Moruorot (Miocene of Kenya)

Also known as Muruarot; west of Lake Turkana

Where: Northern Frontier District, Kenya (3.2° N, 35.8° E: paleocoordinates 2.1° N, 33.7° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Kalodirr Member (Lothidok Formation), Burdigalian (20.4 - 16.0 Ma)

• late Early Miocene (Burdigalian) dated to 17.5 (± 0.2) Ma - 16.8 (± 0.2) Ma (Boschetto et al., 1992); previously listed as Losodok Formation

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; sandy volcaniclastic sediments

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the BMNH

• Flink et al. 2021: discovered in 2016 during excavations by the West Turkana Miocene Project

Primary reference: R. J. G. Savage. 1965. Fossil Mammals of Africa: 19 The Miocene Carnivora of East Africa. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Geology 10(8):241-316 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 122454: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 28.12.2011, edited by Patricia Holroyd, Philip Mannion and Grace Varnham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Reptilia
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Kinyang sp.2 Brochu et al. 2022 crocodile
KNM-MO 90
Brochuchus sp.3 Conrad et al. 2013 crocodile
KNM-MO 91 (right maxilla)
Mammalia
 Hyracoidea - Procaviidae
? Prohyrax tertiarius5 Stromer 1922 hyrax
 Hyracoidea - Titanohyracidae
"Pliohyrax championi" = Afrohyrax championi5, "Megalohyrax championi" = Afrohyrax championi5
"Pliohyrax championi" = Afrohyrax championi5 Arambourg 1933 hyrax
"Megalohyrax championi" = Afrohyrax championi5 Arambourg 1933 hyrax
 Proboscidea - Deinotheriidae
Prodeinotherium bavaricum5 von Meyer 1831 deinothere
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotheriidae indet.5 Hay 1922 gomphothere
n. gen. et sp.
"Mastodon cf. angustidens" = Tetrabelodon angustidens5 Cuvier 1806 gomphothere
Gomphotherium angustidens5 Burmeister 1837 gomphothere
 Creodonta -
Ekweeconfractus amorui n. gen. n. sp.4 Flink et al. 2021 creodont
Holotype: KNM-MO 64199, cranium with left P1–M2, right P3–M3
Anasinopa leakeyi5 Savage 1965 creodont
 Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae
Hyaenodontidae indet.5 Leidy 1869 creodont
n. gen. et sp.
Hyaenodon (Isohyaenodon) andrewsi Savage 1965 creodont
Hyaenodon andrewsi5 Savage 1965 creodont
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Kichechia zamanae Savage 1965 civet
Kichechia savagei n. sp.1 Adrian et al. 2018 civet
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae indet.5 Gray 1821 rhinoceros
Aceratherium or Dicerorhinus sp.
? Aceratherium sp.5 Kaup 1834 rhinoceros
 Artiodactyla - Anthracotheriidae
? Brachyodus sp.5 Depéret 1895 anthracothere
Brachyodus sp.5 Depéret 1895 anthracothere
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Suidae indet.5 Gray 1821 pig
Listriodon sp.5 von Meyer 1846 pig
 Artiodactyla -
Palaeochoerus dartevellei5 even-toed ungulate
Palaeochoerus sp.5 Pomel 1847 even-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Tragulidae
"Dorcatherium parvum" = Afrotragulus parvus5 Whitworth 1958 chevrotain
Dorcatherium chappuisi5 Arambourg 1933 chevrotain
Dorcatherium pigotti5 Whitworth 1958 chevrotain
 Artiodactyla -
Giraffoidea indet.5 Gray 1821 ruminant
re-id of Arambourg (1947's) Bovidae indet.
Pecora indet.5 Linnaeus 1758 ruminant
Walangania africanus5 Whitworth 1958 ruminant
 Artiodactyla - Giraffidae
"Palaeotragus primaevus" = Giraffokeryx primaevus5, "? Palaeotragus primaevus" = Giraffokeryx primaevus5
"Palaeotragus primaevus" = Giraffokeryx primaevus5 Churcher 1970 giraffe
"? Palaeotragus primaevus" = Giraffokeryx primaevus5 Churcher 1970 giraffe
 Artiodactyla -
Propalaeoryx nyanzae5 Whitworth 1958 ruminant
 Artiodactyla - Palaeomerycidae
Palaeomerycidae indet.5 Lydekker 1883 ruminant
Palaeomeryx sp.5 von Meyer 1834 ruminant
 Rodentia - Thryonomyidae
Paraphiomys pigotti5 Andrews 1914 cane rat
 Primates - Hominidae