2005/01/01 by Thomas Lehmann, Patrick Vignaud, Andossa Likius +1 · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Social Sciences · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Bat Biology and Ecology Studies #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Crest #Taxon #Fossorial #Clade #Paleontology #Fossil Record #Fossa #Biology #Zoology #Geology #Phylogenetics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00143.x
openalex publication_date 2005/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
A new species of fossil Tubulidentata has been found by the Mission Paléoanthropologique Franco-Tchadienne in Northern Chad. It is the first fossil Orycteropodidae (aardvark) from the Mio-Pliocene of Central Africa. The new taxon, Orycteropus abundulafus sp. nov., is considered in the framework of the available Orycteropodidae fossil record. The Chadian specimen is characterized by the highest dental robustness index among all Tubulidentata, the presence of crests on the pterygoid, the triangular-shaped olecranon fossa and the reduction of the deltoid crest. All of these characters are linked to a less fossorial animal that had a tougher diet. This new African species is closer to the Eurasian O. gaudryi than to any other Tubulidentata. Together they form a clade distinct from that which includes O. afer. This is the first evidence of a relationship for aardvarks between Africa and Eurasia. An initial step is made towards revision of the phylogeny of the order.