Lothagam-Kaiyumung Mb.: Zanclean - Piacenzian, Kenya

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Dipnomorpha - Lepidosirenidae
6 specimens
Reptilia - Struthioniformes - Struthionidae
1 specimen
Reptilia
4 specimens
Brochu and Storrs 2012
KNM-LT 26305 (incomplete skull)
3 specimens
Reptilia - Testudines - Podocnemididae
2 specimens
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Deinotheriidae
Deinotherium bozasi Arambourg 1934
1 specimen
Mammalia - Primates - Hominidae
4 specimens
Mammalia - Primates - Cercopithecidae
Colobinae indet. (Blyth 1875)
1 specimen
large sp.
12 specimens
cf. Parapapio sp. Jones 1937
1 specimen
Mammalia - Rodentia - Thryonomyidae
1 specimen
Mammalia - Rodentia - Hystricidae
1 specimen
large sp.
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Eurygnathohippus sp. Van Hoepen 1930
8 specimens
large sp.
Eurygnathohippus sp. Van Hoepen 1930
1 specimen
small sp.
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
4 specimens
Mammalia - Suidae
Notochoerus euilus (Hopwood 1926)
20 specimens
3 specimens
Mammalia - Bovidae
Reduncini indet. Knottnerus-Meyer 1907
1 specimen
Kobus presigmoidalis n. sp. Harris 2003
1 specimen
Aepyceros premelampus n. sp. Harris 2003
9 specimens
Hippotragini indet. Sundevall 1845
2 specimens
1 specimen
sp. A
? Praedamalis sp. Dietrich 1950
4 specimens
Alcelaphini indet. Brookes 1876
2 specimens
Raphicerus sp. Smith 1827
2 specimens
originally entered as "Raphiceras sp."
Bovini indet. Gray 1821
3 specimens
2 specimens
1 specimen
3 specimens
Mammalia - Giraffidae
Giraffa stillei Arambourg 1947
3 specimens
Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae
1 specimen
Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae
1 specimen
Leptailurus sp. Severtzov 1858
1 specimen
caracal
Tetraodontiformes - Tetraodontidae
32 specimens
unclassified
31 specimens
1 specimen
29 specimens
13 specimens
16 specimens
650 specimens
52 specimens
417 specimens
3457 specimens
3 specimens
266 specimens
Cladistia - Polypteriformes - Polypteridae
Polypterus sp. Lacépède 1803
13 specimens
Actinopteri - Characiformes - Alestidae
Hydrocynus sp. Cuvier 1816
492 specimens
Actinopteri - Characiformes - Characidae
3 specimens
Actinopteri - Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae indet. Rafinesque 1815
3 specimens
Barbus sp. Cuvier and Cloquet 1816
84 specimens
Actinopteri - Siluriformes
36 specimens
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Claroteidae
Clarotes sp. Kner 1855
1 specimen
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Bagridae
Bagridae indet. Bleeker 1852
4 specimens
Bagrus aff. sp. Bosc 1816
1 specimen
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Mochokidae
Synodontis sp. Cuvier 1816
7 specimens
Actinopteri - Cichliformes - Cichlidae
52 specimens
Actinopteri - Centropomidae
22 specimens
Actinopteri - Perciformes
Perciformes indet. Bleeker 1859
86 specimens
Percoidei indet. (Bleeker 1859)
63 specimens
Actinopteri - Osteoglossiformes - Gymnarchidae
Gymnarchus sp. Cuvier 1829
65 specimens
see common names

Geography
Country:Kenya
Coordinates: 2.9° North, 36.1° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:1.7° North, 35.9° East (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period: Neogene Epoch: Pliocene
Stage: Zanclean - Piacenzian 10 m.y. bin: Cenozoic 6
*Period:Tertiary
*International age/stage:Tortonian - Piacenzian
Key time interval: Zanclean - Piacenzian
Age range of interval: 5.333 - 2.58 m.y. ago
* legacy (obsolete) database fields
Stratigraphy
Formation:Nachukui Member:Kaiyumung
Stratigraphic resolution:member
Stratigraphy comments: Not well dated. Top of underlying member is estimated at 3.9 Ma. KBS tuff in overlying strata is 1.88 +/- 0.02 Ma.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:pebbly poorly lithified sandy sandstone
Secondary lithology: poorly lithified mudstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: Characterized by pebble-rich quartzofeldspathic sandstones and mudstones with well-developed vertic features.
Environment:fluvial-lacustrine indet. Tectonic setting:rift
Geology comments: Vertebrate fossils common, no isotopically datable materials recovered. Kaiyumung strata may record a third period of fluvial deposition in the Lothagam deposits, suggested by lack of tephra markers, implying a shift in prevailing sediment distribution patterns.
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:some
Disassociated major elements:many
Disassociated minor elements:many
Size sorting:poor
Fragmentation:frequent
Feeding/predation traces:fractures
Temporal resolution:time-averaged
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some macrofossils
Collection methods:bulk,surface (in situ),mechanical,sieve,field collection
Collection size:6009 specimens
Reason for describing collection:paleoecologic analysis
Collection method comments: Held at the National Musuems of Kenya, Nairobi under designation KNM-LT-
Metadata
Also known as:Lothagam-Nachukui fm, Kaiyumung mb.
Database number:22239
Authorizer:A. Behrensmeyer, P. Mannion Enterer:A. Behrensmeyer, S. Cote, P. Mannion
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:vertebrate
Created:1999-06-30 00:00:00 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:1999-06-30 00:00:00
Creative Commons license:CC0
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:

46593 C. A. Brochu and G. W. Storrs. 2012. A giant crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene of Kenya, the phylogenetic relationships of Neogene African crocodylines, and the antiquity of Crocodylus in Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 32(3):587-602 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
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]