Fossil of Tiny Ancient Hedgehog Found in British Columbia

Posted on July 10, 2014

Scientists have recovered the fossil of a previously unknown hedgehog species. The hedgehog lived about 52 million years ago and may have been the tiniest hedgehog species ever. The diminutive hedgehog grew to be only 2 inches long, which is 1/4 the size of the African pygmy hedgehog, a species used as a pet by some humans.

The new species has been named Silvacola acares, which means "tiny forest dweller." The fossils were found at the Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park site in British Columbia. The fossil of a Heptodon, a tapir-like creature, was also found at the site. The Heptodon and tiny hedgehog are pictured above in the artist's interpretation of the creatures.

Jaelyn Eberle, associate professor at University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) and lead author of the study says the hedgehog is comparable in size to some modern shrews. She says it is unknown if the species had quills. She says, "We can't say for sure. But there are ancestral hedgehogs living in Europe about the same time that had bristly hair covering them, so it is plausible Silvacola did too."

A research paper on the ancient hedgehog and Heptodon was published here in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.


More from Science Space & Robots