Carnivora from the South Turkwel hominid site, northern Kenya

• A small collection of carnivoran fossils from the South Turkwel hominid site is described. The fauna is composed of Megantereon ekidoit new species, Homotherium sp., Crocuta cf. dietrichi, cf. Pachycrocuta sp., Canis new species A., cf. Civettictis sp., Viverridae or Herpestidae indet., and Lutrinae indet. The record of Megantereon and Canis, as well as Pachycrocuta and Civettictis, if these genera are identified correctly, represents the earliest occurrences of their respective taxa in Africa. These specimens suggest a relatively rapid reorganization of the carnivore guild some time around 3.5 Ma, followed by a longer period of transition to a fauna more comparable in composition to the modern one.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Zoologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Zoology (hsv//eng)

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