Sylvisorex fossil map
Where fossils of Sylvisorex have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 2.58 million years ago to the present (Gelasian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Soricidae |
| Named by | Thomas 1904 |
| Fossil records | 6 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Tanzania, CĂ´te d'Ivoire |
| Rock formations | Olduvai, txn:40443 |
About Sylvisorex
The forest shrews are the members of the genus Sylvisorex. They are mammals in the family Soricidae and are found only in Africa. The genus name comes from the Latin world "silva" which means "forest" and "sorex", which means "shrew-mouse". This reflects the nature of these shrews, which prefer forest habitats. All shrews are carnivorous, and eat continually to satisfy their high metabolic rate.
The genus contains these species:
Akaibe's forest shrew, Sylvisorex akaibei
Cameroonian forest shrew, Sylvisorex cameruniensis
Corbet's forest shrew, Sylvisorex corbeti
Grant's forest shrew, Sylvisorex granti
Howell's forest shrew, Sylvisorex howelli
Bioko forest shrew, Sylvisorex isabellae
Johnston's forest shrew, Sylvisorex johnstoni
Kongana shrew, Sylvisorex konganensis
Moon forest shrew, Sylvisorex lunaris
Mount Cameroon forest shrew, Sylvisorex morio
Greater forest shrew, Sylvisorex ollula
Lesser forest shrew, Sylvisorex oriundus
Rain forest shrew, Sylvisorex pluvialis
Bamenda forest shrew, Sylvisorex silvanorum
Volcano shrew, Sylvisorex vulcanorum
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Sylvisorex (revision 1251140627), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q134481.
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