The earliest Oligocene faunas of Europe are characterised by a large number of Asian immigrants.One of the classical sites that shows the faunal change after this so−called “Grande Coupure” is Hoogbutsel in Belgium (MP 21). Recently a new locality from the lowermost Oligocene was discovered in Belgium, Boutersem TGV. Here, we describe a new heterosoricid (Mammalia, Soricomorpha), Belgicasorex ramboeri gen. et sp. nov., from these lowermost Oligocene localities. We assume that, like the erinaceid Tetracus nanus Aymard, 1846 and the nyctitheriid Oligonyctia hoffmani Smith, 2004, Belgicasorex ramboeri was one of the Asian immigrants that entered Europe after the “Grande Coupure”.

Richard Smith [richardsmithpal@hotmail.com], Département de Paléontologie, Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, rue Vautier 29, B−1000 Bruxelles, Belgium; Lars W. van den Hoek Ostende [Hoek@Naturalis.nl], Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Naturalis, Postbus 9517, NL−2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.