A new species of Hippopotamidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the Sagantole Formation, Middle Awash, Ethiopia

2004 ◽  
Vol 175 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Renaud Boisserie

Abstract A new species of Hippopotamidae, Hexaprotodon dulu nov. sp., was discovered in the Middle Awash valley, Afar, Ethiopia. It was found in the Sagantole Formation, within volcaniclastic beds aged between 5.2 Ma and 4.9 Ma (40Ar/39Ar). It is therefore the oldest hippo species described as yet from Ethiopia. This hexaprotodont hippo exhibits a general morphology that is primitive, close in that respect to other Mio-Pliocene forms. However, its cranium and dentition display a distinctive association of measurements and features. This new species increases the hippo fossil record in East Africa. It also reinforces the hypothesis of hippo endemism in each African basin as early as the basal Pliocene.

2001 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Morales ◽  
M. J. Salesa ◽  
M. Pickford ◽  
D. Soria

ABSTRACTA new genus and species of felid, Ginsburgsmilus napakensis, is described from Napak, Uganda. Material from Songhor, Kenya, previously identified as Afrosmilus turkanae by Schmidt-Kittler (1987) is assigned to this species. A new species of Afrosmilus, A. hispanicus, is described from Artesilla, Spain. These new felid species combine sabre-tooth canines of maochairodont type with cheek teeth similar to those of Pseudailurus. Phylogenetically they are close to Afrosmilus turkanae which shows a greater specialisation towards markedly machairodont forms. On the basis of dental features, we propose a close relationship between these two genera (which we group into the new tribe Afrosmilini) and the tribe Barbourofelini (Sansanosmilus and Barbourofelis), the transition between the two being represented in the fossil record by Prosansanosmilus peregrinus Heizmann et al. 1980.


2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 983-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison M Murray ◽  
Lisa A Budney

Several specimens of a fossil catfish, collected from the Eocene Mahenge site of Tanzania, are identified as a member of Chrysichthys (Claroteidae) based on several features, including long, thick pectoral and dorsal spines and the presence of nasal barbels. The fossil fish is described as a new species based on unique characters (e.g., 20 principal caudal fin rays). The fossil record of Siluriformes in Africa includes few articulated skeletons; isolated spines or crania are more common. Although several African Eocene catfish crania previously have been described in their own genera, the Mahenge specimens preserve details that indicate their relationship to the living genus Chrysichthys, and therefore the new species is included in that genus instead of being given its own. Previously, the oldest record for Chrysichthys was from the Pliocene; these specimens extend the range of Chrysichthys back to the Eocene. The Mahenge locality itself is significant because it contributes knowledge of the poorly known sub-Saharan Eocene fauna and flora.


Webbia ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo E.G. Pichi Shrmolli

Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 510 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
VERONICAH MUTELE NGUMBAU ◽  
PAUL MUTUKU MUSILI ◽  
GUANG-WAN HU

Premna mwadimei (Lamiaceae), a distinct new species from the coastal forests of Kenya, Cha Simba area in Kilifi County, is described here with photographs. It is closely similar to P. chrysoclada and P. tanganyikensis but mainly differs from both by its habit, nature of the older stems, indumentum, leaf shape and floral morphology.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4941 (4) ◽  
pp. 580-586
Author(s):  
XIN-YU CHEN ◽  
HUA-CHUAN ZHANG ◽  
XIAOXIAO SHI

Eminespina burma gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a female embedded in Cretaceous Burmese amber of Cenomanian age. Autapomorphic are three unique spines distributed anterior quarter of pronotum from longer posterior part. The new evidence of Batesian mimicry in the insect fossil record is briefly discussed. 


1989 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Sattler ◽  
A. B. Stride

AbstractHypatima mangiferae Sattler sp. n. is described from Kenya, where its larva is injurious to commercial mango trees. A description of its life-history, based on extensive field observations and laboratory studies, is also provided. The moth, its male and female genitalia and the damage caused by the larva are illustrated.


Zootaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4200 (2) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
PEDRO S. R. ROMANO

Pelomedusoides is the most diverse clade of side-necked turtles and there is an extensive fossil record (de Broin, 1988; Lapparent de Broin, 2000; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011) that dates back at least to the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) (Romano et al., 2014). Its large fossil record evidences a greater diversity in the past, particularly at the end of the Mesozoic, and exhibits a good sampling of species that are represented by skull material (Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). As a consequence, the most complete and recent phylogenetic hypotheses for this clade (e.g. Romano et al., 2014; Cadena, 2015) are based on matrices comprising a great amount of cranial characters derived largely from Gaffney et al. (2006, 2011). In addition, it is well established that shell characters show a lot of phenotypic plasticity, even in the fossil species (Romano, 2008; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). In most cases it consequently is not justified to rely on “diagnostic features” of poorly informative shell-only material for describing a new species. Because of that, most authors remark new morphotypes in the literature when such aberrant specimens are recovered, but do not make any nomenclatural act by proposing a new yet poorly supported species (e.g. Romano et al., 2013; Ferreira & Langer, 2013; Menegazzo et al., 2015). Unfortunately, such a supposedly new bothremydid turtle (Pleurodira: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene of Brazil was recently described based on poorly diagnostic remains (Carvalho et al., 2016; hereafter CGB, for the authors initials) and a correction of this unfounded nomenclatural act is required. In addition I present some comments on shell only material from Brazil in order to guide splitter-taxonomists to stop describing poorly preserved fossil specimens as new species. 


Crustaceana ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan A. Myers

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