Now she has reported three male and two female skeletons buried in the same group at Amara West, 466 miles (750km) north of Khartoum, that show evidence of furred arteries.

Soft-furred hedgehogs–or gymnures –are tiny mammals that are members of the hedgehog family. Instead of being covered in spines like other hedgehogs, they have soft fur.

H. maxi is also on the larger end of the new species of soft-furred hedgehogs at 14 centimeters (5.5 inches). The species is found in mountainous regions on the Malay Peninsula and in Sumatra.