintering made up by far the two longest stationary periods. Swifts were generally more mobile, and some individuals progressively visited areas further east in East Africa during winter and further west in West Africa on spring migration; this species also spent less time on stopovers, but more on wintering areas. Cuckoos were intermediate in their extent of movements. The speed of nightjar spring migration was equal to that of fall migration, in contrast to the two other species where spring return to breeding areas was faster. Conclusions Ecological requirements are potentially useful for understanding spatiotemporal migration patterns and causes of declines in migratory species.

  • annual spatiotemporal migration schedules in three larger insectivorous birds european nightjar common swift and common cuckoo
    Animal Biotelemetry, 2017
    Co-Authors: Lars Bo Jacobsen, Niels Odder Jensen, Mark Desholm, Lars Hansen, Mikkel Willemoes, Anders P Tottrup, Kasper Thorup
    Abstract:

    Knowledge of spatiotemporal migration patterns is important for our understanding of migration ecology and ultimately conservation of migratory species. We studied the annual migration schedules of European nightjar, a large nocturnal insectivore and compared it with two other larger migratory Insectivores, common swift and common cuckoo. All species breed in North Europe and winter in sub-Saharan Africa, but estimating their spatiotemporal non-breeding distributions from observations is complicated by the occurrence of similar local African species. We used geolocators to track the annual migrations of nightjars and swifts and compared these with satellite tracking of cuckoo migration. Individuals of the three species migrated to wintering grounds centered in Central Africa, except some common swifts that remained in West Africa, crossing or circumventing the Sahara along different routes in spring and fall. Overall, all species showed similar regional and seasonal use of several stopover areas during migration. Among the three species, European nightjars and common cuckoos showed the most similar spatiotemporal migration patterns. The nightjars wintered in SW Central Africa and breeding and wintering made up by far the two longest stationary periods. Swifts were generally more mobile, and some individuals progressively visited areas further east in East Africa during winter and further west in West Africa on spring migration; this species also spent less time on stopovers, but more on wintering areas. Cuckoos were intermediate in their extent of movements. The speed of nightjar spring migration was equal to that of fall migration, in contrast to the two other species where spring return to breeding areas was faster. Ecological requirements are potentially useful for understanding spatiotemporal migration patterns and causes of declines in migratory species.

Paola Villa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • micromammals rodents and Insectivores from the early late pleistocene cave site of bois roche charente france systematics and paleoclimatology
    Geobios, 2008
    Co-Authors: Carmen Sese, Paola Villa
    Abstract:

    We present the study of rodents and Insectivores from the 1995 season of excavation at the early Late Pleistocene site of Bois Roche (Charente, France). The site is a small cave with a low ceiling, used as a den by hyenas. It contains a large herbivore assemblage (mainly bovids and equids) with a smaller representation of medium-size taxa (cervids), many microvertebrates, abundant coprolites and deciduous hyena teeth, and a few lithic artifacts (Middle Paleolithic) introduced into the cave by gravity and slope wash. The rodent fauna consists of Eliomys quercinus cf. quercinus, Apodemus sp., Microtus gregalis, Microtus oeconomus, Arvicola terrestris and Dicrostonyx torquatus. Insectivores are represented by Neomys cf. fodiens. The most common species is M. gregalis which forms 93.7% of the total MNI. The micromammal fauna suggests an open landscape, with some vegetation mainly of the steppe or tundra type, with areas of water and more wet vegetation and some areas with trees. The micromammal association of Bois Roche is characteristic of a cold or very cold dry climate.

  • Micromammals (rodents and Insectivores) from the early Late Pleistocene cave site of Bois Roche (Charente, France): Systematics and paleoclimatology
    Geobios, 2008
    Co-Authors: Carmen Sese, Paola Villa
    Abstract:

    We present the study of rodents and Insectivores from the 1995 season of excavation at the early Late Pleistocene site of Bois Roche (Charente, France). The site is a small cave with a low ceiling, used as a den by hyenas. It contains a large herbivore assemblage (mainly bovids and equids) with a smaller representation of medium-size taxa (cervids), many microvertebrates, abundant coprolites and deciduous hyena teeth, and a few lithic artifacts (Middle Paleolithic) introduced into the cave by gravity and slope wash. The rodent fauna consists of Eliomys quercinus cf. quercinus, Apodemus sp., Microtus gregalis, Microtus oeconomus, Arvicola terrestris and Dicrostonyx torquatus. Insectivores are represented by Neomys cf. fodiens. The most common species is M. gregalis which forms 93.7% of the total MNI. The micromammal fauna suggests an open landscape, with some vegetation mainly of the steppe or tundra type, with areas of water and more wet vegetation and some areas with trees. The micromammal association of Bois Roche is characteristic of a cold or very cold dry climate. © 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

J W F Reumer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • [The fossil record of the Eurasian Neogene Insectivores (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Mammalia) : Part I / L.W. van den Hoek Ostende, C.S. Doukas and J.W.F. Reumer (editors)]: WINE: putting the fossil Insectivores on record
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, C S Doukas, J W F Reumer
    Abstract:

