Paranourosorex seletiensis Storch and Zazhigin, 1996

Zazhigin, Vladimir S. & Voyta, Leonid L., 2022, New Neogene anourosoricin shrews from northern Asia, Palaeontologia Electronica (a 29) 25 (3), pp. 1-36 : 12-13

Paranourosorex seletiensis Storch and Zazhigin, 1996

Figure 6A, B

Material. Left hemimandible with m1–m2, alveoli of m3 and slightly damaged mandibular ramus without angular process (GIN 951/1000, holotype) ; isolated left P4 without end of the postparacrista (GIN 951/1001, paratype) from Selety 1A locality. One paratype specimen, isolated right i1 (GIN 951/ 1002), is lost (Appendix 2: 2).

Description. Smallest Paranourosorex species. The general proportion of P4 similar to other Paranourosorex species: the moderately developed parastyle is separated from the paracone base by the shallow groove; the well-developed anterior notch between the parastyle and protocone; the well-developed massive cone-like hypocone and the shallow posterior emargination; the parastyle shifts lingually from the paracone longitudinal axis; the postcingulum begins with well-distinguished cingular cuspule ( Figure 6B ). The hypolophid of m1 ends by the entostylid, which visibly turns backwards; the talonid basin of m1 opens posterolingually by the long posterolingual groove; the entocristid separated from metaconid base by the narrow slot-like transverse groove ( Figure 6A ). The hypolophid and entoconid of m2 are heavily worn. The lower molars have narrow well-distinguished ectocingulids.

Measurements. See Appendix 4.

Remarks. P. seletiensis clearly differs from other Paranourosorex species in smallest size (Appendix 4). P. seletiensis differs from P. inexspectatus (according to the description of Storch, 1995, and Storch and Zazhigin, 1996) and P. gigas in the more expressed and turned entostylid of m1; in longer posterolingual groove between the entostylid and entoconid of m1; in presence of the slot-like groove between the entocristid and the metaconid base (other compared species have a wider groove).

Stratigraphic and geographic range. At present, the distribution includes only the type locality (Appendix 2) the late Miocene Kedey Formation (Turolian, MN 12/13).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Teeth and bones of Paranourosorex seletiensis Storch and Zazhigin, 1996 (A, B), Crusafontina sp. 1, (C), Crusafontina sp. 2 (D) and Paranourosorex intermedius sp. nov. (E). A, GIN 951/1000 (holotype) from SLT/1A, left hemimandible fragment (cut image) with m1 and m2 in occlusal view (A2, magnified m2); B, GIN 951/1001 (paratype) from SLT/1A, left P4 in occlusal view; C, GIN 640/1004 from PVL/1A, left M1 in occlusal view; D, GIN 951/1003 SLT/ 1A, left P4 in occlusal view; E, GIN 948/1051 (holotype) from NST/1A, right dentary fragment with m1 and m2 (E1, occlusal view; E2, lateral view E3, medial view;). Scale bars equal 1 mm.