ABSTRACT
Members of the mammalian orders Afrosoricida, Macroscelididae, Rodentia and Soricomorpha are well known for playing a major role in ecosystem functioning. Any contributions, such as those by Barn Owls and archaeological samples, made to improving understanding of this role must therefore be worth considering. Here, attention is restricted to the taxonomic history and distributional records of the 48 genera and 134 species of micromammals (under about 250 g) within these orders that occur in southern Africa. Regrettably, the sources are not without problems, including uncertainties of identification due to the nature of the material and changes in taxonomy through time. To help address this issue, name changes over time are here collated and cross-referenced so that non-taxonomists may associate material identified at different times in the past with the current nomenclature. Type localities of past and present taxa, Barn Owl roosts and archaeological sites dated to the last 2000 years are mapped. As a further aid to workers in other fields, a gazetteer of collection sites, cross-referenced to degree squares, and micromammalian contents of the sites are also provided. A comprehensive list of references provides information on the original and other most relevant publications.