The nature of the fossil record of Neogene insectivores

The Working-group on Insectivores from the Neogene of Eurasia (WINE) recently published an overview of the fossil record of insectivores from various European countries. The data thus gathered gives a good impression of the Neogene fossil record of this group. Although most localities are known from Spain, the Central European record has been studied in more detail. The lowermost and late Miocene are as yet relatively poorly documented, particularly in Central Europe. Throughout the Neogene the Central European record is geographically biased, most of our knowledge for a particular timeframe coming from one particular area. Overall the documentation of the fossil record appears to be adequate. Countries for which the fossil record has not been recorded in the WINE-project are, however, needed to complete the picture, providing a challenge for future work.