Arrisdrift (Miocene of Namibia)

Also known as ETE Locality 674, Arrisdrift,

Where: Namibia (28.3° S, 16.5° E: paleocoordinates 28.8° S, 14.8° E)

When: Middle Miocene (16.0 - 11.6 Ma)

• ETE dating method: composite, ETE age comment: correlations of fauna with Faunal Set PIII (E. Africa) and MNO4a (Europe)

•"early Middle Miocene"

Environment/lithology: "channel"; sandstone

• ETE sed env 1: fluvial, ETE sed env 2: channel ETE event: ., ETE env comment: occas. flowing water, mostly quiet, shallow pool
• ETE rock type adj: interbedded, ETE lithology comments: interbedded with clays, silts, fine grits, gravels and conglomerates, gypsum crystals in clay, frequent cut and fill

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: quarrying, surface (in situ)

• ETE Size: both; ETE reference list: 488, 483, 482, 481, 480, 479, 478, 477, 456, 121, ; ETE museum list:

Primary reference: M. Pickford, B. Senut, P. Mein, D. Gommery, J. Morales, D. Soria, M. Nieto and J. Ward. 1996. Preliminary results of new excavations at Arrisdrift, middle Miocene of southern Namibia. Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences. Série IIa, Sciences de la Terre et des Planetes/Earth & Planetary Sciences 322(11):991-996 [A. Behrensmeyer/A. Behrensmeyer/T. Liebrecht]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 21855: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Anna Behrensmeyer on 28.05.1997, edited by John Damuth, Jason Head, Will Clyde, Richard Butler, Jelle Zijlstra, Patricia Holroyd, Evangelos Vlachos, Mark Uhen and Philip Mannion

