Pliocene Bovidae (Mammalia) from the Koro Toro Australopithecine sites, Chad

Denis Geraads (1) , Michel Brunet (2) , Hassan T. Mackaye (3) , Patrick Vignaud (2)

1 DEHIPE - Dynamique de l'évolution humaine : individus, populations, espèces [Paris]
2 LGBPH - Laboratoire de géobiologie, biochronologie et paléontologie humaine
3 Unité de recherche de Paléontologie

The Australopithecus-bearing sites of Koro Toro in central Chad yielded at least 9 species of bovids (Ruminantia: Bovidae). They all belong to genera found in North and/or East Africa, but three new species are named. Kobus korotorensis n. sp. is quite distinct from East African species, and is probably an early offshoot from primitive Reduncines. Kobus tchadensis n. sp. is more like some East African forms. Parmularius pachyceras n. sp. should rather be compared with a North African species. This relative endemism hinders precise biochronological correlation, but the best fit is in the range 2.7 - 3.4 Ma. The lack of Tragelaphines, and an abundance of Reduncines, Alcelaphines and Antilopines definitely points towards an open environment, that was drier than most East African sites of this age.

Mots clés: Kobus; Parmularius; Simatherium; Antidorcas

Domaines: Etudes de l'environnement; Paléontologie

Denis Geraads, Michel Brunet, Hassan T. Mackaye, Patrick Vignaud. Pliocene Bovidae (Mammalia) from the Koro Toro Australopithecine sites, Chad. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2001, 21 (2), pp.335-346. ⟨halshs-00068080⟩