PBDB Collection

Mulhuli-Amo (MA) (Pleistocene of Eritrea)

Also known as A006; Northern Danakil Depression

Where: Buia, Eritrea (14.7° N, 39.8° E: paleocoordinates 14.6° N, 39.7° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Early/Lower Pleistocene (2.6 - 0.8 Ma)

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: channel lag; medium-grained, coarse, pebbly, silty sandstone

• 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.

• 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.

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: anthropogenic

Collected by Buia Project in 2010

• MA: Mulhuli-Amo collection hosted at the Northern Red Sea Regional Museum of Massawa

Primary reference: 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]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 193126: authorized by Evangelos Vlachos, entered by Evangelos Vlachos on 07.05.2018

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names

Actinopteri
Siluriformes - Clariidae	Clarias sp. Clarias sp. Scopoli 1777 catfish 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.
Cichliformes - Cichlidae	Cichlidae indet. Cichlidae indet. Heckel 1840 cichlid MA 993: a single partially complete and poorly preserved vertebral centrum.
Mammalia
Proboscidea - Elephantidae	Palaeoloxodon cf. recki Palaeoloxodon cf. recki Dietrich 1915 elephant 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.
Artiodactyla - Bovidae	Kobus cf. ellipsiprymnus, Bos cf. buiaensis Kobus cf. ellipsiprymnus Ogilby 1833 waterbuck MA 916: right M2. Bos cf. buiaensis ox MA 179A/D: fragmentary cranium with horns.
Artiodactyla - Suidae	Kolpochoerus majus Kolpochoerus majus Hopwood 1934 pig 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).
Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae	Hippopotamus gorgops Hippopotamus gorgops Dietrich 1928 hippo 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.
Perissodactyla - Equidae	Equus cf. quagga Equus cf. quagga Boddaert 1785 plains zebra MA 800: left mandibular fragment with p2-p3.
Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae	Ceratotherium simum Ceratotherium simum Burchell 1821 white rhinoceros MA 182: cranium.
Reptilia
Squamata - Varanidae	Varanus niloticus Varanus niloticus Linnaeus 1766 Nile monitor MA 397: caudal vertebra; MA3 1092: fragment of caudal vertebra; MA3 1099: caudal vertebra; MA3 1144: cloacal vertebra.
Squamata - Boidae	Python cf. sebae Python cf. sebae Gmelin 1789 rock python MA 1089: three articulated trunk vertebrae.
Crocodylia - Crocodylidae	Crocodylus sp. Crocodylus sp. Laurenti 1768 crocodile MA 829: partial skull and lower jaw.
Aves
Otidiformes - Otididae	Ardeotis kori Ardeotis kori Burchell 1822 Kori bustard MA 4316: distal portion of right radius.
Reptilia
Testudines - Pelomedusidae	Pelusios sinuatus Pelusios sinuatus Smith 1838 Serrated hinged terrapin MA 204: a partial shell and the associated pelvic girdle; MA 506: left xiphiplastron.