Kanapoi
Basic information
Sample name: Kanapoi

Reference: J. M. Harris, M. G. Leakey, and T. E. Cerling. 2003. Early Pliocene tetrapod remains from Kanapoi, Lake Turkana Basin, Kenya. Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 498:39-113 [ER 3999]
Geography
Country: Kenya


Coordinate: 2° 18' 32" N, 36° 3' 51" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Early Pliocene

Max Ma: 4.17

Min Ma: 4.07

Age basis: Ar-Ar

Geography comments: the exact stated coordinate is 36º3'51.1"E, 2º18'32.2"N
dated between 4.17 +/- 0.03 and 4.07 +/- 0.02 Ma respectively based on tuff dates for the "lower fluviatile unit" and for "the upper portion of the lower lacustrine sequence" (dating method not stated, but 40Ar-39Ar according to Leakey et al. 1998)

Environment
Lithology: sandstone

Taphonomic context: fluvial deposit,lake deposit,paleosol,carnivore accumulation

Habitat comments: "the terrestrial fossils derive from fluviatile sands" that "sandwich a lacustrine interval" but vertebrates are "primarily in the vertic floodplain paleosols" in the lower part of the section and in "extensive deltaic sandstones" higher in the section
"many of the hominid specimens show evidence of carnivore damage... it is possible that the hominid remains were transported by carnivores"

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,turtles,other reptiles,fishes

Sample size: 1730 specimens

Years: 1965 - 1967

Sampling comments: the sites "were first collected" in 1965 - 1967 by a Harvard expedition led by Bryan Patterson and recollected "in the mid-1990s" by National Museums Kenya "under the leadership of Meave Leakey"
collection methods are not discussed
Struthio eggshell fragments are also present, but were not collected consistently
Hipposideros sp., Crocidurinae indet., Elephantulus sp., Leporidae indet., Tatera sp.., Murini indet., Xerus sp., and cf. Steatomys sp are present but not inventoried

Metadata
Sample number: 4414

Contributor: John Alroy

Enterer: John Alroy

Modifier no: John Alroy

Created: 2024-11-01 08:23:20

Modified: 2024-11-01 08:23:20

Abundance distribution
71 species
20 singletons
total count 1730
geometric series index: 119.9
Fisher's α: 14.908
geometric series k: 0.9137
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8729
Shannon's H: 2.8887
Good's u: 0.9884
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Polypterus sp.1
Hyperopisus sp.109
Gymnarchus sp.34
Labeo sp.110
Barbus sp.15
Distichodus sp.8
Hydrocynus sp.119
Brycinus macrolepidotus1
Sindacharax lothagamensis84
Sindacharax mutetii555
Sindacharax howei22
Siluriformes indet.2
Bagridae or Claroteidae
Clariidae indet.5
Clarias or Heterobranchus
Synodontis sp.6
Lates niloticus25
Semlikiichthys rhachirhinchus57
Turkanemys sp.11
Kenyemys sp.2
Cyclanorbis turkanensis1
type: plus 1 Cyclanorbini indet. and 1 Trionychidae indet.
Stigmochelys crassa2
"Geochelone crassa"
Testudinidae indet.2
"Geochelone sp.": small, not G. crassa
Crocodylus niloticus10
Crocodylus sp.1
not the same as C. niloticus
Rimasuchus lloydi1
Euthecodon brumpti7
Anhinga sp.1
Mycteria sp.1
Anatidae indet.1
Galago sp.1
compared to
Cercopithecoides sp. small5
compared to this genus
Colobinae indet. A8
Colobinae indet. B1
Parapapio ado47
Theropithecus sp.1
compared to
Australopithecus anamensis47
type
Deinotherium bozasi5
Anancus kenyensis2
Elephas ekorensis26
Loxodonta adaurora24
type
Loxodonta exoptata1
Ceratotherium praecox12
type
Diceros bicornis4894 kg browser
Eurygnathohippus sp.33
Hexaprotodon protamphibius59
Hexaprotodon sp.1
not H. protamphibius
Nyanzachoerus pattersoni81
Notochoerus jaegeri32
Notochoerus cf. euilus1
Giraffa stillei5
Giraffa jumae1
Sivatherium cf. hendeyi4
Tragelaphus kyaloae33
Simatherium demissum4
Hippotragini indet.4
Kobus sp.2
Damalacra cf. neanica1
Damalacra sp. A5
Damalacra cf. acalla3
Aepyceros sp.18
Antilopini indet.2
"Gazella sp." (no comparisons made)
Caprini indet.1
Raphicerus sp.5
Madoqua sp.10
Enhydriodon ekecaman1
type
Torolutra sp.1
compared to
Parahyaena howelli33
type
Dinofelis petteri3
Homotherium sp.4
Felis sp.1
compared to F. lybica: possibly two individuals
Helogale sp.2
Genetta sp.3
said to be new