ZARAALESTES RUSSELLI, A NEW TUPAIODONTINE ERINACEID (MAMMALIA, LIPOTYPHLA) FROM THE MIDDLE EOCENE OF MONGOLIA

A new genus and species of erinaceomorphs, Zaraalestes russelli, is de scribed from the middle Eocene localities of Tsagan Tsav and Mergen, s outheastern Gobi Desert, Mongolia. This new taxon represents the earli est and most primitive known member of the erinaceid subfamily Tupaiod ontinae Butler 1988. Tupaiodon? minutus MATTHEW & GRANGER, 1924 from t he early Oligocene Hsanda Gol Formation, Mongolia, is included in the genus Zaraalestes and Ictopidium tatalgolensis SULIMSKI, 1970 is synon ymized with minutus. Tupaiodontines show no particularly close relatio nship to European and North American Paleogene erinaceomorphs and are apparently confined to the middle Eocene - early Oligocene of Mongolia and China.