Lothagam-Lower Nawata Mb. (Miocene to of Kenya)

Also known as ETE Locality 1064, Lothagam 1B, Lothagam 1A, Lothagam 1, Lothagam, Lothagam-Lower Nawata mbr,

Where: Kenya (2.9° N, 36.1° E: paleocoordinates 2.5° N, 35.2° E)

• coordinate stated in text

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Lower Nawata Member (Nawata Formation), Tortonian to Tortonian (11.6 - 5.3 Ma)

• K-Ar dating constrains lower Nawata to 7.44 +/- 0.05 Ma and 6.54 +/- 0.04 Ma (Marker Tuff).

Environment/lithology: fluvial; poorly lithified mudstone and poorly lithified sandstone

• Lower Nawata deposits are fluvial and the dominant low-angle epsilon cross-stratification indicates a meandering river. Scale of the upward-fining cycles suggests broad but shallow channels. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction suggests well to poorly drained alluvial settings with regular annual or semiannual dry seasons. River is shallow and meandering with extensive low gradient floodplains. Vegetation is a mosaic of open and closed environments with semideciduous thorn tree and tree savanna common below the Middle Markers and more arid dry thorn bush savannah above.
• In the type section, roughly 20% of the sequence consists of conglomerats, 34% sandstones, 36% mudstones, and 10% altered tephra. Sandstones of the member typically display well-developed low-angle planar (epsilon) cross stratification, along with a variety of medium to large scale trough and planar cross bedding. Mudstones of the member typically display the wedge-shaped polygons and large-scale, slickensided dish fractures of vertisols. The basal strata of the Lower Nawata include numerous volcanic-cobble conglomerates, but such coarse lithologies are not seen higher in the member. The uppermost unit of the Lower Nawata is a prominent marker complex termed the Red Marker. This is a heterogeneous mix of sandstones and mudstones, which have a strong secondary component of analcome and iron oxides. Other noteworthy marker units witin the Lower Nawata include the Lower Markers (an altered tephra complex), the Gateway sandstone, and the Middle Markers (another tephra sequence).

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: bulk, mechanical, sieve,

• Held at the Kenya National Museums (KNM-LT-). Surface collection.

Primary reference: 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]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 22241: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Anna Behrensmeyer on 30.06.1999, edited by Suzanne Cote, Mark Uhen and Philip Mannion

