Tenrec ecaudatus (Schreber, 1778)

Attributed material: Upper Stratum: 6 maxillary fragments; 5 mandibular rami.

Based on size, eight of the specimens are juvenile, the other two subadult or perhaps young adults.

Two contemporary living specimens were collected from Antsirabe by Major, who also obtained a fossil specimen (M7092) from the ‘Pleistocene formation, Marshes of Sirabé’.

ORYZORICTINAE Dobson, 1882

In total, 866 craniodental elements of oryzorictine tenrecs were recovered from the Upper Stratum of the Children’s Cave. Four species belonging to three genera were identified, the most numerous being Microgale cowani Thomas, 1882 (NR = 501, MNI = 182), followed by Microgale pusilla Major, 1896 (NR = 192, MNI 115) and Oryzorictes tetradactylus Milne-Edwards and A. Grandidier, 1882 (NR = 151, MNI = 49), with the lowest frequency for Nesogale dobsoni (NR = 22, MNI = 8).

Within the Oryzorictinae, identification to species of craniodental elements usually depends on the presence of a portion of the tooth row. Oryzorictes and Nesogale are larger than either of the two species of Microgale found at the site and differ in craniodental morphology (Figure 8). Age determination in Microgale is based on differences between the juvenile and adult dental morphology and eruption sequence of the antemolar dentition (MacPhee 1987). In this assemblage the molars and premolars are the teeth most frequently preserved in situ, progressively less so towards the anterior region of the tooth row, with incisors and canines rarely preserved. Thus, age determination is often difficult and the proportion of age classes within the sample difficult to establish.