PBDB Collection

Laetoli Beds Upper (Pliocene of Tanzania)

Also known as Laetolil, Garusi, Southern Serengeti, Vogel River Series

Where: Eastern Drift Valley, Tanzania (3.1° S, 35.1° E: paleocoordinates 3.3° S, 34.7° E)

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Laetoli Beds (upper) Member (Vogel River Series Formation), Pliocene (5.3 - 2.6 Ma)

• Max age on base of upper unit of Laetolil Bed (3.76+/-0.03), min age on tuff 8 (3.46+/-0.12)

Environment/lithology: eolian; lithified, tuffaceous, gray, calcareous sandstone

• Primarily eolian tuff w/ some airfall tuff & 8 horizons of xenoliths

•Datum Plane: top of lower unit of Laetolil beds

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils, microfossils

Preservation: mold/impression, trace, replaced with calcite

Collection methods: quarrying, surface (float), surface (in situ), sieve,

Primary reference: M. D. Leakey and J. M. Harris. 1987. Laetoli: a Pliocene Site in Northern Tanzania. Clarendon Press, Oxford, Great Britain [A. Behrensmeyer/A. Behrensmeyer/M. Kosnik]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 32050: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Anna Behrensmeyer on 03.06.2003, edited by Mike Sommers

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names

unclassified
-	Edourdia laetoliensis, Subulonia pseudinvoluta, Euonyma leakeyi, Streptostele aff. urguessensis, Propoecilogale bolti, Urocyclidae indet., Trochonanina "sp. A", Trochonanina "sp. B", cf. Rhamphiophis sp., Streptopegia sp., cf. Megacyon sp. Edourdia laetoliensis Subulonia pseudinvoluta Euonyma leakeyi Streptostele aff. urguessensis Propoecilogale bolti Urocyclidae indet. Trochonanina "sp. A" Trochonanina "sp. B" cf. Rhamphiophis sp. Streptopegia sp. cf. Megacyon sp.
Aves
Strigiformes - Strigidae	Bubo sp. Bubo sp. Dumeril 1806 eagle-owl
Struthioniformes - Struthionidae	Struthionidae indet. Struthionidae indet. Vigors 1825 ostrich
Galliformes - Phasianidae	Francolinus "sp. large", Francolinus "sp. small" Francolinus "sp. large" Stephens 1819 francolin Francolinus "sp. small" Stephens 1819 francolin
Galliformes - Numididae	Numida sp. Numida sp. Linnaeus 1766 helmeted guineafowl
Accipitriformes - Accipitridae	"Torgos sp." = Aegypius "Torgos sp." = Aegypius Savigny 1809 Old World vulture
Reptilia
Squamata - Crotalidae	Bitis cf. arietans Bitis cf. arietans puff adder arietans/olduvaiensis
Squamata - Elapidae	Naja robusta Naja robusta cobra
Squamata - Boidae	Python boidae, Python sebae Python boidae boa Python sebae Gmelin 1789 rock python
Testudines - Testudinidae	"Geochelone brachygularis" = Stigmochelys brachygularis, Geochelone laetoliensis "Geochelone brachygularis" = Stigmochelys brachygularis Meylan and Auffenberg 1987 turtle Geochelone laetoliensis Meylan and Auffenberg 1987 turtle
Mammalia
Macroscelidea - Rhynchocyonidae	Rhynchocyon pliocaenicus Rhynchocyon pliocaenicus elephant shrew
Tubulidentata - Orycteropodidae	Orycteropus sp. Orycteropus sp. Geoffroy 1791 aardvark
Proboscidea - Elephantidae	Loxodonta exoptata Loxodonta exoptata Dietrich 1941 African elephant
Proboscidea - Deinotheriidae	Deinotherium bozasi Deinotherium bozasi Arambourg 1934 deinothere originally entered as "Deinotherium bozeasi"
Carnivora - Mustelidae	Mellivora capensis Mellivora capensis Schreber 1776 honey badger
Carnivora - Canidae	Canidae indet., aff. Canis brevirostris, Vulpes sp. Canidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 canid aff. Canis brevirostris canine Vulpes sp. Frisch 1775 fox
Carnivora - Viverridae	Viverra leakeyi Viverra leakeyi Petter 1963 civet
Carnivora - Herpestidae	Helogale palaeogracilis, Herpestes palaeoserengetensis, Herpestes ichneumon, Mungos dietrichi Helogale palaeogracilis dwarf mongoose Herpestes palaeoserengetensis mongoose Herpestes ichneumon Linnaeus 1758 Egyptian mongoose Mungos dietrichi mongoose
