The first Miocene fossils from coastal woodlands in the southern East African Rift

Bobe, René, Aldeias, Vera, Alemseged, Zeresenay, Anemone, Robert L., Archer, Will, Aumaître, Georges, Bamford, Marion K., Biro, Dora, Bourlès, Didier L., Doyle Boyd, Melissa, Braun, David R., Capelli, Cristian, d'Oliveira Coelho, João, Habermann, Jörg M., Head, Jason J., Keddadouche, Karim, Kupczik, Kornelius, Lebatard, Anne-Elisabeth, Lüdecke, Tina, Macôa, Amélia, Martínez, Felipe I., Mathe, Jacinto, Mendes, Clara, Paulo, Luis Meira, Pinto, Maria, Presnyakova, Darya, Püschel, Thomas A., Regala, Frederico Tátá, Sier, Mark, Ferreira da Silva, Maria Joana, Stalmans, Marc and Carvalho, Susana 2023. The first Miocene fossils from coastal woodlands in the southern East African Rift. iScience 26 (9) , 107644. 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107644

Preview

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

The Miocene was a key time in the evolution of African ecosystems witnessing the origin of the African apes and the isolation of eastern coastal forests through an expanding arid corridor. Until recently, however, Miocene sites from the southeastern regions of the continent were unknown. Here, we report the first Miocene fossil teeth from the shoulders of the Urema Rift in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. We provide the first 1) radiometric ages of the Mazamba Formation, 2) reconstructions of paleovegetation in the region based on pedogenic carbonates and fossil wood, and 3) descriptions of fossil teeth. Gorongosa is unique in the East African Rift in combining marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, reptiles, terrestrial mammals, and fossil woods in coastal paleoenvironments. The Gorongosa fossil sites offer the first evidence of woodlands and forests on the coastal margins of southeastern Africa during the Miocene, and an exceptional assemblage of fossils including new species.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	Cell Press
ISSN:	2589-0042
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	31 October 2023
Date of Acceptance:	11 August 2023
Last Modified:	01 Nov 2023 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/163594

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item