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
Mormyriformes indet., Labeo sp., Distichodus sp., Alestes sp., Sindacharax lothagamensis n. sp., Sindacharax sp., "Clarias/Heterbranchus" sp., Semlikiichthys cf. rhachirhinchus, Kubwaxerus pattersoni
Osteichthyes
 Ceratodontiformes - Lepidosirenidae
Protopterus sp.
Protopterus sp. Agassiz 1843 african lungfish
.
Mammalia
 Tubulidentata - Orycteropodidae
Orycteropus sp., Leptorycteropus guilielmi
Orycteropus sp. Geoffroy 1791 aardvark
Leptorycteropus guilielmi Patterson 1975 aardvark
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Anancus kenyensis
Anancus kenyensis MacInnes 1942 gomphothere
 Proboscidea - Deinotheriidae
Deinotherium bozasi
Deinotherium bozasi Arambourg 1934 deinothere
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Elephantidae "indet. A", Elephantidae indet., "Primelephas gomphotheroides" = Primelephas korotorensis, Stegotetrabelodon orbus
Elephantidae "indet. A" Gray 1821 elephant
sp. A
Elephantidae indet. Gray 1821 elephant
"Primelephas gomphotheroides" = Primelephas korotorensis Coppens 1965 elephant
Stegotetrabelodon orbus Maglio 1970 elephant
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Hyaenictitherium cf. parvum, Ikelohyaena cf. abronia, Ictitherium ebu, cf. Hyaenictis sp.
Hyaenictitherium cf. parvum Khomenko 1914 hyaena
Ikelohyaena cf. abronia Hendey 1974 hyaena
cf. Hyaenictis sp. Gaudry 1861 hyaena
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Viverridae "indet. large", cf. Genetta sp., Viverrinae indet., Viverra cf. leakeyi
Viverridae "indet. large" Gray 1821 civet
large species
cf. Genetta sp. Cuvier 1816 civet
sp. A
Viverrinae indet. Gray 1821 civet
Viverra cf. leakeyi Petter 1963 civet
 Carnivora - Felidae
cf. Metailurus sp., Lokotunjailurus emageritus, Dinofelis sp.
cf. Metailurus sp. Zdansky 1924 cat
Lokotunjailurus emageritus Werdelin 2003 cat
Dinofelis sp. Zdansky 1924 cat
 Carnivora - Amphicyonidae
Amphicyonidae indet., Bonisicyon illacabo2
Amphicyonidae indet. Haeckel 1886 bear-dog
Bonisicyon illacabo2 Werdelin 2009 bear-dog
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Vishnuonyx angololensis, Mellivorinae indet., Ekorus ekakeran n. gen. n. sp.
Mellivorinae indet. Gray 1865 ratel
Ekorus ekakeran n. gen. n. sp. Werdelin 2003 ratel
 Artiodactyla - Hippopotamidae
Hexaprotodon sp., "Hexaprotodon harvardi" = Archaeopotamus harvardi, "Hexaprotodon lothagamensis n. sp." = Archaeopotamus lothagamensis
Hexaprotodon sp. Falconer and Cautley 1836 pygmy hippo
"Hexaprotodon harvardi" = Archaeopotamus harvardi Coryndon 1977 hippopotamus
"Hexaprotodon lothagamensis n. sp." = Archaeopotamus lothagamensis Weston 2000 hippopotamus
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
"Nyanzachoerus cf. syrticus" = Sivachoerus syrticus, cf. Kubanochoerus sp., Nyanzachoerus tulotus, Potamochoerus sp., "Nyanzachoerus devauxi" = Propotamochoerus devauxi
"Nyanzachoerus cf. syrticus" = Sivachoerus syrticus Leonardi 1954 pig
cf. Kubanochoerus sp. Gabunia 1955 pig
originally entered as "cf. Kubanocheorus sp."
Nyanzachoerus tulotus pig
originally entered as "Nyanzachoerus syrticus tulotus"
Potamochoerus sp. Gray 1854 pig
"Nyanzachoerus devauxi" = Propotamochoerus devauxi Arambourg 1968 pig
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bovini indet., Boselaphini indet., Tragelaphini indet., Aepyceros premelampus, Alcelaphini indet., Damalacra "sp. A", Damalacra "sp. B", Reduncini indet., Menelikia leakeyi, Kobus presigmoidalis n. sp., Hippotragini indet., Hippotragus sp., Raphicerus sp., Madoqua sp., Tragoportax "sp. A", Tragoportax "sp. B", Tragoportax aff. cyrenaicus, Gazella sp.
Bovini indet. Gray 1821 antelope
Boselaphini indet. Knottnerus-Meyer 1997 antelope
Tragelaphini indet. Blyth 1863 antelope
Aepyceros premelampus Harris 2003 impala
Alcelaphini indet. Brookes 1876 antelope
Damalacra "sp. A" Gentry 1980 antelope
sp. A
Damalacra "sp. B" Gentry 1980 antelope
sp. B
Reduncini indet. Knottnerus-Meyer 1907 antelope
Menelikia leakeyi Harris 1991 antelope
Kobus presigmoidalis n. sp. Harris 2003 antelope
Hippotragini indet. Sundevall 1845 antelope
Hippotragus sp. Sundevall 1845 antelope
Raphicerus sp. Smith 1827 antelope
originally entered as "Raphiceras sp."
Madoqua sp. Ogilby 1837 dikdik
Tragoportax "sp. A" Pilgrim 1937 antelope
sp. A
Tragoportax "sp. B" Pilgrim 1937 antelope
sp. B
Tragoportax aff. cyrenaicus Thomas 1979 antelope
