How Do Modern Shrews Compare To Prehistoric Shrews?

Shrews do not appear to have changed very much since their ancestors lived in the early part of the Tertiary period, some 50 million years ago. The fossils that have been found of prehistoric shrews show them to have a very similar body shape. The only difference is that the shrew ancestors were perhaps a bit bigger than the shrews of today.

The largest shrew around now is the African forest shrew, which weighs about 35 g. The smallest one is the Pygmy white toothed shrew, which is only 35 to 45 mm from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. The Pygmy shrew is also unusual because it has very big and prominent ears. All shrews have extremely good and acute hearing, but most species have such small ears, they are hidden under their fur, and they look like they have no ears at all.