Early Miocene Sanitheriidae from the northern Sperrgebiet, Namibia
Sanitheres are poorly known suiformes of small size that were widespread in the Old World during Early and Middle Miocene times but never very common. Because much of their anatomy is unknown, especially that of the post-cranial skeleton, there has been debate about their classification within the order, with some authors attributing the group to the Suidae, whereas others prefer to class them in a separate family Sanitheriidae or within Palaeochoeridae. The newly available cranial and post-cranial bones from Langental in the Sperrgebiet, Namibia, support those who view the sanitheres as being separate from Suidae and Palaeochoeridae at least at the family level. The lower limbs appear to have been gracile and elongated, suggesting a more cursorial locomotor repertoire than is usual in suids and palaeochoerids.
Memoir of the Geological Survey of Namibia
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Early Miocene Sanitheriidae from the northern Sperrgebiet.pdf | 2.28 MB |