    Introduction In their report of a meeting at Reisensburg, the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals presented ranges of Neogene mammal genera (De Bruijn et al, 1992). However, no erinaceid, talpid or shrew can be found in the tables. The working group concluded (p. 70); "The omission of all the Insectivores is regretted, but the participants of the Reisensburg meeting consider this order insufficiently known at this moment." In 1990, this position was justifiable if not justified. Mammal studies up until then had focused on the stratigraphical position of the various faunas. The Insectivores, far less numerous than the rodents, usually played a minor role in these studies and were either identified provisionally or not included at all. Detailed descriptions of Insectivores were usually furnished in monographs (e.g. Doben-Florin, 1964; Muller, 1967; Repenning, 1967; Engesser, 1975; Ziegler, 1983; Reumer, 1984; Rumke, 1985). However, already in the 1970s and 1980s, some palaeontologists were specializing in Insectivores, resulting, for example, in a complete series on the Pliocene and Pleistocene Insectivores from Poland (Rzebik-Kowalska, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1990a, b, 1991), and overviews from Insectivores from Spain (Gibert, 1974, 1975) and Anatolia (Engesser, 1980). Around the time of the Reisenburg conference, a change was taking place in mammal palaeontology. As it became clear that our climate was changing, palaeontologists focused more and more on environmental changes in the past. In mammal palaeontology, this implied that not just taxa that were interesting as stratigraphical markers needed

  • The nature of the fossil record of Neogene Insectivores
    Hellenic Journal of Geosciences, 2020
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, J W F Reumer, C S Doukas
    Abstract:

    The Working-group on Insectivores from the Neogene of Eurasia (WINE) recently published an overview of the fossil record of Insectivores from various European countries. The data thus gathered gives a good impression of the Neogene fossil record of this group. Although most localities are known from Spain, the Central European record has been studied in more detail. The lowermost and late Miocene are as yet relatively poorly documented, particularly in Central Europe. Throughout the Neogene the Central European record is geographically biased, most of our knowledge for a particular timeframe coming from one particular area. Overall the documentation of the fossil record appears to be adequate. Countries for which the fossil record has not been recorded in the WINE-project are, however, needed to complete the picture, providing a challenge for future work.

  • the fossil record of the eurasian neogene Insectivores erinaceomorpha soricomorpha mammalia part i l w van den hoek ostende c s doukas and j w f reumer editors germany
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2005
    Co-Authors: R Ziegler, Th Dahlmann, J W F Reumer, G Storch
    Abstract:

    Introduction Research of Miocene and Pliocene Insectivores has a long history in Germany. Already in the middle of the 19th century Miocene insectivore species have been described from South German localities. Most of these were authored by Herman von Meyer, who deserves to be named a pioneer of German Insectivores research. Weisenau, today part of the city of Mainz, is the type locality of Dimylus paradoxus described by von Meyer (1846:473). Haslach near Ulm yielded the type of Cordylodon haslachensis, also described by von Meyer (1859: 174). The widely known Steinheim fauna yielded among others the type of Parasorex socialis, again described by von Meyer (1865:884). Von Meyer often received fossils from private collectors for determination. Usually, he described the specimens, drew them, and returned them to the owners. He communicated his conclusions and the descriptions of new species in his ''Mittheilungen an Professor Bronn" (communications to Professor Bronn). Schlosser often referred to the handmade drawings of von Meyer and published them in his 1887 oeuvre. He also described new species, among them the soricid Sorex neumayrianus Schlosser, 1887, today known as Heterosorex neumayrianus. In the early 20th century Ernst Stromer published on Miocene Insectivores from south Germany. In his monographs from 1928 and 1940 he compiled the knowledge of the Late Miocene fauna from the Munich area, including a couple of Insectivores. However, until that time, finds of fossil Insectivores as well as of small mammals in general have been more or less accidental. Occasionally private collectors found fossil small

  • the fossil record of the eurasian neogene Insectivores erinaceomorpha soricomorpha mammalia part i l w van den hoek ostende c s doukas and j w f reumer editors wine putting the fossil Insectivores on record
    Scripta Geologica. Special Issue, 2005
    Co-Authors: L.w. Van Den Hoek Ostende, C S Doukas, J W F Reumer
    Abstract:

    Introduction In their report of a meeting at Reisensburg, the RCMNS working group on fossil mammals presented ranges of Neogene mammal genera (De Bruijn et al, 1992). However, no erinaceid, talpid or shrew can be found in the tables. The working group concluded (p. 70); "The omission of all the Insectivores is regretted, but the participants of the Reisensburg meeting consider this order insufficiently known at this moment." In 1990, this position was justifiable if not justified. Mammal studies up until then had focused on the stratigraphical position of the various faunas. The Insectivores, far less numerous than the rodents, usually played a minor role in these studies and were either identified provisionally or not included at all. Detailed descriptions of Insectivores were usually furnished in monographs (e.g. Doben-Florin, 1964; Muller, 1967; Repenning, 1967; Engesser, 1975; Ziegler, 1983; Reumer, 1984; Rumke, 1985). However, already in the 1970s and 1980s, some palaeontologists were specializing in Insectivores, resulting, for example, in a complete series on the Pliocene and Pleistocene Insectivores from Poland (Rzebik-Kowalska, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1990a, b, 1991), and overviews from Insectivores from Spain (Gibert, 1974, 1975) and Anatolia (Engesser, 1980). Around the time of the Reisenburg conference, a change was taking place in mammal palaeontology. As it became clear that our climate was changing, palaeontologists focused more and more on environmental changes in the past. In mammal palaeontology, this implied that not just taxa that were interesting as stratigraphical markers needed