Mulhuli-Amo (MA): Early/Lower Pleistocene, Eritrea
collected by Buia Project 2010

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Actinopteri - Cichliformes - Cichlidae
Cichlidae indet. Heckel 1840
MA 993: a single partially complete and poorly preserved vertebral centrum.
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Clariidae
Clarias sp. Scopoli 1777
MA 1118: partially complete vertebral centrum; MA 1119: partially complete mesethmoid; MA 1122: partially complete vertebral centrum; MA 1292: partially complete vertebral centrum; MA 1293: partially complete parietosupraoccipital; MA P 0001: partially complete right frontal; MA P 0002: partially complete mesethmoid; MA P 0003: partially complete abdominal vertebra; MA P 0004: about 20 fragmentary neurocranial bones of problematic anatomical interpretation.
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Palaeoloxodon cf. recki (Dietrich 1915)
MA 184A/B: damaged cranium; MA 476: partial cranium; MA 503, MA 724, MA 784, MA 901: tooth fragments; MA 137, MA 908: tusk fragments; MA 514: thoracic vertebra; MA 802: intermediate phalanx of digit II.
Mammalia - Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus gorgops Dietrich 1928
MA 138: right mandibular fragment with m3 (Fig. 9a); MA 142: left P3; MA 155: left M3; MA 170: left maxillary fragment with M1-M2; MA 937: right maxillary fragment with M1-M3 (Fig. 9b); MA 938: left p4 and m1; MA 941: left p4; MA 409: lower canine; MA 496-7: two lower canines; MA 492, MA 494, MA 530, MA 593, MA 626, MA 759, MA 856, MA 940, MA 946: molar fragments.
Mammalia - Suidae
Kolpochoerus majus (Hopwood 1934)
MA 158: left mandibular fragment with p3, dp4, and m1 (Fig. 9c); MA 958: right mandibular fragment with m1 (broken) and m2; MA 943: unworn left m3 (Fig. 9d).
Mammalia - Bovidae
Bos cf. buiaensis
MA 179A/D: fragmentary cranium with horns.
Kobus cf. ellipsiprymnus (Ogilby 1833)
original and current combination Antilope ellipsiprymnus
MA 916: right M2.
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus cf. quagga Boddaert 1785
MA 800: left mandibular fragment with p2-p3.
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Ceratotherium simum (Burchell 1821)
MA 182: cranium.
Reptilia - Varanidae
Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus 1766)
MA 397: caudal vertebra; MA3 1092: fragment of caudal vertebra; MA3 1099: caudal vertebra; MA3 1144: cloacal vertebra.
Reptilia - Boidae
Python cf. sebae Gmelin 1789
MA 1089: three articulated trunk vertebrae.
Reptilia - Testudines - Pelomedusidae
Pelusios sinuatus Smith 1838
MA 204: a partial shell and the associated pelvic girdle; MA 506: left xiphiplastron.
Reptilia - Otidiformes - Otididae
Ardeotis kori Burchell 1822
MA 4316: distal portion of right radius.
Reptilia
Crocodylus sp. Laurenti 1768
MA 829: partial skull and lower jaw.
see common names

Geography
Country:Eritrea State/province:Buia
Coordinates: 14.7° North, 39.8° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:14.6° North, 39.7° East
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Quaternary Epoch:Pleistocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
Key time interval:Early/Lower Pleistocene
Age range of interval:2.58000 - 0.77400 m.y. ago
Age estimate:1 Ma (other)
Stratigraphy
Local section:Mulhuli-Amo Local bed:11 m
Local order:bottom to top
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:medium,coarse,pebbly silty sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: The third interval (about 5 m thick) is made of medium-coarse sand grading upward into silty sand. Medium-coarse sand form amalgamated lensoid bodies up to 2 m thick and 15-20 m wide. Lensoid bodies are erosive based and consist of large-scale inclined bedsets, which are commonly cross- to plane-parallel stratified. The basal portion of these bodies is made of massive very coarse sand with pebbles and gravel-sized mudclasts.
Environment:channel lag
Geology comments: The fossil-bearing deposits at the base of sandy channels are interpreted as channel lag, where variable hydrodynamic conditions concentrate the larger clasts, which are commonly represented by large vertebrate bones and stone tools.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,anthropogenic
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some macrofossils
Collection methods:field collection,survey of museum collection,observed (not collected)
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collectors:Buia Project Collection dates:2010
Collection method comments: MA: Mulhuli-Amo collection hosted at the Northern Red Sea Regional Museum of Massawa
Metadata
Also known as:A006; Northern Danakil Depression
Database number:193126
Authorizer:E. Vlachos Enterer:E. Vlachos
Modifier:E. Vlachos
Created:2018-05-07 13:35:58 Last modified:2018-05-07 13:46:33
Access level:the public Released:2018-05-07 13:35:58
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
65656. M. Delfino, F. Candilio, G. Carnevale, A. Coppa, T. Medin, M. Pavia, L. Rook, A. Urciuoli, and A. Villa. 2018. The early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna of Mulhuli-Amo (Buia area, Danakil Depression, Eritrea). Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana 57(1):27-44 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]