RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The first Miocene fossils from coastal woodlands in the southern East African Rift
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.12.16.472914
DO 10.1101/2021.12.16.472914
A1 René Bobe
A1 Vera Aldeias
A1 Zeresenay Alemseged
A1 Will Archer
A1 Georges Aumaître
A1 Marion K. Bamford
A1 Dora Biro
A1 Didier L. Bourlès
A1 David R. Braun
A1 Cristian Capelli
A1 João d’Oliveira Coelho
A1 Jörg M. Habermann
A1 Jason J. Head
A1 Karim Keddadouche
A1 Kornelius Kupczik
A1 Anne-Elisabeth Lebatard
A1 Tina Lüdecke
A1 Amélia Macôa
A1 Felipe I. Martínez
A1 Jacinto Mathe
A1 Clara Mendes
A1 Luis Meira Paulo
A1 Maria Pinto
A1 Thomas A. Püschel
A1 Frederico Tátá Regala
A1 Mark Sier
A1 Maria Joana Ferreira da Silva
A1 Marc Stalmans
A1 Susana Carvalho
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/12/18/2021.12.16.472914.abstract
AB The Miocene is a key time in the evolution of African mammals and their ecosystems witnessing the origin of the African apes and the isolation of eastern coastal forests through an expanding biogeographic arid corridor. Until recently, however, Miocene sites from the southeastern regions of the continent were unknown. Here we report discovery of the first Miocene fossil teeth from the shoulders of the Urema Rift in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, at the southern East African Rift System. We provide the first 1) radiometric age determinations of the fossiliferous Mazamba Formation, 2) reconstructions of past vegetation in the region based on pedogenic carbonates and fossil wood, and 3) description of fossil teeth from the southern rift. Gorongosa is unique in the East African Rift System in combining marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, terrestrial mammals, and fossil woods in coastal paleoenvironments. The Gorongosa fossil sites offer the first evidence of persistent woodlands and forests on the coastal margins of southeastern Africa during the Miocene, and an exceptional assemblage of fossil vertebrates including new species. Further work will allow the testing of hypotheses positing the formation of a northeast-southwest arid corridor isolating species on the eastern coastal forests from those elsewhere in Africa.Brief The Miocene is a key time in the evolution of African mammals and their ecosystems encompassing hominine origins and the establishment of an arid corridor that isolated eastern Africa’s coastal forests. Until now, however, Miocene sites from southeastern Africa have been unknown. We report the discovery of the first Miocene fossil sites from Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, and show that these sites formed in coastal settings. We provide radiometric ages for the fossiliferous sediments, reconstructions of past vegetation based on stable isotopes and fossil wood, and a description of the first fossil teeth from the region. Gorongosa is the only paleontological site in the East African Rift that combines fossil woods, marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, and terrestrial mammals. Gorongosa offers the first evidence of persistent woodlands and forests on the coastal margins of southeastern Africa during the Miocene.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.