Orycteropodidae

Abstract

The small sample of fossil orycteropodids (n = 27) available from the Laetolil Beds at Laetoli consists of isolated postcranials and a few cranio-dental specimens. The material can all be attributed to a single species of the genus Orycteropus. The Laetoli aardvark is generally similar in morphology to the extant O. afer, but differs in being smaller and in having a more gracile postcranial skeleton. The material is also distinguishable from O. abundulafus and O. djourabensis from the late Miocene and early Pliocene of Chad. Given its unique combination of features, the orycteropodid from Laetoli very likely represents a distinct species, but the material is not adequate to designate a new taxon. However, the evidence indicates that there was a greater diversity of aardvarks in the Pliocene of East Africa than is currently recognized.