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Polychaeta
 Sabellida - Serpulidae
cf. Mercierella sp. Fauvel 1923
ETE occurrence; species: mak - replaced genus name sp. with family name, species name "feather-duster worm" replaced with sp.
Gnathostomata
  -
Osteichthyes indet. bony fish
ETE occurrence; species: Osteichthyes
Amphibia
  -
Amphibia indet. Linnaeus 1758 tetrapod
ETE occurrence; species: Amphibia
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Bathyergidae
Geofossor corvinusae n. gen. n. sp.2
Geofossor corvinusae n. gen. n. sp.2 Mein and Pickford 2003 mole rat
 Rodentia - Thryonomyidae
Paraphiomys orangeus n. sp.2 Mein and Pickford 2003 cane rat
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Xerini indet.2 squirrel
Vulcanisciurus sp. Lavocat 1973 squirrel
 Rodentia - Pedetidae
Megapedetes "sp. 1" MacInnes 1957 springhare
ETE occurrence; species: sp.1-Arrisdrift
Megapedetes "sp. 2" MacInnes 1957 springhare
ETE occurrence; species: sp.2-Arrisdrift
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Protarsomys sp. Lavocat 1973 mouse
Protarsomys lavocati n. sp.2 Mein and Pickford 2003 mouse
AD 483'95, holotype, right mandible with m1-m3
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Austrolagomys sp. Stromer 1926 pika
ETE occurrence; species: . originally entered as "Australagomys
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Amphechinus rusingensis3 Butler 1956 hedgehog
ETE occurrence; species: Erinaceidae
 Chiroptera - Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus contrarius n. sp.4 Mein and Pickford 2003 horseshoe bat
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Diceros sp. n. sp.12
Diceros sp. n. sp.12 Gray 1821 black rhino
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Nguruwe kijivium, "Namachoerus moruoroti" = Lopholistriodon moruoroti
Nguruwe kijivium Pickford 1986 pig
"Namachoerus moruoroti" = Lopholistriodon moruoroti Wilkinson 1976 pig
 Artiodactyla - Tragulidae
Dorcatherium pigotti Whitworth 1958 chevrotain
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
cf. Homoiodorcas sp. Thomas 1981 antelope
 Artiodactyla -
Orangemeryx hendeyi n. gen. n. sp.9
Orangemeryx hendeyi n. gen. n. sp.9 Morales et al. 1999 ruminant
 Creodonta - Hyainailouridae
Hyainailouros sulzeri5 Biedermann 1863 creodont
 Carnivora - Felidae
Diamantofelis ferox12 Morales et al. 1998 cat
ETE occurrence; species: Felidae-medium
Diamantofelis minor12 Morales et al. 1998 cat
ETE occurrence; species: Felidae-small
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Africanictis meini n. gen. n. sp.6 Morales et al. 1998 civet
AD 1791, holotype, maxilla fragment with P3-M2; AD 100'95, left dentary with m1; AD 100'95, right dentary with p2-m1
Africanictis meini12 Morales et al. 1998 civet
ETE occurrence; species: Hyaenidae
Africanictis hyaenoides n. sp.8 Morales et al. 2003 civet
AD 241'99, left m1
Orangictis gariepensis n. gen. n. sp.7 Morales et al. 2001 civet
AD 613'98, hemi-mandible with C-M2 (holotype). AD 119'98, right mandible with C-M1 (paratype)
 Carnivora - Amphicyonidae
Amphicyon giganteus, "Ysengrinia ginsburgi n. sp." = Namibiocyon ginsburgi6
Amphicyon giganteus Schinz 1825 bear-dog
"Ysengrinia ginsburgi n. sp." = Namibiocyon ginsburgi6 Morales et al. 1998 bear-dog
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Mustelidae "indet. 1" Fischer 1817 mustelid carnivore
ETE occurrence; species: sp.1-Arrisdrift
Mustelidae "indet. 2" Fischer 1817 mustelid carnivore
ETE occurrence; species: sp.2-Arrisdrift
Namibictis senuti n. gen. n. sp.6 Morales et al. 1998 mustelid carnivore
AD 614. right mandible
 Hyracoidea - Procaviidae
Prohyrax hendeyi Pickford 1994 hyrax
 Theriamorpha - Chrysochloridae
Prochrysochloris cf. miocaenicus3 Butler and Hopwood 1957 golden mole
 Theriamorpha - Tenrecidae
Protenrec butleri n. sp.2 Mein and Pickford 2003 tenrec
 Macroscelidea - Myohyracidae
Myohyrax sp. Andrews 1914 elephant shrew
 Macroscelidea - Macroscelididae
cf. Palaeothentoides sp. Stromer 1932 elephant shrew
 Tubulidentata - Orycteropodidae
Orycteropus cf. minutus Pickford 1975 aardvark
 Proboscidea - Deinotheriidae
Prodeinotherium hobleyi Andrews 1911 deinothere
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Afromastodon coppensi n. gen. n. sp.11 Pickford 2003 gomphothere
cf. Gomphotherium sp. Burmeister 1837 gomphothere
Reptilia
  -
Reptilia indet. Laurenti 1768 reptile
ETE occurrence; species: Squamata
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Mesochersus orangeus n. gen. n. sp.1, "Geochelone namaquensis" = Namibchersus namaquensis
Mesochersus orangeus n. gen. n. sp.1 de Lapparent de Broin 2003 turtle
"Geochelone namaquensis" = Namibchersus namaquensis Stromer 1926 turtle
 Testudines - Podocnemididae
aff. Erymnochelys sp.1 Baur 1888 sideneck turtle
 Testudines -
Pelomedusa sp.1 Wagler 1830 African helmeted turtle
 Serpentes -
Serpentes indet.13 snake
one trunk vertebra (PQ AD 707).
 Squamata - Boidae
Python cf. sebae13 Gmelin 1789 rock python
3 trunk vertebrae (AD 20'97, AD 228'99, AD 32'00).
 Squamata -
Colubroidea indet.13 Oppel 1811 snake
4 trunk vertebrae (AD 479'94, AD 113'97, AD 423'00, AD 735'00).
 Squamata - Elapidae
cf. Naja sp.13 Laurenti 1768 cobra
one mid-trunk vertebra (AD 181'94).
 Squamata - Viperidae
Viperidae indet.13 Oppel 1811 viper
one trunk vertebra (AD 294'96).
 Squamata - Crotalidae
Bitis sp.13 Gray 1842 puff adder
one trunk vertebra (PQ AD 1110).
Vipera indet.13 Laurenti 1768 pit viper
"Oriental viper or Daboia". two trunk vertebra (AD 467'98, AD 900'97).
 Squamata - Colubridae
Colubridae indet.13 Oppel 1811 colubrid snake
one trunk vertebra (PQ-AD 3280).
 Squamata -
Lacertilia indet.13 lizard
1 trunk vertebra (AD 523'95b).
Amphisbaenia indet.13 Gray 1844 worm lizard
1 trunk vertebra (AD 523'95a).
 Squamata - Varanidae
Varanidae indet. Hardwicke and Gray 1824 monitor lizard
ETE occurrence; species: Varanidae
Varanus sp.13 Merrem 1820 monitor lizard
One maxilla (AD 38'99), 9 trunk vertebrae (AD 561'97, AD 466'98, PQ AD 3372, AD 224'94, AD 299'00, AD 500'00, AD 223'94, AD 441'95, PQ AD 3157), 5 caudal vertebrae (AD 239'96, AD 240'96, 502'00, PQ AD 2266, an unnumbered vertebra from the old collection).
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Crocodylus gariepensis n. sp.10 Pickford 2003 crocodile
Aves
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Accipitridae indet. Viellot 1816 hawk
ETE occurrence; species: Accipitridae
 Struthioniformes - Struthionidae
Struthionidae indet. Vigors 1825 ostrich
ETE occurrence; species: Struthionidae
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
Phasianidae indet. Horsfield 1821 pheasant
ETE occurrence; species: Phasianidae