Carnivora - Felidae	Megantereon sp., Homotherium sp., Panthera cf. pardus, Panthera aff. gombaszoegensis, Felis "sp. small", Felis "sp. medium", Felis "sp. large" Megantereon sp. Croizet and Jobert 1828 cat Homotherium sp. Fabrini 1890 cat Panthera cf. pardus Linnaeus 1758 leopard Panthera aff. gombaszoegensis Kretzoi 1938 cat gombaseogensis/palaeosinensis Felis "sp. small" Linnaeus 1758 cat Felis "sp. medium" Linnaeus 1758 cat Felis "sp. large" Linnaeus 1758 cat
Perissodactyla - Equidae	Hipparion sp. Hipparion sp. de Christol 1832 hipparionine horse
Perissodactyla - Chalicotheriidae	Ancylotherium hennigi Ancylotherium hennigi chalicothere
Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae	Diceros bicornis, Ceratotherium praecox Diceros bicornis Linnaeus 1758 black rhinoceros Ceratotherium praecox white rhino
Artiodactyla - Suidae	Potamochoerus porcus, "Notochoerus euilus" = Hylochoerus euilus Potamochoerus porcus Linnaeus 1758 red river hog "Notochoerus euilus" = Hylochoerus euilus Hopwood 1926 giant forest hog
Artiodactyla - Camelidae	Camelus sp. Camelus sp. Linnaeus 1758 camel
Artiodactyla - Giraffidae	Giraffa cf. jumae, Giraffa stillei Giraffa cf. jumae Leakey 1967 giraffe originally entered as "cf. jumae cf. jumae" Giraffa stillei Arambourg 1947 giraffe
Artiodactyla - Bovidae	Brabovus nanincisus, Gazella janenschi, ? Raphicerus sp., aff. Pelea sp., Praedamalis deturi, Parmularius pandatus, Simatherium kohllarseni, Tragelaphus sp. Brabovus nanincisus Gentry 1987 antelope nanincisus Gazella janenschi gazelle ? Raphicerus sp. Smith 1827 antelope aff. Pelea sp. Gray 1851 antelope originally entered as "aff. Pezea sp." Praedamalis deturi Dietrich 1950 antelope Parmularius pandatus Gentry 1987 antelope Simatherium kohllarseni antelope Tragelaphus sp. de Blainville 1816 antelope
Theriamorpha - Sivatheridae	"Sivatherium maurusium" = Libytherium maurusium "Sivatherium maurusium" = Libytherium maurusium Pomel 1893 placental
Lagomorpha - Leporidae	Serengetilagus praecapensis Serengetilagus praecapensis rabbit
Rodentia - Hystricidae	Xenohystrix crassidens, Hystrix leakeyi, Hystrix cf. makapanensis Xenohystrix crassidens porcupine Hystrix leakeyi porcupine Hystrix cf. makapanensis porcupine
Rodentia - Bathyergidae	Heterocephalus quenstedti Heterocephalus quenstedti naked mole-rat
Rodentia - Cricetidae	Cricetidae indet. Cricetidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817 mouse
Rodentia - Nesomyidae	Dendromus sp. Dendromus sp. Smith 1829 African climbing mice
Rodentia - Muridae	Thallomys laetolilensis, Saccostomus major, Tatera cf. inclusa, Mastomys cinereus, Steatomys sp. Thallomys laetolilensis mouse Saccostomus major pouched mouse Tatera cf. inclusa large naked-soled gerbil Mastomys cinereus mouse Steatomys sp. Peters 1846 fat mouse
Rodentia - Pedetidae	Pedetes laetoliensis Pedetes laetoliensis springhaas
Rodentia - Sciuridae	Xerus cf. janenschi, Xerus sp., Paraxerus sp. Xerus cf. janenschi African ground squirrel Xerus sp. Hemprich and Ehrenberg 1833 African ground squirrel Paraxerus sp. Forsyth Major 1893 African Bush Squirrel
Primates - Galagidae	Galago sadimanensis Galago sadimanensis Walker 1987 galago
Primates - Hominidae	Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus afarensis Johanson et al. 1978 australopithecine
Primates - Cercopithecidae	cf. Papio sp., Parapapio ado, cf. Paracolobus sp. cf. Papio sp. Erxleben 1777 baboon Parapapio ado Hopwood 1936 monkey cf. Paracolobus sp. Leakey 1969 monkey
Gastropoda
Stylommatophora - Achatinidae	Achatina cf. zanzibaria Achatina cf. zanzibaria slug
Insecta
Blattodea - Termitidae	Termitidae indet. Termitidae indet. Latreille 1802 termite
Madoqua avifluminis
-	"Madoqua avifluminis" = Praemadoqua avifluminis "Madoqua avifluminis" = Praemadoqua avifluminis Dietrich 1950