The Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene Lomekwi faunas, West Turkana, Kenya: systematics, paleoecology, and biochronology

Journal article

We describe here the vertebrate fauna collected by the West Turkana Paleo Project at Lomekwi, a site best known for yielding the holotype of Kenyanthropus platyops and Lomekwian stone tools, and consisting of several collecting areas providing fossil samples ranging in age from about 3.6 to 2.2 Ma. Analysis of the newly recovered material, alongside a thorough revision of earlier collections, has led to the identification of 85 vertebrate taxa, which provide biochronological indications that help refine the site's chronology and shed light on the paleoenvironmental conditions prevailing during a critical period of early hominin diversification. The newly described fauna illustrates that during the time of Kenyanthropus, hominins shared their landscapes with a rich assemblage of vertebrates, including abundant megaherbivores, some 28 species of artiodactyls, diverse large and medium-size carnivores, and giant crocodiles as apex predators in the lakes and rivers of the Turkana region in the Pliocene. Among primates, the recurring association of Theropithecus with hominins is found at Lomekwi as it is elsewhere. Paleoenvironmental proxies from the Turkana region emphasize the complex and dynamic nature of the habitats that supported this rich biodiversity.

Authors: Geraads, D; Bobe, R; Püschel, TA; Ward, CV; Plavcan, JM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Quaternary International
• Volume: 754
• Article number: 110078
• Publication date: 2025-12-17
• Acceptance date: 2025-11-27
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110078
• EISSN: 1873-4553
• ISSN: 1040-6182
• Language: English
• Keywords: paleoenvironment; hominin; mammalia; kenyanthropus; East Africa