Pliocene Soricidae (Insectivora, Mammalia) from Kashmir Intermontane Basin, Northwestern Himalaya

The earliest as well as the first Episoriculus (Tribe Soriculini; Subfamily, Soricinae) in Asia is described from the Pliocene sediments of the Karewas of Kashmir, India. Based on the examination of nearly all lower and upper dental elements, a new species, Episoriculus repenningi sp. nov. is proposed. In addition; the only record of tribe Beremendiini in Southern Asia is discussed based on limited material. The presence ofhoih tribes in India offers evidence of faunal similarity between Europe and Southern Asia during Late Cenozoic. The age of the sediments yielding fossil shrews is about 2.4 Ma.