A NEW SPECIES OF PLIOCENE HIPPOPOTAMIDAE FROM THE MIDDLE AWASH, ETHIOPIA
Jean-Renaud Boisserie and Tim D. White, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2004, 24(2):464–473
A new species of Notochoerus, N. clarki, sp. nov., has been identified from three Pliocene Formations in Ethiopia, the Omo Shungura, Konso, and Bouri (Middle Awash). This taxon, formerly known from isolated dentognathic elements and attributed to a long-lasting Notochoerus euilus, represents the fourth species of Notochoerus to be recognized. Its temporal distribution shows that Notochoerus euilus was not the long-lasting species formerly imagined. The new species’ anatomical specializations, unusual spatial distribution, and apparent sympatry with its close relative Notochoerus scotti all imply narrow niche partitioning in eastern African suids during the Pliocene.