Baringian

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The African land mammal ages (AFLMA) system is a geologic timescale for African land mammal faunas of the Cenozoic Era. Based on biostratigraphic systems in use for mammal fossils on other continents, each AFLMA is defined at its base by a type locality with a distinctive fauna, rather than any particular species. Faunal zones have been in use in Cenozoic African paleontology since the 1980s, but the comprehensive AFLMA system was only established in 2020.[1]

List of AFLMAs

The list of AFLMAs from youngest (stratigraphically highest) to oldest (stratigraphically lowest):[1]

ALMA Age
(million years ago)		 Global epoch / stage Type locality Namesake First appearances in Africa Last appearances in Africa
Naivashan 0.0 – 1.0 middle-late Pleistocene, Holocene Olorgesailie bed I, Kenya Lake Naivasha, Kenya
Natronian 1.0 – 2.0 early Pleistocene Olduvai Gorge bed I, Tanzania Lake Natron, Tanzania
Shunguran 2.0 – 3.6 late Pliocene – early Pleistocene Shungura Formation member A, Omo Valley, Ethiopia Shungura Formation
Kerian 3.6 – 5.3 early Pliocene (Zanclean) Chemeron Formation, Tugen Hills, Kenya Kerio Valley, Kenya
Baringian 5.3 – 6.8 late Miocene Mpesida beds, Kenya Lake Baringo, Kenya
Sugutan 6.8 – 10.0 late Miocene Nakali site, Kenya Suguta Valley, Kenya
Tugenian 10.0 – 12.8 middle-late Miocene Ngorora Formation member A, Kenya Tugen Hills, Kenya
Tinderetian 12.8 – 15.8 middle Miocene Muruyur beds, Kenya Tinderet volcano, Kavirondo rift valley, Kenya
Kisingirian 15.8 – 18.5 early Miocene Kiahera Formation, Rusinga Island, Kenya Kisingiri volcano, Kavirondo rift valley, Kenya
Legetetian 18.5 – 22.5 early Miocene Tonde Bridge site, Kenya Legetet Hill, Kavirondo rift valley, Kenya
Turkwelian 22.5 – 28.2 late Oligocene Chilga area, Ethiopia Turkwel River, Kenya
  • †Deinotheriidae (elephant relatives)
  • †Mammutidae (elephant relatives)
  • †Gomphotheriidae (elephant relatives)
  • †Victoriapithecidae (early monkeys)
  • †Dendropithecidae (early apes)
  • †Stenoplesictidae (early feliforms)
Qatranian 28.2 – 33.4 early Oligocene L-41 site, Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum area, Egypt Jebel Qatrani Formation
Phiomian 33.4 – 37.0 late Eocene
(Priabonian)		 BQ-2 site, Birket Qarun Formation, Fayum area, Egypt Fayum
  • †Herpetotheriidae (marsupial relatives)
  • †Ptolemaiida (carnivorous afrotheres)
  • Galagidae (galagos)
  • †Parapithecidae (early monkeys)
  • †Oligopithecidae (early monkeys)
  • Anomaluridae (anomalure rodents)
  • †Phiomyidae (early hystricognath rodents)
  • †Diamantomyidae (early hystricognath rodents)
  • †Myophiomyidae (early hystricognath rodents)
  • †Anthracotheriidae (hippo relatives)
Kebarian 37.0 – 39.5 middle Eocene KEB-1 site, Jebel el-Kébar area, Tunisia Jebel el-Kébar
Lazibian 49.5 – 48.6 middle Eocene HGL49 site, Hammada du Dra Formation, Gour Lazib area, Algeria Gour Lazib
  • †Azibiidae (lemur relatives)
  • †Zegdoumyidae (early anomaluromorph rodents)
Abdounian 48.6– 56.0 early Eocene
(Ypresian)		 Ouled Abdoun phosphorite bed I, Morocco Ouled Abdoun Basin
  • Hyracoidea (hyraxes)
  • †Embrithopoda (large hebivorous afrotheres)
Tingitanian 56.0 – 66.0 Paleocene Ouled Abdoun phosphorite bed II, Morocco Tingitana (Morocco)
  • †Ocepeiidae (early afrotheres)
  • †Numidotheriidae (early elephant relatives)
  • Primates? (Altiatlasius)
  • †Hyaenodonta (early relatives of carnivorans)

Other continental ages

References

  1. Van Couvering, John A.; Delson, Eric (2020-12-01). "African Land Mammal Ages". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 40 (5) e1803340. doi:10.1080/02724634.2020.1803340. ISSN 0272-4634. JSTOR 27010910.