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Geology and palaeontology of the Upper Miocene Toros-Menalla hominid locality, Chad

Author

Listed:
  • Patrick Vignaud

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Philippe Duringer

    (Centre de Géochimie de la Surface, CNRS UMR 7517, Université Louis Pasteur)

  • Hassane Taïsso Mackaye

    (Université de N'Djaména)

  • Andossa Likius

    (Université de Poitiers
    Université de N'Djaména)

  • Cécile Blondel

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Jean-Renaud Boisserie

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Louis de Bonis

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Véra Eisenmann

    (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et CNRS UMR 8569)

  • Marie-Esther Etienne

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Denis Geraads

    (Centre National de Recherche Scientifique UPR 2147)

  • Franck Guy

    (Université de Poitiers
    Peabody Museum, Harvard University)

  • Thomas Lehmann

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Fabrice Lihoreau

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Nieves Lopez-Martinez

    (Universidad Complutense)

  • Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

    (Centre des Sciences de la Terre, CNRS UMR 5125, Université Claude Bernard)

  • Olga Otero

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Jean-Claude Rage

    (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et CNRS UMR 8569)

  • Mathieu Schuster

    (Centre de Géochimie de la Surface, CNRS UMR 7517, Université Louis Pasteur)

  • Laurent Viriot

    (Université de Poitiers)

  • Antoine Zazzo

    (Université Pierre et Marie Curie)

  • Michel Brunet

    (Université de Poitiers)

Abstract

All six known specimens of the early hominid Sahelanthropus tchadensis come from Toros-Menalla site 266 (TM 266), a single locality in the Djurab Desert, northern Chad, central Africa. Here we present a preliminary analysis of the palaeontological and palaeoecological context of these finds. The rich fauna from TM 266 includes a significant aquatic component such as fish, crocodiles and amphibious mammals, alongside animals associated with gallery forest and savannah, such as primates, rodents, elephants, equids and bovids. The fauna suggests a biochronological age between 6 and 7 million years. Taken together with the sedimentological evidence, the fauna suggests that S. tchadensis lived close to a lake, but not far from a sandy desert, perhaps the oldest record of desert conditions in the Neogene of northern central Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Vignaud & Philippe Duringer & Hassane Taïsso Mackaye & Andossa Likius & Cécile Blondel & Jean-Renaud Boisserie & Louis de Bonis & Véra Eisenmann & Marie-Esther Etienne & Denis Geraads & Franck, 2002. "Geology and palaeontology of the Upper Miocene Toros-Menalla hominid locality, Chad," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6894), pages 152-155, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:418:y:2002:i:6894:d:10.1038_nature00880
    DOI: 10.1038/nature00880
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    Cited by:

    1. Jody Hey, 2005. "On the Number of New World Founders: A Population Genetic Portrait of the Peopling of the Americas," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(6), pages 1-1, May.

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