Orycteropus abundulafus, Lehmann & Vignaud & Likius & Brunet, 2005

Lehmann, Thomas, Vignaud, Patrick, Likius, Andossa & Brunet, Michel, 2005, A new species of Orycteropodidae (Mammalia, Tubulidentata) in the Mio-Pliocene of northern Chad, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 143 (1), pp. 109-131 : 110-111

GENUS ORYCTEROPUS GEOFFROY, 1791 SPECIES ORYCTEROPUS ABUNDULAFUS SP. NOV.

Holotype: KB03-97–214 (Figs 1–9, 11). It is a subcomplete skeleton discovered in anatomical connection (assigned to Orycteropus sp. nov. in Brunet & MPFT, 2000). It includes cranium and mandible with teeth; pectoral girdle (left and right glenoid part); vertebrate spine in articulation (cervical vertebrae to sacrum); some rib fragments; complete right and left forelimbs (including ungueal phalanges and sesamoids); pelvic girdle including the right acetabular region; right femur (proximal end), tibia, fibula, tarsal, metatarsals, right phalanges (including ungueal phalanges and sesamoids); left femur (distal epiphysis), left tibia (distal end), tarsal, metatarsals and left phalanges (including ungueal phalanges and sesamoids). After study, the specimen will be permanently curated in the Centre National d’Appui à la Recherche ( CNAR) in N’Djaména , Chad.

Hypodigm: Type only.

Type locality: Kossom Bougoudi, KB03 site ( Chad) ( GPS: 16∞19¢-16∞20¢N; 18∞42¢-18∞43¢E).

Age: Mio-Pliocene boundary (around 5 Mya) ( Brunet & MPFT, 2000).

Etymology: Specific name, abundulafus (Latin) , derived from Abundoulaf meaning ‘the one who digs’ and also aardvark in Chadian Arabic language.

Diagnosis: General size around 75% that of the extant form, Orycteropus afer .

Skull: Glenoid cavity with well-developed lateral tubercle, lateral crests on pterygoid wall.

Mandible: Long symphysis (21% of total length), concave condyle.

Dentition: Very robust molars with transversal intracuspal rim.

Forelimb: Deltoid ridge of the humerus not projecting laterally, olecranon fossa triangular in shape.

Hind limb: Sesamoid bone for the M. gastrocnemius situated backwards.