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Variation and evolution of the Sicilian shrew 249

Crocidura maghrebiana n. sp. (Fig. 5)

Crocidura cf. viaria: Rzebik-Kowalska 1988: 75-80.

Holotype: SMF 86/ 156, partial skull with P4 -M3 preserved, "Carrière Thomas (kleine
Spalte), Hohle", Middle Pleistocene of Marocco; leg. J.-L. Franzen & G. Storch 1973; other
specimens referable to the new taxon are deposited in SMF, PAS and UCBL.

Measurements of holotype: Maxillary breadth 6,99; maximum length ·of upper P4 in
labial view 1,98; maximum heigth 1;83 mm.

Diagno sis: Large Crocidura with a characteristic upper P 4 in which the parastyle constitutes
about one third of the entire tooth surface in labial view and is set apart from the body of
the tooth by a distinct constriction (Fig. 5). Additional descriptions, figures and measurements
are given by Rzebik-Kowalska (1988).

Distri buti o n: Extinct; known from two Mid-Pleistocene sites in Marocco: Irhoud Derbala
Virage (Rzebik-Kowalska 1988, PAS; also UVBL), and Carrière Thomas, near Casablanca
(SMF).

Etymology: The species epithet is derived from the Maghreb region.

Discussion: The new fossil species is best characterized by the anvil-like shape of
the parastyle of P4; in this character is resembles most C sicula ("brick-like", fig. 2),
C whitakeri, C tarjayaensis, and C canariensis (Molina & Hutterer 1989: figs 6, 7,
9). C maghrebiana n. sp. is larger than all these species (comparative measurements
of MB in Hutterer 1987, and Molina & Hutterer 1989) but smaller than the African
C viaria to which Rzebik-Kowalska (1988) assigned some of the fossils under study.
On morphological, biochemical (Maddalena & Vogel 1990, Hutterer et al., in press),
and paleogeographical grounds I hypothesize that sicula, canariensis, tarjayaensis,
whitakeri and maghrebiana n. sp. are members of the same monophyletic group. Fig.
6 presents a tentative framework of their distributions. Their actual distributions are
still poorly known, and only recently Egypt has been included into the range of C
whitakeri (Hutterer, in press). The newly described C cossyrensis Contoli, 1989, from
Pantelleri (Contali 1990, Contali et al. 1989) is not considered here as it seems to be
related to C russula (Sarà et al. 1990) and is still insufficiently known. Also C

Cro cidura

Fig. 6: Map of the Mediterranean Region with approxim(l.te limits of the distributions of the
species of the C. sicula group indicated.