Lothagam-Muruongori Mb: Zanclean, Kenya

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Hyperopisus sp.
2 specimens
Mormyriformes indet.
1 specimen
Labeo sp.
1 specimen
Sindacharax deserti
34 specimens
Sindacharax greenwoodi
12 specimens
Sindacharax sp.
107 specimens
Semlikiichthys cf. rhachirhinchus
4 specimens
Actinopteri - Perciformes
Perciformes indet. Bleeker 1859
6 specimens
Percoidei indet. (Bleeker 1859)
5 specimens
Actinopteri - Tetraodontiformes - Tetraodontidae
Tetraodon sp. n. sp. Linnaeus 1758
1 specimen
Actinopteri - Cichliformes - Cichlidae
Tilapiini indet. Carnevale et al. 2003
3 specimens
Actinopteri - Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae indet. Rafinesque 1815
3 specimens
Actinopteri - Siluriformes
Siluriformes indet.
4 specimens
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Mochokidae
Synodontis sp. Cuvier 1816
1 specimen
Actinopteri - Characiformes - Characidae
Characidae indet.
2 specimens
Actinopteri - Characiformes - Alestidae
Hydrocynus sp. Cuvier 1816
31 specimens
Actinopteri - Osteoglossiformes - Gymnarchidae
Gymnarchus sp. Cuvier 1829
2 specimens
Actinopteri - Osteoglossiformes - Osteoglossidae
Heterotis sp. Rüppell 1828
3 specimens
Cladistia - Polypteriformes - Polypteridae
Polypterus sp. Lacépède 1803
11 specimens
see common names

Geography
Country:Kenya
Coordinates: 2.9° North, 36.1° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:2.7° North, 35.6° East
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period:Neogene Epoch:Pliocene
Stage:Zanclean 10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
*Period:Tertiary
*International age/stage:Tortonian - Piacenzian
Key time interval:Zanclean
Age range of interval:5.33300 - 3.60000 m.y. ago
* legacy (obsolete) database fields
Stratigraphy
Formation:Nachukui Member:Muruongori
Stratigraphic resolution:member
Stratigraphy comments: K-Ar dating of the Lothagam basalt places the base of the Muruongori Mb at 4.20+/- 0.03 Ma. The top of the Muruongori is not radiometrically dated, but is estimated to be 3.9 Ma (ref 8636, p. 58).
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:diatomaceous poorly lithified sandy claystone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: Muruongori Mb is composed primarliy of claystones and recrystallized diatomites, with some sands and molluscan coquinas. (ref 8636, p. 24).
Environment:fluvial-lacustrine indet. Tectonic setting:rift
Geology comments: The Muruongori member represents the Lonyumun Lake, and deposits are very similar to Lonyumun Lake strats throughout the Turkana basin.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Degree of concentration:dispersed
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Spatial orientation:random
Preservation of anatomical detail:medium
Articulated whole bodies:none
Associated major elements:none
Disassociated major elements:many
Disassociated minor elements:many
Size sorting:poor
Fragmentation:frequent
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some macrofossils
Collection methods:bulk,surface (in situ),mechanical,sieve,field collection
Collection size:233 specimens
Reason for describing collection:paleoecologic analysis
Collection method comments: Held at the Kenya National Museums, Nairobi. Many fish specimens not yet accessioned nd are organized by original field numbers.
Metadata
Also known as:Nachukui Formation, Muruongori Member
Database number:22240
Authorizer:A. Behrensmeyer Enterer:A. Behrensmeyer, S. Cote
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:vertebrate
Created:1999-06-30 00:00:00 Last modified:2022-04-26 08:38:11
Access level:the public Released:1999-06-30 00:00:00
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

8636.ETE M. G. Leakey and J. M. Harris. 2003. Lothagam: the dawn of humanity in eastern Africa. Lothagam: the dawn of humanity in eastern Africa 678 [A. Behrensmeyer/R. Bobe/R. Bobe]

Secondary references:

5448ETE 1183M. G. Leakey and C. Feibel. 1996. Lothagam: a record of faunal change in the late Miocene of East Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 16(3):556-570 [A. Behrensmeyer/A. Behrensmeyer/J. Alroy]