Where: Afar, Ethiopia (11.5° N, 40.8° E: paleocoordinates 11.4° N, 40.5° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Piacenzian (3.6 - 2.6 Ma)

• The fossiliferous sediments of Gafura underlie a widespread diatomaceous unit, the Iki-Ilu Diatomite, which can be mapped in regionally extensive exposures along the southwestern flank of Iki-Ilu Ridge, across its southern tip, and into the floor of the Seraitu Valley, making this a practical stratigraphic boundary. The Hinti Mageta Tuff (2.914 ± 0.036 Ma; see Supplementary Figs. 3–5 and Supplementary Tables 4, 5), preserved within the Iki-Ilu Diatomite, provides an upper age limit to the Gafura sediments.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine; volcaniclastic sediments

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: Research at Mille-Logya started in 2012 and our team conducted systematic geological and paleontological surveys in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Primary reference: Z. Alemseged, J. G. Wynn, D. Geraads, D. Reed, W. A. Barr, R. Bobe, S. P. McPherron, A. Deino, M. Alene, M. J. Sier, D. Roman and J. Mohan. 2020. Fossils from Mille-Logya, Afar, Ethiopia, elucidate the link between Pliocene environmental changes and Homo origins. Nature Communications 11(2480) [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 224654: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Grace Varnham on 25.03.2022

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)