Gazella sp. Blaineville 1816 gazelle
 Artiodactyla - Giraffidae
cf. Sivatherium sp., Palaeotragus sp., Palaeotragus germaini
cf. Sivatherium sp. Falconer and Cautley 1836 giraffe
Palaeotragus sp. Gaudry 1861 giraffe
Palaeotragus germaini Arambourg 1959 giraffe
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Ceratotherium praecox, Brachypotherium lewisi
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Hippotherium cf. primigenium, Eurygnathohippus feibeli n. sp., Eurygnathohippus turkanense n. sp.
Hippotherium cf. primigenium von Meyer 1829 hipparionine horse
Eurygnathohippus feibeli n. sp. hipparionine horse
Eurygnathohippus turkanense n. sp. Hooijer and Maglio 1974 hipparionine horse
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Alilepus sp.
Alilepus sp. Dice 1931 rabbit
 Rodentia - Hystricidae
Hystrix sp.
Hystrix sp. Linnaeus 1758 porcupine
(small)
 Rodentia - Thryonomyidae
Paraulacodus cf. johanesi, Paraphiomys chororensis
 Rodentia - Muridae
Muridae indet., Karnimata jacobsi
Muridae indet. Illiger 1811 mouse
 Primates - Cercopithecidae
Cercopithecidae indet., Colobinae "indet. A", Colobinae "indet. B", Colobinae "indet. small", Parapapio lothagamensis n. sp.
Cercopithecidae indet. Gray 1821 monkey
Colobinae "indet. A" Blyth 1875 monkey
sp. A
Colobinae "indet. B" Blyth 1875 monkey
sp. B
Colobinae "indet. small" Blyth 1875 monkey
sp. (small)
Parapapio lothagamensis n. sp. Leakey et al. 2003 monkey
Reptilia
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Euthecodon brumpti, Crocodylus sp.1, Crocodylus checchiai1, "Crocodylus cataphractus" = Mecistops cataphractus
Euthecodon brumpti Joleaud 1920 crocodile
Crocodylus sp.1 Laurenti 1768 crocodile
Crocodylus checchiai1 Maccagno 1947 crocodile
"Crocodylus cataphractus" = Mecistops cataphractus Cuvier 1825 crocodile
 Crocodylia - Gavialidae
Eogavialis andrewsi
Eogavialis andrewsi Storrs 2003 crocodilian
Aves
  -
Aves indet.
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758 bird
 Aepyornithiformes - Aepyornithidae
Aepyornithidae indet.
Aepyornithidae indet. Bonaparte 1853 elephant bird
 Struthioniformes - Struthionidae
cf. Struthio indet.
cf. Struthio indet. Linnaeus 1758 ostrich
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Rallidae indet.
Rallidae indet. Vigors 1825 rail
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Strigidae indet.
Strigidae indet. Vigors 1825 true owl
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Anatidae indet.
Anatidae indet. Vigors 1825 waterfowl
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
Ciconiidae indet.
Ciconiidae indet. Sundevall 1836 stork
 Suliformes - Anhingidae
Anhinga cf. rufa
Anhinga cf. rufa Daudin 1802 African darter
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Ardeidae indet.
Ardeidae indet. Leach 1820 heron
Reptilia
 Testudines - Podocnemididae
Kenyemys wiliamsi, Turkanemys pattersoni n. sp.
Kenyemys wiliamsi sideneck turtle
Turkanemys pattersoni n. sp. Wood 2003 sideneck turtle
 Testudines - Testudinidae
cf. Geochelone indet.
cf. Geochelone indet. Fitzinger 1835 turtle
 Testudines - Trionychidae
Trionychidae indet.
Trionychidae indet. Gray 1825 softshell turtle
Cladistia
 Polypteriformes - Polypteridae
Polypterus sp.
Polypterus sp. Lacépède 1803 bichir
Actinopteri
 Osteoglossiformes - Osteoglossidae
Heterotis sp.
Heterotis sp. Rüppell 1828 African arowana
 Osteoglossiformes - Gymnarchidae
Gymnarchus sp.
Gymnarchus sp. Cuvier 1829 aba knifefish
 Characiformes - Alestidae
Hydrocynus sp.
Hydrocynus sp. Cuvier 1816
 Characiformes - Characidae
Characidae indet.
 Teleostei -
Siluriformes indet.
 Siluriformes - Bagridae
Bagridae indet., Bagrus aff. sp.
Bagridae indet. Bleeker 1852 naked catfish
Bagrus aff. sp. Bosc 1816 naked catfish
 Siluriformes - Mochokidae
Synodontis sp.
Synodontis sp. Cuvier 1816 upside down catfish
 Siluriformes - Claroteidae
Clarotes sp.
Clarotes sp. Kner 1855 catfish
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae inet.
Cyprinidae inet. Rafinesque 1815 carp-like fish
 Acanthomorphata - Centropomidae
Lates niloticus
Lates niloticus Linnaeus 1758 Nile perch
 Teleostei -
Perciformes indet.
Perciformes indet. Bleeker 1859 perch-like fish
 Perciformes -
Percoidei indet.
Percoidei indet. Bleeker 1859 perch-like fish
Malacostraca
 Decapoda - Potamonautidae
Potamonautidae indet.
Potamonautidae indet. Bott 1970 crab
1Brochu and Storrs 2012; 2Werdelin 2009