[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)]: Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

Introduction The fossil record of insectivores in Czech Republic comes from two different settings: A. in the stratified deposits in the North Bohemian tectonic rift (the sites; Tuchořice, the Open Mine Merkur-Nord near Chomutov, Dolnice and Františkovy Lázně (Franzensbad), and Β. in the karstic fillings at Suchomasty. The richest occurrence of insectivores is in the coal seam in Merkur Nord; in the thermal spring travertines at Tuchořice the small mammals are generally very rare. Detailed taxonomic descriptions of the faunas are being prepared. The record of fossil insectivores in the Slovak territory of the Western Carpathians are not as frequent as finds of rodents. In spite of it, thus far six out of fifteen sites with a record of Neogene mammals yielded remains of insectivores. The stratigraphically youngest finds are known from the Late Pliocene (MN 16a) site of Hajnáčka and the stratigraphically oldest ones come from the Middle Miocene terrestrial deposits of Devínska Nová Ves-Fissures (MN 6). Insectivore fossils have been found in fissure fillings, basin deposits, and maar sediments. However, most records consist of few specimens only (with the exception of these from sedimentary fillings of fissures). The acronyms used in this article are: DGP Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic GMM Gemer-Malohont Museum, Rimavská Sobota, Slovak Republic