Galerix kostakii
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| Galerix kostakii Temporal range: Early Miocene (MN 4) | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Erinaceidae |
| Genus: | †Galerix |
| Species: | †G. kostakii |
| Binomial name | |
| †Galerix kostakii Doukas and Van den Hoek Ostende, 2006 | |
Galerix kostakii is a fossil erinaceid mammal from the early Miocene of Greece. It is known from the site of Karydia, assigned to the biostratigraphical zone MN 4; similar fossils have been found at an approximately contemporary Czech site and a slightly younger Greek site. With characters like the presence of a hypocone (fourth cusp) on the upper third premolar, the presence of a connection between the protocone and metaconule cusps on the second upper molar in only a few specimens, this species is intermediate between the slightly older Galerix symeonidisi and the slightly younger Parasorex pristinus. It may form part of the lineage leading from the genus Galerix to the younger genus Parasorex.
Galerix kostakii was first described in 2006 by Greek and Dutch paleontologists Constantin Doukas and Lars van den Hoek Ostende from the Greek paleontological site of Karydia. The specific name, kostakii, honors Constantin "Kostaki" Theocharopoulos, who studied the cricetid rodents found at Karydia.[1] Karydia is dated to the mammal zone MN 4 (late early Miocene). Galerix kostakii dominates the insectivore fauna of Karydia, forming 60% of the total fauna. In contrast, at Aliveri, a slightly older Greek site also assigned to MN 4, Galerix (represented by the related species Galerix symeonidisi) forms only about 25% of the insectivore fauna. The reason for this difference is unknown.[2] In Komotini, a slightly younger site (assigned to zone MN 5) near Karydia, a single first upper molar (M1) of an unidentified Galerix species similar to G. kostakii has been found.[3] In the Czech region of Mokrá, at a site known as "Mokrá – 1/2001 Turtle Joint" (MN 4), a few fossils of a Galerix very similar to G. kostakii have been found.[4]