Mpesida beds (Miocene of Kenya)

Also known as ETE Locality 1131, Mpesida, Baringo, Mpesida beds,

Where: Kenya (0.8° N, 35.8° E: paleocoordinates 0.5° N, 35.2° E)

When: Mpesida Formation, Messinian (7.2 - 5.3 Ma)

• ETE dating method: absolute, ETE age comment: Max age = 7.3-6.9 Ma; Min age = 6.20 +/- .19 Ma radiometric intage_max, radiometric intage_min

•Jacobs et al. 2002: Single-crystal, laser-fusion, 4 0 Ar/3 9 Ar dates from a capping trachyte flow as well as tuffs just below the lava contact indicate an age of greater than 6ยท37 Ma for the fossil material.

Environment/lithology: fluvial-lacustrine; lithology not reported

• ETE sed env 1: fluv_lacustr, ETE sed env 2: . ETE event: ., ETE env comment: includes deeper parts of lake(s)

•Jacobs et al. 2002: Preserved anatomical features of the fossil wood as well as estimated tree heights suggest a wet, lowland rainforest in this portion of the rift valley. Stable isotopic analyses of fossil enamel and paleosol components indicate the presence of more open habitats locally.

• ETE rock type adj: 0, ETE lithology comments: slts/sst/tffs/fne conglom

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: ETE Size: macro; ETE reference list: 952, ; ETE museum list: KNM

Primary reference: A. Hill. 1985. Early hominid from Baringo,Kenya. Nature (London) 315(6016):222-224 [A. Behrensmeyer/A. Behrensmeyer/M. Kosnik]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 22307: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Anna Behrensmeyer on 05.08.1999, edited by Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Plantae indet. Haeckel 1866
ETE occurrence; species: Plantae
Reptilia
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Crocodylidae indet. crocodile
ETE occurrence; species: Crocodylidae
Mammalia
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Stegotetrabelodon sp. Petrocchi 1941 elephant
Stegodon cf. kaisensis Hopwood 1939 elephant
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Anancus kenyensis MacInnes 1942 gomphothere
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Hipparion sp. de Christol 1832 hipparionine horse
 Perissodactyla - Chalicotheriidae
"Chemositia tugenensis" = Ancylotherium
"Chemositia tugenensis" = Ancylotherium chalicothere
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamidae indet. Gray 1821 hippopotamus
ETE occurrence; species: Hippopotamidae
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
 Artiodactyla - Giraffidae
Giraffidae indet. Gray 1821 giraffe
ETE occurrence; species: Giraffidae
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bovidae indet. Gray 1821 antelope
ETE number of identifiable specimens; species: Bovidae
cf. Alcelaphini indet. Brookes 1876 antelope
ETE number of identifiable specimens; species: cf. Alcelaphini
Kobus sp. Smith 1840 antelope
Madoqua sp. Ogilby 1837 dikdik
Antilopini indet. Gray 1821 antelope
ETE number of identifiable specimens; species: Antilopini
"Kobus aff. porrecticornis" = Antilope porrecticornis Lydekker 1878 antelope
Gazella sp. Blaineville 1816 gazelle
ETE occurrence; species: or Raphiceros
Tragelaphini indet. Blyth 1863 antelope
ETE number of identifiable specimens; species: Tragelaphini
Tragelaphus sp. de Blainville 1816 antelope
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Leporidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 rabbit
ETE occurrence; species: Leporidae
 Primates - Cercopithecidae
Cercopithecidae indet. Gray 1821 monkey
ETE occurrence; species: Colobinae