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Paleontological Investigations at the Eocene Locality of Mahenge in North-Central Tanzania, East Africa

  • Chapter
Eocene Biodiversity

Part of the book series: Topics in Geobiology ((TGBI,volume 18))

Abstract

Since the early 1930s, a number of geologists prospecting for diamonds in the region of Singida in north-central Tanzania have reported the occurrence of superbly preserved fossils in lake beds overlying kimberlite pipes (Teale, 1931, 1932; Eades and Reeve, 1938; Williams, 1939; Greenwood, 1960; Mannard, 1962; Greenwood and Patterson, 1967). The sediments containing the fossils consist of shales and mudstones deposited in small crater lakes. These fossil localities have never been the subject of detailed paleontological investigation. As a consequence, in 1996 the senior author initiated excavations at the middle Eocene locality of Mahenge, the most productive fossil-bearing locality in the region (Greenwood, 1960; Mannard, 1962). The results of this expedition confirm the exceptional productivity and scientific importance of this site, and serve to highlight the paleontological potential of the region in general. A sizeable collection of fossil fishes, frogs, insects and plant remains was recovered. The fossils are remarkably well-preserved and, in the case of vertebrates, are generally represented by entire and articulated skeletons, occasionally preserving details of their soft anatomy (Greenwood, 1960; this report).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA

    Terry Harrison

  2. Department of Anatomy, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Charles P. Msuya

  3. Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada

    Alison M. Murray

  4. Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 75275-0395, USA

    Bonnie Fine Jacobs

  5. Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Ana Maria Báez

  6. Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA, 94709, USA

    Roland Mundil & Kenneth R. Ludwig

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  1. Museum of Paleontology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Gregg F. Gunnell

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Harrison, T. et al. (2001). Paleontological Investigations at the Eocene Locality of Mahenge in North-Central Tanzania, East Africa. In: Gunnell, G.F. (eds) Eocene Biodiversity. Topics in Geobiology, vol 18. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1271-4_2

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