Uraha - Unit 3A (Pliocene to of Malawi)

Also known as ETE Locality 1151, Uraha - Unit 3A,

Where: Malawi (10.3° S, 34.2° E: paleocoordinates 10.5° S, 33.9° E)

When: Chiwondo Formation, Pliocene to Pliocene (5.3 - 0.0 Ma)

• ETE dating method: time_unit, ETE age comment: Max age = 8.6;Min age=3.76-2.0 Ma for Unit 3A

Environment/lithology: lagoonalgraded

• ETE sed env 1: fluv_lacustr, ETE sed env 2: lagoon ETE event: ., ETE env comment: mean riv/swamp/delta/lag
• ETE rock type adj: ., ETE lithology comments: grav/ss/conglom/calc mdst&sltst

Collection methods: surface (in situ)

• ETE Size: macro; ETE reference list: 930, 926, ; ETE museum list: BMNH: British Museum (Natural History), UCMP: University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley

Primary reference: T. G. Bromage, F. Schrenk, and Y. M. Juwayeyi. 1995. Paleobiogeography of the Malawi Rift: Age and vertebrate paleontology of the Chiwondo Beds, northern Malawi. Journal of Human Evolution 28:37-57 [A. Behrensmeyer/A. Behrensmeyer/M. Uhen]more details

PaleoDB collection 22327: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Anna Behrensmeyer on 05.08.1999, edited by Evangelos Vlachos

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Reptilia
 Testudines - Trionychidae
Cyclanorbis senegalensis Dumeril and Bibron 1835 softshell turtle
HLMD 53: praenuchal, 43.5 mm x 43 mm. HLMD 59: hexagonal neural, anterior width 19.0 mm convex, posterior width 16.5 mm concave, left anterior length 31.5 mm, right anterior length 32.5 mm, left posterior length 13.5 mm, right posterior length 11.5 mm, anterior thickness 7.5 mm, posterior thickness 10.5 mm. HLMD 214: hexagonal neural; anterior width 16.0 mm convex, posterior width 14.5 mm concave, left anterior length 32.0 mm, right anterior length 34.0 mm, left posterior length 14.5 mm, right posterior length 14.5 mm, anterior thickness 7.0 mm, posterior thicknesss 7.5 mm. HLMD 73: neural, anterior width 18.5 mm, length 40.0 mm. HLMD 55: possibly right pleural II, 44.5 mm x 39.0 mm. HLMD 41a: right pleural V, proximal length 56.0 mm; distal length 63.5 mm, 8.5 mm thick; at the rib 11.5 mm thick. HLMD 82: pleural indet., 69.0 mm x 43.5 mm. HLMD 56: right pleural VIII, 83.0 mm x 59.0 mm, 9.0 mm thick, at the rib 11.5 mm thick. HLMD 43 (Plate 3, figures 1-2): entoplastron, length 56.0 mm, width 62.0 mm, articulation areas of the lateral processes 17.0 mm long at left and 42.0 mm at right, thickness at anterior margin 11.0 mm. HLMD 54: hyohypoplastron, 58.0 mm x 46.0 mm, 9.0 mm thick, at process 11.0 mm; HLMD 30: lateral wing, distal 12.5 mm thick, 63.0 mm x 61.0 mm (without process). HLMD 41b: xiphiplastron fragment, 58.0 mm x 36.0 mm. HLMD 136: vertebrae indet. HLMD 93: right pubis. Figures 3d-e and 4b show the distribution pattern of the shell
 Testudines -
Pelomedusa subrufa Bonaterre 1789 Helmeted turtle
medial length 32.0 mm, right anterior length 35.0 mm, right posterior length 13.0 mm, maximal length 40.0 mm, maximal width 40.0 mm, posterior width 19.0 mm. HLMD without number at Plate 1, figures 1-2, nearly complete shell
 Testudines - Pelomedusidae
Pelusios sinuatus Smith 1838 Serrated hinged terrapin
HLMD 117 (Plate 2, figure 6-7): neural I, anterior margin 6.0 mm thick, at the posterior 13.0 mm, left anterior length 0.0 mm, right anterior length 6.0 mm, left posterior length 35.0 mm, right posterior length 40.0 mm, maximal length 47.0 mm, maximal width 19.0 mm posterior width 10.0 mm. HLMD 16: hexagonal neural III; anterior width 9.5 mm konvex, posterior width 10.0 mm concave, left anterior length 21.5 mm, right anterior length 21.0 mm, left posterior length 13.0 mm, right posterior length 12.0 mm, anterior thickness 9.0 mm, posterior thicknesss 9.0 mm. HLMD without number, neural indet. HLMD 143: left pleural I, anterior width 39.0 mm, posterior width 66.0 mm, proximate length 45.0 mm, distal length 63.0 mm, marginal thickness 8.0 mm, pleural thickness 13.0 mm. HLMD 9: left peripheral V, median keel length 38.0 mm, length of marginal 5 sulcus 17.0 mm, length of marginal 6 sulcus 16.0 mm. HLMD 75 (Plate 2, figure 5): right peripheral VIII, length 35.0 mm, width 34.0 mm, length of marginal 8/9 sulcus 20.0 mm, length of marginal 9 sulcus 29.0 mm, distal marginal 9 sulcus length 15.0 mm, upper margin visceral 14.0 mm. Peripherals IV: [length of medial keel, length at distal anterior, length at distal posterior, high of marginal 4/5 sulcus, marginal 4 sulcus length, marginal 5 sulcus length] HLMD 134, left: 44.0 mm, 32.0 mm, 30.0 mm, 31.0 mm, 23.0 mm, 18.0 mm, HLMD 68, left: 41.0 mm, 33.0 mm, 27.0 mm, 24.0 mm, 21.0 mm, 18.0 mm, HLMD 76, left: 36.0 mm, 28.0 mm, 26.0 mm, 23.0 mm, 16.0 mm, 15.0 mm, HLMD 63, right: 35.0 mm, 23.0 mm, 22.0 mm, 28.0 mm. Figures 3c and 4a show the distribution pattern of the shell.
Mammalia
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
"Elephas recki" = Palaeoloxodon recki
"Elephas recki" = Palaeoloxodon recki Dietrich 1915 elephant
ETE occurrence; species: shungurensis/atavus
 Primates - Hominidae
Homo rudolfensis Alexeev 1986 human
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Megalotragus isaaci, Oryx sp., "Tragelaphus aff. angasi" = Tragelaphus angasii
Oryx sp. de Blainville 1816 oryx
"Tragelaphus aff. angasi" = Tragelaphus angasii Gray 1849 nyala
ETE occurrence; species: mak - species name from unique name
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
"Notochoerus euilus" = Hylochoerus euilus, Kolpochoerus limnetes, Metridiochoerus andrewsi, "Notochoerus scotti" = Gerontochoerus scotti, "Notochoerus scotti" = Gerontochoerus scotti, "Notochoerus scotti" = Gerontochoerus scotti
"Notochoerus euilus" = Hylochoerus euilus Hopwood 1926 giant forest hog
Kolpochoerus limnetes Hopwood 1926 pig
Metridiochoerus andrewsi Hopwood 1926 pig
"Notochoerus scotti" = Gerontochoerus scotti Leakey 1943 pig
"Notochoerus scotti" = Gerontochoerus scotti Leakey 1943 pig
ETE occurrence; species: early
"Notochoerus scotti" = Gerontochoerus scotti Leakey 1943 pig
ETE occurrence; species: late
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Hipparion sp. de Christol 1832 hipparionine horse