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When did shrews first appear in the fossil record?

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water shrew — shrew Water shrew (*Neomys anomalus*).

The evolutionary history of "true" shrews (family Soricidae) is quite extensive, with their presence in the fossil record dating back to the Middle Eocene Epoch, which occurred approximately 48 to 41.3 million years ago in North America.1

While the family Soricidae has a long history, it is important to note that other animals often referred to as shrews, such as elephant shrews and tree shrews, are not classified as true shrews and belong to different biological groups.1