Insectivores (Soricomorpha, Mammalia) from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Transbaikalia and Irkutsk region (Russia)

Remains of Talpidae and Soricidae have been found in Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments of 10 localities in Western Transbaikalia and the Irkutsk Region. They belong to five genera and 15 species. Besides fossil (Petenyia sp., Sorex palaeosibiriensis) and Recent taxa (Asioscalops altaica, Crocidura sp., Neomys fodiens, Sorex minutissimus, Sorex minutus, Sorex roboratus, Sorex cf. isodon and Sorex cf. daphaenodon) known from Asia, descriptions of two Sorex species from the Baikal region (Sorex erbajevae and Sorex baikalensis) are given. Thus, the number of fossil Sorex species cited to date from Asia has increased to 21.