A NEW SPECIES OF PLIOCENE HIPPOPOTAMIDAE FROM THE MIDDLE AWASH, ETHIOPIA

摘要

A new species of hippopotamid, Hexaprotodon bruneti, sp. nov., was discovered in both the Hata Member of the Bouri Formation and at upper Maka in the Middle Awash study area of Ethiopia. Hexaprotodon bruneti is characterized by an enlarged i3 and differs from all African fossil and living hippos in the shape of its mandibular symphysis. It has stronger phylogenetic affinities with Pliocene hippopotamids of southern Asia than with African species. This probable Asian origin agrees with a hypothesis of an important faunal turnover in Africa about 2.5 Ma, perhaps linked with climatic change.