OP-394- Revisiting Subfossil Small-eared Shrews of the Genus Cryptotis Pomel, 1848 from Near Copán, Honduras, with the Description of a New Species (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)

Researchers have identified a new species of small-eared shrew from subfossil remains unearthed near Copán, Honduras. This discovery challenges previous taxonomic classifications and reveals that the shrews, part of the Cryptotis goodwini clade, were significantly smaller than any known extant members of this group. The study revisits skeletal remains originally excavated in 1941–1942 from Gordon’s Cave #3, a site with extensive late Holocene bone deposits. By leveraging modern taxonomic revisions and detailed morphological analysis, the authors describe this new species, which likely persists today in the highlands north of Copán, highlighting the region's rich but understudied biodiversity.

Woodman, N., & Croft, D. A. (2026). OP-394- Revisiting Subfossil Small-eared Shrews of the Genus Cryptotis Pomel, 1848 from Near Copán, Honduras, with the Description of a New Species (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae). Occasional Papers, Museum at Texas Tech University. https://doi.org/10.32865/t6eb3b60