
P.D. JENKINS AND M.F. ROBINSON 
Fig. 2 Lateral view of anterior of skull, mandible and dentition of Hylomys megalotis BMNH 1999.44. Scale = 1 mm. 
COMPARISON WITH OTHER TAXA 
The new species is readily distinguished in external appearance 
from all other species of Hylomys. It is similar in body size but with 
a considerably longer tail and larger ears (see Table 3). Tail 65-74 
% of head and body length in H. megalotis, 51-63 % in H. sinensis, 
27-31 % in H. hainanensis, and very short (< 25 %) in H. parvus 
and H. suillus. The lack of flattened spinous hairs in the pelage 
distinguishes H. megalotis from H. suillus and H. sinensis. The 
rhinarium is more extensive posteriorly than in H. sinensis but more 
elongate and narrower than in H. suillus. The claws and first and 
fifth digits of the forefeet of H. sinensis, H. suillus and H. parvus are 
not lengthened as in H. megalotis and the cheiridia are smaller than 
in H. megalotis. The sole and tarsal region of the hindfoot are naked 
in H. megalotis, differing from the haired soles found in H. sinensis 
and H. suillus. The paired pre-anal glands are midway between the 
cloaca and the anus in H. sinensis and close to the anus in H. suillus, 
so differing from that of H. megalotis, in which the single opening 
is positioned immediately posterior to the cloaca. 
The skull of H. megalotis is more elongate in appearance than 
any of the other species of Hylomys; it is longer, with a longer, 
narrower rostrum, longer upper toothrow and the braincase is 
shallower relative to its breadth (see (see Fig. 1 and Table 3). The 
posterodorsal region of the premaxilla is widely separated from the 
anterodorsal region of the frontal by the maxilla in H. megalotis, 
narrowly separated in H. hainanensis but in contact or nearly in 
contact in H. sinensis, H. suillus and H. parvus (see Table 4). As in 
H. sinensis, but unlike other species of Hylomys, the posteriormost 
portion of the nasals in the new species extend to the level of the 
antorbital rim. Hylomys megalotis has a shallow antorbital fossa 
unlike the moderately deep fossa of H. sinensis and H. parvus, and 
the deep fossa in H. suillus. The zygoma of H. megalotis differs from 
all other species of Hylomys: the maxilla is considerably narrower, 
the nasolabialis fossa shallower and the jugal more extensive. As in 
Podogymnura aureospinula and Echinosorex, a distinct posteroventral 
process is present on the maxillary region of the zygoma of H. 
megalotis, indistinct in H. parvus but absent in H. suillus, H. sinensis 
and H. hainanensis. The supraorbital process of the frontal of H. 
megalotis is poorly defined and blunt, the anterior process of the 
parietal absent and the parietal is widely separated from the maxilla 
by the frontal in the supraorbital region, as in Podogymnura and 
Echinosorex; in H. parvus the supraorbital process of the frontal is 
poorly defined and blunt but the anterior process of the parietal is 
short but distinct, narrowly separated from the maxilla by the frontal; 
in A. suillus, H. hainanensis and H. sinensis the anterior process of 
the parietal is distinct, scarcely separated from the maxilla and 
contributing to the well marked supraorbital process of the frontal. 
The optic and suboptic foramina are well separated in H. megalotis 
but lie close together in H. suillus, H. sinensis and H. parvus. An 
anteroventral process of the alisphenoid is present in H. megalotis, 
unlike all other Hylomys and Podogymnura. As in Podogymnura and 
Echinosorex, the palatine foramina are small and positioned anterior 
to the maxillary/palatine suture in H. megalotis and long grooves for 
the palatine artery are present in the palate, whereas the elongated 
palatine foramina in other species of Hylomys lie at the maxillary/ 
